likeness of his Death we shall also be in the likeness of his Resurrection Rom. 6. 5. And saith our Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 6. I have planted and Apollo watered in a Gospel Church and saith Hosea of the Church of old Ephraim is Planted in a pleasant Place Hos. 9. 13. though Ephraim did not bring forth good fruits to God and therefore Ephraim must be weeded for Ephraim shall bring forth his Children to the Murtherer Therefore thou and such as thou art O Richard Brown are but Weeders of Gods Garden those Plants that are of our Heavenly Fathers Planting thou mayest root up For my Father saith Christ John 10. 29. is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of his hand Then look about you O you Seed of God for ye are made partakers of Christ if ye hold fast your Confidence stedfast unto the End Heb. 3. 14. I must confesse it is high time the Weeders were at work for the Weeds are grown high in the Church of Christ but if thou shalt pluck up and offer violence to the choice Flowers and fruit-bearing Branches to God our Gardener will be very angry with thee nay I question whether he will not turn thee out of his service therefore it is requisite thou beest good in thine Office and for the Information of thy Judgement in order to the Reforming of thy violent Actings Read I beseech thee what God hath done with such violent Weeders Isaiah 10. from 5. to 20. Amos 1. and Isai. 13. all the whole Chapters And as Gods People are his Garden So Christ taketh a delight in them For he walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 12 13. Revel 2. 1. Yea saith the Spouse Cant. 6. 2. My beloved is gone down into his Garden to the Beds of Spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies to smell those Fragant Gifts and Graces of the Spirit which are so delightful to me as that I even feed upon them I pluck them even with as much delight as men pluck Lillies and their Choice Ripe and full blown Fragant Flowers and vers 11. I went down into the Garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the valleys and to see whether the Vines Flourished and the Pomegranates Budded to see how the young Ones those Babes those Lambs those young Men in the Faith have profited in the Profession of the Gospel and those Vines how they flourish those strong Men and Fathers whether they bring forth Fruit as well as Leaves whether they have the possession as well as Profession of the Gospel how they flourish yea how they abound in every good Work And in Cant. 4. 16. The Spouse being sensible of the want of the constant breathings of the holy Spirit which saith our Saviour is as the Wind Blowing where it listeth she cryeth out Awake O North Winde and come thou South blow upon thy Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his Pleasant Fruits as if she should say without thee by the incomings of thy Spirit we can do nothing we cannot shew forth Love Joy Peace Patience Long-suffering Gentleness nor Goodness Meekness nor Temperance without the Breathings of that Holy Spirit of thine therefore give us what thou requirest from us and then come into thy Garden and feed of thine own And now O Weeder consider what thou hast done thou shuttest up the Garden Doors that are within thy Jurisdiction thou rootest up the Flowers Vines and Plants throwest them on heaps and lockest them up in noysom Prisons Holes and Dungeons amongst noisom and very infectious Weeds Indeed more I might say but I shall forbear yet not forbear to tell thee that the Mr. Gardener seeth and beholdeth it And I shall mind thee of the words of that Kingly Prophet Psal 10. 13 14 15. Wherefore do the wicked contemn God he hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it But thou hast seen it O Lord thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand the Poor yea every one of thy poor Flock committeth himself unto thee thou art the help of the Fatherless Break thou the Arm of the Wicked saith that Holy Man vers 15. and of the Evil man seek out his wickedness till thou find none But I shall say and that in the singleness of my Soul O Lord give Richard Brown a sence of the Evil of his wayes let him see O Lord the ugliness of a Persecuting Spirit and whence it is shew him wherein he hath failed in all his Acts of Violence and Oppression and cause him to hear a Word from Heaven and that from thy Son for the Eternal good Benefit and well-fare of his poor Soul saying Brown Brown why Persecutest thou me and let him know that thou O Lord God of recompences wilt surely requite cause him O Lord to be so sensible of the Evil of his wayes as that he may search out his own Iniquities Transgressions and Sins and that he may set them before him and may be sensible of them in their several aggravations as that he may see himself a nothing Creature without a Saviour And that he may so close with thy Son Jesus upon his own terms as that of a Persecuting Saul he may become a Preaching Paul that so he may Build again that which as to thy People he hath destroyed and may destroy as to himself that which he hath builded that so he may purge out that old Leaven as he may become a new lump unto thy self when he shall be translated out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of thy Dear Son that so as he hath Squandered away thy Portion ruined thy Heritage troden down thy Vineyard and as much as in him lieth