light pure openings and Prophesies to come a belief that I should see the day and should bear witnesse to his name and so when things opened so fast the wisdome of the flesh catched them and so I went up and down preaching against all the Ministry and also run out with that which was revealed to my selfe and preached up and down the country of the fulnesse that was in the old bottle and so was wondred after and admired by many who had waded up and down as my selfe had and we fed one another with words and healed up one another in deceit and all laid down in sorrow when the day of the Lord was made manifest for I was overthrown and the foundation swept away and all my righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse was all judged and weighed and all was found too light And immediately assoon as I heard one declare whose name is not known to the world but written in the Lambs book of life for ever in eternall record for ever assoon as I heard him declare that the light of Christ in man was the way to Christ I believed the eternall word of truth and that of God in my conscience sealed to it and so not onely I but many hundreds more who thirsted after the Lord but was betrayed by the wisdome of the Serpent we were all seen to be of the foundation and all mouths was stopped in the dust and so we stood all as condemned in our selves and all saw our nakednesse and were all ashamed though our glory was great in the worlds eye but all was vanity And then after all this I was ignorant what the first principle of true Religion was but as I turned my mind within to the light of Jesus Christ wherewith I was enlightned which formerly had reproved me for all vanity and also as I did own it it led me into righteousnesse and when I turned to it I saw it was the true and faithfull witnesse of Christ Jesus and then my eyes vvas opened and all things vvas brought to remembrance that ever I had done and the Ark of the Testament was opened and there was thunder and lightning and great haile and then the trumpet of the Lord was sounded and then nothing but war and rumour of war and the dreadful power of the Lord fell upon me plague and and pestilerce and famine and earthquake and fear and terror for the sights that I saw with my eyes and that which I heard with my eares sorrow and paine and in the morning I wished it had been evening and in the evening I wished it had been morning and I had no rest but trouble on every side and all that ever I had done was judged and condemned and all things was accursed whether I did eate or drink or restraine I was accursed and then the Lyon suffered hunger and the Seals were opened and seven thunders uttered their voyces mine eyes were dim with crying my flesh did faile of fatnesse my bones were dryed and my sinnews shrunk I became a proverb to all yea to them who had been mine acquaintance they stood afar off me the pillars of Heaven was shaken and the earth reeled as a cottage one woe poured out after another And I sought death in that day and could not find it it fled from me and I sought to cover my selfe any way or with any thing but nothing could for the indignation of the Lord was upon the Beast and the false Prophet and Babylon came into remembrance in that day the mother of harlots and the Sea dryed up and all the Merchants that had traded with her stood asar off for the cup of fury was poured forth and Cain was seen and Judas that had betrayed the Lord of life and I would have run any way to have hid my selfe but nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth and sorrow and terror and I roared out for the disquietnesse of my heart and the kingdome was full of darknesse I knew not the right hand from the left I became a perfect fool and knew nothing and as a man distracted all was overturned and I suffered losse of all in all that ever I did I saw it was in the accursed nature and then somthing in me cryed Just and true is his judgment my mouth was stopped I durst not make mention of his name I knew not God and as I bore the indignation of the Lord somthing rejoyced the Serpents head began to be bruised and the Witnesses which were slain were raised and stopped Heaveâ— that it rained not in the dayes of their Prophesie and a great samine there was and the Sun was darkned and the Moon turned into blood and the Stars did fall and all the grasse of the earth withered and every green tree and all the springs were dryed up and a great and a noysome smell and a plague fell upon the earth and the waters became as the blood of a dead man and the Heavens passed away with a noyse and the Elements melted and the earth was scorched with the flame which proceeded from the Throne of God and the Judgement Seat of Christ was seen and an account was to be given and then Esau was cursed and Cain and Judas and Ishmael and all the Cananites and the Egyptians went to the left hand and as the Judgement was pronounced something cryed Just art thou oh Lord in all thy judgements and as I did give up all to the Judgement the captive came forth out of prison and rejoyced and my heart was filled with joy and I came to see whom I had pierced and my heart was broken and the blood of the Prophets I saw slaine and a great lamentation and then I saw the Crosse of Christ and stood in it and the enmity slaine upon it and the new man was made and so peace came to be made and so eternall life was brought in through death and judgement and then the perfect gift I received which was given from God and the holy Law of God was revealed unto me and was written in my heart and his feare and his word which did kill now makes alive and so it pleased the Father to reveal his son in me through death and so I came to witnesse cleansing by his blood which is eternall Glory unto him for ever and am a Minister of that word of eternall life which endures for ever Glory unto his name for ever and have rest and peace in doing the will of God and am entred into the true rest and lie down in the fold with the lambs of God where the Sons rejoyce together and the Saints keep holy-day Glory unto him for ever And these few things have I written for your sakes who walk in darknesse that you may see where you are and also ye high Cedars who trust in the arme of flesh that you may cease your boasting and comâ— down from off the pinacle where you are exalted for the same must come upon you
