so many years ago what you should find them but now you see it your selves who they be that make no conscience what they swallow they swallowed so much trebble damage in Oliver's days that their throat is become as an open sepulchre and are in that spirit of covetousnesse that the Prophet said never hath enough which is so greedy that having one or two Parishes yet labours to have more and some are so unreasonable to require Wages for some years before they came to the place which it may be stood vacant so long yet they can swallow that Hire though they never did the Work So the light hath made manifest their deeds of darknesse the hidden things that vvere in the heart being now come to be tryed and brought forth so the evil covetous man out of the evil treasure of his heart hath brought forth the evil things and the tree comes to be known by its fruit Now I say these things only to those that be guilty of them but to you that say our prinI say Did you not change your practice and conceal your principle and practice is the same that it vvas before the former chang ciple Did you nos Conform to the Commands of those you counted not of God Did you Preach and hold forth your gift of Ministration notwithstanding the Law and Commands of men till you vvere Imprison'd If you had received your gift from above and your Commission from Christ you would have chose rather to have obeyed God then man as the Apostles did and Ministers of Christ do for had the Prophets and Apostles and servants of God in former ages obeyed the powers of the earth Actually their Laws vvould have protected them that they could not have suffered Persecution and Imprisonment and Death as they did But the National Law did ever protect the National Prophets vvhich for the most part vvere ever false as the Scriptures do bear testimony But it is the Lambs Nature that doth overcome which you persecute which preacheth and shews forth its perfect love through sufferings and if you were in this nature and we in error as you say then you would shew forth a life beyond ours which is the life of truth that keeps the commands of God which life dwelleth in love and if we were in hatred it might overcome us but on the contrary we being in the suffering life of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples who never persecuted nor ever will and you in the life that persecutes it is given to the suffering life to overcome you and that spirit by which you are acted and this is the word of the Spirit of Truth that shall stand over your heads for ever But by that spirit and those weapons it is impossible to overcome us who stand in the obedience of the spirit of truth mark that because our strength is the power of God and while we believe in it it can never fail us nor forsake us We know him to be the Corner stone who is tried Elect and precious and the highest of you all shall know that he in whom we have believed in is higher then you all to fave and deliver us when he hath sufficiently proved and tryed us and therefore you may be convinced of the foolishnesse of those Instruments and Weapons you use which the former Power of Professing Hypocrites used against us before you And what did it profit them who persecuted that life they did professe in words and would not be warned till the Lord heard the cry of the Innocent and arose and took their power from them who had abused it and gave it unto you and must you needs follow their steps whom you condemn and so much despise and abuse the power you are intrusted with which is to incourage him that obeys the truth and to punish him that obeys unrighteousnesse And do not you Magistrates the contrary those that meet together in the fear of the Lord and worship in the measure of his holy spirit do not you hale forth break up their Meetings and carry them to Prisons and by your Law condemn to be banished But those that meet together in Taverns and Ale-houses who swear drink till they be drunk and whore to the great dishonour of God and the Government of the Nation yet these can be let alone in their wicked meetings and go unpunished when Honest Innocent Harmless people are fined and sent to prison What can you say to this Is not this an abusing the power put into your hands to do good withal or do you think the end and intent of Gods Ordinance is to punish his people for obeying his command If not why is it done For as sure as Magistracy is Gods Ordinance so sure are we his people and suffer for well doing Then If this be so you must confesse we are abused and suffer innocently though many of you will not believe it for if you did then we should not suffer For ever yet in all Ages Persecutors were blind therefore as in a figure the scales sell from Sauls eyes Act. 9.18 For had the Princes of this world known it that is the mistery of godlinesse they would not have crucyfied the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But though you cannot see the mistery of our life yet you may see the open prophanenesse that is daily suffered to be acted in this Nation and that can go unpunished Why because some that should punish it may be guilty of the same things themselves this mistery of iniquity is not hid from your eyes yet your sword is not a terror to this is it not then born in vain Me thinks you might see to bit some of the wickednesse at a venture it is plentiful enough sprung up and easie to be found far eafier than a meeting of harmlesse innocent people that fear the Lord and desire to live peaceably in the Nation but such many of you will take great pains to search you and go beyond the Letter of the Law to punish And if we were forward to take the advantage of the Law upon some of you all you had would hardly satisfie what the Law gives for satisfaction But we have committed our innocent cause to the Just God of heaven and earth and we do assuredly know that except you repent and that speedily he will give you weight for weight and measure for measure because he is Just and will not alwayes suffer the rod of the wicked to remain upon the back of the righteous And how comes it to passe that your sword falls upon our backs so much I am sure it s not for dishonouring God by prophanenesse for if we did so then we might be safe enough from the danger of it and we should have friends in every place but in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus whereas we now have enemies in most places And why so because Magistrates Priests and people do the things they ought not to do and
upon your beds your secret faults and wickednesse and makes you confesse in your hearts it is so and brings you to a sense of sorrow and misery that will be your portion if you repent not and turn to the Lord that spirit that searched thy heart and tried thy reins that pure word of truth that cannot deceive thee the annointing that speaks the truth in thee and this I say from the spirit of truth except thou believe in that word of truth and obey it thou shalt never witnesse salvation This is the infallible truth to all upon the face of the whole earth and there is no other salvation under heaven nor no other Name given to be saved by then this which is the Gentiles light and Israels glory that which make manifest the deeds of darknesse and reproves them this is that spirit that reproves the world of sin that leads out of sin all that do believe and follow it and this is he that spirit that is given for a leader to his people to be his salvation to the ends of the earth This is the Word of God the Son of God the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin and saves the souls of all that believe in him the Son the truth that maketh free the quickening spirit that quickens to life again the soul that was dead in Adam and so brings Immortality to light through his power which is the Gospel and he that believes not in his power knows not the Gospel that power which sets free from sin for that is the glad tidings to the soul to hear of a deliverance from the