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 Dâ—ughters 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 beautifull Church and Spouse of Christ but in the day of tryall 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 eares and turns them away from the truth to fables and now are Englands Teachers tryed she hath leaped up to her self and their doctrine proved and their Ministery 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 doe Being deceived not regarding what is spoken that neither fornicator nor idolator nor a 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 calls 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 Iâ—sus Châ—ist Also his Call to the Ministry of the everlasting Gospel by the still voyce of the Spirit of God and his mighty power destroying with the flaming sword the disobedient that would not stand in his counsell and causing the soul to submit to his counsel the light that comes from Christ in it to wait on him to open the seales of the Book and make known the mystery of eternall life to the soul the Scripture testâ—fieâ—h is in Christ the truth of it to know as it is in Iesus The word of the Lord to all in England whom the Lord hath betrusted with power from the highest to the lowest to see the peace be kept and to judg the cause of the People with righteous judgement VVith a lamentation over all in England who oppose Christ in his spiritual appâ—arance and to slight the day of your visitation to your own destruction From the common Goal in Northampton the 25. day of the 4. month 1655. LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the VVest end of Pauâ—s 1655. The Discovery of the great enmity of the Serpent against the seed of the woman which witnesse against him where he rules both in Ruler Priest and People Oh people in England AM I become your enemy because I tell you the truth and deales plainly with you in declaring the minde of the Lord unto you which in the eternal riches of his love he hath made known unto me by the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ for which word and testimony I suffer outward bonds and persecutions as my Lord and Master did who was called a blasphemer Belzebub the Prince of Devils by the High Priests who cryed to the unjust Magistrates to deliver him up into their hands that their persecuting murthering spirits that thirsted after his blood might be satisfied which the unjust men in Authority to doe them a pleasure in satisfying their wills abused their power and delivered him up and though they proved not any thing against him they put him to death calling him a blasphemer and he sealed his testimony with his blood And all my holy Brethren Prophets and Apostles were called Blasphemers Hereticks Seducers and Deluders by the false Prophets High-Priests and Pharisees then who professed the name of God in words but denyed him in their practises and persecuted his children who were guided by his word under the names formerly written as I and my brethren is now persecuted by the same generation which professe God and Christ in words but denying him in their practises living in pride and pleasures envy and muâ—der every way persecuting and seeking to destroy the bodies of the Saints of the most high God where the righteous seed is raised up which witnesseth against their unrighteous practises and discovers them in their secret hypocrisie which is hid under their voluntary humility which causeth them to appear what they are and manifests what was hid in their hearts under their faire coverings of outward formes and profession of Religion which they now manifest forth by their fruit whose children they are in obedience to their father the Devil who was a persecuter and a murtherer from the beginning whose works they now doe that professe Christ in words but denies to be guided by his spirit for his spirit is no persecuter and so are they made manifest in what they doe to all that have eyes to see that they are strangers to Christ while they continue in Cains nature persecuting the righteous seed without a cause as he did and doth in this Nation both in the North of it and in other Prisons in severall places of it there hath been cast into them the Saints and Children of the most high God for obeying his will in witnessing forth his eternall Word that he hath made manifest in them And no breach of any Nationall Law proved against them but a Popish Law made in Queen Maries Reigne which some hath suffered under and many others of the Saints and Children of the most high God they have persecuted and cast into prisons and not the breach of any Nationall proved against them but in the pride and envy of their hearts doe they persecute the innocent to satisfie their own wills as I am a witnesse against them who have persecuted me and cast me into prison under the name of a Seducer as they say for the Seducing of the people of this nation and for suspition of Blasphemy and breaking of the publick peace in dispersing principles contrary to the truth of the Gospel and peace of the Nation and not any accuser appeared to my face to prove what they charge against me as is formerly written either by the Law of God or the Law of the Nation but the Serpent in whom he rules hath manifest his enmity against me whom the Lord hath redeemed from the Earth and sent to preach the everlasting Gospell to those that dwell upon the Earth and to witnesse against the wickednesse of the dark world that the deeds thereof are evill for which testimony the world that hates the light that comes from Christ whom they ever persecuted to fulfill the measure of their fathers iniquities hath me
