his Counsel the measure of his Spirit in you to guide you in his holy Fear that you may be Heirs of his living Mercies through your holy Conversations then will he come upon you in the fierceness of his Wrath and break you to peeces like Potsherds and get his Glory over all your Heads in the Revelation of his righteous Judgments wherein the Rider of the pale Horse shall execute the pleasure of his own will as he did the last Year upon thy Inhabitants Oh thou City of London so now art thou warned through the Constrainments of the Spirit of the Lord through him that could have no rest till he signified unto thee what is here given forth what the determination of God is Therefore Wo Wo unto the Wicked for it shall go ill with them But Oh blessed be the Faithful Lambs happy are you dear precious and blessed Vessels your Faithfulness to God in your watching waiting in the Light of the Son of Righteousness for whom you have stood as Pillars in the strength of the Almighty Ah your tenderness and love to God and one unto another in the days of great Calamity that hath been amongst you is recorded in the Book of Eternal Remembrance of the living God and in the Hearts of his Righteous Generation never to be forgotten Oh take your Crown of everlasting Blessings you innocent Lambs and Children of Light in the City of London Oh be valiant and keep your state with God that his pure saving sanctifying Spirâ—t may guide you all in purity of Life and Conversation and in the aboundings of the Pure Holy Love to God and one unto another the mighty Jehovah will shew himself for you in the day of great Tribulation you shall rejoyâ—â— when the wicked shall Howle yea you shall tryumph in the Pure Dominion of the Lord of Glory when the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Through your Brother in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience of the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in Obedience to the Lord the 10 th of the 3 d Moneth 1666. Blessed are all who are united to God in the Lord Jesus yea happy are the People that have the Lord for their God. A General Epistle given forth from the Spirit of the Lord to be Read in his Fear in the Assemblies of the Church of the First-Born gathered in these Northern-Countries and in all Countries and Islands where-ever the People of the Lord are scattered over the Face of the Earth Dear Friends CAlled in the Light of the Lord Jesus to stand living Witnesses for him upon the Earth amongst the Children of Men Oh! the Bowels of the Love of the Lord that is in my Heart to you that when I was nigh unto death to the sight of all that saw me as to the outward Man and scarce able to speak I was constrained to give forth the substance of what is now sent amongst you for a perfect discovery of your conditions seeing that many are called and few chosen and many convinced that are not converted therefore are these lines written that you may truly know whether you be born again and redeemed from the Earth yea or nay And in order thereunto let every Man and Woman search their Hearts with the Light of the Lord and it will truly manifest whether you be born again and so feed upon the Tree of Life or otherwise you rest in outward formal conformity to the Tturh and the heart in the Earth and that Spirit will turn against Truth and hath done And some others are drawn to delight their Hearts in the Gifts Parts and knowledge which the Lord hath given them more then in the Lord the Fountain from whence they come and so abuse the gift and feeds upon the fruit of the Tree of Knowledg which puffeth up and maketh Man wise in his own eyes and say in his Heart I am wise and rich sees and wants nothing when they are Blind miserable naked and wants all things and whatever any profess as to the Service of God that is in this condition they have an end to themselves in what they do which grieveth the Spirit of the Lord when Men and Women in a discoursitive Spirit takes upon them to declare the Truth when the Lord neither calls them nor speaketh by them so are the Children born of the Royal Seed burthened for such have turned against the Truth and the Children born of it whom the Lord hath and will ease in the day determined when all mouthes shall be closed in silence but who are opened by him and not any Voice be heard but his own Spirit speaking in and thorow his own Children born of him who alone seeks his Glory and not any thing for themselves which must be denied Therefore seeing the Enemies wiles are great and many let all dread the Lord and who have been led astray wait in the heart-searching Light to see the Mystery of Iniquity where it led them forth and return to the Light to judge down proud exalted self which hath turned against the Truth and bring into true Poverty and abhoring of self to wait at the Throne of Grace for the Lord to raise you up in the Resurrection which raised up Jesus from the dead and in this Life contentious Self is buried in death and the true unity is known where the Lord alone is exalted in purity joy love and peace in all his from the least to the highest growth and all Flesh abased before him who is worthy of all Obedience Praise and Glory for ever Amen And all dear Friends and Brethren that love the Light and rejoyce in the Judgments of the Lord to have subtil Self buried in the true Death that what gifts of the Spirit soever the Lord gives unto you and the Enemy tempt you never so strongly to puff you up in a self-priding spirit in what you have received of the Lord yet his fear is so minded by you which keeps you in a true sence of your nothingness and emptiness in your selves which causes you to wait in true self-denâ—aâ— for the daily assistance and renewing of your strength in the Resurrection of Life in the Lord Jesus and the more he manifests his Power with you the more empty and nothing you appear in your own Fyes And so is the true Birth known which makes Self of no repuration that the Lord may be exalted in his unlimitted power in manifesting himself in the poverty emptiness and nothingness of his people who are born of him that not any Flesh may glory before him but all in truth to say the Lord doth all in me and through me and the Lord shall have the Glory and I will sit in the dust at his feet with all my Brethren and Sisters to serve him and his People through whom we are raised up to sit in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus in
