The Mystery of Iniquity somewhat laid open In a Letter to the Present Governour wherein is also contained an History and Recital and Proposal of Sundry Things to be made known and remembred and to be done accordingly In that Letter which I carried to thine House at Kensington on November 3. 1691. which was there burnt as near as I can remember the words contained therein was to this following Effect viz. THAT I having published my Book Entituled Things Plain and Weighâ—â— c. There was an observable Marginal Note in Page 12. That God would remove the Government off from thy Shoulders and yet not hurt thy Person It was my Duty to make this known unto you as soon as ever this was printed and published which was before thy last Expedition into Flanders But I neglected to do it then for fear thou shouldest Imprison me which now thou hast done Yet I was again troubled at this my neglect least thou going into the Wars it should happen otherwise with thee than I had there written and so the things which belong to thy Peace had been passed away and gone from thee for all Eternity Which was very likely to have come to pass when thou satest under a Tree and soon after thou wast arose from thence a cannon bullet did strike the very place whereon thou satest if the publick Gazette be true that relates it after this manner Herein thou lovest thine Enemies and hatest thy Friends for thou hast declared this day in Imprisoning me who do really and unfeignedly desire thy Temporal Preservation and * See my printed Letter directed to thee at the Hague that thou mayest live out all those days which God hath appointed to the Life of Man upon Earth and therefore I would admonish thee to cease from and not venture thy self nor send others into these dangerous Wars for I do perceive according to the Mind that then and now thou art in if according to the Dictates and Insinuations of thy Foolish Flatterers and Admirers Thou hadst descended into Battel and perished there they would cry it up for Brave and Honorable and the Thoughts of this vain Glory and Praise doth please thee well and spur thee on though if it had so happened thy mind would have been changed for all Eternity for thy Soul would still remember and remain full of Indignation and Wrath. Tribulation and Anguish for what thou soughtest to be commended here on this Earth But now I do well come and congratulate thy â—â—e coming here again into England And I do Pray and Hope that it will be exactly so done with thee according to that Word which God shewed unto me upon one of your appointed publick days of Fasting and Humiliation which I did then observe not for the Reasons mentioned in thy Proclamation for it but for the Sins and Hypocrisie of this People and that I might seek and Pray for their Good This same Word which then sprung up in my Heart and remained within me for several Months the Lord pardon my sinful Fear and Distrust in hiding within my Heart and concealing this Truth 〈◊〉 4â— 10. so long for this ought not so to have been I did at length write it down and publish it to the Great Congregation for so it would be if now all were gathered together who have read or heard of this Word And I came on November ◠〈◊〉 put to thy dwelling place at Kensington for to signifie and make known this with many other things unto thee But instead of thy receiving and observing the Law and Word of God thy Servants did burn that Book wherein it was written and they did Imprison me for some little time in a place where they keep Coals This was somewhat like 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 in the days of Old But what came upon him for so doing Therefore 〈◊〉 saith the Lord of Jehoâ—â—â—â— King of Judah He shall have none to sit upon the Throne of David and his dead Body 〈◊〉 be cast out in the day to the heat and in the night â—o tâ—â— Froâ—â— And I will punish 〈◊〉 and his Seed and his Servants for their Iniquity And I will bring upon them and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the Men of Judah all the Evil that I pronounced against them but they hearkened not Jer. 36. 3â— 31. Now what thy Servants O thou that art called King William do by thy Command or Approbation God interprets iâ— to be thine own Act. And here the former words are visibly true of thee thou shalt have none that is Issue of thy Body to sit upon the Throne of thy Father in Law As the Lord liveth and as sure as now thou livest thy day shall come to dye And though thy dead Body should be interred in the Royal Chappel at Wâ—stmâ—â—ster â—â—bâ—y among the Ancient Kings of this Nation yet things may so alter and turn that it may be taken up again and be removed or exposed to Shame But most ceâ—â—â—iâ—ly it shall rise up at the last day and then it may be tâ—rown into devouring Fire and everlasting Burnings and it may become subject unto Gnashing of Teeth which is ten thousand times worse