such are now that the Scripture may be fulfilled for such are not of the world but of God for said they the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and they were with sound Doctrine and a holy Conversation to beget unto God out of the world and if you who are called Lords spiritual did exercise your authority over none but they that you had begotten to God out of the world you would have but a very small flock if any at all but instead of gathering a flock out of the world you take the world for your flock and so exercise Lordship over them as Christ said Luke 22.25 The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them the example of those you follow and not Christ for there is many thousands by the year to be gotten by them and so rule by your outward power and Lordlinesse like the false Prophets of old and many of the world love to have it so and so let them have it But the flock of Christ the Church in God cannot own these things nor love to have it so but must stand witnesses against these things even to the death if the Lord require them And therein you come to be tried and made manifest what nature you are of and also their faith and patience is made manifest and the nature of the Lamb shewed forth that overcomes but the contrary nature as I have said is to be overcome that which persecutes and imprisons and would force the conscience and so slay the soul or else kill the body this was ever of the Devil and so it is now and a mark of Antichrist the false Church the Whore that is adulterated from the Spirit and alienated from the Lambs nature that overcomes in patience and obtains the victory and is made perfect through suffering but on the contrary the Whore the false Church is said to drink the blood of the Saints and the Scripture bears testimony that all the bloud is sound in Babylon then Sion is clear of bloud Mark that and the name Babylon comes thus to be written in the forehead of every persecutor who is of Cains stock that slew his brother because his worship was in truth but his in the murthering nature Mark he that was slain was in the truth from the beginning and he that slew was in the deceit and so we see it hath been all along unto this very day And that nature which slew our Lord Christ when he was upon the earth is the same that now persecutes and slayes his Disciples and followers because they are redeemed from the earth and cannot submit to their vain traditions customes and fashions and commands that are contrary to God therefore are sufferers by the world but the sons of Sion are such who are redeemed with judgment and that nature which is at enmity to God being condemned is crucified and cast out and the Lambs nature being raised up converts to righteousnesse and righteousnesse being brought forth glorifies God And we being called and gathered cut of the vain conversation and also from the vain worship which teacheth for Doctrine the commands and traditions of men by the mighty power and out-stretched arm of God are kept in faithfulnesse to him that we cannot bow or submit to that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil for fear of men or their threats who are but dust being accompanied in our sufferings and persecutions with the power and presence of the eternal God that made heaven and earth And be it known unto you persecutors of the holy seed you shall never prevail to overcome us as we are kept in the power of Life which hath gathered us out of your dead forms to serve the God of Life in the newness of his spirit in which he is worshipped by the true worshippers out of the way sight and understanding of all that are not come to receive the true light who are all in a false worship erred from the spirit blind in the dark and stumble at the truth and fight against the life that is hid with Christ in God out of the sight of the vulterous eye and out of the way of the venomous beast where the lions whelp treads not and where the devourer cannot come and that which God hath hid in the spirit all the natural learning in the world could never find out nor ever shall for being hid from the wise and prudent of this world is revealed to such as are babes who hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after preferment in the world who cannot be satisfied with the bread that perisheth but with the sincere milk of the word of life they grow which word is nigh them and is the word of faith in their hearts that begets life in them and this life pints and breaths after nourishment from that which hath begotten it and cannot be satisfied with words but with the immortal word of life that was in the beginning that quickeneth that again that in Adam we were dead to and this is the quickning spirit that ministers life which we having obeyed do live and the life we now live is by the mighty power of God which our souls are made subject to and we cannot but obey that which quickned us and is the immortal life in us the second Adam that the children of the first persecute because they are born of that which cannot reveal the second and so being in the darknesse of death see him not nor know him But alas for you it is in vain for you to think that you can prevail over us by your carnal weapon for the sword of the spirit is with us which hath slain and cut down that nature in us that your strength stands in to make War against us for the strong man the enemy of our souls being overcome by the power of life that is stronger comes to be cast out who is the Captain that leads all persecutors and all destroyers of mens lives for Conscience sake that is he that would destroy us being cast out from within and cannot destroy our souls would revenge himself upon our bodies but we know that he that hath given life to our souls can preserve our bodies if he please if not his will be done but this I say to all persecuters We have overcome your Captain-general and he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world as we have said and you shall know who is the Captain of our salvation that suffered by the world and overcome the world and therefore know this that as our Captain hath overcome the world in us so with us and in us will he overcome the world by us but this the world seeth not therefore cannot receive it so if all the world rise up against us as one man for the obedience of the spirit of truth we know it is that they may be overcome And how can you expect that we should submit to that in others
to worship his golden Image but after he came to know them be loved them and honoured them in the sight of his Nobles Princes Dukes and Counsellors confessing them to be the servants of the high God commending their faithfulnesse in yielding their bodies to the flames rather then they would serve or worship any God save their own God Then he saw his vain labour in forcing the servants of the most high God contrary to the commands of their God And will you shew your selves more unreasonable then a Heathen more blinder then those that knew not God and yet call your selves Christians and the Scriptures your Rule When Nebuchadnezzar had once tryed the three children of God to the laying down of their lives and found them faithful he was satisfied How many times have you tryed us by Imprisonment till death and spoyling of our goods by breaking up our Meetings beating innocent harmlesse people to death How many Cruel Barbarous Unhumane dealings have been used against us both before your Government and also since by you which we have walked through and in the furnace of affliction with the patience of the Son of God who hath kept our precious lives unhurt and brings us forth to his praise and yet cannot you see the Son of God with us whom you fight against Can you not see neither how little you do prevail against him and his spiritual work in us Though some of you can say We are a very confident people but if you could but see him that leads us who is the Captain of our salvation you would say We had good cause to be bold and valiant knowing our leader is not to be overcome nor those that follow him who are called and chosen and faithful which faithfulnesse Nebuchadnezzar did commend and honour And did he not do well in 〈◊〉 Yes you cannot deny Then as you have followed his example by indeavouring to compel us to fall down to your imaginary worship which I believe you will not justifie in him follow his example also in justifying the faithful children of God that would not obey his Commands to the dishonouring of the most high God who having tryed them blessed God for their faithfulnesse In this will Nebuchadnezzar stand in Judgment against all those who make unrighteous Decrees to compel men to disobey the commands of Christ except they follow his example in this that is to say the change of their minds