Enemies but many were Convinced and received the Truth in the Love of it in beholding the Unity of faithful Friends to their everlasting Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord forever which caused my Soul with the rest of the faithful Labourers to praise the Name of the Lord in blessing the Travel of our Souls and giving us to see the Fruit of our Labour â—n hâ—s Vineyard and the Peace and Unity of his People But of late I have heard that thou my antient Friend Edward Nightingal and Iohn Cox with some other in that City doth meet in a Separating spirit from the rest of Friends in that City which casts a Stumbling-block in the way of many And instead of gathering People to receive the Truth you scatter and drive them away and giveth great advantage to them that watch for evil and is of a bad savour and a Wounding of the Spirits of them that truly fear the Lord I can truly say that your meeting in that Separating spirit which is such an evil savour in the Nation hath been and is more Affliction to me then all Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured unto this day Therefore I intreat and beseech thee my Antient Friend Edward Nightingal with all that meet in the Separation from the rest of Friends in the City to turn your minds to the Light of Christ in you that will let you see you have not done well and with it judge that which hath led you to Separate from meeting with Friends and return to meet with Friends in the City in the sweet Concord Love and Unity in the Life of the Blessed Truth as in the days of old and Years past of which I am a witness with the rest of faithful Friends that in all our Meetings whether in the Prison or in the City we never wanted the sweet appearance of Christ our Life in us and amongst us according to his Promise and our Comfort then and so is it now with all that meet in his Name and Unity with his People as we did in those days which was many Years before the Enemy could get any enterance to make a breach amongst them that make Profession of Gods blessed Truth and to draw some into a self Separation as he hath done you and too many elsewhere For I do assure you it is the work of the Enemy of your Souls for you should not have Separated but have kept your places amongst Friends and not have taken offence because Friends see there might be some service for Truth in meeting twice on the First Day it is very like in that City some that had a Love to Truth might get an opportunity to come to one of the Meetings It is very much to me how you let the Enemy get over you as to cause you to Separate from Friends which if you had kept your places in meeting with Friends you in time might have seen a Service in meeting twice a day as well as they For you may be sure that Separation neither restores any to love the Truth neither gathers any to God but rather scattereth and driveth away some that was gathered in Love to Truth by the painful and faithful Labourers that was truly sent of the Lord as is before written Therefore in the earnings of tender Bowels of the Love of God to you I once more beseech you that you in Humiliation wait in the Light of Christ he will let you see how the Enemy led you from the Light out of your places when you Separated from Meeting with Friends and in yeilding obedience to the Light it will bring you into your places again to meet with Friends to your Comfort and the Honour of the Name of the Lord according to the Counsel of the Lord in my Heart here sent unto you But if you reject the Council of the Lord which in his Love I am moved to send these Lines unto you then shall I Lament your Conditions because of the evil consequence your Separation will produce to your sorrow and wounding many God would not have Wounded for which you must give an account And before you lay down your Heads in peace you will remember me who hath not hide from you the Counsel of the Lord. W. D. Warwick the 21 st day of the 11 th Month 1684. A General Epistle to Friends from that Ancient Servant of Christ William Dewsbury MY Dear Friends and Brethren who are called forth of the World and pluckt as Brands out of the Fire by the Heavenly Power of God and hath Convinced you of his Everlasting Truth in the Light of Jesus Christ My dear Friends as have you received the Truth in some measure watch and pray and Believe in the Name of Christ that his Power you may feel in the Heavenly Inspiration of his blessed Spirit to lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet that all that is not Obedient to the Light of Christ may be kept down and buried in the Heavenly Baptism under the Sentence of Death as it was and is with all the Children of God who have received the Sentence of Death in our selves that we may have no confidence in our selves but alone trust in the Living God which will keep you all in the sweet seasoned savory Spirit of Life in all your Words Tradings and Dealings amongst the Children of Men then will you be manifest and known to all People to be the Salt of the Earth who retain the savour of the Heavenly Life in the Blessed Truth in you that every one according to your Measure may be felt upon all occasions continually streaming forth in the savoury Spirit of Life to the Comfort of your own Families and the City of God who over all is Blessed forever And my dear Friends I desire all to be watchful that not any come short of what is required of them both Rulers of Families and Parents of Children while you have a day to be with them call your Families together to wait upon the Lord in the fear of his Name certainly the Lord will answer the end of your endeavours in causing the savoury Life to stream through you to season your Servants and Children that the Church of God may be in every paâ—ticular Family and Habitation of his People Great is tâ—e concern upon my Spirit for the Children of all that profess the blessed Truth of God that all Parents may stand iâ— their places to bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord while they are in their Minority and tender Years and under their tuishion not to be too indulgent to them in suffering the Spirit of the World to rule in them to have their own wills and to do those things which are not according to the Truth of God and to connive at their Children instead of reproving of them and crossing the Spirit of the World in them and causing them to be content with such things as is
heaped up to your selves according to your own Lusts who cries Peace Peace to you in what you do while you put into their Mouths and now is the time come to the fulfilling the Scripture in you who have itching Ears and cannot indure sound Doctrine but turns from it to Fables which if you continue in your careless minds slighting this day of your Visitation and not like to retain God in your knowledge God will give you up to reprobate minds that profess you know God but in works deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate upon whom the Lord will get his glory in his righteous judgements and if the Lord in his everlasting love had not left a Seed in thee O England thou with all thy Teachers whom thou hast heaped up according to thy own Lusts would have become as Sodom but for his own Seed sake whom he hath blessed he will do good to the Inhabitants of England who stand faithfully in his Counsel to be guided by his Power and will scatter all those that stand in opposition to his righteous Seed Christ whom he is exalting in the Hearts of his elect and chosen People in England to rule for ever over all that stand in enmity to him this is the day the mighty God is giving all power unto his Son Jesus to whom every knee shall bow and all you proud stubborn self-willed lofty ones that hate the Light of Christ in you that witnesses against Sin in the secret of the Heart and Conscience and it reject and deny to be guided by it but turn to the counsel of your own Hearts and the Teachers you have heaped up according to your Lusts and with them sits at ease in the Flesh and turns the Grace of God into wontonness and forgets the loving kindness of the Lord who delivered you by the Arm of his mighty Power when Enemies compassed you on every side and gave you your lives for a prey when they were nigh unto Death and now you abuse your liberty to walk with your Teachers according to your Lusts and with them commit this filthy and abominable thing in the Land the Priests to Teach for Hire and the Prophets they divine for Money and you People love to have it so but what will you do in the end thereof which day you put afar off and do not regard but that you shall not be ignorant of the mind of the Lord and left without excuse in the mighty day of the Lords anger who hath sent his Servants and Children early and late to fore-warn you of the evil day that is coming upon you if you do not speedily repent and turn to the Lord but slight this day of your Visitation then shall the things now belonging to your Peace be hid from your Eyes and your end shall be according to the Word of the Lord I declare to you Thus saith the Lord All these my Enemies that will not that I shall Rule over them bring them hither and slay them before me and this is your portion you Enemies of Christ that hate his Counsel as before written he will you consume with the Breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his coming which will over-take you that sit at ease in the Flesh as a Thief in the night and in flames of Fire will render vengeance on you that disobey his Gospel and will give to every one of you according to the works done in the Body and you shall not escape from Israels Judge Sions King who will all his people deliver