such are now that the Scripture may be fulfilled for such are not of the world but of God for said they the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and they were with sound Doctrine and a holy Conversation to beget unto God out of the world and if you who are called Lords spiritual did exercise your authority over none but they that you had begotten to God out of the world you would have but a very small flock if any at all but instead of gathering a flock out of the world you take the world for your flock and so exercise Lordship over them as Christ said Luke 22.25 The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them the example of those you follow and not Christ for there is many thousands by the year to be gotten by them and so rule by your outward power and Lordlinesse like the false Prophets of old and many of the world love to have it so and so let them have it But the flock of Christ the Church in God cannot own these things nor love to have it so but must stand witnesses against these things even to the death if the Lord require them And therein you come to be tried and made manifest what nature you are of and also their faith and patience is made manifest and the nature of the Lamb shewed forth that overcomes but the contrary nature as I have said is to be overcome that which persecutes and imprisons and would force the conscience and so slay the soul or else kill the body this was ever of the Devil and so it is now and a mark of Antichrist the false Church the Whore that is adulterated from the Spirit and alienated from the Lambs nature that overcomes in patience and obtains the victory and is made perfect through suffering but on the contrary the Whore the false Church is said to drink the blood of the Saints and the Scripture bears testimony that all the bloud is sound in Babylon then Sion is clear of bloud Mark that and the name Babylon comes thus to be written in the forehead of every persecutor who is of Cains stock that slew his brother because his worship was in truth but his in the murthering nature Mark he that was slain was in the truth from the beginning and he that slew was in the deceit and so we see it hath been all along unto this very day And that nature which slew our Lord Christ when he was upon the earth is the same that now persecutes and slayes his Disciples and followers because they are redeemed from the earth and cannot submit to their vain traditions customes and fashions and commands that are contrary to God therefore are sufferers by the world but the sons of Sion are such who are redeemed with judgment and that nature which is at enmity to God being condemned is crucified and cast out and the Lambs nature being raised up converts to righteousnesse and righteousnesse being brought forth glorifies God And we being called and gathered cut of the vain conversation and also from the vain worship which teacheth for Doctrine the commands and traditions of men by the mighty power and out-stretched arm of God are kept in faithfulnesse to him that we cannot bow or submit to that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil for fear of men or their threats who are but dust being accompanied in our sufferings and persecutions with the power and presence of the eternal God that made heaven and earth And be it known unto you persecutors of the holy seed you shall never prevail to overcome us as we are kept in the power of Life which hath gathered us out of your dead forms to serve the God of Life in the newness of his spirit in which he is worshipped by the true worshippers out of the way sight and understanding of all that are not come to receive the true light who are all in a false worship erred from the spirit blind in the dark and stumble at the truth and fight against the life that is hid with Christ in God out of the sight of the vulterous eye and out of the way of the venomous beast where the lions whelp treads not and where the devourer cannot come and that which God hath hid in the spirit all the natural learning in the world could never find out nor ever shall for being hid from the wise and prudent of this world is revealed to such as are babes who hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after preferment in the world who cannot be satisfied with the bread that perisheth but with the sincere milk of the word of life they grow which word is nigh them and is the word of faith in their hearts that begets life in them and this life pints and breaths after nourishment from that which hath begotten it and cannot be satisfied with words but with the immortal word of life that was in the beginning that quickeneth that again that in Adam we were dead to and this is the quickning spirit that ministers life which we having obeyed do live and the life we now live is by the mighty power of God which our souls are made subject to and we cannot but obey that which quickned us and is the immortal life in us the second Adam that the children of the first persecute because they are born of that which cannot reveal the second and so being in the darknesse of death see him not nor know him But alas for you it is in vain for you to think that you can prevail over us by your carnal weapon for the sword of the spirit is with us which hath slain and cut down that nature in us that your strength stands in to make War against us for the strong man the enemy of our souls being overcome by the power of life that is stronger comes to be cast out who is the Captain that leads all persecutors and all destroyers of mens lives for Conscience sake that is he that would destroy us being cast out from within and cannot destroy our souls would revenge himself upon our bodies but we know that he that hath given life to our souls can preserve our bodies if he please if not his will be done but this I say to all persecuters We have overcome your Captain-general and he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world as we have said and you shall know who is the Captain of our salvation that suffered by the world and overcome the world and therefore know this that as our Captain hath overcome the world in us so with us and in us will he overcome the world by us but this the world seeth not therefore cannot receive it so if all the world rise up against us as one man for the obedience of the spirit of truth we know it is that they may be overcome And how can you expect that we should submit to that in others