bondage of corruption that it may no longer serve sin the wages whereof is condemnation and death to it but that it might come to Sow in the eternal spirit and Reap the Wages of life everlasting for such as it sows such must it reap because God is Just And therefore they that do believe in the eternal power have denyed themselves and given up their souls into the hands of a faithful Creator that he may save them from the sin and take it away and bring in his own perfect righteousnesse according to his promise in his New Covenant of free mercy and grace and it is unpossible for God in Christ to faile or forsake them but keeps Covenant and mercy for ever and saves the soul from the sin and power of hell and death which is the Work his father hath sent him into the world to do and perform and he that doth believe in him he hath promised to raise him up out of the Fall Death and the Curse and restore him into the life of God from which he fell and was dead to and brings forth a new birth by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in him and this is his promise to do and work to perform and such who are not of this Faith can never have this Work wrought in them but do through their unbelief as it were make him a lyar that is as if he would not or could not performe his promise and such are dead while they live in the Sinne Fall and the Curse Reprobate to every good worke dishonouring the Lord of life through their unbelief of the truth But on the contrary believing the lying spirit that leads into the sin who saith that sin must be lived in while we are on the earth this is the Doctrine of the Devil and the Devils Doctrine which he hath taught his servants and Ministers to preach who are the false Prophets that daube with untempered morter that deceive the Nations so upholding the kingdome of the Devil sin and darknesse that he may keep his Kingdome and power in their hearts and rule there in the disobedient and bring forth his will that is sin and iniquity and ungodlinesse so beget his owne Image in them and do his owne Work through them and Preach his own Doctrine in them in which they believing can never witnesse salvation But are a company of miserable sinners laden with sin and iniquity ever learning of the deceitful lying spirit and so can never come to the knowledg of the truth that sets free from sin but are ever pleading for it being in the error strayed from the way of Gods salvation doing the things they ought not to do persecuting hating and killing the Innocent spoyling and robbing them of their goods acting in madnesse and folly beyond the very letter of the law and sometimes against it as for example some are excommunicated out of the assembly of miserable sinners their Church so called and after excommunication have had their goods strained on and taken away for not coming to their worship in the time of excommunication this is unreasonable cruel envious wicked dealings and this is done against many casting others into Dungeons and nasty holes and Prisons that hath destroyed their lives and all because we speak the truth and do the things that we ought to do and cannot hearken to the lying spirit that leads into errour and astray from the way of God But do hear the voice of Christ the good shepherd and Bishop of our souls and keep his sayings who saith swear not at all and do not after their works who are blind guides that say and do not the thing they say they ought to do but believe in the light that ye may be the children of light John 12.36 for said he I am the light of the world he that followeth me not blind guides shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life chap. 8.12 13. then said the Pharisees thy record is not true mark what the blind guides said then and are they not blind guides that say so now who say it is but a natural light that is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that it is not able to save a man from sin though it do condemn him and reprove him for sin and the deeds of darkness when as Christ himself the truth that cannot lye said he that followeth him the light shall not walk in darknesse and we who are come to the light in our selves and follow it do bear testimony against all the blind guides and hireling priests and false prophets upon the face of the whole earth that his record is true but this the unbelieving Jews could not believe then no more than the unbelieving Gentiles can believe now therefore they walk in darknesse and hate the light but this is the word of the Lord God of truth to all the Gentiles upon the whole earth they must believe in their light that is to say the Gentiles light before ever they can witnesse Gods salvation for that is his Covenant to the people and his salvation to the ends of the earth What if the blind should say what to do answer to save them from walking in darkness and then the fruits and works of darknesse cannot be brought forth
sin and the work still undone that he came to do but such are strangers to the true Faith that a grain of which removes the mountain of sin and wickednesse that all the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer could not remove under the first covenant though that took away the guilt after the sin committed yet made nothing perfect therefore he found fault with it and took it away but the bringing in of a better hope did make perfect for ever them that are sanctified so if the second Covenant had not made perfect as appertaining to the Conscience it had been as unprofitable in that thing as the first but the bringing in of the better hope did and doth that which all the children of darknesse cannot believe but he that doth believe hath this hope that purifies as he is pure and this is the faith that purifies the heart and overcomes the world in it and crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts and this is the work of him that God hath sent into the world and raised him up to blesse all those that believe in his name in turning away every one of them from his iniquities that they may come to abide in him that sinneth not that he whosoever he be that lives in sin hath neither seen nor known Woe woe from the Lord God of power is the portion of all those that say or have said in their hearts we will try the Quakers God whether he be able to deliver or save them out of our hands that we should not execute upon them the intents and inventions of our hearts in breaking their meetings and scattering them that they should not be a people unto all you be it known from the spirit of the Quakers God your counsel shall not stand neither shall your decrees prosper for you have taken it against the holy seed that God hath blessed even against the seed of Abraham in which all the families of the earth shall be blessed which is the seed that could not bow to the pride of Homan against whom his sealed decrees could not prosper but what he prepared against them became his own portion as it is written the wicked are snared in the works of their own hands And you shall know that the God of the people scornfully called Quakers is the God of the whole earth and a God of the mountains and above the loftinesse of the hills as well as the low valleys and also a God of the seas and above the loftinesse of the proud waves thereof as well as of the land a God infinite in mercy to all that bow to his great and glorious name and submit to the government of his spirit of truth that is come and hath revealed it self in our hearts to the saving of our souls unto which every soul ought to be subject and serve him with reverence and godly fear but unto those that despise his name and cast his commands behind their backs and do despight unto his spirit of grace in labouring to destroy the work it hath brought forth in the little remnant it hath gathered under its government who have and are subjecting themselves unto its pure leadings unto such he is a God dreadful in Judgement terrible in vengeance to whom it belongs