and you proud lofty Ones bring under by his mighty Power to the praise and glory of his righteous justice who alone is worthy God over all blessed for ever Amen Remember you are warned in your life time and prize this day of your Visitation while the Lord in patience and long-sufferance waits to be gracious and merciful to you if you speedily return to his Counsel which is the Light of Christ in your Consciences that shewes you Sin and wait in it for his Power to lead you to Repentance and to cleanse you from Sin and in the straight way of self-denial and the daily Cross you to guide in obedience to the Father of Light then will the Lord God be merciful to you and heal your backslidings and love you freely and blot out your Transgressions for his name sake which if you will have none of his Counsel but it reject as you have done and still commit this filthy and abominable thing in the Land the Priests to teach for Hire and the Prophets to divine for Money which is the practice of your Teachers you have heaped up to your selves according to your Lusts and love to have it so then your Portion you must own what the Lord hath spoken he will perform and you and your Teachers shall reap the fruit of your doings according as is declared and in that day I shall be remembred when you lie upon the Bed of sorrow who is clear of all your Blood who perish through your disobedience in that I have not hid the Counsel of God from neither Rulers Priests nor People And to the Light of Christ in all your Consciences I clear my Conscience in the presence of the living pure dreadful God who will perform according to his Words and the condemnation of the Evil-doers slumbers not the Lord will cleanse the Land of you and not any that rejects Christ the corner Stone shall Rule in England for the Lord will make it the glory of all the Nations of the World notwithstanding all that oppose him his own work he will carry on in it by the Arm of his mighty Power will he exalt Christ Jesus to be King in it to Rule the People according to his righteous Law and all that will not his Laws obey and their Crowns lay down at his Feet and to him their Knee bow in perfect obedience to his righteous Law written in the Heart and Conscience he will you break in pieces with his rod of Iron and dash in sunder like a Potters Vessel and not any shall escape that doth evil and bring the Curse upon the Earth which the Lord is making as the Garden of Eden the Mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it he that can receive it let him and hath an Ear to hear let him hear And whether you People in England hear or forbear in your Consciences I shall be for ever manifest and you shall eternally witness the Truth I have declared is to you the Word of the Lord God the day will declare it William Deusbery A TRUE TESTIMONY OF What was done concerning the Servants of the Lord At the General Assizes holden at NORTHAMPTON THE One and twentieth day of the fifth Month 1655. Where Edward Atkins sate Judge of Life and Death before whom was brought William Deusbery Ioseph Storr Henry Williamson Iohn Whitehead Marmaduke Storr Thomas Cocket and Francis
Anointed and lay your Plots in the deep and fetch your counsel out of the bottomless Pit that you may ensnare the righteous Seed whom the World in scorn calls Quakers who in love to your Souls do you warn as you will eternally answer before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to give over Plotting against the Righteous and inventing evil devices against the Innocent for in the eternal Light you are seen and in your secret works of darkness you are discovered and all you that will not take warning now when the Lord calls you to turn to his Light but his Counsel rejects and continue in the evil of your doings To you this is the Word of the Lord All your Plots and Counsels shall not prosper against the Righteous for he that sits in Heaven doth laugh the Lord shall have you in derision for not any Plot shall prevail against Israel nor unrighteous Counsel stand before Zions King who will break you with the rod of Iron and dash you in pieces like a Potters Vessel that plots against him to oppose him in his appearance In the Hearts of his Saints for in what you do to the least of those you do it to me saith Christ and better a Milstone were hanged about your Neck and you cast into the bottom of the Sea than to offend the least of those that believe in my Name From the Spirit of the Lord that will not always strive with Man you are once more warned now while you have time prize it and turn to the Light of Christ in your Consciences which lets you see the secret evil of your Hearts and wait in the Light for the Power of Christ to destroy the plotting wicked inventing minde and to guide you in the strait and narrow way of self-denial and the daily Cross in perfect obedience to the Law of God least you perish in your disobedience for the Lord God of Israel is arising in mighty Power to plead the Cause of his persecuted oppressed People and to scatter all their Enemies that plot against them as Dust before the Wind for they that plot against the People of God and for them digs a Pit shall fall into it themselves for not any Weapon formed against them shall prosper for all shall know the mighty God is with Israel his People and that the King of eternal glory dwells in Mount-Sion who is the strength of his people and of his Dominion there shall be no end and in that day all both high and low rich and poor that slight the comfort of the Lord and continue in enmity against him and his appearance in the Hearts of his Saints then will you know what hath been and is declared to you from the righteous Seed is to you the Word of the Lord God He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear Witnessed by the righteous Seed whom the World in scorn calls Quakers who are in the common Goal in Northampton for the Truths sake REad with understanding in the fear of the Lord this is the Word of the Lord to you Dear Friends Servants and Children of the most high God whom he hath called out of the World be faithful all of you in his Counsel to wait for his Power you to guide in all your thoughts words and works in his pure fear in obedience to his Will I charge you in the presence of God be valiant for your freedom in your dwelling in the Power of God that he may be your Arm against the fiery Darts of the Devil him to resist in his appearance in all his Wiles who goes about like a roaring Lyon to devour you every way seeking to get into you your minds from the pure to draw into the vibsile things your affections there to captivate your wills to satisfie in created and perishing objects as in the knowledge of the Truth in the fleshly wisdom to feed with the Swine upon the Husk the Form and Image of what you have enjoyed or of what you see in the Light and Vision and doth not enjoy it in the Possession but spake in the airy drunken spirit Words without knowledge with them sits decked a painted Beast above the Cross and thou whose condition this is art the foolish Virgin that appears in the ouâ—ward formality in the sight of Men with a Lamp like the wise Virgin but not dwelling in the Power of God wants the Oyle of joy and gladness in the power of his love which the wise Virgins have in their Lamps that dwell in the pure Light and Power of God which keeps all the affections in order to the Spirit of Truth and bridles the Tongue not to utter words before the Lord but in the silence on him to wait till his Spirit move his mind to declare from the living Power what the Soul possesses and enjoys in Christ the Husband of the wise Virgin who is the Bride the Lambs Wife I charge and command you all in the presence of the living God who make mention of his Name examine your Hearts search them and try your ways with the Light that comes from Christ which will discover all your conditions in the Book of Concience there you will see how you stand in the presence of God wherein the state of the foolish Virgin in the airy Spirit feeding upon words spoken in the Light and Viâ—ion there boasting in pride of what thou possessest not and through the subtilty of the Devil is turned from the pure Power to flee the Cross and so make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience or whether you be in the state of the wise Virgin that in the pure Light waits and dwells in the Power which chastiseth that which would your Garments defile keep daily in the Cross and then the Soul is kept pure and clean to follow the Lamb with boldness whithersoever he goes and enters with him into the rest prepared for the People of God where thou the foolish Virgin shalt not come until thou from thy folly and fleshly wisdom return to the pure Light with it to judge and in it to wait for his Power Christ Jesus the Fountain of wisdom thee to guide in faithful obedience to the Father of Light. All dear Children of the Lord be valiant bold and faithful that in the pure Light Power and Life of God you may all stand in the day of tryal which the Lord will bring upon you all that make mention of his Name for power shall be given to the Beast his Horn to exalt even to the host of Heaven for the cleansing of the Sanctuary that all painted Beasts that are enemies to the Cross that hath defiled the Sanctuary of the living God in coming before him amongst his Saints and Children for from among them shall they come trembling before the power of the Beast when he utters his voice for all to come to his Image him to worship then shall all you Children of the most high God whom