the holy Law of God in which is power which is in the heart and it bears witnesse against you and in you and yet say you cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fullfill it if you fullfill it not you break it and then the wrath abides upon you But then you say if we must fulfill the Law what use is Christ of I say he who abides for ever fulfilled it and fulfills it in them who know him and his work and this the Scriptures bears witnesse of and herein man comes to be jufied in Gods sight by Christ who works all our works in us and for us and self becomes dead and because he lives we live also Glory unto him for ever And therefore we cannot but lay open the deceit of Satan and exhort all to come up to Christ out of the works of condemnation Oh foolish people and unwise when will ye seek after wisedome and hearken that your soules may live How long will yee trust to the imaginations of your own hearts Verily verily I say unto you The time is coming your building shall fall and there shall not one stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down and the shame of Ethiopia and Aegypt shall come upon you and your old Garments shall be torn off you and you shall walk naked and bare and shall see your shame and the holy Nation of the Lamb shall rejoyce and your sorrow the Lord hastens upon you who will not own the Crosse of Christ nor the word of life which would turn you from unrighteousnesse and out of the world and its nature but you harden your hearts and bend your browes and shoot your Arrowes against the Lord and his Anointed ones and takes part with all the uncircumcised in the Nations in the confederacy in the Nation against the Lamb yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared and many of you who have been a reproach now reproach O tell it not in Gath never let it come to other Nations Shame shame and blush at this you who thus requite the Lord evill for good Hath the Lord broken the band of the oppressor without And have you not seen the hand of the Lord against them that were oppressors cut off in his wrath and overthrown And are not many of you the highest professors both in England and Ireland now acting in their footsteps Even you who professe separation from the world who hath been taken from the sheepfold and as you were seeking the Asses and raised from a low estate in the World now to places of dignity and honour and to bear Rule and to sit as Judges among the people and now have you forgotten that you were servants under Pharaoh but now hath taken up his power and have forgot the afflictions of Joseph and your fingers is becoming heavier then your fathers loines and now you are joyning your strength with the Canaanites and Aegyptians against the Lord Where is the liberty of tender consciences you have told of And what is become of your Reformation Is it ended in this like Absolom when you are come to be Judges in the Gate acts in open Rebellion against the Lord and now would be Judges of him every where and would limit him and set a bound unto him and would break his eternall Decree which stands for ever Oh if them who had professed no love to God had done thus it might have been born but ye treacherous hearts your ingratitude and hypocrisie cannot be born but the Lord God will visit for these things that you should now act by those Lawes which you cryed out of as oppressive and should deliver your brethren up to the devourer and spoyler who have born a part of the suffering in the Nations distresse and grief in the greatest calamity would you thus be done by would you bear it well I will not complain but I will shew you the ground and lay it before you that if it be possible you may be ashamed and repent lest the Lord also avenge himself upon you as he did upon the enemies before you Have not many of you in England been acting in the steps of the prophane when the Lord hath given you what you sought after liberty and freedome in those things and now you labour by all your strength and power to oppresse them who walk blamelesse before the Lord and men also Oh what is all your preaching and praying and fighting and warring come to this that none must declare the mind of the Lord except it be in your way or will or time under paine of bonds and banishment fines and imprisonment stocking whipping stoning and you that have been sufferers your selves now comes to be chief oppressors and opposers of the Lord in his way and all manner of lyes and reproaches you cast upon the truth and you take part with the rest of the Priests and deceivers in the Nation which take part against you when you was for the Lord and numbers us among transgressors of every hand to make the truth odious to all These things and much more are found among you from the least to the greatest and yet you would be accounted Christians and if you say you have thus learned Christ I say you know him not Can you limit the Ocean from flowing or can you command the wind that it blow not or can you stop the windowes of Heaven that it raine not upon the Earth if you cannot at all doe it all lye down he that reproves God let him answer it Have you given counsell to the Lord or have you been his Instructer or can you limit him in his way if you cannot no more shall you be able to stop his way who is riding on