Good Counsel and Advice REIECTED By Disobedient men And the dayes of OLIVER CROMWELLS Visitation passed over AND ALSO OF RICHARD CROMWEL his Son late Protectors of these Nations And the many precious Warnings neglected by them and set at naught which from time to time the Servants of the Lord gave unto them as declared in these following Letters Whereby all may see the kindness of the Lord towards them by his faithful Invitations to them and their own Apostacy and carelesness who rejected Warning 〈◊〉 the time and day of their visitation is shut up with the vale of darkness and reproach which lies over them and their precious day of love is spent and cannot be re-called 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 view by one that wished well to them in their day and is a Friend unto all that love Righteousness and hates Oppression LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. TO THE READER FRiend out of the same love from whence these were written do I put them to publick view and it was not without much doubtings and questioning in my own spirit but at last having found perfect freedom and strength from the Lord knowing that I am clear and free altogether of other ends saving then for the honour of the truth and that all may see that the downfalls of these men were not before sufficient warnings which makes the Lord free and his servants free from what is come to pass upon them and even their fall lies upon their own heads that despised the Lords warnings and would none of his Counsel but suffered the innocent to be oppressed under their power and relieved not the heritage of the Lord from her cruel enemies though they had power to do it but sought their own glory and how to be established in greatness in the earth till that the Lord hath cast them out and made them as a reproach And these things that have come to pass upon them may be as warnings to all other Rulers that doth succeed them and they may know that the Lord is Iust and his Iudgements Righteous and whosoever shall follow their steps and be Oppressors of the Lords heritage as they were the Lord shall extend his Iudgments unto them also and their destruction shall come even like as upon these before them Therefore let all the earth be warned I am a lover of SION For the hands of the Protector FRIEND MAny warnings hast thou had from the mouth of the Lord his love hath been towards thee and the glorious day of his visitation hath shined over thy head wherein he hath called unto thee to hear and obey his voice and would have instructed thee in the way that thou shouldst walk that thy Soul might live for ever in Peace and Rest when this world is passed away and that in this present world he might have made thee a blessing to thy self and posterity and people and a praise in thy Dominions and unto ages after thee if thou hadst hearkned and obeyed his voice and chosen his way and Counsel and not thine own and then would he have made thine enemies to have bowed under thee and the force of their policy and arm should never have prevailed against thee and thou shalt be delivered from the will of all that hate thee if thou yet will hearken unto him and receive his instruction and set thy heart to seek his honour more then thine own and will let his Counsel be thy guide ruler not vain man which must be brought to naught even now before the day of thy visitation bespent never more to be recalled and the time come when God will cease to strive with thee will not call unto thee but will leave thee to thy own hearts false judgment and the counsels of treacherous men And Friend I as one that hath obtained mercy from the Lord unto whom his Word is committed being moved of him do hereby in his presence yet once more warn thee that thou fear before him and diligently hearken to him and seek him with all thy heart that thou maist know his Will and Counsel concerning thee and may do it and find favour in his sight and live and now is the day that his hand is stretched forth unto thee to make thee a blessing or to leave thee a curse for ever and the dayes of thy visitation is near an end when God will no more call unto thee nor hear thee when in the day of thy trouble thou cals to him neither will answer thee by vision nor dream nor Prophet but will leave thee to the counsels of treacherous men who will seek after thy life and wait for thy overthrow and watch for evil against thee that they may glory in thy desolation and such there is of whom thou hast need to beware and if thou reject the Counsel of the Lord and follow the desires of thine own heart and the wills of men and will not have the light of the world Christ Jesus onely to rule thee and to teach thee which condemns all evil then shall evil surely fall upon thee if thou lovest not the light in thee which condemns it and the Judgments of God nor the day of his last visitation with vengeance thou mayest not escape Therefore consider and mark my words and let this Counsel be acceptable unto thee that thy dayes may be many and blessed upon earth And first consider and let it move upon thee to meekness to humbleness and to fear before the Lord assuredly knowing that it is he that changeth times and things and that bringeth down and setteth up whomsoever he will and how that thou was raised from a low estate and set over all thine enemies and thy horn was exalted above them all and he gave thee the necks of Princes to tread upon and more honourable and their Dominions to inherit and thou was set a Ruler in much Dominion and had favour in his sight and in the sight of many People