THE MEMORY OF THE Righteous Revived Being A brief Collection of the Books and written Epistles of John Camm John Audland Those two faithful and honourable Servants of the Lord who were called to the work of the Ministry in the morning of Gods blessed day dawned in this Generation and with other Brethren bore the heat and burden of the day faithfully to the end and finishing of their Course being entered into the joy of their Lord. Together with several Testimonies relating to those two Faithful Labourers Published for the Service of Truth and Friends By Thomas Camm Charles Marshal Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Rev. 14. 13. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever Dan. 12. 3. The memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10. 7. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Ps 112 9. London Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoredich and at the Three-Keys in Nage-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1689. Thomas Camm's TESTIMONY CONCERNING John Camm and John Audland DEar Friends and Brethren in the fellowship of the eternal Spirit who are born again of the Immortal Seed my Life greets you all in the Lord and in his Love communicates what follows unto you wishing that all Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ may forever be multiplyed upon the whole Israel of God. Several Years it hath lived upoâ— my Spirit to collect and gather 〈◊〉 the Books and Writings togeâ—â—â—â— with some of the Labour◠〈◊〉 Travels of John Camm and John Audland those two eminent faithful and truly honourable Servants of the Lord Jesus in the Work of the Ministry to which they were called and chosen in the morning and breaking forth of that blessed and everlasting day in this our Age and Generation I say this concern hath lived with me though hitherto hath been obstructed partly in hope that some other might have undertaken the same work whereby I might have been excused and partly through the Service and Travels the Lord hath measureably concerned me in on the behalf of his Truth and People in late years But now being it hath fallen to my lot in Truths Testimony to be called to suffer Imprisonment and thereby at present freed from some of the aforesaid Service and Travels and the said concern hitherto resting upon my Spirit I was made willing to set to the Work being partly helped by others as to gather and transcribe their Books and written Epistles so many whereof as we could meet with are inserted hereafter in their proper places so near as we could being several of them without dates As for their Labours unwearied Travels Exercises Fastings Watchings Buffettings Scornings and Perils many ways and upon several occasions in full I cannot relate but shall give the Reader a short hint of some part of them as they may be brought to my remembrance in the following Testimony which lives upon my Spirit to bear for the Lord in the behalf of them as made Instrumental in his hand through the strength of his holy and eternal Arm of Power to and in them revealed to the exalting of his own Glory and the publishing of his everlasting Gospel-glad-tidings to the Poor and Redemption to the Poor and Redemption to the Prisoner of Hope in which blessed Work his Strength girded and his Power supported them in all faithfulness to presevere to the finishing of their Course here and having fought the good Fight they are entred into his everlasting Joy and Rest where they are freed from their many Labours Tryals and Exercises and their Works follow them glory to God for ever John Camm as he was my Father according to the Flesh so was he also a spiritual Father and Instructor of me in the way of Truth and Righteousness the which through the operation of the Word of Life measureably revealed in me in my Childhood became effectually to my Confirmation in that blessed Way for his tender eare was great for the Education of me and the rest of his Children and Family in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and as he was sharp and severe in reproving every appearance of evil yet with Wisdom Gravity and great Discretion the which appeared also in his encouraging and strengthing every appearance of God in his Children Family and all People being an especial example in his life and conversation The place of his outward Birth was at Camsgil within the Barrony of Kendal in Westmoreland which place hath been possessed by his Ancestors long before him As for his Parentage and Education I shall not say much more then that it was honest and of good report as any of that degree in that par of the Country as many can testfie as also that he from his Childhood was inclined to be Religious and sought after the best things and ever since I can remember he was one that joyned in society with them that were the most strict and upright in the performance of religious Duties and ordered their lives most according to Holiness and Righteousness He having seen beyond the national Priests and their empty lifeless Forms and so separated from them still pressing forward towards a further manifestation and revelation of the Way of Salvation which his Soul hungred and thirsted after and therefore he with many others who were under the same sence of hunger often met together amongst themselves and some openings from the Lord several of them had from which they could have declared excellent things having some sight or comprehension thereof yet wanted the inward possession of the Vertue Life and Power of what they declared of and in this state continued many days But the fulness of time being come wherein the Lord in his everlasting loving-kindness did cause his day to spring from on high and his Light to break out of obscurity and his glorious eternal Gospel to be preached again upon the Earth and particularly in this our Nation having heard the cryes of the Poor and the sighings of the Prisoners in the Pit even then the Lord called and anointed several for his Work and Service to publish this blessed day to bring Glad-tidings and proclaim the Year of Jubile And first and more especially he called forth and made choice of his dear Servant and faithful Messenger to the Nations George Fox and sent him into the North Country and particularly into Westmoreland near Kendal where there was a Field white unto the Harvest a People ripe to be gathered who as abovesaid were separated in measure from the Worlds Worship and empty dry Forms of Religion in many things and met together as aforesaid having several that were become Teachers amongst them but the chiefest John Audland and Francis Howgil
Years We say Men are not true Christians by Generation neither by an outward Profession but by an inward Change in the Heart wrought by the Power of God in the Regeneration And so if it be but a few Years in comparison since we or any of us were changed and turned to the Lord yet it was in the time when the Lord was pleased and saw good to visit us and we can truly say it was an acceptable day and time when we were turned from Darkness to the true Light and from the power of Satan to God And we are glad of it and can say Blessed be the Lord for it if it had been but yesterday that any of us were renewed in the Spirit of our minds to God for it is matter of Joy to us that the Lord hath gathered us in our day and time from off the barren Mountains into his Fold to wait upon him and to receive teaching and satisfaction from him This is far more to us to know the Lord changing us in our day and bringing us to know the things that pertain to our everlasting Peace than to have a large Profession of the Saints Words and yet to be out of the Saints Life and out of the way where true Peace and Rest is found to the Soul and so the Lord having manifested his Truth to us and brought us into the Religion in which he manifests his Presence to us we are content to wait in the Will of the Lord and may not forsake our Religion nor the Assembling of our selves together because Man saith to the contrary but walk according to the Gift of God by which only it is that true and faithful Service is performed unto him 4. Again we meet together to wait upon the Lord that our Consciences may be kept clear towards him that we may have the answer of a good Conscience towards God which if we should walk contrary to that which the Lord hath made manifest here would be shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for so it was formerly if any forsook the Lord and his Truth after they had tasted of his good Word if they fell away from that which they had once known and professed of the Truth and Gospel of Jesus they made shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and then they could not have the answer of a good Conscience neither had they Peace with God and what remained if they continued so but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which will devour And therefore we knowing the preciousness of the answer of a good Conscience towards God do prize it and esteem it as a Jewel of great worth and we may not forsake the Way of the Lord wherein we have the answer of a good Conscience because of outward Force and go into that in which we should suffer Anguish and have a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and a sting in our own Consciences therefore we can put it to all who fear the Lord to judge of if it be not safe for us to abide in the Way of the Lord and to be faithful to him though we may meet with Sufferings in this World. 5. Again we meet together in the Fear of the Lord and own the doctrine of Christ to live in it because we are perswaded in the Fear and Power of the Lord God of Life who is our strength that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord the Love of God is so Comfortable and his Favours is so refreshing to us and the Testimony of his Spirit is so satisfactory in our Hearts that we are perswaded nothing will be able to separate us our Strength is in the Lord and he is all-sufficient to keep us through all by his mighty Power unto the end waiting upon him and abiding in his Power he is able to save to the uttermost and this were the Saints formerly perswaded off that nothing should be able to separate them from the Love of God and they met with many hardships and were oftentimse cruelly intreated and shamefully handled as the Scriptures declare yet through all the Lord was with his people and comforted their hearts in their following of him and the Love of God abounded to them and in them and they were Conquerors through him that loved them Now if any at that time denyed the Truth for fear of man or any other thing they came to suffer in their hearts and to feel sorrow in their inward man for when iniquity enters into the heart it darkens the understanding and also the creature loseth the sence of the Love of God and if there be not Repentance and a returning unto the Lord Iniquity grows more strong and love grows cold in such and the heart grows worse and worse and is hardned by degrees against the Lord and his people and then there is a separation from the Love of God and the feeling and earnest of sorrow and tribulation upon every one that doth evil therefore we are perswaded that it is safe for us to wait upon the Lord in the way which he hath made manifest unto us that so we may receive the Power to renew our strength that we may walk on in the Path of Life and nothing separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus Shall tribulation or affliction or Principalities or Powers separate us from the Love of God Shall force by carnal weapons or Prisons cause us to deny that which God hath made manifest unto us Is there Powers against us Thrones against us well this is safe for us to abide in the counsel of God that we may always feel his Love in our hearts and if we suffer let us suffer here because of our faithfulness to the Lord If we must go to Prison let us stand in the Power of God that his Love and Life blessing and heavenly Presence may be with us Better to suffer outwardly in Prisons and Holes and have the Love and presence of the Lord with us then to disobey the Lord and walk contrary to his gift and so suffer inward anguish and sorrow of heart and some thing separate us from the Love of God and then who can speak peace to us if the Lord speak trouble but if the Lord speak peace it 's no matter though man may speak trouble though the wrath of man may rise high yet he that doth whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth he can make it to turn to his Praise and the rest of it he will restrain and blessed are they that have the Lord with them on their side he speaks peace to them in the midst of all his love refresheth our Hearts and so to put all out of doubt we are perswaded in the Power of the Lord that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love which we have in our Saviour and here it
