Ellington whom the World in scorn calls Quakers who have been and is in Bonds for the Truths sake and as near as remembred the substance of what the Judge who made a Goal Delivery of all the Transgressors of the Law did express to the Servants of the Lord that was brought Prisoners before him whom no breach of Law was proved against and also as near as remembred here is declared the substance of what the Servants of the Lord did express so long as they were permitted to declare the Truth which did stop the Mouth of all that did object any thing against it and though the Judge could not gainsay the Truth declared by them nor Read them a Law that they had transgressed yet were they not suffered to have the benefit of the Law that Murtherers and Felons had that their Accusers might appear face to face and they have a Tryal and speak for themselves to clear the Truth from false Accusations cast upon it and them but we are again committed to Prison as the following Lines make manifest With a true Discovery of the Persecution of Iohn Huckin Michael Pâ—ttâ—sâ—â— and Thomas Goodayre who is Imprisoned in Northampton for the Truthâ— sake wherein the great enmity that is in Thomas Andrews Priest of Wâ—llinâ—orrow and Thomas Pentlow of Wilby c alled Justice and also of the Magistrates of Northampton made manifest Also the Word of the Lord to the Rulers and Judges and all that Plot against the righteous Seed the World in scorn calls Qâ—akers ABout the time of the eleventh hour of the one and twentieth day of the fifth Month the Goaler called William Deusbery Ioseph Storr Henry Williamson Iohn Whitehead Marmaduke Storr Thomas Cocket and Francis Ellington and he set them all together at the Bar before the Court the Judge looked upon them and after a little silence said to the Goaler Are these Prisoners the Goaler answered yea my Lord the Judge said to the Goaler do you use to bring Prisoners before the Court in this manner you deserve to be Fined ten Pound for bringing them before the Court cover'd the Goaler answered if you command me I shall take off their Hats then the Judge gave command and the Goalers Man took them off which being done the Judge having knowledge given which was William Deusbery spoke to him as followeth Judge Atkins said to William Deusbery what art thou here for William Deusbery answered The Mittimus will express what I was committed for but a Copy of it I am denied by the Keeper of the Goal I. A. What is thy name W. D. Unknown to the World. I. A. Let us hear what that name is that the World knows not W. D. It is known in the Light and not any can know it but him that hath it but the name the World knows me by is William Deusbery I. A. What Country-Man art thou W. D. Of the Land of Canaan I. A. That is afar off W. D. Nay it is near for all that dwell in God is in the holy City new Ierusalem which comes down from Heaven where the Souls is in rest and enjoys the love of God in Jesus Christ in whom the union is with the Father of Light. I. A. That is true but are you ashamed of your Countrey is it a disparagement for you to be born in England W. D. Nay for the Truths sake I am free to declare according to the Knowledg of the World my natural Birth was in York-Shire nine Miles from York towards Hull I. A. You pretend to be extraordinary Men and to have an extraordinary Knowledg of God. W. D. We witness the Work of Regeneration to be an extraordinary Work wrought in us by the Spirit of God. I. A. But the Apostles wrought with their Hands in their Callings W. D. They had Callings in the World some were Fishermen Paul a Tent-maker but when they were called to the Ministry of Christ they left their Callings to follow Christ where he led them by his Spirit to Preach the Word and I had a Calling in the World as they had and in it did abide until the Father revealed his Son in me and called me from my Calling I had in the World to Preach the eternal Word he had made known to me in the great Work of Regeneration I. A. Why didst thou not abide in thy own Countrey and Teach People in them Parts W. D. There I did stay until I was called from thence to go where I was led by the Spirit of the Lord and as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons and Daughters of God and they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his I. A. You say well for we must in charity conclude that every one in this place hath the Spirit of God in them but how do you know that you are guided by the Spirit of God W. D. They that have the Spirit of God are known by their fruits and he that believeth in Jesus Christ and is guided by his Spirit hath the witness in himself I. A. That is true yet notwithstanding I see by your carriage that what my Brother Hails did at the last Assizes in requiring Bonds for your good behaviour he might justly do it for you are against Magistrates and Ministers W. D. Make that manifest wherein we are against them I. A. Said to Robert Guy Clark of the Peace What have you against these men R. Guy Here is an Information given in upon Oath by Mr Robert Beeton that William Deusbury on the twenty nineth of December 1654. did go into the Church in Wellingborrow and stood with his Hat on in the time of Sermon and Prayer and after the Minister had done he spake these words The Priests preach for hire and the People love to have it so But what will you do in the end thereof with other railing words which made disturbance amongst the people I. A. What have you against Storr and Williamson not any one spoke openly against them I shall take course that those that have disturbed the Ministers before I go forth of the Town that they shall be indicted W. D. It is the Liberty of the Law of this Nation that any which is brought Prisoner before those that sits to judge their Cause may speak for themselves the truth to witness against the false information given in against them and that Liberty I take to manifest the ground and cause of my going into the Steeple-house at Wellingborrow As I was going in the Street Thomas Andrews called Minister of that Town called to me with these words Give over deceiving the People lest the Plagues of God fall on thee I replyed these words Doest thou say I deceive the People make it manifest wherein I deceive them Thomas Andrews said Thou saidst there is not any Original Sin I replied Didst thou hear me say so to which he would not answer but fled away I being falsly accused by Thomas Andrews
40th Page thou saist of those in scorn called Quakers thou can safely say they deny the benefit that comes to the Church by Christ's suffering in that Flesh that he received from the Virgin Mary or else deny it to bâ— a real Body of Flesh and so make it but a Type and a Figure of Christ in the Saint who are his true real Body which he now suffers in and by his suffering makes satisfaction for them making the Death of the Cross of none effect Reply The miserable Worms that un-Covenant themselves and un-Christ themselves who denies Christ the Light thou art found to be one who in thy dark mind art working Abomination and making Lies which thou hast published to the World in thy Books and thy place thou maist read â—s is Recorded Rev. 21.27 And the rest of thy Accusations Recorded in the 40th Page we witness against and for the Simple sake declare as followeth that benefit came to the Church by Christ's suffering in that Body God gave which was born of the Virgin Mary and with one Offering hath Christ perfected for ever them that are Sanctified Heb. 10.14 And these are his Saints in whom he is now revealed who are his Body Eph. 1.23 which now suffered by thee and all that are of the Murdering Generation who bore false witness against Christ when he was in that Body which they Crucified at Ierusalem and thou hast manifest thy self to be of the same Murdering Generation who hath publishâ—â— to the World thy false witness against the Innocent to perfect thy evil intent towards the Body of Christ if the Lord prevent thee not but thou shalt know the Lord faithful that thou and all that forms your Tongues against him shall fall in judgement Isa. 54.17 And what is charged upon thee in Answer to thy Reply to the Answer to the third Question that thou sets at nought the Corner Stone and prefers the Testimony of him before him limitting the eternal Son of God as thou hast in what is Printed in the 55. Page where thou speakst of the Scripture that they are designed of God to be the only Instrument and Vessel of his Spirit to convey the knowledge of Christ as Redeemer to lost Man and without them Christ is not known at all to any saving ends Reply Who art thou that dare thus utter Words vvithout knovvledge Christ is known where the Father reveals him to be the Souls Life vvhether they have the Scripture yea or nay according to the Will of God he makes known his mind to his People who wait upon him in his fear and the secrets of the Lord are with those that fear him Psal. 25.14 And the Spirit of the Lord is witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God O Man repent least the Lord cut thee off and thou perish in thy gain-sayings And further thou hast written in Reply to what was returned in Answer to the Question before mentioned the most of thy false Accusations are answered in what was returned to the former part of the Book and all thy false Accusations and Reproaches denyed with the Light and for the Simples sake there is returned in Answer to thy Questions which thou hast propounded 1. Qu. Where read we of a perfect Law of God in the Heart and where is it made the Rule and Ground of the Saints Obedience Ans. the Law of God is perfect Psal. 19.7 and is the Rule to which the Saints are to walk in obedience to and to be guided by Psal. 119.12 and the Law to be in the Heart is proved Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is within my Heart 2. Qu. Whether the Law in the Heart be under another Covenant distinct from the perfect Law of God declared in Scripture 3. Qu. What vve are to understand by the Lavv of God in the Heart vvhich is the same vvith Scripture vvhether the 10th Commandements vvritten in Tables of Stone only or all those positive Precepts of Gospel-Worship and Obedience conjoyned vvith them also Ans. To thy 2d and 3d Questions in the old Covenant the Lavv vvas vvritten in Tables of Stone vvhich Lavv having a shadovv of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can never vvith those Sacrifices vvhich they offered Year by Year continually make the comers thereunto perfect Heb. 10.1 And vvhen he came vvho saith Lo I come to â—o thy vvill O God he taketh avvay the first that â—e may establish the second ver 9. by vvhich vvill vve are sanctified thorow the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all ver 10. and by one Offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified whereof the holy Ghost is a Witness to us as he said before This is the Covenant that I will make with them saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them ver 14 15 16. Ier. 31.33 4. Qu. Whether the Law in the Heart without the use of Scriptures make any Evangelical discoveries of the Person Natures and Offices of Christ as he is Redeemer of lost Man Ans. Thy feigned Words we wave the Truth we witness the Law in the Heart witnessed in the New Covenant Christ is known to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 And the faithful High Priest Heb. 2.17 3.1 4.15 5.6 7.26 10.21 who hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father c. Rev. 1.6 5. Qu. Whether all shall be saved that have the Law of God written in their Hearts by virtue of the New Covenant or any be saved that live to Years of discretion that know not Christ as the Scriptures testifie of him in order to his coming to the World to save sinners Ans. All are saved who are guided by the righteous Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ which sets them free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And what Years soever any live unto they have no discretion to know Christ as the Scriptures testifie of him but they who in his Light wait upon him to be guided by him for who hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 And for the rest of thy Aspersions and Revilings thou hast writ calling us Deceivers that fear the Authority of man or else we would deny Christ himself Reply Christ we do not deny but him we own who respects no Mans Person Rom. 2.11 and in him no fear of Man is and we in him Reign over thee and all the authority of the power of Darkness that stands in opposition to Christ the Son of God to whom every Knee must bow Phil. 2.10 the day shall declare it And in what thou hast replied to the Answer to the fourth Question which thou chargest to be untrue to say That Man in the fall as he stands in the state of corrupt nature hath not therein any Light
Brethren that need not be written unto in lines of this nature but to all who hath or may have their mouths opened in the true motion of the Spirit of God and hath not yet overcome and escaped the danger where many have received loss as before written with a godly jealousie over you in tender bowels I beseech you watch and pray that in the Light and Power of God you always be kept And when any motion of the Spirit of the Lord ariseth in you to exercise the Gift God hath given you first search your Hearts and see that you be at peace with Christ in you your elder Brother that in the sense of your peaceable union with him your Hearts be truly broken and your Spirits truely humbled and abased before the Throne of his glory in which power bring your gifts to his Altar and keep within the bounds of the Spirit then shall your Sacrifices whether it be Exhortation Prayer or Praises answer the witness of God in all his People and God will accept of your faithfulness in the returns of his own Spirit to his glory forever And whatever the Lord doth in you or with you rejoyce not over much in Spirits being made subject but rather rejoyce in the power that keeps self in the Death that your names you always behold written in the Lambs Book of Life then will you be full of vertue as branches in the Vine of Gods righteousness whose leaf shall never wither but you shall be always Faithful and your leaf shall be for the healing of the Nations and an Eternal Judgment shall rest and abide in you in the pure discerning of all the unstable wandering Spirits that are as before written which is the Stars that the great Dragon draws after him from the heavenly Light and throws them down again to the Earth because through pride they kept not their estate in the meek humble Spirit of the Lord of Glory Oh my dear Brethren in the unity and bonds of the meek humble Spirit of our God my Soul blesseth the Name of the Lord for you and your faithfulness is as marrow to the bones of the feeble and as sinews to the loynes of the weak therefore let us in the true motion of the meek peaceable Spirit of the almighty God go on in his service and let us wrestle with the most high in the prevaling power of his own Spirit for the bringing again the captivity of Sion that they that have mourned before our God with us in years past may be restored and brought from the Mountains where they are scattered into the Light and Fold of rest with us to lye down in the Shephards Tent where we find safety in the heat of the day and in the hollow of his hand he will keep us untill the indignation be over past Therefore you valiants amongst the people who in the meek humble Spirit shines as the Angels of Glory every one be faithful in the power of the most high God in whom you shall stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion in your living Testimony which causeth the dead to hear the living Voice the Lame to Walk the Blind to See the Dumb to Speak forth the high Praises of the mighty God which shall cause the Ears of them that know not God to tingle and the Hearts of the righteous to rejoyce and forever glorifie the Name of the Lord that hath kept you humble little and low as to self but mighty powerful prevailing in the pure peaceable eternal Dominion of which there is no end Where my Soul rests who hath now given forth what hath for some time lain upon me to clear my Conscience to all that ever have tasted in any Measure of the good Word of God and the Power of the World to come that they may certainly know whether they abide in the Vine of Gods Righteousness yea or ndy Therefore Let them that hath an Eye to see let them see or an Ear to hear let them hear or an Heart to understand let them understand what the Spirit saith to the Churches in the eternal Judgment and Word of Truth through Your Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Farewel W. D. Send this with care abroad to be read in the Fear of God in the Assemblies of the Church of the first Born. The Word of the Lord to his beloved City New Ierusalem come from God cloathed with the excellency of the Glory of his Love and is the Bride the Lambs Wife with the flowings of the tender compassionate Bowels of the Lord Jesus to all the Mourners in Sion and the Afflicted desolate People who wait for his comming as for the Morning and hath not satisfaction in any thing but in the enjoyment of his sweet and comfortable Presence OH Ierusalem thou beloved amongst the People who art become the beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife Oh how did he seek thee in the day of thy Divorcement when thou wast weeping in the barren Wilderness as a desolate Widow who had not any to comfort thee when thy greatest Mournings and breakings of Heart were thy greatest comfort And the more thou drunk the Tears that was shed for the want of him was thy greatest satisfaction Oh the weary daies thou had'st upon the Earth because thy Languishing Soul knew not where to meet with thy beloved neither did'st thou know how to walk in the steps of the Flock of thy Companions who was comforted with his Presence whom thy Soul wanted then was he near unto thee though thou knew it not enlivening the desires that were towards his Name And in the acceptable day he sent forth whom he had ordained to declare unto thee the glory of his Love in the Light of his own Life in which he hath covered thee this day as with a Wedding Garment and in it thou appearest comely in his sight and acceptable in his Presence And for thy sake oh Ierusalem thou City of the Living God what hath been endured How many Innocent Lambs have suffered its hard to be expressed to bring gald-tidings unto thee of him whom thy Soul thirsteth after How have the Striplings sent out in Gods Authority run to and fro in the Earth willing to spend and be spent in all services of Love to perswade thee to forsake all that hath intangled thy mind and hindred thee from the innocent Life of thy Beloved Thy mighty Men with many of the Sons and Daughters of glory have sealed their living Testimony with their Blood in the patience and sufferings of the Lamb of God that thou mayst be affected with the excellency of the glory of him whom thy Soul desireth And now the Lord God requireth of every particular Son and Daughter of Sion To Watch and Pray that not any enter into Temptation and all that have any stain upon their Garments come to the Fountain which is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in which is the Heart-breaking love of