than to be cast out in the day to the Heat and in the night to the Frost According to the Proverb 〈◊〉 must be verâ—â—ad to be worse thâ—n a Turk But I tell thee Truly and Plaâ—nly that the Turks shall rise up in Judgment against thee and condemn thee for they out of Reverence to thâ— Great God of Heaven and Earth will take up any Paper wherein but so much as the Name of God is written and lay it up very carefully and they will not put it to any common or undecent use So far are they from tearing it or throwing it upon the Ground or bâ—rning it for the Sâ—n or Provocation there seeâ—s to be of â—he same nature as that is oâ— seâ— purpose to cut deface or burn the King's Picture which is esteemed as a great Aâ—â—ront unto him In like manner to do so unto his Truth which though clothed and expressed in a dead Letter it doth bear the Image and Superscription of him that is Invisible is a most hainous Offâ—nce such as words cannot well express the utmost Aggravation thereof God will answer that Man or Woman in a like Punishment for the same Word which goes â—orth from him will be a consuming Fire to devour its Adversaries He shall speak and it shall be done accordingly He shall give forth the Sentence by virtue whereof they shall go to Hell So that the same manner as a Man sinned by the same he shall be punished God will punish thee and thy Servants He will bring them out by their Names and by their Persons whosoever they be for this their Iniquity and he will bring upon you and upon the Inhabitants of England all the Evils which He pronounced against Ye but ye hearkened not It is so in the Mind and Purpose of God
before it is made known upon Earth and so it remains notwithstanding they should forget or lose the knowledge thereof And it shall be done with thy â—elâ— and People and the Officers under thee according to the real Significations and true Meaning of those words which God hath published by me his Servant And though ye have burnt that Book yet I have by me more Copies of the same Book one whereof for thy own reading and pâ—â—usal thou mayest have whensoever thou wilt And besides what is there printed God doth keep the same in my Memory and I am ready to write again according to the same words which I wrote down there and now ye have given occasion to add many like words As pâ—rtiâ—ularly I did shew some of them the last Month in a letter to the Earl of Nottingham which I suppose either came not to his hands or he despised or concealed it So that if I would Honour thee in the sight of â—â—y People and only signifie the same in a written Copy this will not answer the End for I would have it made known unto thee So that I am forced to publish even some more trivial Matters which do not deserve to be made publick But I am willing that several Copies should go out if perhaps one may come unto thee or to thy hearing thereof And also when it is printed thou canst more easily read it than my hand-writing which is bad and difficult But then further it is agreeable to the Method and Will of God that what Sin or Evil his Creature doth secretly He will both reprove and punish before all â—â—râ—el and before the Sâ—â— 2 Sam. 12. 12. Nothing is secret but that it should be made manifest and nothing is hidden but that it should come abroad So that even for secret private and hidden Sins open Reproof is proper that others may fear and take heed of the like things But much more for the things thou dost openly the same may in like manner be reproved from the Word of the All seeing God notwithstanding He now keeps silence and set in order before you I am certain that things of a thousand times less Moment are printed and published If I could not get Admission to deliver my Books in Person unto thy self and thy Wiâ—e as I was before shewed that I should not then the Lord directed me to leave them however some way or other for that would turn for a Witness against you Which also ye are sensible and apprehensible of And therefore perhaps that was one reason why ye did act this kind of Revenge and Spite against me as to send me rather unto a wâ—rse place than that of Dragons to be covered with the shadow of Death but this is among the Ravings of Dâ—â—racted Persons which hath some Representation of Hell and the Howlings of Damned Spirits But ye did not know oâ— at least not throughly consider that this will make it turn for a yet greater Witness and Testimony against your selves So that to excuse the Sin hereof ye will one day wish that the Lord would impute Mâ—â—ness to you for as the Wise Man saith The Heart of the Sonâ— of Mâ—n â—◠〈◊〉 of evil and Maâ—ness iâ— in their Heart while they â—â—ve and after that they go to the 〈◊〉 Eccles 9. 