of the great Travel that was upon them because of the mighty Power of the Lord which was made manifest in them for the bringing down of that which had been exalted against him and for the restoration of the oppressed Captive that deliverance might be known from the power of Satan and from the bondage of Corruption that we being set free wherein we were held might serve the Lord in Truth and Singleness of Heart and wait upon him and follow the leadings of his Spirit in the exercise of our Hearts and minds in Serving and Worshiping the Lord our God And so the God of Heaven hath revealed and made manifest the Way of Life and Peace the Way wherein Comfort and Satisfaction to the Soul is found the Gate of Mercy even the entrance to the everlasting Kingdom of Rest and Joy for evermore which although it be strait and narrow and a cross to the fleshly part and earthly ground and wisdom yet it is easie pleasent and delightful living in the Spirit and becoming little even as a Child for so must he become that enters in at the strait Gate to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God So we have found the way of everlasting Peace through the rich Mercy and tender Visitation of the Lord walking in the Spirit and living in that which mortifies the deeds of the Flesh being subject to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Here is rest to the Soul here is the sweet Visitations of the Lord known which are as the former and latter Rain to refresh the lowly in Heart and Poor in Spirit Here waiting upon the Lord the strength is renewed and here the Lord speaks Peace to People even as they are in Christ the Power of God growing up in him who is the Truth and the Life they are possessors of lasting Peace which God speaks not to the wicked which is the Portion of the upright in Heart and as the Lord hath made manifest the way of Peace Life and everlasting Happiness he hath also discovered the contrary even the way of misery darkness and destruction the way which is broad and many in the lusts of the Flesh take pleasure in it following the motions of the Flesh and the desires of the carnal mind resisting the motions of Gods good Spirit and hating the blessed Light of the Lord Jesus Christ and so spend away their precious time and in this state that is to say in the Flesh resisting the Spirit of the Lord they cannot serve God nor please him nor worship him in Truth though they may profess him in words and draw near him with their Mouth yet being in the Flesh contrary to the Spirit of Truth the Ear turned away from hearing of God's Law their Prayers are Abomination their plowing is Sin their sacrifice is as Cain's not accepted by the Lord no Peace from God no ture Rest no Satisfaction no beholding the Countenance of the Lord nor no assurance of the Eternal Inheritance which never fades away but an earnest of wrath pain misery anguish and trouble which will come upon all who live and dye in Disobedience of the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ And so we see the Way of Life to all that believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus and the way of death to all who live in unrighteousness and are not changed by the power of God and translated from Death to Life and from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God. And these things are of great concernment unto us and we see it is very needful to wait upon the Lord and to follow the motions of his Spirit that we may feel his Power to preserve us in his Will out of the evil of the World that so in the Power of the Lord our God we may war a good Warfare and finish our Course with joy And verily this a matter of great weight unto us even to have our hearts exercised towards the Lord in obedience to his Will in what he requireth of us that we may have a Conscience void of offence towards him And so the Day of the Lord God being come and his Eternal Power made known in many hearts by which many are raised to serve him and obey him yea to worship him according to his own Will and the leadings of his good Spirit We are even constrained by the Power of the Lord to meet together in his Name and Fear to wait upon him and to worship him and also to exhort one another in his holy Power as the Spirit of the Lord directs yea and so much the more as the day appeareth And this we find also to be according to the Scriptures of Truth and practice of the Servants of the Lord in former dayes who did not forsake the assembling of themselves together but met often and sometime in one place and sometime in another as they were directed in the fear of the Lord And they that feared the Lord spake often one unto another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him And this was in a time when the proud were called happy and they that wrought wickedness were set up and they that tempted God were delivered yet even in such a time did they that feared the Lord speak often together and also in the time when the Gospel of Christ was published by the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus many were brought into the obedience of the Truth and were gathered from the Jews Worship and way of service and they to wit the Jews could plead more justly for the Antiquity of their way of Worship and their order in their Worship then many who this day profess themselves to be Christians and a reformed Church and in that time did they meet together sometime in a Chamber sometime in an House and sometime in an upper Room as the Lord directed them and as they had opportunities and gathered Churches which met at Houses and waited upon the Lord and exhorted one another and might all speak one by one as the Spirit of the Lord led them that all might hear and all be comfored And we do not read that the Jews made a Law or the Romans either who at that time had the Principality that they should not meet above four together or if they meet five or above they should be fined Indeed the Jews who believed not were bad enough and persecuted the Saints from City and haled out of Houses they that professed the Name of Jesus and sometimes scourged them but they are evil examples to be followed and its pitty that any who profess themselves Christians should do the like to any that meet
able many times to get on or of his Horse without help through all which the Lord brought him his faith being fixt in his power and his life and whole delight was in the prosperity of Truth and Righteousness in the Earth amongst the Sons of Men. He was a Man that was richly furnished with the gifts of the holy Spirit always patient in his great exercises and weakness of a noble Spirit and exceeding grave in his carriage and deportment profound in judgment and of a quick discerning a sharp reprover of the World and the Wickedness therein as also all deceitful Hypocrites with disorderly walkers who made profession of Truth but walked not according to the Rule thereof Unity of the Brethren was his joy and Souls delight and therefore whatever appeared to break the same his Sword was keen upon to Wound his Ministry was weighty and deep and very powerful not pleasant to the itching Ears that loves smooth words but reached to the witness of God and tended to the refreshment of the Seed of the Kingdom where it was growing and springing up in the Hearts of Gods People also to the weary tossed and afflicted he had often a word in season to their Consolations being very tender over the good in all he had openings and sights of many things to come and he would often say there would come a day of Famine and that in that day many that had made a great shew would but be like the stony Ground or the broken Bow in the day of Battel he would also often say that his other Son my Brother would be an Esau a rough Man and not love the Truth but be a Grief and Exercise to his Mother but she would have Comfort of her other Children all which is fulfilled when he grew near his end his weakness encreasing he had great joy as he always had in the company of Friends that were faithful of which many came to visit him and many times he would have been wonderfully opened with the Power of the Lord and overcome with the sence of his Love and Peace and a fresh Testimony thereof he would often bear to the great refreshment of Friends and his Family when he lay in great weakness upon his Bed. His great care in all his Travels was that the Gospel of Christ which he had to publish might be without charge for all he had or enjoyed of outward things was freely given up to the Service of Truth so that he was willing to lay out part of the same in his Travels also his Heart and House was open to entertain all Friends that came in Truths Service having a great Comfort therein he was a pattern of faithfulness in suffering for Truth 's Testimony though never much in Prison yet his Goods were often spoiled or taken away which he suffered joyfully in Truth 's Testimony against Tythes in which Testimony and all other relating to Truth he was ever firm and never shrunk in the least his frequent Exhortations was to all Friends and his Family to be valiant and noble for Truth and to keep their Faith in God's power and never to look out or consult with the Wisdom of the World. He did often call his Children and Family together and exhort them with much fervency of Spirit to fear the Lord and walk in holiness of Life as becomes the Gospel that they had believed in and would often pray to the Lord for us and bless us in his Name some Months before he died he would often call for me to be with him for he loved me entirely and it was my joy