and altering of their Decrees in Justifying the faithful servants of God in their pure obedience to him Objection But if it be said If we knew you to be the servants of the high God as well as Nebuchadnezzar knew the three children we would not make Laws nor Decrees to compel you to our worship being sure it would be but lost labour Answer Then all our sufferings and persecutions and hard usages from you is because you do not know us and whose fault is that ours or yours that you do not know us to be the children of God Whose fault was it that Saul the persecutor knew not the Church of God but made havock of the true worshippers were they to be blamed or he If he then you when he hearkened to the High Priests he persecuted the Disciples of Jesus but when he obeyed the voice of Christ he saw their deceit and believed the truth then he preached him and suffered with those he persecuted Now if you that persecute knew the truth you would know us that walk in it And have not we laboured even to the laying down of our lives that you might know it and be saved by it What could we have done more for you then we have to bring you to the knowledg of it Have we not suffered to the death in obedience to it that it might preach to you that we have found the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof which is better then our lives for which righteousness sake we suffer and are blessed if we continue faithful to the end And this is the only true way that can be used as to you to convince your understandings that we are in the truth when we lay down our lives for it If we were unfaithful to our God and disobedient to his Spirit in obeying your commands that are contrary to the truth you had no reason to judge or think we were in the truth for had the three children been deceitful and obeyed the Kings command he had never knew them to be the servants of the high God that was able to deliver out of his hand And the deliverance that he saw was of their bodies from the flames that made him blesse the God of their lives but the deliverance that we witnesse is of our souls from etenel death which is far greater and more glorious yet you cannot see it but if your spiritual eyes were open as his fleshly eyes was then you might see a greater deliverance in the spirit then he saw in the flesh and would have as great or greater cause to blesse the God of those you in scorn call Quakers as the King Nebuchadnezzar had to blesse the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego though he be the same God over all blessed for ever Yet his appearance in this the great and notable day of the Spirit is that in which the riches of his love is and shall be made manifest which was promised to the ages to come which now is come of which the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were the first-fruits but now is the day of the whole Harvest of the earth begun in which the Lord is gathering in unto himself his Elect seed in all Nations Lands and Countries even from the one end of the earth unto the other that they may worship in spirit and in truth and be established in righteousnesse and the Mountain of the house of the Lord be prepared in the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills where all Nations shall flow unto it out of which shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from this Jerusalem and they shall break their Swords into Plough-shares Mark the day of the breaking of Swords is begun and their Spears into Pruning-books and Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither learn to fight any more And this is the day that is dawned and blessed are they that walk in it but wretched and miserable are all those that despise it and persecute those that walk in the light of it casting them into Prisons Holes and Dungeons because they cannot submit to their corrupt wils nor worship the Imaginations of their Wise men which they teach for Doctrine and give forth for a Prescription of a Religious Worship contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles whose Worship stood in the Spirit But I believe if all you that resist us knew in what our Worship did stand you durst not oppose that power that hath gathered us and made our
ever And also have we not good reason to turn from you when you turn from Christ the true Light that gives the true knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesns Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 For the want of obedience to the which Light you come to erre and stray from the way of God and are as you say in the lost state like lost sheep and no marvel when you will not hearken to the voice of the true shepherd and bishop of the soul and they which do you persecute and so will not receive the knowledge of the truth your selves and enter into the kingdome nor suffer those that would as much as lieth in you you shut the kingdome of heaven against men as did the chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees of old therefore woe is to you that ever you were born alas for you how will you be able to stand in the dreadful terrible day of Gods righteous judgment that is coming and speedily hastens upon you who are found opposers of the work of the spirit of truth even that spirit that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were Ministers of that is it that leads into all truth into which the good shepherd is gathering his sheep wherein is witnessed the perfect gift that leads out of sin and imperfection the gift of the spirit of faith that overcomes the spirit of the world that leads into bondage and so come to witness the glorious liberty of the sons of God 2 Cor. 4 13.3 17. which is in the spirit for where the spirit of the Lord is received there is liberty from what from the bondage of sin and corruption not in sin and the lusts of the flesh as many would have it but in the spirit that leads out of sin and mortifies the lusts of the flesh as the Scripture saith Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh Galat. 5.16 which you Priests cannot believe though the Scripture saith it you are not come to the spirit of faith that overcomes the world who say we can never be free from sin while we are upon earth hath not he dominion over sin that doth not fulfill the lusts of the flesh as it is written Galat. 5.24 they that are Christ have crncified mark the flesh with the affections and lusts these that are Christs did witness a victory over sin who lived and walked in the spirit and the law of the spirit of life in Christs Jesus made them free from the law of sin and death Mark these were such that walked in the spirit and were the sons of God who ceased from sin for it is written John 8.34 he that committeth sin is the servant of sin that is not one of the sons of God that is made free indeed for know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness for when ye were the servants of sin mark before Christs words that is committed sin ye were free from righteousness but now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6 16 20 22. then there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles dayes as they bear testimony in the spirit of God and we who believe their testimony and are come to the same spirit and cannot but bear the same testimony according to our measure receiving him in the same spirit of faith do receive the same power to become the sons of God Now seeing there was a freedome from sin in the Apostles time who witnessed his glorious appearance to put away sin and that he had done in them the work he came into the world to do that is to destroy the works of the Devil how comes it to pass now that this Doctrine of the Apostles can find no more place in this generation of priests and people it is because they love darkness more than light and their lusts and evil deeds more than the life of righteousness and so would perswade the people that there is no such life of righteousness to be brought forth here on earth as the Apostles spake of and witnessed and the Scriptures bear testimony to so it doth clearly appear what kingdome you are of and whose servants you are that cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable soules mark these the Apostle saith are the false teachers that being in damnable heresies who through Covetousness and feigned words make merchandise of you 2 Pet. 2 14.2 1.3 who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness that cannot cease from sin mark but plead for it terme of life these are they that beguile the unstable and strayed sheep whose hearts are exercised with covetous practises cursed children which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray like lost sheep following the way of Balaam the son of Bozor who loved the wages of unrighteousness to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever because they hate the light and love darkness more than light it justly becomes their portion And who is he that will be so wicked as to say we ought not to turn from these who prove themselves to be in the way of Balaam both in life and Doctrine a company of miserable sinners that cannot cease from sin being erred and strayed from the right way that leads out of sin therefore bring another Doctrine to plead for it and turning the Doctrine of truth into another meaning to uphold your contrary practice and cover your life that the Apostle bare testimony against whose Doctrine was from the gift of the spirit of truth which saith every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights James 1.17 and as many as come to this good and perfect gift receive it and are taught by it are led into the good old way of truth and righteousness which is the perfect leadings of the perfect spirit of God into his perfect life by which the command of God comes to be kept which saith Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Matth. 