to repay and as it is written Hebrews 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God And woe be to all those that are striving against their Maker and decreeing against his decrees and labouring to scatter that which his spirit hath gathered and to destroy that which he hath quickened to life because it cannot submit to a contrary spirit that is of the world and leads into bondage which is the voice of the stranger that the sheep of Christ cannot follow but the sheep must hear and will hear the voice of him that gives eternal life who is cowe to seek and to save that which was lost and that which was lost being found and saved will for ever honour its salvation in preferring the honour and glory of its Saviour before all the glory of the world and for the obedience of his commands that his will may be done in earth as in heaven will give up even life liberty estate and all that the world may know the kingdome of God is come in great power and glory into our souls when his will is preserred before our mortal lives and his commands before liberty and estate that it may preach to the ends of the earth that we have found something that is better than all things that wicked men can take from us and because we love and honour that which is from above that which is from beneath hates us and because we cannot worship and honour it therefore would destroy us but we see him that is invisible with us who is high to save and deliver us and will not leave us that have left our selves that he may be received and who will not deny us that have denyed our selves and our own wills that his may be done and where his will is done his power is come and his servants we are whom we obey and we know our master will stand by us while we do his will and all you that do not know whose servants we are because our manners and behaviour is not after the fashion of this world you laugh us to scorn like as the old world did at Noahs salvation that the Scripture might be fulfilled as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the coming of the son of man you that hate the light cannot see the salvation of God no more than they did in the dayes of Noah for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 and those who have received the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of prophecy cannot but speak good of his name that hath brought salvation for blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord whom the Lords people will receive and hear but he that cometh in his own name cometh by the will of man and the men that stand in their own wills do receive him and hear him but he that comes in the name of the Lord such cannot receive him but he that denies himself and takes up the Crosse of Christ doth receive and hear the Preacher of the Crosse which to him is the power of God but to them that perish it is foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.18 so by that which the wise of the world â—ounts foolishnesse it pleaseth the Lord to save us that believe so was it in the dayes of Noah he and his houshold was saved by that which the old world counted foolishnesse but when the Judgement came the high mountains of mans wisdome and imaginations could not save them then they knew and saw that his foolishnesse was better
LAMENTATION OVER ENGLAND FROM A true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable Wickedness of such Rulers Priests and People that are erred and strayed from the way of God and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts offending against his holy Laws limiting the Holy one of Israel making the devices of their own hearts a Law to insnare the Innocent that worship the Father in spirit and truth Whereby all Persecutors may in pity to their souls truly consider what way they are in and whether it leads and whose work they are doing and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of Oppression and Cruelty By M. W. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted and judg the poor Surely the righteous shall praise thy name and the just shall dwell in by presence Psalm 140.11 12 13. Printed in the Year 1664. Impartial Reader IF thy heart be upright towards God thou canst not but love his truth in the inward parts which teacheth thee to speak the truth and do the truth and to deal plainly with all men and not to call evil good nor good evil nor put light for darkness nor darkness for light but to deal justly with all men and walk humbly with thy God and then thou needst not fear the threats nor frowns of any man who is but dust but wilt fear the Lord and give glory to him that made heaven and earth the sea and the fountains of water in exalting his name above every name and his commands above the wills of men in bowing thy heart and soul to the obedience of his spirit that his everlasting kingdome of righteousness may be set up in thee that the blessed government of his Spirit thy soul may be subject to then thou canst in truth say the kingdom of God is come in power and great glory then the Idols of gold and silver and the glory of the work that perisheth thou wilt cast to the Bats of the night that cannot behold the Sun and to the Moles of the earth that know not him that gave them breath then canst thou declare what the Lord hath wrought and sound forth his praise to the ends of the earth then will the voice of the good shepherd of Israel be joy to thy heart strength to thy sinews marrow to thy bones and thy soul shall feed in the fat pastures and thy dwelling shall be in the hill of Gods delight even Sion that shall never be removed into which the Father of life is gathering his own seed out of all Nations Tongues and Languages to dwell with him in the unity of his spirit and to have fellowship with him in his life that his coming may be witnessed in the ten thousands of 〈…〉 the world and to destroy the will of the flesh and make his great slaughter of all that which hath rebelled against him and cannot be subject to the law of his spirit but resists and is a law warring in the flesh and that nature which slew the Lamb from the foundation of the world yet offereth a sacrifice but could never please God and they that please God could never please it therefore were they and are they persecuted and suffer by it and so spiritually overcome and reign over it so our kingdome is not of this world but over the spirit of this world neither can it be shaken by the powers of this world but by its power doth shake the world and shall over turn that foundation on which the wickedness is built that the blessed foundation of the Prophets and Apostles may be revealed before all Nations which is Christ Jesus the Light in which the saved in all nations shall walk and in which if thou that readest this dost not walk thou canst never witness Gods salvation but if thou believe and in it walk then wilt thou know this to be truth and love to thy soul from th◠friend A Lamentation over England from a true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable wickednesse of such Rulers Priests and People that are Erred and Strayed from the way of God c. TEnder love to all your Souls is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And your refusal to accept of so great love as the Lord God of life holds forth to you in this the day of his tender visitation is cause sufficient for this my Lamentation Oh England England and ye Rulers and Magistrates thereof Oh that you had prised this the day of your visitation Oh that you had hearkened to the voice of the truth in the mouths of the Prophets and servants of God who have finished their faithful testimony several of them with the laying down of their lives And that you had not despised and still do despise and persecute those whom he hath sent unto you Oh that the blood of his pretious servants did not lie at your doores which cries loud for vengeance in the ears of the just God of heaven and earth till he make Inquisition for it How many have been