Prophets and blessed shall the Man the Family the City the Kingdom the Nation be that doth not wilfully and rebelliously reject but receive and accept of the good day of their Visitation of Salvation of which I am one that giveth a certain sound being saved by the same Grace and Life of God that bringeth Salvation and appeareth to all men to the end that they may be saved by it also and redeemed from Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples for all the Earth was of one Language before Babel or Nimrods Generation of Builders was and the Holy scriptures saith That he was a mighty hunter before the Lord who did and will confound their many Languages and Tongues that are out of the Truth and Plainnesse into which the sons of men are to be redeemed from the contrary for which my soul in love to the whole Creation travelleth and my spirit in the same is ready to say Amen to the counsel of the Everlasting light in the truth for the good and well-being of all the sons of men under what name or denomination soever they be called albeit I am as a stranger among them and as an out-cast or vile off-scouring of the world and forsaken but it s not so with me of the Lord Almighty whose servant and living witness I am and his clean pure spirit of Life within my very Heart and Bowels beareth me record to the same in Peace whether the sons of men believe me or not or hear or forbear who scornfully call me a Quaker but in the Power of God do I work out my salvation with Fear and Trembling according to the Holy Apostles sound Doctrine and scriptures of Truth And my name is known to the world and to the saints in light upon the earth Genoa this first month the tenth day and of the year 1662. Daniel Baker This was Rejected and not received by them THe Holy Apostle Paul as the Scripture saith in his life which giveth testimony unto this day on this wise to wit that all Asia had forsaken him and what after there has been in these latter dayes among them called Christians not only in Asia but also in all parts of the World where the joyful sound hath come but many rebell against the visitation of life and salvation so that they have rejected the word of the Lord and its Ambassadours of peace and saving health which the most high hath sent to and among them and as the hard-hearted Jews in unbelief cryed help men of Israel against two poor harmless Lambs in those dayes of the Holy Apostles that were deemed by them to be such as turned the World upside down and contrary to all men on such wise the same voice hath been sounded â—orth and lifted up unwisely by the same Spirit in Asia against two plain naked Messengers and Ministers of Truth But how is it that wise men seem to be so vailed or what 's the matter that their understandings are so darkned from the Wisdom and the clear Spirit of discerning that of the Pure Immortal God that they cannot see what they do many of them whom my heart pitieth Why should ye be so affraid of the harmless and guiltless that sounds the Message of undeniable Truth even the Word of the Lord which is the Sword of the Spirit whose weapons are not carnal or visible as Cain and Judas's were but Spiritual with the same to make war against Spiritual wickednesse and to destroy and cut down that which rules even in high places and in the Power of the Word Eternal to beat down and kill that which is hurtful and destructive to the Creation of God in Nations Kingdoms Thrones and Dominions that the same Power of the gentle Lamb of God may rule in and over all as in the beginning to the End that every man that liveth under the name or denomination of a Christian may clearly and truly say from his very heart without mocking or provoking God Eternal to his Face viz. AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING SO IT IS NOW AND EVER SHAL BE And if the Sons of men did but suffer the fear of the Lord to possesse their hearts and thereby honestly consider the weight of these words which so many vainly and unwisely utter they would in the first place fear and tremble and not take the Name of the Lord so in vain nor offer the sacrifice of fools But alas there 's few see as it was in the beginning or how it is now or what shall be in the World which hath no end which is the same which in the beginning was in which is the life which is the light of men which men hate because their deeds are evil which unfruitful works blinds the eye of a good and noble understanding and therefore even a Magestrate being so vailed albeit in the place of Judicature having a sword in his hand lifts it up and beareth it against the just and guiltlesse and so smites and wounds the Innocent which should be a terrour to the evil doer and to them that do well not hurtful but a praise but otherwise it hath sadly hapned in Ages and Generations even unto this our day against the Lamb and his appearance in and through his Members who hath been wounded and slain since the foundation of the World And so it comes to passe through many that are in one and the same nature of transgression Even as a blind man having a sword in his hand being hasty and as it were mad layes it he knows not where and smites he knows not what And so he was a wise man that said on this wise to wit Man being in honour and understandeth it not is like the beast that perish Now having a necessity in equitablenesse to give forth these writings to publick view to a good end for the good of all that hear and discern between the things that are of a good report from what is otherwise condemnable and not justifiable in the