Enemies but many were Convinced and received the Truth in the Love of it in beholding the Unity of faithful Friends to their everlasting Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord forever which caused my Soul with the rest of the faithful Labourers to praise the Name of the Lord in blessing the Travel of our Souls and giving us to see the Fruit of our Labour â—n hâ—s Vineyard and the Peace and Unity of his People But of late I have heard that thou my antient Friend Edward Nightingal and Iohn Cox with some other in that City doth meet in a Separating spirit from the rest of Friends in that City which casts a Stumbling-block in the way of many And instead of gathering People to receive the Truth you scatter and drive them away and giveth great advantage to them that watch for evil and is of a bad savour and a Wounding of the Spirits of them that truly fear the Lord I can truly say that your meeting in that Separating spirit which is such an evil savour in the Nation hath been and is more Affliction to me then all Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured unto this day Therefore I intreat and beseech thee my Antient Friend Edward Nightingal with all that meet in the Separation from the rest of Friends in the City to turn your minds to the Light of Christ in you that will let you see you have not done well and with it judge that which hath led you to Separate from meeting with Friends and return to meet with Friends in the City in the sweet Concord Love and Unity in the Life of the Blessed Truth as in the days of old and Years past of which I am a witness with the rest of faithful Friends that in all our Meetings whether in the Prison or in the City we never wanted the sweet appearance of Christ our Life in us and amongst us according to his Promise and our Comfort then and so is it now with all that meet in his Name and Unity with his People as we did in those days which was many Years before the Enemy could get any enterance to make a breach amongst them that make Profession of Gods blessed Truth and to draw some into a self Separation as he hath done you and too many elsewhere For I do assure you it is the work of the Enemy of your Souls for you should not have Separated but have kept your places amongst Friends and not have taken offence because Friends see there might be some service for Truth in meeting twice on the First Day it is very like in that City some that had a Love to Truth might get an opportunity to come to one of the Meetings It is very much to me how you let the Enemy get over you as to cause you to Separate from Friends which if you had kept your places in meeting with Friends you in time might have seen a Service in meeting twice a day as well as they For you may be sure that Separation neither restores any to love the Truth neither gathers any to God but rather scattereth and driveth away some that was gathered in Love to Truth by the painful and faithful Labourers that was truly sent of the Lord as is before written Therefore in the earnings of tender Bowels of the Love of God to you I once more beseech you that you in Humiliation wait in the Light of Christ he will let you see how the Enemy led you from the Light out of your places when you Separated from Meeting with Friends and in yeilding obedience to the Light it will bring you into your places again to meet with Friends to your Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord according to the Counsel of the Lord in my Heart here sent unto you But if you reject the Council of the Lord which in his Love I am moved to send these Lines unto you then shall I Lament your Conditions because of the evil consequence your Separation will produce to your sorrow and wounding many God would not have Wounded for which you must give an account And before you lay down your Heads in peace you will remember me who hath not hide from you the Counsel of the Lord. W. D. Warwick the 21 st day of the 11 th Month 1684. A General Epistle to Friends from that Ancient Servant of Christ William Dewsbury MY Dear Friends and Brethren who are called forth of the World and pluckt as Brands out of the Fire by the Heavenly Power of God and hath Convinced you of his Everlasting Truth in the Light of Jesus Christ My dear Friends as have you received the Truth in some measure watch and pray and Believe in the Name of Christ that his Power you may feel in the Heavenly Inspiration of his blessed Spirit to lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet that all that is not Obedient to the Light of Christ may be kept down and buried in the Heavenly Baptism under the Sentence of Death as it was and is with all the Children of God who have received the Sentence of Death in our selves that we may have no confidence in our selves but alone trust in the Living God which will keep you all in the sweet seasoned savory Spirit of Life in all your Words Tradings and Dealings amongst the Children of Men then will you be manifest and known to all People to be the Salt of the Earth who retain the savour of the Heavenly Life in the Blessed Truth in you that every one according to your Measure may be felt upon all occasions continually streaming forth in the savoury Spirit of Life to the Comfort of your own Families and the City of God who over all is Blessed forever And my dear Friends I desire all to be watchful that not any come short of what is required of them both Rulers of Families and Parents of Children while you have a day to be with them call your Families together to wait upon the Lord in the fear of his Name certainly the Lord will answer the end of your endeavours in causing the savoury Life to stream through you to season your Servants and Children that the Church of God may be in every paâ—ticular Family and Habitation of his People Great is tâ—e concern upon my Spirit for the Children of all that profess the blessed Truth of God that all Parents may stand iâ— their places to bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord while they are in their Minority and tender Years and under their tuishion not to be too indulgent to them in suffering the Spirit of the World to rule in them to have their own wills and to do those things which are not according to the Truth of God and to connive at their Children instead of reproving of them and crossing the Spirit of the World in them and causing them to be content with such things as is
more that are the most grown in the Truth or you to whom the charge and care of the Flock is committed and you with the other that did speak to them in tender Bowels of love admonish them and with plainness of speech minister to the pure in the Consciences to raise up the Witness to judge and cut down the deceit that their Souls may be saved and their Nakedness covered but if they still walk in disorder when the Church is meet together reprove them openly and if they do not still reform but walk in their Filthiness when the Church is met together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ charge them to depart from amongst you so cast them out and not have any union with them not so much as to Eat with them until they repent and turn to the Lord to walk in obedience to that which is pure if they do then receive them again but if they still walk in the Stubberness of their Wills and not bend to the pure in their Conscience keep them forth that not any filthy Person dwell in the House of God then will the blessing of the Lord God be with you And this is his Word to you to see that there be not any in outward Want in the Church and that all walk orderly in their Places and Callings and if any Root of bitterness spring up in any which causeth Strife in their minds one against another as soon as you know of it call such before you and examine the matter strictly and stand in the Wisdom and Power of God to guide you to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness but if the Cause be hard for you to discern the measure you are grown to cannot discern betwixt the Parties I charge you and command you in the presence of the living God not to be hasty in the Cause come before you to order it in your doubtful and dark minds for what is not of Faith is of Sin but to send for some that is more grown in discerning to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness then will Deceit be judged and Strife kept out and the Innocent set free to serve the Lord and your union will be in Christ Iesus where you will bring forth Fruit abiding in him and through his Blood you shall overcome the World in you and without and shall reign Kings upon the Earth In the Power of Christ you shall command the unclean Spirit in all his appearances within you and without and he shall submit to the Power of God in you dwelling in him who alone is Power and to whom all glory belongs for ever The eternal pure powerful and dreadful Spirit of the most high God rest upon you whom he hath chosen to watch over his Flock and his mighty Power open the pure eternal Eye in you to discern and separate between the Precious and Vile the Holy and the Unholy and furnish you with Courage and Boldness and pure Wisdom to rule in the Power of his Spirit to cut down all deceit and to wash the Disciples Feet in bowing to the pure in the least appearance and ministring to it to strengthen the desire raised up towards the Name of the Lord until Judgment be brought forth into Victory then will you have union together in that which is pure eternal begotten of God who reigns over all blessed for ever and Wisdom's justified of her Children W. D. Writ in the Year 1653. This is the Word of the Lord to thee Oliver Cromwell called Lord Protector THus saith the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to thee Oliver Cromwell Why dost thou slight my Counsel and harden thy Heart against it which I declare to thee by my Sons and Daughters and is witnessed in thy Conscience by my Word in thee which called on thee to trust no longer in the Arm of Flesh nor seek great things for thy self as those did I drove out before thee in my Wrath and destroyed in my Fury and the fearfulness of my Displeasure consumed them and hath given thee power into thy Hand who promised me in the day of thy Distress if I would deliver thee in that day and give the power over all that stood up against thee then wouldest thou take away all these Unrighteous Laws which is contrary to my Righteous Law in the Conscience which were made by those I drove out before thee that my Children should not be Persecuted any more by any outward Law but have free Liberty to declare my mind as I moved them by my Spirit and into thy power I have committed what thou requiredst of me that thou mightest perform thy promises to me and now I have tryed thee and in this day of thy Tryal thou hast proved unfaithful to me and to my People and no truth have I found in thee in this day as to perform thy promise to me but contrary to them all hast thou improved the power put into thy Hand to seek great things for thy self and hast set up thy self in the pride of thy Heart to rob me of my glory in taking upon thee to be Lord Protector of my People when contrary to thy fair words and promises thou by thy power Establishest those Laws by which my People always were and are Persecuted which Laws uphold this filthy and abominable thing in my sight the Heads thereof Judge for Rewards and the Priests Teach for Hire and thou with them leanest upon me and sayest Is not the Lord amongst us no Evil shall come upon us as the Wicked Generation did Mic. 3.11 And those Rebellious People I destroyed before thee who made those Laws thou hast Established contrary to all thy fair words and promises and to preserve thee in thy obstinate and wicked walking before me in setting thy self on high in seeking thy own glory thou trustest to the Arm of Flesh to protect thee in the ways thou livest in but since thou hast abused the power I put into thy Hand I have Corrected thee by the Arm of my Power to let thee see that all the Policy and Strength of men cannot deliver thee forth of my Hand and when thou wast nigh to Destruction I appeared as I had done in all the times of thy distress thy Lord Protector and in my tender Love to deliver thee by the Arm of my mighty Power when none could help thee that thou mightest fear me and lay thy Crown in the Dust before me and give glory to my Name in denying thy self and performing thy promise to me who am a dreadful God and will not be robbed of my glory but since I delivered thee still like proud Pharoah hardenest thy Heart against me and continuest in thy obstinacy in upholding these Unrighteous Laws thou promised me to take away but instead of performing thy promises in taking them away thou hast Established them by thy power by which my Children are Persecuted and the Hands of the Wicked are strengthen'd
the Lord in silence you have no Oyle in your Lamps you are turned from the Light that would lead you to the Power of God which would preserve in the true thirsting to wait for refreshment that is in his presence so you are Imprisoned and Starved for want of Food while you are in a silent Meeting amongst the wise Virgins who feed on the immortal Bread which comes down from Heaven the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ which daily strengthens them in the Power of God which gathers all their Hearts together in one where the union is in the invisible being in silence rejoycing together in the Lord to the Consciences of you foolish Virgins I speak you are strangers to the life the wise Virgins enjoyes though amongst them you come your life is in beautifying the outside of the Lamp with words being quickly spoken but the fear of God is not before your Eyes but your Wills are out of the Cross a false joy arises in you speaking what you do not possess priding and glorying in other mens Lines end contending for Truth with that mind that is out of the Truth and so become Trees blosoming with leaves but bears no Fruit and here your folly is made manifest while you speak to others your selves are under Reproof in that you are strangers to the life of God I charge and command you silence Flesh and speak not before the Lord you foolish ones that dare to make mention of his Name while the worker of Iniquity raigns in you whom the Lord will destroy except you repent therefore all Friends who make mention of the Name of the living God examine your Hearts search them and try your ways with the Light that comes from Christ with it read your condition in the Book of Conscience there will you see how you stand in the presence of the living pure holy God whether in the state of the foolish Virgins that is turned from the Light of Christ that did convince them of Sin and so gets into the form of the Truth but an Enemy to the Cross so make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience c or whether you be in the state of the wise Virgins that loves the Light and in it to wait to dwell in the Power which chastiseth that nature which would draw from the Light and your Garments defile daily in the Cross and there your Souls is keept pure and chaste to follow the Lamb where ever he goes and enters with him into the rest that is prepared for the People of God where the foolish Virgins shall not come until they from their foolish Wisdom return into true obedience to the Father of Light c. Dear Children of the Lord God be valiant bold and faithful in your measures that in the Light Life and Power of God you may stand in the day of great tryal which the Lord will bring upon all you that make mention of his Name for power will be given to the Beast his Horn to exalt even to the host of Heaven for the clearing of the Sanctuary of the Lord then will all foolish Virgins and painted Beasts that are enemies to the Cross of Christ who hath defiled the Sanctuary of the living God in coming before him amongst his Saints and Children c. from amongst them they shall come trembling before the power of thâ— Beast when he utters his voice and commands all to Worship his Image but then shall all you Children of the most high God whom he hath called â—o be faithful to him in his eternal Power