imprisoned till death for obeying the will of God And how hath their blood been mingled with their sacrifices when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord and in the dread of his power out of the fear of him that kills the body but in the love and patient nature of the Lamb that overcomes the wrath and saves the soul who is the highest power that the soul ought to be subject to who hath given it life breath and being and who can cast it into Hell fire if it obey him not And therefore you are very much mistaken in us who think to frighten us out of our Religion by persecution or killing the body it being that which the Lord hath raised up in us by his mighty power in the denyal of our own wills and so contrary to all mens wills that have not submitted to his power For when he appeared in his power to place his fear in our hearts then our flesh trembled and Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel which was the voice of the Son of God to our souls by which we came to hear and live which life is contrary and which voice is dreadful to the flesh and so we having felt the terrors of the Lord for sin and transgression do not at all fear the terrors of men which can but kill the body and when that is done can do no more Therefore friends you knew not what you did when you began to meddle with us and make laws against us and persecute us because we could not submit to your wills for had you known us you would not have begun such an ill work wherein you should have lost so much labour and gained so much dishonour and also incurr'd the wrath of God Had Nebuchadnezzar known the three Children as well before as he did after he would never have forced them
to worship his golden Image but after he came to know them be loved them and honoured them in the sight of his Nobles Princes Dukes and Counsellors confessing them to be the servants of the high God commending their faithfulnesse in yielding their bodies to the flames rather then they would serve or worship any God save their own God Then he saw his vain labour in forcing the servants of the most high God contrary to the commands of their God And will you shew your selves more unreasonable then a Heathen more blinder then those that knew not God and yet call your selves Christians and the Scriptures your Rule When Nebuchadnezzar had once tryed the three children of God to the laying down of their lives and found them faithful he was satisfied How many times have you tryed us by Imprisonment till death and spoyling of our goods by breaking up our Meetings beating innocent harmlesse people to death How many Cruel Barbarous Unhumane dealings have been used against us both before your Government and also since by you which we have walked through and in the furnace of affliction with the patience of the Son of God who hath kept our precious lives unhurt and brings us forth to his praise and yet cannot you see the Son of God with us whom you fight against Can you not see neither how little you do prevail against him and his spiritual work in us Though some of you can say We are a very confident people but if you could but see him that leads us who is the Captain of our salvation you would say We had good cause to be bold and valiant knowing our leader is not to be overcome nor those that follow him who are called and chosen and faithful which faithfulnesse Nebuchadnezzar did commend and honour And did he not do well in 〈◊〉 Yes you cannot deny Then as you have followed his example by indeavouring to compel us to fall down to your imaginary worship which I believe you will not justifie in him follow his example also in justifying the faithful children of God that would not obey his Commands to the dishonouring of the most high God who having tryed them blessed God for their faithfulnesse In this will Nebuchadnezzar stand in Judgment against all those who make unrighteous Decrees to compel men to disobey the commands of Christ except they follow his example in this that is to say the change of their minds and altering of their Decrees in Justifying the faithful servants of God in their pure obedience to him Objection But if it be said If we knew you to be the servants of the high God as well as Nebuchadnezzar knew the three children we would not make Laws nor Decrees to compel you to our worship being sure it would be but lost labour Answer Then all our sufferings and persecutions and hard usages from you is because you do not know us and whose fault is that ours or yours that you do not know us to be the children of God Whose fault was it that Saul the persecutor knew not the Church of God but made havock of the true worshippers were they to be blamed or he If he then you when he hearkened to the High Priests he persecuted the Disciples of Jesus but when he obeyed the voice of Christ he saw their deceit and believed the truth then he preached him and suffered with those he persecuted Now if you that persecute knew the truth you would know us that walk in it And have not we laboured even to the laying down of our lives that you might know it and be saved by it What could we have done more for you then we have to bring you to the knowledg of it Have we not suffered to the death in obedience to it that it might preach to you that we have found the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof which is better then our lives for which righteousness sake we suffer and are blessed if we continue faithful to the end And this is the only true way that can be used as to you to convince your understandings that we are in the truth when we lay down our lives for it If we were unfaithful to our God and disobedient to his Spirit in obeying your commands that are contrary to the truth you had no reason to judge or think we were in the truth for had the three children been deceitful and obeyed the Kings command he had never knew them to be the servants of the high God that was able to deliver out of his hand And the deliverance that he saw was of their bodies from the flames that made him blesse the God of their lives but the deliverance that we witnesse is of our souls from etenel death which is far greater and more glorious yet you cannot see it but if your spiritual eyes were open as his fleshly eyes was then you might see a greater deliverance in the spirit then he saw in the flesh and would have as great or greater cause to blesse the God of those you in scorn call Quakers as the King Nebuchadnezzar had to blesse the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego though he be the same God over all blessed for ever Yet his appearance in this the great and notable day of the Spirit is that in which the riches of his love is and shall be made manifest which was promised to the ages to come which now is come of which the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were the first-fruits but now is the day of the whole Harvest of the earth begun in which the Lord is gathering in unto himself his Elect seed in all Nations Lands and Countries even from the one end of the earth unto the other that they may worship in spirit and in truth and be established in righteousnesse and the Mountain of the house of the Lord be prepared in the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills where all Nations shall flow unto it out of which shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from this Jerusalem and they shall break their Swords into Plough-shares Mark the day of the breaking of Swords is begun and their Spears into Pruning-books and Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither learn to fight any more And this is the day that is dawned and blessed are they that walk in it but wretched and miserable are all those that despise it and persecute those that walk in the light of it casting them into Prisons Holes and Dungeons because they cannot submit to their corrupt wils nor worship the Imaginations of their Wise men which they teach for Doctrine and give forth for a Prescription of a Religious Worship contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles whose Worship stood in the Spirit But I believe if all you that resist us knew in what our Worship did stand you durst not oppose that power that hath gathered us and made our