sturdy Oakes that stand in pride of their own conceits but hath no Root so let them not speak of the Scriptures but bring them to the Witness to which they can witness of the Scripture so will the breath of the eternal Spirit of the living God speaking in you from the Power of the Lord that hath sealed his love to your Spirits raze up the Sandy Foundation so will the House and the sturdy Oakes and the tall Cedars fall and the Serpent in all his windings and twistings his Head will be bruised and all deceits overturned and your Souls preserved pure and clean and the Name of the Lord honoured who doth accompany the Witness of the Spirit with his own Power and abiding in his Power you shall reign Kings upon the Earth and the Lord God almighty be with you all you Sons and Daughters of the most high God and carry you all on in his eternal and mighty Power faithful unto the end that ye may receive the Crown of eternal Glory which is laid up for you in the Lord Iesus Christ and there you will fare well and I shall remain with you for ever in the Lord. W. D. DEar Friends meet often together in the Name and fear of the living God and take heed of Words see that the Witness speaks which will cut down your own wills and it will minister to the Witness in others to the slaying of their wills and take heed of watching over one another with an evil Eye to spy out one anothers weakness and declare it to others and discover their nakedness thou that art here art cursed Ham and the Wrath of God will be revealed upon thee but watch one over another with a pure single Eye and if thou see the pure in Bondage in any one by the deceit whisper thou not behind their back to others but let the Witness in thee which sees the deceit and suffers with the pure that is pressed down by it let it declare and witness forth the minde of the living God against the deceit and it will cut it down and the pure holy Seed will be set at Liberty and thy Conscience will be kept clean unto the Lord in discharging thy Duty and so will thy Captivated Brother or Sister be restored again forth of the Hand of the Destroyer and then thou wilt have union together in that which is pure for ever in the Lord And the eternal God of Power keep you all his dear Children in his pure Wisdom to walk faithfully with him and one with another and the blessing of the Lord God almighty be with you all for ever Amen William Deusbery MY dear Friends this is the Word of the Lord to you all whom my Father hath chosen out of the World in his eternal Love to make known his Power in you thus saith the Lord to you Look not back but Iudge that mind with my pure Word I have Enlightened your Consciences withal for the exercising of them towards me and towards men And I command you my Children stand in my pure Counsel and look up to me and I will accompany you with my Power and will make the way plain before you in bringing down that which is untoward in you and disobedient to my Will so my Ways will not be burdensom and my Commandments grievous to you my dear Children and this is my Word to you Cast off whatever I have let you see is offensive to my Will that so your Souls may rest in the Bosom of my Love that I may carry you on in the Arms of my eternal Power faithful unto the end and Crown you with glory which I have laid up for you in the Lord Iesus sleight not my Counsel but be valiant and bold for the glory of my Name saith the Lord God and be not hasty to utter words before me but let your words be few and savory at all times ministring Grace to all that hears you that my Name may be honoured in all you my dear Children in all your words and actions then I will accompany you with my powerful presence and will make you a terror to all evil doers One to chase a Thousand and Five to put Ten Thousands to flight so will I get my self a glorious Name in the manifestation of my Power in you my Sons and Daughters who stands faithful in my Counsel and walks in my Fear and your Souls shall be refreshed in the Fountain of my Love in the Lord Iesus where you shall reign for ever in my presence Meet often together to wait upon me in the fear of my Name and watch one over another in love and I will be with you my dear Children to order you in my pure Wisdom to the praise and glory of my great Name saith the Lord God almighty Written from the Spirit of the Lord to be sent abroad amongst Friends to be Read at their Meetings William Deusbery THE DISCOVERY Of the great Enmity of the SERPENT Against the Seed of the Woman which witnesseth against him where he Rules both in Rulers Priests and People whose hearts are now made manifest in this great day of the Lords Power wherein he is sending his Sons and Daughters in the Power of his Spirit to run to and fro to declare his Word Which Discovereth the state of England who according to her own lusts hath heaped up Teachers to her self that hath spoken smooth things to her calling her the beautiful Church and Spouse of Christ but in the day of tryal she is found in Enmity to Christ in his appearance in his Children and to be in the estate deluded from the Spirit of Truth Recorded in 2 Tim. 4.2 3. Which cannot indure sound Doctrine having itching Ears and turns them away from the Truth to Fables and now are Englands Teachers tryed she hath heaped up to her self and their Doctrine proved and their Ministry made manifest in the great Enmity they manifest against Christ in Persecuting the Bodies of his Saints them to destroy whom he hath sent to Preach freely his eternal Word for which they are Stoned Beaten and Imprisoned and many of Englands Teachers whom she upholds stirs up the People so to do Being deceived not regarding what is spoken that neither Fornicator nor Idolater nor an Adulterer nor Effeminate nor Abuser of themselves with mankind nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revellers nor Extortioners shall Inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. A true Testimony of him the World knows by name William Deusbery and in scorn calld Quaker who hath been by them Imprisoned in York Darby Leicester and Northampton where he is now kept in the common Goal for the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus Christ. Also his Call to the Ministry of the everlasting Gospel by the still voice of the Spirit of God and his mighty Power destroying with the flaming Sword the disobedient that would not stand in his Counsel and causing the Soul to submit to
Lord God and great shall be the peace of my Children and â—his here declared the Scriptures witness and I witness the Scriptures fulfilled in me praises praises Hallelujah and eternal praises be unto the Lord God almighty who hath taken unto thee thy great Power to sit upon thy Throne and to the Lamb for evermore It being charged on me my Imprisonment to be just until I give a reason of the hope of my calling and that I am unwilling so to do To stop the lying Mouth of the false Accusers and to clear the Truth from the lies laid on it as is before written and in love to the Souls of the People that they the Truth may know as it is in Jesus Here I have declared the work of the mighty God in revealing his Son in me who led me on my journey through the dark World where I passed through great tribulations as formerly written until I came to the end of the World over it to rejoyce in the Power of my God 1 Cor. 10.11 upon whom the ends of the World are come whom the whole World that lies in wickedness hates and persecutes but to the pure single Eye that is not of the World I lay this before which is written that all which it minds may see the Truth I bear Testimony of is not any Popish Tenet though I was questioned concerning them at the general Assizes holden at Northampton the tenth and twelfth dayes of the first Moneth called March 1654. neither is it Seducing nor Blasphemy nor prejudicial to the Truth of the Gospel or peace of the Nation but according to the truth of the everlasting Gospel and sound peace of the Nation for which Testimony I am still kept in Bonds in the common Goal in