5.4 8. and the Apostles said they kept his commands and did that which was right in his sight but you priests and people that are erred and strayed from the good and perfect way cannot keep his commands nor do that which is right in his sight for it is impossible you should till you come to the good perfect gift of God and because it is impossible with you you think it is so with all but that which is impossible with you is possible with God and all who do receive him the perfect gift of Gods power and walk in it are come to witness the dominion of the son of God which is over sin hell and death and so becomes the sons of God that can do nothing
against the truth but for the truth But you that call your selves Ministers of Christ that have not received the perfect gift of God that cometh from above which is for the perfecting of the Saints you are not sent of God and cannot profit the people at all and are but intruders into that you understand nor and cannot do the Lords work but are making a trade of felling the Apostles words and Christs words and the Prophets words being ignorant of the word of faith in the heart and in the mouth which they preached which is the Gospel that is hid to those that are lost and gone astray by erring from the way of life which the Minister of Christ is to turn the people to that is from the darknesse to the light which you that God never sent hate and say it is natural and from the power of Sathan unto God which you that have not received the gift of God cannot believe is able to destroy the works of the Devil while you live upon the earth so you are wholly ignorant of the power of the kingdome of God that is come and will consume the Antichristian wherein the will of God is done in earth mark that as in heaven and this you pray for yet believe against or else you must believe it is the will of God that men should live in sin as long as they are on the earth but the Apostle saith the contrary in these words this is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 and they who are come to the gift of the spirit that sanctifies cannot but bear testimony to the salvation of God through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2.13 but you that have received your gift from your fountains of Oxford and Cambridge which are beneath and cometh from the corrupt nature that stands in the fall and degeneration estranged from the Covenant of life erred and strayed from the right way which is the gift of the spirit and are in the way of fallen nature and its gifts and these gifts can never lead out of the fall up to God because they are but from beneath and cannot bring to the knowledge of God nor his truth for Pilate had the natural gift of Tongues as Latin Greek and Hebrew and by it he could not know the truth but said to Christ what is truth John 18.38 so you that have received your gift from beneath knows not the mind of the spirit which is the mind of Christ which the Apostles by the spirit had but you study to make a message of your own according to your own mind and imagination and when it is made you must have money for it because you came not by this art of Sermon-making without money and although you should be but bunglets at this trade and not masters of this art yet if you can get a shop and set up the people must be compelled to pay you though they abhor your work and this makes your trade so much in request and truth so much persecuted but must we buy your imaginations because you bought your art this is not equal nor just nor ever ordained of God as his Ordinance yet we submit our selves in suffering patiently till the Lord take off this oppression and break this yoke Was it ever heard of in any age that people were compelled to buy chaff to eat when they might have wheat for nothing had not the Prodigal more liberty among the swine than we have among such as accout themselves sheep of Christ for he might eat the husks freely though it satisfied not his soul till he returned to the fathers house where he had bread enough freely and we who are come to the Fathers house and have bread sufficient cannot spend our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which perisheth but on the contrary to exhort all to seed upon the bread that is living that comes down from heaven and giveth life unto the world Joh. 6.33 and this is the gift the Father of life hath given and blessed are all they that do receive it But from your fountains of Oxford and Cambridge doth flow forth a spirit of persecution and strife against the truth as we by sad experience have felt and witnessed for these several years whereby many of us have lost our lives by long imprisonment and cruel usage which that spirit hath occasioned by stirring up the people and Magistrates to fulfill their wills and if we should say this spirit were of God we should lye against the truth but this is the wisdome that descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish this cometh not down from above and therefore it opposeth that which doth For the Doctrine of the Apostles of truth is this 1 Pet. 4.10 Let every man as he hath received the gift minister the same one to another not for money but as good disposers or stuards of the manifold grace of God Now if any who have received the good and perfect gift of God that cometh down from the Father of Lights in obedience to the spirit of truth goes to communicate of his gift to others then he is counted an offender by that spirit which came from Oxford and Cambridge and the Lords of that spirit and Priesthood have made a Law against it even against that which the Lord Jesus doth command by his eternal spirit in his Apostles which they and his Disciples did practice and must practice notwithstanding all opposition Can you be so ignorant as to think your law shall bind his spirit from ministring in whom and where he pleaseth Can you stop the Sun that it may not go its course If not consider what will become of them that strive against their maker and the work of his eternal spirit Do you think that he that hath received the gift of ministration from above will be stopped by your Law which is from beneath If you measure that spirit with the wisdome from beneath you may think so but we have received another spirit than that of Oxford and Cambridge for that spirit hath been stopped by the commands of men because its commission is but from man so man commands them to be silent and they are so because they be the Ministry of the powers of the Nation who gives them their Wages so the National Ministry are but the servants of the National power as it doth appear for vvhen the powers changed the Ministry changed except they turn vvith the time as for the most part they do and lick up their own vomit again as it is clear to most people they have done of late How did they cry out against the Common-prayer some years ago to be such an abominable thing as not fit to come into their mouths but now rather then lose a fat Benefice they can swallow it down Surplice and all Doth it not appear now who preach for money We told you