upon your beds your secret faults and wickednesse and makes you confesse in your hearts it is so and brings you to a sense of sorrow and misery that will be your portion if you repent not and turn to the Lord that spirit that searched thy heart and tried thy reins that pure word of truth that cannot deceive thee the annointing that speaks the truth in thee and this I say from the spirit of truth except thou believe in that word of truth and obey it thou shalt never witnesse salvation This is the infallible truth to all upon the face of the whole earth and there is no other salvation under heaven nor no other Name given to be saved by then this which is the Gentiles light and Israels glory that which make manifest the deeds of darknesse and reproves them this is that spirit that reproves the world of sin that leads out of sin all that do believe and follow it and this is he that spirit that is given for a leader to his people to be his salvation to the ends of the earth This is the Word of God the Son of God the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin and saves the souls of all that believe in him the Son the truth that maketh free the quickening spirit that quickens to life again the soul that was dead in Adam and so brings Immortality to light through his power which is the Gospel and he that believes not in his power knows not the Gospel that power which sets free from sin for that is the glad tidings to the soul to hear of a deliverance from the bondage of corruption that it may no longer serve sin the wages whereof is condemnation and death to it but that it might come to Sow in the eternal spirit and Reap the Wages of life everlasting for such as it sows such must it reap because God is Just And therefore they that do believe in the eternal power have denyed themselves and given up their souls into the hands of a faithful Creator that he may save them from the sin and take it away and bring in his own perfect righteousnesse according to his promise in his New Covenant of free mercy and grace and it is unpossible for God in Christ to faile or forsake them but keeps Covenant and mercy for ever and saves the soul from the sin and power of hell and death which is the Work his father hath sent him into the world to do and perform and he that doth believe in him he hath promised to raise him up out of the Fall Death and the Curse and restore him into the life of God from which he fell and was dead to and brings forth a new birth by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in him and this is his promise to do and work to perform and such who are not of this Faith can never have this Work wrought in them but do through their unbelief as it were make him a lyar that is as if he would not or could not performe his promise and such are dead while they live in the Sinne Fall and the Curse Reprobate to every good worke dishonouring the Lord of life through their unbelief of the truth But on the contrary believing the lying spirit that leads into the sin who saith that sin must be lived in while we are on the earth this is the Doctrine of the Devil and the Devils Doctrine which he hath taught his servants and Ministers to preach who are the false Prophets that daube with untempered morter that deceive the Nations so upholding the kingdome of the Devil sin and darknesse that he may keep his Kingdome and power in their hearts and rule there in the disobedient and bring forth his will that is sin and iniquity and ungodlinesse so beget his owne Image in them and do his owne Work through them and Preach his own Doctrine in them in which they believing can never witnesse salvation But are a company of miserable sinners laden with sin and iniquity ever learning of the deceitful lying spirit and so can never come to the knowledg of the truth that sets free from sin but are ever pleading for it being in the error strayed from the way of Gods salvation doing the things they ought not to do persecuting hating and killing the Innocent spoyling and robbing them of their goods acting in madnesse and folly beyond the very letter of the law and sometimes against it as for example some are excommunicated out of the assembly of miserable sinners their Church so called and after excommunication have had their goods strained on and taken away for not coming to their worship in the time of excommunication this is unreasonable cruel envious wicked dealings and this is done against many casting others into Dungeons and nasty holes and Prisons that hath destroyed their lives and all because we speak the truth and do the things that we ought to do and cannot hearken to the lying spirit that leads into errour and astray from the way of God But do hear the voice of Christ the good shepherd and Bishop of our souls and keep his sayings who saith swear not at all and do not after their works who are blind guides that say and do not the thing they say they ought to do but believe in the light that ye may be the children of light John 12.36 for said he I am the light of the world he that followeth me not blind guides shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life chap. 8.12 13. then said the Pharisees thy record is not true mark what the blind guides said then and are they not blind guides that say so now who say it is but a natural light that is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that it is not able to save a man from sin though it do condemn him and reprove him for sin and the deeds of darkness when as Christ himself the truth that cannot lye said he that followeth him the light shall not walk in darknesse and we who are come to the light in our selves and follow it do bear testimony against all the blind guides and hireling priests and false prophets upon the face of the whole earth that his record is true but this the unbelieving Jews could not believe then no more than the unbelieving Gentiles can believe now therefore they walk in darknesse and hate the light but this is the word of the Lord God of truth to all the Gentiles upon the whole earth they must believe in their light that is to say the Gentiles light before ever they can witnesse Gods salvation for that is his Covenant to the people and his salvation to the ends of the earth What if the blind should say what to do answer to save them from walking in darkness and then the fruits and works of darknesse cannot be brought forth
LAMENTATION OVER ENGLAND FROM A true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable Wickedness of such Rulers Priests and People that are erred and strayed from the way of God and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts offending against his holy Laws limiting the Holy one of Israel making the devices of their own hearts a Law to insnare the Innocent that worship the Father in spirit and truth Whereby all Persecutors may in pity to their souls truly consider what way they are in and whether it leads and whose work they are doing and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of Oppression and Cruelty By M. W. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted and judg the poor Surely the righteous shall praise thy name and the just shall dwell in by presence Psalm 140.11 12 13. Printed in the Year 1664. Impartial Reader IF thy heart be upright towards God thou canst not but love his truth in the inward parts which teacheth thee to speak the truth and do the truth and to deal plainly with all men and not to call evil good nor good evil nor put light for darkness nor darkness for light but to deal justly with all men and walk humbly with thy God and then thou needst not fear the threats nor frowns of any man who is but dust but wilt fear the Lord and give glory to him that made heaven and earth the sea and the fountains of water in exalting his name above every name and his commands above the wills of men in bowing thy heart and soul to the obedience of his spirit that his everlasting kingdome of righteousness may be set up in thee that the blessed government of his Spirit thy soul may be subject to then thou canst in truth say the kingdom of God is come in power and great glory then the Idols of gold and silver and the glory of the work that perisheth thou wilt cast to the Bats of the night that cannot behold the Sun and to the Moles of the earth that know not him that gave them breath then canst thou declare what the Lord hath wrought and sound forth his praise to the ends of the earth then will the voice of the good shepherd of Israel be joy to thy heart strength to thy sinews marrow to thy bones and thy soul shall feed in the fat pastures and thy dwelling shall be in the hill of Gods delight even Sion that shall never be removed into which the Father of life is gathering his own seed out of all Nations Tongues and Languages to dwell with him in the unity of his spirit and to have fellowship with him in his life that his coming may be witnessed in the ten thousands of 〈…〉 the world and to destroy the will of the flesh and make his great slaughter of all that which hath rebelled against him and cannot be subject to the law of his spirit but resists and is a law warring in the flesh and that nature which slew the Lamb from the foundation of the world yet offereth a sacrifice but could never please God and they that please God could never please it therefore were they and are they persecuted and suffer by it and so spiritually overcome and reign over it so our kingdome is not of this world but over the spirit of this world neither can it be shaken by the powers of this world but by its power doth shake the world and shall over turn that foundation on which the wickedness is built that the blessed foundation of the Prophets and Apostles may be revealed before all Nations which is Christ Jesus the Light in which the saved in all nations shall walk and in which if thou that readest this dost not walk thou canst never witness Gods salvation but if thou believe and in it walk then wilt thou know this to be truth and love to thy soul from th◠friend A Lamentation over England from a true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable wickednesse of such Rulers Priests and People that are Erred and Strayed from the way of God c. TEnder love to all your Souls is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And your refusal to accept of so great love as the Lord God of life holds forth to you in this the day of his tender visitation is cause sufficient for this my Lamentation Oh England England and ye Rulers and Magistrates thereof Oh that you had prised this the day of your visitation Oh that you had hearkened to the voice of the truth in the mouths of the Prophets and servants of God who have finished their faithful testimony several of them with the laying down of their lives And that you had not despised and still do despise and persecute those whom he hath sent unto you Oh that the blood of his pretious servants did not lie at your doores which cries loud for vengeance in the ears of the just God of heaven and earth till he make Inquisition for it How many have been imprisoned till death for obeying the will of God And how hath their blood been mingled with their sacrifices when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord and in the dread of his power out of the fear of him that kills the body but in the love and patient nature of the Lamb that overcomes the wrath and saves the soul who is the highest power that the soul ought to be subject to who hath given it life breath and being and who can cast it into Hell fire if it obey him not And therefore you are very much mistaken in us who think to frighten us out of our Religion by persecution or killing the body it being that which the Lord hath raised up in us by his mighty power in the denyal of our own wills and so contrary to all mens wills that have not submitted to his power For when he appeared in his power to place his fear in our hearts then our flesh trembled and Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel which was the voice of the Son of God to our souls by which we came to hear and live which life is contrary and which voice is dreadful to the flesh and so we having felt the terrors of the Lord for sin and transgression do not at all fear the terrors of men which can but kill the body and when that is done can do no more Therefore friends you knew not what you did when you began to meddle with us and make laws against us and persecute us because we could not submit to your wills for had you known us you would not have begun such an ill work wherein you should have lost so much labour and gained so much dishonour and also incurr'd the wrath of God Had Nebuchadnezzar known the three Children as well before as he did after he would never have forced them
world that both Priests and People live in with the filthy unclean lusts of the flesh that they may keep Gods holy will and Commandements that the Priests and people for the most part say they can never keep here and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives and if this ought to be done as you say and is possible to be done by the power of God as I say then let the Priests bring forth one out of all the Parishes in England that they by their ministry have taught and brought into this perfect life which they have made the people promise and vow that the Children shall perform when they come to age Now if they have and still do make the people promise and vow That the Children shall do that which all the Priests in England cannot do then in all just reason the people should have the Tithes but if the people do not performe this vow and bring forth this life and the Priests and Bishops to help them then what is all your Religion worth that have not God a bridle for your tongues that promise and break it that vow solemnly before the Lord and not perform it You may very well say you are a generation of miserable offenders and there is none of you doth good as it doth appear no not one And yet you Priests would have a reward for teaching the people to profit when you cannot bring one of all your Flock that hath done that which you say and they promise and vow they ought to do First you ought to do your Work before you require your Wages but you take the reward first so you are herein more cunning then Balaam for you are sure of the reward though you never do the work and most of you are not ashamed to say it can never be done here yet you still take the Wages Can this be any other than the wages of unrighteousness to be paid for deceiving the people keeping them ever learning and never able to bring them to the knowledge of the truth but ever would be paid though never do the work therefore you are unprofitable servants and no Ministers of Christ and therefore we cannot follow you who deny the light of Christ within and so you choose the darkness for that will not reprove you for your unprofitable works and they which walk there cannot see your deceit therefore you love the darknesse more than the light and the wages of unrighteousnesse more than the truth which is the perfect gift of God given to profit withall and this is the reason you cannot profit the people because you have not received the perfect gift of God that the Apostles and Ministers of Christ did receive and do receive which was given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ and they I believe spake truth when it was said by Paul that he spake wisdome among those that were perfect and that they that were sanctified were perfected for ever and the Scripture bears testimony of some that were sanctified So these could shew the fruits of their Ministry that they did perform that which they received the gift of God to do these did not receive the tenths of mens labours yet they did their work but you receive the tenth and say the work can never be done here if the work be to be done in another world what have you to do to take wages here but indeed you are like to have none of us in this world except you can do your work in this world but the Apostles and Ministers of Christ through the power of their gift brought men to the keeping of the commands of Christ who said Matth. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect and you priests make the people vow and promise to perform and is it not his will that this command should be kept on this side the grave if not why do you make the people promise to do it for he that forsakes the Devil and all his works and keeps Gods holy will and commandments shews forth and witnesseth a perfect life But if you have taught the people to promise and vow that which they nor you can never perform then you have led the people into errour and if it be not errour then you are erred from the spirit the gift of God by which the people should be perfected and the body of Christ edified being that your Ministry hath brought forth no such fruit and its like never will Therefore consider with your selves what cause those that love your souls have to warn you and deal plainly with you that if it be possible you may see your error and come to that spirit that leads into all truth for it s not possible for you to cover your selves but the eye which God hath opened in the children of Light doth see you and the woful sad miserable lamentable estate that you are in woe woe unto you weep and howl for the misery that is coming upon you what an account can you give to the Lord for all the souls that have perished under your cure who have not made with all your wisdome and skill one soul perfectly whole but still have laboured to keep them ever learning where they can never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth Woe woe unto you that ever you were born to be an occasion of such a great destruction in undertaking that which you have no spiritual skill in had you received the word of Life from the Lord the word would have healed them so there would have been some fruit to God if some had perished who had refused to hear or have been instructed by you you might have been clear of their bloud but the people have heard you and do hear you and if they come not you punish them and yet alas all spotted with Leprofie and there is as you and they say no foundness in you but all over polluted with wounds and putrified sores are not you judged out of your own mouths by your own confession before the people and then to cover your shame and errour you make the people believe it is not ever possible to be otherwise here Oh miserable comforters to a sick soul If the people did but see your deceit what would become of you but the Lord God of Life is making your deceit manifest daily by the light which you hate and all the children of Light see it who are taught by his spirit and therefore cannot but pity your poor miserable souls Alas what will you do when none shall buy your Medicine any more how will you look the people in the face in that day which hastens exceedingly for Sions sake you must sly to the rocks the mountains to cover you but they shall not be able for the mountains shall tremble in that day and the hills shall melt before the Lord and the glory of his
hath purchased us unto himself and not to the will of any man in the first nature as in things appertaining to God for there the elder must serve the younger for Jacob had the blessing and we cannot serve two Masters that is to say the Will of God and the Will of man when contrary to God and thus we who keep in the innocency and cannot please men to displease God are grievous sufferers and some even unto death where many thousand hearts are made sad and many thousand spirits Mourn in secret Oh that ever such wickednesse should be upon recod to posterity that the harmlesse innocent people of England should be banished out of their Country for waiting upon the Lord that hath redeemed their souls and praying to their God that made heaven and earth What a people redeemed by the precious blood of the Son of God imprisoned and banished and spoyled by their Neighbours and Countrymen and yet call themselves Christians Christ never yet owned any such that imprison banish and kill their brethren for worshipping their heavenly father And dare any that have any fear of God before their eyes say we are not Christians if so what Christians are you that banish your brethren Christ our elder brother never taught you that practice nor any of his Apostles or Disciples gave you that example but on the contrary said and commanded to love one another for John saith 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother so it is manifest in whom the envious nature dwelleth that slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous and this is the nature of all persecuters and such as banish their brethren for righteousness sake which you see the Scriptures saith are not of God And can any be so blind as not to believe that the Lord will visit for these things and stretch out his hand over the Nation in terrible Judgments that shall overtake all you that put far away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come near and then how will you be able to stand in Judgment wâ— Lord shall reward every man according to his works and if you should receive the same things at the hand of the Lord as we receive from you would you not think it a sore judgment then why cannot you in judgment remember mercy and think upon the afflictions of Joseph for though rewas sould by his brethren for a bond-man into Egypt yet the Lord was with him and he became ruler over the whole Land And though his sayings pleased not his brethren for the which they hated him without a cause yet the Lord loved him and blessed him with a double portion And now the Shepherd of Israel is leading Joseph like a flock and doth not his waies and sayings please you what is the matter is it not because the ways of the Shepherd of Israel are not as your ways therefore his sayings are not acceptable nor his testimony believed in the mouths of the people of his flock and the sheep of his pasture And wherefore doth not his ways please you because you love darkness more then light and the lusts of the flesh more then the life of righteousness this is that which is natural to the flesh and therefore no new nor strange thing to us for we know that seed can bring forth no better fruit and therefore it inherits not the promise for the promise is to the