time to manifest it self fully in the Creation that so the just God might Judge and destroy it Root and branch with a witness and that every mouth may be stopt and silent but what shall justifie the Righteous Judge in his Judgments which are equal just and true And this time of the growth manifestation Reigne and Government of this Seed the man of Sin or son of perdition which hath been exalted above all that is called God And the sufferings and oppressions of the Righteous seed hath been the time of the Creators forbearance long suffering and patience he that can hear let him hear even the long suffering of the Lord God gratious and merciful whose Name is I AM and besides him there is no Saviour he that can receive it let him and happy is the man that hath him on his side and that he may not be moved for the great God is come to move and to remove and shake all foundations Roots Seeds Plants and Trees that are not of the Root of Iesse the Plant of his own Right hand 's planting And wickedness shall be broaken as a tree Therefore look to it you ungodly ones ye seed of evil doers for your time is short you have had your day or rather your hour and power of darkness in which you have delighted to live in and manifest the Root and fruits of the wicked one even the Serpents seed which hath been bruising the heel of the womans seed even causing them to suffer by reproaches cruel mockings and persecutions as your brethren Ishmael Cain and Haman with many more of the same seed and stock have done to the Righteous seed in Ages past but now are the last of that Generation even the Dragons Tayle which think to draw down the stars of Heaven by your power of pride Rage and madness and are casting out many flouds of Venome against the woman and the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandments and testimony of Jesus But it 's in vaine for you to strive against God the Creator of heaven and earth woe is your portion in so doing you will be ground to powder in the dreadful day at hand For as I have received of the mighty God in his eternal Counsel do I declare unto you that you that now are in the Spirit of Pride Envy Malice uncleaness Pleasures of this evil world Scoffing and deriding the poor and harmless and are in the flattering titles and respecting persons and forcing and persecuting about Religion and Worship in disdainfulness fullness and Idleness Hypocricy and all manner of unrighteousness I say you that are in this seed or spirit which brings forth these fruits and effects whether you be Popes Emperours Bishops Kings Priests Princes Dukes Earles or Counsels of ungodly men or any other of these flattering titles you bear you are of the same seed stock or offspring as was Cain Ishmael Haman Esau and the rest of that Generation mentioned in the Scriptures of truth out of whose Loynes proceeded many Princes as were the Princes of Ishmael and Dukes of Edom which were of Esaus stock who sould his Birth-right for a messe of Pottage Hear this ye ungodly and set your ears tingle for this is your state who for the satisfiing the Lusts of the fleshly Birth which are but for a season that war against your souls have lost the comfort rest and eternal peace thereof in the salvation of the pure Righteous God and instead of fearing his great and dread full Name and departing from iniquity and submiting to the strivings and reprofes of his Light and holy Spirit which lets you see the evil of your ways you are like Goliah of Gath the uncircumcised Philistine who defied the Armies of the living God and are vaunting your selves with your Challenges upbraiding and deridings against the true Israel for whose sake he will break the strength of Nations as he did in the days past when they were oppressed And be it known to you who are in the seed and spirit before mentioned by what names or flattering titles soever you are called oppressing the innocent who have no helper in the earth but the living God alone and are living in the pleasures of sin and ways of unrighteousness you are unto God the pure eternal Jehovah of Israel even as Pharoah Sodom and Egypt who are smitten with blindness not seeing the heavy plagues and dreadful Judgements that are swiftly coming upon you O ye Sons of transgression and children of falsehood who love the glory and pleasures of this world which passeth away and the honour below and vanity of vanitys which vexeth the pure spirit of the Righteous God and oppresseth your own souls your day hastens in which you will be as Stubble in the firery Oven even all you heathen that are at ease for the great and dreadful God of Israel is very sorely displeased with you and the wo and vengeance of his fury burns against you even this last Generation of Persecutors though you may plot consult and decree against his remnant whom he hath Redeemed from that seed fruits works and ways which you are in even out of Babylon and are brought to Sion where they declare the vengeance of the Almighty God against