Northampton numbred amongst the Transgressors in the low Prison with these arraigned for Fellony and Murther waiting in rest and peace till the Sufferings of the righteous Seed be fulfilled And all you that are Enemies to the Truth of God persecuting it under the names as formerly written calling the preaching of the Truth seducing this I declare and confess unto you in the presence of God after the Way you call Seducing do I worship the Lord God of my Fathers and witness fulfilled what is written in the Law and the Prophets he that can receive me let him W. D. Dear Friends whose minds are turned to the effectual Light that comes from Christ all mind your own measure and be content in what the Lord hath committed to you with the Light judge that which would draw your minds to look forth at others conditions and in impatiency to covet what the Lord hath given to them before it be manifest to you be faithful every one in your own measure and in patience wait in the Light for the unlimitted Spirit of Christ your Life to open the Seals of the Book and make known unto you the mystery of eternal Life which he will daily reveal in you that are faithful in your own measures to follow the Lord in what he makes manifest to you whom he hath called into his Vineyard at the nineth and eleventh hour be faithful to the Lord in walking in obedience to him in the Light he will make a short work in the Earth for his Seeds sake and your Reward shall be Rest and Peace in the presence of God in Christ with those that came into the Vineyard the 3d and 6th hour and laboured the heat of the day God almighty be with you his chosen Servants and Children and all in your measure keep in his eternal power bold valiant and faithful unto the end and crown you with eternal glory in Christ one Judge Lord and King God over all blessed forever Amen To all you that Rule in England from the highest to the lowest whom the Lord hath intrusted with power to see the Peace be kept and to judge the Cause of the People He hath given you Power their Causes to judge with Righteous Judgement the Evil-doers to Punish and the Righteous set Free out of the Hands of those that oppress them This is the Word of the Lord God to you THat you lend not your Ears to the counsel of your own Hearts or to the counsel of any without you that tempt you to draw your minds from the pure Counsel of God which is the Light that comes from Christ Jesus and calls on you in your Consciences to judge with Righteous Judgment as you will eternally answer before the pure powerful dreadful God take heed of abusing your power he hath intrusted you with in establishing any Law which is contrary to Scripture and the righteous Law of God in the Conscience as those did whom the Lord drave out and destroyed before you in his wrath and overturned in his fierce displeasure which if you uphold those Laws they made in their will or any other which is contrary to the righteous Law of God in the Conscience and rule according to those Laws and exercise the power committed to you to bind the Laws upon the Consciences of the Children of the Lord whom he hath chosen out of the world and made them his Jewels to fear an Oath in obedience to the righteous Law which saith Swear not at all which if you by these unrighteous Laws take advantage against the righteous Seed concerning the Law of their God them to ensnare under your power that you on them may satisfie your wills This I declare to you from the eternal God of Heaven and Earth it is hard for you to kick against the pricks for what is done to his people he takes it as done to himself and better a Milstone were hanged about your neck and you cast into the Sea saith Christ then to offend one of these little ones that believeth in his Name and obeys his Command who saith Swear not at all and now is manifesting his power in his People that all them may know between those that Swear and them that fear an Oath which if you them that fear an Oath oppress this knowâ— the Lord God will plead their Cause as he did the Cause of all his people in all Ages and destroyed those that oppressed them as in the time of Pharaoh and in the time of Nebuchadnezar and in the time of Hamon in the raign of King Ahasuerus and in the time of King Herod whom he smote in his righteous Judgments and consumed him with Worms Acts 12.23 for persecuting his people and robbing him of his glory the righteous justice of God he manifested upon the Enemies of his People is left upon record you to fore-warn that you touch not his chosen anointed People nor do his Prophets no harm for whose sakes he Kings rebukes and all that oppress them as is recorded in Scripture of truth And you Rulers of England who promised to the Lord God if he would deliver those that oppressed his people into your hands and
grow to the eternal praise and glory of the powerful God of Vertue that his Name be magnified in and amongst you over all God blessed for ever his powerful presence more and more fill you and overcome you that the strength of his Love and Wisdom may govern you and build you up in the Life of Love Farewel Let Copies of this be sent all abroad in the Meetings of the Church of the living God. W. D. Given forth the 28 th of the 6 th Month 1661. at Beckrins Park in Bedfordshire Dear beloved Friends OF the noble Seed born of the Birth of the excellent Life in Christ the Son of the most high God in his Eternal Power wait to keep your estate with God in the measure of his Life to feel his Almighty presence leading through every condition to the establishing the Soul in his eternal Wisdom to walk with him that not any take their flight in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day but in the midd'st of the Winter Storms whether in the inward or outward Man or both seek not to flee in the least measure from the Light and Power of the Lord to get any ease but as it is handed in God for wo to them that take their flight in the Winter or on the Sabbath day And when you are in the Winter or in the Sabbath doth the Enemy work to get entertainment to cause you to flee from the leading Power of God which if he prevails in the Winter your flight is into Unbelief and Dispairing thoughts Hardships and Difficulties to cause you to Faint and draw back to Perdition But all dear faithful Vessels of the Lord to whom his Power is known in the Light all of you wait on the Lord in the middst of the stormy Winter the Lord hath and will keep you in the Word of his Patience in which he hath made you his chosen Jewels to stand in his mighty Power which hath caused his Renown to sound over the Earth in leading of you even unto Blood others to the spoiling of their Goods some Imprisoned even until Death in the meekness and patience of the Lamb of God who in tender Bowels hath remembred you and answered the Cries and Supplications of his people that have been poured forth in the behalf of you faithful Sufferers for the Name of the Lord who in measure hath caused the fierce Winter storms in the outward many times to cease that a Sabbath of rest in measure you may come to enjoy c. Dear chosen renownable Children of the most high God which not any Winter storms could move from your stedfastness in the Lord This is laid upon me to write