and delight to serve and obey him in all things and many times he would wonderfully extol the Name of the Lord and praise him for his goodness and great mercy counting his bodily weakness a happiness being sanctified unto him by that Word eternal which had sanctified his Soul and made him an honourable Vessel to the praise of his God under the sence of which he would say How great a benefit do I enjoy beyond many who have such a large time of preparation for Death being dying daily that I may live for ever with my God in that Kingdom that 's unspeakably full of glory my outward Man daily wasts and moulders down and draws towards its place and center but my inward Man revives mounts upward towards its Place and Habitation in the Heavens in the sence whereof his Soul would often wonderfully magnifie the Lord. That very Morning that he departed this Transitory Life he called my Mother the Children and Family unto him gave us many good and seasonable Instructions to fear the Lord love his Way and Truth and walk in it with upright Hearts charging us to be kind and loving one unto another telling us that his Glass was run the time of his Departure was come he was to enter into everlasting Ease Joy and Rest charging us all to be patient and content with our parting with him as to the outward and so presently fainting passed quietly away into a sweet Sleep whereupon we were all so overcome with Sorrow and Weeping some of us aloud as one out of Sleep he was again a wakened and desired to be a little help'd up in his Bed speaking to this effect My dear Hearts you have wronged me and disturbed me for I was at sweet Rest you should not so Passionately sorrow for my departure this House of Earth and Clay must go to its place but this Soul and Spirit was to be gathered up to the Lord to live with him forever where we should meet with everlasting Joy so again taking his leave of every one of us and charging us to be content with his Departure lay down and we being troubled and reflecting upon our selves for the disturbance we had given him through our Impatience endeavoured Contentedness and in a little time he departed as to the outward but lives with us in the Spirit and being Dead his Life Preaches and is a sweet savour to the Lord and his People His Distemper was a Cough and Consumption And he departed this Life in 1665. being the seventh day of the Week and the next day was his Body laid in Friends Burying Place at Birk-rigg-Park he being the first that was Buried in that Place John Audland was Born in the same County not above a Mile from Camsgil his Parents and Kindred of good Repute who when he was but a Child was of a very ripe and quick wit of Understanding and Apprehension though somewhat inclineable to youthful Play execept which never addicted to any Vice about the Age of seventeen or eighteen Years the Lord inclined his Heart to Sobriety and reading the holy Scriptures and to be very Religious in what was then manifested so that he chose the Company and Society of the best and most Religious in that day and having a large Understanding and great Memory he became able in the Knowledge of the Scriptures and could
quick Apprehension and great understanding of a noble Spirit yet in humility condescending to serve the least in Truth his Company was exceeding delightful and pleasant being always cheerful his discourse good and tending to Edification exceeding ripe in the Knowledge of the holy Scriptures and of a strong Memory he was often concerned in Disputations with Priests and other Opposers of the Way of Truth that he bore Testimony too and walked in and the Lord had richly furnished him for that Service to the stopping the Mouthes of Gain-sayers to Truths honour his Declaration and Testimony exceeding large free and affecting almost to all sorts of People many with great delight would flock to hear him in many places which made his Service very great in opening the way of Truth unto all he having a Word in season to all Conditions insomuch that he regarded not his outward Body but many times went beyond the natural strength thereof notwithstanding that he was young and strong yet in this Service was much spent several Years before he departed and laid down his Head. His Life was bound up in the Unity and Fellowship of Friends and Brethren his Labour was ever to conserve the same and prevent whatever would appear to divide As he was honourable in the esteem of Thousands that the Lord through him had called and brought many of them to the Knowledge of the way of Life and Salvation so also had he a right honourable esteem of such as were in Christ before him and especially dear George Fox by whom he was Convinced He was very tender to the springings of Life in Testimony in the least Babe always ready to encourage and give place to the same for it was his great Joy to see the Lord's Work to prosper and the Testimony of Truth to spring in every Bosom In Counsel and Advice he was endewed with heavenly Wisdom beyond many in reproving the Careless and Rebellious he was sharp and powerful In fine I have this to say that he was abundantly furnished with spiritual Gifts a chosen and honourable Vessel in the Hand of his God to the Praise and Glory of his eternal Name Many comfortable daies and times have I enjoyed with him whom I loved and honoured in the Lord and I am not unsensible of his Love to me our Hearts being perfectly united and knit together in that love that 's everlasting passing the love of Women I never thought Travel hard or tedious at any time so that I might enjoy his Company in which I was always delighted greatly satisfied whatever difficulty soever I under-went to obtain the same After he was first called forth into the Work and Service of the Lord he was very diligent therein almost in continual Travels and several times was in Prison for his Testimonies sake as at New-Castle in the North and Bristol often in great Perils in the beginning having many rough places to break through where many times he Suffered sore Beatings and many Strokes together with cruel Mockings Revilings and Scornings from the wicked Rabble often and sometimes from angry bitter-spirited Professors through and over all which the Lord preserved him to his own Glory to inherit a Kingdom that 's everlasting for he counted nothing dear unto him for the Gospels sake but left his dear Wife and Child whom he loved entirely and Trade and all to follow the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of Salvation having an eye to the eternal recompence of Reward that the Lord hath given him fully to enjoy His dear Wife was not long after him called forth into the same Work and Service and Travelled into several Parts of the North Countrey and after into the South where at Banbury in Oxford-shire she was a Prisoner for one Year and several Months the Lord making her instrumental in his Hand to the turning many from Darkness to Light in that place and many other places where she Travelled When J. A. did grow weaker by his lingering Distemper of a sore Cough his Lungs wasting he would often complain of an inward soreness in his Breast though he seemed to look well being of a Ruddy and fair Complexion and would often say Ah! those great Meetings in the Orchard at Bristol I may not forget I would so gladly have spread my Net over all and have gathered all that I forgot my self never considering the imability of my Body but it s well my reward is with me and I am content to give up and be with the Lord for that my Soul values above all things Betwixt two and three weeks before he died he was taken as was supposed with an hective Feaver and daily it encreased upon him so that his sleep for many days and nights was taken from him in which time I was often with him being his desire and my delight to serve him in which time Friends in abundance flocked to visit him from several parts for as I said before he was a man greatly beloved of the Lord and all his People yea many of the World had a good esteem of and loved him and many times the Lord did wonderfully open his Mouth in Testimony to Friends as if he had been without sence of his Sickness to their great refreshment and exceeding joy and often he would be raised upon his Knecs upon his Bed and supplicate the Lord in the behalf of his whole Heritage and to prosper his Work in the Nation and Nations round about he said that there was nothing in all the World that he desired to live to enjoy except the comfortable enjoyment of his Friends and Brethren in the fellowship of the Life of Truth and that he might be a comfort to his dearly beloved Wife whose desolate condition he often bemoaned being so big with Child as that she was delivered of a Son about ten days after his decease but in this he said his will was in true subjection submitting to the Will of the Lord whether life or death to God he often and again committed and recommended all the whole Flock Heritage and Family of God together with his dear Wife and Child to be kept cared for and preserved saying that he would be a Husband to his desolate Widow and a tender Father to his fatherless Children often entreating his dear Wife freely to give him up to the Will and disposing of the Almighty whose he was being made acceptable in the beloved Son often sweetly comforting her in her Sorrow and great Distress making as little shew of his illness for her sake as ever he might yet we saw that he was under a great weight of Sickness and that his strength daily wasted so that in less then three weeks time after the Feaver took him he finished here and was sweetly taken to rest in the joy of the Lord for ever more it being the day of the first Month 1663. and the next day was accompanied to his Grave by many Friends and others and his Body enterred in the