Babylon the great Whore whored from God the contrary to God which hath ruled and sat over Nations I say though you may combine and contrive much in the abundance of the wicked counsels of your hearts and decree unrighteous decrees yet you shall not prosper nor prevaile to accomplish your intents and purposes against my people I the Lord have spoken it no more then Pharoah Goliah Herod or Haman did who sought the young Childs life to destroy it but was prevented so you may consider it did ever any fight against God his seed and people and prosper But you may object being of the contrary seed and say are you the seed of God or his people against whom we have made Laws and decrees traps and snares even you that are called Quakers for we look upon you as Hereticks disobedient and dangerous persons not submiting to Governments not honouring Authority nor respecting persons nor giving us flattering titles but are of another generation then we are of therefore do we consult and contrive how to destroy you from being a people by imprisoning spoyling of goods and banishment and death also if we could bring it about and that even the whole Nation would not rise against it for all sober people we perceive are affected with you and your ways and dealings amongst them by which we are afraid to proceed so far as otherwise is in our hearts to do To which I shall answer in the Name of the Lord. That we who by the sinful and adulterous generation are scornfully called Quakers are the people servants and children of the most high God which might be demonstrated or proved paralel to his chosen seed and people in all Ages by the spirit ways
and laid low the haughtiness and hewed down the tree of wickedness and unrighteousness in us from whence these evil fruits before mentioned proceeded and hath redeemed us from our vain conversation in which we were as other Gentiles walking in the vanitys of our minds in the Lusts of Ignorance and hath raised up by the same power a seed of his own begetting in us having cast out the heathen in us that knew not God and prepared roome for his own Life and power and wisdome which is foolishness to the world to take possession of our hearts and consciences for ever to which our souls are subject knowing him to be the higher power who hath put down all Rule and all Authority in us which was contrary to him who is now become our King and our Law-giver Teacher and Saviour which no man can remove from us into a corner and we are led and guided by his spirit who is the wonderful Counsellour the mighty God the Prince of peace and are not Rebellious wilful or stubborn neither to God nor man in what is manifest to be his will concerning us And as for Magistrates and such as are in the Authority and power of God as was Moses and such men fearing God hating covetousness injustice and unrighteousness we dearly own and honour in the Lord even such as are punishers of evil doers favourers and encouragers of them that do well these are Magistrats in Gods behalfe bearing the Sword of Justice and true Judgement and not in vain being in the power and wisdome of God a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well these are worthy of honour these rule well these answer the witness of God in all people these Judge Righteously equally and justly without partiallity in the fear and dread and domion of God having respect to him and his honour only in what they do not seeking their own honour which would perish but in meekness soberness and soundness of minde and Judgement without respect of persons judging between man and man being able to discerne the ground of all causes and controversies in the Light and Counsel of God whose servants they are mark that these are Magistrats not every one that beareth that name no more then all that profess Christ in words are Christians who can say Lord Lord and we are Christians and we love God when they hate the light his own witness in them and walk in darkness being Lyers and Hypocrits for none are Christians really and in Gods sight but they that follow Christ in the Regeneration being borne again through the strength and power and vertue of his own life and spirit being guided by it out of all unrighteousness into holiness righteousness and truth for they that say they are Christians and are not are Lyers and of the Synagoge of Satan whose will and works they do even they it is that bear the name of Magistrates and are not really so Now Magistrates are not a terrour to good works but to the evil mark that but such as have been and yet are so called in England New and Old have been and yet are a terrour to good works contrary to the end and will of God government on Earth and the very word Magistrate so that such are but like them that said they were Jews and were not but of the Synagogue and generation of him who hath been a lyer from the beginning for this I testifie in the Lord without respect of persons that such are not Magistrates ordained by him that are out