comes to witness the Apostles words who said That neither Circumcision which was outward nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature But Ah! you Priests Rulers and Persecutors that are risen up against the People of God in these times how have you appeared against the Law and the Gospel and by your Fruits you are known to be those that Christ spoke of to his Disciples who said By their Fruits ye shall know them and he also bid them that had the Everlasting Gospel to Preach As they had freely received freely give but wherein hath your Love appeared to God or to your Neighbours To Love the Lord your God with all your Hearts and with all your Souls and your Neighbours as your selves On which two great Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets which must be fulfilled in the Royal Law of Christ within but you have rather appeared like them that came forth out of the City Desireing Christ to depart out of their Coast for the loss of a few Swine notwithstanding the great Miracle which he did for their Neighbour in casting out Legions of Devils that did torment him and he sate by Jesus cloathed and in his right mind O! therefore blush and be ashamed you that pretend the Scripture is your only Rule and live so contrary to it for have you not appeared worse then those who prayed Christ to depart out from their Coast to save their outward Substance and would have none of the Knowledge of his ways for you have rejected and despised Christ in his appearance who hath waited long to be gracious to your Souls though he hath knocked so long at the door of your Hearts till his Locks have been wet with the Dew of the Night and yet you still refuse him and the knowledge of his ways and had rather entertain your Legion of Unclean Thoughts and Ungodly Deeds and have also said That there is no living without Sin on this side the Grave and so have made a Covenant with Hell and Death which must be broken if ever you come to know the travail of your Souls as David did when he cryed under the sence of Gods Iudgments for Sin That he would give no sleep to his Eyes nor slumber to his Eye-lids till he had found a Habitation for the God of Iacob to dwell in for he must have the whole Heart where he takes up his abode and no room left for Uncleanness O therefore search and see whether you be not worse then they that desired Christ to depart from them to save self that will give no room for Christ in your own Hearts to reign there nor no room for his Subjects that are under the reign of his Power though we would eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparel but you are taking away our outward Substance which the Lord hath blest us with to nourish us and our Familys and taking of us to Prison and then come to disturb us in the Prison for no other cause but for meeting together in the Name of Jesus to worship the Father and the Son in the Spirit and in the Truth and for this cause are we put into Prison and for the same cause are we still sufferers in the Prison for several times was I pulled out of the Meeting while I was a Prisoner at Bridewel and kept from the rest of my Friends till the Meeting was done for no other cause but being at Prayer to the Living God before the now Sheriffs came into their places and since they have come in they have also bent their Bow against the Righteous and gone from Prison to Prison to disturb us in our Spiritual Worship in the Prison and gave the Keepers Orders That we should not be suffered to come together to Preach and Pray And according to their Orders were we Lockt asunder But blessed be the Name of the Lord our Teacher cannot be removed into a Corner and therefore they cannot seperate us from his Presence which is life to our Souls if they put us one by one into a stinking Dungeon there will our God hear our Prayers and send the Angel of his Presence down amongst us to sweeten our Souls with the sweet Oyntment of his love as blessed be his Name he did at that time amongst us and in the sense of his living Presence and Power my Heart and Mouth was opened to Praise the Lord for his Goodness and Mercy to our Souls and in Prayer That he might preserve us in the living sence of the same to the end of our days that so we might receive the end of our Hope and Faith even the Salvation of our Souls and in the mean time came in Sheriff Arnold with others in his Company who took me off my Knees from Prayer and sent me away by his man to Newgate and he and the rest followed after to disturb Friends here and when they came in they were very fierce to thrust in through Friends that sate in the outward roomes that they might come to the innermost room in the Prison to see if they could find any Preaching or Praying but Friends being sitting in silence they could hear no Words till after they came in a Friend spake to them To Fear the Lord because his Name is Great and for these words or such like was he commanded to be taken away out of his lodging room from the rest of Friends and put him down into a dark Room called the West-house they commanded that I should be put from the rest of Friends also and not be suffered to meet with them so I told them They were but Mortal Men and that the Sword of Mortality hanged over their Heads which was near ready to cut them down and therefore my desire to them was to Repent So the Turn-key took me down into a place called Paules and put me into a dark hole and Thomas Lugg an Informer and now a Constable one of the company that came along with the Sheriff followed after and spoke of Chaining of me that I should have neither Bread nor Water and the next Meeting day being lockt and kept one from another in several Roomes I being at Prayer the Goaler and his Man came where I was and took me off my Knees and would not suffer me to stay with the rest of my Friends that lodged in the same dark Room it being a place where Felloners use to lodge and would not suffer one Friend to go along with me but put me among the Felloners and Debtors where I was Derided and shamefully Intreated and Water thrown on me for no other cause but Praying to the Living God and ever since I am not suffered to stay in the Room with my Friends on our Meeting days but in a little time taken forth and put from the rest of my Friends though Drunkards and Swearers are suffered frequently to meet and make themselves drunk without being used after the manner