in his power and overturns all the worlds wisedome and power and strength and who is able to resist him who dryes up the face of the deep and saith to the Sea be still and to the mountaines be removed and they are so and he vvill advance his ovvn glory and povver against all mens vvills and Lavves vvhich stands in mans vvill and vvill break all your cords as a Bull-rush and overthrovv all your counsell and make it even vvith the earth and shame shall cover all his opposers and therefore learne wisdome Oh ye Potsheards of the earth and cease to strive against the Lord and his power which will be too strong for you and you shall not be able to limit him nor stop him in his way who runs his course as a Gyant and bruises all his enemies heads and cuts them in peece by the two edged sword of his mouth which he hath put into the bands of his Saints who follow him in the Warr and our conquest is through suffering Glory unto him for ever who hath counted us worthy to suffer for his names sake and to be brought before Rulers and Councels for his names sake that the Scripture might be fullfilled in us
the root of iniquity stood and the body of sin whole notwithstanding I was kept by a secret power from grosse evills but still sorrow compassed me about and I questioned all that ever I had which they said was grace and repentance and faith And then I told them there was guilt in me And they said sin was taken away by Christ but the guilt should still remaine while I lived and so brought me the Saints condititions who were in the warfare to confirme it and so I said in my selfe this was a miserable salvation that the guilt of sin and condemnation still in me should stand and so I was tossed from mountaine to hill And I heard them preach confusion and so I matterd not for them and said sure this is not the Ministry of Christ and so I ceased long by fits and did not mind them but kept still at home and in desart places sollitary in weeping and every thing that I had done was laid before me insomuch that every thought was judged and I was tender and my heart broken and when I could sorrow most I had most peace for something spoke within me from the Lord but I knew him not then And they said that it was heresie to look for the word of the Lord to be spoken now in these dayes but onely the letter and so I regarded it not much yet often I was made to doe many righteous things by the immediate power and word of God and then peace and joy sprung up in me and promises was spoken that he would teach me himselfe and be my God and often I did obey contrary to my will and denyed my will but they told me this was legall to obey out of fear and that was slavery but there was an Evangelicall obedience as they called it so I got above the fear and yet acted the former things which they called Ordinances and they said that was son-like obedience and Christ had done all Then there appeared more beauty in them called Independants and I loved them and so joyned my selfe to them and all the money that I could get I purchased books with and walked with and owned them as more separate from the world and they prest separation but at last I saw it was but in words that they would doe things and chuse officers and members of themselves and so made themselves an Image and fell down to it yet there was some tendernesse in them at the first but the doctrine was the same with the worlds words without of others conditions Then they whom they called Anabaptists appeared to have more glory and walked more according to the Scripture observing things written without and I went among them and there was something I loved among them but after they denyed all but such that came into their way as out of the fellowship of the Saints and Doctrine of Christ I saw the ground was the same and their Doctrine out of the life with the rest of the Teachers of the world and had separated themselves and made another likenesse but still all said the letter was the word and rule and Christ at a distance without had done all and some of them holding freewill others opposing and all in the will But still I loved them that walked honestly amongst all these but though I had seen and owned all that I had heard except the figure which I saw was outward and that was their greatest glory and I saw they would have all fall down to it else no communion in the midst of all these and much more which is death to speak on but onely that all honest hearted may see themselves where they have rested and also may not trust any more to a reed of Egypt after all this no peace nor no guide I found And then the Doctrine of free-grace as they called it some preach't that all sin was done away past present and to come and so preached salvation to the first nature and to the Serpent that bore rule onely believing this and all was finished to this I hearkned a little and so lost my condition within But still whither ever I went this was spoken in me His servant thou art to whom thou obeyes and so I being overcome by sin I had no justification witnessed in me but condemnation Then some preached Christ within but they themselves were without had but words and yet they said all must be within unto which my heart did cleave and spoke of redemption and justification and all within and of God appearing in man and overcoming the power of the Devils and then that in my conscience bore witnesse it must be so and I was exceedingly pressed to wait to find it so and something breathed after the living God and a true love I had to all that walked honestly in what profession soever and I hated reviling one another and that they should smite one another and persecute one another and with the sufferer I alwayes took part But still I saw though they spoke of all things within and of a power to come that they enjoyed not what they spoke for the same