slain thy tender Lambs Sheep and Flock shut up thy Garden rooted up thy choice Vines Fragant Flowers and Budds of Spices So O Lord for the time to come he may as much as in him lieth repair thy Portion rebuild thy Heritage repair thy Vineyard Re-inliven thy Flock and replant and replenish thy Garden that so thy People O Lord may see that Prophesie of the Prophet Isaiah in a good measure fulfilled to them in their days that Kings Rulers and Governors may be their nursings Fathers their Queens shall become their nursing Mothers Yet Holy God if it shall be thy will to suffer thy People yet to undergo the hand of Persecution Teach every one of thy faithful Ones readily and willingly to say Not as I will but thy Will be done And as thou hast brought them forth in Suffering times So for the sake of thy Son Jesus give Suffering Spirits and Suffering Resolutions that so they may in the midst of their distresse Glorifie thee by their Patient willing couragious and undaunted behaviour And O Lord Inable them by the Incomings of thy own Spirit so as that they may suffer purely and alone for their
begg thee in the fear of the great Iehovah to consider thy Condition what it is and how the Case standeth with thee the which that thou mayst the better do the Premises being duly weighed Consider 1. What thou wast 2. What thou art 3. What thou shalt be to all Eternity Secondly Consider seriously 1. What thou hast done 2. What thou art now a doing 3. What thou shalt do to Eternity And Thirdly Consider 1. Where thou hast been 2. Where thou art 3. Whither thou shalt go to Eternity O I beseech thee in Gods fear Consider thy standing thy breath is in thy nostrils as well as others and God may as soon send his Messenger Death to thee as to another for the Lord will abhor the Bloody and Deceitful man Psal. 5. 6. For saith the same Prophet Psal. 55. 23. But thou O Lord shalt bring them down into the pit of Destruction for bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days But what man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it For the eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous and his Ears are open to their Cry But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut out their Memorial from off the Earth And should the Lord take thee away in this cruel inhumane merciless violent bloody-minded Condition what would become of thee to Eternity for as Death leaveth a man so Iudgement shall find him If Death put a man into the hole of the Earth a cruel an inhumane a merciless a violent a bloody-minded man so shall Iudgement find him Consider I beseech thee that the Fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness and tempearnce Gal. 5. 22. whilest the Works of the Flesh some of which are manifestly these hatred malice wrath strife envyings murthers the living in any one of which will exclude a man from Heavens Glory Gal. 5. 20 21. And that thou mayest see what I really intend in this my Alarm I shall after the thundring out of Gods Iudgements against Oppression and tyrannical Oppressors I shall I say in Christian Love lay before thee some flashings of pure and glorious Gospel-Light to the refreshing thy soul and to the enlightning the eyes of thy understanding that so thou mayst if thou art willing to it even be recovered out of thy sad condition For as I said in the beginning of my Discourse from Isaiah the first so shall I begin my Conclusion and say to thee and to all Tyrannical Persecuting Spirits Your hands are full of Blood therefore wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before the Lord cease to do evil learn to do well seek Iudgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless and plead for the widows And then come and plead with the Lord and if ye so do though your sins were as scarlet they shall be as wooll though they be as crimson they shall be as snow For God is a merciful a loving and a tender-hearted God to poor sinful souls who if ye will believe himself saith As I live I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth but that the wicked turn from his ways and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. For if the wicked will turn from his all sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live Ezek. 18. 21 22. For The Lord is long-suffering to us-wards not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. O then Richard Brown and all persecuting and violent spirits in the fear of the Lord be perswaded by the Lord to cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O Mayors of London and Iustices of England For I tell you again and again that I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth wherefore turn ye your selves and live Ezek. 18. 31 32. See the willingness of an offended God to be friends and at peace with an offending soul nay he thinks much of every minutes time that ye spend before ye come to him For hear how he crieth out by that Wise man saying How long I pray mind the tearms How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn ye at my reproof And what then may some Poor Ignorant Malitious Envious Cursing Swearing Rending Tearing Persecuting soul say What shall we have upon our Returning Behold this thou shalt have I will pour out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1. 22 23. I will give you my Spirit that shall lead you into all truth John 16. 