of Worship and Practices upon people And what do you mean by Godly Ministry Will you admit of just Tryal according to the Scriptures whether yours be that Godly Ministry or no for all sorts of Christians Papists and Protestants and all others they will say That they are in the right Way and their Ministry is the Godly Ministry but the fruits of many prove the contrary and we cannot believe that yours is the Godly Ministry except you will prove it to us by and according to the Scriptures Now it is certain That the Ministry of the Apostles was the true Godly Ministry and if yours agree with theirs then we will confess That yours is the true Godly Ministry Therefore tell us plainly do you agree with them in your Call and in your Maintenance and in your Practices and in your Fruits and Effects in your lives and Conversations and in your Doctrines Are you justly according to and do you agree with the Apostles in all these things shall we lay you to the Line that you may be judged This is but as a hint at things whereby you might justly be tryed for if you agree not with the Apostles in these cases mentioned then it is evident that your Ministry is not the true Godly Ministry but hereafter we may have a better occasion to try you And thus the principal part of your Exhortation is answered and if you can receive it in Love TO all you Sixty One Teachers in London under whose hands your Exhortation passeth this I say to you in the Fear of the Lord God Oh ye Men consider and let it enter into your hearts the Day of the Lord is at hand upon you and an Account of your Stewardship must you give and his Reward must you have whom you have served and you must reap the Fruit of what you have sown Oh look upon your Flocks and see what a condition they are in Oh what Pride and Vain-glory is abounding amongst them Oh how doth Wickedness spring forth from them Are they like unto Sheep of Christ's Fold or Are not they appearing outwardly Christians when as the evil nature is uncut down in them Oh what Wickedness abounds in this City What Double-dealing and Dissimulation What Lying and Swearing and Drunkenness Oh high are all the Fruits of the Flesh grown amongst your Flocks Your Vineyards are not dressed as they ought to be there are aboundance of corrupt Trees and fruitless Branches which cumber the Ground Oh! it makes the Heart of the Righteous sad to walk in the Streets and to view the Abominations that are daily brought forth by a people professing Scriptures Church Ministry and Christ. Oh! it burdens the Just and grieves the Righteous Soul to consider how high Iniquity is grown among the Sheep of your Pastures whom ye should have fed with Knowledge and converted unto the Fear of the Lord had you been Messengers sent of God the very Iews and Heathens they blaspheme against Christ through the Abominations brought forth among Christians that have the Name to live but are dead Oh! let it enter into your Hearts and smite you that your many years Ministry should have so little effect for your Vineyard is like untilled Ground unploughed and unbroken up Oh! there is much Hard-heartedness amongst your People and their Hearts go after Covetousness even while they profess God with their Lips Oh! the Righteous mourn in secret to see the Prophanness the Scornings and Reproaches that are brought forth in your City And Oh the Idolatry that aboundeth let it repent you that you have been so sloathful and never more seek the Fleece but seek the Flock that 's gone astray from the Lord who is the true Shepherd whose Voice hath not been obeyed and many Pastors have destroyed the Vineyard and many Shepherds have fed themselves and not the Flock Oh consider the Day of the Lord is at hand and he will visit with his Rod You and your Flocks prepare to meet the Lord for his Kingdom is nigh to come which will be a terrible Day to all the Workers of Iniquity And as for this your Exhortation I say As for Exhortation in it self Ministers ought to exhort their Flocks so such a thing in it self I do commend and not oppose but when I had read and seriously considered the Aim and Intent of your spirits in your Exhortation I found it secretly and in a measure openly opposing and striking at and secretly smiting the People of the Lord whom you have Reproached by the name of Quakers who are dear to the Lord and he careth for them though you see no Beauty in them but account them altogether vile and in as much as you lifted up your hands against them upon that account was it upon my spirit to return something in Answer for the Information of many that they might be Undeceived and not in Envy towards any but in Love to all to both you and your People and you have occasioned this upon your selves though you are reproved And not as a man of Strife or Contention have I proceeded but as one that desireth the further Manifestation of Truth and that no false Accusation may rest upon it which you have secretly brought forth with which the Lord is not well-pleased that you should set your selves in Opposition against his People and if any of you shall receive a just Reproof and repent it may prove to you an Advantage or much Good and be not so Proud as to say in your hearts What aâ—t thou weak man that reprovest us or Wherefore art thou so bold thus to deal with us but rather fall under just Reproof for in Uprightness of Heart have I proceeded towards you and not in mine own but in the Will of the Father And oh that your Flocks would also consider among whom there are many that are zealous in their way Oh that their Zeal and Judgments were guided by the Spirit of the Lord then should it be well with them Oh that they would be meek and humble and learn the Fear of the Lord Oh that every one of them would consider and turn from their Iniquities and become Followers of Jesus Christ then should the Glory of the Lord be revealed unto them and Peace and Truth and Righteousness should be unto them and their Families and their City if they would come into Covenant with God and be taught of him and be exercised by his Law in their Hearts then should the Countenance of the Lord be upon them and then should they discern between Truth and Error between the Ministers of Christ and Deceivers Oh! there is a Pitty for many poor souls which are zealous in their way of Religion without Knowledge and they think they do God good service while yet their Consciences are not exercised by the Spirit of the Lord but a false spirit that rules and leads and may hold the Truth in unrighteousness and they know not but that they do
shall the Saints possess and the Gentiles shall be driven out of it according as Iohn said who wrote the last of any of the Apostles and gave fulâ— testimony of these things which I have declared â—f viz. of an Apostacy and reign of the Beast and false Prophet and a Subversion from the Wayes of God and this hath been and is come to pass Also â—e prophesied of the gaining of the holy City in again to the Saints and of a restoration wherein new Ierusalem should be made manifest from Heaven and shoâ—â—d again be adorned as a Bride for her Husband and the Saints should inhabit it and the Tabernacle of God should be with men upon Earth and the Lord would dwell for â—â—er with his People and this day is approaching nigh at the dooâ— for the Fig-tree hath blossomed and we know it is near at hand the Summer wherein the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed unto all Nations and they shall 〈◊〉 that he is the Lord God Almighty that will take Vengeance upon the great Whâ—â—e who hath made all drunk with the Wine of her Fornication And now after the long night of Apostacy and Darkness which hath been vpâ—â— the face of the Earth is the Lord appearing and his Day dawning and his Ligâ—â— breaking forth as the Glory of the Morning and the Kingdom of God is revealed and his Dominion is setting up after the long reign of the Beast who haâ—… had his Power and his Seat and his great Authority from the Dragon after whâ—… the whole World hath wandred and him hath worshiped who hath been saying wâ—… is like unto the Beast who is able to make war with him His mouth for many Generations hath been opened in blasphemy against God and his Name and he 〈◊〉 made war with the Saints and his power hath overcome them Mark overcoâ— them and then himself hath reigned and the reign of Christ for many years 〈◊〉 not been known but over Kindreds Tongues and Nations hath the Beast had poâ—er and over them hath reigned for many Ages and all that dwell upon the Fâ—… have worshipped him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life 〈◊〉 Earth hath been caused and them that dwell therein to worship the Beast and 〈◊〉 his Wonders he deceiveth them that dwell on Earth and as many as would 〈◊〉 worship the Beast and his Image the Beast hath had power that they should beâ—…led and many hath he killed who would not worship him and are persented and both Small and Great Rich and Poor Free and Bond have recâ—…ed the Mark of the Beast and the number of his Name which is the number 〈◊〉 a man he that reads let him understand these things have come to pass 〈◊〉 been fulfilled since the Apostles dayes in this night wherein no man could worâ— which Christ said would come but now the forty and two Monthes which tiâ—… the Beast and his Image was to continue and so long was his Power to remain 〈◊〉 make war and to overcome the Saints I say the time is well nigh expired and finished and the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is risen to make war against the Beast and his Image who hath reigned over the Kingdoms of the World and the Judgment of the great Wâ—… cometh who hath sitten upon the Beast and drunk the Blood of the Saints 〈◊〉 with whom the Kings of the Earth since the dayes of the Apostles have comâ—…ted Fornication and all the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk 〈◊〉 the Wine of her Fornication and all the Merchants of the Earth have been maâ—e rich through the aboundance of her delicacies and she hath sat upon the scarâ—… coloured Beast and her Cup in her hand hath been full of abominations and 〈◊〉 ness of her fornication and her name is Mistery Babylon the Mother of Harlâ—… and all the Kings of the Earth have given their power unto the Beast and commited Fornication with the great Whore and she hath sat upon people multitudes 〈◊〉 nations and tongues since the Apostles days and even some who have hated tâ—e Whore and fulfilled the Will of God and made the Whore naked yet they giâ—… their power also to the Beast until the Word of God be fulfilled Consider these things you that have an ear to hear but now the mighty Day 〈◊〉 the Lord and the Judgment of the Whore is approaching wherein she shal be rewarded according to her Works and doubble shall be given into 〈◊〉 Cup and as she hath loved blood so shall blood be given her to drink and the Merchants of the Earth shall lament her whom they have waxed rich by who 〈◊〉 glorified her self and lived deliciouslly and hath said in her heart I sit as a Queen and am no Widow and shall not see sorrow but now the one day is dawning wherein her Plagues shall come death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord that is risen to judge her and the Kings and Merchants and all the Inhabiters of the Earth shall lament her and cry Alas alas and now are they beginning for the hour is come that her judgement cometh and all her Merchants who have trafficked with the Souls of men shall partake of her Plagues who have partaked of her sins and lived deliciously with her and the fruits that her Soul lusteth after shall depart from her and all things that are dainty and goodly shall depart from her and she shall find them no more at all when her judgement cometh and in an hour all her riches are come to nought and all her Merchants at Land and Sea shall lament her even her that hath ruled over Nations and sat as a Queen for many Generations ever since the dayes of the Apostles until this day yea all that have wandred after her even the whole World shall lament and bemoan her and such as have served her and made Slaves of the Souls of men by Merchandize and Traffick shall bewail her and their gain shall cease for ever for in one hour shall she be made desolate and her glory shall fade and her beauty shall wither and the Beast that hath carried her shall utterly faint and the false Prophet that hath wrought Miracles in their sight and deceived the Nations shall be cast into a bed of torment with her and the Beast and the false Prophet shall be taken and cast alive into the Lake of Fire to be tormented for ever day and night World without end and the Whore in whom hath been found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth and the Beast who hath caused all that dwell on the Earth to worship him and his Image for many Ages and the false Prophet who hath deceived the whole world and many Nations and made them subject unto the power of the Beast by his Miracles which he hath wrought in the
him with the tongue said They knew the Law should not perish from the Priest nor Counsel from the Honorable And it was Amaziah the Kings Priests that persecuted Amos and it was they that seemed to be religious that persecuted the Prophets and it was the wise Scribes and Pharisees and the chief Priests that handled the Law and that offered Sacrifice that persecuted Christ and the Apostles How zealous were the Jewes in their Traditions and Observations in their Sabboth-keeping and in the Dayes of their Humiliation in their Temple-worship and in all the Commandments of God They were zealous according to their own thoughts yet were they of the seed of the Serpent and persecuted the Seed of God in Blind-zeal upon false Judgment and the Persecutors had a Name to be Righteous and the Persecuted were accounted Unrighteous and so Darkness was put for Light and Light for Darkness and them that were Well-doers were accounted for Evil-doers and them that were Evil-doers were accounted for Righteous And such was the blindness of Rulers and people such as prophesied falsly and came in their own names were received for the people loved to have it so when the great abomination was committed but they that came in the Fathers Name could not be received but were Persecuted the Prophets Christ nor his Apostles could not be received of the World but were persecuted in it and Laws and Decrees were made against them whereby they suffered unjustly upon false grounds suspitions and jealousies for that Way was called Heresie in which the true God was worshipped Christ was called a Deceiver and the wisdom of the World could not receive the knowledge of the things of God and as it was then so iâ— it now in every particular if any man hath an ear to hear he may hear and a heart to understand and he may perceive for now is the Seed of God and the seed of the Serpent at enmity striving one against the other and the one persecutes the other in his Generation as ever it was we are persecuted upon the false account and false judgement of being Evil-doers and Deceivers and our Persecuters accounts themselves Righteous and zealous for Gods Wayes and such as are false Prophets and Deceivers are accounted true Ministers of Christ even them that preach for hire and seek for their gain from their Quarter and through covetousness by feigned words makes merchandise of souls such were and such are Deceivers and were never sent of God and yet such in this Generation are accounted Ministers of Christ and such as are Ministers of Christ who walk in the Doctrine of Christ as they have received freely so do they freely give and seek not advantage to themselves but are preâ—… cuted and reviled for righteousness sake such are accounted and falâ—… judged Deceivers and so true Judgment is turned backward Good 〈◊〉 called Evil and Evil Good Deceivers are called Ministers of Christ and Ministers of Christ are called Deceivers and thus people in this Generation errs in judgment and persecutes the Righteous who are of the Seed 〈◊〉 God And it was ever the Ministers of Christ that were presecuted and never any 〈◊〉 them persecuted any nor ever any of the Deceivers were persecuted for righteousness sake but they ever persecuted the Just and sought to the Rulers and to the Elders of the people for violence to be done unto them that feared the Lord and witnessed against their wickedness it was the Chief Priests and them that handled the Law which caused Christ and the Apostles to be persecuted Amaziah sought to Ieroboam to have Amos persecuted and as it was then so it is now How doth the Teachers of this Nation seek to the Magistrates to have the Innocent persecuted and yet these man are zealous for their Performances and Duties in the set-Days of Humiliation and Lectures and even they think they do God good service in imprisoning the Innocent they have great zeal without knowledge as the Jewes had and they are strict in their Sabboth-keeping in their Singing and Praying c. But yet is Violence done to the Just and true Judgment and Justice neglected and therefore all that which they perform to God is abomination in his sight Oh what complaining is there from the Teachers of this Nation to the Magistrates What crying out for defence shewing that they want the spiritual Armour and dare not trust the Lord What plotting and contriving is there against the Seed of God by the Seed of the Serpent who ever was a Persecutor and never was persecuted What Lawes and Decrees are there brought forth against the Lords people as Traps to ensnare their Feet like as it was in the dayes of old even like unto Artaxerxes the King who made a Decree and gave commandment that the City of God should not be builded and this was from the information and complaining of Rhehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe who brought certain Accusations to the King against the people of God and called the holy City a rebellious and bad City and that it was hurtful unto Kings and in danger to endamage the Revenue of Kings Here was a Conspiracy by the Scribes and such as handled the Law with the King against the people of God and thus is it also now he that hath but an eye to see may see How many Petitions have they put to the Rulers against the people of God What grieveous and false Accusations have they laid to the charge of the Innocent saying they be Popishly affected and disobedient to Government so that the seed of the Serpent ever doth hatch evil against the Seed of God to destroy it from off the face of the Earth and it was the Wise and the Learned and the Rulers whom the Devil made use of to persecute the Righteous it was such as Rhehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe and Pashur the chief Governor in the House of the Lord and it was such as the chief Priests and Elders of the people and the Wise-men of this World such as these it was that persecuted the Righteous and so it is now Orthodox men so called and Justices of Peace c. whom the Devil makes use of to persecute the Innocent against whom no occasion can be found but concerning the Law of their God as it was with Daniel as you may read in the sixth Chapter of Daniel and the fifth and sixth Verses against him they could find no occasion that they might presecute him but concerning the Law of his God and it was the President and Princes and Counsellors and the Governors which consulted together against Daniel who was the Servant of God And as it was then so it is also now in this our Generation they can find no occasion against us the people of God either by our Doctrine or Conversation but onely concerning the Law and Worship of our God for there is a Law made against the Law of Christ and all