of his fear and those good properties and qualities before mentioned though they may be rich and great men in the earth as Cain Esau and Haman were yet are like the Preists that bear rule by their means and not by the power wisdome and mercy of God who will rage and fume and storme like a wild Bull in a net before they have heard the causes and controversies of such as are brought before them because the spirit of Pride and Ambition which is of the Devil is not bowed unto and will imprison people right or wrong without breach of any just Law of God or man these are not Magistrates but evil doers and Magistrates are for the punishing of evil doers neither is that a just Law but an unrighteous decree which is made to be a terrour to good works and an encouragement to evil doers this is turning Judgment into Gall and Righteousness into Hemlock and the Sword backwards Consider these things for with them God is not pleased who beholds the prey that is made on them that depart from iniquity in the Land For such do well and are not evil doers who meet together in the fear of the true God to wait upon him in the light of his counsel by it to be guided into all truth through the knowledge of his will concerning them and their salvation that so they may serve God in his holy way acceptably all the daies of their life with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire and he or she that bears witness in the spirit of truth and power of righteousness against Pride Idolaty Popery or superstition or any other ungodly lusts deceit or hypocricy as preaching for money or Judging for rewards and such like Injustice Oppression and cruelty or any of the fruits of the corrupt tree which God is hewing down for the fire I say that man or woman boy or girle of the streets of Ierusalem that so doth as afore mentioned in the name of the Lord doth well and they that abuse them for so doing doth evil and God shall require it at their hands for he or she that stands a witness in the power and wisdome of God which is the higher power against the fleshly lusts which warr against the soul is in so doing the souls freind he that can hear let him him hear for to the higher power which was before the lusts and wills of men or the powers of darkness Death Hell and transgression the lower condemned power was are we subject and this seed or life which God hath raised in us who at this day are called Quakers cannot bow down to the Devil the lower power nor worship that spirit of Pride enmity ambition and wickedness which God hath determined to destroy root and branch and them that live in and worship it for it is the Image of the old Serpent the Devil and destroyer of mankind to which the pure Image or son of the living God could never bow but was always a sufferer for a season under its enmity and cruelty as may be seen throughout all ages to this day for it is no new thing to see him that is born after the flesh oppress and persecute him that is born after the spirit for it began at Abel even about sacrifice and is the same at this day for whatsoever you may say and profess in words Cain could also talk
though he might rage storme and persecute or promise all the Glory Kingdoms and pleasures of this world to be bowed unto or worshiped yet the Royal seed cannot give glory to another therefore would the Devil like his son Haman have him destroyed out of the world in which he himself hath been worshiped as God blinding and vailing the minde of mankind from the true knowledge and understanding of the noble seed the heir whose right it is alone to Reigne and he must Reigne now till all his enemies are trampled under his feet the Lord hath spoken it to whom be all Honour Worship Glory Dominion Praise Thanks-giving and Eternal songs of deliverance and Redemptions over all Heaven and Earth Halelujah Amen ALL you Bishops Prelates Preists Episcopal men or any other that are professing God Christ and Scriptures and are offering Sacrifice in your own wills and time and places out of the fear and counsel and wisdome of God This is the word of the Lord God you and your Sacrifices are not accepted in his sight but are Abomination unto him even iniquity and Idolatry and all your prayers singings preachings fastings feastings and roarings enters not into the ears of the Lord God of Sabboths but is a smoak in his nostrils all the day long and all your Sacrifices and Sacraments as you call them are not better in the sight of the pure living God of Heaven then if you cut off a Dogs neck or offered Swines blood for it is so you offer Swines blood and not the blood of the Lamb without spot the acceptable seed and the broth of Abominable things which the Lord abhors is in your Vessels if you have ears to hear hear you offer Swines blood the life of the Swine the greedy devourer that lives in your dwellings in which the Devils is entered and you are running violently down the steep place and you will perish among the waters if you Repent not and turn