13. whose operation in you will produce other effects then Envying Slandring and casting into Prison Strong-holds and Dungeons for the fruits thereof are Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Meekness and Temperance So that if your sins were never so Red though they be of never so deep a dye yet forsake them and the Blood of a Crucified Iesus shall cleanse you from all sins 1 John 1. 7. For he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole World 1 John 2. 1 2. Therefore take that good advice from the Lord given by his servant Peter to those Iewes that were the Actual Betrayers and Murtherers of the Lord Christ Act. 2. 38 39. Repent ye therefore and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of Sinnes and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Which Holy Ghost or Spirit of Truth will lead you into all truth and will make a clear discovery of Truth from Error of Light from Darkness I can through mercy say it will do so I have found it and it is the desire of my soul that you and all the men of the world should find and know it And this is one and the great and main cause why I write this Alarm that so thou mightest be made sensible of what thou hast done and what thou hast to do For for my own part I my self have been as Zealous as thou canst be and had I had but as much Power as thou now hast I do really believe unless Conscience had flown in my face I should have done as much as thou hast done And I knowing thy conditon by mine own and by comparing my past with my present Condition I could do no less in Christian love than what I have done For
A Fannaticks Alarm Given to the MAYOR IN HIS QUARTERS By one of the Sons of Zion become BOANERGES To Thunder out the Judgements of God against Oppression and Oppressors Together with some Flashings of Pure Gospel-Lightnings really intended for the enlightning the Eyes of the Understanding even to the beholding of Him who is Invisible By HENRY ADIS a Baptized Believer undergoing the Name of a Free-willer and also most ignomineously by the tongue of Infamy called a Fannatick or a mad man Wo to the Bloody City Nahum 3. 1. For they professe that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. For I have seen Violence and Strife in the City Psal. 55. 9. For they eat the Bread of Wickednesse and drink the Wine of Violence Prov. 4. 17. LONDON Printed for the Author an Upholâ—ster living in Princes Street near Covent-Garden 1661. A Fannaticks Alarm Given to the MAYOR IN HIS QUARTERS By one of the Sons of Sion become BOANERGES O Earth Earth Earth Hear the Word of the Lord Ier. 22. 29. To Thee O Richard Brown I speak in the Words of the great Iehovah given in into his Servants and Prophets by his Eternal Spirit by vertue whereof thus saith the wisest of men The Merciful man doth good to his own Soul but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh O man consider thy wayes what hath been thy Work for these many years last past What good didst thou do to thine own Soul in thy mercy thou shewedst to the Kings Friends at Abington Were not thy tender mercies there the mercies of the wicked even meer cruelty Prov. 11. 17. And now the Tide is turn'd art thou ready to say of thine own Violent Actings as once old Iacob did of Simeon and Levies cruel dealings against the Shechamites Gen. 49. 7. Cursed be mine anger for it was fierce and my wrath for it was cruel Or rather art thou not going about to plaister up that old inveterate malignant and festred Sore with a far worse Plaister than was the Sword that made that Wound So that it may be said to Thee in the words of the Prophet Ier. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots no more canst thou do good that hast been accustomed to do evil Art not thou now with double and triple diligence breathing out Threatnings and Slaughter Saul-like against the Church of God as if they had been or at present were the Kings greatest Enemies but hadst thou ever been a Scholar in Christs School and hadst been tutored by his Usher that Holy Spirit of Truth whose Fruit is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse and Goodnesse Meeknesse and Temperance Thou wouldest then have taken out a far easier Lesson than Cruelty Violence Malice and Oppression and wouldest also have experimentally known that Christs Laws teach the best Loyalty to Earthly Princes and the purest Love to our very Enemies And now I speak of Love give me leave O Richard Brown to speak some few words in love to Thee who appearest by thy violent Actings to be a bitter Enemy to King Iesus in persecuting him in his Members and therein pretendest thy self to be a great Friend to King Charles the contrary whereof I hope will be manifested hereafter in this discourse in its due place In the mean time in love I shall let thee know my End of this my Alarm that so I might prove my Thundering to be natural consisting as well of Lightning if possible to the enlightning the eyes of thy understanding as well as to shew Thee the Judgements of God against thy Violent and Inhumane Dealings to which purpose I am at this time come to beat up thy Quarters and in Christian Love to deal with Thee and to speak after the manner of men like a Consciencious Lawyer to lay before Thee the worst of thy Case like an Honest Physitian to shew the True state of thy Body like a careful Chyrurgian to search thy noysome and festred Ulcers to the quick and with that charitable Samaritan Luke 10. 