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 1. 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 virtue 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 than 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 and we know him to be great and mighty a great King above all Kings and a great God above all Gods that is able to do whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth and in the Kingdomes 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 obeyed 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 kil nor cure the soul but the Lord whom we fear hath power and is able to kill and to make alive And because vve fear him more than man therefore we chuse to obey him rather than man to meet in God's fear And this being our condition let the sober-hearted judge Hovv can vve deny the Lord vvho hath all Povver and hath quickned us redeemed our souls from death go to obey man contrary to Christ's Doctrine vvho hath no povver over the Soul Surely as vve stand in God's fear and counsel vve 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 should serve and worship God for we know it 's 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 so we are content with our Religion which the Lord hath led us into and in the exercise of it we have God's blessing filling our hearts vvith love and joy peace and satisfaction in which our souls are comforted and vve look not for another Religion contrary to that which vve are in but our hearts are fixed vvaiting 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 spake against it and no longer but even as the Way of Truth vvas made manifest to us so to press on in it unto the end And vve see the Wayes and Religions of men to be so changeable sometimes one vvay 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 vve see many people so ready to part vvith their Religion and take up another that gives us just ground to believe they found not the Presence of God vvith them in their Way and Exercise And so it 's but loose vvith them and they can leave it upon occasion rather than suffer the loss of any thing for it and this makes us prize that vvhich God hath made manifest to us the more because vve receive Refreshment from the Lord in the exercise of our Religion besides if vve had been voyd of the true Religion till this day vve should have been as unstable as others tossed about vvith vvinds of doctrine and have knovvn no true rest to our Souls but it is vvell knovvn that vve vvere of the same mind that vve are novv in the time of the former Povvers and vve received not our Religion from them neither but from the Lord our God neither vvas our Religion or vve in the exercise of it confirmed by any Lavv 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 the 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 onely gift it cometh
in the power of the Lord our God we may war a good Warfare and finish our course with joy And verily this is 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 assmebling 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 iustly for the Antiquity of their way of Worship and their order in their Worship than 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 lead them that all might hear and all be comforted 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 met five or above they should be fined Indeed the Jews who believed not were bad enough and persecuted the Saints from City and halled out of Houses they that professed the Name of Jesus and sometime scourged them but they are evil examples to be followed and it's pitty that any who profess themselves Christians should do the like to any that meet together in the fear of the Lord to serve him and walk peaceably in godliness and fear And why may not more than four meet together lawfully to worship God in the account of God and all just men Why may not ten Yea and why may not a bundred and more 〈◊〉 Provided still it be to worship God and serve him And why may not also some come in amongst them who are unbelievers that are ignorant of the way of truth that they may come to hear and learn and be convinced of all and go away and confess that God is there of a truth and if there be more that come upon the same account it is also approved Sure that was a great concourse of people when the Disciples were met in one place where three thousand were pricked to the heart at one time Had it been justifiable in the Jews at that time to hinder such gatherings of people together or such Speakers as were who spake as the Spirit of the Lord gave them utterance The Jews were very angry with them and commanded them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus but they obeyed God rather than man and spoke boldly the Word of the Lord and the Lord was with them yea and filled their hearts with joy and comfort though sometime they were put in the Stocks and sometime in Prison So we do verily find both by the Testimony of the Spirit of God in our hearts and also by the Testimony of the Scriptures That our meeting together to worship the Lord and to wait upon him is according to the mind of God and also to the practise of the Saints in former dayes and although we be of the suffering-side as the Saints were in times past yet we are content in the will of the Lord to give up unto him in all these things And surely if they that causeth us to suffer did but diligently mind and consider their way and weapons which they go on in and war with they may find themselves to be on the persecuting side and see the Saints did not so neither war with such weapons for the Saints weapons were not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds for 't is the spiritual Weapons that can and doth conquer the man of sin within and can subdue every high thought and imagination and bring under whatsoever is contrary to the Will of God 'T is the Eternal Word of the everlasting God that is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword which divides within where no carnal Weapon can divide And if any think we be not in the way of the Lord let them come forth with spiritual Weapons or with the best they have laying aside all carnal Weapons Club and Staffe force and compulsion for that will never overcome a spiritual Enemy it may kill outwardly but cannot kill spiritual wickedness and coming forth with these Weapons this is like men that profess Christianity and would be far more comely amongst the sober and honest-bearted people and far more like to the Saints then halling out of houses by force with carnal weapons and casting into prison for no other thing but owning the Doctrine of Christ and meeting together to worship God And then this be offered as the prevailing Argument There is a Law made lately that will not allow you and if you do we must fine you or we must take your Goods or commit you to prison or cause you to forfeit your Estates Therefore we charge you give over if not we must proceed against you and break your Meetings with carnal Weapons Oh! where is the spiritual Weapons the power to convince gain-sayers Gospel-Ministers that went forth without Club or staff for say we convince our Consciences or else we dare
