Again Whether Christ be not come the unchangeable High Priest he which puts an end to all Shadows changeable Priests and Worship whether he be not given for a Covenant of Light and whether all the Nations of them that are saved must not walk in it the same that Moses by the Spirit the man of God spoke of saying A Prophet like unto me shall the Lord your God raise up him shall you hear in all things and whether that Soul must not be cut off out of the Land of the Lord which hearkens not unto him only even him who saith Learn of me and ye shall find rest to your Souls and that when I go away I will send you the Spirit of Truth the Comforter which shall lead you into all Truth And what do you think of them which have heard and learned of the Father and are come to the knowledge of him which to know is Life and Peace eternal as he is obeyed and his voice followed who saith My Sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow What will become of them I say that have eaten of the true Bread and drunk of the living Fountain which as a Well of living Water springeth up in them even them that believe in the Name of Jesus if these shall fall away and in their hearts turn back into Egypt to you again and feed upon the Husks which satisfie not and drink Water out of your broken Cisterns even the puddle waters of Babylon from which all that fear the Lord let them be separated as we are whom ye persecute lest they partake with you of the Woes and Plagues he is bringing upon you because of the blood of the Innocent and the oppression of the Poor I speak that I may be refreshed let come on me what will good is the Lord and his mercy endures for ever the Lord is gracious and full of compassion but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty the Lord will most certainly do by you as you have done by us and such a day is the Lord bringing upon all Persecuters the like was never seen in England the mean while in patience we possess our Souls and commit the keeping both of them and our Bodies whom ye shut up for his Names sake whose witnesses we are in cruel Prisons as into the hands of a faithful Creator Thus saith the Lord Hear me O my People hearken unto me O my Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and all my Children shall be taught of me What may you judge of your selves then that say Hearken unto us Pray Sing and Worship God as we teach you for a Law is proceeded from us and all that will not Conform thereunto all that will not Pray and Worship God according to the Precepts and Commandments we have prescribed they shall be esteemed Rebels to the King and all their Goods taken away and at last after long imprisonment they shall be banished out of the Nation and all this is done and intended to be done by the consent and advice of you Lords Spiritual Whether Chiist who is the chief Bishop of the Soul and Shepherd of the Sheep ever gave you or any which were true Ministers and Bishops such authority Or whether all this be not from Antichrist's Power and the Dragon 's that slew the Saints which had the Testimony of Jesus and Word of God There are several Scriptures which speak of forcing and compelling which the Persecutors make themselves a Covering of but this was in the time of the Law when their Worshiâ— was outward â—nd they were compelled to it by an outward Law all which Christ put an end to and said God is a Spirit â—â—d they that worship him acceptably must worship him in Spirit and in Truth But this I say unto all you high and low great and small that persecute and imprison about Religion You have imprisoned and done violence to the Just and Holy One in your own hearts the good Spirit which God who is a Spirit hath given to instruct you that you have grieved and rebelled against and â—herefore all that will not do the like must be imprisoned their Goods spoiled and their Persons banished All that will not kill the Witness in themselves must by you be killed for its sake all the day long All they that will not make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and lay the Heritage of God waste and tread the holy City under their feet and blaspheme the Temple of God and them that dwell therein their Families must be laid waste by your consent and they themselves who fear before the Lord and at the remembrance of his Holiness they must be counted Hereticks and Blasphemers by this Generation You have rejected the Word of the Lord and will have none of Wisdoms Counsel and therefore must they which walk in the Light of the Word who are Wisdoms Children and justified by Christ who is God's Wisdom and Righteousness be condemned by you who are only wise to do evil The god of this world he it is that blindeth thee with the seeming glory and honour so that thou canst not see nor discern the things that be of the Spirit of God and now thou being blinded thy self thou Persecuter about