3. So the more Wâ—se and discerning of them would be glad if the Lord would reckon their former Sin and Evil as Madness so that they might either escâ—pe or have their Punishment mitigated after Death But the All wise and All knowing is not as Man that He should be deceived He will minister true Judgment unto the People in Uprightness And He will â—â—pute this Act of yours not as Madness but as Malice Yea to be Rebellion as the Sin of Witcâ—craft and such Stubbornness which is as Iniquity and Idolatry because ye have rejected the Word of the Lord 2 Sam. 15 23 He will adjudge it to be an higher degree of Rebellion and a worse sort of Stubbornness than that here spoken of In that ye were not only contented to reject his Word but ye did Imprison his Servant who came in the Message and Ministration thereof But here ye may be apt to say Why then thou shouldest have carried away thy Books again when thou wert bâ—d so to do and then perhaps this Conâ—inement had not happened unto thee But I did not dare neglect what the Lord commanded me leaâ— I should have been Disobedient to the Voice of God within me And accordingly then I spâ—ke in as silent and friendly manner as one Man talketh to another that I might deliver my Books in Person but they would not admit me nor suffer me to leave them any where in the House but they turned me out of Dâ—â—rs And as I was going out I did not cry nor lifâ— up nor cause my Voice to be heard in the Hoâ—se nor did I shew the least sign of Madness 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—râ—vagancy in my Deportment but only as I was juâ—t gone without the Doors I drop'd them upon the Ground in a silent and peaceable manner there to remain And this was all my troubling of the Court according to their Phrase for they call it so though I did not speak one word of what was contained in my Books But here somewhat may be observed of the Work and Moving of God for like as when the Lord looked unto the Host of the Egyptians through 〈◊〉 Pillar of Fire and of the Cloud He troubled the Host of â—he Egyptians Exod. 14. 24. And as is signified by what is written 1 Sam 16. 5. Tâ—e Elders of the Town trembled at his coming and said Coâ—est thou Peaceable So at the coâ—ing of Christ â—â—o was the Word and the Word â—as God John 1. 1 into the World 〈◊〉 Herod â—he King 〈◊〉 these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Mâ—tâ— â— 3 In like manner each Manifestation or Rumor or Report of the true Woâ—d oâ— God doth cause a Motion or Trouble in 〈◊〉 Hearts of the Inhabitants of the Earth though they do only apprehend or guess somewhat but they do not know distinctly what it is So that let not People think as if any strange or new thing happened That Richard 〈◊〉 coming with the Word of God and his Righteousness the outward Testimony whereof being Written and Printed was the very same by Interpretation and his Reâ—l Intâ—â—tion as if he spoke out every Sentence Word and Syllable into their Ears but he did not open his Lips as to utter any thing audibly contained in it Yet by doing so far only he did trouble whom ye call King William and Queen Maâ—â— and all their Oâ—â—icers and Servants with them But I do hereby tell them fâ—rther That this Troubling is a short and little Earnest of a worse thing that shall befall them and â—â—at worse 〈…〉 Likeas the Fiâ—e at Kensington-House was a Sign or Warning of â—hat should come upon his or their own Heaâ—s for
as the Lord sâ—â—th 〈…〉 Mal. 3. 5. So in this Life God does not usually Pâ—â—ish but 〈◊〉 sheâ—â— a Token â—â—â—t he will pâ—â—ish or rather he doth only bâ—gâ—n tâ— puâ—â—sh And so in whatever Affliction he doth lay upon Mâ—nd Body or Eâ—ate or if it be Sudden Temporal Death the orâ—â—er â—eems to be Correction or Chastisement which is inâ—erior or less than Punishment And as for Temporal Death 〈…〉 And so the Wrath of God which did and doth yet hover over Whitehall and Kensington 〈◊〉 Tâ—â—s word was shewed to me in my Heart even before that Fire also happened at 〈◊〉 in the beginning of this Year was lately a little kindled and did break forth upon the latter place into devouring Fire The former part of this Expâ—eâ—sion I should have proclaimed out aloud when I was at Kensington-House but I neglected so to do for fear the Lord Pardon thy Servant in this thing but I did proclaim this word on the eighth of 〈◊〉 which was two days before the Fire happened there And then I did through the 〈◊〉 of the Prison I was in utter it with a loud audible distinct Voice to the intent whereof I did think at the very time that it might be of greater Effect and Confirmation and that it migâ—t be more ratiâ—â—ed and recorded before God And it was then answered in a still Voice to my Heart that it would be so accordingly for a Law is of greater Force and Energy when it is proclaimed and so the word is more established by is being spoken out This Fire did not hurt the Person of the two chief Inhabitants of that House nor I suppose singe the Hem of their Garment for probably they did arise up and get away from it which is the common and ordinary way