who wished well unto thee for a blessing many victories honourable and remarkable was given unto thee over them who had exalted themselves against God and ruled in tyranny over his people whom the Lord pittied and thou an instrument in his hand was ordained by him to lead forth a people whom he blessed with thee against a cruel People and generation of oppressors who exercised tyrannie over the Lords heritage till they were taken away and cast out and is a reproach unto the Lord and his People unto this day and even so shall all be that followes their example and are oppressors and tyrants over the seed of God as they were and this thou knowest that not by might nor multitude but by the arm of the Lord were they subdued and made a prey unto thee and their treasures a spoil unto thy hands and so it was that thou mightest have glorified him for ever and exalted him in the great Congregation and gone
travelling towards the Land of rest promised of the Lord to them to be obtained and enjoyed by them and they do and have sojourned strangers in these Nations over whom thou art called to Rule and appointed chief Governour this 7 years and greatly are and have they been afflicted and oppressed and even trodden down through unjust Judgment and unrighteous dealing by the Rulers and Inhabitants of the Land and all the dayes of thy Father the late Protector they were held in great captivity and bondage and unrighteous men made them a prey and layed heavy yoaks of cruel sufferings upon them and daily increased their task and something thy Father did for them in their journey of great distress yet but a little of what the Lord required of him and what the Lord looked for that he might have done for power was in his hands given him of the Lord but he was not fully obedient and therefore was the Lords hand stretched out somewhat against him and his Family and he was smitten of the Lord and suddenly taken away in Judgment for he hearkened not to the Counsel of the Lord concerning that people neither did fully relieve them from oppression but slighted many warnings from the Lord the day of his visitation passed over and death took him away in disobedience while this people were yet under great oppressions for he left above a hundred of them in prisons unjustly suffering for â—â—righteousness sake and not for evil-doing and in this he fulfilled not the Will of God but left his name and glory somewhat stained because of these things and though the Lord chose him and shewed love unto him and gave him power over his enemies and made him an Instrument in his hand to break down great oppressions yet he was not obedient to the end to do my will saith the Lord but left something undone which he was truly called unto Now this innumerable people that is come and coming up as aforesaid are them called Quakers and this Aegypts Land is that great darkness ignorance and wickedness and false ways and worships in the Apostacy and fleshly bondage to sin and death which all the world and kindreds and multitudes that are unconverted to God lives and walks in and that Land of rest promised to which they travel is the peaceable and quiet dwelling with the Lord free from the heavy oppression of sin and iniquity and cruelties of men and free in the exercise of their pure Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord as it shall move and lead them into all truth and their sojourning as strangers is their denying and despising the world and all its glories and walking in the daily Cross of Christ whereby they are crucified to the love and respect and renown and honours of the world and are come out of kindreds tongues and people counting the reproach for Christ great riches not respecting men but the Lord altogether in all things and also their suffering unrighteusly false imprisonment and spoiling of their goods for righteousness sake this is their sojourning as strangers And that something that thy Father did for them is he released many of them divers times out of prisons where they were unjustly cast and he signified sometimes his displeasure against them that made them suffer and shewed love to them in hearing their innocent cause with some respect thereunto and that which he did not which he might have done is he took not away Tithes that cause of great oppression to many nor the unrighteous laws wholly as he ought to have done and as the Lord required of him And know thou from the Lord that this same people are the people of the Lord and beloved of him and as dear to him as the apple of his eye and his presence is with them and he leads them as a flock by his Spirit into all truth and who shall bless them shall be blessed but he that acts against them shall not prosper but be smitten of the Lord for their cause will the Lord plead in his Judgments and avenge them of their enemies and the dread of the Lord God shall fall heavy upon the heads of their persecutors and though they are hated of all men and are under great afflictions yet are they a Just people and innocent seeking the good of all men and are peaceable towards all and receiving all manner of wrongs and evil and speakings against them by ungodly men but they render to no man evil for evil but bless them that curse and do good to their enemies and bears all things from all men in long suffering and patience for they are learned in the practices of doing and suffering of the holy Apostles and Prophets and are of the seed of Abraham who was the friend of God and they were thy fathers friends and are not enemies to thee nor to righteous Government but wishes