rejoyce who will you keep in that day in rest and peace in the ancient of days who will sit to judge in Righteousness all that withstands the rising of his Glory and of his Dominion there shall be no end Friends meet together in the true silence of your Spirits to wait in the Light for the unlimited Spirit of the Lord to manifest his Power in you to bruise the Serpents Head in all his appearance in you to put an end to Sin and to bring in everlasting Righteousness that you in him may grow up in the pure nature of the most high God over all blessed foâ— ever Amen God almighty keep you all faithful in his eternal Power in himself to bear his Name in Righteousness that his Name may be written in your Fore-heads that all that see you may witness you to be of the Righteous Seed that the Lord hath Blessed his Eternal Power and Presence keep you in the eternal unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you in the unchangable Love and Life c. W. D. I desire you to let this be Read in your Meetings with a good understanding in the fear of the Lord for this is the Day I will make separation betwixt the Wise and the Foolish between those that fear the Lord and those that fear him not saith the Lord God almighty ALL Saints and Children of the most high God abide with God in the calling whereunto you are called which call is the measure of Light given unto you which witnesseth against all the deceitful twisting of the Serpent within you and seals up to your Spirits the eternal love of God in the free Covenant of life in Iesus Christ All in your measure as you have received of the Lord walk faithfully with him so will you be preserved pure clean and unblamable before him and will be fortified by the Arm of his eternal Power against all the deceit subtilty windings and twistings of the Serpent within you and without you I charge you all in the presence of the Lord God to abide with God in what he hath communicated to you and run not out from the Witness of the eternal Spirit that hath sealed you up in measure in the Power of his love Thou that doest run out to speak further then thou witnessest art a filthy Drunkard that lavisheth out thy self without the fear of the Lord and so spends and wasts upon thy Lusts and the plagues and vengance of the Lord is thy Portion thou filthy Drunkard for no Drunkard nor Lustful person shall inherit the Kingdom of God. All dear Lambs and Children of the Lord abide in the Witness of the eternal Spirit which will pass Judgment and bruise the Head of the Serpent in you so will you be armed against all the glorious appearances of the Serpent without to keep him out of the Scriptures and the least of you in the Truth of God will overturn all Priests and all the Men of the World that dwell in their Serpentine Wisdom and makes a Trade of the Letter speaking and disputing of the Saints conditions as the Devil did about the Body of Moses but cannot witness the Scriptures sealed up to their Souls by the eternal Spirit now all you that dwell in the Truth in your measure will comprehend them to be Houses built upon the Sand tall Cedars aspiring up into the Air
his Counsel the Light that comes from Christ in it to wait on him to open the Seals of the Book and make known the mystery of eternal life to the Soul the Scripture testifieth is in Christ the Truth of it to know as it is in Jesus The Word of the Lord to all in England whom the Lord hath betrusted with Power from the highest to the lowest to see the peace be kept and to judg the Cause of the People with righteous Judgments With a Lamentation over all in England who oppose Christ in his spiritual appearance and so slight the day of your Visitation to your own Destruction From the common Goal in Northampton the 25 th day of the 4 th Moneth 1655. Oh People in England AM I become your Enemy because I tell you the truth and deal plainly with you in declaring the minde of the Lord unto you which in the eternal riches of his Love he hath made known unto me by the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ for which Word and Testimony I suffer outward Bonds and Persecutions as my Lord and Master did who was called a Blasphemer Belzebub the Prince of Devils by the high Priests who cried to the unjust Magistrates to deliver him up into their hands that their Persecuting Murthering spirits that thirsted after his Blood might be satisfied which the unjust men in Authority to do them a pleasure in satisfying their wills abused their power and delivered him up and though they proved not any thing against him they put him to Death calling him a Blasphemer and he sealed his Testimony with his Blood And all my holy Brethren Prophets and Apostles were called Blasphemers Hereticks Seducers and Deluders by the false Prophets High-Priests and Pharisees then who professed the Name of God in words but denied him in their practices and Persecuted his Children who were guided by his Word under the names formerly written as I and my Brethren are now Persecuted by the same Generation which profess God and Christ in words but denying him in their practices living in Pride and Pleasures Envy and Murder every way Persecuting and seeking to destroy the Bodies of the Saints of the most high God where the righteous Seed is raised up which witnesseth against their unrighteous practices and discovers them in their secret hypocrisie which is hid under their voluntary humility which causeth them to appear what they are and manifests what was hid in their Hearts under their fair coverings of outward Forms and Profession of Religion which they now manifest forth by their Fruit whose Children they are in obedience to their father the Devil who was a Persecuter and a Murtherer from the Beginning whose works they now do that profess Christ in words but denies to be guided by his Spirit for his Spirit is no Persecuter and so are they made manifest in what they do to all that have Eyes to see that they are strangers to Christ while they continue in Cain's nature persecuting the righteous Seed without a cause as he did and doth in this Nation both in the North of it and in other Prisons in several places of it there hath been cast into them the Saints and Children of the most high God for obeying his Will in witnessing forth his eternal Word that he hath made manifest in them And no breach of any National Law proved against them but a Popish Law made in Queen Maries Raign which some hath suffered under and many other of the Saints and Children of the most high God they have Persecuted and cast into Prisons and not the breach of any National Law proved against them but in the pride and envy of their Hearts do they Persecute the Innocent to satisfie their own wills as I am a witness against them who have Persecuted me and cast me into Prison under the name of a Seducer as they say for the Seducing of the People of this Nation and for suspition of Blasphemy and breaking of the publick Peace in dispersing Principles â—ontrary to the truth of the Gospel and Peace of the Nation and not any Accuser appeared to my face to prove what they charge against me as is formerly written either by the Law of God or the Law of the Nation but the Serpent in whom he rules hath manifest his enmity against me whom the Lord hath redeemed from the Earth and sent to Preach the everlasting Gospel to those that dwell upon the Earth and to witness against the wickedness of the dark World that the deeds thereof are evil for which Testimony the World that hates the Light that comes from Christ whom they ever Persecuted to fulfil the measure of their fathers Iniquities hath me and my Brethren Persecuted under the names as formerly written charging me with making Tumults and breaking the publick Peace for walking in obedience to the Spirit of Christ which guided all â—e sent to preach his Gospel to run to and fro as I have done in thee oh England that knowledge may be increased as is recorded in the Scripture of Truth Dan. 12.4 And is according to the commands of Christ Go your ways behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves carry neither Purse nor Scrip nor Shoes and salute no man by the way and into what City ye enter and they receive you eat such things as is set before you Luke 10. vers 3 4 8. But beware of men for they will deliver you up to their Counsel and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and you shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my Names sake but he that endures unto the end shall be saved Mat. 10. vers 17 18 22. According as it is written the wicked World that always did as they now do persecute the Messengers of Jesus Christ who to them were and are sent to witness against them in their Markets and Meeting-places that their deeds are evil which the Children of this Generation that are strangers to the leadings of the Spirit of Truth calls them that are guided by the Spirit to walk according to the Scripture makers of Tumults movers of Sedition breakers of the publick Peace as the unrighteous Generation did who Persecuted Christ and his Apostles whose practice was to declare the minde of God in their Synagogues and Markets as the Ministers of Christ do now And they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing and asking them Questions Luke 2.46 When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and as he was declaring the Word of eternal life to the People all they in the Synagogue when they heard these things he spake were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him to the brow of the Hill whereon the City was built that they might cast him down headlong but he passed through the
midst of them and went his way Luke 4.16 28 29 30. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ not of man neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the Dead Gal. 1.1 He was a chosen Vessel unto the Lord to bear his Name amongst the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9.15 It was his practice to go to and fro to preach the Word of eternal life to the people in their Synagogues and Markets as the Ministers of Christ do When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iews Paul as his manner was went unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures Acts 1â— 1 2. When Paul went unto Athens his Spirit stirred in him when he saw the whole Citty given to Idolatry therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Iews and with the devout persons and in the Markets daily with them that met with him Then certain of the Phylosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said what will this Babler say other some he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he Preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Acts 17.16 17 18. And all my Brethren this day with me that witnesseth Christ Jesus risen from the Dead and are sent to Preach Christ the Resurrection who hath enlightned every one that is come into the World that all may in his Light that from him comes that shews them Sin wait for his Power to cleanse them from Sin and raise them out of the fallen and dead estate by the power of his Resurrection to live in pure obedience to God. We are by those the World call their Ministers and Teachers withstood as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses But the Lord is making them daily manifest that all shall see their folly and by them be no more deceived 2 Tim. 3.8 9. And as the Heathen Phylosophers before written encountred Paul so hath these men encountred with us as before written for witnessing Jesus the Resurrection and the true Light that enlightneth every one that comes into the World. And as Tertullus the Heathen Orator accused Paul before Felix Acts 24.1 5. We have found this man a pestilent fellow and mover of Sedition amongst all the Jews throughout the World and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens The same spirit that was in the Heathen Orator Tertullus that lead him to accuse Paul before Felix did Edward Bowles whom the people of the World call Minister and Teaches in the high place in York manifest to be in him who never had spoken to me when he by that dark spirit was lead to give in an Information against me and at the time when it was expected I should have the priviledge of the Law that Thieves and Murtherers had by it to be Tryed and my Accusers to appear face to face the said Edward Bowles did not appear to prove against me what was written in the Information neither a perfect Coppy of it would he or they that had it in keeping give to me when it was demanded least their works of darkness should be brought to light but what was brought to light when it was demanded of Edward Bowles This is a perfect Coppy that he wrote with his own hand as followeth It is informed that one William Deusbery a Ring-leader of the Persons calleâ— Quakers goes up and down the Country of York and is now in the West-riding thereof dispersing Principles prejuditical to the truth of the Gospel and peace of the Common-Wealth It is therefore desired that seeing no man is allowed publickly to exercise his gifts to a particular Congregation unless he be first tryed and approved that the said William Deusbery may not be permitted to go up and down from place to place Teaching until he receive Approbation of some Persons who shall be thought fit to judg how agreeable his Principle are to Truâ—â— and Peace This is the substance of what I delivered into Mr Payler but the particular words I cannot exactly remember but I believe they do not any thing considerably vary from this Paper E. B. This man whom Edward Bowles calls Mr Payler was the Fore-man of the Grand-Jury to whom he delivered the Information against me that they might deliver it to Hugh Windham who sat Judge of Life and Death at the general Assizes holden at York about the time of the thirteenth and fourteenth dayes of the first Month called March 1653. Upon the sight of the Information given in against me the Judge granted a Warrant in the open Court to the men that was in Commission to do justice in Yorkshire to apprehend me Which after that time I being at a place called Tholthorp about ten Miles from York in the North-riding thereof and many of the Servants of the living God with me waiting on him his Power to manifest to his glory and while we were together there came one George Mann in great rage two several times with an Iron Fork to satisfie his blood-thirsty minde the Lord with his Power did him chain and prevented his bloody intents to satisfie his will on me he went to Thomas Dickeson who was at a place called Kirby-Hall in Yorkshire and he accused me as Thomas Dickeson said before him that I said I was Christ upon which accusation he granted forth a Warrant on the twenty sixth day of the second Month called April And on the twenty seventh day I being with the Children of the Lord at Crake Iohn Lockwood called high Constable apprehended me with the Warrant before mentioned and the day being far spent he said to the Friends with me if they would ingage for my appearance the next day he would shew me that favour that I should stay with them that night I replyed these words that not any man should ingage for me neither desire I favour at the hands of men if thou hast power over the body do with it what thou hast power Then Iohn Lockwood said the day is far spent I shall not go with thee to the Justice to night until to morrow stay at thy Friends House Reply if thou say I shall stay here if the Lord please I shall be ready to go with thee where he gives thee power to have me so he went away and said he would send for me the next day and in the night season many of the Lords Servants and Children was with me waiting on him who is worthy to be waited on for he is good to the Souls that wait on him and to the Souls that seek him when much of the night was spent the Inhabitants of Crake in great rage and fury came to the Doors and Windows of the House like the Inhabitants of wicked Sodom crying and rushing at the Doors and said they would have me forth to dispose of me according to their wills for I should not be there and Iohn Lockwood high