Mercy and loving Kindness of the Lord has not been answered behold sower Grapes and wilde Fruit was brought forth and what was the consequence of it Was it not the taking away the Hedge through which it was eaten up and breaking down the Wall thereof and it was trodden down Read see feel and consider and the Lord God Almighty visit you in your Habitations and secret Chambers in his holy dread with his searching Life and piercing Word of Power who in his tender infinite Love and Mercy long-Sufferings great Bowels to his Seed and Off-spring visited us in his pure morning aforementioned to give all the sence of their inward states as they are in his sight from whom nothing can be hid And now dear Friends the cause of the hindrance of the prosperity of the work of the Lord in the Souls of any hath not been from any cause in God or deficiency in his Light Power and Wisdom but from the Creatures going out of a capacity of receiving and enjoying the working Power of God in which Salvation is worked out by all that wait for it and joyn with it and cleave to it and not forsake it for I have learned of the Lord through many exercises unexpressible that after the Visitation of the Almighty to any Soul the Lord requires an inward worthy receiving his Love spiritual Watch to be kept in his holy Light in which all the workings and approaches of the destroying Adversary of the Soul is discerned and the enlightned and obedient mind is preserved and through the spiritual fence given in a tender waiting on the Lord in the inward part supplicating breathings ariseth to the living eternal God of Love and Compassion who beholding the want of the Soul descends in his Love and reaches forth his helping Hand to the broken and contrite Hearted and lifts up the bowed down Spirit with the liftings up of his holy spiritual Standard so the Temptation and Assaults of the Enemy is vanquished and overcomse and the Power of God is felt in thoe that descend with it in humility to be working on the Root as an Ax and on the Rocky as a Hammer and Chaffy as a Fire Now Friends when there is an abatement of the inward and spiritual care and a gradual lessening of the inward watchfulness then the mind becomes both unworthy and uncapable of the enjoyments of the Power of the Lord that begun and carryeth on the Work of the Lord so then the Enemy comes as not seen through the minds being out of the holy Watch in the Light the nature that was wounded comes to be healed again and ease given to that which should be destroyed so the Enemy perceiving where the weakness is and how and by what means he has gotten a little enterance he endeavours in all subtilty and vigilency by presenting matters and subjects to lead by degrees out of a watchful state and according to every degree of digression he brings over the once enlightned mind a proportion of darkness and deceiveableness of Understanding and insensibility of Spirit in the in ward feeling part of the subtilty of the Enemy of the Soul who thus works that with the declining there may be a proportion of benuming all the inward sences of Seeing Hearing and Feeling and then again he has Mankind in a state fit to work upon by drawing them out by his Power to act and bring forth that which he sees them most capable of and which there is the greatest inclination in their natures to go into hence Schisms arise in Judgments which the wrathful part in Man getting into he works by the way of a fierce management with a sort of Zeal but not according to Knowledge in which the power of the Enemy works up at last into a Schism and the Enemy is never wanting to present matters to the mind as just for the Creature to be blown up with which ends in dishonouring the Lord and his precious Truth and hurting and harming others until the Enemy has worked his end by such Instruments bringing them into an Alienation from the Life of God into a worse state then the tender day of God's Visitation found them in and so if not humbled under the mighty Hand of God and returning they are exposed to Shame and so dies away under the Wrath of God. Now dear Friends the Enemy of Sions Prosperity works variously according as he sees where he may get an entrance by proportionating his Snares to the inclinations of every one as before is hinted c. Where he sees an inclination in any to be taken with the earthly things there he works subtilly to captivate the mind and draw it out of the watchful tender spiritual state into a false Liberty both to the affections to the things acting and possessed and in the conversation amongst Men others into superfluities in Meat Drink and Apparel on themselves and houses and such their comforts stand most in outward things and by degrees are swallowed up of them and the Pleasures Lust and Delights below and so they dye to an inward Life of watchfulness and freshness which is preserved in fear and dread in keeping the holy Watch and in the spiritual Cross which Crucifies to the World and the World to it Now dear Friends here is our spiritual Incouragement viz. The same that through Death to Sin made us alive to God as we abide under the leadings and teachings of it keeps us alive to him in a growing increasing fresh flourishing state for as we delight in his eternal Law of Life we grow as Willows by the Water-courses of Immortal refreshings and Travel faithfully on in our spiritual Journey until we come to Sion the City of God and then are Enjoyers of the end of all our Tryals and Tribulations having overcome we see an enterance administred and that abundantly into the eternal Rest and Sabboth of our God. The Lord Almighty give all to enjoy this blessed Portion and goodly inheritance and let all see in this Age and the Ages to come all that which lets and hinders them taken out of the Way that the God of all our Mercies in whom is all our fresh Springs may have his Honour and Glory his Church and People through Ages the Comfort and Consolation Amen Amen C. Marshall A Testimony concerning the Precious Unity of the Spirit in Christ Jesus THe Unity of the Spirit is so precious a vertue and glorious a Qualification in all the Churches of Christ Jesus that whilest the people of the Lord did abide therein in every Age they were in a thriving flourishing sweet and glorious station for as long as they truely held the Head Christ Jesus and kept in Unity with him Unity and Amity was preserved amongst them in their several stations and services as Members of one Body c. Of which Unity David speaketh preciously and comprehensively saying Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in
and the voice of a Stranger And by the Spirit of the living God are we gathered up together up to God to worship him in Spirit and in Truth and are of one Heart and of one Mind and of one Soul and have all one Teachers and peak all one thing And we being all taught of the Lord are far from Oppression though we be Oppressed and for the Truths sake was I moved of the Lord to lay this before thee that our Conditions may be known that the Truth may not suffer under the reproach of the Heathen who live after the Flesh and Persecute them who live after the Spirit A word more to clear thy mistake when we spoke unto thee that the Lord would make thee an Instrument in his Hand to establish the Gospel wherein thou apprehendest us that should be established by an outward Law that was not our desire nor we spoke no such thing but we witness the coming of Christ in his Kingdom is not by Might nor Power nor Pomp nor Glory from without nor by any Law which is in the will of Man but our desires were that there should be no Law upon Religion for it needs no Law to defend it for pure Religion and undefiled is this to loose the bands of Wickedness and set the Oppressed free and take off every Yoke And where pure Religion is exercised this is the Fruits and if thou be guided by the pure Light of God shining in thy Conscience and the righteous Law set up in thy Heart and the Spirit of God thy Teacher then there need none â—â— desire thee to take away those Laws that ensnare tender Consciences and so they who pretend Conscience and are not guided by the pure Law of God will be seen by those who dwell in the Spirit to have erroneous Consciences and so this Law will take hold of them and the righteous Law is upon the Transgressor and limits the carnal Mind and fleshly Will but doth not limit the Spirit but is at Unity with it And therefore Friend to thy Conscience I speak and witness this to be true in the Presence of God that as thou art guided by this pure Light in thy Conscience and this Law of the Spirit set up in thy Heart thou canst not deny us for we are none of those which dispise Government and defile the Flesh who pull down others to set up themselves but all unfruitful works of darkness we deny and seek to advance the Government of Jesus Christ alone and love all and have unity with all who are here and honour all Men in the Lord and have fellowship with those whose Conversation is as becomes the Gospel of Christ and they who Rule and Live here cannot suffer any outward Law to take hold on us who stand in obedience to the Commands of Christ for there is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord sets free and commands obedience take heed how thou suffer any Law to limit that Spirit for they who are brought into the obedience of the Spirit are dear unto him as the Apple of his Eye and his care is over them and the Lord will free them from their Oppressors And thus were we pressed in Spirit to lay before thee our conditions and the conditions of our Brethren who are gathered into the eternal Unity where there is no Rent nor Schism that thou might not be ignorant of those things and to shew thee that our desire is not for any outward thing or self-advancing for all self we deny for we came contrary to our own will and we declare this unto thee contrary to our own will and if thou stand not in thy own will thou wilt hear us and own us in advancing the Lord Jesus Christ upon the holy-Hill of Sion that the Law might go out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this we wait to see accomplished and his promise fulfilled in those who govern the Nations that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ And thus we have laid our selves naked before thee in the Presence of God and cleared our Consciences to thee and leave it to that which is pure in thy Conscience to judge Take heed for he that is in high Places is subject to many Temptations This I was moved of the Lord to Write unto thee who is a Servant of the Lord and a lover of thy Soul called John Camm For E. V. and the rest of the Flock of God in and about Banbury DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren in the eternal everlasting Covenant of Love and Life doth my Soul dearly salute you all who in your Measures keep in the same Love and Life and grows up in your stature which is well pleasing to God Oh my dear Hearts in the Life and Power of God which casts down Sin and slayes the enmity and gives you Victory and Dominion over the World which keeps you and preserves in the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all men upon the Earth to try them but you abiding in the pure Eternal living Measure of God dwelling in his Life and Power which is your Rock and hiding place shall be kept out of the same which the Enemy hath laid to take your Souls and here is your safe dwelling place so the Lord God of Power in his Life and Power keep you all in your dwelling place which is the Lord that with the Measure of him you may be guided which leads up into the Land of Righteousness into the Holy City where the uncircumcised and the careless and disobedient cannot come so with Bowels of dear and tender love unto you all who are Children of my Father and kept in his work I bid you farewel in the Lord and in him I am your dear brother for evermore John Camm My Wife and little Thomas dearly salutes you who are faithful in your places farewel As for my outward health it is much like as it was I grow weaker in the outward man but in the Lord is my strength and my support continually Glory and pure Praises be unto him for evermore Amen J. C. John Camm's Letter the 5th day of the 11th Month 1654. to Friends DEarly beloved in our Head and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ our dear love in him Salutes you all yea truly the same love runs out unto you all who wait upon the Lord and abide in your Measures that we are loved with all of our Father and we are your Epistles written in your Hearts not with Pen and Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God and then you who are guided by the Light which comes from Christ Jesus may read us daily and truly you are dear and precious unto us as you abide and dwell in your Measures yea truly ye are our very Lines and the Seal of
