and the Lord appeared daily to us to our Astonishment Amazement and great Admiration insomuch that we often said one unto another with great joy of Heart What is the Kingdom of God come to be with men And will he take up his Tabernacle among the Sons of Men as He did of old And what shall we that were reckoned as the Out casts of Israel have this Honour of Glory communicated amongst us which were but men of small Parts and of little Abilities in respect of many others as amongst men Howbeit thus it seemed good unto the Lord to chose the weak things and the foolish things of this World as to the aspect of men that no Flesh might glory that no man because of his Parts might glory or because of his strength or wisdom might glory but that the Glory which is his might only be given to him Unto whom be the Glory of all his Works forever and ever Amen And from that Day forward our Hearts were knit unto the Lord and one unto another in true and servent Love not by any External Covenant or External Form but we entred into the Covenant of Life with God and that was as a strong Obligation or Bond upon all our spirits which united us one unto another and we met together in the Unity of the Spirit and of the Bond of Peace treading down under our Feet all reasoning questioning debating and contending about Religion or any part or parts or practice or practices thereof as to any external thing and we waited at time and times as God did grant us Oportunities and the more we had and could obtain from our necessary Occasions of this present life the better we were and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our Hope and Faith and holy Resolutions were kindled in our Hearts as a Fire which the Life kindled in us To serve the Lord while we had a Beeing and to make mention of his Name and Power whilst we did live and to hold forth that Testimony which was committed to us in the sight of Men and Nations by Doctrine by Practice by a holy Conversation and mightily did the Word of God grow amongst us and the desires of many were after the Name of the Lord. Oh happy Day Oh blessed Day the memorial of which can never pass out of my Mind And thus the Lord in short did form us to be a People for his Praise in our Generation Howbeit after all this and much more which time would fail me to write of neither is the purpose of my spirit bent that way at this time we did come through very great Tribulations extream Distresses great Perplexity and passed out oftentimes hungry and hard put to it both within and without yet such was our love to the Lord and such servency in our hearts That we rather chosed to dye and to undergo every Difficulty than to dishonour or deny the Name of Christ in the midst of suffering because of that Taste that we had of his Goodness and immortal Life revealed in our Hearts this Young Man of whom I am speaking had his share though but a Youth at that time of 16. or 17. years of age Because of the I ruth which crossed all the world's wayes his nearest Relations even his own Parents cast him off as an Alien and turn'd him out from their House as not to have any Part or Portion therein as a Son nay not so much as a hired Servant which this young Man bore very patiently without Murmuring or Complaining having a taste of that then which was better then all the World and through conversing with his people and amongst them the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding entred into his Heart and the Spirit of Knowledge and sound Judgment came to be seated in his Reins and the Spirit of Prophesie came upon him like as it did upon many more through the Holy Ghost's Power and Operation and he spake of the wonderful things of God among them that believed and was one of the first among us which the Lord opened the Mouth of to shew forth his Praise and to speak of the things of his Kingdom to as many as he met with who waited for the Consolation of Israel for the Riches of the Gentiles and to as many as desired and hoped after Eternal Life At last the Lord signled him out and commanded him to go forth into Countries unknown to him as he did some more besides upon whom he laid a necessity to preach the Gospel freely without Money without Price without Tythes Augmentations Gifts or Rewards and in that he was as faithful a man none exeeeding him in his Generation for those things were an abhorrency to his heart and where he met with any such Hireling Shepherds and deceitful Workers which had gull'd the Nations and cheated the people for dishonest Gain and kept them in Blindness the Indignation of the Lord was kindled in his Heart and the Sword of the Lord was very Sharp in his Hand and whomsoever he met with which walked after this sort they were sure to feel the weight of his Weapon and the force of his Blow by which many have been deeply wounded that they have grinned like Dogs on him as greedy Dogs indeed because of their present Wound and Blow that he did give them and though he was but young in years yet he was full of fortitude and true valour The Lord oftentimes when he exercised him in such War as this hath filled his Quiver full of polished Shafts and made his Bow to abide in strength and he was as dextrous and as ready handed as any that I knew in his day against the Dragon and his power against the Beast and his Followers and indeed he was very even-handed and had a special good Arm and seldom mist the Mark God had fill'd his Mouth with Arguments so that he hath often made a breach in the Face of an Host. And it was my lot which I cannot but say fell in a good ground to be his Companion and Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Gospel whereunto we were called for many years together And oh when I consider my heart is broken how sweetly we walked together for many Moneths and Years in which we had perfect knowledge of one anothers hearts and perfect unity of spirit not so much as one cross word or one hard thought of discontent ever rose I believe in either of our hearts for ten years together but our Souls were bound up in unity and peace having the frame of our hearts bent after one and the self same thing to wit the propagation of that Truth by which Liberty was obtained and Salvation received through Jesus Christ the true Light of the World seeing through his Light the whole World to lie in wickedness a necessity lay upon this person of whom I am speaking being constrained by the Spirit of the Lord
and walks in darkness ignorance and blindness as you do turning the Grace of God into wantonness which same Grace is the Saints Teacher this is the free Grace of God which hath appeared to all men which in all Generations taught the Saints to deny ungodiness and worldly lusts and led them into purity and holiness This Grace do we witness praised praised be the Lord to be led by it which ever was the Saints Leader and through the teaching of this Grace do we deny your Hireling and all such Pharisees and Hypocrites who makes a prey upon the poor people and if you stop not into their mouths they even prepare War against you as the false Prophets of Israel did and daily are we taught by it in the Wayes of God to do his service praised be the only Lord of Glory for ever more who hath gathered us up to himself to be taught alone by his Grace out of the mouth of your Hireling who once made a prey upon us but Eternal Praise and Glory to our God who in his Light hath discovered unto us his nakedness and his shame his hypocrisie and deceit in the Eternal Light of God do we see him and all such to be blind Guides and leads the poor blind people in darkness and ignorance and none is able to come to the true Knowledg of the Eternal Truth in his Ministry for he is no Minister of God but an Antichrist denying Christ to be come in the flesh denying the Light to have enlightened every one as several times he hath done to me but my Father who is Light and Glory hath now made him manifest And in that Light Christ Jesus do I see him to be one who hath run whom God hath not sent therefore doth he not profit you at all nor puts no difference between the precious and the vile in you nor leads you to discern the clean from the unclean the pure from the impure in you but speaks the Divination of his own brain feeding your dark minds and from the Eternal Light made manifest in me from God the Father who is over all and above all do I declare against him and against all Hirelings and greedy dumb Dogs that seeks for their gain from their Quarter as he doth fâ—â—ely do I declare as knowing them to be Deceivers and blind Guids For the simple ones sake among you who are insnared and kept in ignorance by him under his dead dry barren sloathful Ministry Repent ye people who lies in the Captivity of Babylon under your Bahylonish Merchant now is the Lord leading his Sons and Daughters out of Egypt out of bondage and now he that hath led Captive is led into Captivity praised and honoured be the God of Saints for evermore who hath redeemed us out of the mouth of your Idol-shepherd who feeds himself with the fat and who hath enlightened our dead Consciences and hath shined in our hearts in his Eternal Light and of this have I received freely and from this do I let forth freely to the laying open the deceits of your Hireling Now is the Day of your visitation wherein the Saviour of the World stands at the door and knocketh if any open unto him he will come in therefore prize your time and hear the Word of the Lord and lay aside the works of darkness Lying and Swearing Mocking and Scorning and beating of your fellow Servants Wo unto you ye Strikers who hardens your hearts against the Lord and against those who declare to you the wickedness of your wayes the Lord will come when you are not aware and give you your Portion with Hypocrites and Unbeleevers and cast you into utter darkness Repent and turn to the Lord your God with mourning and lamentation and cease from all your former wayes and doings cease from Coveteousness and Opression ye aged people and cease from Lightness Vanity and Pride ye young people and from all your Priests and Steeple-houses for there your Lightness Pride and Vain minds are fed and nourished and the enemies of the Lord are strengthened Dear people there had I once fellowship with you in your Pride Lightness and Vanity and there was once my joy and delight but now am I chosen by the Lord out of all these things praised be him for ever to serve the Lord in declaring against all these abominations in whom they are standing For wo unto the proud and light vain minds who are tripping upon the mountains and whose hearts are not subject to the Lord against all these abominations do I Declare as from the Lord and do advise you as from him to depart out of these abominations for the day is coming when you must be separated from all your lovers a day of darkness and misery therefore prize your time and hearken unto the Light of God within you which reproves you for your filthy and ungodly deeds and words this Light will lead you to God out of all filthiness obeying it this will separate the clean from the unclean in you and will lead you to be taught of God and to have unity with God and with the Saints for it was in the Light that the Saints had unity this Light will lead you out of your hypocritical and deceitful carnal Worships to Worship in Spirit and Truth this Light will lead you to the true Baptism out of your deceitful imitation of a Baptism which your Hireling upholds among you this Light will lead you to the true Church in God out of your formal imagined Church and to the true Communion of Saints and true Singing to God out of your Heathenish Communion and Singing Therefore all ye people mind the Light for the Light hath enlightened every one which is the Saviour and Reedemer of him that loveth it and bringeth his deeds to it but is the Condemnation of him that hateth it and walks not in it therefore all people mind this Light which is of God this will lead you up to God this is the way to the Father and none comes to the Father but by me said he who was and is the Light this Light loving it and walking in it will free you from all the burdens which the Pharisee layes upon you and from all the taxes of Pharaoh's Tax-masters and will lead you into the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to know him who is invisible and is present every where yet hidden from all dark minds who lives in the imaginations and imitations as you and your Hireling doth If you love this Light and walk in this Light it will bring you to be witnesses of the Scripture and of the Saints Conditions which you are but talkers of this is the Light from which they spoke that spoke the truth of God and from this Light did Isaiah cry who lived in the obedience of it against the greedy dumb dogs that sought for their gain from