Religion whoever thou art thou wouldst with cruel tortures make all to see with thy vailed eye thy own house being left desolate and overthrown by strangers desolate I say of the Spirit any otherwayes than to reprove and convince thee and the true knowledge of God thou wouldst lay waste the Temple of God without thee and the House which is a House of Prayer indeed wouldst thou have to become an habitation of Devils and Deâ— of Thieves like thine own thou hast banished the goâ—tâ—e reproofâ— of the good Spirit of God and the Word which is nigh thee out of thine own heart and hast set up another thing besides the Fear of the Lord which is to depart from evil and now thou being banished like Cain for thy rebellion from the presence of the Lord art wrath and thou wilt spoil all their Houses and Goods and lay their Dwellings desolate and though thou cannot banish them from the presence of the Lord as thou art thy self thou wilt do thy endeavour to make them miserable upon the Earth if thou canst not kill them thou wilt banish them under the name of Traitors and they shall be whipt and imprisoned under the names of Vagabonds thus thou art building thy City with blood but still thou art in a Land of fear and but a Vagabond thy self in the Earth whilst we poor despised People called Quakers who are free born of the Seed that is immortal by this Generation have not so much as a place whereon to lay out heads but in Prisons and nolsom Dungeons and all this is because we cannot bow to the false Worships the false Prophets the Beast and Dragon is setting up and establishing with carnal
A Visitation Warning Is this unto all MAGISTRATES AND LAVV-MAKERS TEMPORAL and SPIRITUAL to Repent of PERSECUTION and to forsake the Evil thereof that so they may obtain Mercy and find a Hiding-place in the Day of God's Wrath which is near to be revealed against all such Even from Him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto all his inferiour Officers and People in England whatsoever to him that openeth and shutteth the Prison-doors The Lord will teach his People the Lord will judge his People and therefore let all be warned how they teach or judge in matters of Religion and God's Worship Them that are taught of Him and have received the Law from his mouth by whom God speaketh in these latter dayes whose voice is heard and words received Persecution will undo this Generation the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it IN HuMFRY WOOLDRIDGE LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. A Visitation and Warning is this unto all Magistrates and Law-makers Temporal and Spiritual to repent of Persecution and to forsake the evil thereof c. PErsecution in all Ages was of the Devil the enemy of Mankind it was alwayes against the appearance of God where-ever he made himself manifest yet did the spirit of the World and births that are of the Devil 's begetting never want a cover to hide themselves withal nor slanders or names of infamy to cast upon them they persecuted so that I may truly say his visage is more marred than the sons of men But as it was in the dayes of the Jews so is it now they called the Master of the house Beelzebâ—th and did not want a refuge of lies to hide themselves saying For a good work we stone thee not but because thou being a man makest thy self the Son of God So I say is it now in this day of the appearance of the Son of God they in whom he hath mâ—nifested and revealed himself are not persecuted as righteouâ— and good men but as unrighteous and such as are not 〈◊〉 to live upon the Earth not as them that know the Truth and walk in it but as Deceivers and Blasphemers and such as bring in strange Doctrines and movers of Sedition and â—uâ—â— the World up-side down Under these names of reproach and slander do we whom the scoâ—ners call Quakers suffer moâ—â— cruel usage from this persecuting Generation as we did from them that went before and under these deceits and falshoods do the Enemies of God and his eternal Truth hide themselves saying You are a People against Ministers and Magistrateâ— you are Rebels to the King and will not conform to the Law which he hath made This was the Charge the Enemies of God charged Daniel and the three Children withal These mâ—n O King regard not thy Laws when they in their own wickedness had caused him to make a Law to his own hurt Thiâ— was charged upon poor Mordecai he regarded not the King's Commandment in bowing to the pride of Haâ—nan And thiâ— was the Charge-against Jeremiah he was no friend to thâ— King say they but sell away to the Caldeans This was the â—hargâ— which the false Prophets and Priests and men void of thâ—s◠〈◊〉 of God which they charged upon the Servants of the Lord in all Ages In the dayes of Ahab King of Israel four hundred â—â—d â—iâ—ty Prophets all encouraged Ahab and Jehoshaphâ—â— to go up to Râ—moth Gilead to battel and cold them