the lusts thereof but you must be Perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect You regard it not but hearken unto the counsel of your own Hearts which draw you to look at the words of Paul where he saith I find a Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde so ye wrest the Scripture to your own destruction for your encouragement to live in the Flesh and say none must be free from the body of Sin while he is here in the body And thus you deceive your selves and all whom you draw from the Light in your Conscience which cries for a perfect fulfilling of the Law of God within for the Soul that sinneth it shall dye Though Paul did complain of a body of Sin it was in his growth and it was his burden which made him cry O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me And he witnessed it put off The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death for Christ is made manifest to destroy the work of the Devil and not to destroy the Law to save Man from the condemning power of the Law while he lives in transgression of it for the Law hath power over the fleshly Man so long as he lives But he came to fulfil the Law and all the Saints bear witness of it in their measure some witness it fulfilled others wait following the Lamb daily in the Cross till they come to the fulfilling of it that the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Therefore mind the Light in your Consciences diligently hearken unto it and it will smite your glorious Image of Forms and Observations and break it to peices and will rend off all your glorious Coverings of your outward Profession and will let you see the Wo. is unto them that are covered and not with the Spirit of the Lord. To the Light in your Consciences I speak which will eternally witness me if you hearken unto it to be guided by it you will never find rest in outward Forms and Observations but in putting off the body of Sin through the obedience of the Spirit that the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in 〈◊〉 in walking no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit For they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and the body is dead in regard of Sin but the Spirit is alive unto Righteousness And this you must witness or else all your Religion is vain and your Souls will perish To you Inhabiters of England How long will you drink of the Cup of Abominations the Wine of the Fornication of the Whore which hath made you Drunk and all Nations to lay out your Money for that which is not Bread to the Merchants of Babylon who fill unto you the Cup of Abominations in drawing you from the Light in your Consciences which is given unto every one of you a measure to guide you up to God to seek for the Kingdom of God in Observations and Christ saith it is not in Observations but within so they keep you in Captivity in Babylons Kingdom under the power of Sin Hell and Death To every particular Inhabiter of England I write Come out of Babylon all Forms and Observations and Traditions which are set up by the will of Man Now is Babylon come in remembrance before God and the vials of wrath must be poured upon her and upon her Merchants for by their Sorceries are you Inhabitants of England and all Nations deceived and in her is found the Blood of the Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Haste haste come out of her least you partake with her in her Sins and so partake with her in her Punishment which will speedily come upon her for the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it return within every one in particular examine your Hearts and mind the Light in your Conscience and it will always let you see where your Hearts are and what they delight in for it is the Heart the Lord requires he will no longer be Worshipped in Words Forms and Observations but in Spirit and in Truth and in sincerity in the inward part Therefore every one be faithful in taking heed to the Light in your Consciences which the Lord hath given to every one a measure to profit withal for the exercise of the Conscience towards God and Men in minding your watch to wait in the Light in measure it will bring to Judgment all the powers of darkness in you and the righteous Law of God will cry through your earthly and carnal Hearts till Judgment be brought forth into Victory and your wills will be brought in subjection unto the Will of God to wait on him for refreshment from his presence who satisfieth the hungry with good things And take heed of consulting with Flesh and Blood for that leads into Pride and Disobedience into Hell and Destruction mind the Light in your Conscience which is the sure word of Prophecy that you cannot be deceived taking heed unto it as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-Star arise in your Hearts diligently hearken unto it and you shall eat that which is good and your Soul shall delight it self in Fatness There is your Teacher within you the Light in your Consciences loving it and obeying it is your Life hating it and disobeying it is your condemnation To that pure Light in your Consciences I speak which will eternally witness me when the Book of Conscience is opened in you Now you have time prize it in waiting on the Lord in the Light to make your Calling and Election sure in putting off the old Man and his deeds and putting on the Lord Iesus Christ in righteousness and holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord in so doing you shall escape the Wrath of God which is coming upon the Children of disobedience in this Nation and else where for the Lord will make the Earth as the Garden of Eden and hath begun his great and strange Work in this Nation which shall make the Ears of them that hear to tingle wherein he is exalting the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus which Kingdom shall break down all the Kingdoms of the World and shall fill the whole Earth For the mighty day of the Lord is coming that shall burn as an Oven and all you that are Proud and all you that do wickedly shall be Stubble and the day that cometh shall burn you up saith the Lord of Hosts and it shall leave of you neither Root nor Branch But unto you that fear the Name of the Lord shall the Sun of Righteousness arise
his Counsel the measure of his Spirit in you to guide you in his holy Fear that you may be Heirs of his living Mercies through your holy Conversations then will he come upon you in the fierceness of his Wrath and break you to peeces like Potsherds and get his Glory over all your Heads in the Revelation of his righteous Judgments wherein the Rider of the pale Horse shall execute the pleasure of his own will as he did the last Year upon thy Inhabitants Oh thou City of London so now art thou warned through the Constrainments of the Spirit of the Lord through him that could have no rest till he signified unto thee what is here given forth what the determination of God is Therefore Wo Wo unto the Wicked for it shall go ill with them But Oh blessed be the Faithful Lambs happy are you dear precious and blessed Vessels your Faithfulness to God in your watching waiting in the Light of the Son of Righteousness for whom you have stood as Pillars in the strength of the Almighty Ah your tenderness and love to God and one unto another in the days of great Calamity that hath been amongst you is recorded in the Book of Eternal Remembrance of the living God and in the Hearts of his Righteous Generation never to be forgotten Oh take your Crown of everlasting Blessings you innocent Lambs and Children of Light in the City of London Oh be valiant and keep your state with God that his pure saving sanctifying Spirâ—t may guide you all in purity of Life and Conversation and in the aboundings of the Pure Holy Love to God and one unto another the mighty Jehovah will shew himself for you in the day of great Tribulation you shall rejoyâ—â— when the wicked shall Howle yea you shall tryumph in the Pure Dominion of the Lord of Glory when the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Through your Brother in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience of the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in Obedience to the Lord the 10 th of the 3 d Moneth 1666. Blessed are all who are united to God in the Lord Jesus yea happy are the People that have the Lord for their God. A General Epistle given forth from the Spirit of the Lord to be Read in his Fear in the Assemblies of the Church of the First-Born gathered in these Northern-Countries and in all Countries and Islands where-ever the People of the Lord are scattered over the Face of the Earth Dear Friends CAlled in the Light of the Lord Jesus to stand living Witnesses for him upon the Earth amongst the Children of Men Oh! the Bowels of the Love of the Lord that is in my Heart to you that when I was nigh unto death to the sight of all that saw me as to the outward Man and scarce able to speak I was constrained to give forth the substance of what is now sent amongst you for a perfect discovery of your conditions seeing that many are called and few chosen and many convinced that are not converted therefore are these lines written that you may truly know whether you be born again and redeemed from the Earth yea or nay And in order thereunto let every Man and Woman search their Hearts with the Light of the Lord and it will truly manifest whether you be born again and so feed upon the Tree of Life or otherwise you rest in outward formal conformity to the Tturh and the heart in the Earth and that Spirit will turn against Truth and hath done And some others are drawn to delight their Hearts in the Gifts Parts and knowledge which the Lord hath given them more then in the Lord the Fountain from whence they come and so abuse