strayed and into by-Paths of Whoredoms have you been instructed and the door of the true Shepherds Fold hath been shut against you and the Key of true knowledge hath been hid out of your sight and obscurity and darkness hath been cast before you and the Way of the Lord hath been undiscovered to your understandings and into secret and subtil Idolatry and Witchcraft have you been nurtured and your wounds have been healed falsely and will break out into more incurable dangers O how have you been driven away into strange Pastures and into barren Heaths and Desarts scattered lo here and lo there by the voyces of Strangers now when the Lord is come to search you instead of Lambs you are found in the nature of Wolves and Dogs and Lions biting and devouring and scorning and reproaching the Children of the true Seed and instead of Children of Light and Truth are you found strong men of Darkness and Error How is your nature changed since the first creation in the Innocent Image of God strayed have you been and not one brought home by your Shepherds into the Fold of Truth you have been a prey to the Devourers and meat for the wilde Beasts of the desolate Forrests and a strange Language have you learned of the Egyptians Character and your delight have been therein even you have loved to have these things so and like Shepherds like Sheep Strayers and strayed Devourers and being devoured What account will you give in the Day of the Lord For your sins are written with a Pen of Iron sealed in your foreheads children of the womb of wickedness A gross sum of abomination is put upon your account even Lovers of Darkness and Haters of the Light How many times have you been called by the true Shepherds Voice and you neglect and will not be gathered How many good instructions have you heard And what profit have you received Much Teaching and many Sermons have you heard and yet to this day the Way of Truth have you not learned but are groping in the dark in blindness and ignorance and you Blind have been led by the Blind and the mouth of the Ditch is opened to swallow you up together and you have refused Knowledge and cannot endure to be reproved you love to stray rather then to be gathered and you delight in leanness and poverty upon the barren Mountaines rather then to be fed in the fat Pastures of true Food Shall not the Lords Soul be avenged upon you Ye Shepherds and Flocks ye Teachers and People your debt is summed into a large sum of grievous abomination the Indictment of Vengeance is read and sealing against you proved to be just in the Register of Heaven everlasting Prison in the pit of Darkness and everlasting Banishment from the Presence of the Lord is signing against you in the eternal Law and righteous Decree the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ which shines in all your Consciences will arise to be the evidence of this just proceeding God is grieved with you you spiritual Idolaters Repent repent ye Idol Shepherds and deceitful Teachers and ye scattered Flocks and deceitful People This is the day of your visitation and a warning in your ears the Sword of the Lord is drawn against you the Whirle-wind of his Wrath is gone forth your builded wall shall fall and the pillars of your Habitation shall be shaken God will gather his Flock out of your mouths and feed them in his own Fold and your nakedness shall appear and your deceits shall be laid open and your secret whoredoms shall be discovered your beginning was in Darkness and your time is out of the Light and your end will be in destruction now you have all time prize it From him who is a Lover of all your souls but a Witness against all your deceit Edw. Burrough Written in Corke City in Ireland as moved of the Lord concerning the Shepherds and Flock the Teachers and People in that Nation An Invitation to all the poor desolate Souldiers to repent and make their peace with the Lord and their Duty shewed them what the Lord requires of them TO all you poor desolate Souldiers of the lowest rank who are scattered up and down in this desolate Land of Ireland and live a careless and a desolate life without the Fear of the Lord in Lying in Swearing in Drunkenness in Whoredom in Oppression and in the Wickedness of the World and are past feeling and sensless of the Opperation and Power of God careless of your eternal happiness The dreadful Day of the Lord God is coming in Power the Lord is risen and the Wrath of the Lord is gone forth with the strength of indignation and fury will you be besieged and fearfulness shall surprize you Repent of your transgressions and fear and tremble before the Presence of the Living God who is Commander in chief over Heaven and Earth prize your souls this is the day of your visitation and make your Peace with the Lord The righteous Judge the Lord seeth you in your darkness and searcheth you in your desolate obscurity and his soul is pressed under your iniquities and he hath not disrespected any of your persons or desolate places but God is Light and hath lightened every one of you with the true Light of Life Eternal if you love it and be guided by it or of death everlasting if you hate it and disobey it and walk contrary to it that is the Light which convinceth you of Sin of Lying and Swearing and Cursed-speakings and Drunkenness which are the fruits of the cursed Tree which cumbereth the Ground of the Lord which the Axe is now laid to the root of to cut it down and cast it into everlasting burning and while you act against this Light in your Consciences you crucifie the Life of Christ Jesus and are Enemies unto him and Servants of the Devil and love your evil deeds and Upholders of the Devils conquest which is the dominion of sin This Light reproves you in secret of violence and false accusing and all unjust words and actions which are contrary to God 〈◊〉 turn your minds to the Light which will lead you to repentance from dead works out of the broad way of destruction which many are in as Christ Jesus saith and it will teach you in your places to serve the Living God and to do violence to no man but to be Terrors and Reprovers and Correctors of all violence and of such who live in it And it will teach you not to strengthen the hands of Evil-doers but to lay your Swords in justice upon every one thâ— doth evil And it will teach you not to make War but to preserve peace in the Earth and this is your Place and Duty required of you from the Lord Goâ— Commander in chief unto whom you must all give an account and receive 〈◊〉 just Reward according to your deeds everlasting punishment to him that doâ—… evil but if you
more you strive the more you are entangled and the deeper your pit is digged for another the greater is your own fall into it for the purpose of your hearts and the intent of your wicked minds doth the Lord make void and turneth them upon your own head and strongly are you bound in your own snare which you secretly lay for the foot of the Innocent to make the Upright a prey How long ye men of the Earth will ye 〈◊〉 counsel together against the Lord How long shall the Righteous be a prey to your teeth to shoot your Arrows of Cruelty and Reproach against When will you give over your Oppression and Violence wherewith you think to spoil the tender Grape of the Lords Vintage and to devour the Seed of Iacob from off the Earth that you may rule in the kingdom in peace When will you be weary 〈◊〉 your wickedness and cease from your deceivings seeing the Lord makes you a Curse in whatsoever you take in hand You travel in wrath and bring forth nothing you strive all the day long and gather nothing but stubble and the fire kindles upon it and makes it a heap of Confusion in a moment When will you learn wisdom and refrain your selves from vanity Do you think to persist in the way wherein you walk can you overcome the Lamb or can you bring to nought the purpose of the Most High Will you make your selves equal with him and will ye gainsay the working of his Power Nay you shall fall into everlasting confusion and the remembrance of your destruction shall not suddenly pass away for the purpose of the Lord shall surely stand and his Counsel shall 〈◊〉 be made void for you are but suffered for a moment till your measure be â—ull and your transgression be finished that you may be cut off for ever and â—â—id waste as the Wilderness Long hath been the night of Darkness over all Nations wherein you have played and sported your selves as though no eye had seen you and your works of cruelty had laid hid in your bosomes but now they do appear and the day hath made you manifest and the Light hath discovered you and now ye are tryed and weighted and searched and the Fire of the Lord is kindled upon all your works and the end oâ— them is confusion and misery and in sorrow shall ye lie down and no eye shall comfort you nor no Physitian shall heal your bruise for with a grievous blow will the Hand of the Lord be upon you all you who pervert his Way who have joyned your selves in battel against the Lamb and his Followers some of you smiting the Innocent with your hands and some with your tongues and in your envy deal cruelty with the Lord 's Chosen who are become a Proverb and Prey to the wicked and as a Butt to shoot at against whom you bend your Tongues and speak bitter things even from the head to the tayl the whole body of Darkness is prepared to war and every member of the great Image is stirred up in its strength thinking to prevail through subtilty against the innocency of the Simple and Lyes are become oâ—â— Enemies refuge and their trust is in a broken Reed which fails their confidence and hope and we are preserved under the shaddow of the Almighty and we are delivered out of the snare of our Enemies and through suffering for a moment shall reign for ever and ever over the Beast and his Image And unto thee Giles Firmin I do write a few words in answer