fruits was brought forth till at last I saw none walked as the Ministers of Christ nor none that pretended to the Ministry had any such gift neither Pastour nor Teacher nor any such Members as was in the Apostles time So at last having passed up and down hurried here and there I saw all the Teachers of the world that they sought themselves and fed poor people with dead names and deceit and that they were not the Ministry of Christ and so I saw them all in deceit who did not abide in Christs Doctrine and so I got my selfe quit of most of them for ever as I dissented from their judgement they hated me and persecuted me So at last there was something revealed in me that the Lord would teach his people himselfe and so I waited and many things opened in me of a time at hand And sometime I would have heard a Priest but when I heard him I was moved by the Lord and his word in me spoke to oppose and often as a fire I burned and a trembling fell upon me yet I feared reproach and so denyed the Lords motion and it was revealed in me to waite and I should know his counsell and the word of the Lord was in me the time was at hand when the dead should hear the voyce of the Son of God and it burned in me as fire that the day was near when it should not be Loe here nor there but all his people should be taught of the Lord But still my mind ran out and out of the fear into carelesnesse for the Crosse of Christ I knew not And yet this I say I was wiser then my Teachers I met with in that Generation I doe not glory in it for condemnation is past on it all for ever yet still I had ever as my mind was turned to the
added because of transgression to cut down and the unjust destroyed in you and the rebellious nature yoaked which hath had its liberty in the earthly where the Beasts of the field dwells and so it will come to decay and the Law works wrath upon the deceit in you which hath had preheminence and so you will see the thunder as the Seale is opened and the earthquakes and lightning insomuch as you cannot behold and live But the transgressor and the transgression which is contrary to the Law is cut down and when there is a time of great sorrow and great trouble and tryall and temptation wait in patience in the judgement and let the Lords work have its perfect operation in you and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you he will bind up and heale and give up all to the great slaughter of the Lord unto the Crosse all that which is discovered by the pure Law of God and as the earth comes to be plowed up the seed which is sown comes up and the Rocks broken the water gusheth out and so you will see some promises will arise in you to the seed which is coming up out of the grave and so the love of God will appear in you and you will be stayed and see hope in the midst of calamity Then take heed that the Serpent get not that which is to the Babe and so the carnall come to be exalted but as you wait you will see the subtilty of the Enemy and sin and death rules till Moses who was a faithfull servant in his house and brings to the Law of God revealed in you then sin comes to be crucucified and to loose its dominion over you and in you and so you will see one brought forth under the Law who fullfilled the Law and now fullfills it in all those who walk after him in the spirit and fullfills not the desires of the flesh and wait and you will see some Prophecies opened in you and the day-star in your hearts which leads to where Christ is and openings of the inheritance which is to be received and the promise is to the seed And all wait in the light and keep in your minds to it and you will see Johns Ministry the water which washeth and he is the preparer of the way and turns to God lest he smite the earth with a curse and his Ministry breaks down the mountaines and removes them and makes a plaine way and your minds being turned to the Lord and as you own the gift of Christ given you repentance you will see unto life and then you will see something arising and shine in you opening your hearts and there will be a breathing after the Lord and his righteousnesse and standing in obedience in the Crosse the vayle you will see rent and you will see him that hath turned you from sin by his free gift made manifest in you and he which is the gift saves you from sin and so the seales will be opened by the Angel of the Covenant and the Lamb So all in patience wait and keep in the living principle of life and things will open in you even the dark sayings of old and that which spake Parables to the Serpents seed will open the Parables to his own seed then you will see him whom you have pierced even the Lamb who hath been slain since the foundation of the world and your hearts will be boken and water will gush out of the Rock and so love will encrease in you who abide faithfull in your measure and the good and perfect gift of God will be made manifest in you and the hope upon which the soule comes to be anchored will come to be witnessed which hope purifies the heart and as you stand in the perfect Law of liberty revealed in you revealed by the Spirit which cuts down the oppressor and gives liberty to his seed unto which the Covenant is and the promises for ever and this seed Christ took and takes upon him to redeem even the seed of Abraham unto whom the promise was made and so wait that the pure Law of righteousnesse which is life to the righteous and so the seed may be set up and you will see all chained under and this binds and fetters the unclean spirits and shuts up them into utter darknesse for ever And as you come to be redeemed from under the bondage of sin and come above the bonds of death the pure principle lives in you there will be a delight in you to doe the will of the father who hath redeemed you from sin and its Law unto righteousnesse and its Law And all