A Book of Warnings OR THE VISITATION OF THE LORD'S Love To The KING and his PARLIAMENT The NOBILITY and GENTRY The ARCH-BISHOPS and BISHOPS c. The PRESBYTERY The INDEPENDENTS and BAPTISTS The PEOPLE of these Nations Thorough His Servant GEORGE BISHOPE But the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson and are to be sold at the Black-spread Eagle and Wind-Mill in Martins Le Grand 1661. To the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT Friends YOU have time to Work and it is not long The Lord hath been very Gracious unto you and Done for you above What ye were able to Ask or Think as it is at this Day He hath Replenished Your Sorrows and Troubles with Joy and Peace and made Your Dominion larger than Ye could Wish What is there that Your hearts can reasonably ask that You have not Was ever Such a Day seen by a People as by You Was ever such a Wonder wrought to make You so Did the Earth ever know the like Or can the Records of Ages parallel it Was it not as much beyond Your thoughts and that not long since as You are above Your Enemies Could Ye have thought that Ye should be Rulers over these Nations and so as at this Day some few years since Was it not Done in a Moment as it were without Blood or Price of War which brought and long kept Ye under How calm How still How in subjection are these Nations at this Day Have Ye an Enemy Can Ye think of one that can hurt You The Hearts the Persons the Purses of the Generalitie of the Nations are Under You. A large Dominion a goodly Heritage England the fairest and best of Nations England the most secure and safe of Nations England the fattest and most fertile of the Nations Men prompt and ready and bold and active A Seed Plot of Understanding An Academy of Learning A Nation of Men A Warlike Nation A People whom the Lord hath owned above any people A People whom the Lord hath appeared to save more than any people A people whom He hath sought to gather whom He hath gathered many of them into his Rest and who know the Lord. This is your state this your Condition and thus hath the Lord done for you that ye may observe his Statutes and keep his Judgments that ye may live and it may be well with you and your posterity after you and that ye may know his Rest which is Eternal as he hath given you here a Rest temporal And now what doth the Lord require of you but that you Do Justly and love Mercy and walk humbly with God that you break every yoke and unbind every burden and let the Oppressed go free That you love Justice and Judgement that you rule for God who hath brought you into Rule and hitherto preserved you That you take not upon you to Rule over his Kingdom or to prescribe to his Dominion Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion that which shall never have end that of him in the Conscience That ye make not his innocent people to suffer who suffered with you and by and under your Enemies who have good will towards you and all men though they war with the Spirit of iniquity which holds Mens souls in Captivity with Weapons that are not Carnal but Spiritual who desire your everlasting welfare and that it may be well with you and yours for ever who are innocent as to you neither hath there been any ill-will found in them against you in thought or in deed who are peaceable in the Land and seated in it by Natural Right who consist of Many Thousands of Families Men Women Children and Servants Natural English who wrong no man who resist not Evil who are good Examples of Holiness of Virtue of Temperance and Testimonies against Evil which causeth the Wrath of God to come upon Nations and to afflict and destroy them Whose Desire is that none may perish but that all might come to the knowledge of the truth The Lord God hath called them the Lord God is with them the Lord God hath kept and will keep them as they abide with him The Lord God hath made them to stand and will make them He hath made them a People and they shall be so He hath observed all that hath been done for and against them and he hath recompenced and will recompence it they fear before him they dare not displease him they may not set up Man above him they must obey him before man they obey man in him He cannot see them wronged and not require it they are his Jewels his People are and as the Apple of his eye He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye saith the Lord they tremble before him and of him stand in awe who is Lord of Heaven and Earth they fear not man whose breath is in his Nostrils because they may not Their fear towards him is not taught by the precepts of men because it ought not Christ Jesus saith so Matt 15. 7 8 9. Ye Hypocrites saith he to the Pharisees well did Esaias prophesie of you saying This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of men And the Lord by his Prophet Isa 29 13 14. Wherefore the Lord said Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the Precepts of men Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvellous Work amongst this people and a wonder for the Wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the Understanding of their Prudent shall be hid They worship God in spirit and in truth neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem because the Father seeketh such to worship him whom the Son saith will be so worshipped God is a Spirit saith he and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what we know what we Worship for salvation is of the Jews But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him John 4. 21 22 23 24. They cannot bow to any thing but what 's of the Lord in his Worship because the Lord hath sworn As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God Rom. 14. 11. They cannot owe their Consciences to any but to God because He is Lord of Conscience They cannot but meet together to Worship God and to wait upon him