they should prosâ—â—â—â— but one Micaiah whom all the Prophets mocked and 〈◊〉 who â—old the King the Truth he must not be believâ—d but â—ust bâ— put in Pâ—ison and fed with bread of affliction â—nd 〈◊〉 of affliction And this hath been the reward of thâ— Righteous from the Unrighteous in all Ages because their dâ—â—ds have been righteous and the others wicked This made 〈◊〉 to kill righteous Abeb This made Corah and his coâ—â—pâ—â—â—â—o â—isâ— up against Moses and Aarâ—n and gainsay them who hâ—d â—hâ— Spirit and were obedient to it yet did they 〈…〉 â—o cast upon them saying Are not all the 〈…〉 â—oly why do you then lift up your selves above the Conâ—â—â—â—â—â— of the Lord you take too much upon you you sons of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thâ—y that gainsayed the Spirit charged the meekest 〈◊〉 upon â—f the Earth to be proud And so they that conâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—hrist said those things which he did was not by the Spirit of thâ—â—athâ—â— but by Beelzebub the chief of Devils â—nd â—hrisâ— said â—f it be so in the green tree what will be done 〈…〉 thâ—y hâ—ve hâ—ted me they will hate you also If they 〈…〉 they will persecute you and this will they do 〈…〉 know not the Father So thâ—◠〈◊〉 which know the Truth do not wonder to see wise â—nd 〈…〉 â—nd Rulers and Magistrates Priests and 〈…〉 it with one consent as Heresie and Delusion 〈…〉 consider the Generation of the Righteous 〈…〉 thâ—n that are beloved of the Lord in the 〈…〉 old hoâ— Truth and Righteousness with them that lovâ—d it 〈◊〉 â—lothâ—d with the black name of Infamy but God i◠〈…〉 â—ill swâ—ep away your refuge of lies and he will woâ—k 〈…〉 will bring to pass and no one shall let it the 〈…〉 spoken it Wo he to the Wicked it shall 〈…〉 their covering is too narrow the Lord will 〈…〉 hath begun to rent it already Therefore all ye Persecutors weep and howl all ye Bishops and Spiritual men so called mourn your part the Lord is risen against you the spirit of Persecution is taking root in your habitations the Spiritual Weapon of the Lamb is wanting and though your wickedness swell as the Sea and rise as a floud yet we know him that is above the pride of man even him that sits upon the flouds in him doth my Soul trust that is able to restrain all your wrath but only so much as shall make for his Peoples good and the pure praise and glory of our God that suffereth it so to be and you that persecute us where are the Apostles Weapons they warred withal where is the Sword of the Spirit that proceeds out of the Lamb's mouth O mourn all ye Bishops and Priests and such as call your selves Ministers of Christ ye are unlike him the Sheep of his pasture are men whom ye seek to devour and make a prey to your greedy teeth the Lord is risen against you in his pure Name is he hiding his Babes and unto his Children is become a hiding place as in the Generations past Blessed be the Lord he hath not left us desolate of his tender Mercies even in a day when we find this saying true The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty and all you by whom we suffer you say we suffer not for Conscience sake but for evil doing and because we are not subject to the King nor Governours by him set over us To you all I say in the Name and Power of the Lord give unto God the things that belong unto God O all ye great ones of
the Earth give you unto the Lord the honour due unto his Name do not you limit the Lords pure eternal Spirit by making Laws how he should be served and worshipped in this thing you rob the Lord of his honour who is a Spirit and doth teach his People in Spirit how to worship him therefore limit ye not the Holy One of Israel for he is a great King above all kings and a God of gods which saith My Glory will I not give to another And unto all you Magistrates and Governours and all the rest of your inferior Officers in England high and low from him that sitteth upon the Throne to him that openeth and shutteth the Prison doors this is the Word of the living and true God Persecution will break you all to pieces but if you honour me and give unto me that which alone to me doth belong which is to â—ule in the hearts of my People let me be Lord Judge and â—aw giver in all spiritual things and let me be heard of all my Saines in all matters of Worship and spiritual Service then will I honour you and all my Children whom I â—â—â—ch my self they shall honour you also for my Names sake and if your Souls be subject unto the higher Power thâ—â—ight of the World Christ unto whom I the Lord have committed all Power in Spiritual matters then shall all the Souls whom I have begotten into my Power and gathered from all the false wayes and worships that they should not be 〈◊〉 prey any longer to the teeth of the greedy Wolves unto the chief Bishop and Shepherd of their Souls be subject unto you and all your righteous Commands for