being moved of the Lord the twenty fourth day of the fourth Month being the first day of the week to go to the Steeple-house in Wellinborrow where the Priest Thomas Andrews and the people were meet together he there peaceably standing in silence the Priest commanded those he called Officers to take him forth of the Steeple-house which was done at his command before half of the Sermon as it s called was ended and by one Henry Henfnan called Church-warden was he had forth to an Alehouse and set watch over him until the Priest had done then the Constable sent to tell him that if he would not come at their Steeple-house in the afternoon that he should be set free he replyed that he should not make such a promise to them for he knew not what the Will of the Lord was to do with him but after a season they let him go And about nine days after Thomas Fox Constable came to his Masters shop where he was working and took him forth without shewing any Warrant or order for his so doing and carried him before Thomas Pentlow called Iustice and though not any evidence came against him that he speak one word in the Steeple-house or made any disturbance there yet the said Thomas Pentlow did send him to the common Goal in Northamton Michael Petteson living in the Town before written being moved of the Lord the first day of the week being the first day of the fifth Month to go into the Steeple house in Wellingborrow and there in silence stood peaceably until the Priest Tho. Andrews had done and people going away then he was moved of the â—ord to ask Thomas Andrews this question Friend canst thou witness this to be the Word of the Lord that thou hast spoken here before the people but the Priest instead of answering to the question he commanded the Officers to take him away and then Iohn Brown Constable took him forth and had him to an Alehouse and set watch over him and the next day the Constable abovesaid carried him with the other Friend before written before Thomas Pentlow aforesaid without shewing him any Warrant and when he was brought before him no Accuser appeared to prove that he had transgressed any Law neither did he read him any Law that he had transgressed but the Priest Thomas Andrews sitting by Thomas Pentlow did move that a Mittimus might be made to send him and the other Friend to the House of Correction for he said the Goal was not Punishment enough for them but Thomas Pentlow not answering him in that did make a Mittimus and sent them to the common Goal in Northampton where they are for a Testimony against the unreasonable proceedings of these unreasonable Men in patience waiting until the Lord deliver them by the Arm of his mighty Power This is said before that of God in all Consciences that all may judg what Spirit guides these Men that hath proceeded against those two before mentioned for while they lived in Pride Pleasure Scornfulness foolish jesting and mocking spending whole nights and days in running after Fidlers Dancing and spending their precious time in Wantonness and Vanity the one of them above Twenty two Years and the other above eighteen Years and all the time that they lived in Vanity they did go to the Steeple-house which the Priest calls a Church and he did own them as his hearers and did not speak to any to hinder them or to take them away but after the Lord in the riches of his love sent the Messengers of his Truth whom the World in scorn call Quakers whom they did hear the fourth day of the tenth Month 1654. that Word which they then heard delivered was to them Power and Life that did their Understandings enlighten and Consciences awaken wherein they did read in the Book of Conscience the evil of their doings until that time they see they had lived without the fear of God and the power of the Spirit which shewed them the evil of their Hearts constrained them to depart from it and to wait on the Power of the Lord to guide them in obedience to the measure of Light received and in obedience to the Light and Power of God they were moved to go into the Steeple-house as before written and though one of them spoke not one word and the other Propounded but one question to the Priest after he had done which is not the breach of any Law of this Nation yet notwithstanding they cast them into Prison as what is before written makes manifest He that hath an Eye to see let him see and an Ear to hear let him hear A Discovery of the Ground and Manner of the Persecution of Thomas Goodayre who is Imprisoned in Northampton by the Magistrates of that Town UPon the thirteenth day of the fifth Month in the Year 1655. he was moved of the Lord to come to Northampton to visit some of his Friends which were cast into Prison there by the Magistrates of that County and when he came there he went to the Prison door but could not be suffered to see his Friends for the Goaler had received order from those called Justices that none should come at them who are in scorn called Quakers which he went to visit and as he was going from thence along the Streets of that Town he met the Mayor and several others some of which are called Aldermen and he was moved to speak to them these words or to this effect Men see what is the fruits of the Ministry of this Nation and what it hath brought forth for Persecution and Wickedness abounds and he declared that those who say they are Christian Magistrates and do Persecute the Innocent are Heathens and know not God and he told them that they could not produce one Scripture to prove that ever any Christian Magistrate did Persecute any Man as those had done that cast his Friends in Prison then one of them called an Alderman stroke off his Hat in the Street and said he would learn him better manners then to stand and talk before the Mayor with his Hat on and some of them spoke to the Mayor to bind him to good Behaviour and the Mayor and the Aldermen consented together and required Sureties for his good Behaviour or else they said he should go to Prison but he told them that he was bound to good Behaviour by the righteous Law of God and he refusing to find Sureties they did immediately send him forth of the Streets to Prison without Mittimus or further Examination and did not make known to him any National Law that he had transgressed neither hath he to this day had any further Examination or Tryal but is content to rest in the Will of God in whom his confidence is who will deliver him out of the Hands of all wicked and unreasonable Men. TO all you Rulers and Judges of the Earth who combine together against the Lord and against his
he hath called and chosen to be faithful to him in his eternal Power rejoyce who will you all keep in that day in rest and peace in the ancient of days who shall sit to judge the Beast and the Whore their Kingdom to break down and destroy in his eternal judgement for evermore and will Rule over them by the Arm of his mighty Power and of his Dominion there shall be no end for to him it belongs forevermore Meet often together in the fear of the Lord his Power to manifest in you to his praise who is worthy forever Amen I charge and command all in the presence of the Lord God who make mention of his Name that you speak not at any time to any in your own will or to one another or to any without or to exhort them when you are guilty of the same thing in the exalted Spirit out of the Cross be silent thou Fool first judge thy self with the Light and in the Power dwell to cast the Beam out of thy own Eye and that thy own House be kept in order then wilt thou see clearly to take out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye and how to exhort others how to walk in order to the Spirit of Truth and watch over one another with a single Eye All you that fear the Name of the Lord in tender love bear one anothers Burthens and exhort one another to build up one another in your most holy Faith God almighty be with you all his faithful Servants and Children and in his eternal Power keep you in himself that in him you may grow up in his pure nature to bear his Name in righteousness that his Image may be written in your Foreheads that all that sees you may know you to be the righteous Seed the Lord hath blessed his eternal Power preserve you and keep you and build you up in the purity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where I am with you in the eternal unity and in the unchangable Love and Life William Deusbery From Northampton Goal the 19 th of the 3 d Month 1655. A TRUE PROPHECIE OF THE Mighty Day of the Lord. Which is coming and is appeared in the North of England and is arising towards the South and shall over-spread this Nation and all Nations of the World. WHEREIN The Lord is redeeming Sion forth of her long inthral'd Captivity in Babylons Kingdom where she hath been scattered in the cloudy and dark day into Forms and Observations and there kept by the Priests and Teachers of the World who ran when God never sent them Now is the Lord appearing in this day of his mighty Power to gather his elect together out of all Forms and Observations Kindreds Tongues and Nations and is making up his Jewels his mighty Host and exalting Jesus Christ to be King of Kings to lead his Army he hath raised up in the North of England and is marched towards the South in the mighty power of the living Word of God which is sharp as a two-edged Sword to cut down High and Low Rich and Poor Priests and People and all the Powers of darkness in the Land and all the World over that are fruitless Trees that cumbers the ground defiles the Flesh and walks in disobedience to the righteous Law of God the pure Light in the Conscience For who falls on this Stone shall be broken but on whom it falls shall be ground to Powder So shall this Nation and all the Nations of the World be Conquered and the Victory witnessed neither by Sword nor Spear but by the Spirit of the Lord. A Word from the Lord to all the Inhabitants of England Rulers Priests and People to haste to meet the Lord with speedy Repentance and returning within to hearken diligently to his Counsel the pure Light of Christ in your Conscience to be guided by his Power else you shall perish in your gain-sayings For if his anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him O England who lies in the faln and lost estate separated from the true and living God by thine Iniquities notwithstanding all thy Profession of his Name in outward Forms and Observations Repent Repent and turn unto the Lord God Almighty who waits on thee to be gracious unto thee and to make thee the glory of all the Nations of the World if thou wilt diligently hearken unto his Counsel the Light that is in the Conscience of every one to wait in it upon the Lord God that he may guide thee by his Power And this I have to declare unto thee from the Lord which he hath made known unto me concerning thee O England certain years ago when the everlasting Covenant of Life was confirmed unto my Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ that I should go with the ransomed of the Lord unto Sion I enquired of my God to manifest unto me where Sion was that I might return thither to worship him in Spirit and Truth there being so many confused cries in thee O England who professes to worship the only true God some saying Lo here is Christ in the Presbyterian practice so called and the Independants so called cries Lo he is here and the Anabaptists so called saying Lo he is here and others in outward Forms saying He is here according as Christ foretold that the time would come when they shall say Lo here is Christ and lo there as it is fulfilled in thee but Christ saith Believe them not look not forth for the Kingdom of Heaven is within And as the Lightning that shineth out of the one part under Heaven and shineth unto the other part under Heaven even so shall the Son of Man be in his day And this I witness and while I was waiting on my God to make known unto me where Sion was the Word of the Lord came unto me with witness to my spirit that Christ was not divided and that there was no rent in his Garment For the Lord is one and his People one and that all thy outward Forms of Worship O England where thou art waiting for Christ in Observations is contrary to his Will for Christ saith The Kingdom of God is not in Observations neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you And that all thy strict observing of thy outward Forms is but imitating the Saints practices in thy babylonish heathenish Wisdom so there is nothing but confusion in thee and that all thy outward Forms is the outward Court which is without the Temple that the Angel was not to measure for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot and this was made known unto me from the Lord my God to be the estate and condition thou stoodst and doest stand in O England in all thy outward Forms and Observations Having a Form of Godliness but denying the
without Christ to do any thing acceptable to God c. Which thou goest about to prove the contrary and saist there is the Light and use of reason and understanding faculties though corrupted And further thou says This Light of corrupt reason as before exprest presents to the conscience good and evil c. Reply In the Light thou art seen to be in the corrupt Fountain from whence all these corrupt words hath come which thou hast Printed in thy Book and thy words are not true Corrupt reason of Man doth not present to the Conscience things good and evil a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit Mat. 7.18 There is nothing makes manifest Darkness but Light Ephes. 5.15 which all men in the Fall is gone from out of the way and there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.9 10 11. c. And the natural Man receives not the things that are of God nor can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 12.14 And all the Righteousness of Man in this state is as a filthy Rag and a menstruous Cloath Isa. 64.6 And this is the state of Man in corrupt Nature And the Light that convinces Man of this dark and corrupt Estate he is in is the Light of Christ that convinces the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Iohn 16.8 So we that were sometimes Darkness are now Light in the Lord Ephes. 5.8 And who walk in the Light there is no occasion of stumbling â— Iohn 2.10 And whereas thou saist Thou knowst we Lie as thou hast made it manifest Reply It is not so thou hast not yet made manifest and Lie that we have spoken by any truth thou hast declared And thou goest on as in thy 89th Page thou saist The rational Soul of Man corrupted is called the Candle of the Lord which we invent to be Christ which is false we deny that the corrupt Soul of Man is the Candle of the Lord or Christ. And further thou saist It was thy intended work to go thorow all the Answers to the ten Questions but for want of thy Paper which thou saist we detained from thee contrary to our Promise In which thou saist not true for the promise was to thee thou should have a Copy of thy Paper which thou sent to us when it was ready for thee which was not then written neither was any time set down of thy having it and as way was made a Copy according to our promise came to thy Hands And in the close of thy Book thou goest on aâ— thou begun saying we deny Scripture as to the 〈…〉 were intended and reproach the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus which the Scriptures Teach under the 〈◊〉 of Heatheâ—ish Worships c. which is 〈◊〉 to in the Truth declared a witness to stand against all the Reproaches that thou hast cast upon the Truth of the living God and the God thou art pleading for cannot crown thee with honour in the day wherein the living God will exalt his Son and clear the Innocency of his People then shall the God whose worship thou art defending be confounded and Confusion and Shame shall stop thy Mouth and if this come not to pass as declared then say the Lord hath not spoken by me And in that thou call'st thy Postscript in the end of thy Book the things therein thou falsely accusest us with and calls them the Rocks which we are to manifest how we shall escape which is clearly made manifest in what is written in answer to thy Book Only this where thou saist we make no difference between the visible professing Church and the Pagan World all may be saved alike if they will c. Reply They that make a visible Profession of Christ and deny to walk in the Light of his Spirit are of the World that lies in Wickedness 1 Iohn 5.19 Mat. 7.21 as well as them thou call'st the Pagan World and not any can be saved by what they do in their own wills all that is done in that nature is abomination to God as is plain in to Answer what thou hast writ in Pag. 70. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that shews mercy Rom. 9.16 which he makes manifest in the riches of his Grace in Christ the Light who leads all that obey him in the strait way of self-denial and the daily Cross in obedience to the Will of God which is our sanctification And he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one Heb. 2.4 1 Thes. 4.31 He that can receive it let him For the Truths sake that the Simple be not turned out of the way by the false Accusations Reproaches and Aspertions thou hast cast upon it what is before written in Answer to thee the Truth doth clear and the Answer to thy ten Questions which thou chargest to be deceitful that they may witness for themselves against what thou hast cast upon them that all that desire to know the Truth may them read The Questions and Answers are as followeth 1. Qu. Whether the writings of the Scriptures are a Declaration of the holy Will and Mind of God that necessarily oblige the Servants of God that profess him to believe and observe whatever is revealed therein to be believed and done and whether the Scripture alone be a perfect Rule of Faith and Life unto all of years amongst us yea or nay Ans. The Scriptures is a true Declaration of the things believed amongst the Saints and a true Testimony of Jesus Christ but not any do them know neither can believe what is written therein only by the outward Declaration and Testimony of Scripture but by the Word of Faiâ—h which is in the Heart and in the Mouth which is the Word of Faith which we Preach Rom. 10.7 8. 2. Qu. Whether any other Revelations and Observations not to be found in the Scripture be binding to the Consciences of those Persons that have the benefit of the Scripture or whether such Revelation or Dictates within a Mans Heart and Soul be as binding to the Conscience and to be urged to a Mans self or others as the Scriptures are Ans. The Revelations of Jesus Christ is according to Scripture which Revelation binds up the Testimony and Seals the Law in the Hearts of his Disciples and what Dictates is in the Conscience or Heart of Man contrary to the Law and Testimony is not to be regarded but disowned and judged with the Light which comes from Christ the Saints Life who guides them in a pure Life and holy Conversation according to Scripture Isa. 8.20 3. Qu. Whether any thing besides the Scripture is constituted of the blessed God to reveal Christ as Redeemer and Saviour to the Spirit of miserable lost Man to bring Man unto happiness or whether corrupt Man without the knowledge of Scripture may ordinarily attain unto Salvation yea or nay Ans. No Man can come to the Son any other way but whom the
