to that of God in every man who are here him comes to know who upholds all things by his Word Power comes under the government of the Lord Jesus Christ and are the help Magistrates for him who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him whose Kindom is now set up and setting up to whom the glory is given I will not give it to another saith the Lord but to his Son And such as are here they be in the higher power they seek that honor that comes from God only and honor the Son and the Father such as receive honor one from another and honor themselves receive Honor of men be such as be without the unbelieving not under Christs government Therefore all wait in the light which Christ Jesus hath inlightned you withal that with the light you may see Christ Jesus from whence it comes and receive power from Christ who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him which if you hate the light and do not believe in it which ye are enlightned withall which Light lets ye see mark your deeds whether they be wrought in God or no the Light doth let you see that comes to Christ him by whom the world was made before it was made this light will let you see whether your deeds be wrought in God but hating this light which lets you see it will be your condemnation so stop not the ear against that which tells ye what ye have been and tells ye what yee have done and tells ye what ye have said and tells ye what ways ye have walked in and what actions ye have acted and what deeds ye have committed stop not the ear against that but let the ear be open to that lest ye remain in the unconverted estate the unhealed estate in the transgression strangers from the life of God his Covenant of Light of Life and peace Therefore close not the eye which lets you see your words your wayes your actions for not closing the eye not stopping the ear the ear open the eye open Gods counsel is heard Gods secrets received out of the transgression ye come and healing ye wiâ—ness and the wisdom and secret of the Lord God and the renewing of your minde ye will here come to witness that stand and brought up that brings to stand in the counsel of God and do his will the eye being unclosed to that which lets you see and the ear being unstopt to that which cries to the Lord in you the Lords voyce is heard which keeps ye tender and from hardness of heart And to you this is the word of the Lord God and with that ye answer that of God in every man This shal stand for a witness for ever to ye or against ye And ye that have known the power of God take heed of your getting out of it and then that nature which is gone out of it sets up such in authority that the power hath thrown down which are out of it lest the Lord God sweep you both away with his power who joyn to that which formerly the power of the Lord God hath overthrown the Oppressor which would have reigned which the Lord hath overthrown and would not have the Lord to reign therefore the Lord laid it as the dust and as the ground with his power therefore keep you in that power and if any of them come in to repentance and doth acknowledg the power which hath thrown them down renewed and converted then ye are in unity then you are in one in that which makes plain the way of the Lord and laies down mountains that the Lord alone may be exalted and his house established on the top of the mountains And none is worthy to have the name of a Magistrate that is proud peevish selfish crabbâ—d or that is wilful or wicked or is heady high-minded for the Higher Power is to chain such from their intents mischievous ends that they would do and wrong the innocent with their unrighteousintents and such as touching judgment are blinde that be perverse ful of ambition pride such forget God is not in their thoughts those feel nor the burden of the oppressed they feel not the burden that the innocent groans under for such as be there be in that nature as burdens the just in particular in the general before whose eyes the fear of God is not who makes a prcy of the just of whom the Lords eye beholds who shal be a terror to the evil doer and a praise to them that do well which they all be that be in the higher power before whose eye is the fear of God whose eye they behold that watcheth over them the Almighty with whom they have peace in acting things that are righteous that of God in every man answering Now as concerning Priests and Teachers who wil not preach without a sum of money of whom they look for it of you with petitions to you come or send which themselves have not heard the voyce of the Lord the word of the Lord such as comes with petitions have not heard the voice of the Lord nor his word which was in the beginning are to stand by the Word commands them silence as it was in the days of Jeremiah and such the higher power silenceth that use their tongues whose doubts is for outward maintenance taking thought for that such are in the state of the Gentiles the kingdoms of the world seeking for that and not for the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of it first which the other things follow if this were found and a word from the Lord received and his counsel stood in people would be turned from their evil ways there would bee no want of outwards then but if they be Priests of the Readers of the Law to the people then they must have their Pulpit of wood and a thing made ready for their hands boast in other mens labours but this was not the practice of the Apostles but such are excluded out of the Kingdom the boasters and are from their own measure with which they should reach that of God in every man such be they who would have their mouths stopt and would stop the mouths of them that have the word of the Lord God immediately from his mouth and speaks his word by which all things were made without money or price freely So as ye all Magistrates be kept in the fear of God in the higher power in the true understanding and the true wisdom which is pure gentle from above easie to be intreated it will bring you to the true instructions and ye being in them it wil bring you to instruct all others where ever ye come or be in the wisdom ways of God Peace Righteousness and Truth Meeknesse and Patience whereby you may all come to love as the family of God and no frowardnesse or bitternesse but with wisdome order and rvle the creatures by which they were created for with that must all be governed to the glory of the Lord God the Creator with the wisdome by which all things are created G. F. The End