froth proceeds out of thy mouth for this Argument comprehends thee and stands out of thy reach for all thy detestable speeches against me and the truth and the rest of my following words thou hast passed by where I say who owns not that which convinceth of sin how can they own him that takes it away by his Blood and this is truth and tell me in â—ustâ—ess according to my first Query in that page how is sin taken away â—â—om thee more then from the Pope seeing neither of you hath the fruit of ceasing to commit sin And art not thou in the froth who opposes me as though I should say yet never did nor thought that justification must be sought by the deeds of the Law and so gathers a false conception and fights with it and keeps thy self doing in nine sheets against four and yet hast passed over many speciall things almost the chiefest and though no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the Law yet must all flesh living be condemned for the transgression of the Law by Christ who freely gives Life to all that believes if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear in the next thou seemst or wouldst at least to defend thy self from my charge which shall if it doth not lie heavy upon thee which is that I call thee Slanderer and truly too from thy words where thou falsly accused the Qunkers with boasting and Hypocrisie and in thy answer thou sayst I need not be offended for thou dost not know our fellow for boasting in that thou sayst we â—ryâ—p our selves and condemn all others c. But this is no proof of the former Accusation but an addition to thy former wickedness let honest men consider I asked thee when thou didst hear any of them boast or see them live in Hypocrisie but not a word to this sober desire but adds sin to sin a bad way to clear thy self and thy God Be ashamed for crying up self we deny but yet must say or else say falsly That we are of God and the whole World lies in wickedness and he that is of God heareth us and is one with us and this is as the Saints testified and is neither boasting nor Hypocrifie then to my question which was Will that Faith which is without works justifie and thou sayst no c. Then I Reply what is thy condition and theirs who are not only without works of faith but in thy very work of darkness as Lying and false Accusing c. And seeing thou sayst no Consider whether thou hast faith and whether thy works which are like good workes proceed not from the unbeleiving ground and this I add to my next I asked which thou hast passed by must not every one receive according to their deeds in the day of Judgement and then thou runs out in high words against me in that I said if to talk of him Christ his Birth Blood c. Were Faith in him and living by faith then few would want it and further I add the Pope himself would have it and my words are just and honest without exception or contradiction but only that something thou must needs say though thou say many can talk of Christ that will fall short of Heaven c. And asks me a question and fayst Is there not enough in them 〈◊〉 Birth Blood c. to justifie c. I answer the knowledge of all things whatsoever without will not justifie except Christ be within and if he be within the power of his Life Blood Birth c. is known and received and felt and in this I preach not any other Gospel then the Apostles who said Say not who shall ascend or descend to fetch him Mark but what saith it the Word of Faith or of the Gospel which are not divided is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart And thou falsly again charges the Quakers with corrupting and beguiling mâ—y by those Scriptures Reply Beguiling is thy own and corrupting of Scriptures too as is proved and whilst thou accuses us falsly in these things thy self art proved truly guilty in the sight of all that are spiritual and as to thy charging me That the man Christ Iesus is not very pleasant to me And with Scoulding c. Thy slanders I bear with patience and thy reproaches which is not for evil but for Christs sake who dyed at Ierusalem and is revaeled in me and for shâ—… cease to say Thou art ruled by Scripture a Lyar and Slanderer and Preverter of Scriptures is not led with the Spirit that gave forth the Scripture but is ruled by the Devil and is out of Scripture rule then thou goes on and wouldst justifie thy ignorant saying How are they deceived who own Christ no otherwise then as he was before the World began c. And my answer to it thou hast not touched nor truly contradicted which stands over thee and is sufficient to all honest people and Christ we own the same yesterday to day for ever and doth believe the Father granted that request and he is glorified with the same glory that he had before the World was and though thou tell me of a double meaning yet in plainness I speak without doubleness the fault is in thy weakness and sottishness and blindness of heart who knoâ—… not that which is infinite and immortal and eternal the flesh of Christs body is so Then thou falsly charges me again in that I said if every spirit be of God which doth in words confess thus viz. that Christ was with the Father before the World was was born and suffered in the flesh and was buried and raised c. then is not the Pope himself Antichrist c. As in my fourteenth page whiâ—… putting on a vail and ventering upon thy words But I have spoken the truth herein let that in thy Conscience answer in nakedness without a vail the vail is on thy heart thou canst not understand me and so this is thy simple policy to say the vail is on me and what of that if 〈◊〉 ventred on it it is but in the fear of God though I should say I deny all thâ—… thou sayst or the speaking of any thing for I do not own thy voice though some of thy words be true and though thou speak words of truth yet therefore I reprove thee and sometimes may not let it pass for truth for Christ is my example herein who reproved the Devils though they confessed him Mark that but the chief part of my words are passed over and read over again and see if it is not truth it self where I said It is not much better nor more accepted to confess Christ in words to be come and yet in works to deny him theâ—… it is both in words and works to deny him the one is wicked in prophaneâ—… the other in Hypocrisie the one is a Lyar and the other a false Witness and let the honest Judge then
of the Power of God and we shall not much seek or beg our Adversaries belief for to God are we known and one to another in the Spirit and not to the wisdom of the World which is devilish and knows not nor receives not the things which be eternal His last Reason They teach but such like Dostrine and takes the like course as many of the Hereticks did and saith he Shall we run our selves into the fire which hath consumed such Heresie through former Ages c. Answer To this I answer The Doctrines of the Gospel we hold forth and teach to all people and in that way that is called Heresie worship we indeed the God of our fathers but it is but such as this man with whom I deal who is a false witness-bearer and a reproacher and the Company of Hireling-Teachers and such like that doth call the Way of God Heresie And though he say presently after the Apostles dayes such Hereticks arose and troubled the Church To which I answer Nay it is just such like as himself who appeared in the Apostles dayes who taught for filthy lucre and for gain made merchandize of souls and it was such lying Prophets which Iohn saw the whole world run after in his days and they were them that troubled the Church even such as were heady and high minded and covetous men and such as are false Accusers and fierce men and his shame and folly is made manifest and so his lyes and slanders are turned upon his own head And in his conclusion he doth beseech Professors to consider impartially of these 24. Reasons to which I say The most of them are so reasonlesse that they will rather turn to his own confusion then to his praise to any man of understanding And he bids all bethink themselves first What a doleful thing it is that Professors should be so loose and unstable c. Answ. Doleful it is indeed that after so much preaching of Priests of England people should be so ignorant loose and unstable as indeed they are and this is a very shame to Teachers and shews that they were not sent of God because that the people are not profited at all but continues ignorant loose and unstable and wicked according to their own confession and indeed people are to be pittied that are under their Ministry who by it can never come to the Knowledge of God but must be ever learning fifty or sixty years and ignorant loose and unstable at their very end and yet these are members of this Church of England so called which the very Pastors thereof confesseth to be loose and unstable andwicked and brands us to be denyers of this Church as indeed we have good reason to see the Members thereof so wicked loose and unstable as is confessed by their own Teachers therefore we cannot be condemned for denying such a Church Secondly He bids consider what a heavy judgement it is to Professors themselves to be self-condemned and self-divided from the Church c. To which I answer A heavy judgement indeed that such as are of the Church should be self-condemned and self-divided from it but yet it is a blessed thing that any that have been deceived with false likeness now should come to see the error thereof and be turned to the true Church which is in God and to be drawn away from all windy Doctrines of Englands Teachers and this many doth witness Then he exhorts Christians to be serious and be true to the Light which they have received To which I say All that are true to the light which they have received from Christ Iesus will deny this man I now deal withall and all his Lyes and Slanders Then he bid-stick close to the Word of God and I say All that do so will find it as a Fire and a Hammer and will be gathered from under the dead Doctrines of men in this Age. And he exhorts them to stick close to a faithful Ministry To which I say Then must they deny all Hirelings and such as preacheth for hire for such are not of the faithfull Ministry but Deceivers of people And thus in few words return is sent in the pursute of a Sheet of Lyes and Slanders put forth into the World and all sober-minded people by this may come to a good understanding between Truth and error And though he hath taken a course to spread his Books 〈◊〉 Ballads and Fables by having them cryed up and down the streets which is not for his advantage altogether but doth shew his Work ridiculous to all wise men And so hereby it may be seen that all his Strong Reasons are confounded and overturned that would hinder a man from being a QUAKER THe main and chief things I have spoken of and by what is written in short men of understanding may understand what his whole matter can be But in the beginning of his Book he falls a complaining of the lamentable ignorance and ungodliness of common People and of the pride and seâ—…conceitedness of Professors of godliness and of the weakness and giddiness and unstableness of others To this I Answer It is true abundance are ignorant and abundance are proud and self-conceited and abundance unstable and giddy in their minds and substract these from the whole Company of the Hearers of the Teachers of England and there is but a few left if any at all that are truly righteous in the Sight of God and so to the shame of all the Teachers of England hath he confessed the truth in this particular and sheweth that indeed the People is not profited by them and this is a strong Argument that they were never sent of God but hath ran and were never sent But presently after that he cryes out of Hereticks and Deceivers even like as the Pope doth but What is he afraid of That they that are ignorant and ungodly and proud and self-conceited unstable and giddy should be deceived they that are in those iniquities are deceived already and cannot possibly fall into greater deceit or delusion But it appears That many of the Priests of England cares not how little their Hearers profits by them so if they can get their wages their Hire their great sums of money for one of them said I mean a supposed Minister of England in Cambridge-shire That he mattered not if all his Hearers went to the Devil so they would but give him his dues to wit Tythes and Maintenance So that by this instance you may judge what stock they are of and what their endeavours are and we desire that people may be undeceived of that wherein they are deceived and that they may turn from such a Generation of covetous Teachers who care so little for their souls And whereas he saith The Quakers are but of a few years standing and that they arose from among the Papists but a few year ago c. To this I Answer the people of God received that name but a
this is my only Plea which I have often and may by the Spirit of the Lord alwayes clearly demonstrate and I do indeed wave all the multitude of Arguments that have been or can be made by the Lawyers in this Business and not by words of man's wisdom but by Truth must I be justified And I do here again return to my first manner of proceeding and stand to the naked simplicity of Truth and I have no other defence to shelter under neither do I chuse any nor no other Weapon to resist my Enemy with but the Word of the Lord which is Truth and if Truth will not justifie me I will not be justified and if it will condeâ—… me my Mouth shall be stopped for by the Truth I stand and if I fall fall for it in this matter and therefore you my Judges patiently hear few words again as to the beginning of the matter betwixt Richard Mayo and me which is thus He sent for me by a Messenger to come to him anâ— being come to him he challenged me to speak what I had against him and again under his own hand he challenged me to dispute either in publique or private with him and he again bad me call him Deceiver if I durst and upon all these four particular Invitations and Challenges and also knowing him to be guilty as I am still able to prove I did say to him That he held forth Damnable Doctrine and Error and that he was a Deceiver and this was the beginning of the Controversie Whereby I would have you to take notice how Unrighteously he hath dealt with me first to invite me and challenge me several times and then for speaking the Truth of him which I am able to prove to Arrest me Imprison me and thus to prosecute me Is not this Unchristian-like and not like a Minister of Christ And this I proved in your Court His challenging of me And also I have manifested divers particular Saying of his which do appear to all sober men to be damnable Doctrine and Error And for the manifesting of my innocent Cause further and that you may know that you ought not to condemn me neither câ—… you with a safe and good Conscience in the sight of God and to lay the Truth as plainly as I can before you therefore I do here insert the particulars to you again which I proved in the open Court against Richard Mayo which I do say is damnable Doctrine and Error all or some of them at least 1. That Paul as a Minister of Christ exhorted Saints the Corinthians to follow and obey a Light which was not Christ nor the Light of the Gospel 2. He did exhort the people of Kingstone as a Minister of Christ in his Preaching to them To follow and obey a Light which said he is not Christ nor the Light of the Gospel 3. He said That a man may be a Righteous Man and not a Godly Man without distinction 4. Also at another time before that Richard Mayo affirmed That the Light of Christ which every man is lightened withal John 1. 9. is Carnal and Darkness 5. He did affirm under his own hand That Christ was not the Word that David walked by 6. He affirmed That the Devil is the Power of God 7. He affirmed That the Gospel is not the Power of God no more then a Rose Cake is which he laid his hand on in the Window at that present of his so saying 8. He affirmed If one man murder another he did it by the Power of God Now hereby it may appear to you if you do not wilfully harden your selves against the Truth and the Righteousness of my Cause that I have done Richard Mayo no Wrong only I have spoken the truth of him I said He held forth damnable Doctrine and Error which saying is truth and I had a good Cause to speak it for he invited and challenged me divers times to speak it and then when this is considered by you let your Consciences judge what wrong I have done him seeing it doth appear I have spoken the truth of him and had good Reason so to do Ye my Judges at whose Door my Cause which is Innocent lies despised and ready to be condemned come but to plainness and honesty in your own hearts and be not passionate towards me but use Meekness and let the Sincerity of your hearts tell me whether I have lyed or spoken truth But if you do the worst that can be done against me I must and have already committed my Cause to God and I doubt not but he will avenge my Cause and recompence my Adversaries in his Season Now again consider If Richard Mayo did make his Invitations to me on purpose to ensnare me as it may be justly supposed that he did that he might have occasion to execute his Malice upon me then you ought not to give Judgment against me and to be his Executioners for if he hath laid his Plot to ensnare me how can you justly give him power over me And he hath no power over me except you give it him by unjust Judgment and you can but give him power over my Body for my Spirit is at Liberty and in dominion over you and him because I have the Truth on my side and it is hard for you to strive against that for it cannot be buried but the Truth of my Cause will alwayes live to vex its Opposers But and if his Challenges to me were not to insnare me but for Information supposing himself to have been clear from all damnable Doctrine and Error then he had done well to have owned my words as a Reproof and to have repented and not to have held forth any more such Doctrine And you ought not for my reproving him to condemn me for r eproving any man for Evil ought not to be condemned Good Men will not do it neither would he were he not an ungodly man prosecute me thus violently and thus continually beg your Judgment of 100 l. against me for reproving of him and declaring against his false doctrine which he delivers to the people when as himself invited me to speak to him And the Lord knows the Souls of people are so dear to me that where I hear false doctrine held forth which would destroy the innocent Souls I cannot but reprove it lest people receive false Dostrine for true to the Destruction of their own Souls and upon that account I spoke in this Cause Wherefore take you into Consideration what Mayo's End was in inviting me and do not you fulfil his evil purpose which I believe if he had power over me would execute his farthest Cruelty upon me I have good Reason to believe it for many cruel threatning words have proceeded from him already against me but the Lord can deliver me from them all but if he will not He will give me Patience to bear it whatsoever is suffer'd to come to me But if any shall
doubt and cannot receive these things and believe that these particulars are damnable Doctrine and Error as they are laid down in themselves and if what is spoken already be not sufficient I may upon any just Opportunity prove unto you and unto all men in the sight of my Enemies That these particulars held forth by Richard Mayo and alledged by me before you are damnable Doctrine and Error And if I could be convinced to the contrary by him or any man in sober Arguments according to the Scriptures and if he shall be able to prove that these things are true and found and saving Doctrines then may I confess That I have wronged him which never can be done Therefore can I never confess without lying against my Conscience that I have wronged him but God justifies me and just Men and my own Conscience excuses me from all wrong in this matter and here or hereafter shall you and he know it also that I am without Offence to him in this Cause And if I suffer be it upon you that are my Judges and the Guilt of my Sufferings will be upon you one day For for the Truth 's sake am I not afraid nor ashamed to suffer whatsoever you lay upon me And whereas it is chiefly pleaded by my Adversary and his Council That he is damnified and much endangered by the speaking of my words And because I said He held forth damnable Doctrine Therefore say they he is in danger to lose his Place and so He and his Wife and Family cannot tell how to live c. These things they plead and upon this account beg Judgment against me because he is or may be in danger to be damnified To this I reply and Friends I would have you to consider He hath not yet proved to you the Dammage of the value of Two Pence nor is he in any outward Estate worse by loss of any thing outwardly by any thing that I have spoken and it is unjust to condemn me in an 100 l. upon supposed Danger and Dammage which may come while as he hath sustained none at present And further I say unto you I have had no Intentions of Evil against him nor Purpose in my heart to endanger or damnifie him in any outward thing God is my Witness but that nakedly and simply I spoke the Truth of him And if speaking the Truth to him doth endanger him and damnifie him according as they plead then is he a bad man and an evil person and not well worthy of your taking part with him if you be just Men as yet I kâ—…w nothing to the contrary nor worthy of giving your Judgment against me for him If the speaking Truth to him can so endanger him then consider you what a man he is for speaking of the Truth can never hurt an honest Man nor damnifie a good Man for honest Men rejoyce in the Truth and the speaking of it is an Honour to them But the speaking the truth may indeed damnifie a bad Person as to discover his Wickedness and to prevent him of more Wickedness which he may intend but speaking the truth cannot damnifie a good Man And if it be so that Richard Mayo because of his badness be damnified by my speaking the Truth to him must I therefore be condemned for speaking Truth or ought you to do it Let that of God in you answer Will you justifie his false doctrines and condemn me for reproving him Did ever any good Men or just Iudges of old condemn any man for speaking the Truth Or will you shame your selves in the sight of Wise-men by acting contrary to a good Conscience Which if you do condemn me for speaking the truth I do and must tell you while I live That your Iudgment is Unjust and you act contrary to a good Conscience and are Unrighteous Iudges and that you commit the great Abomination in justifying the Wicked and condemning the Righteous And is it not a Shame to him that professeth himself to be a Minister of Christ to plead The Loss of his Livelihood and of his Calling and the Poverty of his Wife and Family c. because of my speaking the Truth to him Never any of Christ's Ministers pleaded any such thing Were not they reproached and much spoken against And they were called Deceivers and Seditious Men and such like And did they proceed on this manner as he hath done against me Nay They forgave their Enemies And if I had spoken falsly of him as I have not he ought not to have done thus if he had been a Minister of Christ as he professeth And doth his Livelihood and his Place and his Maintenance of himself and his Family depend upon my forbearing to speak the Truth For he pleads That he is damnified and endangered in all these by what I have spoken And I still testifie and all good Men know that I have given no Offence saving then speaking the Truth And rather then he shall be damnified by my speaking the truth of him will you unjustly damnifie me for speaking the truth Is this the Way of JUSTICE to condemn the Truth that I have spoken to save the Guilty from supposed Danger Consider of this and save your selves from Unjust Iudgment lest the Lord justly judge you and condemn you This I shew in short and much more I might as to the Unjustness of the Action prosecuted against me and now I come to shew something of the unjust Proceedings in this matter against me in the time of my Tryals and other times and some part thereof I here lay before you that you and all may see I have had as unjust Proceedings against me in the matter as an unjust Action at first brought upon me At my first appearance in my first Answer I demurred to the jurisdiction of your Court and shewed That your Court and Judicatory being Temporal you could not in that Court take Cognizance of this Cause being of a Spiritual Dependancy and ought only to be try'd in spiritual Jurisdiction by spiritual Judges if there were any such and shewed out of the Laws of England reasonably that your Court had no power to try this matter But one of the Bailiffs Iohn Forth said which should have been my equal Judge They would over-rule that and they would try the matter without shewing any just Reason out of the Laws against my Argument grounded upon the Laws and they did over-rule me in that And the Court-day before the Tryal when the Jury-men were to be chosen and nominated I told them That the Jury-men should be such as had the Gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost in them or else they could not try the Matter because it was Doctrine that was to be try'd which none could try but by the Spirit of God neither could I cast my self into the Determination of any in this Cause but such And the Bailiffs Obadiah Wicks and Iohn Forth answered If they were men that