to you that all diligently watch to the Light of the Lord that the Enemy do not enter with his Temptations as to cause any to take your flight on the Sabbath day into security which will draw into a customary Formality and into an easeful mind that will vail and darken the understanding and cause dryness and barrenness in the inward Man which will quench the first Love and cause the Innocent to suffer and bring a greater exercise then all the storms that have been indured from the hard-hearted Children of Men c. In the Name of the Lord all stand armed against the subtil Enemy of your Souls Peace with the Light judge him in the Power of God trample and tread down Sathan under your Feet that in the pure humble Spirit of Life in Christ you all be kept and grow in unity in the depths of the Love of the Father that his Vertue and Life abound in you to bind you up in eternal oneness with himself and one another to serve the Lord with singleness of Heart in faithful obedience in the Cross that the Crown of the glorious Dominion may rest upon you to the glory of the Name of the Lord for ever Farewel your Brother W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 11 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear beloved Brethren and Sisters BOrn of the noble Birth of the God of our strength in whom my Soul rests with you in the Life of God oh let us in true humility be glad in him and strong in the Power of his Love and Life in these trying daies to keep our Habitations in God that in our faithfulness to him comfort may flow to all the Babes Lambs and Children of our Father through all who know his loving kindness abounding in the secrecy of the depth of his Love in the new Covenant of Light which stands in his own faithfulness all that wait in his fear will feel your strength renewed from day to day in the Resurrection of his Glory Power and Dominion with him to dwell and reign over self and tread down Sathan under your Feet in the Unfathamabâ—e depth of the Love and Life in God that his own Vertue may stream it self into every Vessel more and more to make these transcendant excellencies to appear to be of God in the brightness of his glory to shine forth in the strength of his Incomprehensible Love and tender feeling Compassions to the strengthning the weak and feeble minded and enlivening that which is ready to die that in the feeling enjoyed Life in Christ the Babes and Children of the Lord be raised in eternal unity to grow up in the Heavenly Dominion of the Lord God of our Righteousness him to obey with boldness in the strait way of self-denial and daily Cross in faithfulness unto the end and watch one over another with a single Eye building up one another in the holy Faith opening your Hearts in the free Spirit of God to them that are in need that ye may bear the Image of the Heavenly Father who relieveth the Hungry and easeth the Burthened and maketh glad in refreshing his in the time of need giving liberally and upbraideth not even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord saith your Brother and Companion in the Lord Jesus Christ Farewel W. D. Given forth in Newgate Prison London the 16 th day of the 12 th Month 1661. Dear suffering Brethren ANd Companions in the Tribulations and Kingdom of Patience in Christ Jesus in him Watch and Pray and believe in his Name that you may keep the Word of his Patience in the Will of God quietly lye down in your present Sufferings for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ who numbers the daies of your Sufferings and when they are accomplished will plead the Cause of his People in the day he will be revealed in flames of Fire rendering Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ then shall your Innocency with all the Elect be cleared in the sight of all people and you shall shine as the Morning Stars in the Power of God to enlighten the people of the Nations through the brightness of the glory of God that shall rest upon you to
seek to overcome with their subtle enticing words to draw them into singularity and self-separation that they may set them up with admiration and to carry on their own Interest they make use of those they overcome to seek all occasions with themselves to speak evil some both by writing and printing against those that God hath raised up to keep their Habitation and to stand unmovable upon the Foundation Christ the Light to discern and judge their subtle crafty wicked proceedings and to lay them open that they be such as intrude into a Ministry and runs when God never sent them therefore they do not profit the people at all for they go not in at the Door which is the Light to be led in conformity to Christ in his suffering and Death so come they to be ignorant of the saving gathering word of eternal Life because they in self-strivings climb up over the true judgment of God and in pride and fleshly wisdom pretends to enjoyments of high things in a self-boasting spirit some saying in their Hearts as it is written I see and know and am rich and want nothing when they are blind and miserable and naked and wants all things and must come again to the Light to bâ—y eye-salve of Christ that they may see and raiment to cover them or else their nakedness will forever appear For this birth which is generated in the Myâ—tery of Iniquity as before written it cannot live but in singularity and self-separation setting up self some times in visible Formes Gestures and Postures to be seen distinct from others as Clouds tossed to and fro to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever except they repent for God will make the Womb of this Births Conception to be the Grave whence again it shall return and there to be buried to its eternal consummation the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through his Servant that hath and doth labour day and night according to the ability of the Grace I have received of the Lord for the restoration of all those that have been in danger of destruction through the snares and working of the Enemy as before written And amongst many some hearked to counsel and have been again restored in obedience to the Light but who rejected the counsel of God through his Servants and desperately goes on in a self-serving spirit though often reproved they harden their necks destruction hath doth and will come upon them and that without remedy Oh! How did my Bowels earn for the preservation of I. P. in what I could to have drawn and separated him from that spirit which gave forth the paper that propagated the keeping on the Hat in prayer and reflected judgment upon those that called upon the Name of the Lord with their Heads uncovered but after much counselling of him in tender love to have stopt that paper from going abroad but he would not be separated from that spirit that gave it forth Then I cleared my Conscience in the Word of the Lord which now in my freedom in God I declare to the Children of Sion what the eternal judgment was that did arise in my Heart in words to this purpose Iohn â—f then propagate what thou hast written in this paper thou wilt wound more Hearts and cause more trouble of spirit amongst the tender hearted People of the Lord then when the temptation entred dear I. N. who