word of the spirit of truth to you all for we are a people that have done you no wrong at all and as we walk in the truth we do professe and own we cannot wrong you nor any upon the face of the whole earth but you have wronged us and do daily in afflicting punishing and persecuting us as evil doers and as a people not fit to live upon the earth but know this from the Lord that lives for ever what you have designed against us in your hearts shall be your own portion because we are of the seed of the spiritual Jews whose Kingdom shall flourish for ever But what is the evil and what is our crime that we are thus reckoned as sheep for the slaughter is it not only because we cannot break the commands of God and his son Jesus and own your worship which he never commanded nor his Apostles and Disciples ever practised but warned those that feared God to depart from them that were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God covetous proud unholy men despisers of those that are good walkers in their own ungodly lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage who run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and to cover all this hold forth a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 and because we do so therefore are we hated and persecuted but if we could put into your mouths then we might save the spoyling of our goods and be accounted good Christians though we served the devil but we are come to the knowledge of the truth everlasting praises be given to our God for ever and ever and to the power of godlinesse that cannot bow nor creep to deceit but must bear testimony with the holy Prophets and Apostles and the blessed company of Saints and martyrs of Jesus against preaching for hire and divining for mony and spoyling mens goods for trebble damages casting their bodies into prisons till death and all for mony and for gain from their quarter Oh blood thirsty bloody minded men destroyers of souls and bodies for your bellies who never have enough woe woe from the Lord is your portion that ever you were born to live to exceed the false prophets of old and yet professe Christianity For we do not read that ever they did force any by suite of Law to pay them but we read that Balaam when he did not his work that he laboured so mightily to do for the King of Moab which was to curse the people whom God had blessed mark when he could not do his work he went away without his reward and so is it not meet that those whom in this nation are sent by men pretending authority over souls and put into Parishes and places to reform and blesse the people and cannot do their work but the people grow worse and worse though they take pains yet God never sent them and is it reason that they should have such a great reward as the tenth of all our labours If they had sowen spirituals it had been a small thing for them to have partaked of our carnals or if they had planted a vineyard they ought to have eat of the fruit thereof But this Vineyard of Times the Pope hath planted for his Priests and never intended it for these who do not his work nor the Lords neither And therefore why may not they with Balaam return without a reward from the King seeing their blessing doth as little good as Balaams intended cursing did harme for he went away without the Kings great honour and promotion because the Lord would not suffer him to fulfil or satisfie the will of that spirit which would have had the Israel of God destroyed Num. 24.11 but so saith the King the Lord shall keep thee back from honour But wo be to that spirit that willeth the destruction of Gods Israel now that it may keep or get its earthly ends and selfish fleshly honours which God is risen in his mighty power to bring into contempt because it opposeth it self against the work of his spirit which is to bring down the earthly and exalt the heavenly Which work must and shall be done when men and devils have don and said what they can for he that made us for his praise hath now by his spirit quickened us up again for his glory And this is the Lord from heaven that spirit that as is the heavenly such they may be that are heavenly That the heavenly Image may be exalted above the earthly both to rule and reign over it in the Lambs patient nature to overcome the earthly which preacheth forth to the heavenly Witnesse in all consciences So the long suffering and patience leads to repentance and newness of life But that spirit which turneth people from the gift of God in them is the deceiver that strengtheneth the hands of the evil doer to make War against the appearance of God in man that brings salvation and this is the false Prophet that hath and doth deceive the Nations which second appearance of Christ the true spiritual light is to consume with the breth of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming And this appearance of truth in the inward parts the false Prophet cannot endure Mark because it is come to reveal and consume him and therefore he thinks to strengthen himself by the powers of the earth in perswading them to believe his report and Prophecy against the spirit of truth and they being not come to the word of life in themselves that was before the deceiver was do not discerne him and so come to be deceived by him and to make War against the brightnesse of the rising of the Son of righteousnesse and the leadings of his pure spirit of life in his Children by making Laws and Decrees against them for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God and man And hear is the tryal of their faith made manifest to be precious by which many comes to be added to it and the kingdom exalted by its own power through opposition and persecution so it comes to be seen and known to be the power of life in us that is greater and mightier then the power of death and darknesse that comes against us that we can of a truth say He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world who comes against us but must be overcome by him that is in us whose power shall burst the bonds of wickedness destroy the spirit of persecution that makes Laws for stumbling-blocks to the people that have a desire to seek after the Lord and come to the measure of his spirit that leads into all truth that they may witnesse dominion over sin and the works of the Devil destroyed in them and they forsake him and all his works and all the vain pomp of this wicked
world that both Priests and People live in with the filthy unclean lusts of the flesh that they may keep Gods holy will and Commandements that the Priests and people for the most part say they can never keep here and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives and if this ought to be done as you say and is possible to be done by the power of God as I say then let the Priests bring forth one out of all the Parishes in England that they by their ministry have taught and brought into this perfect life which they have made the people promise and vow that the Children shall perform when they come to age Now if they have and still do make the people promise and vow That the Children shall do that which all the Priests in England cannot do then in all just reason the people should have the Tithes but if the people do not performe this vow and bring forth this life and the Priests and Bishops to help them then what is all your Religion worth that have not God a bridle for your tongues that promise and break it that vow solemnly before the Lord and not perform it You may very well say you are a generation of miserable offenders and there is none of you doth good as it doth appear no not one And yet you Priests would have a reward for teaching the people to profit when you