that hath resisted the God of Israel DEar Friends let the Love of God constrain you to trust in him and feel the Birth of the Seed of God born up over all to eat and feed of the Bread of Life that out of time and place and over all visibles you may live and rejoyce over all hardships that would appear and wrath that arises all keep the word of Faith in the Power of God the Mountains shall fall before you more and more and you shall tread down the Pride of the perverse and froward Generation in the patience and dominion of God forever and let the strong bear the Burthen of the weak that all in the unity of the Spirit in the Power of the Love of God grow up an holy Preisthood offering up the Souls and Bodies a living Sacrifice in faithful Obedience to do the will of God. In whose Name it is declared unto you Dear Friends in vain is it for Man to strive to limit the holy one of Israel or his Spirit in his People for if they were as the Sand upon the Sea shoare that seek to oppress and destroy you that love God more then any thing in the World yea then Life it self fear not comfort your selves in the Light of his Countenance for he will arise and scatter in his wrath as dust before the wind all those that resist his Spirit and his righteousness will he establish in the Earth for ever And O Sion thy God reigneth and thou shalt seethy Enemies come bending to the soles of thy Feet and thy renown which shall go more and more over the Earth thy leaves shall heal the Nations which shall walk in thy Light and you shall be known in all the Earth to be the City of the most high God yea the righteous Seed which the Lord hath blessed when the Faces of thine Enemies shall be covered with shame the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Let this be sent abroad amongst Friends with understanding in the Fear of God. W. D. York Tower the 19th 12th Mounth 1660. Dear Brethren ANd Suffering Members dwelling in the Power and Life glad your Hearts in the unlimited Power of God that in his strength you reign over all the Powers of Darkness in your keeping the word of Patience in the Lord Jesus who will plead your cause in his righteous Judgments when he will clear your Innocency in the Faees of all his Enemies to your eternal comfort and the Glory of his Name forever lift up your Heads this is the day that hath been proclaimed in your Ears which our God hasteth to finish and cut short in righteousness for his Name sake the mighty God of Power keep you faithful to the end Amen W. D. 19th 12th month 1660. DEar faithful Friends in God who hath known the day in your Travels that not any thing hath been dear to you not Life it self that you might enjoy the Light of the Countenance of God which he hath now manifested in the everlasting Covenant of his Light in Christ which now constraineth in the Power of our Royal Life born of the noble Seed to stand out over and above all flattering Tongues and all threatings and wrath of Men which will be more and more manifest before this day of tryal be over and what wrath ever the Lord suffers to arise in the Powers of the Earth without he moves do not any seek to stop it let God have the glory the wrath of Man turns to the praise of God and the remainder he will restrain while the royal Babes in Meekness and Patience stand still and gives glory to God in faithfull obedience with Life to Death if the Lord call for it who hath blessed the labour of all he called into the Vine-yard of God in whom my Bowels is enlarged in the strength of the Life I have received of the Father Oh feel me for I am with you filled with joy in the Lord that his royal Birth is brought forth and the Captive set free the Tongue of the Dumb loosed and the living Power of God raised to offer up living praises on the holy Altar of God in the Asemblies of his Saints Oh lift up your Heads be glad in the strength of the Lord in this day of gathering the good ripe Fruit in the Vine-yard of the Lord now doth the Vines abound with Vertue laden with Clusters of the purest Grapes full ripe which drops abundantly with the Wine renewed in the Kingdom of the Father Oh fill your Cups be not straitned in your Spirits to receive of the fulness of God in whom I am constrained to say unto you in the Light drink drink abundantly let the Thirst of the immortal Birth earnestly in the Light reach forth it self to draw more and more the infinite Life that it may comprehend you in the Power of it self that in its strength your Hearts may be set free over all below and your Spirit in the Light and Life raised in the Heavenly Harmony to praise and glorifie the Name of the Lord in eternal unity to the astonishment of all that know not God whose Hearts shall fail before the Life of God which keeps all that abide in it with what ever he gives low in his fear that neither Heights nor Depths Tribulations or Distress Persecution or Famine or Nakedness Peril or Sword Life nor Death things present nor things to come can never separate the royal Birth from its faithfull obedience to Christ Jesus the Light and dwell out of time and place and over all Creature enjoyments in the unlimitted Power to guide that your words be few and savory at all times whether in Bonds or out of Bonds to minister Grace to the Hearers and be tender affectionate one towards another in the pure chast Love of God all to lye down together in the eternal unity one in the fulness in the most high God over all blessed for ever Farewel your Brother W. D. From the Tower in York the 25 th of the first Month 1661. Let this go abroad amongst all the afflicted and wounded in Spirit with care send this to them DEar Child which Crys over all the World and beyond all the Pleasure Pomp and Vanity therein for the enjoyment of the Light and Countenance of God fear thou not neither be thou discouraged because of the violent assaults of the Enemy who seeks to draw thee into the carnal reasonings of thy Spirit and in it to kindle a fire to thy self and causâ—s thee to walk in the Light of the sparkes that thou hast kindled and this thou hast at the hand of the Lord in thy going from his Counsel thou lyes down in sorrow few knows thy great distress but to the Lord it is known and them that has walked in the same Pathes Oh thou Dear and afflicted Soul who lives in the deep sence of the working of the evil one in thy mind and many times is ready to
purifies the Conscience and this is his Worship he hath determined in his unchangeable and heavenly Decree to establish in the Earth and over all Nations it shall stand he will scatter all as Dust that seek to oppress his People and resist the rising of his glory and thou shalt certainly know the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Which if thou turn thy mind within to his Counsel in thee and in dilligent watchfulness encline thine Ear to his pure Spirit that calls for Righteousness in thy Heart and Conscience and be obedient with boldness to walk in the strait way of the daily Cross and deny the evil that accompanies the day and answer his requirings what he makes known unto thee then will he guard thee with the Power of his heavenly and dreadful Presence and will make thee a terror to evil doers that a Lyar or an Unclean person shall not be found in thy House nor any worker of Iniquity shall be able to stand before thee he will Cloath thee with Wisdom and thou shalt be able to Judge all Causes that is brought before thee in Righteousness then wilt thou put away all Sports Playes Pastimes Drunkenness Uncleanness and whatever grieveth his Spirit forth of thy sight and cleanse the Land of it through thy faithful walking with God who hath made thee a Son of Affliction from thy Youth that thou mightst learn to fear his Name which if thou do he will make thee a Terror to all Nations round about that devise mischief against thee the Angels of his presence will pitch their Tents about thee thou standing in his Counsel and giving Liberty to his Sons and Daughters as he moves them by his Spirit to walk in his Service who is the mighty God that requireth this of thee that thou do not lay a Bond upon the Spirits of his People in matters of Worship as to force all to one Uniformity for thou hast seen before thine Eyes that the Kings and Princes of this Woâ—ld that have sought so to do have brought much innocent Blood upon them who have been seeking by their outward Power to establish Sion with Blood and Ierusalem with Iniquity thus hath his People been Slain from day to day in the Nations that have been building Babel in whom is found the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and all that is Slain upon the Earth for whose sake he is now risen to plead the Cause of those that fear him and walk humbly before him And this he requireth of thee in all things to mind his Law in thy Heart to do unto others as thou wouldst be done unto if thou wast in their places and they in thine and let mercy be found in thy Hands to all people as thou hast found mercy at the Hands of the Lord yea to thy Enemies and in what thou mayst live in Peace with all Men and in all thy undertakings seek not thy self let the glory of God be the Object of thy mind and wait to feel his Hand leading thee in what thou doest which if thou stand in his Counsel to do as he requireth of thee to mind thy Place and to keep the people in Peace and punish Sin and Wickedness and give free Liberty for the Lord with his Spirit to Rule in the Consciences of his people as he orders them to meet in his fear and witness forth his mind where he leads them without restraint and no more be given like Lambs to the Slaughter and driven to Prison like Sheep to the Fold but to have free Liberty in their peaceable lives to serve him their God then will he raise his Name in thy Fathers House and make thee a nursing Father unto his People and thou shalt partake of the Blessings with them that fear him and all the World shall be amazed to hear of his dreadful appearance for his people that obey his Spirit in this Nation which shall convince both Iew and Gentile that the mighty God is risen to manifest his Power to them that fear him in this Nation and these Northren Countries and the day is very near wherein it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt but the Lord liveth that brought up and led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North-Country Oh King let his goodness constrain thee and all in thy Family to humble your selves before him what could he have done for thee more then he hath done hath he not been thy relief in thy greatest straits now let his goodness ingage thee to answer what he requires of thee then will he make thee one of the number of his Elect and Chosen and thy days will be fulâ— of gladness and thy Soul shall live forever in the Kingdom of glory with all the redeemed who are led with his Spirit but if thou reject his counsel his law in thy Heart and not regard his Spirit in thy inward parts but hearken to the counsel of thy own Heart and the wit and pollicy of the spirit of this World and so set up thy self on high and rob God of his Glory and give up his people as they have been to be pulled out of their peaceable Meetings and haled to and fro as Sheep that are slaying all the day long in tumults distresses afflictions stonings stripes prisons and death and set up proud covetous Men that know not God to be Teachers in the Land which draw people into Idolatry worshipping they know not what so the Blind leading the Blind they both fall into great wickedness which grieveth the Spirit of God and the liberty which is given to Playes Sports and Pastimes which draw people into drunkenness uncleanness and great abomination and if they be not reformed by thee but suffered to go on as they have been this will be thy portion as he hath multiplied on thee his mercies to astonishment of the people and Nations round about so will he stretch out the Arm of his Power against thee and get himself the glory in his mighty Judgments which shall be revealed in the great and terrible day of his fierce wrath wherein he will cleanse the Land of all that rob him of his glory and reject his counsel the Light of his Spirit in their Consciences and thou shalt certainly know the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it through his Servant which in faithfulness to thy Soul oh King hath not hid the Counsel of God from thee but greatly desireth thy eternal welfare and in patience waits that Righteousness may be established in the Earth who is known by name William Deusbery Prisoner at the date hereof in the common Goal at York for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. But before this could be sent unto thee with a private and safe Hand I was set at Liberty with some other of my Brethren by thy late Proclamation which we own
as an Act of Justice now if thou let Bonds be laid no more upon the Consciences of the people of God but as before written they may serve their God in free liberty of his Spirit thou wilt then find a hiding-place in this terrible day of Vengeance which will be manifest in England and so to the astonishment of all the World for not any Man that lives contrary to God but he shall roar under the heavy Judgments of the fiery wrath of the Lamb of God whom the Father will reveal in Flames rendering Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God will make England as the Garden of Eden and Wickedness shall not reign therein then shall it be a blessing to all Nations and thou shalt know assuredly he is faithful and true who hath revealed these things to his Servant that desireth thy everlasting felicity and happiness in thy obedience to Christ Jesus the Light who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and now is the Father revealing him to Judge every one according to the deeds done in the Body c. W. D. Dear Friends and Sisters BOrn of the birth of the immortal Seed of the most high God who hath not any Life but in his presence nor refreshment but in the Light of his Countenance you are the Children of the day-spring which is from on high lift up you Heads in the Light of the everlasting Covenant in it feel the drawings of the love of the Father whose Bowels earns towards you who hath remembered you in all your Retâ—rements Mournings Crys and Tears in the days when you were weeping and seeking the Lord your God seeking the way to Sion with your Faces thitherwards now in the acceptable day of the Lord in the Light hath he gathered you that you might satisfie the thirst of your Souls and the hunger of you Spirits in the Ocean and Fountain of Life which is opened for you all to drink yea drink abundantly of the infinite Mercies of the Eternal God oh feel the earnings of his Bowels that when you were Enemies he gave his only Son for you and now he spreads his Arms forth in this day of acceptance to imbrace every Prodigal and set free every Captive and purge every Conscience and wash every Garment of those that cannot live but in his pure Life Oh the strength of the Bowels and Mercies of the God of all Compassions who hath resisted the proud and given Grace to the Humble who hath opened his Ear to the Cry of the Poor and hath heard the Groans of the Needy and hath prepared his Table and richly furnished it with the fatness of his House that all that cannot live without him may in his Light return and wait upon him and he will imbrace you in the Marriage union in Christ Jesus in whom he will Cloath you with the wedding Garment of his own righteousness in the power of his love you all his dear Children to sit down and eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ which will fill you with vertue and cause you to grow fruitful Branches in the Vineyard of God in whom the Father will crown you with the Glory of his pure Liâ—e and cloath you with the Garment of Innocency and beautifie you with the excellency of his Majesty to grow in eternal Unity to finish your Testimony in faithfulness to the Lord God in his Light over all blessed forever And all you chosen Jewels of the Lord whom he hath made up in this his powerful Day to stand living Witnesses of his glorious Name in the sight of all People and Nations of the World whom the Lord calls to bear your Testimony in the glorious Resurrection of his Life which he hath raised up in 〈◊〉 in his Light as moved of the Lord arise in his 〈◊〉 every one to clear your Spirits with boldness in his Innocent Life let no difficulty stand before you in the Majesty of the Power of God tread down Sathan under your feet that would let or hinder any of you that are truely constrained of the Lord to declare his Name in any Country Nation or Island where the Lord God leads for the mighty God will prosper you that retain the sence of your poverty as in self that his powerful Life may stream forth in the glory of his own brightness to the enlightning of the People that have sat in Darkness that in the path of Life they may walk to the Praise of the Mighty God. And all you called of God from the least to the highest growth wait in the Power of the endless Life of the most high to cover you in it be valiant to keep your Meetings in the Name of the Lord that every one may feel the streams of the Fountain of Virtue in Christ the Light refreshing you all and filling you his Vessels with the Vertue of his heavenly Life And when the Living God fills you with the overcoming Power of his Love and moves any of you in the broken Heart and contrition of Spirit to offer up the Sacrifice of Prayer or Praises or any other exercise in the Congregation of his holy People This is laid upon me in the Name of the Lord to lay it upon thee whoseever thou art that thou quench not his Spirit let the Lord God glorifie his name thorow thee let not thy mind look out from the Lord as to mind the presence of any of his there for streightning of thee in thy obedience to God and in thy faithfulness thy Talent shall be increased so look not at thy weakness but at Gods strength and at thy clearness before the Lord and this in the Name of the Lord I lay upon every particular Soul to wait in singleness for the Lord to exercise thee with clearness in his sight in every motion and breathing of thy Spirit in the measure life received of God for he is come to silence all Flesh and set Israel free in the strength of his Life to deliver his Captives and to cause the Fetters to fall off that which hath been bound to lift up the Head which hath been bowed down in Israel and to loose the Tongue of the Dumb to cause the Mouths of the Babes to praise him and the Tongues of the Sucklings to speak forth his wonderful works So arise you that have groaned for a day of freedom and you that have been as Vessels ready to burst for want of venting and have said in your Hearts I fear I shall not be born so hast thou gone in mournfulness of thy spirit as a child disobedient to thy God but let it be so no more least thy Talent be taken from thee So all Children keep your Eye with God and with clearness answer him in every motion in his everlasting Power then will the Lord cause his Light to shine in the brightness of his glory which will stop all forward and
