Laws and weapons of Cruelty which God will break therefore are the Wicked angry and rage like the swelling of the Seas and send out their own shame and execute their cruelty on the People whom the Lord hath blessed and united to himself in a perpetual Covenant and firm Decree that can never be broken All this is done that Wrath may come upon you to the uttermost Yet the Lord hath said Though all the Powers of Hell do rise as Mountains of darkness and Gog and Magog gather all their host together whose number is numberless and their weapons the same the Dragon Beast and false Prophets used in all Ages All this is nothing with the Lord in whom we have believed he will go through them as an Arrow shot through the Air he will save his Children and not one of them shall be desolate that trust in him though they walk in the midst of the stones of fire and through the deeps of the Seas he will save them and be with them there he will be ever mindful of his Covenant and of his Oath to a thousand Generations he will come unto them and will not leave them comfortless there O that all that have known the living and powerful Arm of the Lord would believe and trust in it for ever in which is Salvation and Deliverance from all fears of destruction when it cometh which Arm is revealed in which we have believed and in which Faith we stand and witness Peace and Truth the stability of our times and God is become our God our Lord our Law-giver and our Judge and of his Name will we make mention and we will walk in the light of his Law for ever and ever and are resolved to keep his righteous Judgments at all times and therefore do our Enemies hate us The Lord is our Judge and our Justifier in this day when men condemn us he hath restored us into the liberty and brought us unto the beginning of that Day which shall never end and for which our souls have groaned and travelled long pure Praises be unto him that lives for ever and ever The Lord hath brought us into his Rest which remains for ever even we that have and do believe in the Light that shines in our hearts have by this Light walked through all Darkness unto Him with whom there is no darkness nor shadow of turning so that the shadow of death is become as the eye-lids of the morning and we through the tender Mercies of our God are entred into the Rest where the Prisoners rest together and where the weary be at rest Glory glory and praise be unto the Lord of Sabbath the inner Gate of the Temple is opened in this Rest which hath been shut the six working dayes Praises to our God that openeth and none shutteth Bless the Lord O my Soul and praise him whilst thou hast a being in the Land of the living The dead praise not the Lord there 's not a Persecutor giveth him thanks their singing is no better than the howling of Dogs they that lie in the grave and wallow in their own filth over whom Death and Darkness hath dominion they celebrate not the loving kindness of the Lord their Songs are over the Dead they rejoyce over the slain Witnesses of God in themselves the Songs of the Temple must be turned into howling the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Come down O thou Virgin Daughter of Caldea weep bitterly saith the Lord who knows thy out-goings and thy rage against the precious Sons of Sion and Virgin Daughter of Jerusalem the time of whose Controversie is already come into my heart wherefore look upon Sion the City of thy Solemnity thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation O thou Mourner a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down nor one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed nor any of the cords thereof broken thine eyes shall behold the King in his beauty thou shalt dwell in the Land that is yet far off O thou that art afflicted and tossed with tempests but not comforted tempests within and tempests without in the Name of the Lord I say unto thee thine is the Kingdom and the righteousness thereof the Power and the Glory belongs unto thee and she that is thy enemy shall be trodden down as the mire in the streets for the Indignation of the Lord is kindled against Babylon which shall not be quenched night nor day the smoak thereof shall go up for ever from Generation to Generation shall it lie waste no one shall pass through it for ever and ever They shall call the Nobles thereof to the Kingdom but none shall be there and all her Princes shall be nothing Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and reade nothing of all this shall fail And the line of confusion shall be stretched over it and stones of emptiness and all thy Merchants shall mourn and they that are made rich by Seas shall weep bitterly for thy Tacklings are loosed they cannot well strengthen thy Masts they cannot well spread thy Sails But the Inhabitants of Zion shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Our God is the living and true God his habitation is in the holy Mountain he hath chosen Sion to dwell in let all the Idols of the Heathen that know him not but would limit him that doth teach and lead his People in the Way Everlasting be confounded for ever and all the Idol-makers which are like unto them be broken and let not their hands perform their Enterprizes for the Breath of my God scatter them as the Dust of the Mountains in the Desart and as the Chaff before the Whirlwind fling them out of their place Amen saith my heart and soul for ever The Lord our God is rising against all Persecutors wo be to them if they be not warned yea he is risen already in the persecuted he will shake Mountains to pieces he will rent all Hills before him and there is no darkness so thick where the worker of