speedily the Lord hath spoken it Therefore hear hear you that are offering Sacrifice and prayers called Common and are in your will Worships and feigned humility never commanded of God though you make a great noyse with your Organs and Sacraments and Surplices and Tippits and Girdles and tables and fingings and pipings and ringings and the like it s all but as the hidious howling of a Dog at midnight whilst you live in lusts envy pride coveteousness coveteousness and unrighteousness and no more accepted of the Righteous holy just God then Cains was the Vagabond who slew his brother being in the same nature and ground of malice and wickedness and God hath set a mark upon you as upon Cain which shall never be blotted out unless you turn and be converted from that root and sink down in your minds to the righteous suffering seed in you which never had fellowship in these things in which you are thus excercised but reproves you in secret for sin and lets you see the evil and vanity of your ways For while you do evil sin lyeth at your door and your prayers and Sacrifices do not enter into the acceptance of the holy God for God heareth not sinners but if any man be a Worshiper of God and doth his will him he heareth but none worships God but them 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth even in that spirit which you dayly greive and provoke with your abominations and Sacrifices and Oblations sinning and superstitions which he is weary to bear of which he will shortly ease himself and of you also if you proceed in these things which never came into his mind to commend or require at your hands Therefore hear and consider and fear and tremble before the just God of power who is arisen to plead with you about these things and will reprove you for your words worships and Sacrifices feigned imitations which are without the true knowledge darkening the Counsel of God in your own selves and others whereby his pure way of life and truth is not heeded but evil spoken of and his Eternal Counsel by you is not understood which is to stand still in the Light of Christ Jesus the Saviour and not will nor run but as led and guided by it which leads out of all unrighteousness into soberness goodness equity all truth it will let you see if you are quiet in your minds that the jealous God of holiness hath no fellowship nor delight in your ways of superstition and wickedness but secretly saith Returne returne this is not your rest for it is poluted but and if you will not hear and come into the still waters of Shiloah which run saftly but will still ride upon Horses even go on in the strength of your wills in your great noyse of false worships ways Sacrifices and ungodliness then they that persue you even the Judgements of God shall be very swift against you faith the Lord God of Hosts This is your warning and visitation as shall be witnessed whether you hear or forbear Some occasional Queries concerning a Vagabond 1. Qu. VVHether the ground of being a Vagabond be the want of an outward Inheritance Habitation or earthly riches or certain dwelling place in the Earth as some have said yea or nay if yea then how was Cain as a Vagabond seeing he was a Rich man and had an Inheritance and certain dwelling place in the Earth who builded a City and called it after the name of his son Gen. 4. 2. Qu. And if the want of an outward Inheritance or certain dwelling place in the Earth be the only ground of being a Vagabond then whether Abraham was a Vagabond when he went out of his own Country not knowing whether he went having not so much ground as to set his foot on of whom it is written he is called the freind of God Acts 7. Heb. 11. For there hath been a great noise in the World amongst the Rich and great men and professors thereof in these latter days saying if you cannot give an account of your certain dwelling place habitation or place of aboad in the earth we account you as Vagabonds and wanderers and Rogues and you must be prosecuted against as such by our Law Ordinace or Act of Parliament or the like which if they have such a Law that doth Iudge conclude such to be Vagabonds as have no certain dwelling place in the earth that this in their account is the ground of being a Vagabond then marke how far this Law will reach 3. Qu. Whether it will not reach as far in this case as did the Scribs and Pharisees the Jews Law to the son of God who said we have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye for said Christ the Foxes have holes such as Herod and the fowles of the Aire have nests of whome the Devil is Ruler but the son of man hath no where to lay his head Now this Law taks hold of him and of Abraham his freind