sight of God neither of good men and also seeing it is so that plain Truth and its Friends Followers and Messengers among the Nations as it s their portion to passe through the contradictions and manifold sufferings and reproaches of Christ their compleat example are daily beset with the same afflictions and false reports from multitudes that are saying with open mouth as in the dayes of the Prophets Report say they and we will report yet we delight not to Retaliate any more then a good necessity from God Almighty lyeth on us to give testimony for his Truth and Name and peoples sake for on this wise did the holy Prophets and Apostles as the holy Scriptures of Truth largely testifieth as in the Books of Jeremy Psalms and the New Testament and the Acts. This shall they have for their pride because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the People of the Lord of hosts the Lord will be terrible unto them for he will famish all the gods of the earth and men shall worship him every one from his place even all the Isles of the Heathen Zeph. 2.10 11. Daniel Baker THE END
A CLEAR VOICE OF TRUTH Sounded forth And as an Ensign lifted up and displayed in answer to the proceedings of the Christians by name in Asia by way of Controversie and Expostulation together with Savoury and Wholesome Admonishments which may become of good use and profitable to all that read with a single eye and understand with an upright heart Also the same somewhat tends by way of gentle reproof to their hasty and unequitable proceedings against the Innocent Servants Messengers and living Witnesses of the Living and True God Yet with the tendernesse of an upright Heart and Spirit not onely of a free born English-man but also of a True Christian from the same hand it s principally directed to the Lord Embassador so called in Constantinople and to the English Company of Merchants and Factors in Smyrna with somewhat to the Merchants in Genoa tendred again by way of Visitation and that from God for them and others in Italy to consider and not reject to their own hurt Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdâ—m of Heaven Mat. 5.10 Printed in the year 1662. AN EPISTLE TO THE READER THere is certainly a very Pretious Noble Royal Long-Suffering Seed of the Eternal God of Heaven and Earth the which in these latter dayes of our age since the long night of Apostacy from Christ and his Holy Apostles and Saints life to which the Eternal Arm of the Lord God is manifestly revealed unto eternal Salvation and perfect Redemption in and by the Light of the Lord Jesus the Immanuel who as truly lighteth every man as he tasted Death for every man that cometh into the World and this pretious Seed which is the Light that is sown for the Righteous * And the People become perfectly Righteous that believe in and obey the same light of Jesus and are thereby made partakers of the Righteousness and so of the same nature of God which comes to be revealed from faith to saith in Male and Female for which end the light which is the Seed is sown in the heart is the Light shines in darkness which comprehends not that which is the treasure in the earthen Vessel as a pearl hid in a field and is the good thing which can give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.2 Pet. 2.19 Rom. 1.19 1 Cor. 6.2 Cor. 11. the same hath been visited from on high as a thing hid in obscurity in many under the Region and Shaddow of Death and Destruction so that it hath been quickned and revived mightily to the amazement and astonishment of Kindreds Nations Tongues and peoples because of the arm of the Lords Salvation with which he hath arisen in his Majesty and shaken terribly the Earth and Heavens also and made the Keepers of the strong Mans House to tremble and by his power of holiness to bind him and spoile his goods So that the everlasting Light hath sent his Word of Power into Jacob and it hath lighted upon Poor distressed Israel in whose house he the Lord God that Spirit hath promised to dwell in the midst for ever as in the Antient dayes and many of the Eternal Off-spring of Life which is the Light of men having gladly received the Word of Life not from man nor by man that shall dye but from his mouth that was dead and is alive and behold he liveth for evermore that leads his Flock like a good Shepherd to Living Springs and Fountains which are as wells springing up into everlasting Life in them that believe as the Scripture hath said John 4. John 7.38.30 And these as Lambs among Wolves having the blessed Life and Salvation to Proclaim in Faithfulness travelling in their innocent integrity on this wise as our Brethren the Prophets and Fathers of old did from one Nation to another People Now why are the Nations angry and why do the Mighty and Potentates of the Earth combine and take Counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed Is it not because the Eternal God is provoking them to jealousie and to anger with a foolish Nation with them which are deemed not a People who are Poor Afflicted Despised Destressed on every hand yet not forsaken of the Lord their Rock their Strength Deut. 32. Now it came to pass that after the Lord God who formeth the Mountains and Createth the Wind which obeyeth him Amos. 4. last had given three more of my Brethren together with me a good passage from the Land of our Nativity to Italy namely to Legorne where two of us to wit John Stubs and Henry Fell was ordered of the Lord to passe from thence towards Alexandria and they became obedient and it came to pass also by the permission of God who suffered the men of our own Nation to Banish and expel them away from that Region and Coast where they gave a sound of the Mighty Day of Gods visitation and saith Christ as they have done unto me so will they do unto you c. The Gadarenes loved their Swine and besought Christ to depart out of their Coast and them that Rebel against the Light saith depart from us even to the most High for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21. Job 24. 