to thy Book caled Stablishing against Quaking who hast helped up the measure to fulfil the wickedness of the wicked in adding thy Lyes and Slanders and Reproaches unto thy Brethren and hast cast in thy Mite into the heap of Babylons Confusion and â—ast set thy seal against the Lord's People and hast put to thy hand in the record of Sions Enemies Whom do you thus strive against And against whom is your â—ury thus kindled What are you doing in your drunken fits of fury wherein you stagger with the wine of Envy Surely when you are sober you will consider â—nd when you are come to your selves you will be ashamed and will not open any more your malice and wrath which hath drownded your honesty and civility and â—n your knowledge you are as bruit Beasts which are to be destroyed you do but gaâ—her your selves together that you may be scattered and broken to peices you are â—uffered to heap up your confusion in Lyes and Reproaches that the Lord may make you ashamed and judge you out of your own mouths And Friend what hast thou done and who hast thou established the wicked â—n his wickedness and the unclean in his filthiness and hast hardened the hearts of the ungodly by thy Lyes and Slanders least they should turn from their ungodâ—iness and be saved from their sins and so against quaking for transgression hast â—hou stablished them herein and this will be laid to thy charge in the Day of â—he Lord who healest up the Wound slightly and criest Peace Peace to the wickâ—d unto whom the Lord hath not spoken Peace And Friend thou art the man â—n whom the Prince of Darkness is discovered which now works in thee and â—rom him hast thou sent forth thy pack of Reproaches against the Innocent and â—leadest thy own cause and judgest hereof in the sight of men and hast sought â—he praise of men and not the Praise of God and so seek to obtain a good reâ—ort by flattery and not by faith and this sufficiently appears in thy first Eâ—istle wherein thou hast given flattering Titles unto man and in vain hypocriâ—ie hast fought a proof to the authority of thy Book thinking thereby the more â—o make it of force to do the work which thou intendest by it even to â—oyson the simplicity of the Upright and to devour the woman which brings â—orth the Man-Child by casting floods of evil Speeches and Lyes after her but â—hy flatteries are of no worth to thee nor thy subtil words of guile availeth thee â—ot herein for in the Light thou art seen and by it tried and thy snare which â—hou hast laid will fetter thy own foot and the mischief thou intendest is fallen â—pon thy own head and whilst thou hast thought to discover the Prince of Darkness in another thou hast covered and cloaked him in thy self under thy feigned words of flattery but through that vail he is seen and unto all men shall be made manifest and the Spirit of the Lord doth judge him and thy Rock of flattery shall not cover thee from the Wrath of him whom thou hast set thy self to oppose And in thy second Epistle thou sayest Thou madest one Sermon to discover this Generation meaning the Quakers and thou sayst thou found good success of it Friend thou hast more fully discovered thy self and that abommation which lodged in thy heart secretly which thou hast not let out into
coming to take an account Your sins cry for vengeance against you and though your hands and tongues have been strengthened to speak and act ungodliness by the evil example of your Rulers yet your own iniquity shall you bear in the day of the Lord and though your Rulers and Judges have been strengthened in their unjustness and mercilesness by the false lying Teachers and Diviners of false visions which have seen vanity yet their own iniquity shall they bear and every man shall die for his own sin Wo unto your Teachers they have eaten up the sin of Rulers and people and covered iniquity and transgression by flattering and lying words they have daubed with untempered morter and healed up the wound deceitfully and cryed peace peace to the wicked that have walked in the imaginations of their own hearts when unto such the Lord never spake peace And now whereas the Rulers and people have stretched forth their hands to vex the Lords people have through unjust judgment and grievous oppressions and unmercifull dealings troden the Innocent under foot and made them a prey to their mouth and divers ways have persecuted in cruel manner the Followers of the Lamb yet also have the wise men of this World even the Priests and Teachers who have led the people and have caused them to err and have set themselves as in battel array against the Lord and his way and people How have you hardened your hearts and made your fore-head as brass against the Word of the Lord and you have been as the fountain of all this wickedness acted against the Just and strengtheners of the hands of ungodly men the Heads and Rulers you have strengthened in their cruelty of false judgments by your arguments of strife in subtilty you have been as nursers of all this Persecution and Wickedness and have interceded for oppression to cause the Just to groan whom the Lord hath raised to testifie against you the Judges they have given regard unto you and the people they have taken you for examples who have been cursed presidents to the Rulers and people who have followed your cruel steps of malice and envy and from the head to the tail they have drunk in your poysonous Doctrines and made themselves drunk therewith and out of reason in their furious zeal of madness and all have taken council together to slay the harmless from off the face of the Earth some by false judgment and oppression and others by cruel abusings as beatings and stonings unheard of or unequalized in Generations of late O ye Priests and Teachers and Wise-men and Scribes how many of you in this Nation joyned hand in hand to betray the Innocent by your false Doctrines and lying Divinations and have filled and sought to do so the mind of the people with slanders and false reproaches lying imaginations and many conceptions and jealousies against the people of God many of you have made it your study-work to bring forth evil by cunning Arguments to suggest into the hearts of people that they might not enter the Kingdom and even so have you been shutters of the Kingdom of Heaven against men and would not enter your selves nor suffer others that would Wo unto you you have taken away the Key of Knowledge and lost it and multitudes of false Aspersions and lying Assertions have you brought forth without fear by wicked consequence and lying productions that you might take away the key of knowledge thereby and hide it from men and lay stumbling-blocks of Iniquity before the people to stop the way of the Upright and you have travelled to seek occasions of evil against the Just and watched for the halting of the Innocent that you might glory and rejoyce in their fall and without any occasion by words or actious you have taken offence and made offences by evil surmisings to blind the eyes of people that your Idolatry might not be discovered nor the Way of Righteousness shine forth O be ashamed and repent for to account must you Come and the sin of Rulers and people whom you have blindy led will be charged against you who have given them wicked examples of cruelty in your Pulpits you have spent time in Railing and Slandering and Lying to infuse evil into the minds of men against the Truth and many books have you given forth and sent abroad from your lying Pens outof your vain studies of false prophesie and mens hearts have been filled with your damnable Doctrines of Devils wherewith the Simple have been poysoned and the Innocent betrayed even great numbers of Books and lying Scroules have gone through the Nation from some of you filled with false Divination and intents of evil against the Way of the Lord and his people and worse than Balaam and far exceeding him have you been you have sought eâ—chantments to curse the people whom God hath blessed altogether and some of you have done it to your evil reward of your evil work and you have not known that there is no divination against the holy Seed Oâ— what will become of you when the Lord is arisen to plead with you 〈◊〉 these things the cruelty and oppression of the Rulers shall be added 〈◊〉 your account and the sin of the people which you have swallowed down it shall be laid to your charge for you have strengthened the hands of Evil-doers so that none could turn from his evil way but have by yâ—… been hardened therein and from you prophaness have gone forth to the ends of the Earth Woe woe is approaching what account will yoâ— render in the day of the Lord you will all be speechless in that day whâ—… the swift Witness doth arise therefore to all you I am moved to write who have set your selves to gain-say the Truth and to write against the people of the Lord whom you call Quakers who walk in the Truth and have received the Truth from the Lord whom you have reproached and slandered in secret and also in open print in the face of the World and have laid many cruel and false Charges and Accusations against them and to all that hath or ever shall hereafter bend your tongues and pens to utter wickedness and falshood by writing or otherwise Repent and cease your wickedness for the wrath of the Lord is kindled against you and take this for an answer in full to all your Books and false reproaches we are of God and he that is of God heareth us and the whole World lies in wickedness and we have the Testimony that we please God and he is our God and we are his People and he hath Chosen us and we have Chosen him and the Name of the Lord is our strength and his Covenant of Life is with us and among us hath he fullfilled his promise and his Spirit is poured forth and sons and daughters do Prophesie and one King reigns upon mount Sion and the night to us is far spent and the day is