could take the Evidence that I spoke my words against Richard Mayo they were sufficient to try the Matter Whereby it doth appear that they had unjustly determined in themselves not to try the Doctrines but to have a Verdict against me however Again Some that were called to be of the Jury were heard to say before they saw me or ever heard the Matter If I came into their hands they knew well enough what to do with me Hereby it doth appear they were not equal men but malicious and prejudiced against me And moreover In the very time of the Tryal some of the Jury at the Bar said They would not believe any thing or take any Witness for Testimony which any of these on my part that were called Quakers spoke And this was also the Witness of their malicious and envious spirits against me who were rather as a Party against me then my Equals And were not these unjust men for the Tryal of such a Matter And moreover When all his Witnesses could not say enough to give colour for a Verdict against me one of the Bailiffs Iohn Forth by name who was one of the Judges upon the Bench proffered to come down off the Bench and swear as a Witness against me and when some spake against that he sent for a man into the Court out of the Town Iames Levite by name and whispered with him upon the Bench and told him what he should swear and he went to the Bar and took his Oath against me That I followed Richard Mayo with Reviling Language in three several Rooms in Bailiff Gunstone ' s House Which I do testifie was a false Oath before the Lord and all men and many know that I speak the Truth and that that man took a false Oath who was sent for into the Court and told by one of the Judges what he should swear I suppose Bayliff Gunston himself knows that this was a false Witness and are not these unjust Proceedings I appeal to your Consciences and upon such proceedings as these was a Verdict gained against me by much ado in above three hours time and the Foreman of the Jury himself said he would not have brought a Verdict against me but onely for the man's Oath Iames Levite which as I have said swore falsly being sent for and told by another man what he should say Again when the Fore-man of the Iury said they could not try the Cause and desired it might be referred the said Bayliff Forth on the Bench cryed no and told Richard Mayo he should have a Verdict first and ought my Judge thus to have spoken No he appeared to be rather a Party against me then my equal Judge and to all sober men these Proceedings may appear to be unjust And I hope some of you will make more conscience of your doings then to pass Judgment upon such an Unrighteous Verdict And moreover the Iury did not try the Cause which onely ought to have been tryed which was whether I had spoken truely or falsly of Richard Mayo that is to say they ought to have tryed and that was the thing in controversie between us whether these particulars alledged by me against Richard Mayo were true and sound Doctrine or damnable Doctrine and Errors for if the Particulars mentioned be true and sound Doctrine which were affirmed by Richard Mayo then I have wronged him and I must confess it and assent to your Judgment but if the Particulars be false Doctrine and Error then I have done him no wrong for I have spoken nothing but the truth and for that how can you condemn me And this was the Cause to be tryed which the Jury themselves confessed they did not try and therefore the Matter is not yet tryed in truth neither have I had a legal Tryal before you and then how can you give Judgment against me being the Action it self is so unequal and the Proceedings so unjust also and the Matter yet not fully tryed Do but consider of these things in the coolness of your spirits and let not me receive worse dealing from you because I am a Stranger neither because I am a Quaker so called but deal justly and truely for I desire nothing else of you but true Judgment for that will justifie me and clear me and respect not Persons but have respect to the Law of God which commandeth you to hear and judge the Cause of the Poor and the Strangers without respect of Persons and if you give regard to the Law of God in this Matter you cannot give Judgment upon this Verdict which is unjustly brought in by partial men as is manifest and you must either wholly arrest Iudgment or at least you must bring it to a new Tryal else you do me much wrong and injustice and all good men will so judge of it And further divers sufficient reasons hath been shewed by men of knowledge in the Law first against this Action and also against the Proceedings herein which might be reasons to you not to go on in Judgment against me but to clear me and even in your own way as I may say you have been dealt with and you have been shewed my Innocency so that if your Hearts be not hardened you cannot go any further against me but go contrary to the truth of my cause and contrary to your own Law also and though it was the dear love and respect of Friends to the Truth in freeness of their love to me more then any desire of mine or my knowledge I do own their love and justifie it yet much that hath been spoken in forms and tricks of Law and puntillio's of Law I do wave and let it pass and keep always to the naked truth of the Matter as before laid down And therefore if any Jury shall upon their Oaths justifie Mayo's Doctrines to be true and sound Doctrine and if you your selves upon your Oathes dare give Iudgment that Richard Mayo's Doctrine is not damnable Doctrine and Errors then I must lie patiently under your Judgment and under the breach of such Jury-mens Oaths and of your own Oaths also and therefore I demand of you according to right and justice let me be cleared otherwise let me first have a fair Tryal before I be condemned which yet I have not had because the Matter was perverted from that whether I had spoken the truth upon which the true Issue dependeth and upon no other thing Whether I spoke malitiously was a straining of the Cause to a wrong head and perverting it from its proper Issue and hereby was the just Cause of the Innocent clouded over and rejected and vilified and even betrayed into another meaning more then it ought to have been but it can shew its face above all this and Truth cannot be daunted though it may be vailed and lie hid for a season and though I be condemned by the Prejudiced and unfaithful Jury for speaking malitiously yet the Lord bears me witness to
in for then the Worship of Christians was one and in one Spirit but now the Worships of Christians are many and divers and divided one from another and they are not in unity in their Worship 〈◊〉 in strife and division and herein you are apostatized from the Life oâ—…â—…ristianity and its manifest that the Worship of Chrâ—…s now is not in 〈◊〉 Sâ—…t and in the Truth but in vain Traditiâ—… learned in natural knowlâ—…ge by people that are not converted unto God and any part of the Worship which is now practised amongst Christians whether amongst Papists of any sort or Protestants of any sort I say every part of the Worship now practised amongst Christians through the World may by taught unto and learned of and exercised in by a man that knows â—â—t God neither is in the Truth nor converted to the Truth neither hath the Spirit of God guiding nor leading of him And I say That which may be done or practised by a man that is not in the Spirit nor in the Truth not is yet converted to the Knowledge of God nor is not in any measure guâ—â—ed by the Spirit of God is not the Worship of the true God which is in the Spirit and Truth but as I have said any part of the Worship now prâ—…sed amongst Christians may be done and practised by aman that is out of the Spirit and out of the Truth and unconverted to the Knowledge of God 〈◊〉 therefore the Worship now practâ—â—ed amongst Christians is not the true worship of the true God which is in the Spirit and in the Truth and which câ—â—not be practised without it Many more things might be said as to prove the Worship of Christians now 〈◊〉 practised by them is not the true Worship of the true God but this is 〈◊〉 which I have said that which is practised without the Spirit of God is not the true Worship of God which must be in the Spirit and cannot be practised without it but such is the worship of Christians for the Christiansâ—â—ow â—â—ow generally pray some after one Form and some after another in their own wills and times and know not the movings of the Spirit of the Father tâ—ereunto nor guiding them therein but in such a manner as they set unto themselves or as the custom of the Country instructs them therein and know not the intercession of the Spirit of the Father in them nor know not the praying in the Holy Ghost and as for the preaching of Christians it is not now practised as the Christians of old practised it nor by the same Spirit now they study for what they speak and gather out of the Scriptures â—ome having it written in a Book what they will preach to the people and this is not to preach as the spirit gives them utterance neither is this from the teaching or moving of the Spirit of God but by humane Art and humane Craft knowing before-hand what and how much to speak so much as they have collected in their thoughts from such a Verse and how long to preach till a Glass be run and know what to have for preaching and this and such like is the manner of the Preaching now among Christians which hath no savour in it of God's Spirit or of the Teachings and Leadings of God's Spirit in it but altogether contrary to wit This Practice savours of Idolatry and of vain Traditions and Superstitions And in short This Practice of Preaching among the Christians now is not in the same manner neither by the same Spirit nor for the same End as the Preaching of the Christians was in the dayes of the Apostles which sheweth that the Christians now are Apostatized and greatly Degenerated from what the Christians were then For again The Christian Ministers now do not go as they are moved of the Lord up and down from Country to Country to convert people to God as the Christian Ministers did then But enquire for places of great Maintenance where there are great store of Tythes and Set-Wages and if they can there they settle themselves and preach in manner as I have said And this practice savours nothing of the Teachings of the Spirit of God nor of the Movings of that Spirit whereby the Christian Ministers of old were guided which sheweth that the Christian Ministers now are in the Apostacy and in the Degeneration from God and from what the Christian Ministers were then And as concerning the Practice of Singing noâ— amongst Christians it is not in the Spirit nor with a good Understandiâ—… but in a vain Form and Tradition and not in the Spirit of the Lorâ—… 〈◊〉 now the Christians many of them in a Form sing the Conditions 〈◊〉 as David's Prayers and Praises Troubles and Afflictions when as themselves are in a condition quite contrary to what David was and so sing that which unto themselves is false as being out of that condition of which they sing and this is not singing with the Spirit neither is it to sing spiritual Songs And others of Christians have another manner of singing all which singing of Christians now hath no savour of the Teachings of God's Spirit in it neither is it according nor by the same Spirit as the singing of the Christians once was A woful Apostacy is fallen upon you ye Christians through the World and you are fallen you are fallen from the Life of Christ and the true Praâ—… of Christianity as the first Christians were in then their praying was in the Spirit and the holy Ghost but now without the Spirit in Forms and Traditions Their Preaching then was as the Spirit led them and as it gave them utterance but now by humane Learning and Policy at such a Place for so much a Year an Hour by a Glass what they have gathered by study upon other mens Works Then the Singing of Christians was in the Spirit and their whole Worship was spiritual in the Spirit and in the Truth but the Singing of Christians now and all their Worship is in vain Traditions exercis'd without the Leadings and Movings of the Spirit of God Then the Worship of Christians was one and by one Spirit now it is divers and in division and in many coâ—trary spirits Alas oh ye Christians consider how great is your Fall and how woâ—â—l your Degeneration in respect of your Worship fallen greatly from the teaching of the Spirit of God in your Praying in your Preaching and in your Singing to follow humane Learning and worldly Policy and vain Traditions the Customs of the Country and your own Imaginations in your Praying Preaching and Singing as I have proved unto you Oh consider how great is your Apostacy from the true Life of true Christianity Greatly do you err from the pure Way wherein the true Christians walked and being truly paralell'd with them and measur'd with the Spirit of true Judgment you are found not equal to them in any measure but rather contrary altogether shewing you are guided
this Nation that fear God have not intrusted them therein But if it be so said I in my heart if this Wickedness be intended and if they do so greatly abuse their power they shall leave their Names as a Reproach to after Ages and their Memories shall Rot and their Wickedness shall lie upon them for evermore But I considered that we having given our Power to the Lord from him we have found unto this day and do alwayes seek defence and to be carried on and by him we stand and to him we fall and not to Mortal Men who are as Clay in the Hand of the Potter Wherefore let the Wise in Heart consider these things and lay them to mind for if they shall proceed to that Wickedness the Nations shall they never settle in Peace nor shall their Rulers receive a Blessing but they shall be a Curse unto themselves and to all under their Authority And this is a Testimony to all sober People shewing unto them all where our Confidence is and in what it remains And nevertheless If the Heart of the Wicked be strengthened against us and their hands made strong to deal violently yet shall the Righteous Rejoyce and be exceeding Glad For the Day of Redemption and Everlasting Peace is come unto his People that do and have waited for him and all under him shall bow and bend and he will make his Peoples Cup overflow and spread their Table even in the sight of their Enemies and they shall Fear and the Terror of the Lord shall lie upon them and when they have executed their Violence then shall the Lord deal violently with them E. B. A CRY of Great Iudgment and Vengeance upon the Wicked near to be Executed as it was received from the Lord into his Servant ON the eighteenth Day of the first Moneth as I was travelling in Warwick-shire my Meditations being upon the Lord and upon the Cause of his People in this Nation and how Unjust and Unrighteous their woful Sufferings have been executed upon them within these few years even when I' was pondering of these things in the deep consideration thereof it came upon me from the Lord and the Cry went through me The Lord will be avenged the Lord will be avenged upon his Enemies and he will avenge the Cause of his People And this Cry stuck close upon me for some Hours That the Lord would surely execute his Judgments upon the Oppressors of his Heritage who have spoiled and troden it down and sought to destroy it And I considered and took into full view in my spirit how grievous how sad and how unjust the Sufferings of God's People have been within these few years and my Heart was even broken therewith and my Spirit even melted and it came upon me from the Lord saying Write unto the Rulers and yet once more warn them of that Recompence and of that Indignation which is at hand upon them even a just Recompence for all their Deeds and as they have done even so shall it be done to them as they have sought to destroy the Generation of the Righteous even so shall they be destroyed from off the Face of the Earth and as they have unjustly judged and condemned the Innocent so shall they be condemned and justly judged of the Lord and as they have cast the Bodies of the poor Lambs of Christ into Prison and been a Snare upon them even so shall they be insnared and into Captivity shall they go And as they have caused the Goods and Possessions of the Innocent to be spoiled and made a Prey even so in like manner shall the Curse of the Lord spoil their Substance And as they have done so shall it be done unto them and as they have mete to others so shall it be mete to them again And I saw a great Misery and Desolation nigh at hand even the Sword of the Lord and it should slay them and I beheld it was made ready for the slaughter and in the sense of these things a sadness fell upon my spirit considering the Desolation and the Judgment that is at hand to be executed upon the cruel Oppressors Wherefore all ye Rulers and all ye that have troden down the Heritage of God and ye that have disregarded these many Warnings that ye have had I say unto you all in the Power of the Lord God in his Dominion and by his Spirit this is once more a Warning to you from the Lord and that these things must surely come to pass and be fulfilled in their Season and no man shall be able to deliver his Brother but every Man shall bear his own Burthen and drink his own Cup prepared for him and though it hath been counted a light thing amongst you and you have dispised the reproof and gone on without fear yet in as much as the Lord hath spared you and not speedily executed Judgment upon you but rather waited for your return yet the dealing of the Lord towards you in sparing of you you have not accepted and therefore shall his Judgments be the greater upon you For if you do now come to the Witness in your own Consciences What evil have this People done Whose Ox have they taken or what have they desired of you or what have they sought from you or wherein have they been a burthen to you Saving that they have reproved you for your Iniquities and desired your Redemption Would you but now at last come to consider this and confess the truth in your Consciences will not that tell you that they have suffered patiently all things that you have cruelly imposed upon them and have not they walked peaceably towards you and humbly meekly justly among their Neighbours and have they not been meek and innocent even as Lambs and as the Sheep before the Shearers and have they wrought offences towards any have they sought the overthrow of the Government or have they sought vengeance against their Enemies or what injury have they done to any man's Person or Estate saving to Satan and his Kingdom Have they not sought to reform and reclaim the Ungodly from their Wayes and have they not pittied and prayed for their Enemies and have they not in all things walked in good conscience toward the Lord and towards all men Yea my Friends in the day of the Lord when the Witness in your Consciences shall not be limitted but shall speak plainly and when the Impartial Judge shall appear upon his Throne then shall you acknowledge these things Wherefore I say unto you receive the Judgment of the Lord to purifie you otherwise the Judgment shall destroy you and now come to be more wise that some of you may be as a Brand pluckt out of the Fire and be reserved from being consumed for the Visitation of the Lord is near an end when his Loving kindness will be shut from you and his Long-suffering turned into fury and he will make you know that we are