the gift and feeds upon the fruit of the Tree of Knowledg which puffeth up and maketh Man wise in his own eyes and say in his Heart I am wise and rich sees and wants nothing when they are Blind miserable naked and wants all things and whatever any profess as to the Service of God that is in this condition they have an end to themselves in what they do which grieveth the Spirit of the Lord when Men and Women in a discoursitive Spirit takes upon them to declare the Truth when the Lord neither calls them nor speaketh by them so are the Children born of the Royal Seed burthened for such have turned against the Truth and the Children born of it whom the Lord hath and will ease in the day determined when all mouthes shall be closed in silence but who are opened by him and not any Voice be heard but his own Spirit speaking in and thorow his own Children born of him who alone seeks his Glory and not any thing for themselves which must be denied Therefore seeing the Enemies wiles are great and many let all dread the Lord and who have been led astray wait in the heart-searching Light to see the Mystery of Iniquity where it led them forth and return to the Light to judge down proud exalted self which hath turned against the Truth and bring into true Poverty and abhoring of self to wait at the Throne of Grace for the Lord to raise you up in the Resurrection which raised up Jesus from the dead and in this Life contentious Self is buried in death and the true unity is known where the Lord alone is exalted in purity joy love and peace in all his from the least to the highest growth and all Flesh abased before him who is worthy of all Obedience Praise and Glory for ever Amen And all dear Friends and Brethren that love the Light and rejoyce in the Judgments of the Lord to have subtil Self buried in the true Death that what gifts of the Spirit soever the Lord gives unto you and the Enemy tempt you never so strongly to puff you up in a self-priding spirit in what you have received of the Lord yet his fear is so minded by you which keeps you in a true sence of your nothingness and emptiness in your selves which causes you to wait in true self-denâ—aâ— for the daily assistance and renewing of your strength in the Resurrection of Life in the Lord Jesus and the more he manifests his Power with you the more empty and nothing you appear in your own Fyes And so is the true Birth known which makes Self of no repuration that the Lord may be exalted in his unlimitted power in manifesting himself in the poverty emptiness and nothingness of his people who are born of him that not any Flesh may glory before him but all in truth to say the Lord doth all in me and through me and the Lord shall have the Glory and I will sit in the dust at his feet with all my Brethren and Sisters to serve him and his People through whom we are raised up to sit in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus in
according to the Truth of our God and for want of this carefulness in Parents the Spirit of the World is strengthened in their Children when it should be kept down by the heavenly Authority and Power that the Lord hath given to their Parents to rule over them and nâ—t to let them have their own wills satisfied in any thing which is contrary to the Truth of God and all in his Wisdom so walk with such Moderation in all things as well as clothed in modest Apparel laying by all Superfluity that your good Examples may raise up the witness of God in your Children and for want of this care in some Parents and being too indulgent and full of lenity to their Children they grow Rude Stubborn Self-willed and Disobedient to their Parents while they are under their tuishion to the wounding of the Hearts of their Parents who neglected their duty as to the Government of their Children in their tender Years Therefore I desire and beseech you in this weighty concern that you slight not the oppertunity God gives you to be in all things a good Example to all that live with you both Children and Servants that by your godly Conversation and heavenly Exhortations you raise up the Witness for God in your Children and Servants and in exercising the Power God hath given to you to cross and keep down the evil Nature while they live with you And when your Children grow up take them to Meetings and keep your Eyes over them that they behave themselves soberly according to your Exhortations then encourage them in wel-doing so will the Lord bless your sweet and heavenly Behaviour in your Families that Servants will bless God that ever it was their lots to come into your Families in that their Spirits were sweetly seasoned with the Truth by your heavenly Behaviour and Care over them c. and your Children will magnifie the Name of the Lord for your blessed Care and heavenly Instructions and godly Endeavours every way for their good in this World and their eternal happiness in the World to come which will Crown the hoary Heads of their Parents with Joy to see their blessed care and endeavours sanctified to their Children and to see their Off-spring to be made the Off-spring and Children of God blessed be his Name forever who heareth the Prayers of his People who is exercised daily in the heavenly inspiration of his holy Spirit to call upon his holy Name not only for Enemies but for a blessing upon their Families and for all that love the Truth of our God these are the Families that are a sweet savour to the Lord that he guards with the Angel of his presence and wiâ—l make them manifest and known to all People that they are his chosen Jewels whom he will preserve in the day when he will pour forth his Vengence upon the Heathen that know him not and upon all the Families that call not upon his Name And if any of these Children of these heavenly minded Parents when they are from under their tuishion for want of watchfulness grow into carelesness and turn their backs of the blessed Truth of God and trample all the care and good counsel of their Parents under their Feet to satisfie their own Wills in the Pride and Vanity of this evil World to the wounding of the Hearts of their careful and loving Parents they will be clear of their Blood when they shall reap the fruit of their doings except they Repent And all you young and tender People with others that come among Friends through the education of your careful Parents Masters or Mistrisses you have been under I have a concern upon my Spirit to write to you that you do not rest in an outward profession of the Truth by what you have received by Education but all watch to the heart searching Light of Christ in you which will let you see you must be Regenerated and Born again and so be made real and faithful Friends by the Heavenly inspiration of the powerful Spirit of God in you which if you be careful upon your watch you will see Judgment upon all in you that is not obedient to the Light of Christ in whose Light you will see more Light that will let you see your great necessity of the enjoyment of the Life which is hid with Christ in God which will cause you to pray without ceasing that the Lord would enable you to loath and abhor the Pride Pomp and Pleasure of this evil World and to give you assurance of Gods Love to your Souls and until you enjoy it in all places of your retirement you will pour forth your Supplications with Tears to the Lord as the blessed and heavenly Travellers and Companions did and doth who could not find the Kingdom of God in outward observations tho none more faithful in observing what is made known to them to be the Will of God but the Kingdom of God not consisting in outward observations you in the Light press forward according to your Spiritual Hunger and Thirst in true poverty of Spirit weeping and seeking the Lord your God asking the way to Sion with your Faces thitherward that you may enjoy his Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks Oh you blessed Children of the Lord lift up your Heads and stay your Minds upon the Lord patiently waiting upon him he will turn your Sorrows into everlasting rejoycing and seal you up with the holy Spirit of Promise and in the marriage union with himself and will give you assurance of your eternal Salvation then you will certainly know the Kingdom of God to be within you and the anointing to teach you which will enable you to delight in taking up the Cross daily in true obedience to the Light of Christ all the days you have a being amongst the Children of Men then will you in the Name of the Lord 〈◊〉 upon the Pride Pomp Pleasures and Vanity o◠〈◊〉 evil World to the great Comfort of your dear and careful Parents Masters and Mistrisses whose tuishion you were under in your minority and tender Years and to all that walk in the precious Truth of our God over all blessed foâ—ever Amen And all dear Friends and Brethren seeing the Lord who turneth the Hearts of Men as Rivers of Waters and in his loving kindness so ordereth those in Authority that the Prison Doors were opened once more in our day to injoy Peace and Quâ—etness according to his blessed will Praises be to his holy Name for evermore I have a concern upon my Spirit that all Friends and Brethren have their Hearts affected as mine is to live in the sence of the Mercies of the Lord and every one for the time to come endeavour to prevent the Enemy in what he hath been a doing of late Years to make disâ—union amongst Friends and Brethren by publick opposiâ—ion of some and others not patiently keeping in their places hath also separated the differnce being so publick