Once more A VVARNING To Thee O ENGLAND But more perticularly to the Inhabitants of the City of BRISTOL Amos Chap. 6. Vers 1 3 4 5 6 7. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion ye that put far away the Evil Day and cause the Seat of Violence to come near that lye upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flocks and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall that Chaunt to the sound of the Viol and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David that drink Wine in Bowles and anoynt themselves with the cheif Oyntments but they are not grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph therefore now shall they go Captive with the first that go Captive and the Banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Printed in the Year 1683. A Warning to England c. NOtwithstanding many Warnings in the true love of God have been sent to thee O Nation of England from the highest to the lowest yet once more in the tender Love of God is my heart opened for thy Everlasting Welfare and Prosperity that so the day of Gods Judgments may not overtake you at unawares And thee O City of Bristol in perticuler for thy â—nhabitants have greatly provoked the Lord against them and without they do speedily return unto the Lord with true and unfeigned Repentance the Wrath of God will break forth upon thee and there shall be none able to deliver thee from the Stroak of his Hand of what he hath decreed to bring upon thee for thy Sins have reached unto Heaven and thy Abomination stands as a great Record against thee for some of thy Inhabitants have committed no less Evil then Great Rebellion against the God of Heaven in that they have not only rejected but also despised the Appearance of Christ in themselves and others who is come and comeing to Overturn Overturn and Overturn till he come whose right it is to take unto himself his great Power and Reign in every Conscience according to the Promise of God in Psal 2. 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession O therefore be ye warned you Great Men of the Earth from the highest to the lowest what Laws and Decrees you make and execute against the Lords Innocent People whom you have nothing against but in matter of Worship to our God as Daniels Enemys had no other cause who drawed in the King by their Flatterys pretending Honour for him to fulfil their hearts Lust and so caused him to Seal the Decree against Daniel which made the Kings heart sorrowful but mark what became of them that laid the Snare privily to destroy the Innocent for the Snare that they had laid for him became a Pit of Destruction to them and the Kings Eyes were opened to see who was his greatest Friends and could do no less then testifie That Daniels God was the Lord of Lords and king of kings and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth in his Hand O therefore Fear and Tremble before the Great God of Heaven and Earth whose Almighty power is able to dash you in pieces like a Potters Vessel and to cast you as Dung upon the Face of the Earth and give your Flesh to the Fouls of the Air for asuredly the God of Daniel and of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego is our God and his Arm is not at all shortned that it cannot Save nor his Ear heavy that it cannot Hear but he will asuredly hear the Cry of the Oppressed and will deliver us in his own appointed time as he did Israel of Old for he is a God hearing Prayer and to whom every Knee must Bow O therefore take Warning you Inhabitants of this Nation of England before the day of your Visitation be quite over for without speedy Repentance be found in thee the overflowing Scourge will asuredly pass through thee as it did over Jerusalem of Old For what Sins were there committed in her that are not found in thee at this day for they pleaded highly for the Law and the Prophets and had the Scriptures of Truth and said Had they been in the dayes of their Fore-Fathers they would not have killed the Prophets yet being ignorant of what the Prophets testified of in the Scriptures of Truth concerning Christ they Reviled him and Despised him and put him to Death notwithstanding he turned them to the Holy Scriptures and bid them Search them for they are they said he that testifie of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and he also said That he was not come to destroy the Law nor the Prophets but to fulfil them And he was the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to all that did believe in him and to as many as did believe in his Name in that day to them he gave Power to become Sons Daughters of the most high God established his second Covenant in them according to his Promise by writing his Law in their hearts and putting his Truth in their Inward parts and so they were no more under the Law but under Grace and for this end was the Gospel Preached that Sin might be condemned in the Flesh that we might be justified in the Spirit The Law of the Spirit of Life which Christ Jesus our Lord is setting up in the Hearts of his People is beyond the outward Law for thereby he purifieth the Conscience and makes it void of Offence towards God Man it is beyond the Law of Moses which the Jews appeared so strickt for which was Gods Ordinance in its time till Christ came who is full of Grace and Truth to put an end to Sin and finish Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness and set up his everlasting Government in his People of which there is to be no end and those that do live under his Government can do no less then Fear God and Honour the King giving unto God that which is his and to the King that which is his but as pertaining to the Conscience it is the King of Heavens Prerogative alone to sit upon his 〈◊〉 in every one of our Hearts and to rule and reign there and to lead and guide us in his Counsel that after we have obeyed him in all his Commandments he may bring us unto Glory and therefore we dare not bow to any other Worship but the Spiritual Worship that Jesus spake of to the Woman of Samaria when he found her out there in her Ignorance by Jacobs Well whose Meat and Drink it was to Preach the Everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God to Salvation was to the poor Woman that she might be an Instrument in his hand to go Preach unto her Neighbours to call them unto him that they might hear him themselves is the same Christ that we do invite