and many more other wayes have suffered grievous things as Banishments out of Towns and Whipping and Stocking and grievous unjust Abuses and none of these for Evil-doing but for Good even because they cannot bow to the Devil but are redeemed out of the World and therefore the World hates them and some have suffered hard Cruelties because they could not respect Persons and bow with Hat or Knee and from these Cruelties canst thou not altogether be excused in the sight of God being brought forth in thy Name and under thy Power consider Friend and be awakened to true Judgement let the Lord search thy Heart and lay these things to mind that thou mayst be an Instrument to remove every Burthen and mayst at last fulfill the Will of God are they nothing to thee that such things should be brought forth under thee O be awakned be awakened and now seek the Lord's Glory and not thine own least thou perish before the Lord and Men nay if Men would give thee Honour and high Titles and princely Thrones take it not for that which would exalt and honour thee in the World would betray thee to the World and cast thee down in the sight of the World and this is God's Word to thee what shall the whole Nation be perjured Men and thou the cause of it and wilt thou transgress by building again that which thou hast destroyed Then shall the Lord and his Light in every Conscience bear witness against thee let it not be but deny thy self and thou wilt find the Lord honouring thee Give heed unto my Words and understand my Speech Be not exalted by Man lest Man betray thee the Lord give thee an Understanding in this and guide thee in his Counsel and the rather above all things let thy Heart be stirred up in thee for the Lord For now is he setting up the Dominion of his Son which never shall have an End and thy Dominion must bow under it and all the Dominions of the Earth or else be confounded and broken to Pieces the Glory of the Lord is revealing and thine shall be vailed before it and the Glory of all Flesh shall fall Therefore strive not openly nor secretly against his Way for it shall prosper there is no Enchantment against us nor any formed Weapon that can prosper knowest thou not that the King of Righteousness might command thousands of his Saints to avenge him of his Adversaries and to plead his Cause against the Rebellious All Power is in his Hand yea and the Authority and Dominion shall be in the Hands of his Saints and every one that exalts himself against them shall be brought down not by an outward Sowrd or might of Man but by his out-stretched Arm and all Crowns that are Mortal shall be troden down by him whose Crown is Immortal and never fades away Therefore be wise and learned this is thy day as thou dealest or sufferest to be done with the Lord's People so to thee it shall be done in that day when their Government shall out-reach thine and be set atop of it as thou hopest for Mercy from the Lord when his Kingdom conqueres thee and thine now deal favourably and relieve the Oppressed boast not thy self though the Lord hath used thee in his Hand but know that when he will he can cast thee a Rod out of his Hand into the Fire for in his Hand thou art if thou wilt honour him he will honour thee otherwise he can yea and will confound thee and break thee and make thee weak as Water before him his Love through my Heart breaths unto thee he would thy happiness if thou wilfully contemn it not by exalting thy self and seeking thine own glory and hardning thy Heart against the Cry of the Poor and this I was moved in bowels of pittiy to lay before thee who am thy Friend not in Flattery but in an upright Heart who wisheth well unto thee in the Lord. A Friend to the Kingdom of Christ and not of this World but an Heir of Immortality with the Son of God called E. B. The Original of this was given to the Hands of Oliver Cromwell then Protector in the third moneth of the Year 1657. For the Hands of Oliver Cromwell called Protector FRIEND I am moved to write to thee from the occasion of being with thee yesterday and I take liberty from the true love and pitty stirred up in my Heart towards thee who am thy Friend and wisheth well unto thee in the Lord even that Salvation thou mayest receive and that thy way may be blessed upon Earth and the Fruits of the Knowledge of God might more abound in thee and the Fruits of Ignorance less which doth appear which I wish might be cut off before they wholly over-grow thee and remove the Blessing far from thee in this life and in the life to come and bring upon thee Destruction for the Fruits of all Unrighteousness brings Death Sorrow and Misery and the Light of Christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justness of the Judgments of the Lord. Thou sayest in effect that thou wouldest not or thou desirest not our Persecution or that we should be persecuted by Cruelty or unjust Imprisonment now consider what the cause is that what thou desirest not to be done yet is done thou having power in thy hand onely to prevent what thou wouldest not have done is it not thine own unfaithfulness to the Principle of God in thee which beareth witness against the Persecution of the Innocent Or is it that thou mayest please men and therefore rather suffer Wickedness to abound Injustice and Oppression to be acted against the Poor making it appear thou art willing to do the false Teachers of this Nation and wicked men a pleasure then to own the People of God in relieving them and â—â—sing them of their cruel Burthens and Oppressions laid upon them by unjust men for a word of thy mouth or the shew of thy Countenance in dislike of these cruel and unjust Persecutions would bind the Hands of many blood-thirsty Men and stop the Mouthes of many Devourers and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulness doth that come to pass which thou desirest not And so I must needs say This appears to be evil in thee to say In effect thou approvest not or thou desirest not out Persecution and yet it is done when the Power is in thy Hand to remove it and this in much love and great pitty I declare unto thee in the Fear and Counsel of God Further thou sayest Thâ—n art not guilty of these Persecutions acted unjustly upon us Again consider I say Thou canst not be cleared in the Sight of the Lord God from them being acted under thee and in thy Name in the Day of the Lord the Light in thy Conscience shall answer this for there seems to be rather a favouring of them in thee and by for bearance of the Actors of Cruelty by which their
hands are strengthened then any dislike shewed by thee in bearing thy Witness as thou oughtest to do against them For thou knowest of some 〈◊〉 this City and else-where whom we know to be just Men who suffer Impriâ—â—â—â—â—nt and the loss of their Liberties because for Conscience sake they canâ—â—â— Swear and many others in this Nation suffering cruel things upon the like or same ground even for Well-doing and not for Evil which Oppression might be removed and their unjust Sufferings taken off by thee by a word from thy Mouth or Pen and this makes thee that thou canst not be clear in the sight of God in these things because not helped by thee who hath the Power to help it and this in true Love I give thee to understand in the Day of Recompence shalt thou know the Lord will not clear thee except thou repentest and â—â—sest the Oppressed Other things thou speakest about the Light of Christ which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World with the Light of Life or with the Light of Condemnation and about the Ministry of this Nation wiâ—â— some other things which I had a desire to have answered if time had been seasonable and thou willing to have heard but thou shouldst not have appeared in such lightness especially when speaking of the Things of God which did grieve the Spirit of the Lord and vex the Righteous Soul which Behaviour with some words which thou utteredst by the Light of Christ is to be condemned and which I do judge with the Life of God and yet doth tender and preserve the measure of Justness and Honesty which is in thee but thou art high above the Principle of God and cannot receive the Teachings of the Father into that mind which is light and unstable for the Counsel of God is manifest to the Meek and the Lowly but there is much in thee to be judged when thou comest to the Witness of God in thee And as concerning the Light of Christ at which thou stumblest by which every man that comes into the World is enlightened in short this I say The Light to thee is given of God and it must thou own to be thy onely Teacher to receive by it from the Father and to be guided by it in all things if ever thou inheritest God's Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace and this is the Word of the Lord to thee And as concerning the Ministry of England for which in part thou seemest to plead thus I say in Plainness Generally it is not of God but of Antichrist and the Lord is against it for it is the Ground of the greatest Oppression of the Poor in its Maintenance as any one particular Abomination which this day is in the Nation and this is the Truth from the Lord and if thou settest thy self to uphold them by any Law made or to make against such whom God hath raised to bear Witness against them their Wayes and Idolatries thou â—â—alt fall with them into Perdition and be overthrown amongst them in the Just and Righteous Judgments and this is the Word of the Lord to thee For God is risen of a Truth to make War against the Beast which long hath reigned and against the False Prophets which have long deceived the World and I warn thee with-hold thy hand from helping them if thou meanest to be preserved or blessed in thy Person in thy Family and in thy Armies for as I said to thee The Kingdom of Christ is setting up by his own Power and all must â—ow and become subject thereunto he needeth none of thy Policy nor the strength of thy Arm to advance him yet would he have thee not to prove thy self an open Enemy thereof by doing or suffering to be done Cruelty and Injustice against them whom the Lord is redeeming out of this World into subjection unto that Kingdom lest thou be such a one as wilt not enter thy self nor suffer others to enter and so Destruction come upon thee Wherefore arise as out of Sleep and Slumber not in this World's Glory and Honour come away and appear for the Lord rather then against him be not overcome by the Pleasures of this World nor the Fattering Titles of Men winâ— not at the Cruelty and Oppression acted by some who shelter under thee and make thy Name a Cloak for Mischief against the Upright but let the Testimony of God in thee answer for his People this Law is not just by which many suffer because they cannot swear and because they cannot cease to declare against Sin and Iniquity let that of God in thee bear Witness and thou and thy name being chief in the Execution of this Law what will thy account be to the Lord in his Day Consider I say consider and be thou changed in thy mind and heart lest thou having forgotten God and his many Deliverances be shut up and numbred for Destruction and I say and desire the Lord give thee a more perfect Understanding of his Wayes and Judgments and that the Crown Immortal thou mayst strive for by Meekness and Righteousness through relieving the Oppressed and shewing Mercy to the Poor and removing every Burden which lies upon the Innocent and this is the Desire of him who is thy Friend and would not have thee crowned with Dishonour through suffering the People of God to be oppressed in thy Name which will be thy Overthrow absolutely if thou removest it not by turning and easing the Oppressed Edw. Burroughs This was delivered to his hands about the beginning of the Fourth Moneth 1657. For the hands of the Protector FRIEND THou oughtest to stand in the Counsel of God in all things and not to follow the Counsel of thy own heart nor to act things in thine own will neither shouldst thou suffer others to act under thee and in thy name that which is Unjust and Unrighteous Much Unrighteousness and great Oppression is acted in thy name by which the good name PROTECTOR is abused and subverted and instead of Protection by it great Unjustice is acted under it and covered with it and this one thing I am moved to lay before thee which hath been acted by thee or under thee not without thy knowledge in which thou hast done Evil in the Sight of the Lord and one day thou wilt know it Several in these Nations Justices of the Peace and other Officers who have been in trust under thee when they have owned the People of God in scorn called Quakers have been cast out of their Places though they have not denyed to serve thee and the Common-Wealth neither hath Unfaithfulness to their Trust been proved against them and also several Souldiers now of late in Scotland and else-where have been turned out of their Places because of the same thing viz. For owning the People of God and these things are not right in the Sight of the Lord that such who have been for many years Faithful in the Service and in their Trust
and hazarded Life and Liberty for Conscience sake to enjoy Liberty of Conscience which they cannot now possess because of thee but are cast out for the Exercise of their pure Consciences this Thing the Lord is grieved with and with thee because of it For thou didst not obtain this Victory of Peace and Freedom by thy own Sword then why should it be thus improved to thy own Ends Consider of it for this makes the Nations more unhappy and less blessed when such who delight in true Justice and Judgment are cast out of their Places and so deprived of giving their Judgment among men and absolutely this will make thy Army less prosperous and more unblessed when such who fear the Lord and against whom thou canst not justly charge Evil are cast out and despised and this in time thou mayst see to thy Sorrow And as thy Friend I â—ay this before thee and do in plainness tell thee If thou thus utterly denyst the People of God in the day of thy Prosperity and thus wholy cast them out of thy service they cannot stand by thee nor own thee in the day of thy Trouble and such as thou cleavest unto may be a broken Staff in thy time of need Ah Friend these things do shew that thy heart is not right in the sight of the Lord and that Justice and true Judgment Righteousness and Truth is even despised in this Land and not sincerely owned by thee when as such who fear the Lord are thus cast out of Judicatories in thy Government and out of Defence in thy Armies What! is this the end of that long travel in Wars and of so many fair Promises of Liberty of Conscience that just Men should thus be dealt withal The Heathen Kingdoms may Mock at this that while some have pretended Liberty of Conscience are become Persecutors of such whose Consciences are justly exercised and as I have sometime said to thee much Injustice and great Oppressions and cruel Persecutions continue daily to be acted in thy name which is numbred up against thee upon account because of hiding thy Face from the Cry of the Poor as one without Bowels of Compassion unto such who have truly served with thee in a faithful Service for the Common-Wealth who many of them now are grievous Sufferers under thee Consider of these things and search what will be the End of them the Lord open thy Understanding that more of the Wisdom of God may guide thee and less of the policy and wisdom of Man which will betray thee of God's Kingdom and may in the end cast thee down in this World also E. B. The Original of this was delivered to his Hands in the Fifth Moneth 1657. FRIEND IT is upon me and also I am pressed in spirit thereunto to give thee even unto thee Oliver Protector the perfect measure of thy Dominions and how they stand in relation to thee as concerning the Affections of the people towards thee whereby thou mayst understand thy own Condition and the state of thy Government as I have viewed it in true Judgment and marked it upon serious consideration and what I write is in perfect Love unto thee however thou mayst judge of it and of these things it will be well fâ—â— thee to consider now while it is time ere it be too late Many Enemies thou hast which watch over thee for Evil and not for Good who would Rejoyce in thy Overthrow And first There are a People scattered through all these Nations who are full of Wrath and ravening Envy towards thee in whose hearts to this day there is continual Hatred and evil Surmiâ—â—ng lodgeth against thee and all thy Off-Spring and I believe without any further knowledge that daily Advantage they seek against thee by subtil Conspiracies and secret Plottings of Maliciousness in their Hearts seeking by all means if it be possible how to be revenged and not slipping any Advantage how to revenge themselves and promote their Cause and of these scattered under thy Goverment are not a few but rather the greater number who thus stand in Affections to thee with no better purpose of good towards thee then to destroy thee by any means if it were in their power and to take away thy name in Reproach such is the Cruelty and Desperateness of some of them their own lives are not dear unto them to take away thine I have felt the strength of their Rage against thee which carries them above sence or fear to fore-go any Danger that they might see their desired End of thee Their Malice towards thee is so seated in their wrathful Hearts that it cannot easily be quenched I know the Lord hath blasted them and their endeavours to this day and thou hast had Dominion and Power given thee of God to bruise and to break them to pieces for because of the Wickedness of that Generation which was grown to the full did the Lord raise thee up as a Plague upon them because of their Unrighteousness Oppression and Tyranny and they were made as Slaves and Bondmen under thy Power and without the Lord can they not at any time do any thing against thee but what and if for thy Wickedness in the Sight of God he should make them Instruments in his hand to accomplish his Wrath upon thee even like as he made thee once his Instrument to overthrow them and such hath been the Lord's Doings even to overthrow his Enemies one by the other and to use the Wicked as a Rod in his hand to break them one against another like Potsherds and by that which comes to pass in these Nations thou seemest no less then to tread in their steps and in a measure already goest on in their way in Oppressing through Tyranny or suffering it the People of God whose Cause the Lord will assuredly plead against thee one day who now suffer under thee in Patience and who can tell the Purpose of the Lord or what he may bring to pass concerning this thing in raising up the Wicked to be a Plague to Wickedness and in suffering the Oppressors to overthrow Oppressions This is by me in Love to thee in sincerity declared and by thee with Soberness and in the Fear of God it is to be considered Again there is another People scattered through all these Dominions who are not thy Friends nor Wishers well unto thee or thy Government who secretly murmer against thee and envy thee and even seek God against thee and thy Government which they judge to be not according to God and bow not to it in Love though they are forced to submit for a time hoping continually if not hatching other wayes of Rule and Government to the overthrow of thee and thine and these are more Honest and Upright and Just in the Sight of the Lord then the former and indeed they are not nor their Purposes accursed of the Lord for many of them have been Sufferers and faithfully served their Nation
thou hast not known it altogether much less then knowest thou of those things which are Eternal which belong to thy Peace it shews thou ownest not the Lord who cannot own his People but rather countest them thy Enemies and sufferest all Evil to be inflicted upon them and this is the greatest of thy Misery in that the Lord hath been so good unto thee and thy Promises so large towards him for the Feeedom of his People yet all forgot and the Lord's Goodness not answered and his People made as Slaves and Bond-men under thee suffering the loss of Liberty and even their Birth-right-Priviledge in many parts of these Nations wherefore be awakened O man and sleep not totally in Carelesness but remember thy self either to perform the Good or at least to escape the Evil which may suddenly come upon thee And this I have written to thee out of perfect Love in the Fear of God without the Fear of any man or without any secret or open envying of thee couldst thou but own the Lord he would be thy strength to forgive all thy Iniquities and blot out thy Sin and to defend thee from all thy Enemies and above all things Love Iudgment Mercy and Truth and fear before the Lord and let not his People be thy Bond-slaves who are more dear unto the Lord then all Earthly glory is unto thee and if thou couldst own them they would own thee in the Face of all thine Enemies many times hast thou been warned and that from the Lord and thou shalt confess it when the Lord's hand is upon thee and thou delivered into the Will of thy Enemies Remember that I have told thee what the Lord hath shewed me happy art thou if thou canst receive it that Peace may be unto thee and not War Salvation and not Condemnation Renown and not Dishonour which waits for thee except thou turnst to the Lord. Edw. Burroughs The Original of this was delivered to him in the Seventh Moneth 1657. To the Protector and Council A Servant of the Lord and to you a Friend wisheth Grace and Wisdom the Spirit of sound Iudgment and the Knowledge of God unto you that in all thing True Justice and Righteous Judgment may be brought forth and abound unto all people that you may be more Honourable and may be made a Blessing to your selves and this Nation and to Generations after you But alas my Friends how long shall Justice and true Judgment be neglected and the Innocent deeply groan for want thereof How long shall it be ere the distresâ—â—d Cry of the unjustly Afflicted enters into your hearts I say when shall your Ear be bowed down to hearken to consider of the guiltless cause of many of the faithful Subjects who lie deeply afflicted through this Nation some under one cruel Bond of Oppression and some under another being most unjustly and wickedly imposed upon them by Cruel Men who pervert Justice and turn true Judgment backwards and neither Fear God nor Regard Men but contrary to Justice and the good Laws of this Land as men without Reason and Natural Affections to Mankind do act most illegally to the grievous Oppression of many approved and faithful Subjects and the true Knowledge and Consideration hereof is enough to pierce the hardest Heart and to vex the most patient Mind and undoubtedly the â—…ce Anger of the Lord is greatly kindled because of these things and even against your Forbearance who seem to take little notice of such Cruelties and injustice when they are laid before you for you do not relieve the Oppressed neither 〈◊〉 remove Oppressors as you ought to do and as the Lord requires of you What hath the aboundance of this World's glory and its treasure quite overcome and stolen away your hearts wholy from all sence and feeling of the unjust Sufferings of your Brethren who have in times past as faithfully as your selves served their Nation with their Lives and Estates to the purchasing of this Peace and Freedom out of the hands of Opposers and such may now justly claim the benefit of this Peace and Freedom and to have a part with you therein even by Birth-right and by Purchase and also by Promise from some of your selves But alas while they have waited for it and thought peaceably to enjoy the same under you are many of them entrapped into as great Bondage as ever if not more woful and unjust and they are unjustly imprisoned and unreasonably fined and every way oppressively dealt withal and are even spoiled in their Persons and Estates and their lives often in danger being through great Injustice become a Prey to their very Enemies who now take occasion to revenge their former Cause because of their Faithfulness for the Common-wealth against them and all this is done while you look on and no way shewing your dislike to these things which strengthens greatly the hands of Evil-doers to add to the Bonds of the Afflicted yet are you without excuse for you are not wholy ignorant of these things for the knowledg of them has often bin laid at your doors yea and the very Cry of these Oppressions and Cruelties reach through the whole Land to the wounding deeply of all people that fear God to know so great Injustice and Oppression brought forth upon the â—â—nocent and faithful People by some so far entrusted as having the Law comâ—itted to them which they pervert and turn Judgment backwards and the greater is the Wound because you who have power to stop and prevent these things should have no more regard to set at liberty the unjust Sufferers and to â—â—der Judgment upon those as thus pervert true Justice by whom the Land is filled with Violence whereby the Name of the Lord is greatly dishonoured and the Government greatly reproached in many parts of the World why because the faithful Subjects cannot enjoy their Birth-right-Priviledge as they ought according to the Law of God and man for their Equals yea their Inferiors have exalted themselves above and are become Oppressors of the Free-born People and divers ways do these hainous Oppressions and Cruelties abound upon the Innocent and not for Evil-doing but for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God for many have been taken travelling on the High-way and some out of peaceable Meetings and out of their Inns and Friends Houses and by some wicked men in Authority without shewing just Cause therefore have just Men been whipped or stocked or imprisoned or other Cruelties done unto them and yet the transgression of no just Law truly charged against them neither have been convicted of any Evil-doing but they have suffered wholy Innocâ—â—tly only through the Malice and Will and Pleasure of their Enemies who have taken occasion wihhout any just Offence at all to stock and whip and imprison many of the true and faithful Subjects and this hath not been done in secret but openly in many parts of this Nation and you have had Information of
