once in some of you for God and against his Enemies and those unjust Laws which by them were made and upheld is now lost and your ears are not open unto the cry of the Oppressed whom once you promised to set free from their Oppressions but now some of you are become upholders of and pleaders for those Laws and Customs which formerly you cryed against and strengthners and upholders of such as oppress tender Consciences though once you pretended that you fought for the Liberty of Conscience and now by those unjust Laws which you saw to be contrary to the Law of God do many suffer in these Nations some Imprisonment and some the spoyling of their Goods some because they cannot pay the Priests Tythes for if they should they must deny the unchangeable Priest which took not Tythes but abolished the first Priesthood and disannulled the Commandement that gave Tythes unto them that were of the first Priesthood which was a figure of him that was to come but now is he come who is the substance and sum of all Types and Figures even the everlasting High-Priest which changeth not so the first Priesthood is changed and the Law is changed also Heb. 7.12 Therefore they that witness the unchangeable Priest they deny the changeable Priests and for Conscience sake cannot uphold them and some suffer Imprisonment for Declaring and Publishing the everlasting Truth as they are moved of the Lord in the Markets Assemblies and Congregations of the People and some of late time have been Stock'd and Whipp'd and some wounded and despitefully used for the same and some when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord to wait upon him in their own houses or upon their own ground or some of their Brethrens not being troublesome outwardly to any man they have been then and there abused some have been violently haled away to the Magistrates who without shewing them any Law which they had transgressed hath forth with sent them to Prison and some have been stoned and kicked and buffeted and spitted upon and mocked and some have had their doors and windows broken and they scarce permitted to abide in their own houses And these things have been acted some of them by the Priests and some by the Rulers and Souldiers and rude multtude who are strengthned in such actions and suffered so to act by the other and some of the servants and chosen ones of the Lord have lately been cast some into Prisons holes and dungeons and there have lain until the outward man hath perished and many of the Children of the most high God are yet in Prisons in this Nation for witnessing forth the pure Truth of God and not for the breach of any just Law neither could our Persecutors when we have been brought before them shew any Law which we had transgressed when some of us have demanded this of them that if they had any Law against what we had acted that they should read it to us not withstanding this they have sent us to Prison again and there caused us to be kept and some of late time as they have been going peaceably to visit and relieve the servants of the Lord who are imprisoned in this Nation they have not been permitted but have been stopped by the way and some of them have had their money taken from them and then forthwith they have been sent to Prison and there are kept and some have been Fined and Imprisoned for entertaining or lodging of the Servants and Children of the Lord who have come peaceably and for peace to their houses and some lately hath been presented and money hath been demanded of them because for Conscience sake they could not go to the Steeple-houses to hear the hireling Priests and Deceivers on the first dayes of the weeks Now consider these Practices how contrary they are to the Vows and Engagements which you have made and taken and contrary to the Liberty which once you pretended unto I have not written these things unto you because I am a sufferer for I neither look for help or expect deliverance from you neither are my sufferings wearisome or grievous unto me because I know I suffer in innocency neither do I look for any help or have I any helps in the Earth but these things was I moved to write unto you that you may consider how you have neglected and slighted that which you Promised to do when you were in your distresse and trouble if God delivered you out of them who now hath delivered you and that you may see how you have rewarded evil for the good that the Lord hath done for you and how you have not onely lyed unto Man but unto God So come down to the Light of Christ in all your Consciences unto which Light all the Powers of the Earth must bow and with it search your hearts and try your wayes and it will shew you your back-slidings and the evil of your doings and repent speedily and do your first works and return to your first Integrity and do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your Wages and submit your selves unto the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World that with the Light you may see the violent and false Accuser judged and cast out of you that so with the Light which makes manifest your present estate you may be brought out of the Fall and out of the Losse which you are yet in But if you refuse to return unto the Lord who hath so marvelously