in this present world and it will teach them for to do unto all People as they would be done unto themselves and it will teach them for to deal and to do justly to all men and to love and shew mercy unto all People and to walk in Lowliness and in true Humility before the Lord and these things the Lord requires of every one and it is the duty of every one so to do And now if this good Spirit of Christ did bear rule in every ones Heart it would lead and guide them in all Truth and Righteousness and it would lead and bring them out of all the wicked and ungodly Ways and Worships and evil Practices which are acted and done amongst all the Sons and Daughters of men which are now in the fall and live in Sin and Transgression against God and so are found to be in the unregenerate state and such are dead in their Sins and Trespasses tho' their Bodies be alive in this World and if this good Spirit aforesaid did bear rule in every Heart there would not be that Killing nor Destroying one another neither about Religion nor no earthly thing whatsoever and therefore I would have all People to take notice that there are two Spirits a good Spirit and an evil Spirit and the good Spirit comes from God and the evil Spirit comes from the Devil and the good Spirit leads People up to God to have fellowship communion with him in spirit in their hearts souls and this is the only Communion which is spiritual that is alone necessary and needful for every one to know in truth as to their Everlasting Happiness with the Lord when time here in this World shall be no more to them And the evil Spirit draws and leads people from God into all manner of Sin and Wickedness some into one kind of Sin and some into other kind of Sin so that all People upon the Earth are Sinners and live in Sin so long as this evil Spirit guides and bears rule in their hearts and every one is a Servant to whether of these two Spirits he doth obey and to whether of these two Spirits be yields his Members servants unto his Servants they are to whom they do obey whether it be unto that spirit which leads them into Sin and Evil which is the wicked Spirit or it be that they do obey the good Spirit which leads and guides all them that are led and guided by it into all Truth and Righteousness and out of all Sin and Iniquiry And whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his let them profess what they will or be of what Judgment or Religion soever if they have not the Spirit of Christ in them for to teach and instruct and counsel them they are none of Christ's Servants nor Ministers read these Scriptures Rom. 8. 6. to vers 15. Rom. 6. 12. to the end 1 John 3. 4. to vers 11. Tit. 2. 11. to the end John 1. 1. to vers 13. 1 Cor. 12. 7. And all them that do love and believe in the Light and Spirit of Christ in them which shews them Sin and reproves them in their own Hearts and Consciences many times when they do sin insomuch that I have heard several people say when they have sinned I pray God forgive me when as at that time no Person outwardly did speak to them but it was the Light and Spirit of Christ in them that shewed them that they had sinned against the Lord at that time and whosoever minds and takes heed to that Light and Spirit of Christ in them and believes in it so as to obey and follow it it will not only shew them their Sins and evil Deeds which they have done and committed against the Lord but it will beget a perfect hatred against all Sin in them that do truly love and believe in this Light and good Spirit aforesaid and it will beget secret crys and breathings unto the Lord in their hearts and souls that he would be pleased to pardon them and to give them power for the time to come to forsake the evil of their Ways and Doings that they might never sin against the Lord any more and this hath been my state and conâ—â—â—ion and many more of the People of God and now we can say in truth to the praise and glory of the Lord it is spoken that we that were Sinners and Unbelievers and were dead in Sins Trespasses in days years that are past and gone as well as others and then at that time when we were in that sad and miserable state and condition as aforesaid the Lord was pleased out of his infinite love mercy goodness for to reveal and make known himself unto us even at that time when we were Enemies Aliens and Strangers unto him by wicked Works which we had done against the Lord notwithstanding all our Profession of Religion and fair pretences which we made that we did love the Lord and believe in him and did worship and serve him as we thought then but it pleased the Lord of his great love and kindness to us to appear in our hearts by his Light and good Spirit which he manifested and revealed in us at that time and the Lord was pleased by his Light and Spirit for to search our hearts and to let us see the deceit and the evil that was in our hearts by reason of Sin and Iniquity which the Enemy of our Souls which is the wicked spirit had wrought in our hearts and we knew it not when we lived in our sins and took pleasure and delight therein and so instead of denying our selves from doing those things which did offend and displease the Lord we did those things which did offend him and grieve his holy Spirit as too many do now and when we did those things which grieved the Lord we did not then walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to Life and Peace with the Lord but we were then walking in the broad and wide way that leads to Hell and Destruction which many Thousands are now walking in that live in their sins and take pleasure and delight therein but now the Lord out of his free love and grace and mercy hath called us out of the evil of the World and the vain Conversation that people live and walk in both Professors and Prophane and he hath revealed and made known his Mind and Will unto us what he would have us for to do and what he requires of us which is to live the Lord with all our Hearts above all visible things that are in the World and also to fear serve honour and obey him in Truth and Righteousness and to do justly with all men and to love Mercy and walk Humbly with God and now we find that the Lord hath made a Remnant of us freely willing for to serve and obey him and to do his Will in what he makes known