well unto thee in the Lord and that thou may not be destroyed in wickedness but be established in righteousness and peace in thy Government to rule in Gods authority over all wicked men that may seek thy hurt and we desire for thee that the Lord may give thee wisdom a perfect understanding and the Spirit of just and sound Judgment to Judge righteously in all things and to settle the Government in true Judgment that the principle of God in every man may answer to it in defending and preserving and protecting all that walk in truth and righteousness and being a terrour to all evil-doers for for that end is rule and government ordained of God amongst men to be a praise to all that do well and a terrour to all that do evil and now the Lord having suffered it to be brought to pass that thou art set up in thy fathers stead to be chief Ruler amongst men this the Lord God Almighty requires of thee as thou hopes to prosper and be blessed in this life and to enjoy life Eternal when this world is passed away and this is the Word of the Lord God unto thee be humble meek and lowly in heart and exalt not thy own horn nor seek not this worlds honour but seek the Lord with thy whole heart and let Justice and true Judgment and righteous Government which is according to the Law of God be set up and exalted in the Nations and come to know in thy self the Dominion and Authority of the Lord God over sin and transgression and to keep down and condemn all that which is contrary to God in thy own heart and that will make thee a dread and a terrour to men and Nations and then the Lord will be thy Crown and his people will rejoice in thee and lift up their hearts to God for thee if thou throw down and abolish all unrighteous lawes and decrees which have been set up in the days of ignorance and yet stands wherereby the Lords dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day and establish such a Government
faithful subjects suffer hard and cruel things long and sore imprisonment and cruel and sharp whipping and stocking and unjust banishment out of Towns and Cities yea Friends its hard to be expressed and large to be declared how many of the Lords servants do and have suffered great injustice in these Nations through the abuse of good Government and degeneration of Magistracy from its perfect state and place whereunto it was ordained of God in the beginning and moreover great have been the abuses by stricking and beating and halling and kickings and revilings and reproaching whereby many have suffered unrighteously and not relieved nor defended by such in Authority as ought to have done it neither the evil doers at all corrected and punished as ought to have been though known to men in power and thus it is happened to us in our age well doers are punished as transgressors and evil doers go free and thus its manifest Magistracy and Government Rulers and Lawes are greatly degenerated and subverted from what they ought to be according as the Lord ordained them for all this may be proved particularly so that the Nations are out of good order and the State of Government and Rule degenerated and men in Authority and places of trust corrupted not being in their own hearts ruled by the spirit of the Lord and therefore they cannot rule for him among men justly and righteously as the Lord requires and also so great hath been the degeneration in Government in these Nations of late years that many faithful and just men that have been in great places of trust both in Martial and civil affairs through the envy and evil surmising of others have been turned out of all place and Power and not suffered to give their judgement amongst men but been cast off as unprofitable though no evil could be charged against them whereby the Lord hath been offended but all things and places of men must be new moulded and corrected and purged and regenerated that true judgement may flourish and righteousness and truth prosper as in the beginning and this will the Lord suddenly bring to pass by his own Power and if thou oppose it thou shalt not prosper but be cut off and taken out of the way For the spirit of the Lord hath been provoked to wrath because of these things and his anger is kindled against the Nations and he hath overthrown and will once more overthrow till he come whose right it is to Rule whose shall be the Government and Kingdoms and all his enemies shall be slain And as for the publick Ministry as now it is in its present Estate we certainly know and testifie from the Lord unto thee and to the whole Nations that it is not the same Ministry of Christ which the Apostles had nor by the same power and spirit but is wholly degenerated in Call in practice and in maintenance and in all things from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the true Churches before the Apostacy and it is as now it stands in degeneration not of God nor in the power and spirit of Christ Jesus nor hath it the same end and effects as the Ministry of Christ once had but it s tasted and tainted with the spirit of Antichrist which long hath ruled in the world and it s become a grievous oppression in the Nations and people are not converted nor turned to God from their evil wayes but remains unprofited and to say no more of it though much I might say what I affirm of it I may prove by the Scriptures against the wisest of them before thee if thou please viz. That as now the Ministry stands it is not perfectly the same Ministry the Apostles had but is degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches before the Apostacy and if ever God touch