observations so in all these my turnings in my carnall wisdom seeking the Kingdom of God in observations without thither the flaming sword turned which kept the way of the tree of life and fenced me from it and cut me down and rent all my fig-leave coverings and neuroyed that minde that looked out to seek the Kingdom of Heaven in observations or to hearken any more to hear the word of the Lord from man then my mind was turned within by the power of the Lord to wait in his counsel the light in my conscience to hear what the Lord would say And the word of the Lord came unto me and said put up thy sword into thy scabard if my Kingdom were of this world then would my children fight knowesâ— thou not that if I need I could have twelve legions of Angels from my Father which word enlightned my heart and discovered the mystery of iniquity and that the Kingdom of Christ was within and the enemies was within and was spiritual and my weapons against them must be spirituall the power of God Then I could no longer fight with a carnall weapon against a carnall man for the dead letter which man in his carnall wisdom called the Gospel had deceived me but then the Lord discovered to me the deceits of all these men in England that were seeking the Kingdom of Heaven in outward observations And the messenger of the Covenant forth of his mouth proceeded the two edged sword with which he slayes his enemies cut me down and caused me to yeeld in obedience to put up my carnall sword into the seabbard 〈◊〉 leave â—â—e Army Then I returned to my outward habitation and calling I had in the world and there laboured with my hands my mind being turned within to wait upon the Lord in the way of his judgements and this I witnesse the administration of Moses in which Cain is banished Esâ—u rep obated Pharâ—oh plagued the first born of Egypâ— slain and my wiâ—l brought in subjection for the Lord to do with me what his will was if he condemned he might and if he saved me it were his free love and in this condemned estate I lay crying in the depth of misery without any hopes of deliverance by any thing I could do to pacifie the wrath of God till the administration of the Prophets that witnessed to my soul therewhere free redemption laid up for me in the Lord Jesus and by the power of the word of their testimony there was a secret hope raised up in me to wait for his coming there I waited till the administration of 〈◊〉 and I witnesse that of all that is born of a woman there is 〈◊〉 â—â—reater then Iohn for he is a burning and a shining light who discovered more of the mystery of iniquity in me in his administration and the sence of my condition was more manifest the cry of my condemned soul was great and could not be satisfied I breathed and thirsted after Christ to save me freely through his blood or I perished for ever and in this condemned estate I lay waiting for the coming of Christ Jesus who in the appointed time of the father appeared to my soul as the lightnings from the Eâ—st to the West and my dead soul heard his voyce and by his voyce was made to live who created me to a lively hope and sealed me up in the everlasting Covenant of life with his blood then I witnessed the wages of sin and death and the gift of God eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and I witnessed according to testimony of Scripture death reigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses untill the Prophets and the Prophets untill Iohn and from this day the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force there is no rest to the soul till Christ bee manifest and this the Scripture witnesseth and I witnesse these Scriptures fulfilled in mee in the year according to the account 1645. The witnesses that stood before the God of the earth and had power to plague the earth having finished their testimony the 〈◊〉 ascends out of the bottomlesse pit and makes war against 〈◊〉 and kill them and their dead bodies lay in the streeâ— of the great Citty spirituall Sodom and Aegypt where our Lord was crucified and this Scripture was fulfilled in me in the year according to account 1648. Then Kindreds tongues and the Nations of the earth made merry over the witnesses and I see the abomination that maketh desolate which is spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place where it ought not and then was I led by the Spirit into the wildernesse and tempted of the Devill that the Scripture might be fulfilled Luke 4.1 In that day and hour of temptation which was in the time as the lines following giveth testimony I witnessed these Scriptures fulfilled in me of Pauls condition wherein he complained as I then did who found a law in my members warring against the Law of my mind that when I