deeply suffered but the Lord restored him again by true repentance And as to my particuler it is not my nature to be found striving with thee or any upon the Earth but having declared the Truth to thee I will return to my rest in the Lord and let every birth live the length of its day and time manifest what is born of God for that Spirit that stands up in self-striving will weary it felf and dye and end in the Earth And this will certainly come to pass upon all that do not diligently wait in the Light to judg the out-goings of their minds and to be lead in true self-denial which is the Foot-steps where the Flocks of the Companions delight to walk every one serving one another in love seeking to restore one another with the Spirit of love and meekness forth of what any have done through the violence of Temptation or weakness Oh! Dear Friends feel the earning Bowels of the Lord through me to you all in which I beseech you that what hath come to pass in this day of great tryal and hour of Temptation you may all in dear love to the Lord of Life return to his Light to feel his Power restoring into a true understanding with him to walk in true self-denial where you will feel his Presence filling your Hearts and binding you up in eternal Unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace every one forgetting all things that are behind and not any one stand up in self-striving but in the tender broâ—herly love informing the Judgements of one another in the Light and Power of the endless life and in it submit to the low estate of one another serving one another in love which is the washing one anothers feet and here is Christ and his Disciples in eternal unity and powerful Dominion against whom every tongue lifted up shall fall in Judgment and every weapon formed shall not prosper but come to naught for the Mountain of the Lords House shall be more and more set upon the top of the Mountains and established over all the Hills and all the faithful shall more and more in eternal unity praise and magnifie his Name in the beauty of holiness who sits upon the throne and liveth and reigneth forever and ever And dear chosen Vessels who hath known and doe abide and keep your state with God in the perfecting power manifest in your inward man which truly buries self in the death and hath raised you up and sent you forth in the Resurrection and power of the endless Life which seeketh not any thing but to glorifie the Lord in all your travels and undertakings where-ever the Lord calls you Oh you blessed amongst the people what can be said of the goodness of the Lord that hath been and will be more and more manifest to you whose care and burdens labours and travels is known to the Lord and your reward is with him forever Dear Brethren though great be the wrath that withstands the work of our God which wrath worketh openly and mysteriously to lay burdens upon the innocent and to add affliction unto the afflicted In the Word of the Lord that ariseth in my Heart I declare they shall but weary themselves and all their hopes shall fail them and their expectations shall come to nought who wait for evil concerning you who love the Lord better then your lives and delight to wait to feel his Power at all times leading and ordering in the limits and bonds of the Spirit of the Lord c. I know there is of you my
what I may whilst I have a being amongst the Sons of Men to the glory of his Name for ever And this is the state of the true Disciples of Christ that cannot feed of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge although in your Journey and Travels dear Vessels of the Lord you see the Tree of Knowledge to be good where it stands in its place but the Fruit is not good to eat and feed upon because Knowledge puffeth up but Grace maketh humble Therefore dear Brethren and Sisters born of God who cannot live in any enjoyment but as you enjoy the Life and Presence of God from whence every good and perfect gift comes And dear Lambs although some of you be in your own Eyes the meanest amongst the People of the Lord yea at sometimes your Trials is so great that you are ready to account your selves unworthy to be numbred amongst the People of the Lord and yet you dare not disobey him neither can you live without his presence Oh you dear Children of God! lift up your heads over all Temptations and Accusations of the Enemy for your Groans and Cries are entred into the Ears of the Lord God who in the Bowels of his Love and Mercies doth constrain me to proclaim the day of the tender compassion of the Lord to all you who are truly poor in your Spirits Oh blessed are you among the Children of Men for yours is the Kingdom of God. Therefore be not weary of waiting upon the Lord for in his own time he will turn your Sorrows into Joy and give to you the spirit of Praises for the spirit of Heaviness as he hath done to many who have endured the like Temptations Tryals and Sufferings under which you wait this day for Deliverance and the Lord will be the same to you therefore be of good comfort for as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wilderness so is the Son of Man lifted up in the Light and Covenant of Life to heal your Wounds and save you from Sâ—n and to give you Victory over the Enemy in all his appearances so that you thorow Faith in the Name of Christ make War in Righteousness and fighting the good Fight in keeping the Faith you will he made more then Conquerors thorow his Love that he will shed abroad in your Hearts which will cause you to speak of his goodness and praise his Name for all his Mercies And all dear Children of the Lord who do witness in measure that you are truely baptized into his Death â—nd so are made partakers of his Resurrection as is before written which is the Life that worships him according to his own Will and so is truly accepted of him watch and pray that you may be guided in the power of his Spirit in all your ways And be careful that not any be hasty to utter words before the Lord neither suffer any sighs or groans or any thing to be heard to pass thorow you but as you have the seal of the Spirit of the Lord that he requires it of you this I am commanded to lay as a charge upon you that so all Flesh may be truly silent before the Lord and not any voice to be heard but the living Spirit of the Lord speaking in his People which you that wait in the fear of the Lord and minds his leadings may truly know as it is written so doth his Children witness He that hath my Word saith the Lord let him speak my Word faithfully Is not my Word like a Fire and a Hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces Therefore all mind to feel the Word of the Lord speaking in you that the pure burning Life of the Spirit may be tasted and felt in whatsoever you be exercised in that so you might be fully assured it is not your own work as Man speaking of God but the Lord alone uttering his own voice in the forcible power of his own Spirit in what you are exercised in whether it be to pray in Sighs or Groans or in words or to speak in Exhortation or Praises you are not to quench the Spirit of the Lord in this his day â—hat he is come and doth appear in giving divers gifts unto his People in his appearance as he did amongst