unto us in all things which he commands and requires of us for to do And this great Work which the Lord hath already wrought in our hearts and the great things which he hath done for us and in us by his Power and Spirit he hath not done it for any goodness or worthiness or any deserts which he saw in us nor for any Works of Righteousness which we have done whereby to move or to ingage the Lord for to do these great things either for us or in us but he hath done all these things for his own Name sake and in love to our immortal Souls and out of his free Love and Mercy and Kindness to us for which we are bound in duty and are ingaged to return unto the Lord all Honour Glory Praise Thanks Love Fear Reverence and Obedience for unto him alone it doth belong both from me and from all that know how good and gracious he is and hath been unto them who is God over and above all blessed and praised be his great holy and heavenly Name both now henceforth for ever and for evermore Amen And now I would have all People to take notice where this may come that all Persons and People that despise and reject the Light and Spirit of Christ in them which shews them their Sins and reproves them in secret when they do evil and say It is but a natural Light and that it is not sufficient nor hath power to save people from their sins nor to keep and preserve them out of sin all such are Unbelievers and hate Christ and love their evil Deeds for Christ is that Light and good Spirit in them and he hath given a measure of it freely to every one to profit withal and all them that truly love and believe in this Light and good Spirit in them and is willing for to obey and follow it all such will come to know Salvation and Redemption by Christ from their Sins and Iniquities but all those that hate and despise and reject the Counsel and Teaching of this Light and good Spirit in them and so slight and undervalue it and count it a thing of nought it will be the Condemnation of all such and the Lord will be found just when he comes to judge them and this Light and good Spirit in them will bear witness against them when they come to Judgment which will be more than a hundred Witnesses outwardly read these Scriptures John 1. 9 10 11 12. chap. 8. 12. chap. 12. 46. chap. 3. 19 20 21. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Col. 3. 11. Chap. 1. 27 28. And I do verily believe that there is and shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and Unjust without respect of Persons w 〈…〉 just God of Heaven and Earth for to give 〈…〉 all their Deeds and Actions which they have 〈…〉 time and every one shall receive a Reward from God 〈…〉 their Deeds which they have done in their Bodies whether they be good or evil And now it concerns both me and every one for to prise our time which the Lord is pleased to give to us to live upon the Earth that we may walk circumspectly and wisely in the wisdom of God before the Evil day come which will certainly come upon the Wicked and Ungodly that live and dye in their Sins and Iniquities And it is the true desire of my Heart and Soul that we may all spend our time which the Lord gives us to live upon the Earth to Gods honour and glory by bringing forth good Works and Actions in our holy Lives and godly Conversations to the praise and honour of his great and worthy Name that so we may answer the end for which God hath made and created us which is to love him with all our Hearts and to fear serve honour and obey him in Truth and Righteousness whereby God Almighty may be honoured and glorified both in us and by us who is worthy to have all the Honour Glory Praise Thanks Fear and true Obedience for unto him alone it doth belong both from me and from all that know the Lord how good he is to them both now and for ever and for evermore Amen Read these Scriptures Rom. 14. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 22. 12. And now I shall come to mention something of the Cruelties and Persecutions of the Episcopal Clergy who are Teachers of the People of the Church of England so called and some of their Hearers and Members of their Church that assisted them in their Cruelties first they Imprisoned many Hundreds of the People of the Lord called in scorn Quakers and by their means we were put into nasty Holes and Dungeons amongst Thieves and Murderer and some of us were Fettered and Chained with Irons on both Legs as they do to the worst of Malefactors and our Friends and Acquaintance were not suffered for to come to see us although some of our Friends did come a Hundred Miles or more for to see us and neither they nor we could be suffered to see one another and they have gone away without seeing of us nor there was not any suffered to come to relieve us nor to help us to such things for our Money as we stood in great need of nor we were not suffered to have any manner of Bedding brought in not so much as a little Straw to lie upon to keep us off the cold Ground although we would have paid for it and this was worse Cruelty than many use to their Dogs and Swine And so the Goalers would force us to buy Victuals of them at their own rate or else we must have none which was dearer by half then we might have had it of other People if we could have been suffered to buy it at best hand and there many were kept in Prisons until they dyed by reason of such Cruel Usage as aforesaid And these Clergy-Men caused many of our Houses to be rifled and they went into the Grounds and took and carried away out of our Houses and Grounds much Goods and Chattels several times which they sold at an undervalue less by half than they were worth And they took away Goods and Chattels from many of us which were worth above five times more than they could prove to be their due and they distrained all the Goods in some Houses and left them not a Bed to lie upon neither for the Man of the House nor his Wife Children nor Servants although some of the men's Wives which had their Houses so rifled and plundred was but newly delivered of a Child or Children and so they took no Pitty nor shewed no Mercy neither to Men Women or Children that were in such a state and condition as aforesaid And thus they have Ruinated several Persons and their Families by taking away their Goods and Chattels which they and their Families should have lived upon They did live very well comfortably before these wicked ungodly Clergy-Men and the Upholders of them