Consolation her broken Cisterns hath failed her What shall we do in this day she shall be spoken for which is come upon us though at present she cannot draw near but Mourns at a distance and Cries in secret for want of the enjoyment of the God of our Saâ—vation Oh let your Bowels open to her and let your Hearts breath unto the Lord that he may seal his Counsel unto her and cause her to walk in the Light of the Lord with us whom he hath raised to be the first Fruits amongst many Brethren to bear his glorious Testimony over and above the Heads of all the wrath of the Children of Men that withstands the Appearance of God who will cause them to bow before his Glory in the day he will clear the Innocency of his beloved people which shall smite the Hearts of them that know him not neither by Sword nor Spear nor strength of the Arm of Flesh but with the breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his comming which shall spread his Fame over the Nations to gather our Brethren from far and Sisters from the ends of the Earth yea the mighty shall bow to his Scepter and the Nations that are saved shall walk in his Light with us whom he hath made as dear unto himself as the Apple of his Eye and though a Woman may forget her sucking Child yet the Lord will not forget any that fear him but he will lead through all Tribulations with Joy in his heavenly Power untill we have finished our Course with gladness to the glory of the Name of the Lord forever And this is the Portion and the Lot of thy Inheritance thou beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife against whom every Tongue that is lifted up shall fall into Judgement and the Weapons formed against thee shall not prosper for the Lord hath made thee a burthensome Stone to the Nations and the praise of the whole Earth and the desires of the people shall be to the Name of the most high God who dwells in the midd'st of thee and hath displayed his Banner of Love over thee and hath turned his fury away from thee and never any more shalt thou want the fresh Springs of Life who loves the Light and bathes thy Soul in the Ocean of his inexpressible Mercies The Lord will keep thee in the safety of his Power and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against any of the Sons and Daughters who waâ—â— in the Light of thy City O Ierusalem in whom there is no more Curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb is in thee and his Servants doth serve him and they do see his Face and his Name is written in their Fore-heads and there is no Night there neither need of Candle nor Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they do Reign forever as the Lord hath spoken Through your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in York Castle the 19 th of the 1 st Month 1663. Let this be sent abroad to be read in the fear of the Lord in the holy Assemblies of the Church of the first born where she is scattered to the ends of the Earth The Breathings of Life To God's Spiritual Israel Through A faithful Follower of the Lamb in the Regeneration and Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation and now a Sufferer in Bonds for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus known to the World by the Name of William Deusbury DEar Children and Chosen Vessels of the Eternal Everliving God whom he hath plucked as Brands out of the Fire and hath manifested his heavenly powerful operating Spirit to lead you in his holy fear to wait upon him in the way of his Judgments which hath buried and 〈…〉 in the Death that you could not find â—ny Comâ—ort or Satisfaction unto your hungry thirsty Sâ—â—ls but in lying down in true subjection to the Judgments of the Lord manifest in the Light until the Lord broke in upon you when your wills were subjected with his tender love and bowels of free mercy which caused the Dead to live the Lame to walk the Deaf to hear and the Dumb to speak forth the wonders of the Lord. Oh you dear Companions in the Tribulations and Patience of Jesus when I remember you my heart is broken and as a man overcome with the Compassions of the Lords love that flows out towards you in which my Soul exhorteth you to dread the Lord and fear continually before the heavenly Majesty of our God and be faithful upon your watch that the Enemy which you know goes abroad as a roaring Lion to devour you that he may be trampled upon and never get Entrance to stain your pure Garments which you know never could be washed but in the blood of the Lamb And all take heed of giving way in the least measure to what you know would intangle you in any bondage do not rely upon your own strength though you have and do reign in the glorious dominion standing in the Light yet if there be the least hearkning to the Enemy to tamper with him though you may think you may be able to subject the disposition of nature he works upon if he draw you from the Light you will be insnared and distress and sorrow will come upon you as an Armed man and under Gods Judgments you must lye until the Lord raise you up again in the renewings of his mercy in the Light of his own Covenant Therefore dear Children of the Immortal birth I cannot but say once more unto you Watch watch with all circumspection and diligence stand faithful upon your watch that in the Light of the Lord the eye of discerning be kept open in you that you may discern the Mysterious workings of the subtil Enemy of your souls peace And take heed of taking any liberty to your selves in any thing but what you know stands approved in the Light Power and Life which hath so freely manifested it self in regenerating and renewing you in the spirit of your minds let your souls continually prize the Light and the Sin-condemning power to love it above all things that you may stand in the Marriage-union in the power which destroys the works of the Devil and keeps the Soul in pure freedom to walk with the Lord rejoycing in the daily Cross where Self is crucified and the Soul set free in the pure Liberty in the love and life of the most High to magnifie and praise his name in the beauty of holiness forever and ever Oh beloved ones look not at Self nor at any storm or tempest that ariseth through temptation or tryals of what nature soever as to vail you from beholding of the lovely countenance of Jesus the beloved of our Souls Oh lift up your heads all that love the Light for the Lord our God in the bowels of everlasting compassions will draw near you more and more and
appearance of evil in the Inward-man that would draw your minds from staidness in the Power of the Lord God that so the evil spy of the mind may never have Power that would run forth in the reach of your reason to judge of what will come to pass in the sensitive part and so cause â—0ainting and feebleness of mind thorow the dark Judgment which is out of the Light and Power of God as the evil Spyes did in the days of old who brought evil tydings of the good Land Therefore all you Servants of the Most High God stand fast in his Counsel who saith I am God Al-sufficient walk before me and be ye perfect in that to reign over all what ever is contrary to the will of God that so in the free resignation of your wills with all that you have and are you may be a living Sacrifice upon his Altar with singleness of Heart standing approved before the Throne of his Glory with boldness and holy conâ—idence without the least doubting or wavering of mind but that the Lord will go before you and with joy and gladness of Heaâ—t carry you through what ever he hath determined to the perfecting his Praise and Glory of his Name forever And dear Friends in God you are not ignorant of the tender Love of our Father who in the Authority of his own Spirit sent to proclaim this day of tryal in your Ears certain Years ago that every Child might look up to the Power of the Lord to be prepared to meet him in the day determined which now is manifest in the sight of all People that love the Lord To whom I declare in the Authority of the same Spirit and Life that your deliverance is sealed in the Eternal and Unchangeable Decree of the Most High God let all the power of darkness do what they are permitted fear not you chosen Vessels for not any more of the wraâ—h of man shall have power then you shall have ability in God's Sufficiency to rejoyce triumph praise and magnifie the Name of the Lord through and over all the wrath of Man all your days until your Change come and for ever when time shall be no more and God will be the God of your Families and tender Children who never did not will forsake the Righteous neither suffer their Seed to beg their bread Therefore lift up your heads in the Power of the Lord you chosen Vessels for you shall prevail and overcome through the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your Testimony and no more shall love your lives to death that you may do and suffer whatever the pleasure of the Lord is who was made perfect in suffering and did go before us unto the Father and â—ow is come again to receive us unto himself therefore all in the Light behold Him behold Him who ascended over all the power of Hell and Death and Darkness who now in like manner is descended whose coming we behold in the Clouds with Power and great Glory Therefore dear Children of the Lord with the Light judge whatever would cloud or vail you from beholding his glorious Appearance so shall you reign over all the evil attendances of the mind though they be never so strong or many you shall in the Power of the Lord trample upon them in the Name of Jesus whose coming is in the Clouds to deliver every Lamb forth of the evil that assaults the mind thorow the Manifestion of his Appearance For as the Lightning is from the East unto the West so is the Appearance of the Son of Man and as the Serpent was lift up in the Wilderness so is the Son of Man lifted up in this his Day O let your Eyes be all fixed on him and your Hearts stedfastly believing in his Name without wavering though the Devil tempt and all the Power of Darkness do what it can in the meek Life of Jesus you shall trample upon the head of the old Serpent and reign in the powerful Authority over all the Enemies within and without forever And as to the Clouds that arise outwardlâ— from Men who lay their Plots in the deep and fetch â—heir Counsel out of the bottomless Pit c. I beâ—â—â—ch you all in the Bowels of love consult not with Fleâ—â—â—nd Blood but walk close with the Lord as at other times as our Brethren Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abâ—â—nego did in the days of old for whom the Lord appeared through all the clouds and power of darkness to the confounding the pride of Babylon in that Age and Generation c. And certainly the Royal Birth of the Immortal Seed which maketh Self of no reputation shall see Christ coming thorow all the Clouds with Power and great Glory and in as great Majesty as ever since the World was made for the Deliverance of his own Birth that seeks not any thing but to glorifie his Name with the loss of all Life it self if the Lord requires it at their Hands to seal the Testimony of their peaceable and holy Conversation in Christ Jesus which is in meeting watching and waiting to receive the Heavenly Vision And dear beloved Children stedfastly believe in the Name of the Lord that the Birth of the one pure Will may be raised into its Dominion in you all that the Father may fill you with his sanctifying Word and when you are sweetly refreshed take heed of being hasty to utter words before the Lord but sink down into the Eternal Power and as it overcomes you with the forcible Power and moves in you to make mention of the Name of the Lord whether in Exhortation Prayer or Praises O take heed of quenching the motion of the Spirit but give freely up to the Power of the Lord to order you in his own Will and Wisdom what he will manifest thorow you that so you in true Obedience cast your Miâ—e into the Treasury of God and give the Lord his own with advantage which proceeds from a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit which our God will not despise but will enlarge our Borders for our Faithfulness that so all the Assemblies of the Lord's People may be as the Assemblies of Prophets of the Most High freely offering up to him the Fruit of his own Vineyard in the holy return of Praises Praises in the pure Demonstration and Power of his own Spirit that the everlasting Praise and Glory of the Name of the God of our Consolation may be exalted over all who is established in his pure peaceable Kingdom in the Hearts of his People and of his Dominion there is no end For the Heathen shall be given Him for his Inheritance and the utmost ends of the Earth for his Possession Swords shall be beaten into Plow-shares and Spears into Pruning-hooks for he will break the battle out of the Earth who is God over all to rule and reign forever and ever Princes shall be in love with Him and the Mighty of the Earth shall
in the Earth for his Seed sake and many that shall have their lives given them for a prey shall receive the Word of Eternal Life in that City and great shall be the number who shall submit to the Government of Christ and they shall bless the Lord for you that love not your lives to death for the Glory of God and gathering the Sons and Daughters of Men to the Knowledge of God by your holy lives and sweet walking in all holiness of Conversation Oh blessed be the day that ever you were born yea my Soul Glorifies God for you that ever you had a being you faithful Lambs in the City of London and else where scattered according to the Will God Though you now drink a Cup of great Affliction the day of Eternal Joy is sprung up to thee which none can take away an eternal Freedom shall be unto thee Oh Sion Kings shall come unto thee and Princes to the rising of this thy Glorious Day and all thy Enemies shall fall before thee and thou shalt be the Glory over all the Earth and the chosen Diadem in the Hand of thy God amongst the People who shall as much love thee as they now hate thee and esteem of thee as they now despise thee for thou Oh Sion art the Plant of the Lord the Tree of Righteousness in whom is the vertue of the mighty God of Heaven and the leaf of thy Tree shall heal the Nations and put an end to all their distractions the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Through one that dwells within thy Gates thou Glorious and Beautiful Sion Church of the first Born the Beloved Bride the Lambs Wife forever Blessings Glory and Praises Hallelujahs Eternal Honour and Renown be unto thy God and King who reigneth in thee and is exalting his Kingdom over all the Kingdoms of this World and of his Dominion there shall be no end W. D. From the Common Goal in Warwick the 12 th of the 6 th Meneth 1665. For the dear Daughters of Sion whom the Lord hath or shall suffer their dear and tender Husbands to be separated from them beyond the Seas or else-where for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. DEar Handmaids of Glory whom the Lord hath counted worthy to part with your dear and tender and beloved Husbands for the Name of the Lord assuredly many puts their Shoulders to help to bear the Burthen of your Tryals this day O the Tears and breakings of Heart that is poured forth before the Lord for your dear Husbands and you and your tender Children you are Families of many prayers and assuredly shall be known to be Families of many Mercies O dear Daughters of Sion be content with your Cup handed forth to you this day and bless the Name of the Lord that you are accounted worthy to be the first Fruits among the beloved Daughters What could the Lord do more for you then to count you worthy to suffer in this nature to give you such blessed Husbands that are set as glorious Lights in the face of all People Dear chosen beloved Daughters of Sion let it be seen you love the Lord Jesus more then your dear Husbands and stand over the affectionate Part and solace your Souls in the Love and Life of the Lord Jesus your eternal and beloved Husband and Comforter of your real Husbands and will make us all to rejoyce in whatever he calls us unto we diligently watching and judging our selves and resting in the Light and Will of God in which the Lord establish you you deâ—r beloved Daughters of Sion for whom breathes the Soul of your dear Brother daily to the Lord to strengthen you and your dear