seed that was and is disalowed of men that is it that is chosen of God and precious for the believing in and obedience of we are disalowed and hated as our brethren were in former ages but mark this ye persecuters of our age the hated of men was and is blessed of God He that was sould and separated from his brethren being try'd was found faithful upon whose head the blessing came Joseph was sould and Jesus was sould Joseph had rule over Egypt and Jesus over the World who is become the head of the corner and shepherd of the soul and leads Joseph like a flock who is the glory of Israel that shines forth for our salvation and blessed are they that walk in his light which is the way that pleaseth not the world that lieth in wickednesse loves their evil deeds but is the way that pleaseth the Lord which he hath blessed with â—m everlasting blessing that it should prosper for ever 〈…〉 ones do walk and the redeemed of the Lord out of a◠〈…〉 For the Lord our God is one and his way is one who hath 〈…〉 be one sold and one shepherd out of whose hand his sheep shall not be 〈…〉 Job 10.16 Into whose Fold we witnesse a gathering blessed 〈…〉 that hath gathered us and by his eternal spirit of life hath quicke 〈…〉 into a blessed hope that nothing shall be able to reanove us wh◠〈…〉 in this faith And therefore what if the Heathen rage 〈…〉 a vain thing and the Kings of the eartâ—â— themselves◠〈…〉 the Lord and his Anointed And what if the 〈…〉 blow and the storms oâ— the wicked bear and the 〈…〉 the unâ—odly swel and death and hell combin'd and take counsel together against us yet saith he that lives for ever I have seâ— my King upon 〈…〉 of Sion and blessed are all those whose souls are subject to his Law that he hath with in their hearts to his spirit in their inward parts for it is the law of the spirit of life that the law of the spirit of strife envy shall never prevail against though it may be formed and new moulded yet it shall noâ— prosper nor accomplish the end of those that made it And therefore is there not a cause to take up this my limentation over you O ye Rulers and Magistrates of England why will you die O ye people by 〈…〉 the paths that lead to destuction when the Lord stretcheth â—â—ch his kind of mercy to receive you into his covenant of life why will 〈◊〉 chuse your own way and despise the path of peace and rest to yoâ—â—â—â—â—ls and why do you disdaâ—â— the noble immortal seed that the father or 〈…〉 sown for your salvation that of which except you be born again your souls perish for ever 〈…〉 do you flight the leadings and teâ—ch 〈…〉 spirit of truth in the inward parts which is the 〈…〉 up teachers to 〈◊〉 selves conformable to your own 〈…〉 â—able to your wills 〈…〉 deceive your souls and one day you shall know that these things 〈…〉 and that you have hated and persecuted your best friends even dear friends to your souls who are 〈◊〉 willing to lay down 〈…〉 a testimony to that truth by which your 〈…〉 to be 〈◊〉 And the Lord is our 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 in his truth that we desire 〈◊〉 destâ—â—â—â—tion of any neither in 〈…〉 but the good of 〈…〉 our enemies might come 〈…〉 be fâ—â—â—ed And 〈…〉 ofâ—â—â— prayer 〈…〉 for 〈…〉 may not 〈…〉 day of visitation 〈…〉 that belong to their everlasting peace be 〈…〉 to destruction for ever And it is not 〈…〉 that I have 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 of God 〈…〉 for 〈…〉 the soul 〈…〉 on in the 〈…〉 leads 〈…〉 that the spirit of love and life presseth to 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 and reprove the evil practice and 〈…〉 And 〈…〉 O ye 〈…〉 not 〈…〉 be 〈…〉 are 〈…〉 〈…〉 but a sufferes by your 〈…〉 Christ Jeâ—â— M. W.
to worship his golden Image but after he came to know them be loved them and honoured them in the sight of his Nobles Princes Dukes and Counsellors confessing them to be the servants of the high God commending their faithfulnesse in yielding their bodies to the flames rather then they would serve or worship any God save their own God Then he saw his vain labour in forcing the servants of the most high God contrary to the commands of their God And will you shew your selves more unreasonable then a Heathen more blinder then those that knew not God and yet call your selves Christians and the Scriptures your Rule When Nebuchadnezzar had once tryed the three children of God to the laying down of their lives and found them faithful he was satisfied How many times have you tryed us by Imprisonment till death and spoyling of our goods by breaking up our Meetings beating innocent harmlesse people to death How many Cruel Barbarous Unhumane dealings have been used against us both before your Government and also since by you which we have walked through and in the furnace of affliction with the patience of the Son of God who hath kept our precious lives unhurt and brings us forth to his praise and yet cannot you see the Son of God with us whom you fight against Can you not see neither how little you do prevail against him and his spiritual work in us Though some of you can say We are a very confident people but if you could but see him that leads us who is the Captain of our salvation you would say We had good cause to be bold and valiant knowing our leader is not to be overcome nor those that follow him who are called and chosen and faithful which faithfulnesse Nebuchadnezzar did commend and honour And did he not do well in 〈◊〉 Yes you cannot deny Then as you have followed his example by indeavouring to compel us to fall down to your imaginary worship which I believe you will not justifie in him follow his example also in justifying the faithful children of God that would not obey his Commands to the dishonouring of the most high God who having tryed them blessed God for their faithfulnesse In this will Nebuchadnezzar stand in Judgment against all those who make unrighteous Decrees to compel men to disobey the commands of Christ except they follow his example in this that is to say the change of their minds and altering of their Decrees in Justifying the faithful servants of God in their pure obedience to him Objection But if it be said If we knew you to be the servants of the high God as well as Nebuchadnezzar knew the three children we would not make Laws nor Decrees to compel you to our worship being sure it would be but lost labour Answer Then all our sufferings and persecutions and hard usages from you is because you do not know us and whose fault is that ours or yours that you do not know us to be the children of God Whose fault was it that Saul the persecutor knew not the Church of God but made havock of the true worshippers were they to be blamed or he If he then you when he hearkened to the High Priests he persecuted the Disciples of Jesus but when he obeyed the voice of Christ he saw their deceit and believed the truth then he preached him and suffered with those he persecuted Now if you that persecute knew the truth you would know us that walk in it And have not we laboured even to the laying down of our lives that you might know it and be saved by it What could we have done more for you then we have to bring you to the knowledg of it Have we not suffered to the death in obedience to it that it might preach