would do good evil was present with mâ— the sence of which caused me to cry Oh wretched man that 〈◊〉 who shall deliver me from the body of this death And as 〈◊〉 crying to the Lord to free me from the burthen I groaned under the word of the Lord came unto me saying My grace is sufficient for thee I will deliver thee and by the power of his word I was armed with patience to wait in his counsel groaning under the body of sin in the day and hour of temptation untill it pleased the Lord to manifest his power to free me which was in the year according to the account 1651. The spirit of life from God entred into the witnesses and they stood upon their feet then great fear fell upon all that saw them and the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and I saw in his Temple the Ark of his Testament and there were lightnings voyces thunder earth-qâ—akes and great hail then mystery Babylon the great the mother of harlots and the abomination of the earth which made all Nations drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication she was discovered in me and God remembred her when the mighty day of the Lords power was manifest upon her Jesus Christ was revealed from Heaven in flaming fire pouring vials of wrath upon her and rendring vengeance upon all in me that knew him noâ— and disobeyed his Gospel and purged away the filthy nature that did me imbondage with the spirit of judgement and with the spirit of burning so through the righteous law of life in Christ Jesus I was made free and am from the body of sin and death and through these great tribulations my garment is washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb who
after that time I being at a place called Tholthorp about 10 miles from York in the North riding thereof and many of the servants of the living God with me waiting on him his power to manifest to his glory And while we were together there came one George Mann in great rage two severall times with an Iron fork to satisfie his bloody thirsty mind the Lord with his power did him chain and prevented his bloody intents To satisfie his will on me he went to Thomas Dickeson who was at a place called Kirby Hall in Yorkshire and he accused me as Thomas Dickeson said before him that I said I was Christ upon which accusation he granted forth a Warrant on the 26 day of the second month called April And on the 27 day I being with the children of the Lord at Crake Iohn Lockwood called high Constable apprehended me with the Warrant before mentioned and the day being far spent he said to the friends with me if they would ingage for my appearance the next day he would shew me that favour that I should stay with them that night I replyed these words not any man shall ingage for me neither desire I favour at the hands of men if thou hast power over the body do with it what thou hast power Then Iohn Lockwood said the day is far spent I shall not go with thee to the Justice to night untill to morrow stay at thy friends house Reply If thou say I shall stay here if the Lord please I shal be ready to go with thee where he gives thee power to have me so he went a way and said he would send for me the next day and in the night season many of the Lords servants and children was with me waiting on him who is worthy to be waited on for he is good to the soules that wait on him and to the soules that seek him when much of the night was spent the inhabitants of Crake in great rage 〈◊〉 fury came to the doores and windows of the house like the inhabitants of wicked Sodom crying and rushing at the doors and said they would have me forth to dispose of me according to their wills for I should not be there and Iohn Lockwood high Constable so called who said I should be there until the next day yet to do the people a pleasure he contrary to his word came in and took me forth and had me into the streets where the people shouted with a loud voyce as they had me to and fro from one house to another where they sould Ale till the people in one house let them in and there they set two men to watch over me untill the next day which was the 28 day of the month before written on which day they had me before Thomas Dickeson who granted forth the Warrant for me to be brought before him and did me examine and it was manifest before him that what I was accused of in the VVarrant and the day the VVarrant mentioned my being in that place was false for I had not been in that place that day neither could they prove any such wâ—â—â— spoken by me as I was accused of and when he had nothing against me in that VVarrant then he did commit me to prison by a VVarrant that he said Judge Windham granted forth at the general Assize before writeen which VVarrant I never saw A true Copie of the Mittimus as followeth North riding of Yorkshire To the Sheriff of the said County of York and to the keeper of the Goale of the Castle of York VVHereas there was a Warrant directed for the apprehending of William Deusbery of Stanly for the seducing the people of this Nation from Judge Windham the last Assizes and he being brought before me and refuseth to find sureties to be of good behaviour and to appear at the nexâ— Assize to be holden for the