delivered you out of the hands of your Enemies to pay your Vows to him Verily the living God will arise and set free the oppressed and destroy their oppressors by his own Power and outstretched Arm and not by you neither shall you have the honour of it and he will cast you off and by his own Power will he bring you down and destroy you and root you out Remember how he lately by his Mighty Power brought down and destroyed those that Rebelled against him and even as he cast out them because they oppressed his Righteous Seed so also will he cast out you if you repent not speedily because you have not wholly followed his Counsel to destroy and break down and root out whatsoever did oppresse his People but now he hath given you deliverance and ease from your Enemies you have forgotten the day of your Calamity wherein you cryed unto the Lord for help in which day you were oppressed by your Enemies also and now ye are set down in ease and fulness and regard not the cry of the oppressed but you your selves are become oppressors also so what you did act for God in the time of your trouble shall not be once named or mentioned unto you because you continued not faithful unto the end but in your back-slidings and unrighteousness wherein you have delighted you shall perish and you shall receive
in their Worship and then again in the Parliaments time ran to them and cryed them up begging a Law to settle Church-government as they call'd it and then in the late Protector 's time cryed them up and Petitioned unto them with many feigned flattering words and begged a Law of them to settle them in their Worship now these are the deceitful workers who teach for filthy Lucre and are time Observers who through covetousness and feigned words makes merchandize of the People and these quench the Spirit and despise Prophecying and change with the Times and Governments let them be never so contrary and these are neither true to God nor man but are men-pleasers and such serve not the Lord Jesus but their own bellies and these wanting the Power of God run to the Rulers for an outward Power to uphold them these are whored from the Life of God in their own particulars and these seek to stop the Life of God where ever it appears therefore take heed of upholding or setting them up by an outward Law lest you become the Beast mark that which carrieth the Whore which is to be taken with the false Prophet and the old Dragon the Father of all unrighteousness and cast alive into the Lake Now the true Worship and Religion which stands in the Spirit and in the Truth must be set up and established and upheld by the Power immortal and not by an outward Law But let your Law stop that in all whereever it appears which wrestles with flesh and blood and fights with the creature about Religion for this Spirit could never make manifest the true Worship and Religion neither would it suffer others to do it who had the Spirit of God if it could stop them by an outward Law or force so that which fights wrestles and strives with the Creatures about Religion is not for Christ but is ante against Christ and the Apostles who wrestled not with flesh and blood but with the Power of Darkness and with the Spiritual Wickedness in high places that so Wickedness and Deceit might be destroyed in the Creatures and that the Creatures might be preserved and their Weapons were not Carnal but Spiritual But they that cry out to the Rulers for an outward Law to uphold their Worship and Religion they War not with the Spiritual Weapons but with the Carnal and these destroy the Creatures but cannot destroy the Wickedness and these have quenched the Spirit in their own particulars and these would quench it in others and will not suffer him that hath something revealed unto him to speak but cry to the Magistrates or to the rude multitude for help and so flee to their Carnal Weapons and those being stirred up by their Teacher some of them oft-times beat those that have the Truth to declare in their Synagogues and hale them out and rail on them and spit upon them and sometimes Buffet Stock Whip Imprison and mangle the Creatures and so mar and deface the Workmanship of God and this hath been the work of Antichrist in all Ages when Truth hath appeared against Deceit and such cannot truly say Truth hath prevailed on their parts when they have thus Beaten and Haled and Stocked and Whipped and Imprisoned the Creatures but Violence there at that time hath prevailed by which they that have had the Truth to declare oft-times have been stopped from speaking it So let none do Violence to one anothers Persons or Estates but let your law take hold on them that would do so but let thâ—m alone in their Profession and then it will soon appear who is in the Truth and who are Ministers of Christ and of the Spirit for those that are in tht Spirit of Truth will assuredly prevail over them that be in the Spirit of Deceit and this will be manifested soon if there be no Violence done to them who be in the Spirit of Truth thereby to stop them from speaking the Truth and then the Truth will reach unto the Witness of God in Peoples Consciences and then many who could nor discern the Truth while there were such strivings and fightings with the Creatures will