13 14. And furthermore my Dear Brother Richard Scostrope my Companion in Tribulation and in the Power of God by which we were also ordered having no imposition from any mortal man on our Consciences God is witness was ordained of God to pass Eastward towards Asia namely to Smyrna intending also to travel further if the Lord suffered not Sathan to hinder and behold when we came there having enjoyed the benefit of a good passage that the Merchants and Great men and others of our own Nation did not a little perplex and burthen themselves not only at our bodily presence but also with our faithful and true innocent and harmless message of life and glad tidings of Salvation to the Nations and verily they cannot deny but that our behaviour and deportment if they speak truth was such as we professed in Words and Doctrine in all good Conversation whilest we abode among them as examples in the manifold Dispensations of the grace of God Almighty to whom be the Glory over all Amen We being at our first coming sent for before the Consul of the Nation gave him a good and sober information of the intent of our hearts as God had ordered and determined in some measure to try them and he said that he must give account to the Lord Ambassadour and send tidings to Constantinople to him and he could not suffer us to pass further till he had received information in answer c. Now we saw not of our departure from Smyrna imediately and seeing that they did intend to write many of them being evil affected with prejudice and such like surmisings against us that loved them and travelled in the love and Spirit of
Gods Truth for their eternal good freely albeit they hated us without cause as it befell our Lord and Master I also was moved in the fear of the Lord to write and give the Ambassadour an honest and true information of the intent of our hearts to the end he might be honestly warned of receiving any evil and false intelligence that he may not consent with the same nor with the ground of it to joyn or stretch forth his hand therewith against the Lord his Truth and innocent People THE Copy of the Letter is seen meet to be inserted here following seeing the same was made leight of and rejected as a thing of nought as many have done to their own hurt and condemnation namely O. C. and the many Parliaments in their dayes past in which the Eternal God tryed them what if I say to the uttermost before he smote and broke and shattered them to pieces as Potters Vessells and wherled them up and down as Clouds of Tempests and Darkness as it were from one end of the Land to the other in his sore displeasure in the sight of the Nations to the final destruction of many of them that turned the back Albeit they seemed to have their face towards the good Day of their Visitation from on High which they wofully sinned away and the just recompence of reward as a fruit of their own doings even in the sight of the Nations fell upon them as a weight too heavy for them to bear and as great judgements from the same Hand of God is reserved in store and is ready to be revealed and executed upon the Heads of them that walk in the same wayes and paths of unrighteousnesse which provokes the Lord to his Face I speak not on this wise to upbraid without the Fear of the Lord the generation that 's passed away and seems to be laid in the dust of the Earth but rather that the present generation of men of what Name or Denomination they were are or may be under that have but somewhat of the Fear and Zeal of the God of Truth in their Hearts thereby to be warned in their day and not to make the evil example of any to be so to them as evil to follow it nay but contrariwise which is so far acceptable to God for Sodom and Gomorah and the old World were and are evident examples of the sore displeasure of the Eternal God of vengeance to whom it peculiarly and properly belongeth and he will certainly repay Fury to his Adversaries and Recompence to his Enemies when he awakes and stirs up his strength as a MIGHTY ONE the KING the Lord of Hosts is his Name to bend his Bow and whet his glittering Sword he will cast up cut down and overturn and not spare to spend his Arrows of famine and destruction and let them fly with his outstretched Arm of strength to smite and strike into the Hearts of the double-minded so that his anger shall smoak in the fiery Zeal of his Eternal Majesty against such a one that being often reproved goeth on still in his iniquities he shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy as saith one in a certain place Prov. 29. yet the Nations of men may certainly understand that the most High holds forth his Eternal Name as he is the Lord God long suffering and of great goodness neither delighteth he in the destruction of any but rather in their return unto the Wisdom of the Just unto Eternal Life in it to live for ever and not to die in their sins for as he is the Light of Israel and his Holy One for a flame and a consuming fire to burn up Bryars and Thorns against the workers of Iniquity so is he a God of Judgement and blessed are all they that wait for his