to do in such danger But did it not terriâ—ie and affect their Minds for the present time Behold in all this is to be discerned the Riches of his Goodness and forbearance and long-suffering and they are to know that the Goodness of God should lead them to Repentance But theâ— according to the Doctrine of Dâ— John Tiâ—â—â—son in case of Injuries or Wrong to the outward Estate of another there can be no Râ—pentance without Restitution for in order to Repentance it is necessary to undo the Fault as much as it can be and if it were to do again we would not do it This he spake not of himself as now he is but it was before his late Apoâ—â—acy or falling away when he was only a Preacher of Gods Word he did rightly deliver this from the very Nature oâ— true Repentance as any one may assuredly know that it is so who understands what 〈◊〉 signifies whicâ— is the proper and right word in the Greek Language â—oâ— it And notwithstanding what the abovementioned Person may now flurt or speak outwardly with fair words deceiving the Hearts of the Simple or whatever strong Deluâ—â—ons he may â—iâ—gle amongâ—â— those who are Partâ—cipes Criminis who would fain believe a Lye Facâ—â—â—â—â—â—dimus qâ—od voâ—umus yet he cannot now gainsay the same least he should by speaking contrary to the Spirit of his own mind and so in the Prophets Phrase bely the Lord if it may be supposed that there doth any thing of God now remain in him I do not love to Quote Authors because it is Parrot like to repeat anothers words and we should apprehend Truth as Distinct from Men But yet it was not altogether improper to citâ— him by Name that the Poor Wretch for so he is noâ—withstanding he is inclosed in his own Fat and hath great Revenues without Right may tremble and fear least he be condemned out of his own words and he may be hereby pâ—t in mind to come to that thorough work of Repentance to the Acknowledgment which implies outward Confession and Declaration of the Truth And seeing that the two Princes have chosen him to be their Instructer and Teacher I shall here lay before them some other of his words to the following Purport I do not deliver that abovementioned nor yet this 〈◊〉 because I have not now â—â—s bound Book of Printed Sermons by me out of which both these Sentences are taken at this â—â—â—e but there I have read so and it is near to the following Sense and Meaning viz. That People under the Judgments of God are like Lead melded with Fire 〈◊〉 after they are gâ—ne and 〈◊〉 other is removed they â—o like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 returâ— again to their â—ormer Hardness In like manner whatever secret Thoughts Fears or Apprehensions did arise in the Heart of the two Princes just as they had 〈◊〉 Knowledge thereof â—or at that very time they diâ— see their own House Burning when perhaps their Heart was melted like Wax in the 〈◊〉 of their Bowels if herein they would give Glory unto Goâ— by 〈◊〉 oâ—â— and telling opâ—â—ly their Courtiers and Clergy who might tell others the same 〈…〉 had at that very time But if tâ—ey â—râ— Sallâ—n 〈◊〉 will not discovâ—◠〈◊〉 of them leaâ— by some of their thoughts then their Sâ—â— should 〈◊〉 what appear and â—hey should hereby confess then own 〈◊〉 Hear ye give Ear be not Proud â—or 〈◊〉 Lord hath spoken thus iâ— his Word and he doth now command and require ye to give Glory unto the Lord God of Israeâ— and make Confession unto 〈◊〉 tell us 〈…〉 ye did think aâ— that very time Hide it not from us give Glory unto the Lord your God before he cause Darkness and before your Feet stumble upon the dark Mountains if ye will not this is Disobedience and God shall nevertheless bring out and rehearse those innermost Thoughts that they shall be made known whither ye now for a very little while choose or whither ye do refuse But now it is some while since over ye have almost forgotten it or ye do cease to be affected therewith and ye are now again shut up and closed like the Lead or Wax afore spoken of When this Judgment was just flaming before your Eyes then ye could learn and understand Righteousness but now the Fire is quenched ye will not practice and do it But after your Hardness and Impenitent Heart ye Treasure up unto your selves Wrath against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God who will render unto every Man according to his Deeds Unto them that are Contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Unrighteousness as that is exactly your case and of those who side with ye Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil. What ye call my Troubling of you it is only to prevent all that for it is not I but the Word and Truth which appears forth through me and your being troubled thereat doth arise from the Multitude of thine Iniquity and the Great Hatred for Sin when it is committed doth leave Guilt behind Now when the Sin comes to be Reproved and manifested then also the