cannot bring one of all your Flock that hath done that which you say and they promise and vow they ought to do First you ought to do your Work before you require your Wages but you take the reward first so you are herein more cunning then Balaam for you are sure of the reward though you never do the work and most of you are not ashamed to say it can never be done here yet you still take the Wages Can this be any other than the wages of unrighteousness to be paid for deceiving the people keeping them ever learning and never able to bring them to the knowledge of the truth but ever would be paid though never do the work therefore you are unprofitable servants and no Ministers of Christ and therefore we cannot follow you who deny the light of Christ within and so you choose the darkness for that will not reprove you for your unprofitable works and they which walk there cannot see your deceit therefore you love the darknesse more than the light and the wages of unrighteousnesse more than the truth which is the perfect gift of God given to profit withall and this is the reason you cannot profit the people because you have not received the perfect gift of God that the Apostles and Ministers of Christ did receive and do receive which was given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ and they I believe spake truth when it was said by Paul that he spake wisdome among those that were perfect and that they that were sanctified were perfected for ever and the Scripture bears testimony of some that were sanctified So these could shew the fruits of their Ministry that they did perform that which they received the gift of God to do these did not receive the tenths of mens labours yet they did their work but you receive the tenth and say the work can never be done here if the work be to be done in another world what have you to do to take wages here but indeed you are like to have none of us in this world except you can do your work in this world but the Apostles and Ministers of Christ through the power of their gift brought men to the keeping of the commands of Christ who said Matth. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect and you priests make the people vow and promise to perform and is it not his will that this command should be kept on this side the grave if not why do you make the people promise to do it for he that forsakes the Devil and all his works and keeps Gods holy will and commandments shews forth and witnesseth a perfect life But if you have taught the people to promise and vow that which they nor you can never perform then you have led the people into errour and if it be not errour then you are erred from the spirit the gift of God by which the people should be perfected and the body of Christ edified being that your Ministry hath brought forth no such fruit and its like never will Therefore consider with your selves what cause those that love your souls have to warn you and deal plainly with you that if it be possible you may see your error and come to that spirit that leads into all truth for it s not possible for you to cover your selves but the eye which God hath opened in the children of Light doth see you and the woful sad miserable lamentable estate that you are in woe woe unto you weep and howl for the misery that is coming upon you what an account can you give to the Lord for all the souls that have perished under your cure who have not made with all your wisdome and skill one soul perfectly whole but still have laboured to keep them ever learning where they can never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth Woe woe unto you that ever you were born to be an occasion of such a great destruction in undertaking that which you have no spiritual skill in had you received the word of Life from the Lord the word would have healed them so there would have been some fruit to God if some had perished who had refused to hear or have been instructed by you you might have been clear of their bloud but the people have heard you and do hear you and if they come not you punish them and yet alas all spotted with Leprofie and there is as you and they say no foundness in you but all over polluted with wounds and putrified sores are not you judged out of your own mouths by your own confession before the people and then to cover your shame and errour you make the people believe it is not ever possible to be otherwise here Oh miserable comforters to a sick soul If the people did but see your deceit what would become of you but the Lord God of Life is making your deceit manifest daily by the light which you hate and all the children of Light see it who are taught by his spirit and therefore cannot but pity your poor miserable souls Alas what will you do when none shall buy your Medicine any more how will you look the people in the face in that day which hastens exceedingly for Sions sake you must sly to the rocks the mountains to cover you but they shall not be able for the mountains shall tremble in that day and the hills shall melt before the Lord and the glory of his
such are now that the Scripture may be fulfilled for such are not of the world but of God for said they the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and they were with sound Doctrine and a holy Conversation to beget unto God out of the world and if you who are called Lords spiritual did exercise your authority over none but they that you had begotten to God out of the world you would have but a very small flock if any at all but instead of gathering a flock out of the world you take the world for your flock and so exercise Lordship over them as Christ said Luke 22.25 The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them the example of those you follow and not Christ for there is many thousands by the year to be gotten by them and so rule by your outward power and Lordlinesse like the false Prophets of old and many of the world love to have it so and so let them have it But the flock of Christ the Church in God cannot own these things nor love to have it so but must stand witnesses against these things even to the death if the Lord require them And therein you come to be tried and made manifest what nature you are of and also their faith and patience is made manifest and the nature of the Lamb shewed forth that overcomes but the contrary nature as I have said is to be overcome that which persecutes and imprisons and would force the conscience and so slay the soul or else kill the body this was ever of the Devil and so it is now and a mark of Antichrist the false Church the Whore that is adulterated from the Spirit and alienated from the Lambs nature that overcomes in patience and obtains the victory and is made perfect through suffering but on the contrary the Whore the false Church is said to drink the blood of the Saints and the Scripture bears testimony that all the bloud is sound in Babylon then Sion is clear of bloud Mark that and the name Babylon comes thus to be written in the forehead of every persecutor who is of Cains stock that slew his brother because his worship was in truth but his in the murthering nature Mark he that was slain was in the truth from the beginning and he that slew was in the deceit and so we see it hath been all along unto this very day And that nature which slew our Lord Christ when he was upon the earth is the same that now persecutes and slayes his Disciples and followers because they are redeemed from the earth and cannot submit to their vain traditions customes and fashions and commands that are contrary to God therefore are sufferers by the world but the sons of Sion are such who are redeemed with judgment and that nature which is at enmity to God being condemned is crucified and cast out and the Lambs nature being raised up converts to righteousnesse and righteousnesse being brought forth glorifies God And we being called and gathered cut of the vain conversation and also from the vain worship which