who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse wait in that which thirsteth that the gift you may receive which perfects for ever them that receive it and believe in it and cleanseth and purgeth you from unrighteousnesse and this being revealed in you as you obey it it leads to true peace and will reveal in you the immortall seed which came not by the will of man but is contrary and revealed out of mans will which all must witnesse to be born of that inherits the Kingdome of God and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible seed which the promise is unto and are in him fullfilled Yea and Amen come out of time before all time the Son of God which leads out of time and this is he whom the father revealed in Paul and this is he of whom I am a witnesse in whom I have redemption by the blood of the Crosse and he is my Sanctification Justification and Wisedome who is the Son of God who came to doe his fathers will and now doth where he is witnessed who by his eternall word of life hath begotten me and made me a partaker of his eternall inheritance which never fades away Glory unto him for evermore who is life and translateth all that believeth and follow him in the work of Regeneration unto his Kingdome So silence all you Diviners and Sorcerers for ever who believe with a faith and teach a faith that none can be ever cleansed from sin while they are here you and your faith is denyed for it is not the same which was once delivered to the Saints which gave them victory over the world and by which they overcame Paul a Minister of Christ by the will of God said the Colossions were translated into the kingdome of God where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter your preaching is vaine your hope and faith is vaine and all your hearing is vaine while the perfect gift of God is not witnessed nor the everlasting offring which perfects for ever them that are sanctified by him even by his word of life and his will which sanctifies and makes perfect the commers thereunto and presents all that believe and receive him without spot And therefore all you that love the Lord and wait for the coming of the kingdome of
for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your wills while the will of God in you is not hearkned unto but cast behind your backs and so the way of true peace you never come to attaine unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the wind and of husks among swine and upon that which dies of it selfe and when will you enquire after the living God who is power how long have you talked of his power to come many years and you are still as far off if not further than you were before and hath told of the glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the heart and of God teaching his people himselfe and of his Spirit being poured out upon his sons and daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amisse and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feeds them with the old dregs and lees which you are setled upon and the old leaven of aiery notions and conceptions and wine of the sowre grape which sets on edge the childrens teeth and fills them to full that when the living bread is broken they cannot eate nor relish it nor tast and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that doth declare it and when the power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your way that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jewes did whose eyes were without and your fallen wisdome cannot receive him nor compasse his eternall wisdome And yet you will say the Jewes did require a signe and were in the adultery and the Greeks sought after wisdome and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same state Did ever God reveal himselfe to the fallen wisdome which is learned from that principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the will of man which is at enmity against God Nay nay He never did nor will reveal his counsell but to that which is of himselfe which is the least of all seeds in the world and it is he that is borne of God that heareth Gods word and what is borne of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spirituall God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed denies its leading and teaching and lives in the oldnesse of the letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal and visible and Elementary and washing is not known from sin nor cleansing and so you may see what operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a change in the ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a shadow for the vvord vvas in the beginning and gave life and is spiritual and vvhen it s knovvn and vvitnessed vvithin in the heart it separates from death and gives life to all that hear it and believe in it What Christ is this you preach and what Gospel is this you preach vvhich saves you not from guilt and condemnation for the vvord of the true Christ vvhere it is ovvned cleanseth and takes avvay sin and condemns it and blots it out and destroys the root from vvhence it flovvs forth and vvorks a nevv creation in righteousnesse and the Lamb of God takes avvay sin in which the Churches of Christ believed and is glad tidings to all that doe receive it now none can witnes gladness of soul where there is guilt which you all affirm is in every Christian while in this world and so you might see that it s not the true Christ nor the everlasting Gospell you preach but this you cannot bear Yet you say he hath taken away your sin How much is sin taken away if you say all how comes the guilt and trouble that is in you for if it be taken away and his justice satisfied this were to make God unjust to charge it upon you againe But I tell you when his witnesse in your conscience convinceth you and manifests unto