come to see and feel it and then Truth shall prevail and deceit shall fall whereever it be and what covering soever it hath got it shall be ript off and he that is in the Spirit of Truth and abides in it shall overcome all false spirits Now I know ye are not altogether ignorant how that the lives and goods of several in this Nation have been made a prey upon by the Priests who have robbed and spoiled both the Fatherless Widows and others and have â—mprisoned several unto Death by a Law made by the Popish Kings and since strengthened by those that are called Protestants concerning Tythes and these before mentioned have suffered thus for not paying Tythes Now Tythes in the Law given by the Command of God unto Levi the changeable Priesthood who was to have no inheritance among his Brethren was for the maintenance of that Tribe and also for rhe Fatherless the Widows and the Strangers but Christ being come after the order of Melchisedech he is the everlasting unchangeable High-Priest not made by a carnal Commandment but by the power of an endless life he offering himself up once for all put an end to the changeable Priest-hood which was made by a Law which gave them Tythes so this Priesthood and this Law was changeable this Priesthood could not continue by reason of Death so this Priesthood being changed and ended by Christ the unchangeable Priest made by the power of an endless life there was a necessity also of a change and end of that Law by which the changeable Priests who could not continue by reason of Death were made which gave them Tythes then Christ the everlasting High-Priest made by the power of an endless Life by the same Power he made Ministers and freely gave them gifts for the work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting of the Saints and in the power of an endless life sent he them forth saying Freely ye have received freely give and into what house soever ye enter and they receive you ye may eat such things as are set before you for the work-man is worthy of his meat These were Work-men and they first planted a Vineyard and then ate of the Fruit thereof first gathered a Flock and then did Eat of the Milk thereof sowed Spirituall things and reaped of their carnal things unto whom they had sown Spirituals Preached the Gospel and lived of the Gospel these were not made Ministers by the will of man nor by an outward Law neither received they their maintenance by an outward Law nor compelled or forced any to pay them neither robbed or spoiled or imprisoned they any that would not give them Maintenance but they had a necessity laid on them to Preach the Gospel and they did so and coveted no mans gold or silver or apparel and these
sought not Peoples goods but them and their diligence and care was not to make the Gospel chargeable for having food and rayment they were therewith all content and they received it of such also mark that as did receive them and their Testimony and so oppressed no man But Paul foresaw that after his departure grievous and ravenous Wolves should enter that would not spare Flock and Christ prophesied of them also and these entred before John's departure and he warned the little Children who had the anointing abiding in them to take heed of them for they were the Antichrists and and went from the annointing in the particular and so from those that were in it and then the murthering spirit got up in these and the World went after these who spared not the Flock but killed those that had the Testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of Prophesie and these Antichrists having lost the spirit being ravened from it in their own particulars and having killed those that were made Ministers by the Spirit who had freely received and freely gave then they set up their Schools and Colledges there to make Ministers by the will of man and then made a carnal Law whereby they had Tythes given them for these had not freely received neither would they freely give so Tythes among the Gentiles were set up by the devouring murthering spirit by a Law by which Law they are yet upheld and not by God and they that yet receive the Tythes are found in the devouring murthering spirit many of them who have devoured many Peoples goods in this Nation who could not for Conscience sake pay Tythes and have caused several others to be kept in Prison until Death for the same And this hath been the work of Antichrist who hath the sheeps clothing the good words but inwardly is the ravening Wolf And in this Work many of the Priests of England have been found of late as is manifest by their Fruits and they have the same unjust Law to oppress and destroy the innocent still notwithstanding some of you have pretended and declared much to the contrary long Now many of the Priests when we tell them of this their cruelty and oppression they will say They are Ministers of the Gospel and he that Preacheth the Gospel God hath ordained that he should live of the Gospel Well we say so too That we are Ministers of the Gospel and he that Preacheth the Gospel ought to live of the Gospel which is the Power of God and ought not to have any outward Law to compel any to give him whereon to live So this is that which we who have learned to do unto all men as we