in themselves for what were they the better that went to deck themselves with the Apostles words and spake the same words as they did in the Name of Jesus saying We abjure you to come out of the Man but the Devils would not be subject unto them because they wanted the Power but said unto them Jesus we know and Paul we know but who are ye and so run upon them and wounded them And therefore let every one that nameth the Name of Jesus depart from Iniquity for the Scripture saith That there is none can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost and the Lord said by the mouth of his Prophet to Rebellious Israel That though they said the Lord liveth yet they Swore falsly because they did not witness him to be their Redeemer to live in them Oh! therefore be awakened to Righteousness you Professors of all sorts and sit no longer under this dead Ministry that stands only in a Form of words without the Power for the Kingdom of God is come in Power there is room enough for all that do follow Christ in the Regeneration in inward Tribulation and those that have passed through this Inward Tribulation have no cause to fear the Outward Sufferings nor what Man can do unto them although it be to the laying down of our outward lives for the Wrath of Man shall go no further then what shall make for Gods glory and the residue he will restrain for we know from whom that Religion did arise that would take Mony to forgive Sin and for the gift of God which is not to bought with Mony and therefore the Devils Subjects are so greedy after it who makes it their God and their glory is their shame for thâ—y have manifested that they have no love to God nor to their Neighbours in keeping of us all this while in Prison and neither to send Priest nor Prophet amongst us to exhort us or to shew us by plain Scripture that we are out of the way I have spoken to the Keeper several times That if â—hey were in the right and we in the wrong that he would get one of the Priests to come amongst us according to Gospel Order but he would not without we would promise to hear him Preach and say nothing to contradict him Therefore we look upon them to be such that are either afraid or ashamed to stand by their Ministry being such as the Prophet Ezekiel testified against Ezek. 34. 2. and also the Apostle further testifying That they are allienated from the Common-wealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenant of Grace the day of the Lord is going over them all and the Songs of their Temples which they have sung in Babylon shall be turned into Howling and bitter Lamentation because they did not first learn to Roar and Weep as David did in the sence of Gods Judgments till they come to be quickened by his Judgments and Mercys and so to Sing of Judgment and Mercy Oh! therefore in the love of God I warn you all my Neighbours and Acquaintance and my Heart is in travail for you that you may not return back again to bow down to the Imaginations of Men which is no better then the Worshippings of Idols Oh! therefore you that love your own Souls and your Children wait to feel the Blood of Sprinkling over your Hearts that you may be spared in the day that is at Hand when nothing will stand by you but the Witness of God in your own Consciences bearing witness to your Spirits that you are the Lords If the witness of God in your own Hearts testifie against you then neither Husband nor Wife nor Children can speak true Peace to you nor appease the wrath of God that will come upon you but 〈◊〉 Weeping and Wailing on every hand a wounded Body one may bear but a wounded Soul who can bear Oh! therefore in the true love of God once more in perticular to you that are Professors and have in measure seperated from the publick as you love your own Souls and Children and near Relations which are near and dear unto you that you may have a care that you do not bring a burthen upon your own Souls and upon your near Relations that may behold you upon your rowling dying Pillows in going back again to the Worship of the Time for sear of Man but rather dread and fear the living God who is able in a moment of time by the stroak of his Hand to cut down you and your Familys both Souls and Bodys and cast you into Everlasting Misery where the great Gulph is fixed between the Righteous and the Wicked that although they may weep and wail there will not be one drop of Mercy for them Oh! therefore the desire of my Soul is that England may chuse the Fast that God hath chosen viz To visit the Widow and the Fatherless and let the Oppressed go free and as the Apostle saith Keep Unspotted from the World for the Lord is Great and greatly to be feared and he will not clear the Guilty that have made a Profession in vain for there was cause enough Thirty Years ago to seperate from the National Worship and much more now for the Wicked grow worse and worse and the measure of their Iniquity is almost full and the Cup that they have filled to others shall they drink double from the hand of the Lord themselves without any mixture of Mercy if they repent not Oh! therefore let none think it is so easy to take up Religion as a Child doth a Play-Game and so lay it down again and think there is no Evil in so doing for if you had no Zeal for God when you took up your Religion first it is high time for you now to begin for our God is a Jealous God whose Name is Prophaned amongst the Heathen and he will send forth his Destroying Angel to smite the first-born in Egypt the Region of Darkness where Sin is multiplyed and reigns then Blessed and Happy will all they be that know the Blood of Sprinkling upon the Lentils of the doors of their Hearts that so they may be spared in the day of the fierce anger of the Lord For if the Anger of the Lord is kindled never so little then Blessed are all they that put their trust in him So in true love to your Immortal Souls have I cleared my Conscience of what lay upon me from the Lord and shall leave the effect to him for whether you will hear or forbear I am clear for as the Apostle said Having known the Terrours of God for Sin he could do no less then warn all Men every where to Repent and as the Lord said to the Prophet Ezekiel viz. When I say to the Wicked thou shalt surely Dye and thou giv'st him not warning nor speakest to warn the Wicked from his Wicked way to save his Life the same Wicked Man shall dye in his Iniquity but his Blood will I require at thy Hand yet if thou warn the Wicked and he turn not from his Wickedness nor from his Wicked way he shall Dye in his Iniquity but thou hast delivered thy Soul Ezek 33. 8 9. So with my Hearty Desires and Prayers to God for England's Prosperity that all might pertake of the Universal Love of God which is offered to all Men in the day of their Visitation This from one who is a Sufferer for the Testimony of Jesus and desires the Universal Welfare of all Men. Newgate Prison in Bristol the 17th of the 9th Month 1683. Dorcas Dole THE END