of all his goods and the Ministration of Condemnation which is Glorious in its time may be witnessed by you all that through it you may see your Enemies destroyed and the powers of darkness spoilled and Captivity led Captive and witness the gift given which is Christ in you the hope of Glory and where he is made manifest and comes to reign he throws down all Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickedness which is set up in high places exalting it self above all that is called God in you and he brings down the lofty from their seat brings into meekness and into the Fear of the Lord and redeems out of the World and makes a separation from it and so leads up to faith the Mystery which is held in a pure Conscience and this gives Victory over the World and without this it is impossible to please God. Now to the Light of Christ Jesus which he hath lightened you withal to that I direct you all that with it you may search and try your own Hearts and see your states and conditions and how you stand and what you can witness of the Life of God made manifest in you for it is the Life that distinguisheth and out of the Book of Life shall all be judged and therefore to the Light of Christ which he hath lightened you withal come that all may be judged by it which is contrary to the Life of God in you that so nothing may grow in your Gardens but the Plant of renown which is of the Fathers planting which Plant is pure and where it grows he delights to water it and dress it that it may bring forth more Fruit to the Praise and Glory of his Name and as this Plant grows up in you the Plants of self and of your own planting is by it made manifest and as it is loved and obeyed all that is of self is rooted up and destroyed and turned from and judged and condemned by that Plant of renown which is not of self but of the Lords right Hand planting and this is a plant of Righteousness and all who witness this Plant grow in their Gardens witnesseth a holy Life and a pure Conversation and Redemption from the filthy pollutions of the World and the heathenish Customs and vain Traditions and untoward Conversation which the heathenish World lives in which knows not God And therefore dear Friends my desire and Prayers to God is for you all yea my Bowels earns for you that you may grow up into the Life of God yea God is my witness I desire nothing more of you then to hear of your Welfare in the Lord and your growing up into the Image of God that you may come to witness the Glory of the first Resurrection that you may know as you are known and that you may know your selves redeemed out of the Curse and to know us and others in that which is Eternal which is not of this World but redeems out of the carnal up into the Eternal out of the World and in that wait to see the corruptible put off and incorruption put on every one of you in particular that the old Man may be put off and the new Man put on which is shapen in Righteousness and true Holiness and where this isl injoyed and fulfilled the Fruits of it will appear and the Life and conversation will witness it and therefore truely my desire and Prayers to the Lord is for you that yon may not be deceived with an outward knowledge comprehension of the Eternal Truth of God without you while you are not come into the pure Life and so rests in the shadow and in the form short of the substance and of the Life and therefore I exhort you all in the Name of the Lord and in the Bowels of tender love unto your Souls that you all of you live up according to your Measures that God over all may reign in you and be Glorified which is the desire of your Friend who is a Servant of God and of his Truth witnessed by you and known unto the World by the name of John Camm My Wife Salutes you all in the Lord Farewel The 20th day of the 2d Month 1655. From Preston Patrick in Westmoreland to Friends in Bristol An Epistle of John Camm's to Friends TO all my dear Friends Brethren and Sisters in the eternal Fellowship begotten again to a lively hope by the immortal Word of God and born of the immortal Seed which is but one in which our Union stands forever unto you all I say whose outward Being and Residence is about Preston Hutton Grayridge Kendal Vnderbarrow Powbanke Swarthmore and the upper-end of Lancashire and to all the reft of the Babes and Lambs and the Plants of my heavenly Fathers planting Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ be multiplyed upon you all who abide faithful and walk as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to your own measures which you have received from him that he may be gloryfied by his own And now dear Brethren and Sisters I Exhort you and Warn you or rather I Beseech or Intreat you that every one of you walk worthy of your Calling whereunto you are called for Holy is he that hath called you and he hath called you unto Holiness without which none shall ever see God and take heed that none turn his Grace into wontonness and trample upon the Blood of his Covenant and so dispise the day of their Visitation but prize the time for it is precious and while you have the Light walk in it and strive to make your Calling and Election sure for many shall strive and shall not be able because they strive amiss and take heed that none of you come short of your Crown in sitting down by the way and getting into the comprehension prehension before the Life and there you build in the Air without a Foundation and is gone away from the corner Stone and you and your building shall perish together and therefore all to take heed to the Measure of Life received that in it you may be found in the day of the Lord which will be a sure hiding place for you in the Day of his fierce Wrath when he comes with ten Thousands of his Saints to take Vengeance upon the wicked and upon all you that hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness but all you who fear the Name of the Lord and walk up unto him in a pure Godly Conversation the Son of righteousness to you is risen with healling under his Wings and the day of glad Tidings is come unto you and the Winter is past and the Storms and the Showers is over and gone and the spring time is come and the Flowers appear upon the tender Grass and the Voice of a Turtle is heard in our Land Glory and Praises be to the Name of the Lord for evermore who hath loved you and washed
is shed amongst you so in the pure Light abide which is your Eye by which you will see the Lords Love to you and wait in it that you may know the washing and the cleansing by the Blood of Jesus which Purifies the Heart and Sprinkles the Conscience and so the Mistery of Faith you will know so this is the Word of the Lord to you to exhort you and charge you that you all wait upon him from whence strength comes that your strength may be renewed that you may grow dayly and increase in the Riches of the Love of God and that you meet often together and dwell in Love and in the Bond of Peace and joyn to nothing which is contrary to the Pure Life for thou that joyns to that which defiles the wo is upon thy Head from the Lord God and there is the Hypocrite and the Dissembler which hath the Form but not the Power whose mind joyned to the Harlot and wo is the end of that profession therefore all dwell in that which keeps pure in the Measure that all may be crucified and mortified which is upon the Earth and from the Earth and abide in that which mortifies daily and crosseth the Earthly part and works it out and this is the Word of God to you whose minds are turned to wait in that which turns the mind the same leads up into the endless Life so the Mighty Power of the Lord God be amongst you and keep you that all strong holds may be broken down and that the Word of Life ye may all dwell in which gives Life and cuts down all that which is against the Life so fare you well The Lord God of Power carry you along on your Journey to the Eternal Sabboth we are your Servants for the Truth sake and the Seed sake Salute us to all Friends our Love flows freely to you your growth is our joy and riches growing in the Life you will see the Crown of Life and raign over the World and there we are your dear Brethren in Joy and in Tribulation John Audland John Camm The Testimony of Mabel Benson concerning John Camm her late Husband deceased THis short Testimony I have to bear for and concerning John Camm my dear Husband deceased that he was a tender dear and loving Husband to me one that feared the Lord and was freely given up to spend and be spent in the Service of Truth as Hundreds can testifie his life and delight being therein to the end of his dayes a pattern of Holiness he was in his Life and Conversation to the Flock of God he was exceeding noble and faithful in the Testimony of Truth he never shrunk in the time of his greatest Tryals which were not a few the Lord being always with him to the astonishment of his Enemies after he had travelled several Years in the work of the Ministry though in great Bodily Weakness the Lord was pleased in his Mercy to bring him home to his outward being to finish his course in much Peace to my great satisfaction the which in Measure abated my sorrow in the loss of him as to his Bodily presence together with my being well satisfied that he is at rest with the Lord and made richly to partake of the joys of Heaven in everlasting Life therein to praise the King of everlasting Glory unto all eternity Amen Mabell Benson John Audland's Letters and Epistles To Friends soon after he was gone forth in the Ministry Dear Hearts IN the eternal Truth every one in your Measures mind your own condition and be Low Meek and Humble for such the Lord teacheth Mind the fear of the Lord always to dwell in it that his secrets may be opened for in the fear the secrets are made manifest and the Pure know the secrets but the Wisdom of God is hid from the vulterous eye but that eye which comes out of Death comprehends Death and the Grave and sees God which no Man can but the Son declares him for he sees him Now dear Hearts wait for the Son to be made manifest in you every one in particular keep your Eye single that your whole Body may be full of Light. My dear Hearts be bold in this day of the Lord and valiant for the Truth upon Earth you who are redeemed from the Earth up to God to serve him and are called let nothing stand between but keep open that Eye which comprehends all the Earth keep out the Earth lest that the Eye be vailed keep clean within that nothing grow up within but what is pure that so you may discern the impure and you who are kept pure be bold to reprove the Unfruitful works of darkness and have no Fellowship with them neither within nor without for if any thing be spared within it will spare without and to be Rebellious is as the Sin of Witchcraft Oh my dear Hearts my care is that you grow in the Truth and that you may keep single every one in your Measure take heed of coldness and dulness in any but dwell in Authority and speak in Authory that deceit may be confounded and banished from among you that so the Pure may be cherished in the Truth none be Careless but be Watchful and Watch one over another in Love that you may be established in Righteousness that the Land may rejoyce and the Peaceable flourish and all the Unrighteous be cut down by the Righteous And Friends dwell in the Power of Truth and mind the Presence of the Lord with you always which keeps bold and causeth you to tread upon all the Worlds Ways Words Worships Priests and Deceits that so you may be fed upon the Mountains in a large Pasture Dear Friends mind your daily feeding in that which is eternal and feed not the Carnal nor labour not for the Bread which perisheth but for that which endureth for ever And all Friends take heed of looking back for if any draweth back my Soul hath no pleasure in him But all dear Friends press forward in the strait way my Hearts desire and prayer to the Lord is that you may grow and increase in the Increase of God and that you may all be Faithful for there is your Crown Oh be Faithful to the end that you may inherit all things and be partakers of that which never shall have end and keep in the Cross daily which will Crucifie daily and Mortifie daily your Affections which be upon Earth for the day of the Lord is approaching the good and happy day glad-Tydings to the Prisoner but a day of Terror to the Wicked and to all that live in filthiness who profess much Love to God with their Mouthes but the Heart going after Covetousness And a word to all you who are in that condition who draw near God with your Mouthes but your Hearts far from him to you who are convinced of the Truth of God and denies the Priests in words and come to Meet amongst the Saints