that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudible service Now then if it come onely 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 to 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 Worships 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 we can with a safe Conscience leave our Religion which God hath led us into and the exercise of it according to the gift of God by which onely 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 â—affly 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 practise 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 practise 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 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 pertaineth 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 onely 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 go into that in which we should suffer anguish 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 judg 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 favour is so refreshing to
The Suffering Condition OF THE Servants of the Lord At this day Vindicated And some Reasons given why the People called Quakers do own the Doctrine of Christ to continue in it and to meet together in the Name and Fear of the Lord to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit and Truth notwithstanding they meet with sufferings in this present time for so doing Bristol the 6th Month 1662. JOHN AUDLAND Hearken unto me ye that knew righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the Worm shall eat them like Wool but my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation Isa 51.7 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35 36 37 38. LONDON Printed in the year 1662. The suffering condition of the Servants of the Lord at this day vindicated c THe good and blessed Day of the Lord is come and the Heavenly Visitation of Life wherein the Light of Righteousness is springing up unto many people and many have received the blessed Visitation of the Lord and are made partakers of his Heavenly Power by which they are quickened and raised up unto newness of life to serve him and to follow him in truth and righteousness and the blessed day wherein the Lord visited us and the notable works which the Lord hath wrought and his noble acts which he hath done are not by us to be forgotten but are recorded in our hearts as things remarkable and considerable to be remembred by us while we have a being upon the earth and that with fear and reverence in our hearts unto the Lord our God who is great and mighty whom we have known to execute Judgement in righteousness to the judging and bringing down of that which was once exalted for when the acceptable Year of the Lord came unto us Judgement was laid to the Line and the Lord did arise to shake terribly the Earth the loftiness of man was bowed down and the haughtiness of man was laid low that the Lord alone might be exalted and the Earth reeled to and fro and was removed like a Shepherd's Tent and the Light of Israel was as a fire and the holy One as a flame to burn up the thorns and the thickets in a day many faces gathered paleness and hearts grew weak and knees feeble and many had their hands upon their loins because 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 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 worshipping 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 pleasant 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 Paradice 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 takes 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 spends 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 professe 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 Cains not accepted by the Lord no peace from God no true 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
us and the testimonie of his spirit is so satisfactorie in our hearts that we are perswaded nothing will be able to separte 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 they met with many hardships were oftentimes cruelly intreated 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 there 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 the feeling and earnest of sorrow and tribulation upon every one that doth evill 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 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 something 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 on 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 is good to a bide 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 doth 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 vve serve our selves nor do our ovvn Will nor the Wills of others vvhose Will is not according to the Will of God but we must serve the Lord and be faithful to him and vve see vve cannot serve tvvo Masters nor cannot be partakers of the love of God if vve be in the love of the World and follovv after the lusts of it and if vve love any thing more than Christ vve 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 your hearts to your selves and conform outwardly for all that It 's ansvvered Nay vve cannot because God requireth it of us to bear vvitness to his Name and Truth and vve may not deal doubly or deceitfully in shevving that before men vvhich vve are not in our hearts to God for the people that God hath formed to himself must shevv forth his praise And though it be true that God knows the heart of every one yet he looks for fruit also to be brought forth that hee may be glorified It is recorded in the Scriptures that there vvere many occasions sought against Daniel but they could find none against him except it vvere concerning the Lavv 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 vvas to be cast into the Den of Lyons and the Decree vvas sealed according to the Lavv of the Meades and Persians Novv it cannot be denied but Daniel might have prayed to God in his heart and his evil-vvishers have knovvn little of it but he vvas taught by the Lord to pray openly and to confess unto him that he vvas great mighty and povverful And so though the Decree vvas sealed he as if he regarded it not went and prayed to his God three times a day upon his knees vvith