persecutions cruel mockings imprisonments and drawing before Judgement seats should like Abraham in obedience to the voice of the Lord God of our fathers go out of our own Countrys not knowing whether we went even we who are called Quakers that tremble at his word yet we are no Vagabonds but obedient children and servants of the most high God of power and compassions before whom all Nations shall bow and tremble Therefore be awakened all ye Rulers and Inhabitants of the Earth and consider these things and be not rash heady nor high minded nor hasty to give heed to false reports or to fulfil the lusts and wills of envious wrathful and ambitious men or to lay hands suddenly or violently on any without just cause but be meek patient and sober and search out the truth of causes and controversies and consider the Scriptures before written for the people of the living God are at this day strangers and Pilgrims in the Earth as all our fathers were Therefore fear God and be very careful heeding the light his witness in you which lets you see between good and evil for some have entertained Angles unawares Heb. 13.2 Be wise thererore now O ye Kings and Rulers and be instructed and learn Righteousness ye that be Juddges of the Earth and serve the God with fear and trembling least his anger be wholly kindled against you and then you perish from the way of everlasting peace and happyness I am a lover of the Holy God and good men of truth mercy and Righteousness and am wâ—yâ—ing in the spirit of Love and patience for the Resurrection of the dead that the Righteous and holy seed may arise and come into Rule and Dominon in and through the whole Creation called VVilliam Bayly THe decree of God the first Birth is to slay That all its fruits and Offspring might decay Which hath sild the Earth with Pride and Violence Even like the Plague and grevious Pestilence The zeal of God against it now doth burn Which will consum 't in Iacobs blest return For the first born of Egypt must be brought To death who hath the seconds mischeif sought Which now must rule the Nations with his Rod Though Cain may flee and build i' th Land of Nod Yet there his hand will finde him out again Then endless will be his punishment and pain And all that came from the first Birth must go In 't Condemnation and eternal woe Which caus'd the wrath of God on earth to come Therefore its great destruction is the Sun Of what the Prophets by past have declar'd That Babylon no longer should be spar'd But Vengeance on her head should poured be That all her Plagues and nakedness may see And by her Torments learn for to amend Least furious Plagues again on them he send For with his sword hee 'l cut down Ceadars tall And with great noyse Now Babylon must fall And all her Merchants they shall weep and wail For God will neither leave her head nor tail And hee 'l not spare his Arrows for to spend Till of her seed h' hath made a final end All flesh shall fail all knees shall feeble be The Joynts and Loyns of men now loos'd you 'l see The Earth shall reel the Mountains they shall quake Because God pleads with them for his Seeds sake These things are neer and hasten they do now The time is come that Nations all must bow To him that 's born who must the Scepter sway And bring to dust what stands against his way His Name is Light his burthen is so to Easy his Yoak to those who life for-goe And in his Name sake and in his will can rest These are the Souls that are for ever blest But as for them that will not he should Reign The time draws neer in which they must be slain Amen Ha le lu jah W. B Babylon the Great is fallen is fallen and become the habitation of Devils Revel 18. THE END
and of his Apostles and Prophets in the days past who wandered in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute and afflicted having no certain dwelling place But if you say nay these are no Vagabonds though Christ had not a place to lay his head on nor Abraham a foot of ground and wandered into a strange Country not knowing whether he went and the Apostles and Patriarks wandered and were in Dens and Caves of the Earth being destitute afflicted and tormented by the wicked men of the World who was not worthy of them having no certaine dwelling place yet these were no Vagabonds but good men Righteous men sincere and holy men of God 4. Qu. Then what is the absolute ground of being a Vagabond seeing these men are no Vagabonds though they have no certaine dwelling place but wandred up and down in the earth and that Cain is a Vagabond though a rich man and builded a Citty 5. Qu. Whether the word Vagabond doth not signifie a seperation or wandring from God who is truth and love or a being banished from his presence by reason of envy murther and rage which seperates from the pure just God For Cain said when he had been wrath and had slain his brother now shall I bee a Vagabond and a fugitive in the Earth and from thy presence shall I be hid mark that and behold every one that findeth me will s ay me so he fled from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod on the East of Eden where this Murderer built a City a strong hold being afraid every one that found him would kill him mark here the first builder in the Earth was a Vagabond a rich man a persecutor and a Murderer about Sacrifice Gen. 45. 