his Disciples who waited at Ierusalem for the pourings forth of his Spirit from on high but they that were strangers to the work of the Spirit could not taste the Life that spake in them but said They were mad and full of new Wine c. but the Lord justified them it being the work of his own Spirit and although he gave unto them various gifts yet all in the unity of himself in which they sacrifice in returning to the Lord his own with advantage to the glory of his great Name as his Children doth at this day blessed be his Name for ever that forth of the Mouthes of Babes his praise is declared in their measures as it is with those of higher growth in the Lord and so do the faithful Labourers reap the Fruit for which they Travel that all the People of the Lord may be filled with his Spirit and in the exercise and leadings thereof become a Body of living Ministers and a Family of Prophets the strong leading the weak by the Hand and in tender Love building up one another in their most holy Faith which gives the Victory over the World to Reign in the Heavenly Dominion which causeth the Children of the most high in the Authority of the Lord to say to the greatest Persecutors Oh man do what thou hast power the God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thy Hand but if he will not we are resolved in his strength to suffer what he permitteth Man to do and this is the holy resolution of all that are Born again and cannot hide your Heads in the time of Persecution because you are Born of the Royal Seed and have overcome the beggerly cowardly earthly-spirit through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your Testimony and no more to love your lives to Death And all dear chosen Vessels of the Lord seeing he hath manifested his Grace so largely to you with all diligence be obedient in walking answerably to his Love and Mercy received that as living Witnesses for God you may shine forth in the beauty of Holiness in all your ways and be careful in keeping your Meetings at the time appointed every one endeavouring to be the first at the Meeting that so not any give way to a careless spirit as some have done and so come to Meetings when others have been a considerable time together and so becomes a burden to the diligent and obedient Servants of the Lord and so the Meetings are not so profitable to your comfort as when you meet diligently at the time waiting in the fear of the Lord to feel his sweet Presence which will keep you awake in the Life of his own Spirit to
the glory of his Name and the comfort of one another which will cause you to prize the opportunities God gives to you not knowing how soon you may be deprived of them c. And be tender one over another and watch over one another with a pure single eye and every one see the Beam cast out of your own Eye before you go to spy a Moâ—e in others And if any Brother or Sister offend you that know speak to them privately in all tenderness to restore them and this know Whoever turns a Sinner from the error of his ways saves a Soul from Death and hides a multitude of Sins But if they will not hear take two or three more and speak to them again in the spirit of meekness waiting and seeking the Lord for their recovery but if they will not hear but persist in wickedness then acquaint the Church whom the Lord in his Wisdom will order to deal with them for his own glory And in all things you do I dearly beseech you do unto others as you would be done unto your selves that so you may all in your measures stand as Saviours upon Mount-Sion to the glory of the Lord in the power of his own Spirit which will cause the Whisperer Bcakbiter False-accuser and Tale-bearer to be clensed away and cast out of the House of the Lord that so in the good order of the Holy Spirit of our God we may all live that he alone in his Dominion may reign in us and amongst us whose Government is upon his Shoulders and all the Crowns of the Gory of Man cast down at his Feet that he may be exalted in ordering every member of the Body in their place and service to his everlasting Praise and Glory Even so dear Father carry on thy work in all the Churches of the Saints scattered over the face of the Earth that in the Eternal unity they may be established in the Lord being one and his Name one and all the contrary swept away with the Breath of thy Mouth and brightness of thy coming So come Lord Jesus take to thee thy great Power and reign in thy Authority in and amongst thy dear Children to the astonishment of the Nations and all people that are not born again and to the Exaltation of thy own Name and Kingdom over all who is worthy to reign blessed for ever and of whose Dominion there is no end And all you faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ who in true innocency travel in his Strength and seeks not any thing for your selves in what you do but to Glorifie the Lord in establishing his People in the living Unity in his own Spirit Oh blessed are you amongst the People my Soul Praises the Lord for you and blesseth his Name that ever he raised up such a Spirit in you that in all the greatest riches of the Spirit God gives to you yet you remain truly poor in your selves and in deep humilty become Servants to his People for the Lords sake and being poor you make many rich in that which will abide fresh and green in the Winter Storms and will not fade away in the Terrible Blasts which will come for the trial of his People and cause all Hearts to fail but what is born of his own nature Oh dearly beloved Brethren feel my Bowels of enlarged love which floweth to you in the Love and Life received and enioyed thorow death where there is no variableness nor shaddow of change I remain your Brother in the Word of his Patience to endure the Suffering according to his determination with all that love the Lord better then their lives W. D. Warwick the 14 th of the 10 th Month My dear Friends IN these trying days be not afraid of what Man can do whose Breath is in his Nostrils and lock up to the al-sufficiency of the Almighty God to stay your minds in him who hath counted you worthy to Suffer for him In all humility walk faithfully before him unto the end he is your reward and will give unto you a Crown of Life forever even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord is the breathing of my Soul for you whom my Soul loves and keep your Meetings in the Authority and Life of the meek and patient Spirit which wares out and overcomes all things that is not of its nature Read this in the fear of the Lord amongst Friends W. D. Warwâ—ck the 5 th of the 3 d Month 1671. For my dear Brethren George Whitehead A. Parker and Brethren concerned in the General Meeting My dear Brethren IN the Love of the Lord my Soul in the endeared Life of God is with you if the Lord had set my face to have been with you I should have been present in Body but I am ordered otherways having much upon me while the Door is open therefore my breathing to the Lord is that he may cover you in that Assembly with his Glory and heavenly Wisdom as I believe he will to the comfort of his People that so all Hearts may be gladed in feeling his pure Power and heavenly Refreshing in you My dear Brethren in the Light and Life of God whom my Soul