Oppressing and Caushing of all its Enemies of whom many are 〈◊〉 to God by being Zealous for his law and for its Superiority over all their Ordinances and Constitutions and also they do whatever God and Christ hath commanded But here it comes to pass that as the Friendship of the World is Enmity to God so here whom God vouchsafes to call his Friends the Corrupt World doth term its Enemies But the Lord will enter into Judgment with the Antients of the People and with the Princes thereof and he doth at this day speak the same unto England What mean ye that ye beat my People to pieâ—s saith the Lord God of Hosts Isa 3. 14 15. they are your Fellow-Creatures but notwithstanding God saith so in his Word ye go on and continue nevertheless to do it Which being contrary to his revealed Will it doth thus become Sin and Transgression unto you and it draws on more Displeasure of God upon your selves That Question Shall they escape by Iniquity Psal 56. 7. implies a certain Negative that they shall not escape as may be yet more understood from what is afterwards said and implied In thine Angâ—r â—â—st down the People O God They do day by day die severally in their Sin Trespass Iniquity and Transgression And besides it is imported that God will do according to his Method and working of Old whereof he doth not speak Plainly but he doth sufficiently intimate it elsewhere in his Word how that he will by some sudden unexpected Stroke bring down and scatter all these Workers of Iniquity and all their Iniquity which they have been so long setting up and endeavoring to stablish shall fall to the Ground and come to nothing There must be some mean time that their Iniquities may be full and ripe As also this mean while the longer it is it will the more prove the Faith Patience and waiting of his Servants For the Workers of Iniquity shall soon be cut down like the Grass and wither as the green Herb for evil doâ—rs shall be cut off for yet a little while and the Wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be Psal 3â—â— 2 9. I remember that some few Years since when I testified to my Fathers House against some particular Sins and Transgressions they did then live in the Practice of that immediately after I had done so he or they did conceive a greater Degree of Enmity and Hatred which they did vent forth in Reproach against me and a day or two afterwards they would more eagerly do the same whereof I did admonish and reprove them But in longer process of time I did observe he did quite leave it off and he came off by little and hidden Degrees not to be outwardly perceived that it should seem and perhaps as he would give out by reason of the Pride of Life remaining that it should not be the effect of my Preaching and or Persuasion as they did tauntingly object when neither then nor now did I speak â—ny thing of my self but from Gods Word only but some other Cause or Reason whereas God will more particularly rehearse it how they did at length refrain for fear they should come to that place of Torment I did warn them of This Relation may seem somewhat trivial but as God was pleased then to bless my Ministry so he doth now give me the same hope that in this great matter I am now engaged in of being called out from converting a single Family or Parish to seek and endeavor to 〈◊〉 a whole Nation from Iniquity unto Righteousness And I now contending earnestly that Gods Lawâ— should have the Superiority over theirs and take place before them though now by the Force and Assemblies of Violent Men they have cast me these four times into Prison yet I trust still though perhaps they may come over by the like Method that God will deliver me from the Strivings of the People and that this Nation will yet obey the Voice of the Word of God in Testimony whereof I have hazarded my Life And now this â—ast time they detaining me in 〈◊〉 longer than ever they did yet this doth open unto me another glimpse of Light to my former Assurance that this thing will be more certainly effected according as I have spoken and exhorted from the Mighty and Powerful Word of God And that I shall not all along as to my self bring 〈◊〉 for trouble and only to leave our Rulers without Excuse and to aggravate their Siâ— But He that 〈◊〉 hitherto shall be at last taken out of the way And they will be brought to hearken unto and comply with those Laws of their God which I have set before them and then both the inward Enmity and outward Persecution against me will be also done away and perhaps this last will not utterly cease until the other be fully accomplished Even so God grant it Amen I will cry unto God most High unto God that performeth all things for me Psalm 57. 2. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth mâ— Thy Mercy O Lord endureth for ever Forsakâ— not the Work of thine own hands Psalm 138. 