so many years ago what you should find them but now you see it your selves who they be that make no conscience what they swallow they swallowed so much trebble damage in Oliver's days that their throat is become as an open sepulchre and are in that spirit of covetousnesse that the Prophet said never hath enough which is so greedy that having one or two Parishes yet labours to have more and some are so unreasonable to require Wages for some years before they came to the place which it may be stood vacant so long yet they can swallow that Hire though they never did the Work So the light hath made manifest their deeds of darknesse the hidden things that vvere in the heart being now come to be tryed and brought forth so the evil covetous man out of the evil treasure of his heart hath brought forth the evil things and the tree comes to be known by its fruit Now I say these things only to those that be guilty of them but to you that say our prinI say Did you not change your practice and conceal your principle and practice is the same that it vvas before the former chang ciple Did you nos Conform to the Commands of those you counted not of God Did you Preach and hold forth your gift of Ministration notwithstanding the Law and Commands of men till you vvere Imprison'd If you had received your gift from above and your Commission from Christ you would have chose rather to have obeyed God then man as the Apostles did and Ministers of Christ do for had the Prophets and Apostles and servants of God in former ages obeyed the powers of the earth Actually their Laws vvould have protected them that they could not have suffered Persecution and Imprisonment and Death as they did But the National Law did ever protect the National Prophets vvhich for the most part vvere ever false as the Scriptures do bear testimony But it is the Lambs Nature that doth overcome which you persecute which preacheth and shews forth its perfect love through sufferings and if you were in this nature and we in error as you say then you would shew forth a life beyond ours which is the life of truth that keeps the commands of God which life dwelleth in love and if we were in hatred it might overcome us but on the contrary we being in the suffering life of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples who never persecuted nor ever will and you in the life that persecutes it is given to the suffering life to overcome you and that spirit by which you are acted and this is the word of the Spirit of Truth that shall stand over your heads for ever But by that spirit and those weapons it is impossible to overcome us who stand in the obedience of the spirit of truth mark that because our strength is the power of God and while we believe in it it can never fail us nor forsake us We know him to be the Corner stone who is tried Elect and precious and the highest of you all shall know that he in whom we have believed in is higher then you all to fave and deliver us when he hath sufficiently proved and tryed us and therefore you may be convinced of the foolishnesse of those Instruments and Weapons you use which the former Power of Professing Hypocrites used against us before you And what did it profit them who persecuted that life they did professe in words and would not be warned till the Lord heard the cry of the Innocent and arose and took their power from them who had abused it and gave it unto you and must you needs follow their steps whom you condemn and so much despise and abuse the power you are intrusted with which is to incourage him that obeys the truth and to punish him that obeys unrighteousnesse And do not you Magistrates the contrary those that meet together in the fear of the Lord and worship in the measure of his holy spirit do not you hale forth break up their Meetings and carry them to Prisons and by your Law condemn to be banished But those that meet together in Taverns and Ale-houses who swear drink till they be drunk and whore to the great dishonour of God and the Government of the Nation yet these can be let alone in their wicked meetings and go unpunished when Honest Innocent Harmless people are fined and sent to prison What can you say to this Is not this an abusing the power put into your hands to do good withal or do you think the end and intent of Gods Ordinance is to punish his people for obeying his command If not why is it done For as sure as Magistracy is Gods Ordinance so sure are we his people and suffer for well doing Then If this be so you must confesse we are abused and suffer innocently though many of you will not believe it for if you did then we should not suffer For ever yet in all Ages Persecutors were blind therefore as in a figure the scales sell from Sauls eyes Act. 9.18 For had the Princes of this world known it that is the mistery of godlinesse they would not have crucyfied the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But though you cannot see the mistery of our life yet you may see the open prophanenesse that is daily suffered to be acted in this Nation and that can go unpunished Why because some that should punish it may be guilty of the same things themselves this mistery of iniquity is not hid from your eyes yet your sword is not a terror to this is it not then born in vain Me thinks you might see to bit some of the wickednesse at a venture it is plentiful enough sprung up and easie to be found far eafier than a meeting of harmlesse innocent people that fear the Lord and desire to live peaceably in the Nation but such many of you will take great pains to search you and go beyond the Letter of the Law to punish And if we were forward to take the advantage of the Law upon some of you all you had would hardly satisfie what the Law gives for satisfaction But we have committed our innocent cause to the Just God of heaven and earth and we do assuredly know that except you repent and that speedily he will give you weight for weight and measure for measure because he is Just and will not alwayes suffer the rod of the wicked to remain upon the back of the righteous And how comes it to passe that your sword falls upon our backs so much I am sure it s not for dishonouring God by prophanenesse for if we did so then we might be safe enough from the danger of it and we should have friends in every place but in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus whereas we now have enemies in most places And why so because Magistrates Priests and people do the things they ought not to do and
in this I must needs say You speak the truth in the presence of God but if you had done the things ye left undone and ought to have done then you had as well done the truth as spoke the truth then you might have brought your deeds to the light with boldnesse and it would have been made manifest that they were wrought in God whereas now you must needs confess that which leads you to do the things you about not to do is the spirit of the Devil that is against the truth and leads to persecute it but the Lord is cur witness that the desire of our souls is that you might come to that spirit that leads to do the things you ought to do which is the spirit that leads into all truth then you and we should not differ but should be one Church in God and one people that are blessed for ever and till you come here we shall alwayes differ from you though never fight with you both in life and Doctrine for they that do not the will shall not know the Doctrine but if we or any of us should be so wicked as to turn from the spirit of truth and do the things which we ought not to do and leave the things undone which we ought to do then we should come to you and be of your Church which is not in God and then woe will be to us that ever we were born and then indeed we might fight drink and whore and swear and curse and then we should be counted good subjects to the King but I am sure we should be better to the Devil but the Kings best subjects indeed are they that fear God who depart from evil these honour the King and the King will in a little while know these to be his best friends who cannot flatter him for their own ends and have mens persons in admiration for advantage but when their earthly ends is not answered they can turn against him for a better advantage for hath not money caused many to betray their trust and oaths will not bind where God is not feared but where he is they must render to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods for they that are Gods people do only know the things that are Gods that only belong to 〈◊〉 and they cannot give to Cesar the things that are Gods for that were evil and unjust before God and out of his fear and therefore they that are not in his fear do quarrel with us about those things who would have us to give Cesar all that we cannot do but the things that are his we freely give Tribute to whom tribute is due Custome to whom Custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Now all this doth not belong to Cesar for fear belongs to God and therefore we cannot give all to Cesar Tribute and Custome we give and in that with the obedience to all his Just commands we honour him And in that which for Conscience sake we cannot do we patiently suffer and so we do submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 But it is written Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of a man Eccles 12.13 So