loves and remains Your dear Brother in the Vnity of the Spirit of our dear Father who hath called us by his Name W. D. Bristol the 7 th day of the 3 d Month 1673. My dear Brethren Friends are generally in a sweet state with God in this City and where I have passed both to my comfort and yours in the Lord blessed be his Name forever Dear Brother IN the Covenant of Life in Christ our head my Soul salutes thee and simpathizeth with thee in thy exercise in thy Bonds with breathings to the Lord to sweeten all our ways what he calleth us unto with his living Presence to the perfecting of his glory forever Amen Dear George Fox I have been through many Counties in the North Countrey and the comfortable Persence of the Lord did manifest it self in all the Assemblies of his People to all our comfort in him our Head and Life blessed forever All was very peaceable and great Resort to Friends Meetings of all sorts of People and not any opposition but all Meetings parted in peace And it would be too tedious to mention the names of them that minded their Love to thee through all the Counties where I Travelled but generally all the Ancient Friends in Cumberland Northumberland Byshopprick and York-shire Darby-shire Notingham-shire Leicester-shire and in this Town desired to have their dear Love remembred to thee and the deep sence of thy Labour and Travel is fresh upon their Spirits which causeth many Prayers to be poured forth before the Lord if it be his good Will and Pleasure to give thee strength of Body and Liberty to Travel amongst them to their great comfort as in the days of old and years past but in the Will of our God our Souls rests with
of the Lord goes before them Therefore let all dread and fear the Mighty God who have received any Gift to see that the True Birth possess the Gift which Birth makes Self of no Reputation that so the Lord of Life may exercise every one in the Improvement of their Gift to the Comfort of his People and his Eternal Glory and none go further then they have Assurance they are called of the Lord and his Heavenly Powerful Presence goes before them so will the Lord bless the Travel of every Soul and the Body be kept in the Pure Sweet Seaâ—oned and Savoury Life which edifieth the Body in the Love and Life of God which cannot be exprest and all that will not wait thus to be exercised as is here written but go out of their Places burthen the Life weary the Faithful and if they do not give over and submit to the Government of Christ to reign in them and wait in true Silence that they may speak no more of him but as he uttereth his Voice through them my Soul pitieth them for they will be as Wandring Stars and Darkness will come upon them therefore be Warned whose Consciences witness what is here written to be your Conditions c. And all tender Friends be very watchful and careful to keep your Meetings upon all Services on Truth 's Account both Sons and Daughters born of God that there may be no Confusion but a sweet Submission to one another in the Light and Life of Christ Jesus that as the Lord hath blessed your Meetings and Labour of Love for the Body's sake keep your Minds stay'd upon the Lord out of all Consultings with Flesh and Blood or any Strivings to appear to be any thing but what the Lord is in you to keep you all in Humility in a pure Subjection unto Christ that he may silence all the Councils fo Flesh in you and keep you in his holy dread and pure Fear to receive Wisdom from him to guide you to determine all Matters brought before you so that every one have your Eye to the Lord to eye his Glory in all your Words and Works so will Love abound and the Blessing of the Lord will be in the midst of you to guide you all in his pure Fear to do to every one as you would be done unto and watch over one another with a Pure Single Eye at all times that your Single Eye may be to the Good in one another and your Tenderness in the Love of God in all Humility to reach to the Measure of God to raise it up and thus will you stand in the Heavenly Nature Saviours upon Mount Sion to bring again them that stray and so restoring them with the Spirit of Meekness and here is Christ and his Desciples Washing one anothers Feet in all Humility and Heavenly Condescention one unto another the Strong bearing the Burden of the Weak and gently leading them forth out of that which burdens the Pure into the Light and Path of Life where the building up one another is in the most holy Word of Faith where we sit together in our Heavenly Places in Christ where Self is made of No Reputation but every one Serving the Lord casting down our Crowns before his Throne and with one accord singing the Songs of the Redeemed from the Earth all Glory all Honour all Praises and Thanksgiving Dominion be giving unto him who is found worthy to sit upon the Throne in our Consciences to feed us with the Brâ—ad that is sure and refresh us with the Water that never â—aileth so we that are many are made one Bread eating the Flesh of Christ and drinking his Blood where we have Life and that abundantly and we comforted together in our Heavenly Mansions in our sweet and pure Fellowship of the Gospel in Christ our Righteousness who is One his Name and Nature One in all his People and Salvation is unto us for Walls and Bulworks and here have we Peace in this Holy City New Ierusalem which the World knoweth not neither can they take it from us and here is no Strife nor Contention within her Gates but we witness the Promise of the Lord fulfilled I will make Ierusalem a Quiet Habitation In this City there is no more Curse but the Name and Image of God is written in the Foreheads of them that dwell therein that all that have to deal with them as they mind God's Witness in any Measure will confess These are the People of the Most High God born of the Righteous Seed which the Lord hath Blessed And in this Heavenly Government dear Brethren and Sisters all keep your Meetings and the blessed Persence of the Lnrd fill all your Hearts and inlarge his Love in you and amongst you to your mutual Comfort one of another and the Honour of his Great Name who is over all God blessed forever So will you dear Friends and Brethren comfort the Hearts of all Travelling Friends and Brethren who have not loved their Lives to Death to serve the Lord and gather you home into this Heavenly Rest the very Sense of their faithful Labours and Travels seeking nothing for Themselves but the Honour of God and your Establishment in this Rest it takes deep Impression upon my Heart both they that have finished who here did wear the Garments of Humility and now the Crown of Eternal Glory and my dear Brethren that are yet on this side the Grave who are labouring in the Service of the Lord in Faithfulness in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus dear Friends let your Hearts be affected as mine is that the End of their Labours may be answer'd in your Faithfulness in keeping your Meetings according to all the Exhortations that you have had through the Faithful Labourers and is expressed in this Epistle that you may grow up as an Holy Priesthood offering up the living and holy Sacrifice in your faithful Testimony and pure Unity of Spirit and Bond of Peace where my Soul is bound up with you in this Heavenly Rest in Christ Jesus our Light and Life over all exalted in us to Reign who is worthy forevermore in whom I rest Your Dear Brother W. D. London the 14 th of the 11 th Moneth 1675 Titus Oates's Certificate concerning William Deusbery and the Quakers Mr Whitfeald YOurs I Received in which mentions one Deusbery his name is William Deusbery a Quaker whom you would do well to Discharge He is no Iesuit nor like one I look upon it to be more discretion not to medle with any Protestant Dissenters in this day but bend our forces against the common Enemy of the Protestant Religion the Papist And endeavour to win by Arguments those that are Dissenters from us Sir here is a Certificate from some that hath known him these Twenty years and upwards who are Men of repute in their Generation and Protestants And I pray did you ever know that there was ever such a