must cease to do evil and learn to do well and thou must be uncovered of thy sheeps cloathing thy large profession of Religion and the multitude of thy Prayers and Sermons and the number of thy oblations and offerings these things have not been pleasant unto the Lord from thee but because hereof is he the rather provoked against thee and thou must be stripped of thy filthy garments and set as in the day that thou wast born before thou canst be cloathed with divine righteousness and O Nation thou must be changed not in name onely but in nature thou must be converted that the wrath of the Lord may be turned back from thee every inhabitant in thee must become a fighter against the evil in his own heart and the plague thereof must be sought out and removed the sin must be forsaken that judgement may cease and every one must cease to provoke the Lord and no longer vex his Spirit within them and every one must love the Light of Christ in his own conscience and become a follower of it that will lead him out of all sin and every man must put off his Transgressions and forsake himself and lay down the enmity and cast it out of his heart that he hath against persons and he must war against the Enemies of his own Soul and the Enemies of his 〈◊〉 House must be â—â—ain even his own Lusts and even the evil Affections of his own heart must he become an Enemy unto and every man must deny the false Teachers and Deceivers and must come to be taught of the Lord every one must turn to him and come into his Covenant and hear his Word and obey his Voice and become humble and meek and must tremble at the Word of the Lord aad must become upright and innocent And O Nation If it were thus with thee then shouldst thou be a happy People if thou dost these things then shall all thy Breaches be healed and thy Sorrows be turned into Joy and the Lord shall cease to smite thee and his Anger shall be turned clean away This is our Counsel unto thee Remove thy Iniquities by Repentance be converted to the Lord and he shall heal thee and his Love shall be shed abroad Peace Plenty and Satisfactionâ— Unity and Concord shall be unto all thy Inhabitants and the Lord himself shall be thy King thy Judge and thy Law-giver he will judge thee with equity and not with Oppression he will teach thee in the perfect way and thou shalt not err he will defend thee from all thy Enemies Oh Nation if thou do these things even turn to the Lord with all thy heart that he may walk in thee and dwell in thee then should thy light break out of obscurity and the dew of Mercies shall fall upon thee and it should be unto thee as a Morning without Clouds and thou shouldest be refreshed after all thy sorrow the Nation should be happy and the people blessed and the Government of Peace and Truth should be established never to be confounded any more And thus thy Iniquities being removed the Plague should cease and the cause of destruction being taken away no fruit thereof should appear wherefore let men cease to hatch Mischief one against another and to seek vengeance one of another and let them seek with all speed and sincerity to get victory over their own sins and vengeance may be taken upon their own transgressions and this is our Councel for the healing of our Nations breach and for turning away the Anger of the Lord. But and if O Nation thou continuest in thy perversness and in transgressions which the Lord hates and if thou wilt not turn to him that smites thee and love his Rod that corrects thee but wilt always grieve the Spirit of the Lord and be obstinate stout-hearted against the Lord and his reproofs and if thou wilt continue in thy accustomed sins then shall the reward thereof be upon thee even breach upon breach and one Judgment upon another and Mercy shall be with-holden from thee and the Dew shall not fall upon thee but thou shalt be as a barren Heath and thou shalt be given up to consume thy self in mischief and in thy heart-burnings one towards another if thou wilt set up Rulers of thy own proud and ambitious men and will not chuse the Lord to Rule over thee but reject him and his People then shall thy Breach never be healed by the Men whom thou chusest but through them shall thy Breach be more desperate and thy Wound be made more incurable and if thou wilt set up Teachers that teach for filthy Lucre and Prophets that divine for Money and Priests that preach for Hire and will not receive the Covenant of the Lord and him to be thy Teacher by his Spirit then shalt thou err in thy ways and stumble and fall and never know perfect Peace with God nor one with another but as thou lovest Oppression and Deceit and walkest in Transgression so shall it be unto thee and thou must eat the Fruit of thy own doings Misery upon Miseries shall be upon thee and thus shalt not see the Face of the Almighty to refresh thee Wherefore O Nation consider before the Night comes upon thee when no way will be found by thee to be dilivered for in the middst of thy Confusions God is a working he hath a Work to bring forth which shall be a Work of great Mercy and Deliverance or of Sorrow and of great Judgment even to the whole Land And as for us we hereby declare unto thee We are not thy Enemies we seek not thy hurt nor do we desire Vengeance upon our Enemies we seek not thy Destruction but we desire thy Repentance that thou mayst be healed we have not the spirit of Mischief and Rebellion in our hearts towards thee neither are we for one Party or another nor do we side with one sort against another neither do we joyn our selves to this sort or the other nor do we war against any by carnal Weapons neither shall we ever provoke the Nation against us otherwise then by our Righteous and Holy Walking and we do declare that we are not for Men nor Names nor shall we joyn with this or that sort of men but as they act Righteousness alone nor any thing that yet appears can we fully embrace or rejoyce in for they are all corrupted in their ways and that cursed spirit of Self-seeking seems to be the Rule of and to leaven their principal Actions and we rather yet chuse to suffer by all as for a long time we have done alreapy then to lose our Integrity and Innocency by joyning to any in their unjust ways for we reject all Places of corrupted Honour and we are yet kept free It is true we are a People gathered of the Lord into one Spirit and though a People little in Account and very low in Reputation and greatly reproached and 〈◊〉 suffering
well Oh that such would consider and not be hasty in any thing to perform or profess Religion in their degenerate estate but that they would come to know the Regeneration and the renewing of their minds by the holy spirit and that the Immortal Birth might be born in them even the Birth of the Spirit which is Heir of God Oh that that might live and rule in them then should they be Heirs of God and Citizens of the New-Ierusalem And oh ye People of London lay it to heart you must be born again or else you can never enter into Gods Kingdom you must be changed in nature and must be crucified to this world that you may live unto God this must you come unto or else you have no part nor portion in Eternal Life and your Duties and Performances in your Forms of Religion they cannot save you not justifie you all your Preaching Praying Singing and all your Duties whatsoever they are all nothing till you come to know changing and renewing inwardly and do witness the Seed of God raised up in you and the head of the Serpent bruised in you by the Seed of the Woman this must you come to witness that your Souls may live Oh that you would consider be not so zealous against that which you may call Heresie and Schism for while you err in judgment you may soon speak evil of Truth and persecute it under the name of Error many have wofully faln into that Snare and brought sorrow upon themselves thereby The wise Iews even the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees they were as confident in their Way as you can be and yet they erred in judgment and would not receive Christ but persecuted him under the very name of a Deceiver and thus it is possible for many to do in this Age What though you have Christ's words and the Apostles words yet if you have not the Spirit of Christ that was in the Apostles you know nothing rightly of the Scriptures neither can you understand them nor have Salvation by them for you must know Christ in you your hope of glory else you are Reprobates and shut out of the Kingdom of God And search the Scriptures and see if they do not witness this Do not they say Christ is in you except you be Reprobates and do not they say The Law of God is written in the heart and the Spirit of God is put in the inward part And do not they say That Christ hath lightned every man that comes into the World with the true Light And do not they say that the Apostle exhorts people to hearken to the Word of God in their hearts and to be followers of the Spirit of God that was in their hearts And do not the Scriptures say That it was the Light that shined in the heart that gave the knowledge of God unto the Saints Search the Scriptures and see whether these things be so and must not men be born again of the Immortal Seed Oh consider and let not these Doctrines seem new unto you neither reject them though they come unto you in weak appearance not with words of mens wisdom but in Simplicity and in sincerity and in the Power of God And search the Scriptures whether these things be so were not they false Prophets That preached for hire and divined for money and sought for their gain from their Quarter were not such Deceivers in the true Prophets time and them that preached for filthy lucre and for money and for gifts and rewards were not such false Brethren and false Apostles search the Scriptures whether these things be so for the day of trial is now come wherein all must be searched and that Religion and Worship and Ministry which is not according to the Scriptures which was given forth by the Spirit of God let that Religion Worship Church and Ministry be utterly condemned of the Lord and all his People and let such Ministers as cannot prove their Call their Maintenances and Practices to be according to Scriptures let such Ministers be confounded and silenced for ever and come to try this matter when you will For whereas you cry out against us as if we were Deniers of Scriptures as if we were Enemies to Church and godly Ministry and Religion and as if we were Deceivers Hereticks Papists c. But I say unto you these things have you never yet justly proved against us but rather accused us behind our backs to make us odious among people and though for divers years together we have been publick yet when did ever any of you Ministers seek by lawfull means to convert us or shew us our Errors if we were as you say of us oh it had been your time to have sought our conversion and not to have Persecuted to have sent to Prisons Houses of Correction and by such Weapons of any outward force and cruelty have you dealt with us and not in meekness and by the Spirit of the Lord as Ministers of Christ ought to do but have cried to the Magistrates to defend you and your your Church and Worship being unable as it were by the Authority of God's Spirit to defend your selves Therefore I say unto you now lay down your Carnal Weapons and come out in the Spirit of Meekness and come out in the Authority of God's Spirit if you have it convince us thereby if we be in an evil way as you say let us hear your soundest Arguments by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures to prove those things which you say of us prove it by evident Arguments that we deny Scriptures and that we are Hereticks and that we are Papists I challenge you all in the Name of the Lord even all you Ministers of London let us hear your sound Reasons openly in the spirit of Meekness and do not back-bite nor slander in the dark and let us not be bawled against by your rude Members as often we have been even in the spirit of wickedness but come out you Ministers we are willing to be tried according to the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in our Religion and in every part of it and if you be the same then come forth in the spirit of Meekness like Ministers of Christ and lay down your Carnal Weapons and let us have fair dealing openly that Truth may be manifested publickly and Error may be discovered and let us not envy one anothers persons and seek to destroy one anothers lives but let us seek to destroy the evil in one another that men might be saved and this would be a Christian-like way we would hear what you have to charge against our Religion by sound Arguments in Meekness that we may answer it and then we will charge something upon your Ministry Church Religion and Worship and we will prove what we say against you according to the Scriptures and we will not impose our Religion upon you by the force of outward Powers
the Cause wherefore the Wrath of God may justly come upon the whole Nation it self if these things be not speedily repented of and forsaken And whether the Life and Practise and Subjection of an upright QUAKER so called whose Principle is to obey all just Commands and patiently to suffer under all that which is unjust and that lives in Meekness and Fear and Soberness and Love towards all Men whether or no such Men and such Practises are not more Honourable and Blessed in the sight of God and Men than this kind of Rudeness and Wickedness Singing and Drunkenness Ringing and Swearing and hanging Ribbins and Feathers about themselves and their Horses and many other things which are said to be done in honour to the King and his Government But whether there be not a Principle in your Consciences which doth rather condemn your selves than justifie you for these things and rather justifies a Sober Life and is not that more blessed Quer. 12. Whether or no all that cry you up and your Government do it really and out of good Conscience and from Principles of Sincerity Or whether they are turned to you in Feignedness and Hypocrisie and to save their Heads and Estates which some of them have gotten even such as have been your Enemies and Preached and Prayed and Fought against you and now cry you up and pray for you but whether can you trust that these will be faithful to you that thus deny their former Ways and Religion and Worship And whether thus to deny their Principles their Faith their Religion their former Oaths and Engagements is commendable and Justifiable in the sight of God and you Or whether a Quaker so called that will stand to his Principles and not deny his Faith nor Religion though he suffer for it nor will bow and bend in Hypocrisie under every sort of Men is not more justifiable and condemnable in the sight of God and your Consciences also I say do not they condemn these Hypocrites that have fought against you and prayed against you and yet bow under you with deceitful Hearts in the time of their danger Quer. 13. Whether or no you do not believe and know in your Consciences that the QUAKERS so called are a Sober Innocent and Harmless People and of an upright Conversation dealing justly towards all and such as do not Envy the Persons of any nor Plot and Project Mischief towards you or any And whether if you should proceed to persecute and seek to destroy such a People concerning whom you have such a witness in your Consciences Iustifying them as aforesaid would not be greatly unjust in the Sight of God and the very Cause to provoke God to destroy you and your proceeding if so be that you persecute them for their Conscience-sake while they live Soberly and Uprightly as men and injureth no mans Person or Estate by their Religion Quer. 14. Whether or no you do not believe or may not have just Cause to believe that your present Proceedings are not and may not prove to be the very natural Cause of Outward Visible external Judgements upon you and the Nation even Iudgments of Pestilence and Famine And do not you proceed in the very path hereof Is not your spending the Creation in such Excessive manner in Eating and Drinking and wasting the good Creation after this manner as you do Whether is not this a natural Cause to bring want and Poverty and also oppressing your very bodies with Excessiveness in Drunkenness Inflaming your selves through Excessiveness of Wine and Beer and through the abounding of uncleanness and through excesse and as well Defiling and Oppressing your very Persons as wasting the Creation by so doing Whether this is not a very Natural Cause to bring and beget Pestilence and Famine besides your provoking the Lord through this means as being works in themselves hateful and abominable in his sight and for which Cause he may justly bring Wrath and Judgements even Plague and Famine if there were no other Cause for it And whether you ought not seriously to Consider of this thing and to Turn from these Transgressions which are Natural Causes of great Judgements and also provokes the Lord to hasten and inflict Judgement Oh that the Sober minded among you would lay this to heart Consider these Queries in the Spirit of Soberness for they are worth your regarding and be not high-minded nor wicked in your way least the Lord who hath all Power in his hand meet you and bring you down and destroy your Cause which he can do if you provoke him This was written in the middle of the 3d Moneth called May 1660. E. B. TO THE Friends of Christ IN LONDON DEarly Beloved and much Respected in the Lord who are of the Election before the World began in everlasting Love do I often remember you and your Remembrance is Pretious and Pleasant to me even because the Lord hath chosen you and called you into his marvellous Light and formed you a People for himself to shew forth his Praise and herein I do behold you very often for I have seen you as a few pleasant Plants in a great Forest of fruitless Trees and I have seen you as a speckled Bird among the Birds of the Wilderness and even as a choice Virgin are you among Harlots in that great City even as a few righteous Persons whom the Lords regardeth amongst a Multitude of thousands of ungodly Men thus have I seen you and thus doth the Spirit bring you into my remembrance with earnest desires to the Lord God for you that you may be preserved through all Times and Seasons and over all this World that you may be alwayes unto the Lord as a pleasent Garden bringing forth Fruits of Acceptation unto him wherein his Soul may be delighted Now dear Friends live in the Seed of God and walk in the Faith which overcometh the World and feel your Election in Christ Jesus and grow up into it daily that you may have the Seal of Assurance of Mercy and Peace and Favour with the Lord God and wait that you may receive the Promise of the Father even of the same eternal Life the same Spirit the same Power of the same heavenly Vertue into your Vessels as was in Christ Jesus in whom dwelt the fulness of all things and in us the Fulness is manifest by measure and this is the everlasting Comforter that will abide with you for ever even the Appearance of Christ Jesus in Spirit God with us and the knowledge of him as he was before Abraham and this Life Immortal born in us and this Knowledge revealed to us is everlasting and remains for ever and if ye be gathered up into this to know him and to be in him that was in the beginning then are you builded upon the Rock and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against you neither can the Flood of Death break in upon you And Friends walk in the Love of the Lord