6. Qu. Now whether envy wrath persecution murder cruelty oppression and imprisoning about Sacrifice and Worship be not the very ground and cause of being a Vagabond or seperated from God and not the want of a certaine dwelling place in the Earth Seeing Cain is a Vagabond though he builded a City and Abraham and the Apostles and Prophets and many other holy men of God and Christ are no Vagabonds though they wandred and had no City house or dwelling place in the Earth or so much ground as to set their foot or to lay their head on 7. Qu. Whether God hath not chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heires of his everlasting Kingdome and whether the rich men that did oppress them and draw them before Iudgements seats were not the blasphemers and such as tormented and afflicted them in envy ambition and wrath were not the Vagabonds seeing such things seperates from God and hides his presence from them 8. Qu. Whether Lazarus was a Vagabond who was very poor and lay begging at the rich mans Gate where the Dogs came in more love then their owner ticking his sores or whether this hard hearted Rich man was not the Vagabond seeing he was cast into Hell torments where he was seperated with a great Gulf from the presence and Glory of Gods love for ever and Lazarus the begger carried into Abrahams bosome the friend of God by an Angel being comforted and the other who lived in pleasures unrighteousness and deliciousness every day in his life time tormented Luke 16. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Now seeing Cain is a Vagabond being in the wrath envy transgression the ground of it Let us search the line of true Iudgement yet further and see if we can finde more rich men to be Vagabonds and Blasphemers though they have Citys like Cain or habitations in the Earth 9. Qu. Whether Ishmael the wild man the mocke and scoffer was not cast out of Abrahams house the freind of God into whose bosom the poor man Lazarus was carried and whether he was not seperated by his wildness mocking and enmity whose hand was against every man and every mans hand against him from the presence of God and was a Vagabond seeing the word Vagabond signifies a seperation or being driven from or cast out of Gods presence 10. Qu. Whether Esau the cunning Hunter the prophane person was not a Vagabond seeing he sould his Birth-right for a mess of Pottage and lost the blessing and afterwards sought a place of Repentance but could not finde it but was rejected though he sought it carefully with tears consider this ye prophane and ungodly ones whose pleasures and treasures are in this life out of whose Loyns came the Dukes of Edom and twelve Princes from the Loynes of Ishmael the wild man the mocker and scoffer who was cast out of Abrahams house and these had Towns and Castles like their brother Cain and great possessions in the Earth Gen. 21.9 25.16 36.40 Hâ—b 12.16 11. Qu. Whether such as are in the envious wrathful wild mocking and scoffing nature Now and are prophane persons cunningly hunting Now and persecuting and afflicting about Sacrifice Now and drawing the poor of this world wh are chosen rich in faith and heirs of Gods Kingdome before the Iudgement seats Now Whether these are not the Blasphemers Vagabonds and seperated from Gods presence Now in this state though they may be great and rich in this world as the Princes of Ishmael Cain and the Dukes of Edom seeing God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in fai h and heirs of his Kingdom without end from which Cain was a Vagabond though he builded a City and called it after the name of his son Gen. 4.17 THerefore hearken all you Kings Rulers Governours and people upon earth and take heed you do not persecute and imprison or abuse the servants and Children of the most high God wherever they come in your Dominions or Countrys under the name of Vagabonds wanderers or Idle persons or the like who come in love to your souls And be you warned that you hurt not them who do no evil I charge you in the name of the dreadful God that made heaven and earth least you bring Innocent blood upon your own heads and as you will answer it in the terrible day at hand for the Almighty God is no respecter of persons who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords neither doth poverty or riches in this world make a Vagabond or keep from being a Vagabond for they were no Vagabonds who had here no continuing City but sought one to come whose builder maker is God though they wandered about in sheep skins Goat skins in Dens Caves of the earth yet these were no Vagabonds but had a habitation in God of whom they obtained a good report through faith and were blessed of whom the world was not worthy And if any of us who are of the same seed and generation and built upon the same foundation Christ Jesus the Light that lighteth every man who was hated scorned derided and drawn from prison to Judgement I say if any of us who declare his Generation now by afflictions