hath caused many a sorrowful Heart and given cause to the Enemies of God to rejoyce which hath been a greater Exercise and Trouble to me then all the sharp Persecutions and Imprisonments I have endured for the Word of God and Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Therefore in the Bowels of the Love of God I beseech and entreat you all who have been or is concerned in what is before written let the Love of God so abound that in it all labour for Peace and Unity in Christ the Prince of Peace who in love laid down his Life for us when we were Enemies and called many of his Children in our Age to give up their Lives in the heaâ— of the Day Weeks Months and 〈◊〉 to gather Enemies unto the knowledge of 〈…〉 with God therefore wait for the heavenly Wâ—sdâ—m to bear one with another that if any who are Conscientious to God and Blameless in their Conversations having a concern upon their Spirit to declare in publick Assemblys the Truth to edifie the People I beseech you in the love of God that not any through disaffection shew at least any publick opposition but rather speak to the Party in private if there be any occasion for him to be spoken to so will the Enemy be prevented of casting a stumbling block in the way of tender spirited People that comes in love to be Comforted in the Meeting and in so doing it will cause Love and Unity to abound amongst Friends that in the Love of God all may be restored that hath been scattered and brought again into Unity to meet all together in the Everlasting Truth to feel the Healer of Breaches to reign who is the restorer of the Desolate exalted in his Kingdom in all your Hearts to offeâ— up a Peace-offering in passing by all Offences that have caused Dis-union and to bind you all up in the Unity of the Spirit and Bond of Everlasting Peace to meet all together who profess Gods Blessed Truth to Praise his Holy Name all as one and one as all while we are here in these mortal Bodies and forever when time here shall be no more even so be it with you all saith my Soul in the Name of the Lord to whom is my Prayers that all may be accomplished as above written until it be so with you I shall remain your exercised Brother in the Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation of our Lord Jesus Christ. William Dewsbury My dear Friends through the sharp Persecutions that was passed through in the heat of the day and many long Imprisonments being nineteen Years a Prisoner in this Town of Warwick and four of them being kept close Prisoner it hath pleased God to suffer my Health to be Impaired that many times I am forc'd to rest two or three times in going to the Meeting in the Town not being of ability of Body to travel as in Years past I do in the Love of God visit you with this Epistle desiring it may be carefully read in the Fear of the Lord in the Assemblies of his People that Peace and Eternal Vnity may be amongst you in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Given forth in the movings of the Peaceable Spirit and Word of Reconciliation in the Lord Iesus Christ to whom is my Prayers that all Convinced may wait to be made of the number of the Slain of the Lord and conformable to Christ in his Death that they may witness his quickening Power to raise them up in the Resurrection of Life to enter into the Gates of Sion to dwell in the City of new Jerusalem where Peace is within her Gates and Quietness amongst all that have their Habitation therein having Salvâ—tion for Walls and Bulwarks and are the blessed of the Lord preserved by him to the Honour of his Name forever Amen W. D. Warwick the 4th of the 10th Month 1686. These following Epistles were found in Manuscript without Dates To all you proud Priests that dare to add your Wisdom to the Testimony of Jesus KNow this as from him that he is come to lay open your Deceits and the Conjuring deceiving Inventions of your own Brains which you sell for so much in the Year to maintain you in Pride and Lust for to eat of the Fat and be cloathed with the finest of the Wool and so deceive the simple and lead them on in Blindness and Darkness in making people believe the Inventions of their own Brains to be the Word of the most high God as in taking part of the Testimony of the word Jesus and add to it the Inventions of their own Wisdoms branching it into Doctrines Reasons Uses Helps and Motives according as their fancies guides them and then takes the pure Testimony of Jesus to prove the truth of this their Conjuring deceiving Inventions though the Scripture tells you that no Prophesie is of any private Interpretation for the Prophesie came not by the will of Man but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and saith Iohn in the Revelations I saw in the right Hand of him that sat upon the Throne a Book written within and on the back side sealed with seven Seals And I saw a strong Angel Proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and loose the Seals thereof and no Man in Heaven or in Earth or under the Earth was able to open the Book or look thereon now when Iohn saw that the mystery of Salvation was hid from all Creatures he wept much because none was found worthy to open the Book neither to look thereon And one of the Elders said to Iohn weep not behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah of the Root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and loose the Seals thereof and hath revealed his mind to his Servants that obey his Counsel to him be all Glory and Honour and Power for evermore Oh cease thou vain Man from adding thy Wisdom in opening the Seals in telling poor ignorant people what means the Scriptures by thy studied Sermons and Expositions which is the Invention of thy own Brains and putting words into the Mouths of poor ignorant people to sing Praises to the most high God for there is none can sing but the ransomed of the Lord and they return to Sion with joy and singing and everlasting joy is upon their Heads And the Apostle saith If any be Afflicted let him Pray if any be merry let him sing Oh therefore come down you vain proud Men that call your Traditions the Worship of God and causes the people to err by your Lies and by your Lightness And I sent them not neither commanded them therefore they do not profit this People at all saith the Lord Hear what the Lord saith unto you I testifie to every Man that hears the words of the Prophesie of this Book if any Man add unto these things God shall add to him the Plagues that are written
and all in the new Covenant do know the Law of God written in their Hearts and the Witness or Testimony of Jesus within 1 Iohn 5.10 bearing witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 and this declared is neither deceitful nor knavish which is the unsavory words thou chargest on us let the Truth of God in all Consciences judge to whom they belong the Scriptures we are not against they bear Testimony of Christ the Light whom we witness the way to the Father Mat. 11 27. None knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him by the revelation of the Spirit of God is the things of God known to his People 1 Cor. 2.9 10 13. Rom. 8.11 16. according as is recorded we witness the Scriptures fulfilled in Christ the Light who is our Life Col. 3.3 4. And whereas thou queries did ever any read of the Law and Testimony in the Heart and that the Law and Testimony in the Heart is the Law of the new Covenant Reply Who hath read the Scripture in the fear of God hath read what the Lord hath promised as declared Isa. 8.16 Bind up the Testimony seal the Law among my Disciples and Ier. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel in those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts Heb 8.10 11 12. and the Law written in the Heart we witness and the Lord faithful in performing according to his Promise in the new Covenant And thou goest on in Page 19 and 20 calling us Impostors and Pervertors of the new Covenant and to be in Idle proud Fancies and itching Humors of our own Brains in our Apostate Condition Reply We in the Light can bear thy reproach and have witnessed the Truth that it may stand a witness against thy revilings and in the Lord we rest who will make manifest whether thou or we be the Pervertors of the new Covenant and guilty of what thou chargest us with And whereas thou in the 22d Page says that William Deusbery tells us that the mighty day of the Lord is appeared in the North of England and is rising towards the South and shall over-spread this Nation and all the Nations of the World c. what the mans fancy and design is in bruiting and making such a noise of the appearance of the mighty day of the Lord judge ye I am sure he hath sufficiently discovered his own folly in blazing abroad such Dreams of his own lying Heart c. Reply In thy 2d Page thou hast enlarged thy self concerning that Book calling it a lying Paper c. and the Truth is witnessed in answer to thy charge and this in answer to what is here written Fancies Bruitishness Folly Dreams and Lyes William Deusbery denies the Truth he hath declared as the Lord hath him moved in Faithfulness to the Souls of all People that they be not found the sloathful Servants putting the Day of the Lord afar off in this his Day wherein the Hour of his righteous Judgment is come Rev. 14.7 to all that wait on him the Truth is declared that all men may prepare in the Light the Lord to meet and no longer in sloathfulness remain least he come upon them as a Thief in the Night and if the Day of the Lord do not arise over all the World and the Kingdoms of the World became the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ and the Lord perform not as is declared then say the Lord hath not spoken by me who is known to the World by name William Deusbery And in the 22d Page thou sayst we have set our selves in the Throne of Christ judging the whole World. Reply Thy Accusation is false self we deny to Christ we are subject who sits on his Throne and is come and coming in his Saints to judge the World Iude 14 15. 