in contempt and reproach by those that seduce you Which thou chargest upon us and â—aist thou hast clearly discovered our Slanders Shifts and Shuffles and our reproaching the Ordinances and Institutions of our Lord as Heathenish by comparing them to that great Image of that Heathen King Dan. 3.3 And how we deny the Scripture to be a perfect Rule of knowing God believing in him and living unto him and reproach thee to be a lying Slanderer for charging us with that which is an apparent Truth as thou saist thou hast proved by our lying Papers and that we have reproached thee falsly and the Lies are returned upon our own Heads whilst thou saist we witness our selves Perfect and without Sin and have entred the new Ierusalem into which none shall enter that make a Lie c. Reply Them thou callst thy Friends who are in the Light with all the Children of the Light do witness that their Hearts were never warmed in Sacraments no such words is found in Scripture and thou that art pleading for the Authority of Scripture is with the Light of Christ in all his Saints denied and thy Sacraments which is not found in Scripture and in the Light thou art clearly seen the Slanders Shifts and Shufflels are thy own as is manifest in the Answer to the same Reproach and Accusations in the Second and Third Pages of thy Book and what we witness is according to Scripture which we own and in many things thou hast writ as before is manifest by thy own words the Scripture thon deniest so on whose Head the falshood remains to the Children of Light is made manifest and the day will further declare it wherein Christ our King shall be exalted over all in whom our perfection and cleansing from Sin is and leads us into new Ierusalem into which nothing enteâ—s that works Abomination or makes a Lie but who enter therein are led by the Spirit of Christ in whose Mouth is found no guile he that hath an Ear to hear let him hâ—ar And whereas thou saist to some of them thou callst thy Friends some of you have heard William Deusbery say of himself that he was as Perfect as that Christ that died at Ierusalem this is witnessed by one of Credit and Fidelity amongst your selves I forbear his name In Deusbery's new Brith he thus witnesseth of himself Reply Thy Spirit in the Light is seen who hast published what thou hast received from a nameless Author and thy Accusation is false which thou hast published to the World there were never any heard William Deusbery say of himself that he was as Perfect as that Christ that died at Ierusalem and that thou callst his new Birth will be a witness against thee there is no such word exprest by him as thou saist this nameless Author hath related of him In the presence of God he called William Deusbery doth witness that self is imperfect and self Righteousness as a filthy Ragg and a menstruous Cloath c. Isa 64.6 And he doth witness Christ Iesus the true Light which lighteth every own that comes into the World Iohn 1.9 which discovers the imperfection and filthiness of self with all its righteousness and his Perfection is in Christ the Light which he doth witness the same Christ and no other but he which suffered at Ierusalem who is the brightness of his Fathers glory c. Heb. 1.3 13.8 Which he thou falsly accusest as before written which all the Children of Light do witness the Righteousness of God in Christ the Light 2 Cor. 5.21 which for the Simples sake the Truth is witnessed forth in the presence of God which the Lord will clear from the Lies and Slanders cast upon it and he shall be known what he is whom you call a proud polluted Worm that dare exalt himself to a Perfection equal with God which are thy own words and what thou hast gathered up from others who falsly accuse as thou dost which words was not spoken by him thou callst a proud polluted Worm who can bear thy Revilings but for the Truths sake that the Simple do not stumble at the Way of Truth doth witness against thy false Accusations and Revilings which thou hast filled thy Book withal As in the 14th and 15th Pages Speaking to them thou callst Friends whom thou saist is seduced and thou declares that those whom thou chargest with seducing them doth reach them to cease from all Religious Duties of commanded Worship without scruple or check of Conscience before they can enjoy God or be taught immediatly what to do first put out the true Light and Power of Conscience to do his Office by despising the means of enlightning and convincing it to act in the Soul and then resolves to follow the immediate Commands of Conscience without questioning the Author of those Laws at all Reply Thy Accusation is false we do not teach any to ceafe from all religious duties of commanded worship neither put out the true Light we teach all to be obdient to the commands of God who saith this is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased hear him Mat. 17.5 And we bear Testimony of him that he is the true Light that lighteth every one that comes into the World Ioh. 1.9 and convinces the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Ioh. 16.8 and he alone commands in the Conscience for God and is the Author of the prefect Law handed in the hand of a Mediator to whom we exhort all to be subject and in whom all the Children of Light walk Col. 2.6 And for thy expressing a depth of deceit and delusion which thou chargest upon us which is found in thy self who hath made Lyes thy refuge to slander the Innocent which is further manifest in thy 16th Page Thou fayst we take no notice of Scripture authority as if they were altogether out of date which false Accusation is witnessed against in what is returned in answer to the preface of thy Book And in the 17th and 18th Pages thou chargest us with impudent fore-heads to make a shew of one thing and intend another purposely minded to deceive and yet they tell us often that as they write so they mean and speak the Truth in plainness most horrible hypocrisie and deceit which nothing but a lying and a knavish Head dare go about to excuse c. And all those unsavory words as before written wherein thou sayest we have discovered to purpose the deceit of our answer in saying the Revelations of Christ are according to Scripture and where the new Covenant is witnest the Law is written in the Heart and the Witness and Testimony of Jesus within bearing witness with our Spirits that we are Sons of God. Reply Doing any thing of purpose to deceive through Hypocrisie or Knavish Heads we deny and in the presence of God we speak the Truth in plaâ—â—ness and do witness there is no deceit in saying the Revelations of Christ are according to Scripture