you that you commit it and reproves for it I say you cannot witnesse his justice satisfied for the light is just which is one with God and when this condemns you there is no God that will justifie you But you use to say It s all done in Christ I ask where if it be not taken away and unlesse you have the witnesse of it in you your faith is vain for he that believes hath the witness in himselfe which none hath who walks contrary unto the light the pure vvitnes of Christ for this convinceth you of sin and bears witness against you Now shew your witnesse within you and your assurance I say unto you while the testimony of Jesus bears testimonie against you it bears not witnesse unto you and so see your confusion But after you have believed in Christ as you say and have received all his Ordinances if any thing after did judge you and bring trouble upon you this you used to call a temptation and so put light for darknesse and darknes for light I say there is no guilt where sin is taken away and crucified but peace and rest in the holy God who is unchangeable and so is his witnesse unchangeable which judgeth and condemnes the changeable But you use to say His love is unchangeable and whom he loves once he loves to the end Yea but it is him who is begotten by the immortall word which was in the beginning and which word leads to the beginning again before the Hatred was the Promise is to this seed not seeds as to many but the seed of the Covenant there he loves from the womb yea the womb that bears the seed of Jacob and the paps that gives them suck and where this is known as to enjoyment Esau is cast out and Ishmael and the seed of Abraham inherits the Promise and Edom and Moab is laid wast and Amaleck is slain by the edge of the sword and the seed of evil doers cut off blessed are they that can witnesse this in truth and till this be known the everlasting love of God is not known which is stronger then death and sin is death and where it is acted conceived love is not witnessed nor its strength but wrath comes upon the Children of disobedience and are you not Children of disobedience while you break
to the world and stand by them if you can and for shame never run to the Magistrate to help you learned Rabbies you great Orators come forth and stand and prove your selves before the people and manifest your strength and your weapons and that God that answers by fire let him be God you have confessed our God answers by fire for it s kindled among you and the word which is fire we have declared and many hath heard it and have believed and answered it and now it burns and you shall not be able to quench it post and run as fast as you can dig as deep for Councel as Hell call up all the powers of darknesse you shall not be able to quench the fire that is kindled If we should hold our peace the stones of the wall would cry out against you And therefore I say unto you all you Parish Teachers and all you that uphold them arm your selves with all your strength call your Diviners together for we proclaim in the Lords name who hath rent the Heavens and is come down and his Tabernacle is with men open War we declare and sounds the Trumpet of our God out of the holy mountaine all the earth shall tremble before him and the mountaines shall melt before him why should we be undiscovered to you we are sent forth to take peace from the earth and to warn all to the battel of the great day of God for now he is arisen in his power and glory and his Kingdome is come Glory unto him for ever and we are witnesses of it and it 's not of this world and we have denyed the world and followes him who hath a bow and a sword and makes war in righteousnesse and none is able to stand before him therefore gather your selves on heaps O ye potsheards and make a consederacy among the people arm your selves cast up your mounts and batteries strengthen your selves and trust in the arm of flesh and say none can come near us Verily I say unto you you shall be made levell with the ground and all your Sorcery shall be laid open and Antichrist is discovered by the brightnesse of the coming of Christ our eyes have seen the Lord of Hosts in his glory and all your glory yee tellers of Dreams and Diviners shall be made as a dunghill and your renown shall perish from the earth the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And now a few words unto you O yee heads and Rulers of the people in Ireland who sit in Judgement remember from whence you are raysed and how great deliverance you have had and how manifest the Lord hath appeared for you to deliver you out of the hands of blood thirsty men and your enemies who despised the Lord and all righteousnesse and they were numerous and great when you have been in great straits and they said in their hearts we will swallow them up and then the Lord in the day of your distresse delivered you and hath given you their possessions and dominion over them and hath setled you in peace and you that hath been but low hath he exalted to bear rule and expects from you righteousnesse and justice and equity and to be as feet to the lame and strength to the weak and to break off every yoak of oppression from the neck of the poor and oppressed and to relieve your brethren and to entertain strangers remembring you were many of you strangers in this Land which now is given you to possesse I say take heed unto your selves how you act according to the customes of the Nation and your own wills nor the customary worship of the Nation which the Lord laid by and wast and scattered all them that pretended themselves Teachers of the people was there any of them that stood in the gap or turned people from their iniquity till the Lord broke out in his wrath as fire and laid the Land wast and the house of their God wast which you burnt up and will you now joyn with Moab