34. pour in Wine and Oyl that thy Wound may be both searched and supled that so if possible thy Soul may be saved in the day of the Lord. And herein I shall follow the example of the Lord himself Isa 1. who that he might the better perswade Israel to a thorow Reformation and a perfect Return to him his God he first layes before him the evil of his wayes telling him as I by his assistance in his words shall tell Thee That from the Crown of thy Head to the Sole of thy Foot there is no whole part in Thee thy Head is Sick and thy Heart is Faint thy Hands are full of Blood Therefore Wash thee make thee Clean put away the evil of thy Doings cease to do Evil learn to do Well seek Iudgement relieve the Oppressed Iudge the Fatherless and plead for the Widdows keep men no longer in thy cruel Custody to make so many Fatherless and Widdows as it is at this day in keeping those many poor Innocent harmlesse Baptists and others under restraint in doing which thy danger therein I shall lay down before Thee by Thundring out the Iudgements of God against such Violent and Oppressing Actors that so as in a Glass thou mayest clearly read thy self both what thou art and what thou shalt be or what will hecome of Thee And then give thee in some Clear Bright and Glorious Flashes of Pure Gospel Lightning to enlighten thy Inward Man in order to thy Recovery out of this thy Miserable Poor Blind Naked and Despicable Condition even to the Translating thee out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Gods Dear Son unless thou beest wanting to thy self In order whereunto I shall once more cry out and say O Earth Earth Earth Hear the Word of the Lord for thus saith the Lord by his Prophet Isa. 33. 1. Wo unto Thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled that dealest Treacherously and they dealt not Treacherously with Thee when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoiled and when thou shall make an end to deal Treacherously they shall deal Treacherously with Thee For God is a just God and many times dealeth with the Sons of men by the Law of Retaliation for Adoni-bezek said Threescore and ten Kings having their Thumbs and their great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table as I have done so God hath done to me Judges 1. 7. And Nathan said unto Divid Seeing thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the Sword of the Children of Ammon Therefore the Sword shall never depart from thy House 2 Sam. 12. 9. So also saith Samuel to Agag King of the Amalakites 1 Sam. 15. 33. As thy Sword hath made women Childless so shall thy Mother be Childless among women and Samuel liewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal Therefore Wo unto them that decree
I say if serving of God peaceably and quietly with Reverence and Godly Fear be good in the Sight of God How can those answer the turning the Edge of the Sword of Iustice upon them before the great Jehovah who put that Sword into their hands and if so Why are the poor peaceable People of God that are no Turkish slaves but the free born Commoners of England thus enslaved Why must the Sword of Oppression thus be suffered in the hands of Richard Brown instead of the sword of Iustice Why are the several Justices of Peace in the several Counties of England thus suffered to disturb the Peace of the Innocent Lambs of Jesus in their peaceable Meetings And if any man shall ask me the reason why I question these things I must Answer them in the words of Little David in that 1 Sam. 17. 29. What have I now done is there not a cause Is not that great Goliah of our times defying the Host of the Israel of God that Rome-bred Monster Persecution Is it not now vaunting it self against both the Cause and People of God Is it not now pulling down those that cannot drink drunk go like Anticks Spot and Paint Whore and Rant Rend and Tear Swear and Forswear Is not this a Cause why the People of God who will evidence themselves so to be now to stand up for Purity Piety Peace Mercy Truth and Iustice and in such a time as this boldly Couragiously Manfully to fight the Lords Battel and to lay about them with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Joh. 6. 17. and chiefly and more frequently to meet together and with a peaceable gentle holy violence come with great Zeal into their several and respective Meetings to pray to the Lord and set their shoulder to the Work as one Man to offer an Holy Violence to the Throne of Grace that God would let King Charles see what he hath done for him and also what he doth expect from him that so the End of his faithful Subject in casting that into his Treasury may be effected To which purpose it shall be my request to all my Brethren that they would both privately and Publickly Meet at their Publick Meetings to cry Mightily to the Father by the help of the Spirit in the Name of his Son King Iesus that he would Assist King Charles in that needful work of Self-Examination and due Consideration Not forgetting the Great the Mighty and the Noble of the Land nor thee Richard Brown although thou art so cruel But to remember also all Iustices of Peace yea and all the Nation in general that are thus bent against Gods People with such a spirit of bitterness that God would let them see how they requite the Lord for his Benefits bestowed upon him and them and to them in