the Lord God may dwell amongst you and may never have cause to with-hold his presence from you which is Life and Peace and Rest for ever And believe not every spirit but dwell in that which discerns spirits and if any say Lo here or lo there is Christ go not after them without you for you have not been so taught but know the Christ of God the Lamb of God within you and follow him and obey his voice and be established all of you on this sure Foundation whom God hath laid and no man can lay any other and if you build thereupon and thereby you sâ—…ll never suffer loss but your Work shall abide the Fire and in the Fathers House your Bread you shall receive and never shall hunger noâ— Thirst but the Life will be refreshed and increased daily and you Lamps will alwayes shine and you shall never be darkned not stâ—…ble for that which stumbles is out of the Truth and the ground stands to receive the seed of Satan who is a Devourer of the Simplicity and the Betrayer from the Truth Therefore I charge you all in the Presence of the Living God that you hold fast the Faith and Hope which you have received through the Gospel that you may never be moved 〈◊〉 the Grace of God and from the Love that hath abounded in you â—…t may be found watching in the Door with your Light shining when the Bridegroom cometh and behold he cometh quickly and his Rewâ—…d is with him blessed are they that tarry for him This is the Testimony of my Love unto all the Seed of God who am as a Deceiver and yet true and as not known yet well known unto the â—…d E. 〈◊〉 To such as have Backslided from the Truth WHEN the Life in you all doth arise it shall witness me and answer the Word of the Lord unto Life or unto Death Friends all you to whom the Word of the Lord came and â—…n whom the Way of Truth was made manifest hear and consider How â—…t hath the Love of the Father been unto you How many and infinite have been his Mercies from day to day often visiting you with his Power and with his Presence yea when you sate in Darkness and in the shadow of Death his marvellous Light appear'd unto you and when you were held captive in the covenant of Sin and Death he stretched forth his Hand to redeem â—… he loved you while you knew him not and he brought Deliverance out of a â—…nge Land where you were strayed among Devourers and scatter'd and gâ—â—e aâ—â—ray as Sheep without a Shepherd yea when you were dead in Transgression he said unto you Live and he also bound you up when no eye pitty'd you even then when you were Enemies to him walking in the Vaâ—â—tâ—en of your own hearts and knew not him who lives forever who had been sougâ—â— by you but not found in that very day he sent to visit you with his Eâ—… Gospel of Peace and Truth to gather you unto himself I am a 〈◊〉 and he caus'd his powerful Voice to be heard and his Name to be 〈◊〉 among you and his Truth was declared in the Demonstration of the â—…rit and the Power of the Lord was made manifest in you to the bringing of you from Darkness to Light and from Death which had reign'd over you 〈◊〉 know a Measure of the Life of God Yea the Way of Life Eternal was set 〈◊〉 you that you might not perish but live and his Witness in you all 〈◊〉 iâ— but one the Word of the Lord reacheth unto you by the Mouthes of 〈◊〉 â—…ts to the revealing of Sin and judging it by his Righteous Law 〈◊〉 in your hearts causing his Terror to be known among you and his â—udgments reached your hearts and in that day beautiful was his Presence 〈◊〉 you and precious was his Truth among you in your first Love and his Liâ—â—t and Power and the Knowledge of his Ways were pleasant to you and the Sâ—…l of the Kingdom of God which you receiv'd with Joy grew up in you and â—…per'd at that day and the Lord loved you his Presence was with you â—…g his own Children whom he begat by his Everlasting Word that you 〈◊〉 be a Praise unto him forever And when the fear of the Lord and his Jâ—â—gâ—â—nts were placed among you and your Hearts were broken and while you were of a hungering Soul and thirsty after the Lord then was it well with you and the Day of Peace dawn'd unto you and the Word of the Lord was â—weâ—t unto you and he was gladly receiv'd that came in the Name of the Lord. Bâ—t O how have some of you lost your first Love and are again darkened and ready to faint and to turn aside for a thing of nought And how do such grieve the Spirit of the Lord and vex his Righteous Soul and are become a Sâ—â—deâ— to him in dishonouring his Name the envious man having entered â—nd sown his Seed in some of you and brought forth Strife and Divisions and Disorders among you which are not of the Father nor of the Truth and Prejudice and Evil-Surmisings and secret Jealousies one against another is risen in you all which is to be condemned with the Light for the Fire I judge it all under my Feet in the Power of the Lord God and am in that which reigns over it all and through these things Unity is decay'd and Love is waxed cold and there is fainting in the way and the Zeal for the Name of the Lord perisheth which ought to be among you and Rendings and Tearings Biting and Devouring one another and striving for Mastery there is which ought not to be which the Wrath of God is against all this is out of the Light out of the Wisdom and Counsel of God My Spirit is vexed and my Heart is troubled within me because of these things not for my self but for you and for the Glory of the Lord over whom I am jealous with a Godly Jealousie that you may not perish nor his Glory be dispised among the Heathen What mean you thus to deal against the Lord in dishonouring his Name in the sight of the Enemy even to the wounding of your own souls and to the piercing of the hearts of the Faithful who have watched over you and been Messengers of Glad-tidings unto you from the Lord Every one of you in particular be awakened and stirr'd up and fear before the Lord and come to the Light which the Son of God has lighted you withal and search your own hearts and try your selves that the ground of these things may be seen and condemn'd and remov'd and Love may yet spring amongst you to the Lord and one to another O Friends Consider It was one Father that begat you into the Truth which is but one by one Word of Life which is not divided and you were begotten unto him and not unto your selves And Christ Jesus which is
Singings their Baptisms and Breaking of Bread and even all that which you perform as unto God as the Worship of him is not accepted but Abomination unto him and his Soul is burdened with all these things you not being led with the Spirit of Christ And even your practizing of these things which the Saints and Christians once practiced and were accepted of the Lord in so doing while they were led by the Spirit of Christ I say The very practice of those things now by the Christians being degenerated is become Idolatry and Abomination to the Lord. And this I declare in the Fear and Presence of the Lord Even all your Praying and Preachings and Profession all your Sabboth-keeping and Set-dayes of Humiliation and even all your Practices of Religion which you do and perform are Idolatry and a Burden to the Lord's Soul in the state that now you stand not being led by the Spirit of Christ but being from it departed and your works not brought forth by it but by another spirit And now saith the Lord unto you Christians who are degenerated from the Spirit of Christ To what purpose is your Preaching Praying and Singing They are a Vexation and Burden to the Righteous Soul and the Lord hath no delight therein away with it away with it Your Profession and Practices stincks in the Nostrils of the Lord All your Baptisms and your Sacraments which ye perform in a vain Tradition and not by the Spirit of the Lord they are hateful in his sight away with them away with them they shall crumble to the dust and immediate Desolation in one day the Lord will break them down and never build them up again Your Preaching by a Glass for so much a Sermon or so much a Year what you have gathered out of Books and studied for from other mens words town with it down with it it is 〈◊〉 Abomination to the Lord. And your Ministry which is made and sent forth at Schools and 〈◊〉 natural Learning through the attainment of such Arts and Sciences and being approved of such and such men and sent forth to such and such a Parâ—… 〈◊〉 have so much Money by the Year for preaching what hath been studied foâ—… and not by the Gift of the Holy Ghost away with this Ministry away with it it s a mocking of God and a deceiving of Souls the Lord will confound it and bring it to Destruction And your singing of the Saints words in Rhyme and Meeter and their Conditions which your selves never knew this is Abomination to the Lord and a Practice which his Soul hater away with it the Lord is risen to confound it Away with all your Worship which is not in the Spirit nor in the Truth but in vain Traditions of 〈◊〉 practiced by you in a vain Form and not the Power of God The Lord will being it down to the ground restore and establish his own Worship which 〈◊〉 in Spirit and in Truth and he will give and hath given his Ministry again by the Gift of the Holy Ghost which hath been lost for many Ages while this Night of Apostacy hath over-spread the World and the Lord shall 〈◊〉 longer be worshipped in vain Traditions of men but his people shall be reâ—â—red and renewed to worship him in Spirit and Truth and the Christianâ—ife â—ife shall again be brought forth and the Spirit of Christ shall be the Leader and Teacher of his People And now the Day of the Lord's Visitation is again revived for togather his People and to restore them again to his perfect Way and Worship Therefore hearken and behold ye Christians this is the Testimony of the Lord â—…erning you You have been fallen and degenerated from the Life of Righteousness and from the true Way and Worship of the true God and you have long been slumbring and sleeping in this long Night of Darkness which overshadow'd you and darkned that glorious Appearance of the 〈◊〉 of God which once shined upon the Christians and in Blindness and Dâ—… have 〈◊〉 walked for many Ages and your Worship hath been subscribed To the Unknown God and wofully have you been wallowing in unclean Paths and you have erred you have erred from the Life of Christ and from his Spirit and you are gone from your Husband and follow'd other Lovers and you have been â—…ed in Iniquity and altogether poluted by Transgtession and the state in which you now stand is a state seperated from God a state of great Ignoraâ—… and Darkness and a state of hainous Rebellion against God whose Soul and Spirit is greatly oppressed and grieved because of your Degeneration who 〈◊〉 become more ignorant of God then the Ox is of his Owner oâ— the Ass of his Master's Crib and even the very same Vision is seen concerning you as the Prophet saw concerning Israel Therefore hear oh Heavens and give ear oh Earth for the Lord doth speak unto you Christians I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebell'd against me and the Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Master's Crib but the Christians do not know the People do not consider Ah! sinful Nation a people laden with Iniquity a seed of Evil-doers Children that are corrupted that have forsaken the right Way and provoke the Living God to Anger and ye are gone away backward the whole Head is sick the whole Heart is faint and from the sole of the Foot even unto the Head there is no Soundness but your Conditions are Wounds and Bruises and â—…fying Sores you are not closed neither bound up neither mollified with Oyâ—…ent and your Country is desolate and your Cities are burnt as with Fire your Land Strangers devour it in your presence and it is desolate and overthrown by Strangers and but that the Lord of Hosts has left us a soul Remnant even a Seed ye Christians would have been as Sodom if any man hath an Ear to hear let him hear This Vision is as true unto you Christians throughout all the World as ever it was unto the seed of the Iews This is your state and this is your condition and thus ye stand in the sight of the Lord though in your beginning in the beginning of Christianity I mean the Lord brought up the Christians and nourished them by his Living Word and with his Word he cherished them and they grew unto a goodly state and were â—…pleat in Christ Col. 2. 10. And they were come to the 〈◊〉 of â—…st Men made perfect and unto Mount Sion the 〈◊〉 of the Living God the Hâ—…ly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the First-Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all Hebrews 12 22 23 24. TO this state were the Christians nourished and brought up in the dayes when they were first brought forth when they were begotten and born again of the immortal Word that abides forever and they were sanctified and purified and