1 Cor. 6.2 and 2.5 And in the 23th page thou sayst why do not we command the Dead to rise and appear before us and many other unsavory words are there exprest Reply A wicked and Adulterous Generation shall seek after a sign and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of the Prophet Jonah Mat. 16.4 And whereas thou chargest Howgill and Burrough as thou callst them with pernitious Blasphemous Opinions Reply Thy Accusation is false they are faithful Men serving their Generation in the Light Ministers of Christ in whom is witnessed the God-head dwelling Bodily Col. 2.9 and in him we are one in God they that joyn to the Lord are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 he that can receive it let him And whereas thou in the 29th Page saist that the Revelations of Christ that are according to Scripture are either Texts of Scripture expressed or rational Deductions Consequences and Conclusions that naturally flow from particular passages of Scriptures and not any other Revelations can be pleaded for a Rule Reply Thy dark mind is shut out from knowing the Revelations of Christ and though thou sayst that answer that was returned to these words was not to purpose it stands a witness against thee and will be found to purpose in the Light when thy reward thou shalt have for all thy unsavory words exprest in thy Book And in the 33th Page where thou falsely accuses us that we will allow of no Laws of God nor Scripture but the Revelations and Edicts of our own bewitched Hearts c. And when thou hast reviled us with false Accusation as before written thou beseechest those thou callst thy dear Friends to be serious in their Thoughts of what thou hast written in discovering our deceits and blasphemies denying the Rule that all things are to be tryed by and make themselves the absolute rule and we must not question what they say though it be never so insolent and to be abhorred of all sober Christians c. Reply Thou hast brazened thy Face to slander the Truth of God with Lies and Blasphemies which is the Foundation of all Heresie and there thou art found and thy Accusation is false Christ the Rule that all things is to be tryed by we own and deny our selves and to the Light of Christ in all Consciences we appeal whether thou or we deny the Rule thou that saist the Revelations of Christ are either Texts of Scripture expressed or rational Deductions Consequences c. as before written or we who witness Christ the true Light revealed by the Fâ—ther 〈…〉 knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 1â— 27 Luke 10 22. Let all that are in Christ with sobriety in the Light judge And for the rest of thy Slanders in the 37â—â— and 38th Pages where thou saist these miserable Worms un-Covenant themselves and un-Christ themselves as if they cared not for Grace and Mercy in standing before God denying the Scripture c. And in the
without Christ to do any thing acceptable to God c. Which thou goest about to prove the contrary and saist there is the Light and use of reason and understanding faculties though corrupted And further thou says This Light of corrupt reason as before exprest presents to the conscience good and evil c. Reply In the Light thou art seen to be in the corrupt Fountain from whence all these corrupt words hath come which thou hast Printed in thy Book and thy words are not true Corrupt reason of Man doth not present to the Conscience things good and evil a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit Mat. 7.18 There is nothing makes manifest Darkness but Light Ephes. 5.15 which all men in the Fall is gone from out of the way and there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.9 10 11. c. And the natural Man receives not the things that are of God nor can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 12.14 And all the Righteousness of Man in this state is as a filthy Rag and a menstruous Cloath Isa. 64.6 And this is the state of Man in corrupt Nature And the Light that convinces Man of this dark and corrupt Estate he is in is the Light of Christ that convinces the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Iohn 16.8 So we that were sometimes Darkness are now Light in the Lord Ephes. 5.8 And who walk in the Light there is no occasion of stumbling â— Iohn 2.10 And whereas thou saist Thou knowst we Lie as thou hast made it manifest Reply It is not so thou hast not yet made manifest and Lie that we have spoken by any truth thou hast declared And thou goest on as in thy 89th Page thou saist The rational Soul of Man corrupted is called the Candle of the Lord which we invent to be Christ which is false we deny that the corrupt Soul of Man is the Candle of the Lord or Christ. And further thou saist It was thy intended work to go thorow all the Answers to the ten Questions but for want of thy Paper which thou saist we detained from thee contrary to our Promise In which thou saist not true for the promise was to thee thou should have a Copy of thy Paper which thou sent to us when it was ready for thee which was not then written neither was any time set down of thy having it and as way was made a Copy according to our promise came to thy Hands And in the close of thy Book thou goest on aâ— thou begun saying we deny Scripture as to the 〈…〉 were intended and reproach the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus which the Scriptures Teach under the 〈◊〉 of Heatheâ—ish Worships c. which is 〈◊〉 to in the Truth declared a witness to stand against all the Reproaches that thou hast cast upon the Truth of the living God and the God thou art pleading for cannot crown thee with honour in the day wherein the living God will exalt his Son and clear the Innocency of his People then shall the God whose worship thou art defending be confounded and Confusion and Shame shall stop thy Mouth and if this come not to pass as declared then say the Lord hath not spoken by me And in that thou call'st thy Postscript in the end of thy Book the things therein thou falsely accusest us with and calls them the Rocks which we are to manifest how we shall escape which is clearly made manifest in what is written in answer to thy Book Only this where thou saist we make no difference between the visible professing Church and the Pagan World all may be saved alike if they will c. Reply They that make a visible Profession of Christ and deny to walk in the Light of his Spirit are of the World that lies in Wickedness 1 Iohn 5.19 Mat. 7.21 as well as them thou call'st the Pagan World and not any can be saved by what they do in their own wills all that is done in that nature is abomination to God as is plain in to Answer what thou hast writ in Pag. 70. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that shews mercy Rom. 9.16 which he makes manifest in the riches of his Grace in Christ the Light who leads all that obey him in the strait way of self-denial and the daily Cross in obedience to the Will of God which is our sanctification And he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one Heb. 2.4 1 Thes. 4.31 He that can receive it let him For the Truths sake that the Simple be not turned out of the way by the false Accusations Reproaches and Aspertions thou hast cast upon it what is before written in Answer to thee the Truth doth clear and the Answer to thy ten Questions which thou chargest to be deceitful that they may witness for themselves against what thou hast cast upon them that all that desire to know the Truth may them read The Questions and Answers are as followeth 1. Qu. Whether the writings of the Scriptures are a Declaration of the holy Will and Mind of God that necessarily oblige the Servants of God that profess him to believe and observe whatever is revealed therein to be believed and done and whether the Scripture alone be a perfect Rule of Faith and Life unto all of years amongst us yea or nay Ans. The Scriptures is a true Declaration of the things believed amongst the Saints and a true Testimony of Jesus Christ but not any do them know neither can believe what is written therein only by the outward Declaration and Testimony of Scripture but by the Word of Faiâ—h which is in the Heart and in the Mouth which is the Word of Faith which we Preach Rom. 10.7 8. 2. Qu. Whether any other Revelations and Observations not to be found in the Scripture be binding to the Consciences of those Persons that have the benefit of the Scripture or whether such Revelation or Dictates within a Mans Heart and Soul be as binding to the Conscience and to be urged to a Mans self or others as the Scriptures are Ans. The Revelations of Jesus Christ is according to Scripture which Revelation binds up the Testimony and Seals the Law in the Hearts of his Disciples and what Dictates is in the Conscience or Heart of Man contrary to the Law and Testimony is not to be regarded but disowned and judged with the Light which comes from Christ the Saints Life who guides them in a pure Life and holy Conversation according to Scripture Isa. 8.20 3. Qu. Whether any thing besides the Scripture is constituted of the blessed God to reveal Christ as Redeemer and Saviour to the Spirit of miserable lost Man to bring Man unto happiness or whether corrupt Man without the knowledge of Scripture may ordinarily attain unto Salvation yea or nay Ans. No Man can come to the Son any other way but whom the