doing so much for him their King To which purpose that it may be the more Effectually done I say to them all as I do to Henry Den about Swearing in my Fannaticks Testimony against Swearing in Page 45 that they would call for and crave the assistance of all in that Page mentioned that so they may if possible have one Word of God from the ablest of their Learned Men for their thus imprisoning and abusing the Fock of God or any man else for their worshipping their God because they cannot worship with them I say again I would have every soul be fully satisfied herein before they proceed farther that so they may have the Word of God for their Warrant as a Foundation of their Faith herein for saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin For Faith is the full perswasion of the heart of Man grounded upon the Promises of God and wrought in us by the Spirit of God So that if thou hast not a Word of God for thy Warrant as a Foundation of thy Faith herein thy Faith is no more Faith but Fancy and therefore have a care Soul who ever thou art though never so great I say again in the fear of the Lord have a care that the Lord say not one day to you that are thus found persecuting his People for worshipping him not at all harming you as once he said by his Prophet to Israel of old Isai. 1. 12. Who hath required this at your hands Why have you Ensnared Inslaved Imprisoned and evilly Intreated my People when I have done so much for you when I have given you so much Liberty so much Freedom so many Priviledges and Injoyments and can ye not suffer the Members of that Body of which my Son Iesus is the Head no Liberty at all When King Charles wanted his Kingdoms Wealth Liberty Subjects Armies Arms Ammunition Magazines and Store-houses Sumptuous and Fair Buildings Parkes and Chases Meadows Fields and Pastures Ships and Shipping with all that He hath and all that He doth enjoy and all this He hath by His own shewing again and again from the hands of our Father that Loved us and gave his Son to Die for us yea He hath what He hath from the hands of our Father who is so to us by Promise not onely by Creation but also by Regeneration and Adoption yea we have his Word for it 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. And by his assistance have performed the conditions and I have his Seal for my Son-ship Ephes. 1. 13. and through Mercy I speak not Parrot-like but what I have through Grace seen and known felt and looked upon and handled that I declare it is that which giveth me boldness now Acts 4. 13. and will give it me at the day of Judgement 1 Iob. 4. 17. And although we are his peaceable and quiet Subjects by the appointment of our Father yet he careth not for us but is desirous to be rid of us and no Roome fit for us in all his Territories but a Prison and in these Prisons the Dungeon and that by many thought to good for us too although we never deserved such things at his hands I am sure he promised us better things and that upon conditions too the which on our parts were never yet broken nor never shall be let him deal with us however he pleaseth yet our peaceable Meetings are broken and our Forms and Accommodations in those Meetings broken to pieces Demollished and burned and that by the Rude Rabble and should we were it our Principle be but half so Tumultuous as these are that at every turn have to do with us we should then be looked upon as very dangerous Persons such as there might be some colour of Imprisoning but blessed be the Lord we are not such and yet are and have been Imprisoned and in Kent several have been Haled away to Maidestone who now lie there and our Brother Crosse who a short time before with his own hands presented a moderate and an honest Petition into the Kings Hand in order to the procuring a Liberty according to the Kings Promise
again again and again but we see the Conclusion is a Prison a Dungeon but this I am confident of that he that fitteth in the Heavens doth laugh such violent Actions to scorn and the Actors of such Oppressions he will have them in Derision yea I say again the Lord will have them in Derision for so saith the Lord by the Mouth of a King Psal. 2. 1. c. Why do the Heathen rage and the People Imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let us break their Bonds asunder and cast away their Cords from us But in the midst of all these Contrivances as in Belshazzars case Dan 5. 5. there is a Hand-writing in the way that will cause some Trouble the which I cannot but declare and it is no more but the words of the Text for saith the Spirit of the Lord in vers 4. He that sitteth in the Heavens shall Laugh and who can hinder him yea the Lord shall have them in Derision and who shall gain-say it But give me leave in Christian Love to go on to give this Caution in the words of the same Man of God in v. 10. Be wise therefore O ye Kings be Instructed yea Iudges of the Earth ye Iudges before whom the peaceable People of God often in your Circuits are Haled And you Iudges of the Earth that are to Seal Decrees against them I say again take good heed in Gods fear what ye do to them for saith the Prophet to the People of God and that to their great comfort Zach. 2 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his Eye a tender place a choice thing yea they are his Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. His Iewels Mal. 2. 