but that over all you will be preserved in faith and victory I am now according to the Will of the Father in Ireland it is some weeks since I arived at Cork City in much peace and safety with my dear Companions it having been long upon my spirit to visit the Seed of God in this Nation even of love have I felt it in me and not of constraint but of a willing mind and free spirit and not of force and after the time of patience and waiting for many dayes to see my way clear for it the Lord hath ordered it and brought it to pass acceptable unto me and many here and this is the time which this visitation must be effected for till now my way was not clear and but that this Journey hath laid upon me I should have rejoyced to have been present among you either in testimony by suffering or otherwise but this is the will of God and it is in my heart to pass through this Nation and to visit the Seed of God by the Love and Word of the Father as he gives of his Life and Strength and opens the way before me I perceive in this Land Friends are generally well and truth grows in victory and dominion and the Lord is adding to the numberless number of them that must stand on Mount Zion and through the rage of men and above it all the little Flock is preserved in its beauty and the Seed sown in weakness and afflictions is received and quickned in much power which is my joy About Bristol I continued about two moneths in much precious service for the Lord and truth had good authority over all great acceptation in the hearts of many and some convinced and others edified and confirmed as many can witness in the spirit and until after the time of the Fâ—ir I was not clear of that City but imediately after I was free and my way made very convenient and clear to this place and the hand of providence ordered all things very well on that behalf as I do hope in the continuance of the power and presence of the Lord with me through this work and in his power I am committed even to do or suffer all things for his Name sake and that by vertue of his own life that dwells in me And the Lord preserve all the Brethren like-minded that the work of the Lord may be fulfilled and finished by us Amen County of Cork the 21th of the 6th Moneth 1660. E. B. A PRESENTATION of Wholsome Informations unto the King of England c. Being a Defence Pleaded and also appealed unto Him even to the Testimony of the Spirit of God in His own Conscience In Answer to a certain Accusation charged before Him in a Printed Book called The thrice happy Welcome of King Charles the Second by one George Willington of Bristol City against Us whom in derision the Accuser calls Quakers And also herein are laid down divers Considerations in Answer to a Petition directed to the King by the same Author in the Book aforesaid concerning Church-Government and concerning the making and sending forth Ministers and concerning the True Prophets and True Ministers and the False and how they are distinguished in their Call Maintenance and Fractises and that none ought to suffer death of Body or be killed or spoiled in Person or Estate though they may err in their mindes in the knowledge and Judgment of spiritual things All which is soberly presented to the King and His Council for Them to consider The Epistle to the King and his Council KNow ye That it is Righteousness Iustice Mercy and Truth and the fear of the Lord God it is the doing hereof and the walking herein in which you onely may be truly honourable I say if you do these things if you fear the God of Heaven and depart from all Iniquity and if you be doers of Iustice and Mercy and if ye break the yoke of cruel Oppressions and let the oppressed go free then are you worthy to be honoured both in the sight of God and men if so be that you are possessed with the nature I mean with Righteousness Iustice Mercy and Truth then you deserve the name but not otherwise for if Unrighteousness Injustice and Falshood dwell with you and be brought forth by you then are you not honourable to God neither can his servant in feignedness and flattery give the name unto you but and if I should give flattering titles unto you I should provoke the Lord to wrath against me though yet I gained your favour but I have rather chosen to speak the truth from my heart in Righteousness and to be well-pleasing unto the God of Heaven then with flattering Lips and a deceitfull Tongue be a man-pleaser while I grieve the Spirit of the Lord and the chief desire of my heart is to keep my conscience clear in all things though I should gain the displeasure of you and the most eminent accounted of men And if you shall say who art thou I must answer That I am a Servant of the great God of Heaven and Earth him I fear and before his presence I tremble I fear not him that can but kill the Body I flatter not any by feigned words for I regard not the love or hatred of this World I have not learned to practise a flattering tongue nor can I use it towards you or any upon the Earth but words of truth and righteousness are my delight and the dialect of my native Countrey and the characters thereof are not in the eloquency of words of mans wisdom but to demonstrate by the Spirit of the Lord in plainness and soberness with more respect to please the Lord then to please men Thus am I known among my Familiars and thus I desire only to be known unto you not in words only but in substance not in flattery but in an upright heart And this my present occasion thus to write unto you is even in as much as we have been accused even to the King by one George Willington of the City of Bristoll in a Book of his directed to the King even therefore is it that I have taken in hand to answer and publish a defence against his Charge with some sober Considerations chiefly laid down and directed even to the King that he may consider them and my hopes are that he and you of his Council will read and consider the Defence as well as the Charge against us assuredly knowing that it is good reason and equity for you so to do and may prove also of good consequence to you so to do for if the King should receive mis-informations and thereupon proceed in Iudgement Oh what pits and snares of danger did he run himself into even to destroy himself Now to the intent that he and you may be better informed in some particulars concerning us about which we are charged and accused and that you might know the truth and
〈◊〉 so much Money a Year or claiming so much as a Debt of those which may 〈◊〉 do not receive or believe such a Minister is a true Minister of Christ and all 〈◊〉 suing people at Law casting them into Prison about Ministers Maintenance 〈◊〉 not of God but Antichrist and not after the Example of Christ's true Ministers but after the Example of false Prophets and Deceivers And it is a lawful Maintenance at this day of Christ's Ministers That each Minister be maintained by the free Gift of the people under his Ministry and its just that every Minister be maintained by the people to whom he labours and that every Form of Worship maintain their own Ministers how and as they will and if men preach the Gospel let them live of it and let their Gospel maintain them without begging Maintenance of the King or troubling him with such matters as pertain to another state even to the spiritual Government of Christ who calls his Ministers and gives his Gifts to whom he will and sends them out whither he will and their Gospel hath effect to change and convert people and to beget Love in the hearts of people and such as are begotten to God by the preaching of the Gospel can freely give of their carnal things and a Minister of Christ cannot want any thing And therefore let not the King be careful nor troubled about maintaining Ministers but let him maintain his own how and as he pleaseth and leave all his Kingdoms to the like that every sort of people whether Papists Protestants or any others maintain every one their own Ministers how by how much and as they will and this is the way of Lawful Maintenance to every Ministry and not this way of begging of the King And that not Niggardly but Liberally and Sufficiently saith the Petitioner which shews Covetousness and Impudency in any Beggar that they may be encouraged saith the Petitioner c. 5. Now that Ministry whose Dependancy is on outward things and may be encouraged or discouraged by having or wanting large Maintenance this Ministry Jesus Christ never sent forth but it is of man and by the Earthly Powers and not of God for were the Apostles discouraged in the Work of their Ministry when they were in Wants and Necessities and Sufferings and Afflictions as often they were No but they approved themselves the more to be Christ's Faithful Ministers thereby And it may be a very certain Evidence to the King That such who will not go forth to minister without such or such large Benefices and Maintenance by so much Money Tythes or yearly Stipends are not the Ministers of Christ neither were they ever sent of him to preach his Gospel but have run for Gifts and Rewards like Balaam and have not been truly called by Christ Jesus into his Ministry Now I come to the fifth Branch of the Petition which is in these words I humbly beg your Grace That in order to the establishing a learned Ministry to Posterity your Majesty will be a Fosterer and Patron of the Schools and Nurseries of good Learning especially the two once famous Universities of Oxford and Cambridge In Answer hereunto let the King consider 1. That the true and lawful Ministry of Jesus Christ is the absolute free Gift of God to whomsoever the Lord is pleased to give it and it is not bought nor sold for Money nor received by Education and natural Learning but God gives the Gift of Knowledge and Utterance and every part of his Ministry to whom he will so the Apostles received the Ministry and so it is received at this day by all that have it It is not a Natural Science or Art of Knowledge or Utterance but it is the Gift of God and ever was whether to Plough-men or Fisher-men or to whomsoever as the Lord gives it for As every one had received the Gift so they might administer as say the Scriptures 2. That the Establishing of the Ministry pertains to Jesus Christ alone and that it depends upon the Power and Spirit of God to establish his own Ministry and to overthrow that which is contrary and the Lord alone will do it and not man for it is he that sendeth out Ministers whom he will and he defends them and establishes them against the Devil and all their Opposers Neither did ever any of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ beg to the Kings of the Earth Maintenance and Establishment but they knew the Lord and trusted in him and therefore let not the King trouble himself with care in these matters but leave them to the Lord to whom they do belong and let him rule well in outward Affairs and leave the Government of the Church and Ministry to Christ Jesus to whom only it pertains 3. As for Oxford and Cambridge and sending Ministers from thence and making them there by natural Arts and Sciences according to the Custom there used there was no such thing in the Apostles days as making Ministers at Schools and Colledges by natural Learning but as I have said It was by the Gift of God's â—â—â—y Spirit that the Ministers of the Gospel were made and sent forth And this way of making Ministers at Oxford and Cambridge at Schools and Colledges and all that pertains thereunto as the Orders Names and Practices for the most part the very Habits and Degrees of Schools and all that stuff is all come up since the Apostles dayes and that way of creating Ministers and sending them forth was never known not in beeing among the Apostles but much Abomination and Idolatry is brought forth at such places and in such wayes to the Grief and Vexation of the Lord God whose Wrath will break out like Fire to devour Idolatry with the Cause and Ground thereof And happy is that man that partakes not of the Sins of others he shall not partake of the Iudgements And in the last part of the Petition it is craved That the Seminaries of Sin and Satan Wickedness and Vice may be beaten down and suppressed c. Ans. These things are abounding which provoke the Lord to great wrath against the Land Oh! that indeed the King would consider that Iniquity may be stopped and Righteousness brought forth then should the King and Kingdoms and Subjects be made Famous and Dreadful through the World For because of Oppression and Wickedness the Land mourns and the great Judgments of the Lord are at the door except Repentance be made unto God And thus I have in much fear towards God and Honour towards the King laid divers Considerations before him worthy to be minded upon the occasion of the Charge against us by George Willington and it will be Wisdom for the King to consider our Defence as well as of our Enemy's Charge By a Servant of Christ E. B. THE Everlasting Gospel OF REPENTANCE AND REMISSION of SINS Held forth and Declared to the Inhabitants of the Earth that they may Turn and be Converted
of Conscience and their Hearts will be dis-engaged in Love and Affection to you-wards and this will be infallibly the Effect of Persecution for Conscience sake as King Charles the first saith in his Meditations A charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength when rougher Opposition fortifies and puts the Dispised and Oppressed Party into such combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors c. 10. Consider if ye force Worship and Religion and cause men to conform against their Judgments how dangerous is this to destroy mens souls and to lead 〈◊〉 even to destruction For seeing ye affirm not the Infallibility of your Worship and Religion and yet will impose them and so engage mens Souls in depandancy for Salvation upon things and wayes uncertain and which GOD giveth not the Faith to believe in I say how dangerous is this to ruin souls for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which God works in the heart in the Obedience of Infallible TRUTH So ye 〈◊〉 mens souls upon a Rock and it is unreasonable as before mentioned that men should be forced into the profession and Practice of uncertain and fallible Religion and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil for which not you altogether but themselves must bear the punishment in the Day of the Lord and except ye could affirm and prove the infallibility of your Church which is impossible there is no Equity nor Right Reason for it That you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you For as King Charles the First said in his Meditation He desired not any should be further Subjects unto him then he and all of them might be subject unto God c. 11. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience but persecute about the same ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the Heathen Rulers and of the false Christians and shews that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the Church of Rome and ye follow their example who persecute unto death such as they call Hereticks and if ye do persecute for matters of Conscience then ye allow the very deeds of the Heathens who persecuted the Christians for their Religion sake and ye justifie Papists in persecuting the Protestants and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the World by your works and fruits that ye are of Antichrist if ye impose on mens Consciences by force in the matters of Religion and persecute good Conscience about the same for it was the Antichrist and the Beast that first forced all to worship and violently engaged all into a conformity and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the Image Rev. 13. as ye may read And it was not Christs way nor the practice of any of his primitive Churches to impose and force on the persons and Consciences of men concerning their Church and Religion to cause all into a conformity thereunto and destroy and persecute all that would not This was not the way of Christ and his Apostles in their daies but they left Religion free and said they were not lords over mens faith nor lords over Gods Heritage neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience much lesse compel against mens Conciences for the Apostle left the practice of doubtful things as every one was perswaded in his own mind to do or not to do without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same Therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience ye are out of the Doctrine Example of Christ and his Apostles and follows the way and example of Antichrist Heathen Rulers and cruel Papists to your great dishonour 12. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion but impose and persecute about the same It must inavoidably tend to destroy and expel Trading Husbandry and Merchandize in these Kingdoms for a great part of Trading and Husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in Religion and hates persecution and violence in that case this ye will find true on examination and if liberty of Conscience be not allowed such will be exposed to great afflictions some to imprisonment and some to poverty and some to flee into other Countries to the destruction of their Callings and Trading and the hands and industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these Kingdoms if they cannot enjoy their just liberty in temporal spiritual cases and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect even to dis-enable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades and expose these Nations to want and poverty and to enrich their enemies 13. Consider If Liberty of Conscience be deny'd and Persecution be introduc'd about the same all these and many more woful Consequences and Effects will follow infallibly to the ruin of these Kingdoms even Wars and Bloodsheds and Discontents and Murmurings and all evil things will be the Product of the aforesaid Cause viz. Of denying Liberty of Conscience in Religious Matters for in a word it will tend to and may effect the Overthrow of you and Ruin your Government and Authority for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you and his Wrath will go out like a Devouring Flame upon you if that ye limit the Holy One and will not suffer him to exercise his proper Right in being King in mens Consciences to exercise them in all the Wayes of his Worship and Matters of his Kingdom but do oppress impose and persecute about the same this I say will infallibly work the Kingdoms ruin and expose you and your Government to the Indignation of the Holy Lord God who is tender of his Honour and will not give it to another and he loveth and effecteth the Cause of such whose Consciences are truly tender towards him and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them and for a time exercise great Afflictio and â—â—â—ressions upon them for the matters of their Conscience yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season and deliver them and avenge their â—ersecuâ—ors And therefore all ye Rulers consider and lay these things to heart lest ye provoke the Lord against you by destroying the People whom he regards and that not for evil doing but for the Caâ—es of Conscience and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion and how and conform in things against their Light and Knowledge 14. Consider If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience what exceeding danger 〈◊〉 run your selves into even to destroy just men and righteous as Hereticks and erroneous and may promote Hereticks as Church-members both which are great Abominations in the Sight of God and this Danger ye bring upon your selves for ye are not infallible Judges who are Hereticks and