said County to answer the premises You are hereby required to receive into your costody the said William Deusbery and him safely to keep untill he shall be delivered by due course of Law Given under my hand and seal the 28 day of April 1654. Thomas Dickeson According to his command as aforesaid I was had to York Castle and there kept prisoner untill the generall Assize which was holden about the time of the 22 day of the 5 month called Iuly in the year above written and there Hugh VVindham did sit judge of life and death who at the Assizes before mentioned which was in the first month called March gave order to apprehend me and according to his order it was done and he coming to judge the cause between me and my accusers it was pressed on him by some friends of the truth for the truths sake that I might have the benefit as those had that were arraign'd for fellony and murther to be brought before him and the people of the country and there my accusers to appear face to face to prove their accusation that I might suffer according to the Law if I had it transgressed otherwise that I might by it be cleared before the country of the lies and aspersions and false accusations they had publickly charged me withall his promise was I should be brought before him and have a fair triall at Law as other prisoners had but he was not faithful to do as he had said before him I was not brought at that time nor any tryal had but at the end of the Assizes cleared me by Proclamation and sent me a Liberato as they call it to passe away Into prison I was cast as formerly written the 28 day of the second month called April and there was kept untill the 24 day of the 5 month called Iuly and then was turned forth as is formerly written without any tryal or Law me read why they had kept me in prison that time so for the truths sake to that of God in every ones conscience I this day lay before He that hath an eye to see let him see VVhich after the Lord by the arm of his mighty power had me set at liberty ouâ— of the hands of those unreasonable men I journed as I was led by his spirit his word in Cleueland and other parts in Yorkshire Notinghamshire and so to Derby and as I was declaring the word of the Lord to the consciences of the inhabitants of Derby there came two men and laid hold on me and had me before the men who were in commission to have done justice who there did sit at the general Sessions holden at the Town about the time of the 24. day of the 6 month called Aug. 1654. VVhen I before them was brought the first question to me by them propounded was In whose presence doâ—t thou stand the answer to them was in whose presence of the everliving God the men called Justices replyed with these words Iaylor take him away put him in prison for disturbing the Court which was done at their command
into prison I was put and when the day was spent Thomas You l called the Mayor of Derby sent for me and when I came before him he asked me what I came to the Town to doe The answer to him I came to declare the word of the Lord to the consciences of the inhabitants of Derby the Mayor replyed wilt thou go out of the Town Answer to him when the Lord orders me to go forth then I shall goe till then I shall stay then Thomas Youll the Mayor commanded the man to put me into prison again which was done the next day about the 9 hour there came William Bâ—sld one of the Mayors officers and said to me if thou wilt goe forth of the Town and in it no more come I will open the doores for thee to come forth the answer to him out of the Town I shall not goe untill I am ordered of the Lord and if thou openest the doore forth of the prison I shall not come till the man that said he had authority to put me in come by the same authority and take me out then away the man did goe and afterwards did come and the man whose name Iohn Slalous who put me in prison opened the door and took me by the arm and put me forth in much wrath and delivered me to the other man whose name is before written who said he had order to put me forth of the Town which he did and strictly charged mee to depart out of their coâ—sts with many threatnings what should be done to me if in the Town again I returned but the words of vain man was not regarded into the Town I returned and there did stay till I was free in my spirit to depart from thence Then I journeyed to Leicester and was there the first day of the week which was the 3 day of the 7 month called September And with me was many people to whom the word of the Lord was declared and after the testimony of Jesus was finished to them I went into the high place of the Town which the people of the dark world calls their Church and after the man they call their Minister had done the word of eternal life was declared to the consciences of the people who did hear with much attention untill two men came to me and said they had order from Edmund Iohnson called Mayor to take me away and with violence drew me forth and had me before the said Edmund Iohnson who commanded his officers to put me in prison before he did me examine which was done and the next day the man that put me in prison forth me brought before the Mayor and VVilliam