would they should do unto us would have That he that Preacheth the Gospel should live of the Gospel and not on that which comes by the force of an outward Law but the Priests Maintenance is contrary to the Maintenance of the Ministers of the Law or Gospel Therefore first let there be no outward Law to hinder or restrain any People from hearing any whom they believe is a Minister of the Gospel nor yer to compell any to hear any one whom they believe is not a Minister of the Gospel for an outward Law can but restain or compel the outward man but the heart none can restrain from Evil nor compel to the good but the Law and Power of God onely in the heart therefore let there be a free Liberty for all people to meet concerning their Worship provided that under pretence of meeting to worship they meet not to Plot for the overthrowing of the outward Governours by an outward Power for if that can be proved and made manifest truly then let such suffer by an outward Law And likewise let there be no Law to compel any one to maintain any Teacher neither let there be any Law to restrain any one from giving any thing to their Teacher for this is but equal so let the People have Liberty herein that so this oppression about the Maintenance of Teachers may cease And then it will soon appear whether these Priests be Ministers of the Gospel and whether their Gospel will maintain them yea or nay But many of the Rulers have said If we should not provide Maintenance for our Ministers then Preaching would soon fall and then many People would become Heathens I answer He that is a Minister of Christ the Power of God which is the everlasting Gospel a necessity is laid upon him to Preach the Gospel and wo be unto him if he Preach not the Gospel And he that is sent forth by Christ is not to take thought what he shall eat or what he shall drink or wherewithal he shall be cloathed for his heavenly Father knoweth that he hath need of all these things and provides them for those that he sends forth without an outward Law to compel it that so they lack not any thing Now that Ministry which the forcing an outward Maintenance for it will cause it to cease mark this Ministry never did any good or service for God nor ever can that is God's Truth unto you at the furthest this Ministry hath but brought People to draw near unto God with their mouths and to appear to honour him with their lips when their hearts have been afar off but this Ministry could never bring any into the true knowledge of God and Christ whom God hath sent and freely given for a Covenant of Light and without this knowledge all People upon the Earth are without the Life Eternal and so are Heathens whatever they profess in words though they may make long Prayers and think to be heard in their much speaking as the Pharisees and Hypocrites did whom Christ call'd Heathens therefore consider what a Ministry you have upheld and do uphold So let that Ministry fall which cannot stand without an outward Law for to compel an outward Maintenance for it for the Lord regards it not but his hand is against it and against that which would uphold it and both must fall together So what is here declared concerning Religion and the Maintenance of Teachers and the like it is in the Equal Royal Law of Liberty which is To love thy neighbour as thy self and to do unto all as we would be done unto And so if the spirit which we are led and guided by who are called in scorn Quakers be not able to prevail over that which we oppose in others as Error then let us be manifested to be in the Error and let us fall onely let there be a fair Tryal and let there not be such beating and haling and tearing and mangling and stocking and imprisoning of the Creatures as hath been for where such things have been acted many have been stopped at that time for speaking the Truth yet notwithstanding the Truth hath prevailed over all and shall prevail And if that can be proved against us truly that we plot at our Meetings or at any other
in chusing of Parliaments according to England's Custom and how unlike it is that a Parliament so chosen should make England a free Nation seeing the great Oppressors of the Land viz. Priests and Lawyers and the great wicked covetous persecuting men are so much concerned in the chusing them so that if Parliaments so chosen should continue the People of the Lord are not like to be set free from their Oppression though Parliaments and Rulers have been made to do many good things by a Power which many of them scarce knew but the Lord hath a further thing yet to do in the Nations than either Protectors or Parliaments would submit unto therefore the Lord hath thrown them by but they had first a day of tryal given them and now is the Lord trying others and if they will not do his Work in breaking every yoke and letting the oppressed go free God will assuredly break them with a greater destruction than came upon those before them Therefore let your moderation be known unto all men for the Lord is at hand and thirst not after blood lest the Lord give ye blood to drink and we know that Kings and Protectors and Parliaments have made fair pretences and have given themselves fine Titles and have pleaded that they had a just right to and a necessity for