and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed then you make your selves transgressors Think not thus in your hearts that the Lord hath given you dominion over the Nation to walk after your own wills and joyn unto deceit and that you may establish those things again which the Lord was wroth with And if you hold up those by your Lawes and your power and your prisons and your sword which is the people of the Lords curse I speak of the Teachers who are in Balaams way and greedy dumb dogs who can never have enough and bestow the Nations Tythes and Lands and riches which is the Lords treasure upon them that they may cry up deceit and flatter you both you and they will fall together And friends I am plaine with you The hand of the Lord is against them and all the power of the Nations shall not save them from his indignation And therefore be wise oh ye Rulers and doe not you think to take counsell against the Lord and prosper nor prescribe not the Lord a way for hâ—s thoughts are not as your thoughts not his wayes as your wayes For he hath chosen the weak things of this world to overthrow the mighty your eyes have seen this without and he hath revealed his will to them and in them whom you look upon but as weak tâ—ings and base things and in them is he making known his eternall power to overthrow the worlds wisdome and might which is in the fall and curst from whence all heresies and blasphemies and sects and opinions flow and come forth and he is bringing his own work his mighty work to passe even to overthrow and overturne all the power of the Beast and the false Prophet and shut them into the pit and the Decree is gone forth and sealed and shall not be altered though all the powers of darknesse joyne against him and although you should make a Law as the Jews did to take away the life of Christ yet it did but little avail them for he hath carried on his work through all generations notwithstanding all opposition and this is he in whom we trust and doe not you think that you are able to limit the Lord by whom he must declare his name or how or where or in what time but in his own way and time and if he command and will us all mens will must be broken though still the holy men of God suffered as such and so accounted as disturbers of peace I say the Devils peace must be broken and though the false Prophets of this Nation cry peace unto you when you walk in the imagination of your own hearts and though you cry peace unto them yet one is come and coming to take peace from you for all your peace and agreement that you make against the least appearance of God in his servants it will be dashed to pieces And if they were to depart from the presence of God who fed not the Saints neither clothed them nor vsited them in prison but were to depart with the Devill and his Angels into everlasting fire what will become of you who instead of clothing incourageth the people to rent them off us and instead of feeding us gives command to depart because we are strangers and instead of vâ—siting them in prison you put them in prison and sends for them one hundred miles to be dragged to your prisons and before your Judgement Seat in whom he is made manifest And now oh ye Councell at Dublin your order hath so gratified the Devill and all the prophane in the Nation that they judge your order was not large enough as that they had not liberty to banish them who have been long inhabitants in the Nation and therefore they tell you their readiness to fullfil your orders upon this account and desires your directions what to doe further yea you have made all liars drunkards cursed speakers and prophane rejoyce and hath strengthned the hands of the wicked and so judgement is turned backward and righteousnesse cannot enter but all these things are recorded and you shall one day remember what you have done And friends it s nothing to us we lay down our heads in peace notwithstanding if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of liberty of conscience and tendernesse it might have been born but here your double hypocrisie is made manifest And near forty of the Priests within the County of Corke who all subscribed to the Government under Ormond and Inâ—heqâ—â—eâ—e and said they did not acknowledge any other Government and counted them murderers who had taken away the Kings life as is manifest in their Book Printed at Corke wherein most of these men now have their Tithes and great sums of money of the Lords Treasury bestowed upon them and these are they which if we declare but against their deceit and hyppocrisie nothing but bonds can we expect and their information is taken against us Oh that ever you should be so led But why doe the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing for he will exalt his Son upon the Hill of Sion and then woe unto them that hath joyned their power to uphold the Beast and the false Prophet for all must goe into the Lake together where the worme dies nor nor the fire goes out to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels for ever And therefore I say unto you Repent and turne to the Lord and seek judgement and righteousnesse that so you may judge for the Lord and break off all oppression and entertaine the strangers who seek not yours but the good of the Nation and that all people might know the Lord and worship him in righteousnesse that so your days might be prolonged in the Land and the Lord of heaven and earth might rule over you in righteousnesse and that he alone might be exalted in the Nations which hath not been known for many generations but onely all have lived with the name without his life and power in deceit and all manner of unrighteousness and the Lord is wearied and will ease himselfe of his adversaries and his glory shall no longer be given to another Cork in Ireland the 8 of the 11 month 1655. FINIS