thy heart thou wilt see it so when the Spirit of Christ is chief Judge in thee thou wilt witness this to be true and then may not thy power uphold any thing which is contrary to God when Government is purged and made pure from all its present degeneration Again there are many and divers sorts of Sects and gatherings of People and Professions in Religion of several contrary Judgements and opinions and worships in these Nations and these People over whom thou art set to Rule are divers and devided in their wayes and minds and Professions of Religion some looking for and seeking after Christ in such a manner and others after another manner all crying loe here is Christ and thus he will come and loe he is there and so will he appear and some are inventing and supposing such a Government the best and others contrary to that and many are as distracted in their thoughts not knowing what to seek or what to look after some are for such a Government and Religion and others for another and peradventure each one of all these may seek to thee for protection against such as opposeth them commending and justifying their own way and Sect and Form and Religion against all others and craving Lawes to maintain themselves and their Sect and to stop and limit all other wayes as Heresie because differing from them and they will each of them turn and wrest the Scriptures from the mind of the spirit that gave them forth to prove their own opinions and Professions to be right against all others but now thou maist know that the Scriptures were given forth by the one Spirit of God and is the testimony of one truth of one favour of one true worship and one onely true Religion and not many and divers wayes and them that are of divers judgements and worships and Religions and yet all pleads proof from the Scriptures for what they Professe and practice all such perverts the Scriptures and wrests them who are thus divided and unsetled in Religion and they shew that none of them hath the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures which spirit leads into all truth and in it is the true worship of God and the true Profession and practice of true Religion and that spirit onely understands its own words in Scripture but all these divers Sects and heaps of People that are divided in worship and about Religion hath not the Spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures to lead them into all truth and guide them in the perfect way and pure Religion which the Apostles and Churches of Christ were in in their dayes but all these many Sects that are thus devided are risen up since the dayes of the Apostles and are of another spirit and of a false Religion and as for such called Ministers they will be hurrying about thee and flattering thee with fair and crafty words and smooth Petitions and requests for protection and establishment from thee and for large maintenance and stipends and Tythes And possibly they may complain to thee against such as cannot give them hire
once and again overturned and overthrowed and changed at his pleasure times and powers and Authorities and Dominions and he hath brought down the mighty from their seats and stained the Crowns and glories of the honourable and broken the stout-hearted and the oppressors and their Governments as potsheards one against another and made the highest of men of no respect before him for he hath pulled down and set up whom he would according to his will and in all these things hath his hand been the very doer and accomplisher thereof that he might be known and feared amongst all People through the whole earth who is the dread and terrour of men and Nations And as for thy Father the late Protector great things and honourable did the Lord do for him in raising him up and casting out his enemies before him and giving him victory and power and renown through Nations and we know the Lord shewed favour to him and gave him strength wisdom and valour and a right spirit and he was called of God into that great work to subdue the grievous tyranies once ruling over tender consciences and to break down the great oppressions which for ages had caused the just to groan and the Lord was with him in victory and went before him and was his defence and preserved him from great dangers and from the wills of all his enemies and made him prosperous against them all but yet we know to say no more of him he did not wholly fulfill the will of the Lord nor the work which he begun but became disobedient and abused his great deliverances and Authority and did not set free the oppressed altogether but left mountains of oppressions and grievous yokes of bondage unbroken down and unsubdued and the Lord smote him and took him away in judgement because thereof And as for thee who art now set up in his stead we certainly believe that the hand of the Lord is in this matter if but to try thee and it is he that hath brought it to passe not expected by any nor much sought after by thy self but it s come to passe a thing out of and contrary to the thoughts and expectations of the whole Nations art thou attained to this place of Government therefore we must acknowledge something of the great hand of God in it being come to pass as out of due season yet may the Lord make it seasonable and we patiently wait to receive what the Lord brings to passe thereby knowing that thou art in the hand of the Lord to do whatsoever he will with thee and concerning thee and if thou fear him and walk with him and chuse him for thy Counsellour and be obedient to him and seek his glory alone and not thy own