This is to all Officers and Souldiers OF THE ARMIES IN England Scotland and Ireland AND TO ALL MAGISTRATES And them in Authority in these Nations and the Dominions thereunto appertaining for them to read May 29 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1657 This is to all OFFICERS SOVLDIERS OF THE ARMIES IN England Scotland Ireland THE word of the Lord to all you Souldiers Governors and Rulers to rule in Power and Love to that in your consciences I speak which is of God that your minds may be guided up to God that you may see what you must rule over for all you dwelling in the Light which comes from Jesus it leads all to Christs Government and it leads from the world and it leads from under the occasion of the war from whence doth the wars arise but from the lusts and so you that follow the lusts go from the light you go from the true Sword of Justice and so in the light ye come to be condemned and let nothing rule in you but the light that with it Christ Jesus you may all come to see and him rule and reign ye who would not have him rule ye are for the Sword and must be slain And all such as respect persons contrary to the Light doth act and the light there doth not reign and the Law of God is not hearkened unto which is upon all respectors of persons but the light love to lead you to the Law of God which is perfect according to that of God in every ones conscience which is Equity and the Law here is Equity and judges that which is not Equity and cuts down and cuts out that which is not Equity and that which is contrary to that which is pure in every ones conscience and so the Land comes to be swept of evil doers and the refuge of lyes taken away and all you Souldiers know a Souldiers place and see that ye be Souldiers qualified that ye do accuse no man falsly that ye do violence to no man and that ye be content with your wages so then you will see what the Sword is to and is to be laid upon all that do violence and all the false accusers And you that are Governors must be no false accusers nor do violence to any man but ruled with that of God in your consciences to exercise toward God and towards man against all violence and against all false accusations see that you and none of you be such and then let your Sword be laid upon such and then set your Souldiers in their places and then let them go forth and let them have their wages for who are false accusers and do violence are out of the natural affection and have not affection to Nature but would destroy it in his own particular and then in the general through the rash headyness upon such is the Sword laid So to you this is the word of the Lord that ye may come to a pure and right understanding to know that which leads Nature out of its course and hath not affection to Nature upon such is the sword laid and is to be ruled with the Sword and kept down and see that none of you be such To that in your consciences I speak be not violent doers false accusers drunkards nor be prophane nor loose Souldiers Governors nor Rulers if you be that in your consciences will witness me that you are all for the sword of the Lord God Almighty and not justifiable in his sight to the light in all your consciences I speak that with it you may all see your selves and what you have done and how you have spent your time and how you do do spend your time the end of your Souldiery the end of your war what the war is to and what the sword is laid upon and what it is to keep in order for all your Souldiers Governors and Rulers which contrary to the light do act which comes from Christ Jesus which light is in you ye are to be ruled with the sword of the Lord God To you this is the word of God for the Law of God is perfect and answers that of God in every one in the world and he that hath the sword that is a terror to the evil doer he answereth with the sword that of God in every one that cometh into the world which if he do evil he acts contrary to that of God in him which the sword takes hold upon him that doth evil and he that doth evil acts contrary to the Just so the Sword of Justice takes hold upon him now this is that which shall stand over the whole world not over a Nation only and doth not regard customs of Nations but it shall answer that of God in every man that comes into the world so he that answereth that of God in every one that comes into the world he must be just he must not be a false accuser that is not just that is not true and he must not do violence that that bears the sword for violence is not just for if he doth this will take hold upon him the law of God which is just shall take hold of him and this shall answer that of God in every one G. F. To all the Magistrates and them in Authority in these Nations and the Dominions thereunto appertaining for them to read this YE Magistrates ye Rulers who have known the power of the Lord in giving of ye Dominion be low and keep low least you abuse the Power that ye once tasted of and wait for wisdom the wisdom of God that in it and with it ye may be ordered to the glory of God and not abuse his power for the mighty day of the Lord hath been seen in this Age and hath brought forth much to his glory and given you victory over much and thrown down much and set you above much and them that the power of the Lord hath thrown down of the power of the Lord they may take notice Now ye that have known this power the power of the Lord be not lifted up least the same power throw you down that hath thrown down those before you for the same power throws down that which is exalted as it did before Be not high minded but fear and be watchful unto Prayer lest ye run into wantonness and cry Aha your own hand hath done this and this I have done and the other I have done and so boast and take glory to your selves and rob God of his honor and honor one another such God will stain their glory and honor and deface it and bring it into contempt and overthrow it with the same power that he overthrew his Enemies before the same power overthrows that who are joyned together a Harlot and make you to know that he reigns the Ruler of Heaven and Earth the Creator of all things whose power is dreadful in overturning shaking down