our duty is to render to God his due that is to keep his commands and do that which is right in his sight And when Cesar commands us to do that which God forbids then we chuse rather to obey God then man and so we shew forth that we fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body if we do not obey him So in the things that belong to our souls we are to hear the heavenly voice of the Bishop and Shephard of our souls because every one of us shall give account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 And it is just and Gods due that the soul should be subject to that power that hath given it life breath and being that is the higher powers the soul ought to be subject to the powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.14 To be Ministers of God for good and not for evil but if the Ministers of the power given for good turn the power against the good they are not Ministers for God for God hath not ordained the power against the good So he that is against the good is against the ordinance of God and God is against them that abuse the power ordained for good and he will avenge and execute wrath upon them that do evil Thus it is clear Rulers for God are not a terror to good works but to evil and it is as clear that they which seek to terrifie those that do that which is good are not Rulers for God and so do not fear him nor honour the King for it is written 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just mark that ruling in the fear of God and he that ruleth in his fear cannot punish those that meet in his Name and keep his commands because they do the things they ought to do but they that rule not in Gods fear are not just in punishing those that keep his commands and in doing that which they ought not to do these ought not to rule over men who fear not God nor honour the Kings to such I say doth God do you think love cursing and swearing better then a silent waiting upon him in his fear if you think not why do you punish the one and let the other alone or is the Law against the fear of God and not against the profaneness because it is executed upon the one and not upon the other and think ye that God loveth profane songs and wicked talk before or better then a good exhortation from the Spirit of truth that people might keep Gods holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives how can you expect to prosper that do these things who tread in the steps of those whom God overthrew before you did they accomplish their end in persecuting of us did they cause us to come to their worship or submit to their wills or did they scatter and overcome us did not the Lord scatter and overcome them who rose up against his work in us and how do you think to escape doing the same things as against us who are a people that would lay down our lives that your souls might be saved in this the day of the Lords visitation But alas alas for you you have slighted the day of Gods love to your souls and your misery is you cannot believe it but when it is too late to return you may feel it and then you shall confesse we were your best friends who told you the truth though you hated us for it yet the reward of our love to you we shall receive at the hand of the Lord and you the reward of your hatred and cruelty towards us its the
LAMENTATION OVER ENGLAND FROM A true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable Wickedness of such Rulers Priests and People that are erred and strayed from the way of God and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts offending against his holy Laws limiting the Holy one of Israel making the devices of their own hearts a Law to insnare the Innocent that worship the Father in spirit and truth Whereby all Persecutors may in pity to their souls truly consider what way they are in and whether it leads and whose work they are doing and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of Oppression and Cruelty By M. W. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted and judg the poor Surely the righteous shall praise thy name and the just shall dwell in by presence Psalm 140.11 12 13. Printed in the Year 1664. Impartial Reader IF thy heart be upright towards God thou canst not but love his truth in the inward parts which teacheth thee to speak the truth and do the truth and to deal plainly with all men and not to call evil good nor good evil nor put light for darkness nor darkness for light but to deal justly with all men and walk humbly with thy God and then thou needst not fear the threats nor frowns of any man who is but dust but wilt fear the Lord and give glory to him that made heaven and earth the sea and the fountains of water in exalting his name above every name and his commands above the wills of men in bowing thy heart and soul to the obedience of his spirit that his everlasting kingdome of righteousness may be set up in thee that the blessed government of his Spirit thy soul may be subject to then thou canst in truth say the kingdom of God is come in power and great glory then the Idols of gold and silver and the glory of the work that perisheth thou wilt cast to the Bats of the night that cannot behold the Sun and to the Moles of the earth that know not him that gave them breath then canst thou declare what the Lord hath wrought and sound forth his praise to the ends of the earth then will the voice of the good shepherd of Israel be joy to thy heart strength to thy sinews marrow to thy bones and thy soul shall feed in the fat pastures and thy dwelling shall be in the hill of Gods delight even Sion that shall never be removed into which the Father of life is gathering his own seed out of all Nations Tongues and Languages to dwell with him in the unity of his spirit and to have fellowship with him in his life that his coming may be witnessed in the ten thousands of 〈…〉 the world and to destroy the will of the flesh and make his great slaughter of all that which hath rebelled against him and cannot be subject to the law of his spirit but resists and is a law warring in the flesh and that nature which slew the Lamb from the foundation of the world yet offereth a sacrifice but could never please God and they that please God could never please it therefore were they and are they persecuted and suffer by it and so spiritually overcome and reign over it so our kingdome is not of this world but over the spirit of this world neither can it be shaken by the powers of this world but by its power doth shake the world and shall over turn that foundation on which the wickedness is built that the blessed foundation of the Prophets and Apostles may be revealed before all Nations which is Christ Jesus the Light in which the saved in all nations shall walk and in which if thou that readest this dost not walk thou canst never witness Gods salvation but if thou believe and in it walk then wilt thou know this to be truth and love to thy soul from th◠friend A Lamentation over England from a true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable wickednesse of such Rulers Priests and People that are Erred and Strayed from the way of God c. TEnder love to all your Souls is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And your refusal to accept of so great love as the Lord God of life holds forth to you in this the day of his tender visitation is cause sufficient for this my Lamentation Oh England England and ye Rulers and Magistrates thereof Oh that you had prised this the day of your visitation Oh that you had hearkened to the voice of the truth in the mouths of the Prophets and servants of God who have finished their faithful testimony several of them with the laying down of their lives And that you had not despised and still do despise and persecute those whom he hath sent unto you Oh that the blood of his pretious servants did not lie at your doores which cries loud for vengeance in the ears of the just God of heaven and earth till he make Inquisition for it How many have been imprisoned till death for obeying the will of God And how hath their blood been mingled with their sacrifices when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord and in the dread of his power out of the fear of him that kills the body but in the love and patient nature of the Lamb that overcomes the wrath and saves the soul who is the highest power that the soul ought to be subject to who hath given it life breath and being and who can cast it into Hell fire if it obey him not And therefore you are very much mistaken in us who think to frighten us out of our Religion by persecution or killing the body it being that which the Lord hath raised up in us by his mighty power in the denyal of our own wills and so contrary to all mens wills that have not submitted to his power For when he appeared in his power to place his fear in our hearts then our flesh trembled and Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel which was the voice of the Son of God to our souls by which we came to hear and live which life is contrary and which voice is dreadful to the flesh and so we having felt the terrors of the Lord for sin and transgression do not at all fear the terrors of men which can but kill the body and when that is done can do no more Therefore friends you knew not what you did when you began to meddle with us and make laws against us and persecute us because we could not submit to your wills for had you known us you would not have begun such an ill work wherein you should have lost so much labour and gained so much dishonour and also incurr'd the wrath of God Had Nebuchadnezzar known the three Children as well before as he did after he would never have forced them