but it was not according to True Knowledge And thus the Iews were zealously performing that as their Duty and as out of a Good Conscience which the Lord required not at their hands and so they made Conscience to do that which the Lord required not and their Consciences were mis-led and not righly informed and as it was amongst the Iews in this case in the dayes of old so now is it amongst the Christians in the Apostacy their Consciences being mis-guided by a false spirit they are doing and performing the things in great Zeal and for the exercise of their Consciences which the Lord doth not require of them Thus do the Papists they do and practise the things in great Zeal and through a false Fear in their blind Consciences which things are in themselves Idolatry and not commanded nor required of the Lord as in many particulars I might shew even in many parts of their Worship and Religion which out of a Fear and blind Zeal and mis-guided Conscience they practise which is in it self but Idolatry and not required nor accepted of the Lord. And many things in relation to the Protestants Worship and amongst all the several false Sects upon Earth which are done and practised in great Zeal and out of a false Fear and as in pretence of a good Conscience and yet are things in themselves Idolatrous as done and practised by them And this comes to passe as I have said because the Conscience is mis-informed and a false spirit guides and rules in the exercise of Conscience and the understanding of the People is blinded and they know not but they do well though their minds are captivated and their minds and judgments in error and though there be a sincerity to God-wards and a desire of Him in the bottom among some People of all Forms and Sects and some of all are zealous towards God in their practices in their Religion and Worship yet among all People and the Churches that have been for many Generations there hath been great Error in Judgment and much blindness in mind and the Conscience falsly exercised towards God and the Superscription hath been To the Unknown God and He hath been ignorantly worshipped and the Spirit of the Lord hath not truly exercised Peoples Consciences nor guided their Zeal nor been Ruler in the Judgment And by this means the sincerity and humility towards God hath been eaten out and always quenched and the bare practice of things and profession of Religion in the outward appearance hath been more lookt at than the presence of God felt in the Practices and the Zeal hath been more for the performance of such things than for God purely enjoyed through them And thus it hath been through Christendom in the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches Many have erred in their Judgments and the Zeal for God hath proceeded out of the error of Iudgments and out of mis-information of Conscience some other things than only the Spirit of God hath ruled in the Iudgment and been the exercise of Peoples Consciences And this is a hint of things about true Liberty of Conscience and about the Error in Iudgment and the blind Zeal in captivated sincerity Now it may be objected What is the only absolute Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience and when are Mens Consciences truly guided To this I answer The only chief and perfect Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience both to God and all men is The Spirit of Christ for it is only that which can truly guide the Conscience in Faith Doctrine and Worship and in all things towards God even the Spirit of Christ which is the gift of the Father it only leadeth into all Truth as it is written and all whose Consciences are guided and exercised by it are in unity and Peace in their Worship Doctrine and Religion for the Spirit of Christ is but one in it self and guideth the Conscience into the exercise of one Truth and Faith and in this same Spirit is true â—nion and Communion of SAINTS in Religion and Worship and this is manifest through the Scriptures for the Apostle exhorted To walk in the Spirit and by it and as many as walked by the Rule of the Spirit Peace be upon them and it is the Spirit of Christ the Everlasting Comforter that teacheth all Truth and the Holy Anointing of the Spirit that dwelt in the Saints taught them all things and they need no man to teach them but as the Anointing that dwelt in them And then are mens Consciences truly guided in all the Ways of Righteousness when the Spirit of God guides the Conscience and is the Rule of all Faith Doctrine and Practices So that Traditions of Men Prescriptions of Councils Antiquity of Time Commandments of Men nor Example of others without the Spirit of Christ cannot be the only true Rule of the Exercise of Conscience for all these things are changeable alterable and subject to variations and therefore cannot infallibly guide the Conscience in the Duty towards God nor rightly exercise the Conscience in Unity and Peace but while a Nation or Kingdom or People walk by the Rule of Traditions Prescriptions Commandments of Men Example of others or the like they err in Judgment in Faith Doctrine and Worship and are all divided in Contention about these matters because their Rule of Conscience and Judgment is doubtful and alterable and not infallible and therefore they have no perfect assurance of Gods acceptation to them in their Faith and Religion nor perfect Peace and Unity in their Faith and Worship But as the Rule of their Consciences in their Duty towards God is divers some make one thing and some another their Rule so are they divers and divided in what they hold profess and practice and are but of great Babylon in their Religion And because that something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that here are so many Wayes and Sects of Religigion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and amongst Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the Rule of Iudgement and Exercise of Conscience to God and Man for the only perfect Rule of Conscience in the Exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And now Whosoever shall persecute the Exercise of Conscience when guided by the Spirit of Christ such persecute Christ Jesus And this is Persecution for the Name of Christ when Sufferings are inflicted as Reproaches Imprisonment or whatsoever for the Exercise of Conscience towards God by his Spirit but and if any are persecuted for Religion-sake only so if that in such their Exercise of Religion they are not guided by the Spirit of Christ yet that suffering is a kind of Persecution also if I say the Suffering be only for and because of their Religions-sake and they walk Justly and Righteously as men so that as is signified about the middle of this Chapter
Imposing Religion and the Example hereof may be read in Nations and Countries at this day what Discontents and Contentions have arisen dangerously among people one towards another and towards their Rulers upon this Cause and Occasion of Imposing Religion by Force Unrighteously and 't is a Danger this day that all the Rulers of the World are exposed unto and deeply involved in where this Cause of Imposing Religion is extâ—nt in Force 3. It is Dangerous to Impose Religion by Force because it must needs produce Oppression Persecution Violence and Hatred in the prosecution thereof and this is dangerous to any Kings Rulers or Governours to be reputed Oppressors Persecutors and Violent Men this is Infamous and of bad Report amongst men and Abomination and Wickedness in the sight of God for any Rulers upon Earth to be Oppressors Persecutors and Cruel Men and such consequently must they be that are Imposers upon mens Consciences in Matters Religious And this Danger all the Rulers of the World are in that do Impose Religion by Force even to render themselves Infamous by Oppression in the sight of men and to render themselves Sinners against God and this Danger falls upon the Imposers of Religion because of such their Impositions by Force upon the Consciences of men Lastly 'T is Dangerous because 't is of Antichrist and not of Christ as before proved and all that do Impose by Violence on the Consciences of Men in Religious Cases are of Antichrist in so doing and because thereof liable to God's Indignation and Heavy Wrath in this World and hereafter and 't is Dangerous to bring the Wrath and Judgments of God upon Men that are guilty thereof for God will be avenged upon such his Enemies that exercise Violence and Persecution upon Men for their Conscience sake And this is a Danger unavoidable which all that impose Religion are liable unto even to be Cut Off in the Wrath of the Lord and to undergo his Indignation for all the Reasons before shewed These with many other Dangers are they involved in that are Imposers in Religious Matters Therefore Oh that the Rulers of this World would be Wise now in their last day and would consider the Unjustness and Unreasonableness of their Imposing Religion and the many Dangers that attend the same Oh that they would learn God's Counsel and Rule only for him in Justice Mercy Truth Equity and true Judgment exercising the same in the Meek and Lowly Spirit of Jesus among men and over whom they are set to Rule in this World and would give to God Almighty his Due and Right and Priviledge in exercising the Consciences of Men by his Spirit in all Cases of Christ's Kingdom for it only belongs to him to be Ruler in the Inward Man Oh! that the Rulers of this World would give this Power and Dominion unto God and would from henceforth never more exercise Lordship over Conscience by Imposing Religion through Force but would only Rule well over the Outward Man in the things pertaining to Man and would leave to God the Rule and Exercise of Conscience Oh! then would it go well with them and Happy and Blessed should they be in such their Authority and Peace should be unto them if that they only took the Government as appointed of God over the outward Man and did not impose upon the inward man by Force in Religious Matters but committed that Authority to God Then I say should Peace and Blessings be unto them But while it is otherwise even while they exercise Dominion and Lordship over Conscience as aforesaid they do unjustly and Unreasonably and bring upon themselves many Dangers and are liable to Contentions Oppositions Wars and many Mischiefs in this World and to the Anger and Wrath of God in the World that is to come CHAP. II. Concerning Heresie the Case Stated What it is in it self and who a Heretick is and who are the absolute true Iudges of it and what Punishment pertains to such as are truly convicted of Heresie 1. THere is such a thing as Heresie in it self even many Heresies and Errors abounding amongst the Sons of Men in the World at this day and there was Heresie in the dayes of the Aposties and amongst them brought in by such as erred from the Truth after they had once known the Truth and received it as ye may read the Iews they cryed out of Heresie in their time which caused the Apostle to say to them Acts 24. 14. After that Way which ye call Heresie do we worship the God of our Fathers And the Apostle said 1 Cor. 11. to the Church There must be also Heresies amongst you that they that are approved of God may be made manifest And 2 Pet. 2. 1. it is spoken of some who should privily bring in Damnable Heresies into the Church By all which it is manifest there was in the Apostles dayes Heresie and Heresies as there is at this day even many Heresies and Errors in the World held professed and maintained by the Apostate Christians that are gone into the Form of Godliness without the Power and are turned from the Spirit of Christ and the soundness of his Doctrine into the formal Profession of Religion and of the words of Christ and his Apostles and among such are the Heresies and Errors 2. Heresie is somewhat believed and professed in Practice of Worship and in Point of Faith and Doctrine that is either contrary to or different from the perfect Truth of the Gospel of Christ something I say held and practiced in Point of Worship Faith and Doctrine which is not justly according to the pure Truth of Jesus but either in whole or in part different from and contrary thereunto and whatsoever Practice of Worship or Point of Doctrine as is so held professed believed or practiced is Heresie and Error because it is different from and contrary to in whole or in part the perfect Truth of the Gospel of Christ Jesus and because thereof it is Heresie and such is Heresie in it self different from and contrary unto the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ though as for the particular Parts and Points of Heresie in Worship Doctrine and Practice which are at this day held professed and believed among Apostate Christians are so very many that they would be too large here to ennumerate but my present Intention is only this To shew at large what Heresie is in it self and who is a Heretick 3. A Heretick one that is properly so is such a Person as hath sometime believed in the Truth and made Profession and Acknowledgment of the Way of true Christianity and hath received and held the true Faith of the Gospel of Christ and been in some measure united to Christ and a Member of his Church but is fallen and degenerated in whole or in part from the said Faith and Acknowledgment of Christ Jesus and the Way of Christianity and hath erred from the Truth of the Gospel once believed and
proceedings have been in the Enmity and Ignorance and not in the Power and Life of Jesus whereby it hath come to pass that many men hath been destroyed for the cause of which they have been more innocent then they that have destroyed them And thus by false Judgment and cruel proceedings in the matter of Heresie and Error many have been destroyed unjustly and the World filled with Enmity about difference in Religious matters and with Murders and Cruelties upon the false Judgments of men about Heresie and this is weighty to be truly considered a Case to be lamented and grieved for by the Righteous Oh! what strife in the Christian World hath been for Ages on this occasion each sort of People exclaiming against and persecuting others as Hereticks and seditious persons onely for difference in Judgment in Spiritual Cases and each particular person almost raging with fury and intending his Neighbours destruction and onely for being contrary-minded in point of Doctrine and Worship Oh! the view of these things and woful effects produced in the World for Ages in these occasions makes my heart grieve because of the destructions of men yea of the destruction of many upon wrongful judgments and proceedings on these occasions I am troubled I am troubled and ever since I have known the Right hand from the Left in God's matters my Soul often in the deep search of these things hath cryed out How woful are they And when shall it once be that these things shall be no more in the World but that every man may sit at rest and quiet with his God in the Way Faith and Practises of Righteousness as his heart is perswaded of and not be tossed with false Judgments cruel Afflictions and hard dealing because of his Judgment and Conscience in the belief and Knowledge of Heavenly Matters Thus hath my Spirit been framed with zeal against these things this imposing of Religion by force these procedings of killing and destroying men upon the account of Heresie these things my soul hath loathed and I am weary of them and my zeal is kindled against them Oh I when will the Rulers of this World learn Wisdom and forsake false Judgment and Oppression And when will it be that they will onely rule and judge for the Lord in their state and compass of Worldly affairs between man and man in the matters of outward wrongs and injuries And when will they leave it to the Lord to be Judge King and Ruler only in all the Cases of his spiritual Kingdom Then should it be happy and blessed unto men unto Kings and their Subjects to Rulers and their People and to all sorts of Persons if Judgment were onely ascribed unto God that he only might judge and determine of these Cases and punish men according to the desert of their Offences of Error then should it be well with them But in the mean time whilst men are judged and supposed to be Herericks and thereupon sentenced to Death Banishment or corporal Punishment for their supposed Errors sake in matters of Iudgment and Conscience Tribulation Misery Distractions and wofull Consequence will follow upon that work to Kings Rulers and People in every Nation and Countrey and no Peace true Comfort nor Happiness shall be in the midst of men And this is the Judgment of the Spirit of God in him who hath obtained favour from God to receive Knowledge and Understanding in these matters He that can receive this let him CHAP. III. Concerning Antichrist and his Mystery of Deceiveableness What he is in himself and how he appears in the World what his Works are and What his Government is and where it is and who are the Subjects of his Kingdom 1. THese things are great Mysteries and though in the World they are very much abounding and extant throughout all Nations yet for the most part unknown unto the World and not discovered among the sons of men but secretly hidden and veiled under false covers and in much deceivableness dwelling and working upon Earth in the deep Mysteries of Iniquity to the deceiving of multitudes of People who are indeed of Antichrist among whom he dwells appears rules reigns and hath his Authority and Government and yet they know it not nor do they discern him in his Wayes and Works though they are under his Power and subjects of his Kingdom such indeed is the Mystery of Antichrist his hidden false covered pathes in which he works and walks amongst the Sons of men in the World that he easily beguiles and betrays men and deceiveth them unto perdition while yet they know not that they are beguiled and deceived but think they are altogether well and do well and are in the way of Salvation being led of that wicked one and blinded by him and are bewitched into the false faith and deceivable pretence of goodness righteousness holiness and sanctity as if they were indeed Members of the true Church and Saints of the Most High and had a right to Eternal Life and were the very Sons and Servants of the Almighty wher indeed and in Truth they are yet in the estate of Enmity against God in the Degeneration and Bondage of Corruption unconverted and unsanctified and Sinners and Ungodly the very Children of the Devil and Servants of unrighteousness and have no assurance nor right unto the Kingdom of God to rest in his Peace and Glory Such I say is the working of Antichrist that he appears to be in the World contrary to what he truly is in his own beeing and nature and deceives men and People into the apprehensions and conceits of what they are not even contrary to what they are in their present State and Standing even so deep and Mysterious is Antichrist in himself and in his working among the Children of men 2. That there is such a Man or Spirit in the World as Antichrist this is not doubtfull but confessed by all and proved by the Scriptures for the Apostle wrot to the Church They had heard that Antichrist should come and even now saith he are there many Antichrists come into the World 1 John 2. 18. and also 2 John verse 7. saith he For many Deceivers are entred into the World and this is a Deceiver and an Antichrist c. and 2 Thes. 2. the Apostle speaks of the Man of Sin and of the Son of Perdition that should be revealed in the World and should exalt himself above all that is called God These with many other Scriptures do prove that there is such a thing in the World already come into the World and now dwelling and walking in the World as Antichrist Man of Sin and Son of Perdition and as I said 't is confessed by all that there is an Antichrist such a Man or Spirit now extant in the World though there are great Debates and Contentions amongst many called Christians what this Antichrist is and who he is some holding one thing and some another about him and also
judge between the Priests and Professors and all the Sects and us ye have heard their Doctrines and ye have heard something of ours ye have seen their Conversation and ye have seen something of ours ye have heard them long and something of us ye have heard for a little season and now give your Evidence is it not with them as we have said are not your Priests in the Steps of the false Prophets and of the Deceivers and do not they seek for their Gain from their Quarter as they did that Isaiah cryed against do not they preach for Hire and divine for Money as they did which Micah cryed against are not they such by whom you have not been profited as Ieremiah cry'd against let that of God in you answer to these things And are they not Proud Men and Covetous Men and Envious Men and Heady High-minded Men and given to filthy Lucre And are they not such as through Covetousness make Merchandize of Souls and that by Good Words and Fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple such as Paul and Peter declare against And are they not such as the true Prophets Christ and his Apostles cry'd against And do they not bring forth the same Fruits as did the false Prophets and false Apostles I leave it to your Consciences to be the Judge Compare them and lay them to the Line of True Judgment if you shut not your eyes you may see it is thus and have we charged them falsly or have not we spoken the truth concerning them we have said they are false Ministers and Deceivers and not true Ministers of Christ and is it not so let the Light in your Consciences answer we have said they have run never were sent and that they have not profited the people at all and is it not so to the Witness of God in you I do appeal and let that justifie that we have spoken nothing but the truth examine and try in all things that we have charged them with And are they not guilty in all things that we have charged upon them let the Witness of God in you testifie to this And what do you judge of them are they not of that stock which Christ said should come and should be Wolves in Sheep's Cloathing and should deceive many and which Iohn saw were come in his dayes and which the World went after and the whole World run after them are not they in the nature of Wolves devouring and tearing the Lambs of Christ and do they not tear People by causing their Bodies to be imprisoned and their Goods to be spoiled and do they not deceive many and yet they have the Sheep's Cloathing the Saints words and their practices but inwardly are they not ravening and doth not the World go after them and hath not the World run after them for many Ages and is it not thus with them And have they received the gift of the holy Ghost or are they not made Ministers by the will of man and not by the will of God do they not differ and are contrary in Call in Practice in Maintenance and in Fruits and Effects to the true Ministers and true Apostles and do they not agree and are they not according to the false Prophets and false Ministers and Deceivers in their Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects search the Scriptures and lay them to that line and then let the witness in your Consciences judge and answer and do not they prepare War against such as do not put into their mouthes and do not they feed with the Fat and cloath with the Wool do not they oppress the Nation and the Creation and are not they such whose Call and Practices and Maintenance and whole Ministery hath a dependance upon Popery and doth it not all savour of Popery and in the main and Principal parts thereof were ordained by the Pope this may be fully made manifest And are not all Professors and Sect of people such as have the form but are without the Power of Godliness are not people still Covetous and Earthly-minded and given to the World and proud and vain even such as profess Religion and to be a seperated people are not Professors as covetous and proud as such as do not profess and are not they given to the World and doth it not shew that they are unchanged nor translated but death Reigns among them and is it not manifest that they have taken up the form of the Apostles and Christs words and Practices and are without the life and not guided by the Spirit of Christ and the Apostles in their Praying and Preaching and are not your souls lean and starved to the Witness of God in you all I speak which may testifie that many people have a shew of Religion without Life and therefore have not we spoken the truth of them in what we have said in the Day of Judgment you shall answer this And as concerning the Quakers what do you say of them you have seen their Conversation few Towns but some of them have been and are amongst you Do not they fear God and do not they walk justly and truly among their Neighbours and speak the truth and do the Truth in all things doing unto all no otherwise then they would be done unto and are they not Meek and Humble and Sober and do not they take much Wrong rather then give Wrong to any and are they not such as delight in the Wayes of the Lord and do not they deny the World and its Pleasures and forsake all Iniquity more then your selves and do not they take up the daily Cross of Christ to all its wayes and earthly glories and do not they Preach in the Power of God and reach to your Consciences when you hear them and doth not the Light in you answer that they speak the Truth and is not their Call and Practice and Maintenance the same as was the Apostles and faithful Ministers compare them with the Scripture and then judge in your Consciences and do not they suffer many hard and cruel things even all manner of evil spoken and done against them falsly for the Name of Christ Are you ignorant of their great Sufferings through this Nation and what do you think is their suffering for Evil-doing or is it not for Righteousness sake What Harm do they do to any by Work or Word Why are they reproached and mocked and scorned and why are they put in Prisons and whipped and thus sorely abused is it for any Evil-doing or is it not because they are the Servants of the Lord Compare their Fruits with the Priests fruits their Conversation with the Priests conversation see whether be liker the Apostles and these things I leave to you that you may come to consider and judge justly of all things for the Lord God is risen and his Light in Peoples Consciences is shining forth and it shall answer to what I say in this World