was come to search them and try them and would hew down their Idolatrous wayes and worships and works c. And in order to a fair proceeding with them the next day I was moved to write this following Paper to them by way of Queries as to lay some ground of Opposition hoping to have received their Answer that I might have joyned tryal with them for it was in my heart to search and oppose their Wayes and Practices and their whole Religion And these Queries were delivered to them in Latine though from them I have received no Answer to this day but the Queries stand upon them and my Charge they lie under charged upon them in the Name of the Lord. To all ye that profess your selves Devoted to the Service of God and Separation from the World and Mortification in your lives who are called by the the name of Fryars and Nunns in and about Dunkirk THe Mighty Day of the Lord God is come and coming upon you and all the World Awake awake ye that sleep in the Earth for the Dreadful God is arising to plead with you and to give unto all the World the Cup of his fierce Indignation because of your Idolatries and Hypocrisies and Abominations which have corrupted the Earth and are come up before him and have provoked him and the Cry of the Just who hath been smitten and laid slain is entred into the Ears of the Most High and his Sword which is the word of his Mouth is awakened to wound and slay all his Enemies And the Day of your Visitation is now come wherein the Lord is searching you and trying you that he may recompence you and this is the Word of the Lord to you Wherefore I am moved of the Lord to propound some few Queries to you for the tryal of your spirits and wayes to which I demand your Answer that all things may be brought to Light and true Judgement and that you may be judged justly and by the Spirit of the Lord cleered or condemned accorto your Deeds 1. Whether there were such order of Men and Women in the true Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes and where did Christ give Institution for such Worships Practices and manner of Life slouthful idleness and unprofitableness to God and Men as ye hold forth And whether any are bound to believe you and follow your Religion and Practices except you can prove by the Scriptures the Words of Christ or Example of his Saints and Apostles your Religion and Lives and Practices and Worships and whether you do admit of tryal in all your whole Religion by and according to the Scriptures and Writings of the Apostles yea or nay 2. Whether the World in your Hearts and the World's nature even the root of Lust the root of Pride Covetousness and the love of this World and its Vanities and the root of Idolatry is subdued in you to the Light in your Consciences I do speak and what is the root of all these things and what is it that subdues it Is it an outward abstinence by the force of Locks and Doors and Bolts or self-separation and secret Places that subdues the World's nature in Men and Women and is it by such means that Christ gives Victory over Sin and overcomes it in his People or is it not by the Power of God in the Heart onely and whether is it not damnable Hypocrisie in you to appear outwardly Holy and free from these things while yet the Nature and Root of all these things are alive in you and boyling up in the motions of them and is any outward thing the Cross of Christ and Christ crucified which mortifies to the World which the Apostles preached and rejoyced in 3. Whether is it a true denial of the World in you to deny it in one manner and place and to run into it and imbrace it in another way and place it doth not appear to me that you have denyed the World as the Apostles did For answer me where had they any such Seats in the finest and fattest Places of the Cities and Towns as ye have such great fine Houses and Gardens and such Revenues by the year as ye have staying all their dayes in a great House and spending their time in slouth and idleness as ye do they went up and down the World preaching the Gospel and had no certain dwelling Place but followed the Lamb of God in the Spirit and did not settle themselves in fat Places of the Earth continuing all their dayes as ye do therefore we judge that you are out of the Life and not in the spirit as the Apostles were in but are in the Form of Righteousness and Holiness without the Power So I demand an Answer to clear your selves if you can and to prove that you are of the true Church and that your Wayes and Practices are in and by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures 4. What is that Death that hath passed over all and reigned from Adam to Moses and whether it doth not reign yet in and over you and what is Moses's Ministration and whether ever through it you yet truely came and whether that part be subdued in you which the Law of God was added upon and whether are you come to Christ and know him as he was before Abraham and before Mary and how was he David's Lord and how his Son and is Christ within you born and revealed to you by whom the World was made and do you expect to be perfectly freed from Sin that ye shall not commit Sin in this Life upon Earth yea or nay 5. What is the Soul and what was its state and condition before Transgression and what is its state and condition in Transgression and whether may man come to be restored by the second Adam into the same estate while upon Earth as he lost in the first Adam yea or nay Friends I demand of you in the Name and Power of the Lord God to answer me these things in writing some of you and to subscribe your names that I may return you an Answer and query further of you for we are sent of God to visit you and to try you and if you be in the perfect Truth and would convert others to your Religion be plain with us and use your best Spiritual Weapons in your Zeal towards us and defend your Cause and appear for your God and if you doubt of your own Wayes and Practices and be not able to defend your Religion then let your Mouthes be stopped then turn from Idolatry for now is the Lord God risen that will judge ye and all the Earth righteously I am a lover of Souls but a Witness against all false Idolatrous Wayes of Antichrist and the Whore that hath reigned in the World and I am the Lord's Servant E. B. By the Scorners of the World called a Quaker These queries were sent to the Fryars in Latine ANd we were with
thou hast not known it altogether much less then knowest thou of those things which are Eternal which belong to thy Peace it shews thou ownest not the Lord who cannot own his People but rather countest them thy Enemies and sufferest all Evil to be inflicted upon them and this is the greatest of thy Misery in that the Lord hath been so good unto thee and thy Promises so large towards him for the Feeedom of his People yet all forgot and the Lord's Goodness not answered and his People made as Slaves and Bond-men under thee suffering the loss of Liberty and even their Birth-right-Priviledge in many parts of these Nations wherefore be awakened O man and sleep not totally in Carelesness but remember thy self either to perform the Good or at least to escape the Evil which may suddenly come upon thee And this I have written to thee out of perfect Love in the Fear of God without the Fear of any man or without any secret or open envying of thee couldst thou but own the Lord he would be thy strength to forgive all thy Iniquities and blot out thy Sin and to defend thee from all thy Enemies and above all things Love Iudgment Mercy and Truth and fear before the Lord and let not his People be thy Bond-slaves who are more dear unto the Lord then all Earthly glory is unto thee and if thou couldst own them they would own thee in the Face of all thine Enemies many times hast thou been warned and that from the Lord and thou shalt confess it when the Lord's hand is upon thee and thou delivered into the Will of thy Enemies Remember that I have told thee what the Lord hath shewed me happy art thou if thou canst receive it that Peace may be unto thee and not War Salvation and not Condemnation Renown and not Dishonour which waits for thee except thou turnst to the Lord. Edw. Burroughs The Original of this was delivered to him in the Seventh Moneth 1657. To the Protector and Council A Servant of the Lord and to you a Friend wisheth Grace and Wisdom the Spirit of sound Iudgment and the Knowledge of God unto you that in all thing True Justice and Righteous Judgment may be brought forth and abound unto all people that you may be more Honourable and may be made a Blessing to your selves and this Nation and to Generations after you But alas my Friends how long shall Justice and true Judgment be neglected and the Innocent deeply groan for want thereof How long shall it be ere the distresâ—â—d Cry of the unjustly Afflicted enters into your hearts I say when shall your Ear be bowed down to hearken to consider of the guiltless cause of many of the faithful Subjects who lie deeply afflicted through this Nation some under one cruel Bond of Oppression and some under another being most unjustly and wickedly imposed upon them by Cruel Men who pervert Justice and turn true Judgment backwards and neither Fear God nor Regard Men but contrary to Justice and the good Laws of this Land as men without Reason and Natural Affections to Mankind do act most illegally to the grievous Oppression of many approved and faithful Subjects and the true Knowledge and Consideration hereof is enough to pierce the hardest Heart and to vex the most patient Mind and undoubtedly the â—…ce Anger of the Lord is greatly kindled because of these things and even against your Forbearance who seem to take little notice of such Cruelties and injustice when they are laid before you for you do not relieve the Oppressed neither 〈◊〉 remove Oppressors as you ought to do and as the Lord requires of you What hath the aboundance of this World's glory and its treasure quite overcome and stolen away your hearts wholy from all sence and feeling of the unjust Sufferings of your Brethren who have in times past as faithfully as your selves served their Nation with their Lives and Estates to the purchasing of this Peace and Freedom out of the hands of Opposers and such may now justly claim the benefit of this Peace and Freedom and to have a part with you therein even by Birth-right and by Purchase and also by Promise from some of your selves But alas while they have waited for it and thought peaceably to enjoy the same under you are many of them entrapped into as great Bondage as ever if not more woful and unjust and they are unjustly imprisoned and unreasonably fined and every way oppressively dealt withal and are even spoiled in their Persons and Estates and their lives often in danger being through great Injustice become a Prey to their very Enemies who now take occasion to revenge their former Cause because of their Faithfulness for the Common-wealth against them and all this is done while you look on and no way shewing your dislike to these things which strengthens greatly the hands of Evil-doers to add to the Bonds of the Afflicted yet are you without excuse for you are not wholy ignorant of these things for the knowledg of them has often bin laid at your doors yea and the very Cry of these Oppressions and Cruelties reach through the whole Land to the wounding deeply