8. But as to the Men of this World it is a sad and miserable thing when they are once dipt involved yea and plunged all over into Sin they are as it were in a Labyrinth or Maze from which they know not how to get out they are intangled in the Wilderness and though the Thorns do scratch and tear and are very troublesome yet they prick farther and clasp more about just such is the Condition of Silly People laden with Sins This Epithet is â—iâ—ly ad led for unless they had been Foolish and Deceived they had never been 〈◊〉 with Sins for so foolish ugly and hateful is Sin that when it iâ— represented according to its real Nature the Words and Discourse which like a Picture to the Bodily Senses so this shews it unto the Eyes of the Understanding do also seem Foolish Ugly and Hateful For he 〈◊〉 himsâ—lf in his own Eyes until his Iniquity is â—ound to be hateful Psal 36. 2. But if you come either to the several Persons who commit the same or to the sinful Nation a People laden with Iniquity a Sâ—â—d of evil doers Children that are Corrupters They have forsaken the Lord They have provoked the Holy one of Israel to Anger They are gone away backwards Isa 1. 4. all this is Eng 〈…〉 at this day and exhort them to come over again unto God and to turn from Iniquity unto Righteousness endeavour to bring them into Subjection unto his whole Land and to do all things exactly according to the Pattern shâ—wed in his Word If thou dost once begin to do all this Briers and Thorne will be with thee and thou wilt dwell among Scorpioâ—s Ezek. 2. 6. which will hinder and prick and hurt so for the two last Qualities it is like falling among a Nest of Wasps for
Guilt is stirred up and from hence doth arise Conviction Shame Anguish of Spirit all which are very troublesome and fearful Expectation of what all the present Trouble is but a little Earnest and Transient Forerunner of that Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish which shall for ever abide and remain upon your Immortal Spirits which shall be in worse Pains than that of Dying and yet they shall never Dye Consider It is good for ye now to be troubled in order to the Saving of your Souls And ye had better be warned of it that ye may flee from the Wrath to come than to be kept Ignorant unmindful or holden under strong Delusions unto your Dying Day and so fall Eternally under it These strong Delusions are sent unto those who receive not the Love of the Truth and they are outwardly administred by your Mealy mouthed Priests who do deliver in these smooth things and Deceits both in their ordinary Preaching and Personal Conversation to the Intent that they may Please and not Offend and they call this Falseness and Perâ—idiousness to their Holy Ministry Good Humour and Breeding But as to speaking the things which become â—ound Doctrine they are in the Language of the Spirit Dumb Dogs for so they are through Fear Corruption and Sloth And because of the Multitude of them who do neglect and leave undone those things which they ought to do I am Persecuted as one Singular and am as a speckled Bird the Birds round about are against me Jer. 12. 9. and they do Chatter or put forth the Bill And whereas I do like another John Baptist warn the People of this my Generation to flee from the Wrath to come and I do mention the Law of God which saith that such and such things are not Lawful that is they arâ— not consistent with but contrary or otherwise than such a Law Commands or Requires But ye are more to be blamed and ye are worthy of soarer Punishment who do offend this Law than I am thought an Offender only for making mention of this Law for I do according to what is commanded Lev. 19. 17. Rebuke ye and I would not suffer Sin upon you But for this doing only ye do put and shut me up in Prison for which doing to me his Servant God will answer ye again as to thrust ye down to the lowermost Hell For a common Swearer Drunkard or Whore-monger will receive a Reproof and he will acknowledge his Fault and make excuses for it but he will not strike him in the Face who shall give the Admonition There doth indeed rise up a greater degree of Rancor Malice and Hatred against him that Rebukes for the Sins of Fraud and Injustice But when a whoâ—e Nation do despise and falsifie an Oath when they establish Iniquity by a Law When by a pretended Law of their own making they would make void God's Law Psaâ—m 119. 126. and his Fifth Commandment of none effect Mat. 15. 6. by their sayings Tradition and Practice for as the Pharisâ—es did of old so do both our Rulers and Pharisees at this day when the Nations would Reign only themselves and would not have God Reign over them â—or his Law and Word mentioned among them if it should contradict their doings and Actions Then they do imprison punish and pâ—t to death him who sâ—â—ll do it But the very 〈◊〉 Wickedness and Rebellion would also imprison punish put to death if either was in their power the Living Almighty and Eternal God They would lift him off from his Throne which is established of old Psalm 93. 