Husbands and all that love the Lord Jesus Christ In whom fare you well W. D. Warwick common Gaol the 10 th of the 8 th Month 1664. For my dear honorable Brethren who are or may be sentenced to be Transported to the Isles beyond the Sea for the Testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus MY dear Friends in the suffering of the Lamb who liveth and reigneth forever and ever and shall overcome all his Enemies in the day determined that all his Enemies shall bow under the Soles of his Feet then shall all that oppress you call you the blessed of the Lord forever O my dear Brethren lift up your Heads in the Light and Life of Jesus for whom you suffer abide in his Light reign over your thoughts of either Wife or Children or whatever would trouble your minds for giving up freely in this your Testimony O you valiants among the People the first Fruits and the leading Champions the Lord is with you and Thousands and ten Thousands shall bless the Name of the Lord for your faithful Testimony which shall sound over Nations to the gathering the People and bringing in our little Sister who hath no Breasts to feel the Consolation of the life of our Beloved for whom we suffer this day O my dear Brethren triumph trimuph in the face of all your Enemies it shall be well with you wheresoever the Lord suffers you to be carried and as to your tender Wives and Children the Lord hath said to my Soul it shall be well with them the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon them forever and ever and with you to the comfort of the Isles that wait for his Law therefore in the peaceable power of the Lord go on you chosen Brethren of the suffering seed which the Lord hath blessed O happy men that ever you were born and blessed be the day that ever the Lord called you in his Power to stand faithful in what the Lord requires of you in which living Testimony you stream through the whole Body as a River of Oyle and vertuous refreshings whose memorial shall never perish but preach to Ages and Generations to the Glory of the Name of our God forever O go on with gladness with trimuph for it is to bring in the Seed from all the ends of the Earth that our Brethren may come from far and Sisters from the end of the World O mighty God cover thy faithful Servants with thy glorious Power and cause them and their Families to rejoyce in thy disposing of them forever and ever Amen My Life in the suffering Spirit go with you in the Name of the Lord forever my dear Companions in these bonds Salute you in the Love of the Lord. Farewel W. D. From the Common Gaol of Worwick the â—0 th of the 8 th Month 1665. The Word of the Lord to all Children born again of the Immortal Seed as the Salutation of the Bowels of the unlimitted Love of the Father flowing forth to you in the forcible Power of his own Life thorow your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Jesus Christ. DEar and honourable Brethren and Sisters Oh how doth my Soul bless the Name of the Lord for you who stands faithful to God in your living
Righteousness thereof you shall have all satisfaction in the fulness of the Love of God though separated one from another and let none of your Eyes look out at any that deny the Lord of Life before Men who in the profession of his Name came forth with us and goes forth from us because they are not of us for as I have proclaimed in your Ears many years ago so I proclaim it again in the word of his faithfulness who liveth for ever That all that profess the Light and Name of Jesus and hath an Eye to self in what they do and doth not follow him with a single Heart in his work of Regeneration before the trying day be over they will deny him and wither as though they had never made mention of him but all you Lambs that fear and dread the Name of the Lord and freely gives up to be governed by his powerful Spirit and in the least measure wait in the Light self to be buried down under this Judgment and your Souls raised in the Resurrection of Jesus and born again of the Seed of God which cannot depart from him but must follow him let the power of darkness over all the Face of the Earth do what it is permitted Oh the beholding of you Children of the immortal birth it is known to the Lord the earning of Bowels in the meltings and breakings of my Heart and I am streamed into you as a River in the unexpressible unlimited love and Life of my God and your God where feel and taste and let us solace in the invisible in-dwelling love of a tender Father where no vulterous Eye can behold nor any venomous Beâ—st shall enter to sting the beloved Babes begotten of the Father any more And dearly beloved Brethren and Sisters where ever the Lord orders you watch diligently that in the sweet reserved Spirit in the heavenly Wisdom you walk together in the loving meek holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus and in the nearest fellowship and familiarity with any one watch to the Light to be covered alwayes with his Spirit of Sanctification that you may stand before the Throne of the Lamb with the pure Garment of his own righteousness to the Glory of his great Name forever And in all your words and works be tender over one another in love in what you may and the strong bearing the burthen of the weak that the holy meek lowly healing Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ may rule in you all binding up your Hearts together in the eternal unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace where ever the Lord orders any of you his faithful Children that you with us and we with you may be as Sinews to the Loynes and Marrow to the Bones of one another in the meek lowly Spirit of Christ our Head and Life that in him we all may be manifest to the whole World to be the Children of the most High God through the aboundings of his vertue in and amongst us who are born again and is the Church of the first born the pure Bride of the Lamb of God who abhors to live in any thing that is not of his nature and in sincerity of Heart have given up our names to him and in his Glorious Majestical cominion tramples upon all false births feigned self-creating self-serving Spirits who are gone from the Innocent Life and make to themselves Pleasant pictures in a voluntary humility and smooth words and gestures and outward appearances to enter the affectionate part and betray the Innocent as with a Kiss but in the tryal of the day that is come upon all pleasant things and pleasant pictures they are found serving themselves and Iudases to the Innocent Life of those that are regenerated by the Power of the most High and redeemed from the Earth therefore to you that stand girt up in the Light Thought and Will of God to reign over all the pollutions of this World I write as to my Honourable Brethren and Sisters desiring you all to resign to the faithfulness of God that his al-sufficiency may preserve you out and over all the clouding thoughts of your own Hearts that in the pure discerning you may taste and weigh all Spirits of what nature they are in what Nation Country or Island soever you are ordered to go and lay not your Hands hastily upon any neither regard their feigned smooth words and behaviour but in the Life of the Lord Jesus wait that he may give you Ability in his pure Wisdom to make your passage in the invisible entrance through all outward appearances to try and taste what they are inwardly to God in the measure of the Heart searching Spirit you have received of the Father that so you may all be kept and preserved in the intire union in the sincere Life to reign over all false births in the dominion to walk with the Lord and one towards another in the eternal inâ—xpressible unlimitted pure holy chaste Love of our Father in the Lord Jesus who in his unlimitted Love laid down his Life for us and with his Blood hath redeemed washed and cleansed us that we might have access to the Throne of his Glory continually to offer up the living Sacrifice of Halelujahs and high Praises Glory and Honour unto the Lord God and to the Lamb that sits upon the Throne our Light Life Strength and Righteousness Joy Peace Tranquility and everlasting Felicity over all God blessed forever of whose dominion there is no end And in his Glorious Powerful Resurrection and Dominion keep your state with God that his tender Bowels may be inlarged in you to all where you feel any true breathings and heavenly desires towards the Name of the Lord though in some outward things they may differ let not that shut up your Bowels but in the openings of the Spirit of the Lord in what you may Minister to the enlivening of that in them which the Lord hath begotten to hunger for him Oh I beseech you ease my Heart in this matter for I am in travel till all that hunger for the righteousness of God under what denomination soever be all gathered to the Light of Jesus there to receive an understanding to feel the Spirit of the Lord make a separation in condemning sin in the Flesh and quickning in Spirit in the Resurrection in the Powerful Life in Christ that so our little Sister that hath no Breast scattered among Languages Tongues and People in the Nations by your sweet and holy Conversations in the meek lowly and loving chaste Spirit of the Lord Jesus may be gathered in the Light and Life of â—esus with us to sit down at the table of our God to drink continually the Cup of Salvation in which work O my God bless thy Servants with thy prosperous presence where ever thou sends them and all you chosen Lambs comfort my Heart in what my Soul desires in this thing that as in the pure discerning of the Spirit of the
the glory of his Name and the comfort of one another which will cause you to prize the opportunities God gives to you not knowing how soon you may be deprived of them c. And be tender one over another and watch over one another with a pure single eye and every one see the Beam cast out of your own Eye before you go to spy a Moâ—e in others And if any Brother or Sister offend you that know speak to them privately in all tenderness to restore them and this know Whoever turns a Sinner from the error of his ways saves a Soul from Death and hides a multitude of Sins But if they will not hear take two or three more and speak to them again in the spirit of meekness waiting and seeking the Lord for their recovery but if they will not hear but persist in wickedness then acquaint the Church whom the Lord in his Wisdom will order to deal with them for his own glory And in all things you do I dearly beseech you do unto others as you would be done unto your selves that so you may all in your measures stand as Saviours upon Mount-Sion to the glory of the Lord in the power of his own Spirit which will cause the Whisperer Bcakbiter False-accuser and Tale-bearer to be clensed away and cast out of the House of the Lord that so in the good order of the Holy Spirit of our God we may all live that he alone in his Dominion may reign in us and amongst us whose Government is upon his Shoulders and all the Crowns of the Gory of Man cast down at his Feet that he may be exalted in ordering every member of the Body in their place and service to his everlasting Praise and Glory Even so dear Father carry on thy work in all the Churches of the Saints scattered over the face of the Earth that in the Eternal unity they may be established in the Lord being one and his Name one and all the contrary swept away with the Breath of thy Mouth and brightness of thy coming So come Lord Jesus take to thee thy great Power and reign in thy Authority in and amongst thy dear Children to the astonishment of the Nations and all people that are not born again and to the Exaltation of thy own Name and Kingdom over all who is worthy to reign blessed for ever and of whose Dominion there is no end And all you faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ who in true innocency travel in his Strength and seeks not any thing for your selves in what you do but to Glorifie the Lord in establishing his People in the living Unity in his own Spirit Oh blessed are you amongst the People my Soul Praises the Lord for you and blesseth his Name that ever he raised up such a Spirit in you that in all the greatest riches of the Spirit God gives to you yet you remain truly poor in your selves and in deep humilty become Servants to his People for the Lords sake and being poor you make many rich in that which will abide fresh and green in the Winter Storms and will not fade away in the Terrible Blasts which will come for the trial of his People and cause all Hearts to fail but what is born of his own nature Oh dearly beloved Brethren feel my Bowels of enlarged love which floweth to you in the Love and Life received and enioyed thorow death where there is no variableness nor shaddow of change I remain your Brother in the Word of his Patience to endure the Suffering according to his determination with all that love the Lord better then their lives W. D. Warwick the 14 th of the 10 th Month My dear Friends IN these trying days be not afraid of what Man can do whose Breath is in his Nostrils and lock up to the al-sufficiency of the Almighty God to stay your minds in him who hath counted you worthy to Suffer for him In all humility walk faithfully before him unto the end he is your reward and will give unto you a Crown of Life forever even so be it with you in the Name of the Lord is the breathing of my Soul for you whom my Soul loves and keep your Meetings in the Authority and Life of the meek and patient Spirit which wares out and overcomes all things that is not of its nature Read this in the fear of the Lord amongst Friends W. D. Warwâ—ck the 5 th of the 3 d Month 1671. For my dear Brethren George Whitehead A. Parker and Brethren concerned in the General Meeting My dear Brethren IN the Love of the Lord my Soul in the endeared Life of God is with you if the Lord had set my face to have been with you I should have been present in Body but I am ordered otherways having much upon me while the Door is open therefore my breathing to the Lord is that he may cover you in that Assembly with his Glory and heavenly Wisdom as I believe he will to the comfort of his People that so all Hearts may be gladed in feeling his pure Power and heavenly Refreshing in you My dear Brethren in the Light and Life of God whom my Soul loves and remains Your dear Brother in the Vnity of the Spirit of our dear Father who hath called us by his Name W. D. Bristol the 7 th day of the 3 d Month 1673. My dear Brethren Friends are generally in a sweet state with God in this City and where I have passed both to my comfort and yours in the Lord blessed be his Name forever Dear Brother IN the Covenant of Life in Christ our head my Soul salutes thee and simpathizeth with thee in thy exercise in thy Bonds with breathings to the Lord to sweeten all our ways what he calleth us unto with his living Presence to the perfecting of his glory forever Amen Dear George Fox I have been through many Counties in the North Countrey and the comfortable Persence of the Lord did manifest it self in all the Assemblies of his People to all our comfort in him our Head and Life blessed forever All was very peaceable and great Resort to Friends Meetings of all sorts of People and not any opposition but all Meetings parted in peace And it would be too tedious to mention the names of them that minded their Love to thee through all the Counties where I Travelled but generally all the Ancient Friends in Cumberland Northumberland Byshopprick and York-shire Darby-shire Notingham-shire Leicester-shire and in this Town desired to have their dear Love remembred to thee and the deep sence of thy Labour and Travel is fresh upon their Spirits which causeth many Prayers to be poured forth before the Lord if it be his good Will and Pleasure to give thee strength of Body and Liberty to Travel amongst them to their great comfort as in the days of old and years past but in the Will of our God our Souls rests with