by his eternal and pure Wisdom according to the Counsel of his own Will and his Name alone may be honoured in you in his ordering of you who alone is worthy of all Honour Glory and Power and Praise for evermore W. D. THis is the Word of the living God to you his dear Children all be Faithful on your watch in the Light wait to dwell in the Power of the Living dreadful God and in it stand armed against self in all its appeareance that in the mighty Power you may tread upon your own Heads that Christ Jesus may be Head in you all that you in him may reign Kings upon the Earth to trample upon the Earthly Spirit in all its appearances in you and without you I charge you and command you in the Presence of the Living God consult not with Flesh and Blood which draws into disobedience and unbelief and fills you full of hard thoughts of God I charge you lend not an Ear to that wicked Spirit but diligently incline your Ear to the Counsel of Jesus Christ and in him all walk faithfully according to the measure of Light to answer the charge and care that 's laid upon every one in your measure and meet often together in the Name and Power of the Lord to wait in the silence of your Spirits by his mighty Power to Manifest it self in you and watch one over another with a pure single Eye and let no hard thoughts lodge in your Brests one towards another I charge you and command you in the Presence of the living God judge them out with the Light and when you see any draw back be faithful in ministring to the pure in them to raise up â—he Seed to restore them again and then forgive one another your offences which is done one to another as Christ Jesus hath forgiven you and be tender affectioned one towards another and exhort one another in love to the Building up in your most holy Faith that you all may rejoyce together in the eternal unity in that which is pure begotten of God and God Almighty be with you his dear Babes and Children and you in it keep in the unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you my dear Hearts saluting you all in the Bowels of eternal Love. W. D This was I moved write the 7 th of the 10 th Month when I was in Wellinâ—gborow in Northamtonshire where the Lords Work is great in gathering his Children together there awayes and in Leastershire and in Buckinghamshire Dear Friends ANd Children of the everlasting God and Father of Light and Life all in his Light wait for his living Power to manifest it self in you to guide you in every thought word and action in obedience to his will that you may all shine forth in the brightness of his Glory in a pure Conversation that so you may every one of you be Lights to the dark World that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Heavenly Father who hath in his tender love plucked you as Brands forth of the Fire and hath looked on you in Mercy and hath counted you worthy to be Witnesses of his great and glorious Name for which sake he hath chosen you unto himself that you might be a People to his praise and glory every one of you in your measures to bear his Name in righteousness this is the Word of the Lord to you all that every one of you be Faithful in your Measure that as you have received Christ Jesus so to walk in him in giving your selves to him that he may guide you by his Power I charge you and command you all in the Presence of the living God to be faithful upon your watch and in the pure Light wait believing in the Name of Jesus Christ to save you from all hard thoughts of God and all unrighteousness and to establish your Souls in righteousness and peace where you will all be united together in the unity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace God Almighty be with you and in his Eternal Power keep you all bold valiant and faithful unto the end that you may all sit down in the eternal rest prepared for you in the Lord Jesus where I am with you all that are faithful forever in the Lord whose Prayers to God is that not any of you draw back to perdition but that you all wait in the Light believing in the Name Christ Jesus to the saving of your Souls And the power of the dreadful God rest upon you all and establish you in his Love and Life that you may rejoyce forever in his Presence and there I am with you in the eternal Unity W. D. Dear Friends BE not troubled at the Lords disposing of us in suffering the Devil to cast us into Prison for with you we are in the Liberty of the Spirit in the eternal unity which cannot be separated I have declared to you of the Lords ordring of us to his Praise and Glory On the 10th day of the 11th Month Iofeph Storr my fellow Prisoner and I was carried forth of the Prison to the Sessions which was holden at Northhamton there was Iohn Parker that did fine my Brother Thomas Aldam and more called Justices who were in great enmity against the Truth But the Wittnesses that had sworn against me as they said for Blasphemy did not appear against me the Lord smit them with terror the lying Spirit durst not appear then they were confounded in that they charged against me And there was many Friends appeared in much boldness for the Truth one Justice Crutt and Iames Nagill who is great in the outward where there dwellings are in Bickering Park in Bedfordshire and one Edward Hackney an Atturney at Kettency in North-hamtonshire there had not been above three Meetings with me yet the enmity of Iohn Parker and these with him required Bonds-men of me to be bound for me for they said I had writ strange Papers to the Lord Protector if I would not find Men to be bound for me I should to Prison again I then required of them to read me a Law I had transgressed but they would not answer but called for Bonds-men I answered there shall not any be bound for us hear is our Bodies do with them what you have power to do they commanded the Jaylor to take us away we were not suffered to speak any more but taken and put into Prison and a Copy of our Mittimus we cannot have but was denyed both of the Jaylor and of the men called Justices when it was demanded of them in the open Court but the wrath of man turns to the Praise of God for the Truth of God was much spread abroad that day and a mighty thirst was raised up in the Hearts of many towards the Name of the Lord Praises forever be to him whose ways are past finding out he takes the wise in their own Craft and overturns them in their