mighty Power of the Lord will apear amongst you meeting often together and faint not neither be weary the Lord God will appear amongst you and terrour shall smite your Enemies so in the Name of the Lord do we exhort you and charge you to abide in that which you have received from the Lord waiting upon him in meekness and lowliness and the humble shall know his way So keep low and learn and Grace will be given unto the humble my Life reacheth to you my Soul is poured forth to the Lord for you that you may grow and increase in the unsearchable Riches of Christ and the mighty Power of the Lord God be among you and in you to carry you through that you may Inherit all things I Salute you all in the Bowels of love and am your Servant for Jesus sake and am with you in Joy and in Tribulation John Audland John Audlands Letter from Kendal to Friends at Bristol June 1655. DEarly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied in you and among you that in it you may all be established and grow as living Plants and be fruitful in him that hath called you to Grace and Vertue that you may live in it and abound in every good work to the praise of the Lord whose love hath been manifested amongst you and you have heard his Voice and been Witnesses of his Power and his eternal Love hath been abundant towards you Therefore all Friends of your high calling walk worthy and press hard after the Mark so runing that ye may obtain every one of you in particular abiding in the strait way and in the Cross daily which is the delight of the Just and peace and refreshment to the Just in you all that in the Just you may all dwell and then the earthly comes to dye and judgment is executed upon the wicked and the Famine comes on all the Gods of the Earth and the day of separation and sorrow upon all the Lovers and the Mortification of the old Man and as that dies the Spirit is quickned and waiting on the Lord every one your strength comes to be renewed and your Life refreshed So to you all Friends Lambs and Babes of God whose minds are staid upon God their Food you will receive from the living God and grow every one in your Measure walking as you have received and prising the love of God unto you which hath been and is large and bountiful who hath searched you out who was scattered in the cloudy dark day and found no rest to your Souls but wandered from Mountain to Hill and laid dissolate and barren in a waste howling Wilderness and no eye pitied but he alone who is mighty to save hath visited you and your time was the time of love and he hath loved you with an everlasting love and drawn you in much tender mercy and given his Son for a Light that you might all walk in it and have fellowship in it And now my dearly beloved ones stand fast in that which brings eternal Freedom and makes free and be faithful every one in your measure to you all I speak as to one that you may grow in love and walk in love and in it be established for it will endure for ever oh let it be your joy to do the will of God in all singleness and to dwell in his fear and abide in the daily Cross reason not nor consult not for the mystery is hid from that eye but dwell low and learn there that subject to the Yoke every one of you may be and wait upon the Lord meeting in his fear watching one over another and abiding in the Light that your fellowship may stand in that which is the Worlds condemnation my Soul is poured out to the Lord for you and my Bowels runeth freely to you in pure love and singleness that you may all be preserved in the pure fear of the Lord out of the snares of the Enemy that in the eternal Counsel of God you may abide and be stedfast in the hour of Temptation Dear Hearts keep every one to your own measure which from the Lord is given unto you that you may witness the presence of the Lord amongst you and find his Power and hear his Voice that your Hearts may be kept open to receive the living Mercies from the living God that in the day of tryal you may stand and in the time of Famine your Soul's may be kept alive and when the Lord takes account of you you may give it with joy and be found faithful and fruithful in him This charge do I lay upon you from the Lord that you dwell and abide low in the Fear of the Lord in love to God there walking every one in the living as examples that the Lord alone may be exalted no Pride no Strife but in the Cross abide which judgeth that and takes away the occasions of Wars and the eternal everlasting powerful Presence of the Lord keep you all and be amongst you and go along with you for evermore I am your dear Friend and Companinon in joy and Tribulation John Audland My dear Brother John Camm doth dearly Salute you all in that which is eternal and never changeth he is pretily recovered and to you his love is exceeding great The School-Master Disciplin'd Or a Reply to a lying Paper Entitul'd the Gadding Tribe reproved Put forth under the Name of George Willington School-Master in the City of Bristol in which he is proved to be the gadder and lyar which with the Light is for condemnation Also an Answer to a Scandalous Paper put forth by William Prynne entituled The Quaker unmasked and clearly detected wherein his Slanders are made to appear and he clearly detected being taken with a lye in his mouth Whereunto is added a Reply to an additional Paper put forth by William Prynne in his lying inlarged Edition of his scandalous Paper aforementioned in which he is more unmasked and proved to be spawned from the father of Lyes whose refuge is sweeping away WHereas there is a Paper lateput forth intitul'd The gadding Tribe reproved by the Light of the Scriptures by one who writes himself George Willington School-Master in the City of Bristol whose Book is very silly and vain but that Fools love to be medling and in it there is much railing lying and false accusing against those people called by the Scorners Quakers I shall say something as to it for the Truths sake that the lyes may rest upon his own head from whence they came Whereas thou sayest A word from the Word to the Serpent generation called Quakers especially to the conniving Seducer John Audland and the rest of his Brethren in iniquity who have of late set forth a malicious Pamphlet against our godly Magistrates and faithful Ministers intituled The innocent delivered out of the snare and the blind guide fallen into the Pit. Reply The innocent delivered out of the snare
is not malicious and in this thou art a false accuser and in saying I am a Seducer thou art a Slanderer I charge thee to prove it and in what which thou hast not yet done though thou rail upon me and I did not write maliciously against any much less against Godly Magistrates and faithful Ministers but Godly Magistrates I own and honour in the Lord and faithful Ministers I have unity withal and brethren in iniquity are denied therefore thee I do deny who a worker of iniquity art found and from the presence of the Lord shut among the Serpent Generation who in scorn calls us Quakers and the word is against thee who art feeding upon dust and going upon thy Belly and the Word of the Lord even the word of Truth is against thee who art an accuser of the Brethren and rewarded must thou be according to ' thy deeds and though thou hast named that Book the Innocent Delivered yet let all take notice who reads thy filthy Paper that thou hast not answered any one thing there demanded neither confuted any one answer in that Book so the snare remains broken and the Innocent is delivered and he that digged a pit into it himself falls and the Scripture is fulfilled they that help and he that is holpen both fall together And whereas thou sets down many Scriptures as of blind guides Serpents Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites whited Sepulchres and writest Ye Serpents ye Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell ye are they that justifie your selves before men but that which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination to the Lord. Relpy In that which is an abomination to the Lord thou art which is esteemed amongst men and these Scriptures were spoken to thy Generation and upon thy own Head they are returned for we seek not the praise of men neither have we the praise of men and therefore it is that the Blind guides Vipers Serpents gather themselves together against the Truth which by the Power of God is now spreading a witness against all deceit and deceivers Thou sayest thou writest directly to thee John Audland and usest these words thou hypocrite why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye against the Holy Ghost why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty man thy Tongue deviseth mischief like a sharp Rasor thou lovest evil more then good thou lovest all devouring words O thou deceitful Tongue God shall destroy thee for ever And sayest Paul set his eyes on Elimas the Sorcerer and said as I may say to thee John Audland O full of subtilty and all mischief thou Child of the Devil and sayest repent of this thy wickedness for I perceive thou art in the gall and bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity and many such works thou writest Reply Take it to thy self who art of the Generation to which it was spoken for home to thee do I return it who art in the bitterness and in the gall loving all devouring words these things comes not neer me but over thy head do I rejoyce the misery will fall upon thy self and thy unclean Spirit the Lord rebuke a false accuser thou art and a Slanderer I do not love evil more than good if I had I should not have become thine Enemy neither am I in the