63. To all the Faithful in CHRIST Who Have stood in his Counsel the Light to be led in the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Companions and to all that profess the Light of Christ to be their Guide To you I write these following Lines to be seriously weighed in the weighty and ponderous Spirit wherein you may discern a Discovery of a false Birth in some that came forth with us as to own the Light in their Iudgments and go forth from us in rejecting the stroak of the pure judgments of God through the working of the mystery of iniquity and so become as the untimely Birth that doth not see the Sun in his glory nor the beauty of Sion who hath passed through death unâ—o life in her comely unity in the Spirit and bond of peace He that can receive it let him nâ—w in the cool of â—he day when Counsel may be hearkened unto and rightly understood in the Truth as it is in Iesus DEar Friends called and chosen of God in the Eternal Light and Power of the most high who have been and are his living Witnesses from the beginning of the dawning of his powerful and glorious day of his dreadful appearance which hath caused the Earth to shake and the Keepers of the House to tremble in this day of your visitation from on high And all you that in true watchâ—ulness wait on the Lord in the measure of his life you are sensible of what he did hath done and doth in the ordering of his dear and tender Children as in the subjection both of the inward and outward Man in every exercise of the Spirit as in exhortation prayer or praises which the most high God hath and doth accompany with his blessed presence in which he hath made all that hath kept their Habitations in the powerful life of the first Love to stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion to gather the scattered of Israel and to bring again the dispersed of Iacob And this is the work of all that are truly sent of the Lord to labour in his Vineyard who seeks not their own things neither sets up nor serves themselves with what the Lord hath given unto them but alone seeks the glory of God and serveth him with uprightness of Heart in the exercise of all the Gifts and riches of his Grace with which he hath cloathed them to the perfecting of his Praise and Glory and the comfort of his Heritage forever therefore do they shine as the Stars in the Firmament of Heaven in turning many Souls to Righteousness in which they enter into the heavenly Habitation of the most high God where it is known the Lord to be one and his Name one and there alone stands the union of all the flock of the Companions who have been truly baptized and buried with Christ in his Death where we could not cover our naked Souls with a Fig-leaf Garment of our own works or with any self-created gesture or posture of the outward Man but in true obedience to the Light waiting in the sence of our misery crying out of the great Deep to the God of mercy who in his appointed time in his tender compassions he casts the Skirts of his Garment over us and said unto us live In which Life we in eternal unity bear our Testimony to all the World in the Light of his Covenant sitting and feeding together at his Table cloathed with the wedding Garment where there never was noâ— ever shall be any rent but eternal harmonious joyful unity in the everlasting felicity where every Child of this Inheritance as moved of the Lord casts in their Mite in the returns of his Spirit offering up the Sacrifice of high praises to the most high God over all blessed forever Dear and tender Friends This ariseth in my Heart to exhort all that are convinced of the Truth that every one with diligent watchfulness search your own Hearts with the Light and in it know your own estates and seriously know your own conditions and that you may certainly understand what Spirits you are on and to have the seal of the Spirit of God demonstrating to you in full assurance that you walk with him in true self-denial according to your measures in uprightness of Heart with all the flock of the Companions as before written then will the Lord give you a sound and perfect judgment to weigh and try all Spirits and taste the breath from whence the words proceed and not to lay your Hands hastily upon any whatever they pretend but in that which tries and weighs your own spirits in coolness and singleness of Heart try and taste what Spirits they are on that comes amongst you in this day wherein many comes forth with us as to the owning of the Truth in their judgments and regulates the outward Man in some outward gestures like to the Children of the Truth and some have felt the stroak of the Judgment of the Lord which hath caused them to forsake some things which formerly they delighted in and in some measure of Zeal have born a Testimony to the Light enduring both stripes and imprisonment both in this Nation and some beyond the Seas while they stood in the Fear of the Lord who for his Names sake hath delivered them from the Winter Storms that they suffered under but they for want of watchfulness the Mystery of Iniquity hath wrought and drawn them from the Light into the pride of their Hearts to deck themselves with the jewels and gifts of the Spirit God gave unto them when they were humble before him but they departing from the redeeming judgment of God the Beast gets the deadly wound heal'd again and instead of giving glory to God for their deliverance they in this time of some measure of rest take their flight on the Sabbath day upon the Mountains of their high Imaginations and Sacrifices upon the high places and doth not regard to make their peace with Christ in them their Elder Brother and so to bring their gift to the Altar in the humble meek Spirit which gathers into unity and answereth to the witness in every Conscience but though they pretend zeal and Obedience to God in what they do they being gone from the Light they neither regard the Glory of God nor the good of his People for all that they now do is wrought in a self-serving Spirit where they enter into the mysterious working of the deceit of their Hearts to set up and cover themselves with a voluntary humility and feigned love gathering all the eloquent and inticeing words of mans wisdom with which they make a flourish in a discoursative spirit speaking high words of that they never did know to get entrance upon the affection of the tender hearted ones that are afraid to judge any but themselves with others that look more at high words then to feel from whence they came or to know the end for what they are spoken and these they
Brethren that need not be written unto in lines of this nature but to all who hath or may have their mouths opened in the true motion of the Spirit of God and hath not yet overcome and escaped the danger where many have received loss as before written with a godly jealousie over you in tender bowels I beseech you watch and pray that in the Light and Power of God you always be kept And when any motion of the Spirit of the Lord ariseth in you to exercise the Gift God hath given you first search your Hearts and see that you be at peace with Christ in you your elder Brother that in the sense of your peaceable union with him your Hearts be truly broken and your Spirits truely humbled and abased before the Throne of his glory in which power bring your gifts to his Altar and keep within the bounds of the Spirit then shall your Sacrifices whether it be Exhortation Prayer or Praises answer the witness of God in all his People and God will accept of your faithfulness in the returns of his own Spirit to his glory forever And whatever the Lord doth in you or with you rejoyce not over much in Spirits being made subject but rather rejoyce in the power that keeps self in the Death that your names you always behold written in the Lambs Book of Life then will you be full of vertue as branches in the Vine of Gods righteousness whose leaf shall never wither but you shall be always Faithful and your leaf shall be for the healing of the Nations and an Eternal Judgment shall rest and abide in you in the pure discerning of all the unstable wandering Spirits that are as before written which is the Stars that the great Dragon draws after him from the heavenly Light and throws them down again to the Earth because through pride they kept not their estate in the meek humble Spirit of the Lord of Glory Oh my dear Brethren in the unity and bonds of the meek humble Spirit of our God my Soul blesseth the Name of the Lord for you and your faithfulness is as marrow to the bones of the feeble and as sinews to the loynes of the weak therefore let us in the true motion of the meek peaceable Spirit of the almighty God go on in his service and let us wrestle with the most high in the prevaling power of his own Spirit for the bringing again the captivity of Sion that they that have mourned before our God with us in years past may be restored and brought from the Mountains where they are scattered into the Light and Fold of rest with us to lye down in the Shephards Tent where we find safety in the heat of the day and in the hollow of his hand he will keep us untill the indignation be over past Therefore you valiants amongst the people who in the meek humble Spirit shines as the Angels of Glory every one be faithful in the power of the most high God in whom you shall stand as Saviours upon Mount Sion in your living Testimony which causeth the dead to hear the living Voice the Lame to Walk the Blind to See the Dumb to Speak forth the high Praises of the mighty God which shall cause the Ears of them that know not God to tingle and the Hearts of the righteous to rejoyce and forever glorifie the Name of the Lord that hath kept you humble little and low as to self but mighty powerful prevailing in the pure peaceable eternal Dominion