thee in the Pleasure of our God in whom I remain Thy dear Brother W. D. A General Epistle Dear Friends WHom the Lord hath in this his Glorious Day visited and in his Light plucked as Brands out of the Fire to wait upon him that his Great Work of Regeneration may be perfected in all of you to your Eternal Comfort and the Glory of the Name of our God forever c. And my dear Friends seeing many are Called and few Chosen many Convinced that are not Converted and many come forth with us and go forth from us that are not of us as by sad Experience hath been witnessed c. and from the deep Sense of this working of the Enemy I am constrained to send this Epistle amongst you knowing the Kingdom of God is compared unto Ten Virgins Five Wise and Five Foolish who had all Lamps and slumbred in the Secure Mind until they were awakened to enter in with their Lord then were the Foolish Virgins made manifest that though they had Lamps like the other yet wanting the Oyl they neither did or could enter c. Oh! dear and tender Friends let all Dread the Lord who make mention of his Name in the Light of Christ for this Parable is to you unto whom the Lord hath sent to preach to you and in you the Word of his Kingdom And this is upon my Spirit in the Word of the Lord to you all convinced of the precious Truth of our God turly to examine and search your Hearts with the Light of Christ Jesus that you may have a certain Knowledge how it is with you and how you escaped the subtil Wiles of the Enemy which have hindred so many from the Possession of the Life of Truth and that you may truly discern how the Enemy draws into the Foolish Conceitedness in the Out-side and Formal Profession of the Truth feeding upon the Knowing Part and so stoppeth the Hunger that should reach the Life and then in an Exaltedness saith I See Know am Clothed and want Nothing when they are Blind Naked Miserable and want all things and this is the State of all the Foolish Virgins who dwell in the Outward Court and place all their Confidence in the Form and Outside and Profession of Truth and so has lost the Sense of that Heavenly Hunger which must possess the Life hid with God or else it must mourn out its days in Sorrow Therefore all dear Friends watch diligently to the Heart-searching Light that this Mystery of Iniquity you may all discern that so the Enemy may not prevail against you to turn you aside either to the Right Hand or to the Left that whatever the Lord has convinced you of to be Evil you may wait upon him for Strength to preserve you out of it that so you may Answer God's Witness in the Regulation of your Conversation in the Uprightness of your Hearts so you may stand clear before the Lord that you are willing to do and suffer whatever the Lord should call you to and when you have done all this then be you watchful to the Heart-searching Light that the Enemy doth not draw your Minds to place your Confidence in the Work of Righteousness you have done as the Ground of your Hope and Calling in Christ and want Faith in him and so cause you to rest in your Services and so come short of the hidden Life enjoyed through Faith in the Light and Life of Christ our Righteousness I beseech you dear Friends Wait to know your Passage in this great Mystery where the Entrance is into the Straight Gate where all the Foolish Virgins though their Lamp in the Outward Profession be never so Glorious yet through Pride in their Attainments never entered into this Rest and here is the farthest that ever any come that make a Profession of Truth that go from us and are not of us So tender Friends that truly seek God's Glory and so love his Light that you are willing to give up Life and all to do his Will and when the Enemy would draw you to rest in what you have done and so take the Jewels of God and play the Harlot and deck Your Selves you Dreaâ— the Lord and in his Light you see more Light and you see That all that you have done is your Duty and your reasonable Service which you must do or otherwise you perish eternally and yet your poor Souls in the Light travail on in the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Mournful Companions who are weeping in Secret and inwardly seeking the Lord God to be Married unto him in that hidden Life which is hid with Christ in God and until you enjoy the Marriage-Union in deep Humiliation you wait in the Light for the Lord to create you to a lively Hope in Christ Iesus the Second Adam And you tender Children of my Father who can understand in your Heavenly Travail and Exercise of Spirit what is here written Lift up your Heads and stay your Minds in the Light of the Lord Jesus which ransacks your Hearts and doth not only keep you in Holiness of Conversation but makes you weary of living under the Dominion of your own Thoughts and Wills Therefore I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ watch to the Heart-searching Light that discerns your Thoughts and Intents and judgeth your Thoughts and all Fearfulness and Unbelief and wait in the Measure of the Light and Life that quickeneth your immortal Souls and hath begotten heavenly Breathings Hungerings and Thirstings to eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Lord Jesus Oh thou blessed Birth let not Streightness be upon thy Spirit for the Bowels of the almighty God earn towards thee which cannot be satisfied with any Thing but the pure Presence of Christ to reign in thy Heart and to exercise heavenly Authority in his Throne in thy Conscience Oh tender Babe born of the immortal Seed leâ—d not thy Ear to any of thine own Thoughts Doubts and Unbelief neither to the Accuser who seeks every way to discourage thee for trusting in the Name of the Lord but diligently incline thou thy Ear to the righteous Counsel which is the Light and Life The Lord will satisfie thy Hungry and Thirsty Soul with his everlasting Loving-kindness in Christ Jesus and will create thee to a lively Hope and marry thee to himself in his own Righteousness where thou wilt receive Dominion to reign over thy own Thoughts and thy own will and to walk in his Strength in the Word of Faith which will give thee Victory over the World within and without so will thy Heart be kept pure thy Conscience clean and thou cloathed with the glorious Garment a meek low and a quiet Spirit and so become the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus the second Adam and the Lord of Life and Glory and here is the Dwelling-place of all the Sons and Daughters of Sion Citizens of the new Ierusalem who walk
Blessed Truth of God to meet together in his Holy Fear that you may receive the Holy Inspiration of his Spirit to Exercise you in what Service God is pleased to call you unto whether in Prayer to God or in Exhortation to Build up one another in your most Holy Faith to raise up the Life in all thâ— every one that 's Overcome with the Powerful and Hâ—avenly Motions cast their Mite into Gods Treasury and give him his own Advantage so will you feel the Encrease of his Government in you that are Faithful in the true Measure of Light and Life more and more he will give unto you to the Edifying of one another in love So will you become Epistles written in one anothers Hearts with the Pure Spirit of the Living God which will bind you up in the Unity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace and what Exercise soever is met withal whilst you are in the Mortal Body Pray to the Lord to keep you in the Life of his own Spirit that Patience may have its Perfect work that if you be Smitten on the one Cheek turn the other Cheek to the Smitter also and if you be Reviled Revile not again but in deep Humility and Patience Wait in the Pure Meek and Peaceable Spirit of our Lord Jesus who was made perfect through Sufferings So are his Dear and Chosen Jewels who bear his Name in Righteousness and have their Eye to the God of their Help and their Confidence in the Lord alone Oh ye Blessed of the Lord be Glad in his Name who will not let any of you Suffer whose Confidence is in him alone any more then he will give Strength to Bear and will Sweeten the Cup of your Tribulation with his Blessed Presence which will cause your Hearts to Rejoyce and Sing in all your Tryals and will give you your Portion forever with the Blessed Assembly that Iohn Spoke of in the seventh of the Revelations a number that no man could number that had passed through the Great Tribulation and washed their Garments and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Holy Templâ— and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them and Feed them and lead them to the Living Fountains of waters where God will wipe away all Tears of Sorrow from their Eyes forever And this is your Portion you dear Children of the living God who in true Love to him have waited upon him in the Light of Christ to be Buried with him in his Spiritual Baptism and made conformable to him in his Sufferings and Death And in the deep sense of your present strait being made Conformable in Measure to our Lord and Saviour you Cry as he did upon the Cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me when he bore the Sins and Transgressions of his People Even so do you his Dear Children in your Measure passing through the Great Tribulations being made of the Number of the Slain of the Lord. Here is first a passing through the Great Tribulation and to be made of the Number of the Slain of the Lord and being truly Humbled into his Blessed Will in the deep sense of the poverty of Spirit there Wait upon the Lord until he Create you to a lively Hope and give you a Possession of his Blessed Life that is hid with Christ in God and so marry you to himself in his own Righteousness which he gives you for to be your Wedding Garment And now this Love of God constrains you to walk in all Strict Observations that are Required of you to be done but no more to Lean upon them for Life but have now all your Obediences accepted of God through Faith in the Light Life and Name of Christ in whom you now are the Righteousness of God for ever in giving up freely to be guided by his Spirit in Faithfulness to the end Oh you ever blessed and happy People Who doth witness fulfilled in you what is here written Lift up your Heads and rejoyce in the Lord and in the Almighty Power of his Humble Meek and Pure Spirit which makes Self of no Reputation but through your Obedience to Christ Jesus the true Light in whom you come to Witness the Lord to be One and his Name One and you that never had Power to believe in his Name until he gave you Power to believe you are One in the Lord for ever And here is the Joyful and Eternal Unity with the Father in the Son and one with another in the Love of Christ which bought us with his â—lood which the gates of Hell can never Prevail against And all you my Ancient Brethren and Sisters that have Obtained this Blessed Dominion and Everlasting Inheritance I Bless God for you whom I do believe will take care to answer the Desire of my Soul as before-written For the Comfort of the Young and Tender Babes for whose sake I had this Concern upon my Spirit to lay before them the true Passage into the Footsteps where the Tribulated Companions have Travelled that are Married to the Lord of Life and have upon them their Wedding-Garment that they may not come Short that are upon their Travel towards the same Inheritance in Christ the true Light as before exprest And I dearly beseech you whom God hath Sealed up with his holy Spirit to your full assurance of Gods Everlasting Love in Christ Jesus that you Watch over the tender and tribulated ones and in what possible can be done to strengthen their Faith that they may come into the heavenly Unity with the Father in the Son and sit down with all them that have been made Conformable to Christ in his Sufferings and Death that in the heavenly Resurrection blessed and everlasting Peace they may sing Hallelujah and high Praises to the Lord their God over all the wrath that 's in the Children of Men which will come to an end and vanish away like Smoke before you whom the Lord hath called in meekness and Patience to bear his Name in Righteousness in the Sweet Savory Spirit of Jesus Christ over all Blessed forever Amen In which the Lord keep you all with my Soul Faithful unto the end is the Breathings of the Spirit of your Brother and Companion in the Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation in the Lord Jesus Christ. And further I have this to communicate to my Friends and Brethren that what hath come to pass these late Years for want of Watchfulness to be Guided by the Spirit of the Lord Love hath been quenched in many that Offences have entred and Separation followed which hath deeply wounded my Spirit who hath endeavoured to the utmost of my Power in the Love of God to prevent such Proceedings and so have I done in many Years past in preventing Papers ready to be Printed from being Published that were of a tendency to quench the Love of one
according to the Truth of our God and for want of this carefulness in Parents the Spirit of the World is strengthened in their Children when it should be kept down by the heavenly Authority and Power that the Lord hath given to their Parents to rule over them and nâ—t to let them have their own wills satisfied in any thing which is contrary to the Truth of God and all in his Wisdom so walk with such Moderation in all things as well as clothed in modest Apparel laying by all Superfluity that your good Examples may raise up the witness of God in your Children and for want of this care in some Parents and being too indulgent and full of lenity to their Children they grow Rude Stubborn Self-willed and Disobedient to their Parents while they are under their tuishion to the wounding of the Hearts of their Parents who neglected their duty as to the Government of their Children in their tender Years Therefore I desire and beseech you in this weighty concern that you slight not the oppertunity God gives you to be in all things a good Example to all that live with you both Children and Servants that by your godly Conversation and heavenly Exhortations you raise up the Witness for God in your Children and Servants and in exercising the Power God hath given to you to cross and keep down the evil Nature while they live with you And when your Children grow up take them to Meetings and keep your Eyes over them that they behave themselves soberly according to your Exhortations then encourage them in wel-doing so will the Lord bless your sweet and heavenly Behaviour in your Families that Servants will bless God that ever it was their lots to come into your Families in that their Spirits were sweetly seasoned with the Truth by your heavenly Behaviour and Care over them c. and your Children will magnifie the Name of the Lord for your blessed Care and heavenly Instructions and godly Endeavours every way for their good in this World and their eternal happiness in the World to come which will Crown the hoary Heads of their Parents with Joy to see their blessed care and endeavours sanctified to their Children and to see their Off-spring to be made the Off-spring and Children of God blessed be his Name forever who heareth the Prayers of his People who is exercised daily in the heavenly inspiration of his holy Spirit to call upon his holy Name not only for Enemies but for a blessing upon their Families and for all that love the Truth of our God these are the Families that are a sweet savour to the Lord that he guards with the Angel of his presence and wiâ—l make them manifest and known to all People that they are his chosen Jewels whom he will preserve in the day when he will pour forth his Vengence upon the Heathen that know him not and upon all the Families that call not upon his Name And if any of these Children of these heavenly minded Parents when they are from under their tuishion for want of watchfulness grow into carelesness and turn their backs of the blessed Truth of God and trample all the care and good counsel of their Parents under their Feet to satisfie their own Wills in the Pride and Vanity of this evil World to the wounding of the Hearts of their careful and loving Parents they will be clear of their Blood when they shall reap the fruit of their doings except they Repent And all you young and tender People with others that come among Friends through the education of your careful Parents Masters or Mistrisses you have been under I have a concern upon my Spirit to write to you that you do not rest in an outward profession of the Truth by what you have received by Education but all watch to the heart searching Light of Christ in you which will let you see you must be Regenerated and Born again and so be made real and faithful Friends by the Heavenly inspiration of the powerful Spirit of God in you which if you be careful upon your watch you will see Judgment upon all in you that is not obedient to the Light of Christ in whose Light you will see more Light that will let you see your great necessity of the enjoyment of the Life which is hid with Christ in God which will cause you to pray without ceasing that the Lord would enable you to loath and abhor the Pride Pomp and Pleasure of this evil World and to give you assurance of Gods Love to your Souls and until you enjoy it in all places of your retirement you will pour forth your Supplications with Tears to the Lord as the blessed and heavenly Travellers and Companions did and doth who could not find the Kingdom of God in outward observations tho none more faithful in observing what is made known to them to be the Will of God but the Kingdom of God not consisting in outward observations you in the Light press forward according to your Spiritual Hunger and Thirst in true poverty of Spirit weeping and seeking the Lord your God asking the way to Sion with your Faces thitherward that you may enjoy his Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks Oh you blessed Children of the Lord lift up your Heads and stay your Minds upon the Lord patiently waiting upon him he will turn your Sorrows into everlasting rejoycing and seal you up with the holy Spirit of Promise and in the marriage union with himself and will give you assurance of your eternal Salvation then you will certainly know the Kingdom of God to be within you and the anointing to teach you which will enable you to delight in taking up the Cross daily in true obedience to the Light of Christ all the days you have a being amongst the Children of Men then will you in the Name of the Lord 〈◊〉 upon the Pride Pomp Pleasures and Vanity o◠〈◊〉 evil World to the great Comfort of your dear and careful Parents Masters and Mistrisses whose tuishion you were under in your minority and tender Years and to all that walk in the precious Truth of our God over all blessed foâ—ever Amen And all dear Friends and Brethren seeing the Lord who turneth the Hearts of Men as Rivers of Waters and in his loving kindness so ordereth those in Authority that the Prison Doors were opened once more in our day to injoy Peace and Quâ—etness according to his blessed will Praises be to his holy Name for evermore I have a concern upon my Spirit that all Friends and Brethren have their Hearts affected as mine is to live in the sence of the Mercies of the Lord and every one for the time to come endeavour to prevent the Enemy in what he hath been a doing of late Years to make disâ—union amongst Friends and Brethren by publick opposiâ—ion of some and others not patiently keeping in their places hath also separated the differnce being so publick