Salvation and put their trust in him he will shew them his Covenant and establish them in the same in which they shall not be confounded neither be ashamed nor yet shall any make them afraid but quietness and assurance for ever shall be their reward in Eternal Peace and Blessedness together with him and the Spirits of Just men made perfect on this wise my Soul in life breatheth and travels for the Restauration of all things into the Glorious Liberty and Freedom of the harmless Sons of God Verily the Eternal love of my God that 's shed abroad within my heart it s much enlarged to stream forth Universally even to the whole Creation that travels in pain under the Bondage of Corruption over which mine eyes have poured forth many tears and in the brokennesse of my very heart have I dolefully Lamented and Mourned for the same but at present I am necessitated to proceed on to what is before mine eye as I have began concerning this little Treatise The Copy of the Letter FRIEND THy Everlasting Honour and Wel-being with the Lord and with the Spirits of just men our soul wisheth right well so peace be unto thee This is that thou may according to the Just Noble Principle of God in thee have a right understanding of somewhat of the Truth Innocency and Vprightness of our hearts who are the Servants of the One True and Living God and Father of all Truth and called by his grace of life which in our hearts we have received gladly to Declare to the Nations even the same grace that hath brought Salvation to us the same also that appeareth unto all men without respect of persons that they may be saved from the wrath to come by which grace of life I say we are called to peace and good will to all men as our Fathers were in the same to forsake the Pollutions of the World and our Native Country Kindred and Fathers House to do and suffer the will of God and keep his Commandments which are not grievous to us in the life of our Obedience to his Blessed Will who called and sent us into these parts whether the Sons of men believe us or not or hear or forbear And seeing the God of our Life hath blessed and prospered us hitherto in our journey we have the Living Testimony of the Spirit of Life witnessing to the same in our Consciences and to the Truth of what is here written unto thee And forasmuch as we understand from the Consul here that we shall not by him be admitted to pass further without thy advice or consent therefore have we freedom and in the fear of the Lord seen meet to let thee know somewhat from our hands as to the present service of our God whose Power Favour and life in his Covenant of Eternal Light and Peace we possesse Glory to his Name for which our lives are not dear unto us which are also in our hands to serve the Lord his Truth and People and to the end thou may not in any wise be as an Instrument to stop or let the work of God from going on by the hand of his Messengers and
Ambassadours of peace Wherefore in the fear and tender love of the God of Heaven is this to be laid before thee to warn thee as thou art in thy place of Authority which we own esteem and honour in the Lord one of us being two having a message from the Lord of Heaven to the Prince or Emperour of the Turks and well will it be with the men of our own Nation if they be not found setting themselves against the service of God his Truth and People whom he alone will make a blessing to Nations that shall surely prosper without Bow or Sword or visible Weapons of war the Lord hath spoken it and the Prophesie shall as surely be fulfilled in its time or season So the Lord give thee wisdome and a Noble understanding according to his determinate Counsel therewith to honour him in thy place of Judicature and so my Spirit saith Amen Smyrna the sixth month of the Year 1661. I am thy Friend and so to the whole Creation of God Daniel Baker Richard Scostrope NOw it was so that after this was sent we notwithstanding sought daily for passage convenient to Constantinople and at last it presented by way of a Dutch Ship and we spake to the Commander for the same end on board the said Vessel but before She sailed away a Warrant was forthwith given out and sent from the Kings Embassadour to Smyrna which men of high degree gladly received and prosecuted the same against us to expell us from their Coasts and separate us from their company all be it we were not in any wise chargable unto them neither did eat any mans bread for nought A Coppy of the Warrant which came from the hand of the Kings Ambassadour and prosecuted by the English Nation in Smyrna in Asia against two servants and witnesses for God and his Truth and People called Quakers WHereas we are informed that there is lately arrived with the Zant Frigot one Daniel Baker with his companion commonly called by the name of Quakers with intention to come up to this Port And because we have had experience that the carriage of that sort of people is ridiculous and is capable to bring dishonour to our Nation besides other inconveniences that may redound to them in particular and to the English Nation in general We therefore will and require you to give a stop to the said Quakers from proceeding any further in their journey either to Constantinople or the present Court of the Grand Signior or to any other place where our Authority extends Shipping them away either directly for England or any other parts where they shall chuse to Imbarque And we do herely require all Officers and Members of the Factory and Masters and Officers of Ships to be ayding and Assisting to you herein and for so