gall of bitterness or bond of iniquity thou hast uttered that which thou knowest not for if thou hadst known what this means I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice thou wouldst not have condemned the innocent And whereas thou sayest judge not that thou be not judged and judge nothing before the time and with what measure thou meetest it shall be measured to thee again and writest against others for railing and judging Reply Thou art inexcusable who judgest another and dost the same thing thy Mouth is full of railing lying false accusing which proceeds out of the abundance of thy Heart as in thy Book appears and out of thy own Mouth thou art condemned and this I demand whether calling others Serpents Vipers full of all mischief Children of the Devil be not judging and if this be not then shew the difference between this and judging thou hast gone about to confute that the Saints are not to judge and that confutes thee who yet knows not a Saints Life and art so blind thou cannot behold that thou alloweth thy self in the thing which thou condemneth and with what measure thou measurest it shall be measured to thee again good weight shalt thou receive from the hand of the Lord who art weighed and found as Chaff which the Wind drives to and fro In thy 7th page thou beseecheth all who shall read thy Book upon consideration of the premises which is these things before mentioned to avoid and abandon the Meetings Books erroneous Doctrines and hellish Blasphemies of this new upstart impious Generation Reply All who knows the Lord and reads thy Book will avoid thee and it and have no fellowship with such unfruitful works of Darkness thou hast forgotten judge not and thou Hypocrite first cast out the beam thy envious Spirit which fomes like the Sea casting up filth swells beyond its bounds but thou art limited as all thy impious Generation have been and by the Power of the Lord are we preserved from thy errors and hellish Blasphemy and thy railing and slandering return upon thy self fruitless Tree upon which no Grapes are gathered Thou sayest what Paul said to the Galatians the same thou wilt say to the giddy-headed People of the Church of England Reply The true Church is in God builded upon the true Rock and is not giddy-headed here thou manifests the fruits of the Teachers who so long hath taught and had so much for teaching and the Church of England yet giddy-headed but the Lord is coming to gather his people into the true Fold from the mouths of all Idol Shepherds and to teach his People himself that they may be established in righteousness Thou sayest Paul taught the Romans and in them us first that it is the imputed Righteousness of Christ only that makes us just in the sight of God. Secondly that our election is of Gods free Grace Thirdly that me are justified only by faith in the Sight of God without good works Fourthly that the Scriptures are of divine authority Reply Silence flesh before the Lord upon the Children of disobeience shall the Wrath of God be revealed own thy Portion what Paul said to such as thee thou must witness a change before that which Paul wrote to the Romans be to thy condition the Lord is our Righteousness and our Justification and by his Grace we are saved who hath elected us and chosen us in Christ Jesus who hath all power and authority committed unto him and upon whose Shoulders the Government is laid but from thy earthly wisdom is the Election and the Faith hid who art without good works and belyes the Apostle and ignorant art of the Letter which kills Fifthly
his hand and power against them that so turn their hand and power against his people for obeying him and exercising their Consciences towards him in waiting upon him and worshipping him according to that which he hath made manifest to them and such will be more inexcusable for persecuting now than the Jews were in former dayes for then the Saints met together and professed the Name of Jesus which the Jews did not say they believed in Besides it was in appearance such a new way and so different to the Law and manner of Worship which the Jews had that they had some seeming colour in their way but now for they that profess the Name of Christ and the Sicrptures of the New-Testament and the Saints Practice and Christ's Commands to be obeyed for these all things considered to persecute people for owning the Commands of Christ for practising the same things which they cannot but read the Saints practised and to hale people and commit them to Prison for meeting in the Name of Jesus to Worship God and to wait upon him yea and to be so far from cherishing such as to act the very parts of them that made havock of the Church and haled out both Men and Women and was exceedingly mad and caused some to Blaspheme and committed to Prison for the same things it doth appear to be great evil and to be even Sin against knowledge against their own Prefession as Christans and cannot be parallel'd with any of the Saints but with the Persecutors who hated and evilly entreated the Servants of the Lord in former Ages who never could accomplish their end though they caused many to suffer and now to put all out of doubt and to give all who opposeth the People of God in the way of God an absolute answer that they shall not be able to accomplish their end and therefore it would be far better to be quiet and to mind the Royal Law of Christ lest they by acting contrary do bring innocent suffering and Blood upon their own Heads and incur God's heavy Yoke of displeasure against them yea and a Fire be kinded in their own Bowels and a Worm which shall not dye and a dart strike through the Heart and Liver and so the end be as bitter as Worm-wood and as sharp as a two edged Sword these are Instruments of War which the Lord hath in his Quiver which is reserved for the Day of Battel when God pleads with all Flesh by Fire and by his Sword when the slain of the Lord shall be many when he will rain Snares upon the wicked Fire and Brimstone and grievous Tempests this is the Potion of their Cup But indeed we do desire the Conversion and Salvation even of our Persecutors and therefore to put all out of doubt as is before said that there is no prevailing against the Lord nor against the Sion of the Holy One in whom the Lord is We say the living God of Heaven and Earth hath made manifest unto us the Way to Life and called us to walk in it and united our Hearts together as many as live in his Power to serve him and to wait upon him and to meet together to Worship him in Spirit and Truth and we are perswaded to obey the Lord and believe in the Lord that he will strengthen us in his Way and Will unto the end For our strength is in the Lord and not of our selves who hath called us to follow him through good report and bad report and not to deny his Way because of sufferings but to endure in patience and let the Lord plead our cause in the Hearts of his Enemies Obj. And if any say Why will you not swear And why will you meet seeing there is a Law against you Ans For these two things we say We dare not disobey the Lord for fear of punishment or suffering outwardly and we meet together in the Name and Fear of the Lord Because the Lord God of Life requireth it of us that we should meet in his Name and Power and wait upon him and edifie one another in his Love and Life and in our Meetings waiting upon the Lord we have the presence of the living God of Life with us and the feeling of the vertue of his Love in our Hearts and he lifts up his Countenance upon us yea and comforteth us by his free Spirit whereby we know and are assured that it is according to the mind and will of the Lord and that he speaks Peace unto us And this being the real Truth let all the honest-hearted judge how we can in Conscience leave that which God requireth of us in obedience to which we have God's presence with us and do that which Man requireth of us contrary to the Truth in observing of which we should fall into Condemnation and feel God's anger and the Testimony of his Spirit against us to judge us which would be greater sufferings in the inward Man then all the outward sufferings which we may meet with for in these being faithful the Lord comforteth our Hearts 2. Again We meet together to wait upon the Lord because we fear the Lord God he hath placed his Fear in our Hearts and we know him to be great and mighty a great King above all Kings and a great God above all God s that is able to do whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth and in the Kingdoms of men and we know he is worthy to be Worshipped and to have the Heart given up unto him for he hath Power to change the Heart which Men by all their force cannot do and to give true and lasting Peace which the World can never take away and his Fear being in our Hearts we account him Lord and Ruler in our Consciences and worthy to be obeved in Heart Soul and Spirit And because we fear him more than Man we are bound in Duty to obey him for he hath power over both Soul and Body which Man hath not for Man can but kill the Body he hath not power to kill the Soul neither hath he power to redeem the Soul neither can Man convert the Soul by any force or penalty outwardly therefore Man doth but labour in vain for he can neither kill nor cure the Soul but the Lord whom we fear hath Power and is able to kill and to make alive And because we fear him more than Man therefore we chuse to obey him rather than Man and to meet in God's Fear And this being our Condition let the sober-hearted judge How can we deny the Lord who hath all Power and hath quickned us and redeemed our Souls from Death and go to obey Man contrary to Christ's Doctrine who hath no power over the Soul. Surely as we stand in God's Fear and Counsel we may not do this Evil and Sin against our God. 3. Again we meet together to wait upon the Lord because God hath made it manifest to us and perswaded