Billâ—rs another of the Rulers of the Town who did me examine and not finding any thing against me commanded Robert Brewin Keeper of the common Goal to put me out of the Town and strictly charged me to depart forth of their coasts with many threatnings what they would do if I again into the Town did come but the threatnings of man was not regarded into the Town I did return in obedience to the command of the Lord to finish the testimony of Jesus I was to witnesse to the consciences of the inhabitants of the Town of Leicester Then in obedience to the Spirit of truth I journed into Northamptonshire and in a Town called VVellingborrow and thereawayes many did receive the word of life with much gladnesse of heart And at a time as I was going along the street in that Town neer the house of Thomas Andrews whom the people of the world calls their Teacher he to me did speak these words Give over deceiving the people least the plagues of God fall upon thee the answer to him was If thou say I deceive the people make it appear wherein I deceive them he replyed thou tells them there is no originall sin I required of him didst thou hear me say so to that he made no answer then these words was to him declared thou must either prove what thou accusest me of or own thy condemnation upon they false accusation he fled away and did make no answer About the time which was near 3 weeks after I was ordered of the Lord to return again to VVellingborrow and hearing there was a meeting in the Steeple-house where Thomas Andrew was who had he falsly accused as is formerly written for the truths sake into the Steeple house I did goe and in silence did stand till the man called their Teacher had done then I declared the word of the Lord to the people who did hear peaceably and afterwards I spake in particular to Thomas Andrews to prove what he had falsly accused me of in saying I deceived the people and there make it manifest before the people or to own his condemnation upon his false accusation but to what was required no answer he did make but away fled and the men that was there whom the world calls their Teachers then Henry Smith who in that Town dwels out of the Steeple-house haled me into the yard where the truth to the people was declared who did there stand peaceably to hear till William Baw called high Constable did take hold on me and had me away into the market place amongst the people and said he would bring evidence against mee for Blasphemy so had he me as prisoner too and fro in the market place with so doing he made disturbance among the people but when he could not prove what hee had falsly accused mee with hee let mee goe who at the present time went from amongst the people to a friends house and came no more forth amongst the people in the market that day The next day being the 28 of the 10 month called December Richard Dennis being Constable of VVellingborow came to the friends house where I was and took me forth by vertuâ—â— of a Warrant that had no name but for one who is commonly called Quaker and had me with it before Thomas Pentlow called Justice at VVilby in Northamtonshire who did me examine but would not read mee any Law I had transgressed but a Mittimus made and sent me to the common Goal in Northamton on the 29 day of the 10 month called December 1654. A copy of the Mittimus I was denyed by Iohn Snart keeper of the Goal and also the men that were in commission to doe Justice when it was of them desired in the open Court at the generall Sessions holden at Northampton the 10 day of the 11 moneth by those whose names are Iohn Clark Iohn Parker called Sergant at Law George â—enson John Mansil John Brown who there did sit in Commission to have judged the cause in righteousnesse between mee and mine accusers but when the Mittimus was read where the charge against me was written not any appeared to prove what the Blasphemy was for which they committed mee to prison in suspition of neither they to me read any Law that any thing charged against me
thee I lament who persecutes the Sons and Daughters of the most high God he hath to thee sent thee to forewarn of the evill day that is coming upon thee O That thou in this day of thy visitation did know the things belonging to thy peace which the living God tenders to thee in this day of his mercy wherein he waites on thee to be gracious unto thee and to make thee the glory of all the Nations of the world and in all thy straits for thee appeared and in his mighty power hath destroyed all that did secretly plot and rise up against thee to establish unrighteous Lawes and them bind upon the consciences of those that feaâ—ed the Lord in thee and walked humbly before him according to the measure of light received and now hath he appeared in the day of his mighty power in thee O England to exalt the Kingdom of Christ in the hearts of his Saints and hath sent them to preach his everlasting Gospel in thee to turn the mindes of the people from darknesse to light which comes from Christ in it to waite for his power to guide out of all sin and uncleannesse into union and fellowship with the Father of light which many of you people in England seemed to desire above all things and