because they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought on his Name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 15 16. And not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Heb 10. 25. They cannot swear because Christ saith Swear not at all neither by Heaven for its God's throne neither by the Earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the Great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head for thou canst not make one hair white or black But let your communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil Matt. 5. 34 35 36 37. And his Apostle James saith But above all things my Brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the Eaâ—th neither by any other Oath But let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5. 12. And the swearing by any thing was that which made it an Oath and they used in their swearing to mention by something which made it an Oath and they were gone many of them from that of the Law which Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness also repeals in that he saith Ye have heard it hath been said by them of Old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oath 's but I say unto you Swear not at all c. as aforesaid which Law required them to swear and to swear by the Lord Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear By his Name Deut. 6. 13. I say they were gone from that of the law which required them when they swore to swear by the Lord Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness Jer. 4. 2. and swore by the Lord and by Malcom Zeph. 1. 5. And they taught my people to swear by Baal Jer. 12. 16. And they that swear by the sin of Samaria and say thy God O Dan liveth and the Manner of Beersheba the Calves there by which they worshipt God liveth even they shall fall and never rise up again Amos 8. 14. And by the Heaven and by the Earth and by Jerusalem c. He repeals it all But I say unto you swear not at all neither by the Lord nor any other thing Swear not at all I say unto you so though ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform to the Lord thine Oaths This was not Cursorie swearing or in ordinary Communication as people would have it aâ—â— some say so but without proof for it appears not that there was any such kind of swearing among the Jews for they were not to take his Name in vain but such Oath 's as were made to God solemn Oaths as I may so say by which they bound their souls to God to perform as it was then required and when they swore so they mentioned by something as I have said and this By made it an Oath and that which they swore by was to be that which was Paramount to all and could witness and was able to avenge which the Lord was onely therefore they were to mention his Name when they swore and it was a figure of something which was to come which was not then come Christ Jesus whom that Nation and the Body of all that worship and service typified and which had their end in him and which he when he was come put thus an end unto who is the Oath of God to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us Luke 1. 72 73 74 And who it is that binds the soul to God In whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen Even in Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 1 20. who saith But I say unto you Swear not at all And he that said so is the same that said Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgement c. And whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart in the same Ch. Mat. 5. They cannot maintain a Priesthood by tythes because that Priesthood which had the tythes is done away and ended in him to whom Abraham paid tythes in Melchizedeck who is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck Psal 110. 4. whom it figured They cannot maintain temples of stone or come to Worship in them as places consecrated by man or because they have in them more than other places or for that God is more to be found in them or wil be found in them or that he hath so signified more than in other places or that he will be present Because God dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing that he giveth unto all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. And the temple at Jerusalem was a figure of him who was to come which is ended in him who is come And now the temple of God is those in whom the Holy Ghost dwelleth Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols For ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing I wil receive you wil be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2 Cor. 6. 16 17 18. They cannot be in the Observation of Daies and times set in the will of man Because such things also had their Day and End even those which were commanded of the Lord Ye observe Daies and Months Times Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Gal. 4. 10 11. And let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of a Holy-day or of