or in the day of Judgment when we and all Man-kind shall appear and come sorth to tryal and every mans work shall be tryed and all shall receive according to their deeds And so gladly would we be made manifest to all the World if that after the reading of this Book any be unsatisfied still in this matter And if any especially of the Heads and Rulers have doubts or Jealousies raised in them concerning us and the Priests and that they further would be satisfied and resolved for that end let any Wise-men propound for full satisfaction of all sorts of People that we with the consent of the chief in Authority that have power in this Nation who may preserve peace and safety among people and thereby to stop all Jealousies may freely and chearfully Four Ten Twenty Thirty more or fewer of us give as many of the wisest and ablest of the Priests and Professors a meeting for dispute at any place in England at what place time and for what continuance as they shall ascribe and consent unto and to dispute and controvert betwixt us and them any such thing and every such particular as shall or may be objected by any of the Heads and Rulers or other Grave Understanding Men wherein they are doubtful betwixt us and would thereof be satisfied that by such Dispute and opening of such causes objected full and real and toal satisfaction may be given to the whole Nation and every particular man and member therein Otherwise Let the Priests or Professors or any of them object what they can against us in our Principles Profession Faith and Practice and our whole Religion And if they shall affirm and alledge any one or more things against us that any Principle we hold or Practice we profess in any part throughout all our Religion are false Principles and false Practices and not according to Truth nor the Scriptures but shall affirm that our Religion is not the true Religion nor we of the true Church of Christ and they shall have free liberty to give their best proof and reason for what they affirm and alledge yet by the Strength of Christ and in the power and authority of God and according to the Scriptures we shall confute all their Proofs and strongest Reasons and on the contrary we shall joyn our Principles Doctrines and Practices and all our Religion and every part and particular thereof to be the very truth and agreeing with the Scriptures according to that shall maintain by lawful Arguments and plea that our Religion and Worship and all that we profess and Practice is according to the mind of the Lord and justified of him and that whatsoever is and may be spoken against us upon that account is utterly false and to be condemned and upon this we will ingage with them and with any of our Enemes of what Sect and Profession soever to the intent onely that Truth may be manifest and embraced and Deceit and Error discovered and denied And also upon such an Engagement we should agree to have the liberty freely and soberly to object against the Priests concerning their Ministry their Call their Practice their Maintenance and their Fruits and Effects and concerning their Church and Principles and Worship and whole Religion and shall hear patiently all that can be said in defence thereof by any or all of them and shall prove by the Spirit of the Lord and according to the Scriptures that their ministry is not the true Ministry of Christ nor they true and lawfull Ministers of the Gospel but shall manifest by evident Arguments that their Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects are not according nor agreeing but contrary and differing to what the true Ministry was and its Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects were in the true Apostles and among the true Churches and furthermore by the Grace of God we shall prove their Church their Worship and their whole Religion in all parts thereof to be degenerated from what the true Church was the true Worship and true Religion in the days of the Apostles and true Churches of old and these things shall we make manifest by faithful and sound Arguments according to the Scriptures that all the Earth may know and all people perceive who is in the Truth and of the true Worship and Religion and who are in the contrary and whether the Priests and that which they profess and practice for Religion or the Quakers and that which they profess and practice for Religion be of God and according to him and whether are contrary that the end of this long Travel and War and controversie may be desided and justly ended between us and all people may be resolved and satisfied concerning us and them that do oppose us And let all the Priests and Professors lay aside and give over their Houses of Correction and imprisoning people and whipping of them and stocking of us and dealing in this manner of violence and cruelty as for years by-past they have done in defence of their Religion and resisting of ours and let them lay aside their carnal Weapons and fighting against our persons and imprisoning of us about our Religion and let them come forth in sound Arguments the best they have and let us see what spiritual Weapons they have to resist us and defend themselves and let us try whether their spiritual Weapons or ours be the strongest and the most powerful and mighty and let theirs that are so prevail against the other be it ours or theirs and this is the way to try the truth and to make all things manifest and to deside and end all the whole controversies between us and them which hath been great this many years and let the Truth be set up and exalted where ever it is and all Deceit thrown down to the Ground and let us war with the Weapons of the Spirit against Errour and false Religion one in the other but le ts not hurt Creatures nor imprison Persons nor stock and whip Creatures and make them to suffer but let us thresh Deceit and whip and beat that and all false Opinions let us throw them down where they are found whether in them or in us and let us fight with the Weapons of the Spirit that are spiritual let them fight no longer with such cruel carnal Weapons and then let such as get the victory and overcome appear to be in the truth of the Church and such as falls and is overcome be manifest to be in the Error and of the false Church and Religion and let us love one anothers persons and let them act no otherwise towards our persons then we do upon theirs and towards them and let them take the liberty to deal with us and our persons as we deal with them and their persons and no otherwise And let such whether them or us that cannot prove our selves to be the true Church of Christ nor of the true Worship and true
Earth the Arm of that Power which made all things stretched forth it self to save the Creatures which were made and that same Power which is transgressed is the Redeemer of all mankind though it is offended and burdened and pressed as a Cart with Sheaves by transgression against the Creator and that is the Power which works out Salvation and Deliverance by slaying the enmity and condemning iniquity and removing the cursed ground out of mans heart that the evil fruits may cease which it brings forth and by this Power all must be saved that ever are saved and delivered from wrath And this all men have been ignorant of and not felt nor known nor tasted of the Life and Power of the Creator though it hath been near unto every one and all men and Creatures live move and have their being by it and sustenance from it and yet man transgresseth it and grieveth it and is not led by it Therefore all People upon Earth consider your condition and state and hearken to the Power that made you a measure of which moveth in the hearts of all mankind upon the face of the Earth and it moveth against the evil and against the defiled and transgressing part in every mans heart that is come into the World and this Power by which all men were made and which they have transgressed against a measure of it from the Father is made manifest to all mankind upon the face of the Earth and convinceth of the evil of Murder and Adultry and such like and condemneth the works which are evil in every particular man whether Heathens or Christians so called and unto all People here is the Way to be restored into covenant with your Maker a measure of his Power in you secretly moves upon you and calls to you to return to it to be led and guided by it in fear and obedience and subjection to it from which you have been driven and against which you have transgressed and this Power the Creator hath sent his Son into the World and given him a Gift unto all mankind and he hath given Light and Understanding to every particular man to know Good from Evil Truth from a Lye Right from Wrong Justice from Injustice and Equity from Falshood And this Power of the Son of God in you doth witness to you and accept you when with it you be guided and when according to it you speak and act and it justifies the good and the right and the equal and excuses all men in that from condemnation but against Lying and Wrong-dealing and Deceit and Injustice it testifies and when you do these things you transgress against that Power that made you which should save you and justifie you and excuse you and with it you are accused and condemned and it brings trouble upon you and the curse of misery and sorrow And this Power in you will search your hearts and try your reins and let you see your thoughts and make manifest unto you the state and condition of mankind who is become Enemy to his Maker in following that which brings death upon which the Wrath remaineth till there be a returning unto the Power by which man was made a measure of which as I have said moveth in the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Adam in all the World And now if every one of you do turn your minds from the World and from the glories and vanities thereof and from the evil which hath possessed you in thoughts and actions and if you stand still for a moment from willing and desiring to your selves and after the World this shall you find secretly moving in you which shall draw you towards the Creator to enjoy him and to see his Glory which none that are still in transgression against him can ever partake of or behold and if to that you hearken within you and heed it and follow it which witnesseth to that Power that made you to be great and mighty and wonderful this will shew that you are short of his Glory And it will condemn evil in you in all thoughts words and actions which proceed out of the cursed ground in which the Creator hath no pleasure and this will take away the vail which is spread over you all and open the blind eye and unstop the deaf ear and bring you to hear and see and understand the things which are eternal which belong unto your peace and if you all come to be guided by that which moves in you all against evil it will lead you up to its self to be renewed and changed out of the evil and from under the Devils power under which every man hath been subject which power hath been out of Truth into the Image and Likeness of the Creator and to be restored to his Inheritance to enjoy Rest and Peace forever And this is the Word of the Creator of Heaven and Earth to you all and to all mankind this is the way unto Redemption and Salvation and unto the Blessing out of all Sorrows and Troubles and Afflictions and Torments and Woes and Miseries which are the Portion forever of all that disobey this Power which moves against evil in you which is the Power of him that made all men and things which move in your hearts against all that which the Creator never placed in you but which are fruits of Darkness I say unto you all This Power in you must you own and believe in and follow and be guided by it and beaâ— its condennation and judgment upon all that which is contrary to it if ever you be restored to the blessed State and all Anger and Wrath and Murder and Lying and Dissembling and Whoredom and Drunkenness and Brutishness and Beastliness and Wontonness Backbiting and Theft and all these things whatsoever must be condemned in you for who act these things are Enemies to the Creator and are led by the Power of Darkness which is the Destroyer of you soul and body and the cause of the curse upon you and the ground of all sorrow and sufferings and afflictions and troubles which come upon that Part in you which is in transgression against the Power of God for there is a birth born of the flesh which brings forth and goes after fleshly wayes fleshly joyes and delights and pleasures and fleshly words and vanities which murder the Just and blind the Eye and grieve your Maker and this birth must not inherit eternal Life but all that ever do inherit must be born again of another Seed and into another Nature where all the former things are passed away for all glories of this World will wither and all your joyes and pleasures will come to an end and you will be left miserable and wretched Therefore Oh Earth Earth and all the Children of Adam in the whole World be Awakened be Awakened stirred up to consider of your state condition for the Creator of all things is risen to gather his People
up to himself and his Voice soundeth abroad through the whole World If any hath an ear to hear let him hear Terror and Vengeance is against all the Rebellious and to Judgment must all come before the Maker of all things to be judged by him according to the Power which moves in every man which is just and equal and witnesseth in equity which is a measure of the Power that made the World and all mankind unto it shall confess to its greatness to its justness and to its authority and to it must all the Children of Adam bow and before it tremble and he that hath done good and lived in Meekness and Soberness in the Truth and in Justness in all that which is good and not in any evil shall receive Life Peace Rest and Glory from the righteous Judge the Power by whom the World was made and he shall be excused from all condemnation but he that hath done evil and transgressed against the Power of God by which he is upholden who is degenerate and brings forth rudeness wildness and wickedness he shall receive tribulation and anguish and be deprived of happiness in this life and forever And all who do not own the measure of the Power of the Creator in you to be guided by it such do neglect and reject the day of your visitation and shut your selves out from the Glory of God and are unworthy of Life and Peace but all that owâ— this and are subject to it the Power of his Son who is the Maker of all things and do follow it this will reconcile you and slay the enmity and bring you into unity with the Creator and this will lead you out of darkness out of death and evil and all the wayes thereof and will save you from all the effects thereof and you will be excused and justified in the sight of the Creator Therefore all People upon Earth consider this is the day of your Visitation the Way of Life and of Death is set before you the Way unto Peace and the way of Trouble Prize the day of your Visitation This is to go abroad through all the World to all the Sons and Daughters of Adam it is a Warning from the Creator and Maker of all by a Friend unto all People and a Laver of their souls HEre is the Estate and Condition of mankind described whereby in the sighâ— of the World all may come to understand how all the Sons and Daughteâ—â— of the first Adam are degenerated and subverted and fallen from the state wherein man was created in the beginning who was blessed of his Creator being brought forth in his own Image and Likeness to rule in dominion over all living Creatures and to use them to the Glory of the Creator in that day man was not subject to the curse of misery or sorrow or vexation for that door wo was not opened for the curse to enter but man was altogether blessed in the state whereiâ— he was brought forth until by disobedience unto the Power that made him another Power gained dominion over him even the seed of enmity placed it self in maâ—s heart which prospered by mans rebellion and became a great Tree of bitterness bringing forth much fruit in the hearts of all the Children of Adam to the vexing and grieving and dishonouring of the Spirit and Life of God the Creator even to the making void of his Purpose in creating man who created him for his Glory but man disgraces him and dishonours him altogether and brings forth fruit not accepted but grievous and of a bitter taste and the Lords Soul hath been pressed as a Cart with Sheaves under mans Transgressions who hath backslided and revolted and turned aside for a thing of nought and hath cast himself down from his excellency of Dominion into shame and dishonour daily provoking the Long-suffering of the Lord and wearying his Goodness and he hath been provoked to cut off the Works of his own Hands which Satan hath entred into and defiled and made loathsom and abominable to the Maker for Satan hath made man barren of all good and fruitful in all evil and he is wholly subverted into another end in all his works then wherefore he was created he that reads let him understand the Creator of all things planted a Vineyard with the choicest Vine his own Image and he dressed the Vineyard and watered it and he came to look for Fruit in the season and behold the Vineyard it was degenerated into strange Plants and brought forth only wild Grapes and sower Grapes and crossed the expectation of the good Husbandman for the fruit of his Vineyard was loathsome to him of an ill Smell and of a bitter Taste and his Soul was not satisfied but grieved who laboured for himself that he might gather Fruit of the Plants which he had planted with the choicest Vine but behold the Vineyard all mankind was barren of good Fruit and no pleasant Fruit could the Husbandman reap to himself but the Vines were degenerated and all brought forth wild Grapes and sower Grapes which the good Husbandman hath no pleasure in but is vexed thereby for his Vineyard is barren of all good Fruit and the fruits of unrighteousness have abounded whereby the good Husbandman is provoked to fury and indignation against the Vineyard which he had planted being become degenerate Plants and strange Slips this a Parable and describeth the Condition of all Mankind If any have Ears to hear let him hear and read himself how he was planted in the Image of his Maker but is now degenerated and turned aside from Truth and Righteousness from all good and from the wayes of Peace out of the Love and Pleasure of his Maker and is now in all evil in deceit and unrighteousness and in the Wayes of sorrow and trouble and in the Makers displeasure and the Seed of Enmity ruleth in him and is suffered to be King in the Wrath of God and must be taken away in Gods displeasure and anger for that is not the annointed of God but is in rebellion against his Authority and breaks his Law and transgresses his Commands and must be condemned into perdition for all cursed Fruits do spring forth from that seed to the vexing and grieving of the Lord God injustice oppression deceit hypocrisie false-heartedness lying murther whoredom theft envy bitterness perversness devouring one another covetousness idolatry and all manner of evil which gives an ill savour and a corrupted taste and a loathsom sight in the Presence of the Lord God who made all things Oh how abominable are all the wayes of man become unto his Maker who hath no delight in any of his ways nor pleasure in any of his works Oh how is the Lord grieved and his Soul from day to day oppressed and his Long-suffering provoked by the wayes and works of his Creatures which he made for himself but they are become the Devils and subject to the power of the