17. His choice ones that shall be his such as he himself will spare as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And if you will not spare them look to it the Lord will have you in Derision the Lord will Laugh you to scorn O then be instructed ye Judges of the Earth for ye judge not for man but for the Lord And will you not spare the peaceable Sons and Daughters of God that he would have spared If King Charles should say to you Spare such or such a man that comes before you would you dare to Condemn and Execute him How dare you then Arraign Iudge and Condemn to Prisons and strong holds an Dungeons the Sons and Daughters of the great God who are so near and dear to him and such of whom the Lord Christ saith He that receiveth you receiveth me Mat. 10. 40. And in as much as ye did it not to one of these littles ones ye did it not unto me Mat. 25. 45. And Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. Therefore upon the Seat of Iudgement Remember Mercy for he shall have Iudgement without Mercy that hrth shewed no Mercy Jam. 2. 13. I would not here be mistaken I do not plead with you Iudges that you should pervert Judgement far be it from me so to do but if ye find a Baptist such as I am now pleading for a Malefactor let my Tongue cleave to the Roof of my Mouth or my Pen fall out of my hand if ever I either speak or write in Vindication of any or of my Self if found in the way of evil-doing But if after the way which you call Heresie I or any are found worshipping the God of our Fathers I say again and again I hope I shall by Divine assistance plead and write if possible And herein I would have you all to take that safe Counsel and good Advice of one of your Brethren a Doctor of the Law Acts 5. 34. who said vers 38. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of man it will come to nothing but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest ye be found fighting against God And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10. 31. For our God or the God of the Baptized People is a consuming fire Use Moderation therefore I forewarn you lest the fire of this God fall suddenly upon you as once it did upon Sodom and Gomorrah and the Neighbouring Cities for their abominations Be wise therefore O ye Kings be Instructed ye Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with trembling Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled ye a but a little Blessed yea I say again Blessed are all they that trust in him Psal. 2. 10 c. O then I beseech you in Gods fear have a care both Prince and People what ye do in shutting up the peaceable Meetings of the quiet People of God such as would according to the requirement of the Lord do Gods Work in Gods way they would not neglect the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is but would Exhort one another daily whilst it is called to day who according to the Requirement of the Lord by his Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 1. would first of all make Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority for King Charles and all his Courtiers for Mayor Brown and all his Citizens And for Iustices of Peace in all Cities Corporations Towns and Borroughs with all their Gentry Citizens Manufactures Yeoman and Rusticks that God would open the eyes of their understandings so as that they might see what they are a doing and how they on all hands are rendring to God for all his Benefits bestowed upon them in making and in so Eagerly prosecuting that Proclamation to shut up those peaceable quiet harmless and In-offensive Meetings of Gods People to the hindring as much as in them lyeth their Prayers from Ascending up to God and his Blessing from Descending upon them in which however they have and shall manifest themselves to be our Enemies yet I shall let them know that notwithstanding their thus using us we dare not neglect our Duties in praying for them for that is the Requirement of our Lord and Master King Iesus who as he saith Swear not at all Mat. 5 34. so also he saith vers 44. Love your Enemies Blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that despitefully use you And for my own part I dare no more omit the doing of the One than I dare yield to the acting of the other And therefore O Richard Brown I shall let thee know that get me into thy Clutches when thou wilt and get a Commission to offer me up as soon as thou canst yet know that in the words of my Brother Stephen he who first taught Gods People how and in what manner to Suffer Acts 7. 60. I shall in his words say
both of him that shall give out such a Commission and thee that shalt gain it of him that shall Execute it and of all that shall rejoyce at it and consent to it yea for all be they High be they Low be they Rich be they Poor be they Young be they Old be they Free be they Bound King or Subjects I say in the words and I hope in the Spirit of Truth with my Brother Stephen I shall Pray The Lord lay not this sin to their charge and in the words of him that was not ashamed to call his Congregation Heb. 2. 10. nor his Disciples Brethren Sisters and Mothers Mat. 12. 49 50. I say in his words I hope by the help of his Spirit I shall cry out and say Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23. 