honour and greatness then the Lord will do great things for thee and by thee and accomplish his own work through thee which fell in thy Father hand and thou wilt be blessed and renowned and honoured for ever and thy name shall be had in respect in generations to come and hereby the present thoughts of many shall be confounded but if thou do harden thy heart against God live carelesly and neglect his cause and despise his Name and honour seek thy own renown and oppresse the just in thee and without thee and suffer the poor to groan under the cruelty and burthen of oppressing men and Lawes in thy Government without relief from thee and go on in usurped Authority as some evil men before thee then shalt thou not prosper but the Lord shall bring thee down and lay his hand of judgement upon thee and thy name shall be a reproach to the Saints for ever and the heavy hand of vengeance shall be upon thee and pursue thee more then any before thee and the Lord will deliver his People by another way and this is not in flattery and fainedness to thee but as the Lord lives our God shall bring it to pass in his day and thou shalt be the witness Wherefore O man seek the face of the Lord and inquire diligently of him and hear his word that thy soul may live and feel a measure of his spirit in thee to lead thee into all truth and set his presence before thy eye alwayes to direct thy steps that he may bless thee with Power Wisdom Authority and Dominion to perform the duty of thy place faithfully towards the Lord and all men as he requires of thee and if thou first seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and the reconciliation between the Lord and thee and come to feel the Elect seed of God raised up over all the contrary in thee and transgression and thy own will and affections and that which is of the flesh in thee judged and condemned by the word in the heart which makes the immortal soul to live and be refreshed in God and the heir of the promise of God born in thee and hereby shalt thou have an assurance and hope of life Eternal to rest in perfect peace with God when this world is no more but passed away with thee and also in this present time wisdom and valour and true Nobility shall be added to thee and the spirit of Power and Dominion to make men and Nations be afraid and fear and all evil men and such as seeks the hurt of thee and thy Government shall be blasted and confounded and all good men be encouraged and made strong and the whole Nations kept in peace and unity and the truth and peace of God shall hereby flourish amongst us to the honour of the eternal God and to thy renown if thou Rule and Govern for him and by his Spirit and Authority And we are truly sensible of the great charge of this place also of the multitude of perplexities and dangers to thy self occurring and happening thereby dangers from open enemies by their malice and cruel plots and dangers from thy pretended friends and they of thy own house by secret surmisings dangers in Martial and Civil affairs in this Nation and abroad so that we certainly believe nothing save onely the Wisdom of God and his Power can preserve thee carry thee to go through faithfully fulfil so great a place and to discharge it truly in the sight of God and just men neither maist thou be defended and preserved by any other means from the wills and plots and envy of evil men who may watch for evil against thee to destroy thee and blot out thy name and thy fathers posterity out of the Land Wherefore take heed to thy self and fear God that he may bless thee for this is a subtil and crafty generation and the Nations are politick and the Inhabitants thereof wise and deceitful over whom thou art set and with whom thou hast to deal Therefore beware of men for many may seek after thy hurt and some may flatter thee and shew seeming great respect unto thee and profess great service of
and Tythes but may reprove their evil and covetousness and wickedness Begging for Lawes against such and crying out against Error and Herefie because some may be moved to cry against their deceits and oppressions and for the like causes they will run about thee and seck their own advantage and this we know their nature and spirit is such and hath been for many ages But now friend do thou stand in Gods Authority out of and over all such Teachers and Sects and come not under any of them that have the form of godliness but want the Power who are in the Apostacy from the life and pure Religion that the Apostles were in nor believe them not that shall say loe Christ is here or loe he is there or who shall Ascend to fetch him from without or when shall he come from far to save his People go not thou after any of all these but hearken to the word of God in thy heart and know that Christ is within thee else thou art reprobate neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these Sects or some of them above others neither defend and maintain any of them against others of them nor tollerate not one of them above another for if thou do it will betray thee and the Nations Peace and set all spirits on fire about thee and while one is pleased and may pray for thee others will be vexed against thee and curse thee wherefore be not troubled about these things nor cumber not thy self about Religion how to establish it for it is in Gods hand onely to establish his worship and Religion it belongs to him as he will and not as man by his policy and wisdom but stand free from them all and neither establish any nor persecute any Sect whatsoever but let them all have their course and season