Conscience sake but if otherwise ye will still exalt your sâ—lves above sâ—y Throne which is the lowly and contrite Spirit ye shall be lightly esteemed by me and all my Saints and Children also they shall bear their Testimony against you and your unrighteous Laws whereby you would force them to worship God contrary to God's Witness which I the Lord have placed iâ— their Consciences to be their teacher and guide in â—ll things And though you seed them for these things with Bread of Affliction and givâ— them Water of Adversity to drink and are killed â—ll the 〈◊〉 long by you yet their Teacher shall never be râ—moved into a corner any more I the Lord who will not leave thâ—â—â— comfortless in a Prison but will rend through Rockâ— and Wâ—lls of stone to comfort and consolate the lowly heart 〈◊〉 spoken it And all the while ye are causing them to suffer and filling up the meâ—sure of your sin even in going beyond your Commission as they did whom God overthrew before you for ye have a time set with the Lord and a work for him ye have to do which is to make manifest Hypocrites and that the thoughts of many deceitful hearts who have made a Profession of God but are enemies to his Life may be revealed and their work 〈◊〉 manifest of what sort it is and all Coverings râ—nt but only that of the Spirit of the Lord which his Children and Lambs are covered withal this ye cannot rent though ye are pulling hard at it And all Foundations may ye overturn which are not upon the Rock break al Gatherings and Assemblies which are not gathered into the Name of the Lord and every Church which hath seemed but hath not been the true House of God may ye dash to pieces and all may be made to change their Religion and Conform to any thing and lick up their own Vomit again but only those who are translated by the Power of the Lord out of Darkness into Light and gathered out of all the false Churches in England which are many into the true Church in God which is but one the pillar and ground of Truth these things before mentioned may ye do and yet stand but ye have not to do with the Lords Anointed which are covered with his living Spirit which is eternal and pure Wo be to them which touch these that have no help but what standeth in the Name of the Lord neither any foundation have they but that of God which all the Prophets and Apostles who as a cloud of Witnesses against this Generation suffered Persecution which is Christ in them the hope of Glory yea Glory it self Righteousness Peace and Joy which is full of glory which blessed be the Lord the World cannot take from us if ye touch these and number these with Transgressors ye touch the Apple of God's Eye and ye your selves will be found Trangressors if ye persecute and spoil these O ye Magistrates and Bishops the Lord will break you with breach upon breach yea you have persecuted spoiled many of them already and it will be your ruine unless ye speedily repent it is the eternal Word of the Lord God unto this Generation Persecution will undo you Yet thus is it written by the Prophet Jeremy 18. At what time I speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I also will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them O that there were but such a heart in you to consider this before it be too late and the Lord destroy you with double destruction And thiâ— doth â—y Soul believe and it is established in my heart for eveâ— thâ—t all your Weapons of Cruelty your grievous and unjust â—â—ws which ye have made with the Consent of your Lords Spiritual to waste and destroy Families and banish the innoâ—â—â—â—t People of the Lord called Quakers shall all work together in the end for their good and drive them even the Chilâ—â—â—â— and Pâ—ople whom he hath blessed so much neaâ—â—â— unto himself and the more they are oppressed so much the greater will be the Cry of the Oppressed against you and it will be with the oppressed Seed of God as with Israel in the â—and of Egypâ— the more they were Oppressed the more they Multiplied and all the wisdom of this World and the persecuting Poâ—â—â—s of Hell and Death shall never hinder it nor stop the Work which God is working nor quench the Light and Spark which â—ust become a strong Nation the Holy One of Israel hath spokâ—n it Neverthelâ—ss ye are doing your endeavour and taking wise Counsel and Advice as Pharaoh did with the Magicians of Egypâ— how â—o â—oot out the Name of Israel from under Heaven and to that â—nd yâ— have established your cruel Commandments and sâ—â—lâ—d your Decrees of Oppression against them and all this will but opâ—n the ears of the Lord to hear them and cause hiâ—â—o stâ—â—tâ—h out his Arm to save them in your destruction for thâ— Lord heareth the cry of the Afflicted the Lord loâ—sâ—â—h â—hâ—â—onds of the Prisoners and ill will it be with you whâ—â— thâ— Souls of the wounded cry out This madâ— Jâ—â—â—â—â—iâ—h cry unto the