Iniquity can hide himself from the fierce anger of the Lord though he make his nest in Hell and hide himself under the Mountains of the Earth yet the breath of the Lord shall breath upon him and his Spirit which created him shall rend him to pieces as a rotten rag until he make a way for him who Rules in Peace whose Scepter is a right Scepter he it is that must Reign the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And he will cause them to remain even them which have suffered with him who hath been a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief hated and rejected of men them will he cause to reign with him upon the Earth yea they shall have dominion over the Mighty the Lion is come out of his thicket the Destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way he will not fail nor be discouraged he is risen as a valiant man and as a Gyant refreshed with new Wine his hand will not spare his Enemies his eye will not pity his Persecutors but the Lord will spare them that serve him both small and great Blessed are they that hear and believe unto the end of sin and transgression which God is finishing and putting an end unto they shall have dominion over the Mighty But wo be to all Hypocrites and wo be to all double-minded and them that forsake the Lord the living Fountain in whom all fresh springs are and wo be to all persecuting Magistrates and Law-makers against the Innocent Temporal and Spiritual a day of wasting and destruction wherein your stink shall be great and wherein you shall not find a hiding place to hide you from the furious vengeance of the Lord who is risen to shake terribly the Earth and plead the Cause of the Oppressed and Innocent by you persecuted wherefore this I say unto you all in the Name of the Lord Repent and humble your selves you Magitrates spiritual and temporal and every inferiour Officer even from him that sitteth on the Throne to him that openeth and shutteth your Prison-doors Repent both you and your King and persecute the Innocent no longer imprison and spoil their Goods no longer because they cannot worship as you do even you that mingle your Sacrifices with blood that it may be a lengthning of your tranquility but if otherwise you go on Persecution will undo you the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it for whose sake I am a witness against your persecuting power HUMFRY WOOLDRIDGE For which Cause I am close Prisoner in Chester Castle which I shall here relate and of which I have no cause at all to repent or be ashamed for ever Upon the second day of the 10th Month I came to Chester it being the end of the Assize and many of the Lord's People being close Prisoners taken from their own peaceable Meeting but were not called at all before the Judges upon the First day it was moved in my heart by the Lord that made me to go to their Church called the Cathederal the Judges and Magistrates which should do Justice and loose the Oppressed and open the doors of the Prisoners being there to cry out against Persecution I came in in the Peace and Power of the Living God where I found the Organs playing the Men and Boyes singing which songs the Lord will turn into mourning but David's Harp was not amongst them nor the Living Spirit which only praiseth the Lord but the persecuting spirit of Saul which was ever an Enemy to the Spirit of the Father when their Song was ended I came into their inward place of Worship the Word of the Lord being in my heart as a spring shut up and a fountain sealed I said Let me speak that I may be refreshed let come on me what will it is better to die than to live in rebellion against the Lord So I stepped upon the side of a Pew and bid them hear the Word of the Living God to them all but before I had spoken all that was in my heart they violently pulled me down as if they would have torn me to pieces but an Officer with a Silver Mace whose heart the Lord touched saved me from the rude multitude so I was carried away towards the Castle where I remain to this day THE END
by the Powers of the Earth whether these be not false Prophets and Ministers of Antichrist let them go under what Name they will and whether it be the Name of a Minister and Bishop that makes him truly so or the Nature and Power of God which first gave them the Names Yea or Nay And whether these Marks and Characters are found in your Church and Ministry or whether they be not rather found amongst the Church and Ministers of the People called Quakers which by your consent and advice are made this day in England to suffer such cruel things as they do and are like to do Whether the marks of the Beast and Characters of the false Prophets and Merchants of Babylon which traded with the Bodies and Souls of men be not rather found amongst you by whose consent and advice they are caused so to suffer Again Whether Paul were not a faithful and true Bishop who said Though we live in the flesh yet do we not war after the flesh but the weapons of our Warfare are spiritual and not carnal Moreover he said We are counted as the off-scouring of all things being defamed we entreat neither saith he do we wrestle with flesh and blood mark this ye that have put or at least suffered it so to be so many thousands of innocent People in close Prisons wherein many of them have lost their lives but with Principalities and Powers of Darkness and with spiritual Wickedness in high Places mark Spiritual wickedness was against Paul as at this day it is against them that follow his steps And whether your Warfare be the same Paul's was and against the same if yea then why do you not use the same weapons the Apostles used namely found Doctrine for a Bishop must be