their Authority and sought to get into the affections of the People by smooth words and large promises to carry on their own design but their hearts were not right before the Lord and therefore he broke them and their Titles and know that the People that fear God they matter not Titles and high Names but they look for righteous actions to be brought forth and many see that a Parliament that was chose by the most voices of the outwardly rich People were not like to act righteously and therefore they are willing to wait to see what the Lord will do by others and we see that People have been in great Blindness in contending for Parliaments so chosen so let this Wisdom be learned and lived in which is better than the strength of fools who oft perish in their passion and folly And now Friends in the Army and Committee that have turned out the Parliament Dread ye the Lord God and mind the equal just noble Principle of God in you which hath stirred against Tyranny and Oppression and make it not your business to declare only for Freedom as some before you did and did not the thing they declared for but in the Fear and Wisdom of the Lord go ye on to act for the good of all his Creatures and seek not your own Honours but singly do the same both for your Friends and Enemies that you would have them do for you if they were in Authority as ye are and until ye come to this ye are not like to prosper the Lord abhorreth the lying flattering double deceitful tongue and heart and the People also have been wearied with fair words because the actions have been wanting that should have accompanied the said words Remember how you have cryed out against the Oppression of a forced Maintenance for Teachers and now ye are tryed and have Power given you to break that Oppression down which some of you I say have desired others to do therefore abuse not your Power but leave the People free to maintain their own Teachers mark The Ministers that Christ sends forth they have no need of you in this particular as to provide Food and Raiment for them for their Heavenly Father knows that they have need of those things and provides it for them without an outward Law to compel it that so they lack not any thing and that Teacher that will not consent to this he serveth not the Lord Jesus but his own Belly and that is his God and such a one can never profit the People and mark if ye should take away Tythes and Command by a Law any other Maintenance from us for Teachers that would be the same Tyranny and Oppression in the nature and ground of it that Tythes were and we must bear our Testimony against it also and our Lives or Estates or both must yet suffer therefore if ye do thus you leave Us in the same Bondage as before And let Laws be provided that are righteous just and equal according to that of God in the Conscience and let such be impowered to execute them that will hear and determine Causes freely according to righteousness and let causes of difference between man and man be heard in every County and when by plain proof of two or three witnesses without transgressing Christ's doctrine it come to be manifested who have done the wrong then let the Executioners of the Law be impowered to cause the party or parties to restore for the wrong that is done according to Equity that so this abominable Oppression about the Law and Lawyers may be broken down and thunder down all ungodly gaming 's and shews whereby the foolish wild People are cheated of their moneys and spend away their precious time to the dishonour of the pure God And let the People of the Lord have their Liberty to speak his Word freely where and when his Spirit leads them and gives them utterance and let the Law take hold on such as would wrong any man's Person or Estate And let the dread of the Lord be upon your Spirits and wait in his Light to receive his Wisdom that therein you may be ordered in the particular and in it order all things to his Glory that ye may remove all that which is standing which is contrary to the Will of God And meddle not to establish Religion and Teachers by an outward Law for verily if ye do ye will be broken let that alone to Christ whose work it is Consider all that went before you of late years that would be medling with such things the Lord broke them to pieces and they were warned in their day as ye are now And let not your many Victories which ye have obtained nor your being preserved in so many overturnings wherein ye have been made instrumental nor your strength courage nor wisdom puff ye up for thus saith the Lord God even as earthen vessels are in the hands of a Potter who hath power to dash them one against another until they be broken or to break them in pieces with another thing that appears more weak than they even so are you in my hand saith the Lord and I can confound your Wisdom and take away your Courage and smite you with faintness and dauntedness of Spirit in the twinkling of an eye therefore seek not your selves for if you do your day shall be but short Remember you of the Army had Power once before to have acted for the good of your Nation but the subtilty in some who sought themselves whom God hath since blasted beguiled you and mark some of you sold your power for Commissions and others