teacheth for Doctrine the commands and traditions of men by the mighty power and out-stretched arm of God are kept in faithfulnesse to him that we cannot bow or submit to that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil for fear of men or their threats who are but dust being accompanied in our sufferings and persecutions with the power and presence of the eternal God that made heaven and earth And be it known unto you persecutors of the holy seed you shall never prevail to overcome us as we are kept in the power of Life which hath gathered us out of your dead forms to serve the God of Life in the newness of his spirit in which he is worshipped by the true worshippers out of the way sight and understanding of all that are not come to receive the true light who are all in a false worship erred from the spirit blind in the dark and stumble at the truth and fight against the life that is hid with Christ in God out of the sight of the vulterous eye and out of the way of the venomous beast where the lions whelp treads not and where the devourer cannot come and that which God hath hid in the spirit all the natural learning in the world could never find out nor ever shall for being hid from the wise and prudent of this world is revealed to such as are babes who hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after preferment in the world who cannot be satisfied with the bread that perisheth but with the sincere milk of the word of life they grow which word is nigh them and is the word of faith in their hearts that begets life in them and this life pints and breaths after nourishment from that which hath begotten it and cannot be satisfied with words but with the immortal word of life that was in the beginning that quickeneth that again that in Adam we were dead to and this is the quickning spirit that ministers life which we having obeyed do live and the life we now live is by the mighty power of God which our souls are made subject to and we cannot but obey that which quickned us and is the immortal life in us the second Adam that the children of the first persecute because they are born of that which cannot reveal the second and so being in the darknesse of death see him not nor know him But alas for you it is in vain for you to think that you can prevail over us by your carnal weapon for the sword of the spirit is with us which hath slain and cut down that nature in us that your strength stands in to make War against us for the strong man the enemy of our souls being overcome by the power of life that is stronger comes to be cast out who is the Captain that leads all persecutors and all destroyers of mens lives for Conscience sake that is he that would destroy us being cast out from within and cannot destroy our souls would revenge himself upon our bodies but we know that he that hath given life to our souls can preserve our bodies if he please if not his will be done but this I say to all persecuters We have overcome your Captain-general and he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world as we have said and you shall know who is the Captain of our salvation that suffered by the world and overcome the world and therefore know this that as our Captain hath overcome the world in us so with us and in us will he overcome the world by us but this the world seeth not therefore cannot receive it so if all the world rise up against us as one man for the obedience of the spirit of truth we know it is that they may be overcome And how can you expect that we should submit to that in others
which God in his dreadful power did condemn cast out and destroy in us But while we did submit to it in our selves then we could submit to it in others for when death reigned deceit was honourable but when life came death was destroyed deceit denyed truth exalted and God honoured and our souls saved and so in Gods salvation we standing Men and Devile cannot prevail against us Now if you persecutors could believe this then you would know it were in vain to strive against us for in so doing you strive against the Lord and must needs reap destruction but on the contrary if we did not know these things brought forth in us by the mighty power of God then we might believe it were in vain to resist your wills and suffer the losse of our lives goods and liberties not knowing for what For what would it profit us to suffer for that which could not save and deliver our souls from eternal death When we were in deceit we could not suffer for the truth because the truth did suffer by us and in us but now coming into the truth deceit is denyed and cast out into the world and there rageth at us in all deceivers who are deceived that think to stop the way of the Lord and the work of his spirit in England Therefore we chuse to suffer with the truth being sure we shall reign with the truth over all that is against it for that power that hath and doth free us from the enemy within in his due time will deliver us from the enemy without and from the hands of all that hate us that we may serve him without sear of them in righteousnesse and true holinesse before him without controul of men all the dayes of our lives And therefore Infallibly knowing our selves to be led and acted by the spirit of the Lord God in the obedience of his will we do also know as well that all our enemies who oppose persecute and oppresse us except they repent shall all be destroyed and perish eternally and therefore how can we but pity your condition pray and mourn for you in secret that if it be possible you may come to the truth and be saved before it be too late and then we can neither pray nor mourn for you when you have sealed your destruction with our blood it will be too late for you because you have had such warning before-hand from the spirit of the Lord in his servants then the voice of our blood which is pretious in the sight of the God of heaven will cry loud for vengeance against you How long holy and true before thou aveng our blood dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.10 Woe woe from the Lord God of power to all blood-thirsty Rulers Judges and Magistrates who hunt after blood persecute and condemn the innocent who doth not resist you in you is the resurrection of the unjust and cruel muthering spirit which is risen and alive to fill up the measure of iniquity and cruelty to bring to remembrance before the Lord all the bloud that hath been shed in your great City Babylon and woe for ever will be to those that are found acting in that murthering spirit for upon that spirit will the Lord render vengeance in flaming fire for all the righteous blood that hath been shed upon the earth And the woful dreadful terrible day of your destruction who are in that nature draweth nigh wherein you must suffer punishment for every evil thought and wicked word and action against the innocent who suffer for the obedience of his will as done unto himself Matth. 