us that the Way in which we walk is according to his Mind and Will and we look not for direction in our Religion by Mans wisdom or will how we shall serve and worship God for we know its God alone by his Spirit that leads people in the Exercise of the true Religion as it is written I the Lord teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee in the way in which thou shouldest go and lo we are content with our Religion which the Lord hath led us into and in the exercise of it we have Gods Blessing filling our Hearts with Love and Joy Peace and Satisfaction in which our Souls are comforted and we look not for another Religion contrary to that which we are in but our hearts are fixed waiting upon the Lord and we received it from the Lord and not upon any such terms as to continue in it till Man made a Law against it or speak against it and no longer but even as the Way of Truth was made manifest to us so to press on in it unto the end And we see the Ways and Religions of Men to be so changable sometimes one way and sometimes another that it appears to us as if Men received their Religion but till Orders of another sort of Men to the contrary And we see many people so ready to part with their Religion and take up another that gives us just ground to believe they found not the Presence of God with them in their Way and Exercise And so it s but loose with them and they can leave it upon occasion rather than suffer the loss of any thing for it and this makes us prize that which God hath made manifest to us the more because we receive Refreshment from the Lord in the Exercise of our Religion besides if we had been void of the true Religion till this day we should have been as unstable as others tossed about with winds of Doctrine and have known no true Rest to our Souls but it is well known that we were of the same mind that we are now in the time of the former powers and we received not our Religion from them neither but from the Lord our God neither was our Religion or we in the Exercise of it confirmed by any Law or Decree of theirs but on the contrary did suffer much hardship under them and by them whom they cherished at that time in the Religion which they allowed and they then said Theirs was the right Way and they Stockt and Prisoned many who were contrary to them And now others say they are in Way and useth force and such like to them that differ from them One said the Law is on our side and we are in the right the others say The Law is on our side and we are in the right and you must conform or suffer deeply We say None of these things can perswade our Consciences but come forth in the Power of the Lord as good Examples with spiritual Weapons if you will perswade us for we cannot with a safe Conscience leave our Religion which the Lord hath led us into by his own Power upon these things but must rather give up to suffer in the Will of the Lord for we know plainly it is God alone by his Power that doth bring people into the true Worship And this is according to the Scriptures of Truth and also to the Service which is now allowed for 't is said in the Collect for that which is called the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity Almighty and most merciful God of whose only Gift it cometh that thy faithful ful People do unto thee true and laudable Service Now then if it come only by the Gift of God that the faithful do true Service unto God then they that would force people from serving God according to his Gift given them would force them from the true and laudable Service of God and do make them act contrary to the Gift of God and unavoidably lead and force people from the true Worship of God into hypocrisie and a false feigned lifeless and heartless Worship in which the Lord takes no pleasure And so this being truly considered we can put it to the Consciences of all that fear the Lord to judge whether he can with a safe Conscience leave our Religion which God hath led us into and and the exercise of it according to the Gift of God by which only true Service is done to God in which also we find acceptance with God through Jesus Christ and go to a Religion in the will of Man contrary to the Gift of God by Force and Compulsion where we could not act affectionately with our Hearts nor yet find the Blessing and Presence of God with us acting contrary to the Gift of God Truly it is in our Hearts and Consciences as the Truth of the Lord that we may not falsly do it But if any should object and say Your Religion is but new or of a late standing Ours is a Hundred Years old or thereabouts since Popery was brought from having the upper-hand in this Nation for they forced but they were out of the way but ours is a Reformed Church 'T is answered That though the Name or Denomination by which we are distinguished from other people be but of late Years which was cast upon us by some that mocked us because of the Power of the Lord which caused many to quake and tremble yet the Life in which we live and the Truth which we profess is ancient and the Practice in which we are exercised in the Worship of God is according to the Truth and Practice of the Saints of old And so it might be said of the Saints and of Paul when he was converted and turned from the Jews Worship that it was a new Religion but it was the mighty Power of God that changed them though many in that day opposed them And so we say Force now with Prisons and carnal Weapons is of the same nature as it was formerly in the Papists and others for they said they had a Law and they were the true Church and they forced about Religion and killed many and now here is but the same Argument The Law saith so and so Therefore we see the same Nature forcing now as formerly as it 's said He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now And for being of a Hundred Years standing this adds no strength to it at all for the Jews Religion was far more ancient and yet being in the Persecuting nature and resisting the Holy One and the Just though they professed God with their Mouth yet that would not cover them nor will it cover people now to profess God with their Mouth while they are found in the Nature Steps and Practice of them who Persecuted the Saints and Servants of God in Ages past And for that which is said That we are but of late
is good to abide and not to give one Foot back to give any ground unto the Enemy but to continue where the Love of God is with us and his blessed Presence with us comforting our Hearts which people do not find with them in disobedience walking and acting contrary to what the Lord hath made manifest to them and so we can put it to the Consciences of all People who have any sence of the Love of God in their Hearts Whether it can be safe for us to forsake the Way of peace and rest which God hath made manifest unto us and in which we have the Love of God with us and to go into a Way by force into which the Spirit of the Lord doth not lead us where we shall find anguish and sorrow and something separating us from the Love of God and where God would not speak peace to us but trouble surely we are perswaded to abide in that which the Lord hath made manifest to us and our faith is in the Power of God that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God. 6. Again we are perswaded to continue in the Way of Truth meeting together in the Fear of the Lord to serve him because we find the Lord requireth of us to bear a faithful Testimony and witness to his Name and Truth which he hath made known to us at this day and though man require the contrary and would force us to yeild yet we may not deny the Lord and his Truth but must bear witness to his Name in obedience to his Will for we are not our own but the Lords neither must we serve our selves nor do our own will nor the wills of others whose will is not according to the Will of God but we must serve the Lord and be faithful to him and we see we cannot serve two Masters nor cannot be partakers of the Love of God if we be in the love of the World and fâ—llow after the lusts of it and if we love any thing more than Christ we should not be true Disciples and Followers of him And if it be objected Why cannot you do as men would have you What God knows your Hearts and you may keep yuor Hearts to your selves and conform outwardly for all that It 's answered Nay we cannot because God requireth it of us to bear witness to his Name and Truth and we may not deal doubly or deceitfully in shewing that before men which we are not in our Hearts to God for the People that God hath formed to himself must shew forth his praise And though it be true that God knows the Heart of every one yet lie looks for Fruit also to be brought forth that we may be glorified It is recorded in the Scriptures that there were many occasions sought against Daniel but they could find none against him except it were concerning the Law of his God and they that hated him consulted to get a Decree that none should ask any Petition of God or man for thirty dayes save of the King if he did he was to be cast into the Den of Lyons and the Decree was sealed according to the Law of the Meades and Persians Now it cannot be denied but Daniel might have prayed to God in his heart and his evil-wishers have known little of it but he was taught by the Lord to pray openly and to confess unto him that he was great mighty and powerful And so though the Decree was sealed he as if he regarded it to not went and prayed to his God three times a day upon his knees with his Window open and his face towards Jerusalem and so held forth his Testimony and bore witness to the Lord that he was worthy to be sought unto and that he was not to be limited by an outward Decree though a strong one from praying and calling upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord vvas vvith him and though he suffered the adventure of being cast into the Lyons Den yet the God of Heaven was his Preserver and he held forth a precious Testimony and God was much glorified for it was said yea and proclaimed through many Nations that all should fear and worship the God of Daniel for there was no other God that could save in such sort And also the three Children that would not bow though the King had commanded it that when the Voice of the Musick was heard all should bow to the Image which he had set up yet they would not obey for it was contrary to the Law of their God and great Wrath was against them and the Furnace was very Hot yet the Lord saved them and they bore a precious Testimony to the Lord in Obedience to his Law and the Lord was much Glorified and was proclaimed through many Nations to be the onely and true God and the King himself did praise and honour and extol the God of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Wayes Judgement and those who walk in Pride he is able to abase But now if any should say These were Heathen Kings and so not to be obeyed It 's answered They are more excusable therefore than those that in words prosess themselves Christians and own Scriptures and the Saints practice and yet are found persecutthose who live in the Power of the Lord and forcing by pains and penalties not according to but quite contrary to the Practice of the Saints whose Words they profess and are found in the very steps of them who persecuted the Saints and Servants of God as the Scriptures testifie and are so far from the Doctrine of Christ as to forgive Trespasses and to do as they would be done unto and to love Enemies and to pray for them that Persecute them that they do absolutely Trespass against them who give them no just occasion and do to others as they would not be done unto were it their case and let God's Witness judge and doth even hate and cruelly handle their Friends who wish them well from their Hearts and presecute them who pray for them And surely for these things will the Lord Visit and in the mean time we find that the Lord requireth it of us to be faithful to him in what he hath made manifest unto us that we may bear a true Testimony and faithful Witness to the Truth and for the Lord that he may glorifie himself by us for we are not our own but his who hath formed us and called us to follow him And therefore let the wise in Heart judge Can it be safe for us to lose our Testimony and to cease following the Lord and living in that which he hath made known unto us to his mind and will concerning us in which we have the Arm and Power of the Lord with us and him to take our parts and to go to that which he hath not called us unto where we could bear no Testimony for him for he that goes from the Truth