of which there is no end Where my Soul rests who hath now given forth what hath for some time lain upon me to clear my Conscience to all that ever have tasted in any Measure of the good Word of God and the Power of the World to come that they may certainly know whether they abide in the Vine of Gods Righteousness yea or ndy Therefore Let them that hath an Eye to see let them see or an Ear to hear let them hear or an Heart to understand let them understand what the Spirit saith to the Churches in the eternal Judgment and Word of Truth through Your Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Farewel W. D. Send this with care abroad to be read in the Fear of God in the Assemblies of the Church of the first Born. The Word of the Lord to his beloved City New Ierusalem come from God cloathed with the excellency of the Glory of his Love and is the Bride the Lambs Wife with the flowings of the tender compassionate Bowels of the Lord Jesus to all the Mourners in Sion and the Afflicted desolate People who wait for his comming as for the Morning and hath not satisfaction in any thing but in the enjoyment of his sweet and comfortable Presence OH Ierusalem thou beloved amongst the People who art become the beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife Oh how did he seek thee in the day of thy Divorcement when thou wast weeping in the barren Wilderness as a desolate Widow who had not any to comfort thee when thy greatest Mournings and breakings of Heart were thy greatest comfort And the more thou drunk the Tears that was shed for the want of him was thy greatest satisfaction Oh the weary daies thou had'st upon the Earth because thy Languishing Soul knew not where to meet with thy beloved neither did'st thou know how to walk in the steps of the Flock of thy Companions who was comforted with his Presence whom thy Soul wanted then was he near unto thee though thou knew it not enlivening the desires that were towards his Name And in the acceptable day he sent forth whom he had ordained to declare unto thee the glory of his Love in the Light of his own Life in which he hath covered thee this day as with a Wedding Garment and in it thou appearest comely in his sight and acceptable in his Presence And for thy sake oh Ierusalem thou City of the Living God what hath been endured How many Innocent Lambs have suffered its hard to be expressed to bring gald-tidings unto thee of him whom thy Soul thirsteth after How have the Striplings sent out in Gods Authority run to and fro in the Earth willing to spend and be spent in all services of Love to perswade thee to forsake all that hath intangled thy mind and hindred thee from the innocent Life of thy Beloved Thy mighty Men with many of the Sons and Daughters of glory have sealed their living Testimony with their Blood in the patience and sufferings of the Lamb of God that thou mayst be affected with the excellency of the glory of him whom thy Soul desireth And now the Lord God requireth of every particular Son and Daughter of Sion To Watch and Pray that not any enter into Temptation and all that have any stain upon their Garments come to the Fountain which is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in which is the Heart-breaking love of
their Works then shall the Children of the Lord be known and the Worker of Iniquity shall fall before them From a lover of your Souls who desires it to be the Lords Will it may not be laid to your Charge what you have done to him who writes his Name William Deâ—sbery My Dear Friends THat are convinced of the Blessed Truth all wait in the Light that you may truely Experience Christ in you Baptizing you with the Holy Ghost and Fire Rendering Vengeance upon all in you that knows him not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and so you will come to witness you are of the number of the slain of the Lord and conformable to him in his Sufferings and Death and you that are in the sence of your miserable and lost estate wait upon the Lord weeping and seeking the Lord your God asking the way to Sion with your Faces thither-wards until the Lord cause your Souls to hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear his Voice live but not in themselves not to themselves but the Life you then live is Christ in you and you in him Oh blessed are you that witness what is here written for you are the true Members of the Body of Christ who abhor your selves and admire the Lord with all his Saints in whom he is admired Oh Praise the Lord all you his dear Children for his wonderful Works in leading you in his narrow Way and through his strait Gate which so few find the Lord keep you by his mighty Power that you may contend for the Faith and keep it which the Lord hath Delivered unto you his Saints that through Faith you may have Victory over your own Wills and over the World with all the Pomp Pride and Pleasure of it and so delight in the daily Cross to be the well seasoned savory People in all your Words and Works to Glorifie our Father which is in Heaven even so be it with you is the Prayers of your ever Loving Brother William Dewsbery W. D. Desired this to be sent amongst his antient Friends in Yorkshire to be Read in their Meetings This which is here written is to you that say you are in Commission to do Justice in the County of Northampton and profess your selves to be Ministers of Justice the Evil-doers to Punish and the Oppressed to set Free from under the power of those that oppress them THis the Lord God of Heaven and Earth requires of you as you will eternally answer before him that you faithfully walk according to what you profess and judge with righteous Judgment the Causes brought before you without respect of Persons for he that respects Persons commits Sin and is convinced of the Law as a Transgressor And this is required that when you are met together that you cause to be brought before you all that hath informed against me who to you is known by Name William Dewsbury that it may be proved what the Blasphemy is for which Thomas Pentellow in Wilbey said he sent me unto Prison on suspition of And it is required that you cause to come before you all that have given evidence against my Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ whom you have cast into Prison with me Gather together as is required and see if your God whom you served that lead you to do what you have done will appear with you and justifie you in your Actions and clear you of Cruelty and Oppression which if your God cannot clear you obey him no longer as you have done in abusing your power to hide your Sin for if you do this Scripture will be fulfilled on you He that hideth his Sin shall not prosper This is required that you bring your deeds to the Light and if they be contrary to the Light let the Ancient of dayes who gives Judgment to the Saints of the most High judge you and your God that leads you to do the Works of darkness and while you have time turn to the Light of Christ that shows you the secret evil of your Hearts and wait in the Light on the Lord God in the way of his Judgments that if it be his good pleasure he may give you Repentance unto Life least you perish in your Disobedience But if you abuse your power as you have done in casting into Prison and there keeping them that believe in Christ whom you never yet proved had transgressed any Law no more then Pilat could prove against Iesus then by your Fruit you will prove your selves to be in the state of Cain who was a Vagabond and had no Habitation and dwelling in the onely true God and so persecuted the Righteous Seed as you have done and if you so continue no withstanding all reproof then read your Portion Proverbs 29.1 He that hath been often reproved and hardeneth his Neck shall suddenly be Destroyed and that without remedy he that hath an Ear to haer let him hear I whom to you am known by the Namâ— before-written was moved to send this to you which Truth you shall know when the day shall declare you have me Imprisoned for the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus Christ. W. D. Dear Friends and Brethren I did not know until this last night but that I should have been with you at the Yearly Meeting but it pleased the Lord to visit me with my antient Distemper which hath accompanied me many Years in Prison and since I was released the Distemper was so sharp upon me as to sence this last night that I did not know I should have lived to see another day but Crying to the Lord he ordered and cleared my way to go into the Country so I cannot be with you at this Yearly Meeting but desire the Lord to assist you with his blessed Power and heavenly Life to bring in the scattered ones to their everlasting Comfort and his Glory forever Amen And that it may be so with you is the Prayer of your loving Brother William Dwesbury London the 30th of the â—th Month 1688. An Index THe Word of the Living God to his Church Page 1. The Word of the Lord to thee Oliver Cromwel p. 4. The Mighty Day of the Lord is Coming pag. 8. Dear Friends Servants and Children of the Most High God pag. 16. To all Saints and Children of the Most High God pag. 21. Dear Friends mâ—et often together pag. 23. My Dear Friends this is the Word of the Lord pag. 24. The iscoverâ—y of the great Enmity of the Serpent pag. 26. To all you that rule in England pag. 57. A true Testimony from the Prisoners in Northampton pag. 67. A true Prophesie of the Mighty day of the Lord pag. 90. Christ Exalted pag. 115. The Mighty Day of the Lord pag. 156. Dear Friends Brethren and Sisters pag. 167. Dear Friends in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ walk pag. 174. To all Nations Kindred Languages pag.