word of the spirit of truth to you all for we are a people that have done you no wrong at all and as we walk in the truth we do professe and own we cannot wrong you nor any upon the face of the whole earth but you have wronged us and do daily in afflicting punishing and persecuting us as evil doers and as a people not fit to live upon the earth but know this from the Lord that lives for ever what you have designed against us in your hearts shall be your own portion because we are of the seed of the spiritual Jews whose Kingdom shall flourish for ever But what is the evil and what is our crime that we are thus reckoned as sheep for the slaughter is it not only because we cannot break the commands of God and his son Jesus and own your worship which he never commanded nor his Apostles and Disciples ever practised but warned those that feared God to depart from them that were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God covetous proud unholy men despisers of those that are good walkers in their own ungodly lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage who run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and to cover all this hold forth a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 and because we do so therefore are we hated and persecuted but if we could put into your mouths then we might save the spoyling of our goods and be accounted good Christians though we served the devil but we are come to the knowledge of the truth everlasting praises be given to our God for ever and ever and to the power of godlinesse that cannot bow nor creep to deceit but must bear testimony with the holy Prophets and Apostles and the blessed company of Saints and martyrs of Jesus against preaching for hire and divining for mony and spoyling mens goods for trebble damages casting their bodies into prisons till death and all for mony and for gain from their quarter Oh blood thirsty bloody minded men destroyers of souls and bodies for your bellies who never have enough woe woe from the Lord is your portion that ever you were born to live to exceed the false prophets of old and yet professe Christianity For we do not read that ever they did force any by suite of Law to pay them but we read that Balaam when he did not his work that he laboured so mightily to do for the King of Moab which was to curse the people whom God had blessed mark when he could not do his work he went away without his reward and so is it not meet that those whom in this nation are sent by men pretending authority over souls and put into Parishes and places to reform and blesse the people and cannot do their work but the people grow worse and worse though they take pains yet God never sent them and is it reason that they should have such a great reward as the tenth of all our labours If they had sowen spirituals it had been a small thing for them to have partaked of our carnals or if they had planted a vineyard they ought to have eat of the fruit thereof But this Vineyard of Times the Pope hath planted for his Priests and never intended it for these who do not his work nor the Lords neither And therefore why may not they with Balaam return without a reward from the King seeing their blessing doth as little good as Balaams intended cursing did harme for he went away without the Kings great honour and promotion because the Lord would not suffer him to fulfil or satisfie the will of that spirit which would have had the Israel of God destroyed Num. 24.11 but so saith the King the Lord shall keep thee back from honour But wo be to that spirit that willeth the destruction of Gods Israel now that it may keep or get its earthly ends and selfish fleshly honours which God is risen in his mighty power to bring into contempt because it opposeth it self against the work of his spirit which is to bring down the earthly and exalt the heavenly Which work must and shall be done when men and devils have don and said what they can for he that made us for his praise hath now by his spirit quickened us up again for his glory And this is the Lord from heaven that spirit that as is the heavenly such they may be that are heavenly That the heavenly Image may be exalted above the earthly both to rule and reign over it in the Lambs patient nature to overcome the earthly which preacheth forth to the heavenly Witnesse in all consciences So the long suffering and patience leads to repentance and newness of life But that spirit which turneth people from the gift of God in them is the deceiver that strengtheneth the hands of the evil doer to make War against the appearance of God in man that brings salvation and this is the false Prophet that hath and doth deceive the Nations which second appearance of Christ the true spiritual light is to consume with the breth of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming And this appearance of truth in the inward parts the false Prophet cannot endure Mark because it is come to reveal and consume him and therefore he thinks to strengthen himself by the powers of the earth in perswading them to believe his report and Prophecy against the spirit of truth and they being not come to the word of life in themselves that was before the deceiver was do not discerne him and so come to be deceived by him and to make War against the brightnesse of the rising of the Son of righteousnesse and the leadings of his pure spirit of life in his Children by making Laws and Decrees against them for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God and man And hear is the tryal of their faith made manifest to be precious by which many comes to be added to it and the kingdom exalted by its own power through opposition and persecution so it comes to be seen and known to be the power of life in us that is greater and mightier then the power of death and darknesse that comes against us that we can of a truth say He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world who comes against us but must be overcome by him that is in us whose power shall burst the bonds of wickedness destroy the spirit of persecution that makes Laws for stumbling-blocks to the people that have a desire to seek after the Lord and come to the measure of his spirit that leads into all truth that they may witnesse dominion over sin and the works of the Devil destroyed in them and they forsake him and all his works and all the vain pomp of this wicked
power that is risen and arising to shake terribly the earth and bring every hidden thing to the light to be tryed and that which cannot stand in the Light shall be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Now again consider with your selves you that say the Quakers as you call them are in error and delusion and persecute them as hereticks was not that alwayes the saying of persecutors see the testimony of the Scriptures was it not alwayes so said by them that were born after the flesh whose wills they have made a law and so were never without a law to kill the just and if that they had be not bad enough then the old envious nature can make another that shall be which law did ever uphold the unjust and please the false Prophets and hirelings because they would not have their deeds brought to the light and themselves made manifest to be in darknesse but after all your cruelty and persecution against us what case will you be in when the Lord doth appear for us openly and vindicate our innocent cause by his just Judgments upon all our enemies in making them examples of his wrath to all generations that the people that are afar off may hear and dread and fear to resist his mighty power that is risen and arising to shake all Nations and shall bring down the haughtinesse and the lostinesse of man and stain the glory of all flesh and bring all the honourable of the earth into contempt that the honourable immortal heavenly seed of life may be exalted over all