34. For this is a day in which we must expect nothing lesse but Mockings Iearings Scoffings and Deridings Buffettings Banishments and Imprisonments with Torturings and cruel Deaths for I perceive by the Hatred Malice and Malignity of the generality of the Sons and Daughters of Men that it must fare with us in our Crooked and Adulterous Generation as with the Flock of God gone before yea and with our Master himself who was said to have a Devil John 10. 20. And at length Away with him Crucifie him Crucifie him Mat. 27. 22. The Apostles Peter and Paul were both put to death in the last year of the Emperour Nero Paul was Beheaded and Peter was Crucified with his head downwards saith Eusebius Pamphilius in his third Book the first Chapter O Friends Consider what are your Fears what are your Doubts Did ye not run well in a Sun-shiny day who did binder you you lay all your Confidence in an Arm of Flesh and is it vanished with it Shall so many of us come out of Aegypt with Israel of old And shall our Carkastes fall thus as did theirs in the Way Shall but some few Calebs and Ioshuahs enter into Canaans Glory of the old Stock Numb 14. 22 23 24. What need we Fear are not all our Hairs numbred Can the Two Witnesses be Slain till the Forty and Two Moneths be expired and their Prophesies fulfilled Doth not the Nation ring of your Apostacy in this Cloudy Day Do not that People called Quakers upbraid us with your backslidings in one County and another a third and more O Friends It is the burthen of my Soul to hear such Actings as I hear and that my rejoycing towards you and on your behalfs in my Fannaticks Letter in page 5. c. is to so little purpose I well hoped it might have proved an Instrument in Gods Hand of much good unto you but I fear it was much slighted and undervalued because it dropped not from a tall Cedar but sprung up from so mean and low a shrub But to such Souls I must say in the Words of the Prophet Isa. 40. 28 c. Hast thou not known Hast thou not considered Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creatour of the ends of the Earth fainteth not neither is weary There is no searching of his Understanding He giveth power to the faint and to him that hath no might he encreaseth strength Even the Youths shall faint and the Young men shall utterly fail But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with Wings of Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint for of a Truth God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth Him and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10. 35. And now why should I much wonder to see such Apostatizing times when the Lord by his Servant telleth us That day shall not come except there come a falling away first at whose coming he himself putteth it to the Question Whether he shall find Faith on the Earth Luke 18. 8. And this is the use that through mercy I make of these times I see hereby my Saviour was a True Prophet And this is a Confirmation to me that I am in the Truth in which time I also see and feel such Halings before Magistrates to Prison in this time when Iniquity doth so much abound And Secondly This leads me out of my self to stand by the strength of Him that is Mighty by whose strength onely I have yet stood and still hope to stand It was by his strength that I lived and survived the dampnesse of the Dungeon void of Light or Air those ten Weeks together It was by his help that our Consciences were kept undefiled and by his help it was that way was made for us in the Hearts of the greatest of the Nation to Release us without Fees It is by the help of Iosephs God that was with him in the Prison Gen. 39. that it was so well with us as it was It was by the help of Daniels God that sent his Angel to shut the Mouths of the Lions that we were preserved from harm amongst a company of rude people Felons and others it was by the help of the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that we came out of our Dungeon without harm And by the help of him that walked with them in the fiery Furnace it was that we were constantly refreshed comforted and supported it was by the help of him that turned again the Captivity of Iob that we were brought again from our Captivity it was by the help of him who inabled David to break through a Troop and to leap over a Wall that we are at present Escaped from the Guards of Souldiers that watched our Gates night and day it was by the help of him who sent his Angel to strike off Peters Chains and to open the Prison-doors that we were inlarged it was by help of him whose grace is sufficient for poor Souls that we were supported in our Spirits Yea it was by the good will of him that burned in the Bush that our Zeal for the Cause of Christ was and still is continued Oh then let me beg you in Gods Fear not to droop in this Cloudy day for there is no Crown but for the over-commer no Reaping but for him that doth not faint Oh then let the hands hanging down and the feeble knees be strengthened and held up and look up and lift your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh the day of Jesus is at hand the Kingdom of God is even at the door for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry and the Iust must live by Faith And now Rich. Brown I would have thee know that though I speak to my Brethren in this City Nation in some part of my Discourse yet it is not besides my business for thou well knowest that it is the nature of an Alarm so to do to Rouse Friends as well as Enemies I shall Appeal to thine own Practice