of all people that fear God to know so great Injustice and Oppression brought forth upon the â—â—nocent and faithful People by some so far entrusted as having the Law comâ—itted to them which they pervert and turn Judgment backwards and the greater is the Wound because you who have power to stop and prevent these things should have no more regard to set at liberty the unjust Sufferers and to â—â—der Judgment upon those as thus pervert true Justice by whom the Land is filled with Violence whereby the Name of the Lord is greatly dishonoured and the Government greatly reproached in many parts of the World why because the faithful Subjects cannot enjoy their Birth-right-Priviledge as they ought according to the Law of God and man for their Equals yea their Inferiors have exalted themselves above and are become Oppressors of the Free-born People and divers ways do these hainous Oppressions and Cruelties abound upon the Innocent and not for Evil-doing but for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God for many have been taken travelling on the High-way and some out of peaceable Meetings and out of their Inns and Friends Houses and by some wicked men in Authority without shewing just Cause therefore have just Men been whipped or stocked or imprisoned or other Cruelties done unto them and yet the transgression of no just Law truly charged against them neither have been convicted of any Evil-doing but they have suffered wholy Innocâ—â—tly only through the Malice and Will and Pleasure of their Enemies who have taken occasion wihhout any just Offence at all to stock and whip and imprison many of the true and faithful Subjects and this hath not been done in secret but openly in many parts of this Nation and you have had Information of
that lodgeth in thy own Bowels Though thou hast had Kings over thee and chosen thee Parliaments and set up Protectors and Committees and Councils have been created in thee to have been as a Defence upon thee and to have born the Scepter of thy Government but alas all these have left thee and thou art now as alone and left comfortless even as a Widow unto this day and the Staff of thy hand hath pierced thee and thy strength and confidence hath betrayed thee and them whom thou hast chosen have wrought no deliverance at all in thee even the men that thou thoughtest should have healed thee they have made thy wound more incurable and they in whom thou hast reposed trust they have been deceitfull and treacherous in thee for many have sought themselves and who should be the greatest and they have trisfled away many precious hours in vain contentions about Government what it should be and who should govern while as no good thing hath been effected by them but in the mean time of their delayes and while they have been making themselves rich with the Nations Treasure and loved this worlds perishing honor and vain titles the Nation hath starved for want of mercy and just judgment and the cause of its necessity hath been forgotten and mercy and truth and the freedom of the people neglected and the Cause of the Fatherless Widow and Stranger and the Cause of the afflicted people have they not respected Oh Nation the men that have sitten on thy Throne they have left thee groaning under great Oppressions wounded with the Spirit of Tyranny yet un-cast out and thy people are yet unhealed but the breach hath been made wider even by that Spirit which hath possessed thy Parliaments thy Protectors thy Councils thy Committees who hath proved Physitians of no value but have bin the increasers of thy grief and even because of their iniquities and the sin of their Ambition and Oppression hath the Lord dealt thus with them and suffered them to dash one another in pieces and through Judgment unto themselves and thee Oh Nation are they at present ceased from thee and thou art left alone and without a Deliverer in the Earth full of Troubles and Distractions Oh that thou wouldst now look unto the Lord and seek him in Righteousness that he may heal thee for there is none of all them that do pretend to rule thee that do rightly proceed in the way of thy Deliverance they do not apply healing Balm unto thy Wound they rather add unto the cause of thy Sorrow then remove it from thee their hearts are not aright before the Lord and how then should they prosper in their doings All these things have we viewed and pittied the condition of our Nation and thus we do declare the very cause of these things that are come to pass in thee is in that oh Nation thou hast sinned thou hast sinned and the cry of thy Iniquities is come up before the Lord even the sins of thy Rulers and thy People is the Cause of God's Displeasure against thee and he is provoked through their Transgressions in thee is found the Blood of the Innocent in thee is found the Murder of Souls in thee is found Treachery against God and Hypocrisie Dissimulation with God and men in thee is found Pride Oppression Whoredom and Drunkenness Stealing and Murder in thee is found the very burden of Iniquity the full measure of Transgression even the transgression of God's whole Law deceit is found in thee unsoundness of heart unconstancy in all good things multitude of hypocritical Fastings Prayers and Services in thee is found even destroying Sins of all sorts do abound and thou hast provoked the Lord God by thy Abominations thy Rulers have been Oppressors thy Teachers Deceivers of Souls and thy People are froward and perverse against the Lord in thee is found the men that judge for Rewards and the Priests that preach for Hire and the Prophets that divine for Money thy Sins are like Israel's of old for number and greatness and thou hast lost God's Favour and gained his Fury by thy own doings and thou art the very cause of this Misery and hast brought it upon thy self and because thou art departed from the Living God by thy Transgression therefore hath he confounded thee and turned thy Wisdom into Folly and he is departed from thee and out of thy Councils and men are left to the counsels of their own hearts and as it were ready to destroy one another Ruler against Ruler and Neighbour and Friend full of strife one against another and this is happened unto thee as a Judgment for thy Iniquities who hast also nelected a gloririous Day of Visitation thy Rulers and Inhabitants have been warned and the Cry of Repentance hath been sounded towards them all by a despised people but warning hath not been regarded but the word of the Lord rejected by thy Rulers and People and lo what wisdom is there in them not so much wisdom from God as can preserve them but it may be just with the Lord to suffer them to drink the blood one of another even because they have sinned against God and rejected his counsel therefore is this come to pass in the Nation for hadst thou oâ— Nation walked in the Light of the Lord it had been better with thee had every one obeyed the Light in his own Conscience and had every one sought the Lord and not himself had thy Rulers ruled for God and had thy people been ruled of God then this day had not been a day of Trouble but it had been a day of Joy and Sorrow and Anguish had been removed far from thee and blessings had filled thy Habitations And now whereas many wise men have been advising and consulting the peace of this our Nation and they have given in their counsel for removing these Troubles yet Peace and Unity seems to be far away and though they have sought Peace for this Nation yet they have not walked in the perfect way thereof for innocency truth and simplicity have bin wanting which God only will bless and by flatteries and deceits and the pollicy and wisdom of this World have they thought to make up thy breach but it cannot be for in the way of that proceeding will not the Lord be found in a needful time and his presence hath been wanting in their counsels and therefore the fruit of peace is not yet grown up this we have seen and therefore thus we do declare O Nation the inward cause of thy destractions must be removed even thy iniquities must be forsaken and thy transgressions repented of thou must forsake thy former wayes and doings that are not right thou must leave off thy hypocrisies and flatteries with God and men thou must repent thee of thy profaneness and of thy profession also thy sin and thy righteousness must thou put away which are both Abominations unto God thou
must cease to do evil and learn to do well and thou must be uncovered of thy sheeps cloathing thy large profession of Religion and the multitude of thy Prayers and Sermons and the number of thy oblations and offerings these things have not been pleasant unto the Lord from thee but because hereof is he the rather provoked against thee and thou must be stripped of thy filthy garments and set as in the day that thou wast born before thou canst be cloathed with divine righteousness and O Nation thou must be changed not in name onely but in nature thou must be converted that the wrath of the Lord may be turned back from thee every inhabitant in thee must become a fighter against the evil in his own heart and the plague thereof must be sought out and removed the sin must be forsaken that judgement may cease and every one must cease to provoke the Lord and no longer vex his Spirit within them and every one must love the Light of Christ in his own conscience and become a follower of it that will lead him out of all sin and every man must put off his Transgressions and forsake himself and lay down the enmity and cast it out of his heart that he hath against persons and he must war against the Enemies of his own Soul and the Enemies of his 〈◊〉 House must be â—â—ain even his own Lusts and even the evil Affections of his own heart must he become an Enemy unto and every man must deny the false Teachers and Deceivers and must come to be taught of the Lord every one must turn to him and come into his Covenant and hear his Word and obey his Voice and become humble and meek and must tremble at the Word of the Lord aad must become upright and innocent And O Nation If it were thus with thee then shouldst thou be a happy People if thou dost these things then shall all thy Breaches be healed and thy Sorrows be turned into Joy and the Lord shall cease to smite thee and his Anger shall be turned clean away This is our Counsel unto thee Remove thy Iniquities by Repentance be converted to the Lord and he shall heal thee and his Love shall be shed abroad Peace Plenty and Satisfactionâ— Unity and Concord shall be unto all thy Inhabitants and the Lord himself shall be thy King thy Judge and thy Law-giver he will judge thee with equity and not with Oppression he will teach thee in the perfect way and thou shalt not err he will defend thee from all thy Enemies Oh Nation if thou do these things even turn to the Lord with all thy heart that he may walk in thee and dwell in thee then should thy light break out of obscurity and the dew of Mercies shall fall upon thee and it should be unto thee as a Morning without Clouds and thou shouldest be refreshed after all thy sorrow the Nation should be happy and the people blessed and the Government of Peace and Truth should be established never to be confounded any more And thus thy Iniquities being removed the Plague should cease and the cause of destruction being taken away no fruit thereof should appear wherefore