they will fall and perish of themselves and the good old way and truth and the pure Religion only will remain and let them cry one against another and rebuke one another and meddle not thou with that but onely let thy Lawes and Authority preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another that all men may live peaceably under thee and no man wrong his neighbours person or estate and that 's only thy place to rule in outward affairs but not to rule over any mans conscience to compell him to such a worship or to limit from such a worship in Religion that belongs not to thee but to the Lord who alone will be the Ruler and guide and exerciser of his peoples consciences and if thou do medle therein thou shalt not prosper nor be blessed in thy deed so leave the establishing of Religion to the Lord and let all these Sects manifest if any of them have the spirit Power of God in them with them let them shew their weapons of the spirit for onely such as hath the power and Spirit of God in them will overcome and such will be increased and grow and thou nor none can hinder and such that wants the Power and Spirit of God in and with them may flourish in their form for a while but they will be blasted and wither and it is vain for thee or any to uphold such or endeavour to establish them but if thou meddle on these accounts it will undo thee and confound thee therefore be wise and know what the Lord requires of thee perfectly for if thou leave that undone which God requires then shalt thou be condemned and if thou do that which he requires not then shalt thou not be free and this is written in love to thee to inform thy mind how to walk towards the Lord and the people over whom he hath set thee and as for the maintaining of Ministers let that aloue also and be not troubled about it for it was ever the false prophets and deceivers that preached for hire and went after gifts and rewards and sought money and gifts of people and they that do the same now were never sent of God nor are they such as shall convert people to God for who are true Ministers of Christ will not seek to thee nor to men for wages and Tithes and money but live of the Gospel and not compel great sums of money from people to maintain them in their families in pride in fulness and idleness such things are great oppressions in this Nation and a horrible filthy thing in the sight of God and because thereof will the Lords Judgements come upon the land if thou were but rightly sensible what casting into Goals and what suing at Law of poor people and what spoiling peoples goods by destraint and all for and about Tithes and Priests wages it would make thee admire the wickedness of that generation but do thou let them alone for they do shame themselves and undo themselves and loose the hearts of all good people by their own doings and stand over them all in Gods Authority and know a measure of the Spirit of God in thy own heart and thereby thou wilt discern and try and judge of the spirits of all men and their religion and the Spirit will lead thee in the pure Religion to worship God in Spirit and in truth so let not thy mind be cumbered at all about establishing Religion nor about maintaining the Ministers but be faithful to what the Lord requires of thee and learn his will and do it and then thou wilt be blessed and honoured in this world in the world to come And friend know thou that the Lord is doing of a great work in these Nations he is raising up a seed to serve him and to worship him aright and the God of heaven is setting up a Kingdom over the kingdoms of the world and he hath a controversy with all sorts of people in as much as corruption and degeneration is entered amongst all and all must be purged of all orders of men and the evil cast out the work of the Lord is great and mighty and he requires no help from thee nor any man whatsoever for his own arm will bring it to pass yet he would not have thee to gain-say his work and strive against it and seek to quench what the Lord is bringing forth if thou do it then shalt thou be condemned and the Lord will speedily execute his Judgements and remove thee and overthrow thy power and authority into destruction wherefore be passive in this matter and look thou at the Lord and protect and desend mens persons and estates from wrong but meddle not with their opinions and professions in Religions to exalt any of them nor yet to persecute them And as concerning the Armies abroad let faithful and just men that will not seek themselves be put in trust for the Army is of great concernment to thee to stand or fall through them as to mans account and the war against Spain be faithful to God in it and let trusty men have authority the Lord may accomplish something by it to his honour and to thine if thou be meek and humble and walk with the Lord and to say no more about it there is something in it known to the Lord and he may bring it to pass in his season And thus Friend according as it lay upon me from the Lord I have written this unto thee in dear and pure love God is witness and I have cleared my conscience to thee thus far and if thou fall by thy own transgression it will lie upon thy self I have warned thee and I am clear and if thy fall comes remember thou wast advised Who am a lover of Iustice and true Iudgement and a Friend of this Common-wealth and to thee wisheth well in the Lord EDW. BURROUGH London the 18th of of the 8th month 1658. This was delivered to him the 8th month 1658. * This was meant that he should deny to be made King that was in agitation when this letter was written