the New-Moon or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ Col. 2. 16 17. And He that regardeth a Day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that doth not regard the Day unto the Lord he doth not regard it He that Eateth Eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not unto the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks For none of Us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's For to this end Christ both Died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living But why doest thou judge thy Brother Or why doest thou set at nought thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ As it is written As I live saith the Lord Every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God So then every One of Us shall give account of himself to God Let us not the â—efore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brother's way I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean But if thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat Now walkest thou not Charitably Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed Let not then your good be evil spoken of For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Let Us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace and things wherewith we may edifie one aâ—oâ—her for meat destroy not tâ—e work of God one man esteemeth one day above another Another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. 5. to the end Now these things I am moved of the Lord to lay before you to the End that yee may take heed of Doing any thing by which the Lord may be Displeased with you Or that may grieve his Spirit or make him to Repent of the good he hath done you or to become your Enemy For certainly if yee shall impose upon Conscience in things appertaining to the Worship of God or cause his Innocent People to suffer or not Answer the End of the Lord in giving you this Day and Tryal His hand will be against you and he will reckon these things with you and it will be sad for you in that Day When he shall render unto you according to your Works And therefore in love to you and in the fear of God and as moved of him and as desiring your welfare both here and hereafter I have written GEO. BISHOPE To the Nobility and Gentry of These Nations Friends YOur Opportunities are great to do Good the Lord hath not dealt by You as with Other men You have Estates Great and Large Lands and Revenues and many your Servants in the most sweet and flourishing Places of the Nation You are Seated and your World abounds You have in a manner what yee can wish and your Travel is little most of you from your Ancestors yee have received from Generation to Generation with little Toyl or Trouble as to you unless your Desire of Encrease or falling below by other Miscarriages hath occasioned it You are full of Ease and Pleasure and if any thing be of more Deâ—ectableness then other you have it Ride in and out Rise Walk lie down at your pleasure when multitudes of others rise early and lye down late and Eat the bread of carefulness and are your servants And this is the state of many or most of you and it is great and large as to the Outward Who are like to you Now it concerns you to see how you Answer the Lord for all his kindness and how yee Return to him according to the benefits received For the End of the Lord in all this is not that yee should do as yee list and because yee have your Wills as to this World therefore yee should do your Wills in this world but the Will of him that gave it you Excess Riot Pride Haughtiness Surfeting Drunkenness Gluttony Wantonness Cursing Swearing Diceing Gaming Chambering Revelling spending the Creatures on your Lusts Living in pleasure loving of pleasures more then God with such like were not the things that he minded as his End who with a liberal hand hath ministred to you but to be humble sober meek just temperate lovers of good things lovers of God liberal charitable given to good works lovers of Hospitality kind virtuous serving the Lord without distraction Passing the time of your sojourning here in fear For the Lord will require an account of you for all the deeds done in the body and his judgment ye cannot escape and the more kind and liberal he hath been to you and put it into your hands to do good the more he will require at your hands For to whomsoever much is given of him much will be required Therefore Friends it concerns you as I have said to mind your state and see how it is with you That within you which witnesseth to God will shew you if you heed it and become obedient thereunto which knows your Up-risings and your Down-sittings the thoughts and intents of your hearts and tries them which is with you wherever you go and wherever you lie down and whatever you do which is Gods witness and takes account of all your Actions and speaks to you from God and bids yee not to do the Abominable thing that his soul abhorrs which judgeth yee for Evil which shews yee Evil which tells yee what yee should do and which will make up the Reckoning for God and will leave you without excuse in the Day that he shall Judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and coming Now Friends this is of Concernment to You that this be your friend and that this answer for you in that Day that yee have done the Will of God and Answered the Requirings of his Spirit in you and what it moved you from God Well done thou good and faithful servant Enter into thy Masters Joy will the Lord say then to that which hath Done his Will and that will be a good word for you in the Day of the Lord when amazement and horror shall seiz upon all who know not God neither yield Obedience to his God and all faces shall gather Blackness and Paleness and the Mighty shall be afraid and the Strong man shall weep bitterly and the Heavens shall depart as a Scrowl and the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Earth and the works thereof be burnt up