doing this shall be your Warrent Winchelse Given under our Hand and Seal at our Court at Pera at Constantinople the 19. day of July 1661. For our Loving Friend Anthony Isacson Esquire Consul for the English Nation in Smyrna by his Excellencies Command Paul Kecaut Secretary And they sent a Turks Jannesary together with a Drugger-man the Consuls Officer and Hamalls Porters to our lodging and sent us away as Prisoners To the Lord Ambassadour so called and to the English Nation in Constantinople and Smyrna Friend I am honestly perswaded viz. If that the Nobility of thy understanding were not vailed or darkned with prejudice so that thou hadst a perfect understanding of what thou hast done and if it were to do again it would be a hard thing for thee then to do the same wherefore blame me not if I tell thee in truth and plainness saying Behold how thou hast turned thy hand against the just Lord and set thy self also against his Work his Truth and People and the mighty everlasting terrible God that lives for ever in whose hand thy breath is he will certainly plead with thee for the same yea and with them also who with one consent have joynd together with thee herein who are but a man that shall die and come to judgement as it s appointed for all men and lo God hath given thee a day of visitation of Salvation but behold how thou hast put the same far away from thee and he that liveth for ever so far hath tryed thee together with the English Nation in Asia in thy place of of Authority and Judicature in giving thee also a plain and certain warning by my hand through me concerning somewhat of the work and counsel of the Everlasting Light who is the Living and true God and Father of all Truth over all blessed for ever Amen before thou didst intermeddle or proceed either to the right hand or to the left to the end that thou might take heed and beware of being instrumental in stopping the work and service of the Everlasting And lo thou hast rejected and made light of the same as doth appear and turned thy hand against the Just the Harmless and Innocent and guiltless and also reproached the Living God inasmuch as the same is done to his Friends and Messengers that have drawn so near thee in peace good will and uprightness of heart and in love unfained without self-ends but with its denyal according to the commandment of our Lord and Master even Christ The light of the World which lighteth every man that cometh into the World in the work and service of him who is the Lord God of Judgement with our pretious life also in our hand have we thus come not loving our lives to the death for his Names sake for his Peoples sake for his Gospels sake who freely laid down his pretious life for us leaving us an example who came not in our own name will or time but have herein forsaken Country Kindred and Fathers House Wife and Children and what else our God that liveth for ever knoweth right-well as our Fathers of old did God knoweth the uprightness of our hearts also concerning this and much more which for the Truths sake might be declared but at this time it is not convenient and our message which from man we received not of life and salvation was and is to give a certain sound of the great and mighty day of the Lord at hand and also of the same life of the holy Prophets and Apostles of Christ the Lord of life that 's arisen from the dead with his saving health in the midst of us to the Nations that are involved in thick darkness and wallowing in obscurity to awaken them and also that they may assuredly know that the mighty terrible and glorious and dreadful day of the eternal God is come and at hand and that the same hath also begun to dawn and to spread forth its shining beams of eternal brightness in the North parts of the World even in England first the which is manifesting it self and shining forth over all Nations to the condemnation and destruction of wickedness and also
to the Justification and Salvation of the Righteous which of the Lord is to turn the sons of men from ungodliness now after this long night of Apostacy and also as it were to awaken the eternal Light of our Lord Jesus which is the witness of God in every conscience yea and to answer the same in all men which is to guide Nations the Sons and Daughters of men into all truth against which they have rebelled and from the same they are fallen by transgression And behold the Lord God that lives for ever as in the ancient dayes is doing this and much more and accomplishing his own work not according to mans way will or time in these latter dayes but as in the dayes of old is he provoking of Nations to jealousie to anger and to wrath by those which are not a people he is provoking them to anger and to wrath with a foolish Nation forasmuch as they have provoked him the everlasting Lord of Heaven and Earth to anger with their vanities for saith the Lord a fire is kindled in mine anger and it shall burn unto the lowest hell it shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains Listen ye great Mountains and inhabitants of the Earth what will become of you where will you hide or sly when your foundations is set on fire wherefore give ear ye lofty trees and strong oaks the Lords controversie is with you for saith he A fire is kindled in mine anger which will burn unto the lowest Hell mark that I will heap mischiefs upon them I will spend mine Arrows upon them they shall be burnt with hungâ—â— and destroyed with burning heat bitter destruction And friend as sure as God hath given thee breath know that so sure are we his Servants