to you that we have found the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof which is better then our lives for which righteousness sake we suffer and are blessed if we continue faithful to the end And this is the only true way that can be used as to you to convince your understandings that we are in the truth when we lay down our lives for it If we were unfaithful to our God and disobedient to his Spirit in obeying your commands that are contrary to the truth you had no reason to judge or think we were in the truth for had the three children been deceitful and obeyed the Kings command he had never knew them to be the servants of the high God that was able to deliver out of his hand And the deliverance that he saw was of their bodies from the flames that made him blesse the God of their lives but the deliverance that we witnesse is of our souls from etenel death which is far greater and more glorious yet you cannot see it but if your spiritual eyes were open as his fleshly eyes was then you might see a greater deliverance in the spirit then he saw in the flesh and would have as great or greater cause to blesse the God of those you in scorn call Quakers as the King Nebuchadnezzar had to blesse the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego though he be the same God over all blessed for ever Yet his appearance in this the great and notable day of the Spirit is that in which the riches of his love is and shall be made manifest which was promised to the ages to come which now is come of which the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were the first-fruits but now is the day of the whole Harvest of the earth begun in which the Lord is gathering in unto himself his Elect seed in all Nations Lands and Countries even from the one end of the earth unto the other that they may worship in spirit and in truth and be established in righteousnesse and the Mountain of the house of the Lord be prepared in the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills where all Nations shall flow unto it out of which shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from this Jerusalem and they shall break their Swords into Plough-shares Mark the day of the breaking of Swords is begun and their Spears into Pruning-books and Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither learn to fight any more And this is the day that is dawned and blessed are they that walk in it but wretched and miserable are all those that despise it and persecute those that walk in the light of it casting them into Prisons Holes and Dungeons because they cannot submit to their corrupt wils nor worship the Imaginations of their Wise men which they teach for Doctrine and give forth for a Prescription of a Religious Worship contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles whose Worship stood in the Spirit But I believe if all you that resist us knew in what our Worship did stand you durst not oppose that power that hath gathered us and made our
in this I must needs say You speak the truth in the presence of God but if you had done the things ye left undone and ought to have done then you had as well done the truth as spoke the truth then you might have brought your deeds to the light with boldnesse and it would have been made manifest that they were wrought in God whereas now you must needs confess that which leads you to do the things you about not to do is the spirit of the Devil that is against the truth and leads to persecute it but the Lord is cur witness that the desire of our souls is that you might come to that spirit that leads to do the things you ought to do which is the spirit that leads into all truth then you and we should not differ but should be one Church in God and one people that are blessed for ever and till you come here we shall alwayes differ from you though never fight with you both in life and Doctrine for they that do not the will shall not know the Doctrine but if we or any of us should be so wicked as to turn from the spirit of truth and do the things which we ought not to do and leave the things undone which we ought to do then we should come to you and be of your Church which is not in God and then woe will be to us that ever we were born and then indeed we might fight drink and whore and swear and curse and then we should be counted good subjects to the King but I am sure we should be better to the Devil but the Kings best subjects indeed are they that fear God who depart from evil these honour the King and the King will in a little while know these to be his best friends who cannot flatter him for their own ends and have mens persons in admiration for advantage but when their earthly ends is not answered they can turn against him for a better advantage for hath not money caused many to betray their trust and oaths will not bind where God is not feared but where he is they must render to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods for they that are Gods people do only know the things that are Gods that only belong to 〈◊〉 and they cannot give to Cesar the things that are Gods for that were evil and unjust before God and out of his fear and therefore they that are not in his fear do quarrel with us about those things who would have us to give Cesar all that we cannot do but the things that are his we freely give Tribute to whom tribute is due Custome to whom Custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Now all this doth not belong to Cesar for fear belongs to God and therefore we cannot give all to Cesar Tribute and Custome we give and in that with the obedience to all his Just commands we honour him And in that which for Conscience sake we cannot do we patiently suffer and so we do submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 But it is written Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of a man Eccles 12.13 So our duty is to render to God his due that is to keep his commands and do that which is right in his sight And when Cesar commands us to do that which God forbids then we chuse rather to obey God then man and so we shew forth that we fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body if we do not obey him So in the things that belong to our souls we are to hear the heavenly voice of the Bishop and Shephard of our souls because every one of us shall give account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 And it is just and Gods due that the soul should be subject to that power that hath given it life breath and being that is the higher powers the soul ought to be subject to the powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.14 To be Ministers of God for good and not for evil but if the Ministers of the power given for good turn the power against the good they are not Ministers for God for God hath not ordained the power against the good So he that is against the good is against the ordinance of God and God is against them that abuse the power ordained for good and he will avenge and execute wrath upon them that do evil Thus it is clear Rulers for God are not a terror to good works but to evil and it is as clear that they which seek to terrifie those that do that which is good are