let men cease to hatch Mischief one against another and to seek vengeance one of another and let them seek with all speed and sincerity to get victory over their own sins and vengeance may be taken upon their own transgressions and this is our Councel for the healing of our Nations breach and for turning away the Anger of the Lord. But and if O Nation thou continuest in thy perversness and in transgressions which the Lord hates and if thou wilt not turn to him that smites thee and love his Rod that corrects thee but wilt always grieve the Spirit of the Lord and be obstinate stout-hearted against the Lord and his reproofs and if thou wilt continue in thy accustomed sins then shall the reward thereof be upon thee even breach upon breach and one Judgment upon another and Mercy shall be with-holden from thee and the Dew shall not fall upon thee but thou shalt be as a barren Heath and thou shalt be given up to consume thy self in mischief and in thy heart-burnings one towards another if thou wilt set up Rulers of thy own proud and ambitious men and will not chuse the Lord to Rule over thee but reject him and his People then shall thy Breach never be healed by the Men whom thou chusest but through them shall thy Breach be more desperate and thy Wound be made more incurable and if thou wilt set up Teachers that teach for filthy Lucre and Prophets that divine for Money and Priests that preach for Hire and will not receive the Covenant of the Lord and him to be thy Teacher by his Spirit then shalt thou err in thy ways and stumble and fall and never know perfect Peace with God nor one with another but as thou lovest Oppression and Deceit and walkest in Transgression so shall it be unto thee and thou must eat the Fruit of thy own doings Misery upon Miseries shall be upon thee and thus shalt not see the Face of the Almighty to refresh thee Wherefore O Nation consider before the Night comes upon thee when no way will be found by thee to be dilivered for in the middst of thy Confusions God is a working he hath a Work to bring forth which shall be a Work of great Mercy and Deliverance or of Sorrow and of great Judgment even to the whole Land And as for us we hereby declare unto thee We are not thy Enemies we seek not thy hurt nor do we desire Vengeance upon our Enemies we seek not thy Destruction but we desire thy Repentance that thou mayst be healed we have not the spirit of Mischief and Rebellion in our hearts towards thee neither are we for one Party or another nor do we side with one sort against another neither do we joyn our selves to this sort or the other nor do we war against any by carnal Weapons neither shall we ever provoke the Nation against us otherwise then by our Righteous and Holy Walking and we do declare that we are not for Men nor Names nor shall we joyn with this or that sort of men but as they act Righteousness alone nor any thing that yet appears can we fully embrace or rejoyce in for they are all corrupted in their ways and that cursed spirit of Self-seeking seems to be the Rule of and to leaven their principal Actions and we rather yet chuse to suffer by all as for a long time we have done alreapy then to lose our Integrity and Innocency by joyning to any in their unjust ways for we reject all Places of corrupted Honour and we are yet kept free It is true we are a People gathered of the Lord into one Spirit and though a People little in Account and very low in Reputation and greatly reproached and 〈◊〉 suffering
appear Innocent of the Cruelty and Injustice and shedding of the Blood of Just Men without Cause being men of Guilty Consciences upon whom the Terror of God and of the King seems to be because of what they have done But now let the King rightly consider of the Case between us and them and let him not hide his Face from the hearing of the Cry of Innocent Blood And for a further Testimony of the Wickedness and Emnity of these Petitioners and to demonstrate how far they had proceeded contrary to the good Laws and Authority of England and contrary to their own Pattent hereunto was annexed and presented to the King a Brief of their Unjust Dealings towards the Quakers so called which the Reader may see at large in the Reccord of Sufferings E. B. To all My DEAR COMPANIONS In the Travel and Labour of the Gospel of Christ And in the Faith and Patience in the Sufferings for his NAME 's SAKE DEarly and Well-beloved Brethren in the Heavenly Relation and Blessed Immortal Birth of which we are born most dearly in our Father's Love my Salutation extendeth unto you all as one with you perfectly in Sufferings and in Rejoycings in Faith and Patience and even in all things which you do and suffer for the Name of the Lord our God and my Soul greets you and embraces you and servently wisheth Peace Love and Unity and the Increase of every good Gift unto you all for I am perfectly one with you if you receive of our Father's Fulness I am refreshed and if you Rejoyce I am glad and if you suffer and be in Heaviness I freely partake with you whatsoever is yours whether Liberty or Bonds whether Life or Death I partake of the same and whatsoever I enjoy the same also is yours we are of one Birth of one Seed of one Line even of the Generation of him who is without Beginning of Dayes or End of Life who is an High Priest made after the Power of an Endless Life and as he was blessed of the Father so are we because we are of the same Birth and are Partakers of his Nature and he lives in us and we in him Well my dear Companions I need not multiply words unto you as if you knew not these things for What know I that you know not or What can I say but you know the same Yet bear with me for my Heart is very full and my Soul ready to be poured forth that I may once more express a little quantity of what is abounding in my Heart for Love even perfect Love even that Love wherewith we are beloved of the Father filleth my Heart at this time towards all of you from the least to the greatest and I know nothing but Love towards you all and I doubt not but in the same Love you do receive this my Salutation which is from the Fountain of Love which at this time is opened in my Heart Now Dearly Beloved The present Considerations of my Heart are very many concerning the great Love of the Father which hitherto hath been shewed unto us we all know how that he called us by his Grace and turned our Hearts from the Vanities and Evil-wayes of this World and sanctified us by his Word and put his Image upon us and called us by his Name and redeemed us unto himself and gave us the Testimony of his holy Spirit in our own Hearts That we should be his People and he would be our God he taught us and instructed us and fed us and gave us Peace and Rest in himself and freed us from the Bondage of Sin and Corruption and from his Terror because of sin and he removed our Transgressions and blotted them out and ceased to smite us any more but brought us into the Land of Rest flowing with Mercy and Peace and Knowledge and all good Things this did the Lord our God do for us in the dayes of our Infancy even when we were yet in our sins he called us forth and cleansed us from them and when we were Strangers to him he made himself known unto us and when we were wholly ignorant he gave us Knowledge and when we were not a People he raised us up and made us worthy to be called by his Name and thus and after this manner did the Father love us and shew his Love unto us this you know even as I do and the Consideration of it causeth me thus to express it Again when he had thus wrought for us and shewed Love unto us he was pleased to call us out into his Work to the turning and converting of others unto the Way of Life he put his Spirit into us and gave us Gifts of Knowledge and Utterance and armed us with Wisdom and Strength and Courage and every way fitted us for that work and service in which he hath carried us he I say fitted us for his Work and called us into it and carried us on joyfully in it and all this of his free Love and infinite Power and what we have been and what we have done it hath been only of the Lord and not of our selves even of his Love which to us may be admirable for alas what were we but Children and neither Prophets nor Prophets Sons and our Education unanswerable for these things and to perform this Calling and therefore it is the Lord and only him that hath effected his own Purpose through us and by us as Instruments mean of our selves but by him very excellent Again he hath mightily prospered us in his Work and a glorious effect we have beheld of our Labours and Travels and Testimony yea the Lord hath been with us abundantly and his Arm hath compassed us about and he hath often given us great victory over the Wise and Prudent of this World he hath made his own Word often very powerful in our Mouthes to the wounding of the Consciences of our Enemies and the Lord hath blessed our Testimony to the confounding of the Wisdom of this World and to the gathering of many unto himself and he hath gone forth before us in his Authority and been alwayes with us in his own Work and our Testimonies Labours and Travels have been very precious and pleasant unto the Lord and all his People and the effect thereof causeth my soul to rejoyce because the Lord hath been with us and prospered us unto a great People who have received our Witness and accepted thereof unto their Salvation and unto the Lord alone the glory of all this appertaineth And for these eight years and upward the Hand of the Lord hath carried us thorough great Labours and Travels in his Service and many Dangers and Persecutions and Afflictions have attended us all this time and ye know that many a time hath the Lord delivered us from the Hands of such as would have destroyed us and we have been delivered again and again out of Dangers and Difficulties and the Lord hath been a