and the kingdomes of the world become the kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ whose right it is to reign and rule over all blessed for ever Wo unto you Rulers in darknesse Magistrates in Sodom and Governours in Gomorrah for the terrible day that is overtaking you and you would not be warned how oft hath the Lord sent unto you by his messengers and ministers of truth both by speaking and writing that you might be gathered out of that spirit which leads to destruction but you have set at naught all his counsel and would none of his reproof therefore shall you eat the fruit of your own way and be filled with your cruel devices for your life in pleasure shall slay you and your prosperity in foolishnesse shall destroy you because ye have hated the knowledge of the truth and would not choose the fear of the Lord therefore shall fear come upon you in Judgment and destruction as a whirlwind then will your wickedness and cruelty against the servants of the Lord be set in order before you who have required them evil for good and for their labour and pains to bring you into the glorious liberty you have put them into prison oh this will be heavy upon you when their bloud comes to be required at your hands who should have employed your power to have encouraged them in the service of the Lord which is the well doing and so should you have had praise of God and all just men and your memorial would have been sweet in generations to come but on the contrary your memorial will rot and your name be blotted out from under heaven but the memorial of the just whom you persecute shall flourish for ever Wo wo be unto you spiritual Lords so called that decree unrighteous decrees to bear rule over the consciences of the people and Lord it over Gods heritage who labour to devour the flock of Christ and lay waste his little remnant that he hath gathered to bear testimony to his great and glorious name that he is exalting over all Nations and because you have combined against him and the great and glorious work he hath begun in this Nation his power is turned against you and shall pursue you in all your wayes and defeat you in all your devises till he hath left you neither root nor branch and your name shall be cast out as an abominable thing and an abhorring to all people for you have exceeded the blasphemy of those who said they were Jews and were not in calling your selves Fathers in God and yet never came to witnesse the spiritual birth of the children of God who are come to know their sins forgiven them for his name sake into which they are gathered where the Father comes to be known by the revelation of the son that is life eternal and hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 2.3 this was and is the saying of the children of God which you Fathers in God as you are called never came to witnesse to wit the keeping of the Commandements of Christ and therefore you that do believe his Commands cannot be kept while you live on the earth in that unbelief you are shut out and there can never come to know him and he that is there and saith he knows him is a lyar 1 John 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother In this the Fathers and Children that are persecutors for conscience sake towards God are manifested to be of their father the Devil and neither children nor fathers in God For the name Father in God came from such as were in that nature who were first children of God that had known the Father and then young men that had overcome the wicked one then fathers because they have known him that is from the beginning 1 John 2. 13 14. and in the power of God that was in the beginning that doth overcome did beget unto God and so were properly and truly called Fathers in God and such I own and honour in my very soul who are honourable in the house of God and as they ruled well were worthy of double honour from all the children of truth in the Fathers house but had nothing to do with those that were without that were not of the houshold of faith for the Devil bare rule there in the children of disobedience and saith Paul them that are without God judgeth for what have I to do to judge them also that are without 1 Cor. 5.12 13. The Bishops and Fathers in God did rule only among the children of God who were the Church in God and they that abode in Christ were his Members 1 John 2.6 And he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked who said I receive not honour from men that is such who will not come unto him cannot honour him but in the unbelief dishonour him but he that believer possesseth his vessel in sanctification and honour that is to him that sanctifieth but the Fathers in God and Bishops of Christ never took upon them the vain glorious honours of the wicked world nor were called masters or Lords but were hated of the world as their Lord and Master was and so
which God in his dreadful power did condemn cast out and destroy in us But while we did submit to it in our selves then we could submit to it in others for when death reigned deceit was honourable but when life came death was destroyed deceit denyed truth exalted and God honoured and our souls saved and so in Gods salvation we standing Men and Devile cannot prevail against us Now if you persecutors could believe this then you would know it were in vain to strive against us for in so doing you strive against the Lord and must needs reap destruction but on the contrary if we did not know these things brought forth in us by the mighty power of God then we might believe it were in vain to resist your wills and suffer the losse of our lives goods and liberties not knowing for what For what would it profit us to suffer for that which could not save and deliver our souls from eternal death When we were in deceit we could not suffer for the truth because the truth did suffer by us and in us but now coming into the truth deceit is denyed and cast out into the world and there rageth at us in all deceivers who are deceived that think to stop the way of the Lord and the work of his spirit in England Therefore we chuse to suffer with the truth being sure we shall reign with the truth over all that is against it for that power that hath and doth free us from the enemy within in his due time will deliver us from the enemy without and from the hands of all that hate us that we may serve him without sear of them in righteousnesse and true holinesse before him without controul of men all the dayes of our lives And therefore Infallibly knowing our selves to be led and acted by the spirit of the Lord God in the obedience of his will we do also know as well that all our enemies who oppose persecute and oppresse us except they repent shall all be destroyed and perish eternally and therefore how can we but pity your condition pray and mourn for you in secret that if it be possible you may come to the truth and be saved before it be too late and then we can neither pray nor mourn for you when you have sealed your destruction with our blood it will be too late for you because you have had such warning before-hand from the spirit of the Lord in his servants then the voice of our blood which is pretious in the sight of the God of heaven will cry loud for vengeance against you How long holy and true before thou aveng our blood dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.10 Woe woe from the Lord God of power to all blood-thirsty Rulers Judges and Magistrates who hunt after blood persecute and condemn the innocent who doth not resist you in you is the resurrection of the unjust and cruel muthering spirit which is risen and alive to fill up the measure of iniquity and cruelty to bring to remembrance before the Lord all the bloud that hath been shed in your great City Babylon and woe for ever will be to those that are found acting in that murthering spirit for upon that spirit will the Lord render vengeance in flaming fire for all the righteous blood that hath been shed upon the earth And the woful dreadful terrible day of your destruction who are in that nature draweth nigh wherein you must suffer punishment for every evil thought and wicked word and action against the innocent who suffer for the obedience of his will as done unto himself Matth. 