of the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning And now I shall mention and lay before you some of the Cruelties and great Persecutions of the Presbyterian Clergy and some of their Hearers and Members of their Church both in Old England and in New-England which they have acted and done against the People of God who are in scorn called by the World Quakers first they have cast many of us into Prisons and there they have kept several until they dyed and by their means and doings they have taken away the Goods and Chattels of many of our Friends both Rich and Poor to the value of many Thousands of Pounds and this they did in Oliver Cromwell's time and they proceeded against us for not paying of them Tythes and Money for Preaching by a Law which gave them trebble Damage and they caused evil men for to come into our Houses and Grounds for to distrain our Goods and Chattels which they did several times and sold our Goods and Chattels and gave the Money to those Tything Hireling-Priests and they sold our Goods Chattels at an undervalue and they took many times Goods and Chattels from us which were worth above five times more than they call'd their due thus they have done to many of us And they have cast several into Prisons for less than eighteen Pence a piece at their own valuation which they said was their due and thus they have ruinated several of our Friends and their Families aforesaid in their Estates besides the Cruelties which they have Inflicted upon our Bodies in casting many of us into Prisons and there they kept many until they dyed and thus Cruelly with much more Cruelties which are here too tedious to mention have they acted and done against us because we could not for good Conscience sake uphold them in their ungodly Ways and Practices as to pay them Tythes and Money for their Preaching as Ministers of Christ as they and the people that hear them call and account them to be but Christ came to put an end to that Law and Priest-hood and Covenant by which Tythes were paid in the time of the Law and first Covenant and hath abolished it read Heb. 7. 8 9 10. And where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures of Truth that any of the true Ministers of Christ took Tythes or Money for their preaching Or did ever any of the true Believers and Followers of Christ pay Tythes And whosoever they be that either take Tythes or pay Tythes denys Christ to be come and the end of his coming so as to yield obedience unto him by doing that which he requires of them And now I have something more to mention of the Wickedness and Cruelties and Murders of the Presbyterian Clergy and the Professors and Members of their Church in New-England against the people of God called in scorn Quakers first they cast many in Prison and they Whipped many in a cruel manner both Men and Women 〈◊〉 their naked Bodies and they took away the Goods and 〈◊〉 of many of the people aforesaid and they Branded and Burnt them with Hot â—â—ons and they Cut off the Ears of some and Bâ—nished them And all these Cruelties with much more which are not here mentioned which they acted and did against the people aforesaid would not satiâ—fie their blood-thirsty Spirit And now I desire all true Christians who are true Believers and Lovers of Christ to consider and take notice of all these Cruelties and Murders aforesaid and see if these Clergy-Men and People aforesaid be not acted and guided by the same Spirit now that the High-Priests and Chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees were when Christ was upon the Earth and they had a form of Godliness and professed Scriptures and they made long Prayers and made clean the outside and appeared righteous in the sight of men but their hearts were deceitful and full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity as many of the Priests and Professors of Religion are found to be now by their evil Lives and Conversations in this world And was there any greater Enemies to Christ Jesus when he was upon the Earth then those High-Priests and Chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees were then And they sought every way they could for to destroy Christ and his Ministers and sought false Witness against them for to have them put to Death and Christ and some of his Ministers were put to death by means of such wicked ungodly Priests and Professors of Religion as aforesaid which had a form of Godliness but they were absolute Enemies to thse that lived in the Life and Power of Godliness as these Priests and Professors and People are now many of these now are absolute Enemies to the Children of Light and all that do truly believe and own the Spiritual Appearance of Christ in their hearts as to obey and follow it who was and is the true Light and Life of all true Christians and true Believers in him in all Ages Generations that are past gone and all such Christians and true Believers in him who do obey follow the Light Spirit of Christ in their hearts they do and will receive power daily for to forsake their Sins and Iniquities and the same Light and Spirit will beget a perfect hatred in their Hearts against all Sin and every appearance of it both in themselves and in all others where they see Sin acted or done And whosoever doth truly love and 〈…〉 Light and Spirit of Christ in themselves which shews them Sin and reproves them for it in secret when they either think speak or act any thing that is Evil it will teach and help them to forsake Sin and every appearance of Sin according as the Lord doth manifest Sin unto them And whosoever doth truly believe in this Light and good Spirit of Christ which shews people their Sins and reproves them in their own Hearts and Consciences when they do sin against God if they do truly love and obey and follow this Light and good Spirit in them it is sufficient in its self without the help of vain sinful men which preach against Perfection from Sin in this Life I say again it is sufficient and there is help and power enough in it for to lead and guide all people out of their Sins and to give them power to forsake all their Sins and Iniquities by degrees all that are willing to deny themselves of all their sinful Ways and Pleasures and so become obedient to this Light and Spirit of Christ in them and this Light and Spirit the Lord hath given a measure of it freely to every one for to profit withal and it is sufficient for to teach all People that truly believe in it and obey it and is willing to be taught by it it will teach them to deny all ungodly Thoughts Words and Actions and it will teach them to live soberly justly godly and righteously