and Messengers freely given up into his hand to suffer his Will and Pleasure and to do the same in Earth as it is in Heaven as thou thy self prayest but it would be well if thy actions did not speak the contrary as certainly they do concerning this matter And behold the time will certainly come to pass that the true witness of the Everlasting Light in thy Conscience will answer to thy understanding that we are men of truth fearing God and sent of him and not of or by man whom thou hast so reproached and defied together with many more Alas poor man I pitty thee and as for my part I am honestly perswaded that King Charles whom thou calls Lord and Master would not have given forth such a ridiculous vile and reproachful Sentence against the guiltless an innocent harmless people as thou hast done under thy hand and seal peradventure in thy hast in a strange Land howso ever we pray the Lord that the same may not be laid to thy charge when thou hast most need of mercy if happily repentance unto life thou may witness and albeit we may freely forgive thee by what we do or may suffer because of thee yet we know that the Lord will not hold you guiltless after so clear a warning from his mouth that liveth for ever as you have had in your day that are guilty in the same thing and God Almighty will be clear of thee and so also will his Servant if in your sins you dye and therefore behold I yet cease not to cry Repent Repent And seeing that the Everlasting Lord and King of Eternal Life laid a necessity on me more especially to preform this service if Sathan hindred not and to try thee also and the English Nation together in Asia concerning the same for your good and not otherwise but behold how you have joyned together with one consent to reject and defie the same message of life and salvation through letting up the dark spirit of prejudice and evil surmisings against the Lord the Innocent and guiltless and thus to your greater condemnation have you been permitted by the everlasting God so far to have your own hearts desire and to expell the Friends and Messengers of Christ out of your Coasts or Borders once and again and not only so but as much as in you concerns not to suffer them to come within the extent of your Authority in the Turks Dominion in which you are as saith the Warrant but will you bear with me if I question with you saying what are they contrary to all men as a rebellious Generation said to the holy Apostles And what do they bear Testimony not for but against the World because the deeds thereof are evil and can they not neither receive the Honour and Glory of it nor give the same to any man according to the compleat example of their Lord and Master the life of man the true Christ for which end Christ is come in the flesh as he did many hundred years since who hath by his grace of life manifest in us freely redeemed us from the same vanities and pollutions which we witness and testifie against in others And will you blame me if I say what are not you of the same generation as Job saw rebel against the Light who know not the wayes thereof neither abide in the paths thereof Job 24.13 and Job 21. Alas poor men are you the men also that are without a good and noble understanding and are wise to do evil and hate to be reformed to discern between the pretious and the vile Alas for you yea woe and alas for you what have ye done cannot you smite upon your thigh and say on this wise how shall we account with the Lord of life of eternity for these things and much more when his mighty hand and the weight thereof you feel heavy upon your Consciences in the day that shall burn as an Oven according to the Prophesie of the Eternal Spirit by Mallachi Mal. 3. Behold and know ye O ye great men of the Earth ye high Mountains Strong Oakes and lofty Trees this I with a clean mind declare unto you if I be no more viz. that our Consciences are clear in the sight of God that lives for ever who with a pure eternal eye perfectly beholds the intents and uprightness of our hearts though hid from you concerning this service and the living testimony of life answereth in us to the same and therefore have I bouldness in the Truth to stand and also to write on this wise And again I say we are clear from the guilt which remains upon your Consciences And furthermore know ye that our service is so far accepted and we are also clear of the same in and by Jesus Christ our Lord and Master who moved us hereunto and sent us freely to and among you in the Turks Borders and Dominion the which by your actions its manifest ye would have stand but God Almighty hath otherwise determined with a notwithstanding and surely it would be well with you could you witness and savour the answer of a good Conscience the which in the truth