blameless and faithful as the Steward of God holding fast the faithfull Word that thereby he may be able with sound Doctrine mark not with Prisons spoyling their Goods and banishing which destroyes the handy-work of God and spills their blood but with sound Doctrine he must Paul saith be able both to convince and stop the mouths of gain-sayers Now if ye be found in the Faith as they which watch for the Soul ought to be even in that Faith which is a Mystery to all that mingle their Sacrifices with Blood and was once delivered unto the Saints then Answer these Queries and do not cry out Heresie a Blasphemy and run to your Carâ—al Weapons and Carâ—al Laws for help as the persecuting Jews did against Christ and the Apostles when they were not able to resist the Spirit and Power by which they spake Again If your Church be true and Ministry also then why is it not upheld according to the Truth as it is in the Scriptures declared to be in Jesus then according to Paul's words 1. Cor. 5.12 What have ye to do to judge them that are without or to sue them for Maintenance that are without are ye not greedy which would feed upon the Milk of the Flock ye keep not and eat the Fruit of the Vineyard ye neither dress nor plant them that are without your Church if it be true leave them to God's Judgment as Paul saith What have I to do to judge them that are without So I say What have you to do with us who have denied both you and your Church root and branch many years since What have ye to do to Excommunicate and cast them out that for the Lord's sake have separated themselves from both your Church and Ministry because they have no Faith to believe it is the true Church and Lamb's Wife and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin but rather that Mystory Babylon which John Rev. 17. vers the last said Ruled over the Kings of the Earth and all Nations have drunk of her Cup and were become unstable as Waters even her Cup in whom was found the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus and your Ministers the Merchants thereof which must weep and mourn over her for men will not buy her Merchandize as afore-time the Merchandize of Gold and Silver and precious Stones and of Pearls and fine Linen and Purple and Silk and Scarlet and Cinamon and Odours and Oyntments and Frankinscence and Wine and Oyl and fine flower of Wheat and Beasts and Sheep and Horses and Slaves and Souls and Bodies of Men the Merchants of these things which are made rich by her shall stand a far off for fear of her torment weeping and wailing saying Alas alâ—â—â— I that great City which was clothed in fine Linen and Purple and Scarlet and deck'd with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls and every Ship-master and Company in Ships and Saylors and as many as traded by Sea stood a far off and cryed when they saw the smoke of her burning What City is like unto this great City that reigneth over the Kings of the â—arth For in this day even in this day that is dawned in England must Babylon be destroyed and all her Merchants mourn and all their great Riches brought to nought and she that hath sate as Queen upon many Waters and hath been called the Lady of Kingdoms shall know Widowhood and loss of Children Therefore rejoyce over her thou Heavens and holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you of her And a mighty Angel took up a Stone like a great Mill-â—one and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and be found no more at all Again I do not read in the Scriptures among any of the Acts of Christ's Apostles and Churches by them gathered who had all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to them that after Excommunication or casting them out of the Church they did ever spoil the Goods or Imprison any such and that they should not be suffered to buy or sell but be banished as is done in England by the consent and advice of you that seem to be Pillars of the Church These things hath my Soul weighed and upon Consideration of good advice and in the counsel of the holy pure God I am bold to Conclude that these Marks and Characters are not of the Lamb or his Ministers but of the Beast and false Prophets and Apostles transformed being found amongst you I charge you in the Name of the Lord not to be true Bishops and Ministers of Christ neither were ye ever made so by the Holy Ghost and the Power of God as they were we reade of in the Scriptures nor your Church true but false and a Nest of unclean Birds and Synagogue of Satan and place where his seat is set witness all the Prisons of England and the spoiling of their Goods who for Conscience sake are imprisoned witness also Newgate in London how many of the Lord's People have been kept there until death a sufficient witness is the whole Nation of them that fear the Lord in whose heart is his Law against both you and your Church