18.6 In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me And again ved 10. But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me mark it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea And take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones who cannot Bow to mens Inventions and Traditions set up in the wills of some men and pulled down in the wills of other men but we are come to the standing worship in the Will Power and Spirit of God that abides for ever which men and devils shall not prevail against though some may stretch forth their hands to vex certain of the Church as Herod did Acts 12.1 because he saw it pleased their enemies the Jews but it pleased the Lord to make an example of him and he was eaten with worms that it might be a warning to all self-conceited ambitious proud highminded persecuting Rulers and Magistrates in the ages to come And if Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 be the portion of those that do not visit the little ones his brethren in prisons and dungeons and nasty holes where they are cast for the testimony of his truth what shall be the reward and portion of those that cast them in and throng them together to the destruction of their lives for want of fresh aire that they may be murthered in secret without Judgment or Mercy but alass for you the cry of their innocent bloud will find you out both actors and consenters and bring you to open Judgement for your secret wickednesse And if God do not openly appear in terrible Judgment against you for these things then you may say Tush God seeth it not or that he hath forsaken the earth or that he is not mindful of those that diligently seek him but we know and you shall assuredly know you have touched his annointed ones and offended his little ones and despised them slain his Prophets and done despight unto his spirit of grace Therefore vvoe is me for you vvhat vvill you do in that day that is nigh at hand Who shall deliver you from the stroke of his vengeance Who shall save you from his fierce wrath Alas alas Who can utter the misery or declare the terrible Judgments that is to come upon Babylon and all her Merchants and persecuting Rulers and Governors that are found alive in her sin when God shall render vengeance for all the bloud that is found in her and they in the bloud Woe upon woe misery upon misery plague upon plague is coming upon thee O Babylon thou mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth Oh happy are you ye Inhabitants of Sion blessed yea for ever blessed be the day in which that love was manifessed to your souls that hath gathered and brought you out of the City of confusion Mistery Babylon the great Though you may lose your mortal lives for a testimony against her yet you have cause to rejoyce for ever that you are made worthy to follow the Lamb and fill up the measure of his sufferings and so receive an exceeding weight of glory
upon your beds your secret faults and wickednesse and makes you confesse in your hearts it is so and brings you to a sense of sorrow and misery that will be your portion if you repent not and turn to the Lord that spirit that searched thy heart and tried thy reins that pure word of truth that cannot deceive thee the annointing that speaks the truth in thee and this I say from the spirit of truth except thou believe in that word of truth and obey it thou shalt never witnesse salvation This is the infallible truth to all upon the face of the whole earth and there is no other salvation under heaven nor no other Name given to be saved by then this which is the Gentiles light and Israels glory that which make manifest the deeds of darknesse and reproves them this is that spirit that reproves the world of sin that leads out of sin all that do believe and follow it and this is he that spirit that is given for a leader to his people to be his salvation to the ends of the earth This is the Word of God the Son of God the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin and saves the souls of all that believe in him the Son the truth that maketh free the quickening spirit that quickens to life again the soul that was dead in Adam and so brings Immortality to light through his power which is the Gospel and he that believes not in his power knows not the Gospel that power which sets free from sin for that is the glad tidings to the soul to hear of a deliverance from the bondage of corruption that it may no longer serve sin the wages whereof is condemnation and death to it but that it might come to Sow in the eternal spirit and Reap the Wages of life everlasting for such as it sows such must it reap because God is Just And therefore they that do believe in the eternal power have denyed themselves and given up their souls into the hands of a faithful Creator that he may save them from the sin and take it away and bring in his own perfect righteousnesse according to his promise in his New Covenant of free mercy and grace and it is unpossible for God in Christ to faile or forsake them but keeps Covenant and mercy for ever and saves the soul from the sin and power of hell and death which is the Work his father hath sent him into the world to do and perform and he that doth believe in him he hath promised to raise him up out of the Fall Death and the Curse and restore him into the life of God from which he fell and was dead to and brings forth a new birth by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in him and this is his promise to do and work to perform and such who are not of this Faith can never have this Work wrought in them but do through their unbelief as it were make him a lyar that is as if he would not or could not performe his promise and such are dead while they live in the Sinne Fall and the Curse Reprobate to every good worke dishonouring the Lord of life through their unbelief of the truth But on the contrary believing the lying spirit that leads into the sin who saith that sin must be lived in while we are on the earth this is the Doctrine of the Devil and the Devils Doctrine which he hath taught his servants and Ministers to preach who are the false Prophets that daube with untempered morter that deceive the Nations so upholding the kingdome of the Devil sin and darknesse that he may keep his Kingdome and power in their hearts and rule there in the disobedient and bring forth his will that is sin and iniquity and ungodlinesse so beget his owne Image in them and do his owne Work through them and Preach his own Doctrine in them in which they believing can never witnesse salvation But are a company of miserable sinners laden with sin and iniquity ever learning of the deceitful lying spirit and so can never come to the knowledg of the truth that sets free from sin but are ever pleading for it being in the error strayed from the way of Gods salvation doing the things they ought not to do persecuting hating and killing the Innocent spoyling and robbing them of their goods acting in madnesse and folly beyond the very letter of the law and sometimes against it as for example some are excommunicated out of the assembly of miserable sinners their Church so called and after excommunication have had their goods strained on and taken away for not coming to their worship in the time of excommunication this is unreasonable cruel envious wicked dealings and this is done against many casting others into Dungeons and nasty holes and Prisons that hath destroyed their lives and all because we speak the truth and do the things that we ought to do and cannot hearken to the lying spirit that leads into errour and astray from the way of God But do hear the voice of Christ the good shepherd and Bishop of our souls and keep his sayings who saith swear not at all and do not after their works who are blind guides that say and do not the thing they say they ought to do but believe in the light that ye may be the children of light John 12.36 for said he I am the light of the world he that followeth me not blind guides shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life chap. 8.12 13. then said the Pharisees thy record is not true mark what the blind guides said then and are they not blind guides that say so now who say it is but a natural light that is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that it is not able to save a man from sin though it do condemn him and reprove him for sin and the deeds of darkness when as Christ himself the truth that cannot lye said he that followeth him the light shall not walk in darknesse and we who are come to the light in our selves and follow it do bear testimony against all the blind guides and hireling priests and false prophets upon the face of the whole earth that his record is true but this the unbelieving Jews could not believe then no more than the unbelieving Gentiles can believe now therefore they walk in darknesse and hate the light but this is the word of the Lord God of truth to all the Gentiles upon the whole earth they must believe in their light that is to say the Gentiles light before ever they can witnesse Gods salvation for that is his Covenant to the people and his salvation to the ends of the earth What if the blind should say what to do answer to save them from walking in darkness and then the fruits and works of darknesse cannot be brought forth