and whether you hear or forbear the Scripture do I witness fulfilled in me in the answer of a Good Conscience according to the Compleat and Perfect Example of my Lord and Master whom I Fear and follow and serve in the Fellowship of his Reproaches Sufferings in the Gospel Life and Peace viz. The Lord God hath opened mine ear Blessed be his Glory Amen and I was not Rebellious against him neither turned away back I gave my back to the smiter and my check to them that plucked off the Hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting my God knoweth right well in obedience to his will the same is done being called to the Fellowship of the same Sufferings and Glory of Gods Lamb and to indure the contradictions of ungodly sinners as he did yea the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded thou hast made my face like a â—line and I know that I shall not be ashamed he is near that justifieth who shall contend with me Behold all ye that kindle a fire and compass your selves about with sparks of your own kindling walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow This following was sent in a Letter from the English Consul at Grand Caire to an English Merchant in Legorne in Italy concerning Henry Fell and John Stubs SIR I Forgot to advise you how that the Quakers at their departure going down to the Marine did throw Pamphlets about the Streets in â—atine Hebrew and Arabique which might have set them a burning had they stayed a little longer Therefore I beseech you if you hear hereafter of any such people that intend to come this way to prevent them what you can for they may do me a great prejudice Rich. Bendish Grand Caire 20th Septem 1661. A Loving Visitation tendred to the English Merchants in Genoa who received it not Friends Read and Honestly consider with the Spirit of Moderation for whether you will hear or forbear this is that you may well understand that in the first place THE most Holy Faith of Gods Elect without which its impossible to please God it s not of that Nature to Respect Persons neither to give flattering Titles to any man which are of the vain inventions of vain man but to honour or well esteem all men in the Truth Fear and Reverence of God the which is to have the Peculiar and Supream Preheminence in every mans Conscience and so to rule over the whole Creation of God that the Eternal Blessing of the Invisible and Immortal God by Jesus Christ the True Light of the world may come upon all in the true Seed which is ordained to bruise the Serpents Head and to destroy the Devil and his unfruitful works of Darkness in man the which captivateth and defileth and also is destructive to the Creation over which the true Seed is to Rule who is the True Light which lighteth every man and is the Way the Life the Truth a manifestation of the same is in every man in Male and in Female it shines in darkness in man and the same would guide them out of and from every unjust way word thought and action yea and from all unequitableness into truth and uprightnesse wherein the Riches of Eternal Peace and Felicity may come and in the same be possessed within the heart of every particular even in the midst of the sons of men to the Glory of the Everlasting Fountain of Life from whence the true Property and pure nature of every good thing receiveth vertue to subsist according to the excellent and unsearchable wisdom and decree of the Divine Substance or Eternal Being of the Majesty of the Heavenly Power of the Everlasting Light who is the True and Living God over all blessed for ever Amen Now to the end that prejudice and evil surmisings which are not of God the Father of all Truth may be removed out of the minds of the men of my own Nation viz. English or any others that burthen themselves because I cannot give neither receive the honour of the world with its Ceremonies and flattering Titles either to my self or to any man and I am willing to testifie that it s not in any contempt to the persons which are the workmanship of the Eternal God of the sons of men but for Conscience sake that I use not the same as in times past and because I am well perswaded in the Grace of God and perfectly satisfied in the same measure in my own particular therefore in that love which thinks no evil I am moved to give forth some reasonable and true words to a good end as aforesaid which are not contrary to God neither to the example of just and honourable men nor to the Holy Scriptures of Truth which saith to the True Christians If you respect persons ye commit sin and are convinced by the Law as Transgressors saith the Apostle James James 2.9 And there is no respect of persons with the Lord who will judge righteously according to every mans work saith Peter 1 Pet. 1.17 And ye shall do no unrighteousnesse in judgement Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the Mighty mark that but in Righteousnesse shalt thou judge thy Neighbour saith the Lord Deut. 19.15 And I say unto you that for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justifiâ—d and by thy words thou shalt be condemned saith Jesus Mat. 12.36 37. I testifie that the light of Christ Jesus in every mans Conscience will clearly shew or manifest to mans understanding what words thoughts and intentions are justifiable and what are also condemnable wherefore my spirit of life is ready to say Blessed is and shall the man be who suffereth his mind to be guided by the pure and true manifestation of the Eternal light which is of the Nature of God manifest within as it is written Rom. 1.19 20. 1 Cor. 12.7 For the manifestation of the Spirit which is true is given to every man to profit withall and they that profit not by the same shall certainly receive the unprofitable servants portion not to Salvation but contrariwise unto perdition which is the just reward of them which not onely reject the Truth and receive it not in the love of the same but also take pleasure in unrighteousness and so provoke the Lord to his Face and defie and condemn the just in themselves and the Generation of the Righteous also in the General but yee shall not walk in the manners of the Nations which I cast out before you saith God to the true Seed for they committed all these things and therefore I abhorred them saith the Lord Levit. 20. let not me I pray you respect the person of any neither let me give flattering