of all men yet is the Lords Presence amongst them and his Fear in their â—earts and his encrease is unto them and his Power with them till all their â—nemies be vanished as a Cloud for they are of the true Seed and of the true â—irth which the Lord will bless though they be accounted as thy Slaves and â—ondmen yet are they free in the Lord and this is the very fulfilling of thy â—ickedness and the height of the Transgression of thy Rulers Teachers and â—eople in that some of them that fear the Lord and walk with him are perseâ—uted in thee even they are made a Prey unto the Wicked to the Slanderers to â—he Drunkards to the Scorners to Unjust and Cruel men the People of the â—ord are become a very prey in thee even as meat for the Devourers Oh what â—ilt thou do in the day of thy Visitation when the righteous Judge numbreth â—p these things against thee Thy staff shall fail thee thy Phisitians shall be of no value ' and all thy Comforters shall be miserable at that day I have truly â—onsidered thy condition and measured thy state and I have often seriously â—eighed thy wickedness and pondered what would be the end thereof there is no â—ision of Peace unto thee but even the day of desperate sorrow a recompence â—or all thy works from the Hand of the Lord. I have often truly lamented thee and seriously hath thy condition entred into â—y heart thy iniquities have often pressed my soul and my Spirit hath been â—rieved within me when I have viewed thy great abomination and how Thouâ—ands in thee wholly perish for lack of Knowledge and even resists and will not be â—nstructed despitefully using such as do warn them even loving and delighting in â—heir Abominations These things have often made my Heart sad who have walked in thee as a Stranger and measured thee with the line of true Judgment and this is thy Height and â—ength and Depth Iniquity lodgeth in thee and Iniquity covers thee and Inâ—quity â—â—mpasseth thee about And this is a Warning to thee from the Lord in faithfulness declared unto â—hee whether thou resist or receive thus far I am clear of the Blood of all men in â—hee who seeketh not any thing in thee for my self but seeketh and hath often â—o the Lord for thee that thy People might know him and worship him alone â—ho giveth unto them all good things and hath caused the fulness of all good Creaâ—ures to abound and hath given plenty of all things aboundance of which is â—pent vainly upon the lust to the dishonour of God who giveth it How much â—s vainly spent upon Vanity in Meats Drinks and Apparel It s hard to be â—eclared what aboundance of the good Creatures of God are vainly destroyed in â—hee upon the lust in the excess more then what satisfies pure Nature your gluttonny and high minds devour in aboundance the good Creatures which God gives and he is thereby grieved with you who hath taken notice of this your sin which is not the least of your Transgressions and he will plead with you for it even in all things great is your wickedness and the Lord hath numbred it And above all things that is done in thee thy deceitful Profession and Pretence of worship of God is the Lord most grieved with who hateth all your Meetings of gathered Assemblies which are not gathered by his Spirit he will confound yoâ— wisdom and overthrow all your buildings Wherefore repent ye and cease from Idols and all Idolatry and cease for ever to warm your selves at your own SPARKS for this shall you have at the Lords hands Ye shall lie down is Sorrow A WARNING to you all sorts of People YE Merchants and Traders and Trafickers and all ye that Buy and Sell bâ— plain and upright hearted and Lye not Swear not Dissemble not for gaiâ— unto your selves for that is cursed of the Lord and the gain that is thereby received but speak the Truth every man to his Neighbour flatter not such with whom you deal by feigned words of guile whilst secret over-reaching lodgeth iâ— your hearts to make a Prey upon your Neighbour or Brother for this is evil in tâ—… sight of the Lord but speak the Truth in all things and let your yea be yea aâ—… your nay nay in all your common occasions for whatsoever is more is evil aâ—… what is advantaged unto you through Deceit or Lying or multitude of vaâ—… Words it shall be a Curse unto you and not a Blessing unto you or to yoâ—… Children Let the Truth guide you in all your dealings one with an other aâ—… let the Fear of God be in your Hearts in all your Enterprizes both by Sea 〈◊〉 Land I Warn you all seek not by any evil means to enrich your selves neithâ—… oppress one another in any thing wherein you deal for you know not how loâ—… your time shall be upon Earth nor how soon the day of account will coâ—… wherein every word and every work shall be brought to Judgment yea for every Idle word shall ye give an account and all those words are idle which are not spoken in the Fear of the Lord therefore live and act in the Fear of God that yâ—… may be blessed in all that you do And all ye whom the Lord hath blessed with Riches and Encrease see that yâ—… abuse not that which God hath blessed you withal but in all things that it be 〈◊〉 to the Glory of the Lord and not wasted in excess upon the lust of your oâ—… minds for the Creation is the Lords and all things are given by him and takâ—… away at his Pleasure and he maketh rich and he maketh poor whomsoever he will Therefore every man be content with his own and covet not one anothers nor defraud one another to enrich your selves for it is cursed of the Lord. And all ye Handicrafts People and Labouring People fear ye the Lord continually and use no deceit nor craft nor pollicy in what you do in Labour seek not to blind mens eyes by fair outsides neither to cozen and cheat the Simplâ— by slighty work but let the Truth Guide you and that will teach you to dâ— for all men as ye would they should do for you and this is acceptable in the Sight of God Let your Commodities be just and right and let all your laboâ—… be with a single heart and do all things as in the Sight of the Lord and theâ—… you cannot do evil if the Fear of God be before your eyes and the evil in all things will be denied and the corruption that is entred into in all Callings anâ—… Trades will be judged out and be Examples one to another of Truth and Righteousness and cozen not nor cheat not one another nor use not many words not vain jestures but own the Lord to be your Teacher which will teach you Truth to do it and to speak it in all things And
all ye young men and Prentises Learn ye the Fear of the Lord and take heed of Temptations lest ye be destroyed both Soul and Body by them learn not to Dissemble nor to Defr and nor take not Instructions how to Cozen and Cheat but first seek the Kingdom of God and its Righteousness and then all outward things shall be added unto you Give not your selves to any Evil beware of WINE and WOMEN which steals away the Hearts of many give not your selves to Vanity nor fulfil not the desire of your own minds in any thing Covet not after Riches neither study how to be Proud and Vain-glorious Give not your selves to Craft and human Policies nor to deceive any People but fear God and keep his Commandments and be subject to your Masters and obey them in all things that are good and be dutiful to them in that which is just and righteous but deny them in whatsoever is evil learn not Craft and Policy from them neither Whoredom nor Vice nor Drunkenness nor Cozening nor any other thing which is evil but rather reprove those things then in the lest to follow them and if you do the Truth and speak the Truth in all things and keep your selves from whatsoever is evil then will the Lord bless you outwardly and inwardly and the Knowledge of God will be your Crown in old Age And cease from all Gaming 's and vain Sportings and from all Wontonness and vain Pleasures and from all the works of the flesh for they that follow such things shall neither prosper in this World nor be blessed in the World to come Wherefore take heed unto your selves all ye that are young in the World be not overcome of evil nor follow not evil Divices but stand in awe continually and offend not God who gives you Life and Health and all good things And all ye Masters and Heads of Families this is a Warning to you Be Examples of all good in your Families unto your Children and Servants rule in Authority in the Fear of God but not in Tyranny nor a Rigorous mind teach and instruct in fear and not in cruelty give no bad example in Pride Vain-glory Drunkenness Whoredom Dissimulation nor any other thing but stand as a Terror over all evil and as Encouragers of all good bind not the Conscience of any under your power curb sin only and reprove not Righteousness seek ye to be taught of God and then may you instruct all under you in his Way be pittiful towards your Children and Servants and pass by offences rather then punish them with cruelty and make not a prey upon your Servants to serve your own ends only seeking your own good only and not theirs for such things are evil in the sight of God and it is to be condemned Let no Excess neither let Want be in your Families but that which is honest and right love that in all things and follow it let not your anger and passion exceed when offence is given you and do not correct in cruelty but in a good understanding and walk in the Truth and fulfil the will of God and not your own and this is of great prize and acceptable in the sight of the Lord. And all ye Tavern-keepers and Inn-keepers fear the Lord God and oppress not your Guests neither feed the lust of any till they be drunk for that is cursed of God both in you and them and that which he will be avenged of Oh great is that abomination among you much of the good Creatures is vainly and wickedly spent and abused in your Dwellings and your advantage stands in the abuse of the Creatures by excess and the Lord is grieved with you because of that And all sorts of People Rich and Poor High and Low Masters and Servants Parents and Children Buyers and Sellers Trades-men and Labourers Hearken to the Counsel of God and seek to know his Will to you in all things that you may do it in following all that which is good and denying all that which is evil that your souls may live Let not the Devil lead you nor his temptations overcome you in any thing but resist him in whatsoever he would lead you into which is against God and contrary to him Repent of all evil that ever you have acted and let the Lord be your Guide that you may not utterly perish and your City be destroyed for your sakes the Lords Love is towards you and he waits to be gratious unto you and desireth your return rather then your Destruction and would heal you if you did wait upon him and would bless your City and make you happy in it if you do his Will and deny your own I am a Friend unto all your souls and a Publisher of Peace and of Glad-tidings to all that thirst for the Lord and he hath given me Power to warn you of all your iniquities and Abominations to deny them and that which is good to warn you to follow and Oh that ye knew in this your day the things which belong to your Peace which now ye may know before they be totally hid from your eyes and there be no place for Repentance nor time of returning and this day will come upon many and they cannot escape it who now harden their hearts against the Way of their own peace and even scorn to be reproved for their Transgression and such my soul pitties who are going in the way of destruction and run hastily into perdition I have many times been made sad by reason of such when I have measured the condion of all People upon my bed I have pondred what abomination was in thee and what would be the end thereof and I have desired nothing so much as that I might faithfully warn thee and free my self and the Lord from the Blood of all men deep thoughts have been upon me concerning what the counsel of the Lord is unto you all that I might manifest the Truth and discover the Abominations and I have not spared to cry Repentance unto Sinners that Sinners might be converted and turn unto the Lord and thus far I am clear of the Blood of all men and the Lord is clear and if the Wicked perish it is because of their unbelief and gainsaying of the Lord and this is the Testimony which I give unto thee and unto all thy people O LONDON hearken and consider this is the only day of your Visitation and there is not another Way to Life nor to escape everlasting death and destruction then that which the Lord hath shewed you Blessed is he that can receive it and they that deny it do utterly perish without Mercy London the 15th of the 6th moneth 1657. I am as a Stranger among you yet well known to the Lord and the Testimony of God concerning you shall stand for ever for it is true and shall'not be confounded though the wicked reject it to their own destruction EDWARD BURROUGH A Just and