content to give up your lives to withstand them that did appear to bind any unrighteous law upon you and by it to take advantage against you concerning the Law of God which you professed to love and to delight in your liberty in it more then in your nearest and dearest relation or life or any outward injoyment and all you in that day who were faithfull to the Lord according to the measure of light manifest in you the Lord God did appear for you and in his mighty power hath scattered those that stood up in enmity against you to bind Lawes upon your consciences which is contrary to Scripture and the righteous Law of God in the heart and the Lord hath given you power over all those your enemies and now have you free liberty which they cannot take from you to worship God in spirit and in truth according to the desires you seemed to manifest in the day you cryed to the Lord when you were in distresse and now is the Lord come to visite you in his tender mercy and hath sent his Ministers to preach his eternal word freely without money or price in season and out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine which many of you people in England who promised the Lord to worship him in spirit and in truth now his counsell rejects and turns to the teachers you have heaped up to your selves according to your own lusts who cryes peace peace to you in what you do while you put into their mouths and now is the time come to the fulfilling the Scripture in you who have itching eares and cannot indure sound doctrine but turns from it to fables which if you continue in your carelesse mindes slighting this day of your visitation and not like to retain God in your knowledge God will give you up to reprobate mindes that professe you know God but in works deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate upon whom the Lord will get his glory in his righteous judgements and if the Lord in his everlasting love had not left a seed in thee O England thou with all thy teachers whom thou hast heaped up according to thy own lusts would have become as Sodom but for his own seed sake whom he hath blessed he will do good to the inhabitants of England who stands faithfully in his counsell to be guided by his power and will scatter all those that stand in opposition to his righteous seed Christ whom he is exalting in the hearts of his elect and chosen people in England to rule for ever over all that stand in enmity to him this is the day the mighty God is giving all power unto his son Jesus to whom every knee shall bow and all you proud stubborn self-willed lofty ones that hates the light of Christ in you that witnesses against sin in the secret of the heart and conscience and it rejects and denies to be guided by it but turns to the counsell of your own hearts and the Teachers you have heaped up according to your lusts and with them sits at ease in the flesh and turns the grace of God into wantonness and forgets the loving kindnesse of the Lord who delivered you by the arm of his mighty power when enemies compassed you on every side and gave your lives for a prey when they were nigh unto death and now you abuse your liberty to walk with your teachers according to your lusts and with them commit this filthy and abominable thing in the land the Priests to teach for hire and the Prophets that divine for money and you people love to have it so but what will you do in the end thereof which day you put afar off and do not regard but that you shall not be ignorant of the mind of the Lord and left without excuse in the mighty day of the Lords anger who hath sent his servants and children early and late to forewarn you of the evill day that is coming upon you if you doe not speedily repent and turn to the Lord but slight this day of your visitation then shall the things now belonging to your peace be hid from your eyes and your end shall be according to the word of the Lord I declare to you thus saith the Loâ—d All these my enemies that will not that I shall rule over them bring them hither and slay them before me and this is your portion you enemies of Christ that hates his counsel as is before written he will you consume with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming which will overtake you that sit at ease in the flesh as a theef in the night and in flames of fire will render vengeance on you that disobeys his Gospel and will give to every one of you according to the works done in the body and you shall not escape from Israels Judge Syons King who will all his people deliver and you proud lofty ones under bring by his mighty power to the praise and glory of his righteous justice who alone is worthy God over all blessed for ever Amen Remember you are warned in your life time and prize this day of your visitation while the Lord in patience and long-sufferance waites to be gracious and mercifull to you if you speedily return to his counsell which is the light of Christ in your consciences that shewes you sin and wait in it for his power to lead you to repentance and to cleanse you from sin and in the straight way of self-denyal and the daily crosse you to guide in obedience to the Father of light then will the Lord God