not Rulers for God and so do not fear him nor honour the King for it is written 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just mark that ruling in the fear of God and he that ruleth in his fear cannot punish those that meet in his Name and keep his commands because they do the things they ought to do but they that rule not in Gods fear are not just in punishing those that keep his commands and in doing that which they ought not to do these ought not to rule over men who fear not God nor honour the Kings to such I say doth God do you think love cursing and swearing better then a silent waiting upon him in his fear if you think not why do you punish the one and let the other alone or is the Law against the fear of God and not against the profaneness because it is executed upon the one and not upon the other and think ye that God loveth profane songs and wicked talk before or better then a good exhortation from the Spirit of truth that people might keep Gods holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives how can you expect to prosper that do these things who tread in the steps of those whom God overthrew before you did they accomplish their end in persecuting of us did they cause us to come to their worship or submit to their wills or did they scatter and overcome us did not the Lord scatter and overcome them who rose up against his work in us and how do you think to escape doing the same things as against us who are a people that would lay down our lives that your souls might be saved in this the day of the Lords visitation But alas alas for you you have slighted the day of Gods love to your souls and your misery is you cannot believe it but when it is too late to return you may feel it and then you shall confesse we were your best friends who told you the truth though you hated us for it yet the reward of our love to you we shall receive at the hand of the Lord and you the reward of your hatred and cruelty towards us its the
sin and the work still undone that he came to do but such are strangers to the true Faith that a grain of which removes the mountain of sin and wickednesse that all the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer could not remove under the first covenant though that took away the guilt after the sin committed yet made nothing perfect therefore he found fault with it and took it away but the bringing in of a better hope did make perfect for ever them that are sanctified so if the second Covenant had not made perfect as appertaining to the Conscience it had been as unprofitable in that thing as the first but the bringing in of the better hope did and doth that which all the children of darknesse cannot believe but he that doth believe hath this hope that purifies as he is pure and this is the faith that purifies the heart and overcomes the world in it and crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts and this is the work of him that God hath sent into the world and raised him up to blesse all those that believe in his name in turning away every one of them from his iniquities that they may come to abide in him that sinneth not that he whosoever he be that lives in sin hath neither seen nor known Woe woe from the Lord God of power is the portion of all those that say or have said in their hearts we will try the Quakers God whether he be able to deliver or save them out of our hands that we should not execute upon them the intents and inventions of our hearts in breaking their meetings and scattering them that they should not be a people unto all you be it known from the spirit of the Quakers God your counsel shall not stand neither shall your decrees prosper for you have taken it against the holy seed that God hath blessed even against the seed of Abraham in which all the families of the earth shall be blessed which is the seed that could not bow to the pride of Homan against whom his sealed decrees could not prosper but what he prepared against them became his own portion as it is written the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands And you shall know that the God of the people scornfully called Quakers is the God of the whole earth and a God of the mountains and above the loftinesse of the hills as well as the low valleys and also a God of the seas and above the loftinesse of the proud waves thereof as well as of the land a God infinite in mercy to all that bow to his great and glorious name and submit to the government of his spirit of truth that is come and hath revealed it self in our hearts to the saving of our souls unto which every soul ought to be subject and serve him with reverence and godly fear but unto those that despise his name and cast his commands behind their backs and do despight unto his spirit of grace in labouring to destroy the work it hath brought forth in the little remnant it hath gathered under its government who have and are subjecting themselves unto its pure leadings unto such he is a God dreadful in Judgement terrible in vengeance to whom it belongs to repay and as it is written Hebrews 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God And woe be to all those that are striving against their Maker and decreeing against his decrees and labouring to scatter that which his spirit hath gathered and to destroy that which he hath quickened to life because it cannot submit to a contrary spirit that is of the world and leads into bondage which is the voice of the stranger that the sheep of Christ cannot follow but the sheep must hear and will hear the voice of him that gives eternal life who is cowe to seek and to save that which was lost and that which was lost being found and saved will for ever honour its salvation in preferring the honour and glory of its Saviour before all the glory of the world and for the obedience of his commands that his will may be done in earth as in heaven will give up even life liberty estate and all that the world may know the kingdome of God is come in great power and glory into our souls when his will is preserred before our mortal lives and his commands before liberty and estate that it may preach to the ends of the earth that we have found something that is better than all things that wicked men can take from us and because we love and honour that which is from above that which is from beneath hates us and because we cannot worship and honour it therefore would destroy us but we see him that is invisible with us who is high to save and deliver us and will not leave us that have left our selves that he may be received and who will not deny us that have denyed our selves and our own wills that his may be done and where his will is done his power is come and his servants we are whom we obey and we know our master will stand by us while we do his will and all you that do not know whose servants we are because our manners and behaviour is not after the fashion of this world you laugh us to scorn like as the old world did at Noahs salvation that the Scripture might be fulfilled as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the coming of the son of man you that hate the light cannot see the salvation of God no more than they did in the dayes of Noah