2. if they could reach up and do it for the Floods have lifted up that is they do think and lift up their Voice that is speak against God yea there is yet a third ascending step of Rebellion they do liâ—t up their Waves that is they act against God to the utmost of their power as high and as far as they can reach The Lord on hâ—gh is mightier than the noise of many Waters yea than the 〈◊〉 Waves of the Sea Psal 93. 4. He is above all the Thoughts Words and Actions of Mortal and Rebellious Creatures And he is not as the Idols of the Heathen to be taken Captive slain or thrown down Nevertheless herein he doth prove the Wickedness and Rebellion of Men against him for he sends his Servants into whom he instils his Truth and Goodness and what is done against them he doth interpret and receive it as done immediately against himself And so when he sent his only begotten Son into the World who was the Word and the Word was God yet they did slay him the Prince of Life And as Christ said He that hateth me â—ateth my Father also John 15. 23. so if such a thing may be supposed with Reverence the same Wickedness that did slay his Christ would if possible have killed God himself And so for the Governors whom he hath set over us and calls his Anointed the very same Rebellion that doth depose and remove the Government off from their Shoulders because it is in Mens power so to do would likewise pull down God from Heaven and remove the Government off from his Shoulders if that was in their power also For in all these Cases the Murmurings and Speeches the Actions and Doings are not against the Creature but against the Lord our Creator and our Governor our Law-giver and our King Ye should quarrel not with me his Servant but with him because he hath given such Laws to Mankind but indeed he is displeased with you and will punish you for not Obeying keeping and observing them or will ye Arraign his Justice and Goodness in givings Laws to Mankind to which are annexed such exceeding great Rewards and Penalties of Eternal Life and Death and ye say that they are penned so dark intricate and obscure that ye know not when ye do observe them or not But this is to utter Error against the Lord Isa 32. 6. which is naturally Consequent when your heart doth work Iniquity and practice Hypocrisie for all this hardness or doubtfulness doth only come to pass through the Perplexity and Confusion of Disobedience or Transgression It is because ye do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand 12. 10. whereas if ye would turn from your Iniquities ye might understand his truth Dan. 9. 13. which ye do not â—are but ye are unwilling to do and therefore like the Slothful and Wicked Servant to excuse your selves ye would think God to be unrighteous or an hard Master which he is neither but ye are Perverse and Disobedient The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psalm 14. 1. But they which are corrupt and have done abominable Works the Wicked Disobedient and Hypocrite do wish and desire that there was no God and they would not have God Reign over them In the Language of Moses David and Isaiah they are called Rebels which is
a very fit and proper term for them So Samuel told Saul the King That Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft and Stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. and this is Rebellion against God the very Sin of those called our Kings and Rulers at this day And because these have also rejected the Word of the Lord I pray God to fulfil the other part of the Sentence upon them the Lord will reject and cast off the same Persons from being Kings or Rulers over us for they that would have others do according to their Laws Commands and Orders themselves should also do according to the Laws Precepts and Commandments of the most High God Here it is to be observed that though God had rejected Saul from that day forward in which Samuel speak thus yet he afterwards continued King over all Israel until he was slain in the Battel against the Philistines In like manner Those at this day may as yet remain upon the outward Throâ—e though they are disallowed of God and it is his Mind and Purpose that they should not be setled and established here All this forementioned is no Enthusiaâ—â—ic or strange Conceit which may be tauntingly said to be proper for the Notions of Bethleâ—em Hospital But it brings out the very nature of Sin that it may appear exceeding sinful according as it is also expressed in the Books and Sermons of Sober and Understanding Divines And hereby may be somewhat perceived of the Justice of God in inflicting an exceeding and Eternal Punishment for what is called light and transitory Offences But to return to our Subject and intended Matter I did in that Letter superscribed to the E. of N. Chief