18.6 In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me And again ved 10. But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me mark it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea And take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones who cannot Bow to mens Inventions and Traditions set up in the wills of some men and pulled down in the wills of other men but we are come to the standing worship in the Will Power and Spirit of God that abides for ever which men and devils shall not prevail against though some may stretch forth their hands to vex certain of the Church as Herod did Acts 12.1 because he saw it pleased their enemies the Jews but it pleased the Lord to make an example of him and he was eaten with worms that it might be a warning to all self-conceited ambitious proud highminded persecuting Rulers and Magistrates in the ages to come And if Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 be the portion of those that do not visit the little ones his brethren in prisons and dungeons and nasty holes where they are cast for the testimony of his truth what shall be the reward and portion of those that cast them in and throng them together to the destruction of their lives for want of fresh aire that they may be murthered in secret without Judgment or Mercy but alass for you the cry of their innocent bloud will find you out both actors and consenters and bring you to open Judgement for your secret wickednesse And if God do not openly appear in terrible Judgment against you for these things then you may say Tush God seeth it not or that he hath forsaken the earth or that he is not mindful of those that diligently seek him but we know and you shall assuredly know you have touched his annointed ones and offended his little ones and despised them slain his Prophets and done despight unto his spirit of grace Therefore vvoe is me for you vvhat vvill you do in that day that is nigh at hand Who shall deliver you from the stroke of his vengeance Who shall save you from his fierce wrath Alas alas Who can utter the misery or declare the terrible Judgments that is to come upon Babylon and all her Merchants and persecuting Rulers and Governors that are found alive in her sin when God shall render vengeance for all the bloud that is found in her and they in the bloud Woe upon woe misery upon misery plague upon plague is coming upon thee O Babylon thou mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth Oh happy are you ye Inhabitants of Sion blessed yea for ever blessed be the day in which that love was manifessed to your souls that hath gathered and brought you out of the City of confusion Mistery Babylon the great Though you may lose your mortal lives for a testimony against her yet you have cause to rejoyce for ever that you are made worthy to follow the Lamb and fill up the measure of his sufferings and so receive an exceeding weight of glory
than all their wisdome and so they came to know that in Judgement to their woe which they refused in mercy for their salvation And as it was then so is it now the wisdome of men is received for the Doctrine of salvation and the Doctrine of Gods salvation is accounted foolishnesse and delusion and cast aside as a thing of naught by the wise of this world who account it not worthy to have a room in their hearts nor in the Nation and they that have received in their hearts who believe and obey it they have made laws to banish out of their Native Countrey but the time is coming and very nigh at hand that you shall know in terrible Judgments that your wisdome was but foolishnesse and that which you are labouring to exalt is that which God is appeared to cast aside and destroy and that which you are labouring to destroy and pull down is that which God is risen in spirit in the hearts and souls of his people to set up and now you shall certainly know whose Counsel shall stand and we have told you before but you would not believe the report of the spirit of truth therefore the arm of Gods salvation is not revealed in you which now he is making bare before you and all Nations that you may know you have refused his Counsel and slighted the day of your Visitation and rejected the spirit of truth that would have gathered you and the power that would have preserved you from the hands of all your enemies both within and without which you shall see and know is able to preserve all those that put their trust in it and to deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies so far as it shall make for his glory and the good of our souls And if he shall farther suffer us to be-tried to the laying down of our lives for his Name sake his will be done and let our God glorifie himself with his own which way he pleaseth and if we drink deeper of the cup of suffering it is but the same our Lord hath drunk and the baptisme he hath been baptized with but the dreggs thereof shall his and our enemies drink for ever For saith he that lifts up his hand to heaven and lives for ever If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take bold on Judgment I will render vengeance to my enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrows drunk with bloud and my sword shall devoure flesh and that with the bloud of the slain and of the Captives from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries mark and will be merciful unto his land and to his people therefore blessed blessed of the Lord are you his people that suffer for his name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad Deut. 32.41 42 43. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 1 Pet. 4.14 And are we called to glorifie our God then let him have the glory due to his great and glorious name for this is a high and glorious honourable calling above all the glories of the world above the glory of Kings Princes and Emperours this is the glory wherewith the Son glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies his again for he hath given them his word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world but are sanctified through the belief of the truth which the world hates John 17.14 And how did the Son glorifie the Father Was it not in doing his will and bearing witnesse to his truth And every one that is of the truth heareth his voice and because we hear his voice and do his will in bearing witnesse to the truth therefore are 〈◊〉 hated persecuted and spoyled by those that are not of the truth for he that had the Languages was not of the truth but said What is truth Mark that for the Languages gives not the knowledg of the truth but truth was that which he that had the Languages gave sentance against And so it is now in all those that believe not in the true light that shines in their hearts which gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ All that are in the truth are in that which was before the many Languages were which began at Babel and without coming to the truth there must end but being sanctified by the truth serves the truth in its place to manifest the confusion of Babel that is in the curse taking counsel and not of the Lord and making themselves a name in the earth these were scattered over the face of the earth But the gathering out of the Confusion and the Curse is in the Name of the Lord that confounds the Wisdome and Counsell from beneath that is earthly sensual and devilish and the Language is in the Confusion cannot lead into the true knowledg of God and the unity in his Spirit but the word that was in the beginning leads up to the Father out of the earth where man was driven out of the Curse out of the Tongues and Languages in the Confusion where man was scattered out of the wisdome from beneath and selfish counsel of his own heart out of the names in the fall and alienation into the Name which is the power and life of the Son of God that only knows the Father and reveals him Mat. 11.27 and not Tongues and Languages but the spirit and life of Jesus that the Father hath sent into the world to do his will and where he is received he is the Covenant of light and promise of the father to the Gentiles to them that receive him by believing in his light he is elect and precious 1 Pet. 2.7 but unto them which be disobedient that is which believe not the stone which the builders disalowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence against which many have split themselves who were once high and mighty in the earth by disalowing him that made Heaven Earth to rule and reign in the Consciences of his people whom he calls out of darknesse into his marvellous Light Who are a Chosen Royall Priesthood peculiar to the Lord that he should act them by his spirit to shew forth the praises due unto his great and glorious Name And why should men be so unreasonable as to disalow the Lord of life that hath quickened our souls to live in them and rule in them and do his Fathers will which way or how he pleaseth seeing we are not our own to do our own will but are bought with a price to do the will of him that