Again Whether Christ be not come the unchangeable High Priest he which puts an end to all Shadows changeable Priests and Worship whether he be not given for a Covenant of Light and whether all the Nations of them that are saved must not walk in it the same that Moses by the Spirit the man of God spoke of saying A Prophet like unto me shall the Lord your God raise up him shall you hear in all things and whether that Soul must not be cut off out of the Land of the Lord which hearkens not unto him only even him who saith Learn of me and ye shall find rest to your Souls and that when I go away I will send you the Spirit of Truth the Comforter which shall lead you into all Truth And what do you think of them which have heard and learned of the Father and are come to the knowledge of him which to know is Life and Peace eternal as he is obeyed and his voice followed who saith My Sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow What will become of them I say that have eaten of the true Bread and drunk of the living Fountain which as a Well of living Water springeth up in them even them that believe in the Name of Jesus if these shall fall away and in their hearts turn back into Egypt to you again and feed upon the Husks which satisfie not and drink Water out of your broken Cisterns even the puddle waters of Babylon from which all that fear the Lord let them be separated as we are whom ye persecute lest they partake with you of the Woes and Plagues he is bringing upon you because of the blood of the Innocent and the oppression of the Poor I speak that I may be refreshed let come on me what will good is the Lord and his mercy endures for ever the Lord is gracious and full of compassion but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty the Lord will most certainly do by you as you have done by us and such a day is the Lord bringing upon all Persecuters the like was never seen in England the mean while in patience we possess our Souls and commit the keeping both of them and our Bodies whom ye shut up for his Names sake whose witnesses we are in cruel Prisons as into the hands of a faithful Creator Thus saith the Lord Hear me O my People hearken unto me O my Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and all my Children shall be taught of me What may you judge of your selves then that say Hearken unto us Pray Sing and Worship God as we teach you for a Law is proceeded from us and all that will not Conform thereunto all that will not Pray and Worship God according to the Precepts and Commandments we have prescribed they shall be esteemed Rebels to the King and all their Goods taken away and at last after long imprisonment they shall be banished out of the Nation and all this is done and intended to be done by the consent and advice of you Lords Spiritual Whether Chiist who is the chief Bishop of the Soul and Shepherd of the Sheep ever gave you or any which were true Ministers and Bishops such authority Or whether all this be not from Antichrist's Power and the Dragon 's that slew the Saints which had the Testimony of Jesus and Word of God There are several Scriptures which speak of forcing and compelling which the Persecutors make themselves a Covering of but this was in the time of the Law when their Worshiâ— was outward â—nd they were compelled to it by an outward Law all which Christ put an end to and said God is a Spirit â—â—d they that worship him acceptably must worship him in Spirit and in Truth But this I say unto all you high and low great and small that persecute and imprison about Religion You have imprisoned and done violence to the Just and Holy One in your own hearts the good Spirit which God who is a Spirit hath given to instruct you that you have grieved and rebelled against and â—herefore all that will not do the like must be imprisoned their Goods spoiled and their Persons banished All that will not kill the Witness in themselves must by you be killed for its sake all the day long All they that will not make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and lay the Heritage of God waste and tread the holy City under their feet and blaspheme the Temple of God and them that dwell therein their Families must be laid waste by your consent and they themselves who fear before the Lord and at the remembrance of his Holiness they must be counted Hereticks and Blasphemers by this Generation You have rejected the Word of the Lord and will have none of Wisdoms Counsel and therefore must they which walk in the Light of the Word who are Wisdoms Children and justified by Christ who is God's Wisdom and Righteousness be condemned by you who are only wise to do evil The god of this world he it is that blindeth thee with the seeming glory and honour so that thou canst not see nor discern the things that be of the Spirit of God and now thou being blinded thy self thou Persecuter about Religion whoever thou art thou wouldst with cruel tortures make all to see with thy vailed eye thy own house being left desolate and overthrown by strangers desolate I say of the Spirit any otherwayes than to reprove and convince thee and the true knowledge of God thou wouldst lay waste the Temple of God without thee and the House which is a House of Prayer indeed wouldst thou have to become an habitation of Devils and Deâ— of Thieves like thine own thou hast banished the goâ—tâ—e reproofâ— of the good Spirit of God and the Word which is nigh thee out of thine own heart and hast set up another thing besides the Fear of the Lord which is to depart from evil and now thou being banished like Cain for thy rebellion from the presence of the Lord art wrath and thou wilt spoil all their Houses and Goods and lay their Dwellings desolate and though thou cannot banish them from the presence of the Lord as thou art thy self thou wilt do thy endeavour to make them miserable upon the Earth if thou canst not kill them thou wilt banish them under the name of Traitors and they shall be whipt and imprisoned under the names of Vagabonds thus thou art building thy City with blood but still thou art in a Land of fear and but a Vagabond thy self in the Earth whilst we poor despised People called Quakers who are free born of the Seed that is immortal by this Generation have not so much as a place whereon to lay out heads but in Prisons and nolsom Dungeons and all this is because we cannot bow to the false Worships the false Prophets the Beast and Dragon is setting up and establishing with carnal