Secretary of State but within directed to the present King William put him in mind and also desire him that I might be brought down before him to speak or read many more words unto him And if he was fearful or apprehensive least I should do them any hurt then let him order my Hands to be bound and my Feet to be put into Fetters But as the Lord liveth who gave to him and my self Life and Being I would not so much as injure his outward Skin the Hairs of his Head neither would I touch the Skirt of his Clothing For Truth breaks no Bones it doth only trouble in order to the saving of the Soul I suppose that this my Proposal and Desire was either not made known unto him or he would not consent unto it knowing that if I did speak words into his Ears I should torment him before his time For as the Devil said so unto Christ who was the Word of God so at this Day the Word of God hath the same and like effect upon the Hearts of the Disobedient which are possessed with the Spirit of the Evil One for this makes them Disobedient and Wicked for the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a two edged Sword pâ—ercing even to the dividing a sunder of Soul and Spirit and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart So that it will vex and torture the Man or else actually bring him to Repentance It hath constantly this Effect where it is truly and powerfully Preached as that is seldom in these days for it doth work an holy Violence upon Men and Women as to cause them to give up their ill gotten Goods Many also of them which used curious Arts brought their Books together and burnt them before all Men. So mightily greâ—â— the Word of God and prevailed Acts 19. 19 20. So as to them which use sinful evil and indirect Arts in other things where the Word of God is throughly made known unto such and Prevails over their Consciences it doth make them forsake all those sinful and wrong ways and means And it works them into such a Condition that they come trembling to know what they must do to be saved In like Manner where a common Person gets Riches and not by Right the Spirit saith expresly He shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his End shall be a Fool Jer. 17. 11. That is in the midst of Possession and Enjoyment He shall have no true comfort of them and at last he shall lose Heaven Now there is no Folly to be compared to the losing of Heaven though it be for some hundreds or thousands of Pounds which then are Slipped away from him again where a great Person whom the corrupt World doth Respect and hath in Admiration because of Advantage but God will not excuse him who comes to great Revenues without Right seems to be a reaching out the Hand and taking and grasping of it by Violence when they should not do it but yet they do it Because it is in the power of their hand Micah 2. 1. I had a more lively Representation of this in my Mind than I can now express it forth in words when I heard that the * Who is so because He is in Administration of the Regal Authority King had seized the Seven Bishops Revenues So they oppress or defraud a Man and his House even a Man and his Heritage Micah 2. 2. And where is it done by a colour of Law and Authority this indeed doth deceive the Ignorant when wise and knowing Men do more abominate and loath it much more will the All-wise God hate and proceed against it for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him Actions are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. And when they are weighed in the Baâ—lance of the Sanctuary and considered out of the Book of the Lord and also from the Nature and last end of things with that abundant Reasoning which arises and flows from these several Topicks All this will make it plain and evidently appear to the Heart of Man that Better is a little with Righteousness than great Revenues without Right So that the Man will choose it accordingly for by so doing He will be more Happy now and hereafter After the very same manner you may conceive of that which is called Government or Authority without Right it is not properly Government but Vsurpation when another takes that upon him which doth not belong or appertain to him and then He doth lift up himself above the Congregation of the Lord Numbers 16. 3. above his Brethren and Fellow-Creatures And so even a Lawful Governour may Vsurp when He takes too much upon him v. 7. for both these kinds of Vsurpation we learn from this two-fold Saying of Korah and his Rebellious Accomplices had that bâ—â—n true which they falsly object unto Moses So again this is not Authority for this supposeâ— what is Lawful but if it is not thâ—â— it may â—e more properly stiled Power or Publick Force which is kept up by the Administration and Exercise thereof and it Grows stronger and stronger where it doth Oppress and Crush and it be sure to prevail But if it be once contradicted with true