for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 and those who have received the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of prophecy cannot but speak good of his name that hath brought salvation for blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord whom the Lords people will receive and hear but he that cometh in his own name cometh by the will of man and the men that stand in their own wills do receive him and hear him but he that comes in the name of the Lord such cannot receive him but he that denies himself and takes up the Crosse of Christ doth receive and hear the Preacher of the Crosse which to him is the power of God but to them that perish it is foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.18 so by that which the wise of the world â—ounts foolishnesse it pleaseth the Lord to save us that believe so was it in the dayes of Noah he and his houshold was saved by that which the old world counted foolishnesse but when the Judgement came the high mountains of mans wisdome and imaginations could not save them then they knew and saw that his foolishnesse was better
than all their wisdome and so they came to know that in Judgement to their woe which they refused in mercy for their salvation And as it was then so is it now the wisdome of men is received for the Doctrine of salvation and the Doctrine of Gods salvation is accounted foolishnesse and delusion and cast aside as a thing of naught by the wise of this world who account it not worthy to have a room in their hearts nor in the Nation and they that have received in their hearts who believe and obey it they have made laws to banish out of their Native Countrey but the time is coming and very nigh at hand that you shall know in terrible Judgments that your wisdome was but foolishnesse and that which you are labouring to exalt is that which God is appeared to cast aside and destroy and that which you are labouring to destroy and pull down is that which God is risen in spirit in the hearts and souls of his people to set up and now you shall certainly know whose Counsel shall stand and we have told you before but you would not believe the report of the spirit of truth therefore the arm of Gods salvation is not revealed in you which now he is making bare before you and all Nations that you may know you have refused his Counsel and slighted the day of your Visitation and rejected the spirit of truth that would have gathered you and the power that would have preserved you from the hands of all your enemies both within and without which you shall see and know is able to preserve all those that put their trust in it and to deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies so far as it shall make for his glory and the good of our souls And if he shall farther suffer us to be-tried to the laying down of our lives for his Name sake his will be done and let our God glorifie himself with his own which way he pleaseth and if we drink deeper of the cup of suffering it is but the same our Lord hath drunk and the baptisme he hath been baptized with but the dreggs thereof shall his and our enemies drink for ever For saith he that lifts up his hand to heaven and lives for ever If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take bold on Judgment I will render vengeance to my enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrows drunk with bloud and my sword shall devoure flesh and that with the bloud of the slain and of the Captives from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries mark and will be merciful unto his land and to his people therefore blessed blessed of the Lord are you his people that suffer for his name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad Deut. 32.41 42 43. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 1 Pet. 4.14 And are we called to glorifie our God then let him have the glory due to his great and glorious name for this is a high and glorious honourable calling above all the glories of the world above the glory of Kings Princes and Emperours this is the glory wherewith the Son glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies his again for he hath given them his word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world but are sanctified through the belief of the truth which the world hates John 17.14 And how did the Son glorifie the Father Was it not in doing his will and bearing witnesse to his truth And every one that is of the truth heareth his voice and because we hear his voice and do his will in bearing witnesse to the truth therefore are 〈◊〉 hated persecuted and spoyled by those that are not of the truth for he that had the Languages was not of the truth but said What is truth Mark that for the Languages gives not the knowledg of the truth but truth was that which he that had the Languages gave sentance against And so it is now in all those that believe not in the true light that shines in their hearts which gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ All that are in the truth are in that which was before the many Languages were which began at Babel and without coming to the truth there must end but being sanctified by the truth serves the truth in its place to manifest the confusion of Babel that is in the curse taking counsel and not of the Lord and making themselves a name in the earth these were scattered over the face of the earth But the gathering out of the Confusion and the Curse is in the Name of the Lord that confounds the Wisdome and Counsell from beneath that is earthly sensual and devilish and the Language is in the Confusion cannot lead into the true knowledg of God and the unity in his Spirit but the word that was in the beginning leads up to the Father out of the earth where man was driven out of the Curse out of the Tongues and Languages in the Confusion where man was scattered out of the wisdome from beneath and selfish counsel of his own heart out of the names in the fall and alienation into the Name which is the power and life of the Son of God that only knows the Father and reveals him Mat. 11.27 and not Tongues and Languages but the spirit and life of Jesus that the Father hath sent into the world to do his will and where he is received he is the Covenant of light and promise of the father to the Gentiles to them that receive him by believing in his light he is elect and precious 1 Pet. 2.7 but unto them which be disobedient that is which believe not the stone which the builders disalowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence against which many have split themselves who were once high and mighty in the earth by disalowing him that made Heaven Earth to rule and reign in the Consciences of his people whom he calls out of darknesse into his marvellous Light Who are a Chosen Royall Priesthood peculiar to the Lord that he should act them by his spirit to shew forth the praises due unto his great and glorious Name And why should men be so unreasonable as to disalow the Lord of life that hath quickened our souls to live in them and rule in them and do his Fathers will which way or how he pleaseth seeing we are not our own to do our own will but are bought with a price to do the will of him that