and removing and defacing and taking the glory to himself and the honor to whom it belongs and the fear to whom it belongs Therefore boast not your selves none but be watchful and meek and learn the true humility which goeth before the honor and the true patience which obtains the Crown of eternal life and the immortal life through the patience received Now in Causes of Judgements in Controversies with patience hear each party the Accused the Accuser the Offended and the Offendor with meekness and humbleness hear that goes before the Honor for it is an honor for a King to find out a matter and to search it out And let not there be an eye among you nor in any of you nor an ear that will respect persons or have persons respected for in such causes there will be a will that will be brickle earthly changeable wanting the patience to judge rightly selfish and stubbornnese and prejudice and sidings to parties more then to Truth and right judgement is blinded in these and the true Measure is wanting and the true Weight to weigh withall and to measure withall Whilest there is prejudice in the Officer Judge Justice or Ruler whilest he is passionate out of the humbleness and humility out of the mercy out of the patience in the wilfulness in the stubbornness sturdines high mindedness minding the person respecting under this doth the just groan under this doth the just feel the weight which feels the want of the true measure and cryes for the true measure and cryes for the true weight and puts up Petitions to the Lord who hears and answers the cryes of the oppressed and removeth the Oppressor and brings him to shame and contempt though for a time he hath a day of honor and glory but such the Lord of glory their dayes doth shorten often in turning them out and cutting them off bringing his righteous judgements upon them who rightly hath not judged such God measures their wayes God gives to them measure and just weight according to their works Therefore all ye Rulers of the earth be awakened with the measure of God be awakened to righteousness and to the measure of God in you all take heed to guide your minds up to God whereby ye may stand all in Gods Counsel to receive that from God which shall never be shaken whereby with it you may answer that of God in every man and be to the Lord a praise and a terror to the Nations about you for true Judgment and Justice being set up and being in the hands of such that hath the true measure to reach that of God in every man that of God in every man shal answer his measure and having the true weight to weigh things aright that of God in every man shall witness his weight to be just and true and not too light and his measure not too short he gives to every man his due and every mâ—n his weight here is the equity here the righteous is glad the righteous rejoicetth the evil doer that reigns which is a terror to it From the Lord God of Heaven and Earth I am moved to charge all to be meek to be humble to be patient and not to be rash nor to be heady nor to be fierce but to be gentle and fear before the Lord God whereby ye may receive his wisdom that in all Countreys where ye come where ye are Judges Justices Rulers and Magistrates ye may be a praise in the Country where ye are and where ye come and a good savour to the Lord God answering that of God in every man which will exercise your conscience towards God and towards man which is for conscience sake and not for wrath that all may come subject to the Higher Power mark the Higher Power which is above that Power which abode not in the truth but is out of the truth out of the life which is the light and that is the Powers of Darkness and there is the spiritual wickedness and there is the Rulers of Darkness out of the truth which is out of the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the light which every man is enlightned withal that cometh into the world will witness to him the higher Power which is a terror to him if he do evil And so ye all knowing and coming into the higher power to which the soul must be subject unto ye that are come to this ye are in that that is above the spiritual wickednesses that is above the Rulers of darkness of this world ye come to be on top of all the world in the whole world ye will be a dread and terror to all the world ye will be the Higher Power ye will reach over Nations Tongues People Kinreds and Languages and so sound a dread and terror over them all ye which be in the higher Power higher then the POWERS of DARKNESSE Higher then the spirituall wickednesses higher then all the Heathenish gods and Rulers higher then the Rulers of darkness in the highest places of the world this is higher the higher Power is above the world and them all on top of them all and chains them all and answers that of God in all the fashion of it the lusts of it which wars against the soul mark which against the soul wars which soul must be subject to the higher Power which higher Power goes against the lusts of the world of the flesh that against the soul wars Therefore whose soul soever is subject to the higher power above the power of him that abode not in the truth none of them that be here do the lusts of the Devil that 's out of the truth but they are in the Power above him the higher power which chains overturns brings down brings under puts down all the powers of darkness the spiritual wickedness Who are in this higher Power they are in the Throne of God and they be in that which is honorable and in that which doth remain they be in that which limits and stops and sets bars to that which is out of the higher Power which comes under the chain the bridle the yoke the gage the rule which would destroy devour tear to pieces the higher power over that hath Dominion and all that which wars against the soul to which the soul must be subject to and where this rules there is peace and the burden is taken off the innocent rejoiceth the simplicity is glad the righteous praiseth God and magnifies him where this rules and where this rules such as be in it they know the kingdom of the Most High tuling in men and his Dominion which hath no end and his Scepter of Righteousness his Throne is exalted the Kingdom where there is no end is known seen enjoyed who be in this are in the honorable power throne Dominion which hath no end which moves throws down shakes all the contrary which Power reacheth to the seed of God