as an Act of Justice now if thou let Bonds be laid no more upon the Consciences of the people of God but as before written they may serve their God in free liberty of his Spirit thou wilt then find a hiding-place in this terrible day of Vengeance which will be manifest in England and so to the astonishment of all the World for not any Man that lives contrary to God but he shall roar under the heavy Judgments of the fiery wrath of the Lamb of God whom the Father will reveal in Flames rendering Vengeance upon all that know him not and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God will make England as the Garden of Eden and Wickedness shall not reign therein then shall it be a blessing to all Nations and thou shalt know assuredly he is faithful and true who hath revealed these things to his Servant that desireth thy everlasting felicity and happiness in thy obedience to Christ Jesus the Light who lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and now is the Father revealing him to Judge every one according to the deeds done in the Body c. W. D. Dear Friends and Sisters BOrn of the birth of the immortal Seed of the most high God who hath not any Life but in his presence nor refreshment but in the Light of his Countenance you are the Children of the day-spring which is from on high lift up you Heads in the Light of the everlasting Covenant in it feel the drawings of the love of the Father whose Bowels earns towards you who hath remembered you in all your Retâ—rements Mournings Crys and Tears in the days when you were weeping and seeking the Lord your God seeking the way to Sion with your Faces thitherwards now in the acceptable day of the Lord in the Light hath he gathered you that you might satisfie the thirst of your Souls and the hunger of you Spirits in the Ocean and Fountain of Life which is opened for you all to drink yea drink abundantly of the infinite Mercies of the Eternal God oh feel the earnings of his Bowels that when you were Enemies he gave his only Son for you and now he spreads his Arms forth in this day of acceptance to imbrace every Prodigal and set free every Captive and purge every Conscience and wash every Garment of those that cannot live but in his pure Life Oh the strength of the Bowels and Mercies of the God of all Compassions who hath resisted the proud and given Grace to the Humble who hath opened his Ear to the Cry of the Poor and hath heard the Groans of the Needy and hath prepared his Table and richly furnished it with the fatness of his House that all that cannot live without him may in his Light return and wait upon him and he will imbrace you in the Marriage union in Christ Jesus in whom he will Cloath you with the wedding Garment of his own righteousness in the power of his love you all his dear Children to sit down and eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ which will fill you with vertue and cause you to grow fruitful Branches in the Vineyard of God in whom the Father will crown you with the Glory of his pure Liâ—e and cloath you with the Garment of Innocency and beautifie you with the excellency of his Majesty to grow in eternal Unity to finish your Testimony in faithfulness to the Lord God in his Light over all blessed forever And all you chosen Jewels of the Lord whom he hath made up in this his powerful Day to stand living Witnesses of his glorious Name in the sight of all People and Nations of the World whom the Lord calls to bear your Testimony in the glorious Resurrection of his Life which he hath raised up in 〈◊〉 in his Light as moved of the Lord arise in his 〈◊〉 every one to clear your Spirits with boldness in his Innocent Life let no difficulty stand before you in the Majesty of the Power of God tread down Sathan under your feet that would let or hinder any of you that are truely constrained of the Lord to declare his Name in any Country Nation or Island where the Lord God leads for the mighty God will prosper you that retain the sence of your poverty as in self that his powerful Life may stream forth in the glory of his own brightness to the enlightning of the People that have sat in Darkness that in the path of Life they may walk to the Praise of the Mighty God. And all you called of God from the least to the highest growth wait in the Power of the endless Life of the most high to cover you in it be valiant to keep your Meetings in the Name of the Lord that every one may feel the streams of the Fountain of Virtue in Christ the Light refreshing you all and filling you his Vessels with the Vertue of his heavenly Life And when the Living God fills you with the overcoming Power of his Love and moves any of you in the broken Heart and contrition of Spirit to offer up the Sacrifice of Prayer or Praises or any other exercise in the Congregation of his holy People This is laid upon me in the Name of the Lord to lay it upon thee whoseever thou art that thou quench not his Spirit let the Lord God glorifie his name thorow thee let not thy mind look out from the Lord as to mind the presence of any of his there for streightning of thee in thy obedience to God and in thy faithfulness thy Talent shall be increased so look not at thy weakness but at Gods strength and at thy clearness before the Lord and this in the Name of the Lord I lay upon every particular Soul to wait in singleness for the Lord to exercise thee with clearness in his sight in every motion and breathing of thy Spirit in the measure life received of God for he is come to silence all Flesh and set Israel free in the strength of his Life to deliver his Captives and to cause the Fetters to fall off that which hath been bound to lift up the Head which hath been bowed down in Israel and to loose the Tongue of the Dumb to cause the Mouths of the Babes to praise him and the Tongues of the Sucklings to speak forth his wonderful works So arise you that have groaned for a day of freedom and you that have been as Vessels ready to burst for want of venting and have said in your Hearts I fear I shall not be born so hast thou gone in mournfulness of thy spirit as a child disobedient to thy God but let it be so no more least thy Talent be taken from thee So all Children keep your Eye with God and with clearness answer him in every motion in his everlasting Power then will the Lord cause his Light to shine in the brightness of his glory which will stop all forward and
Correspondency betwixt Iesuits and Quakers as might render them suspicious or did you ever know any Priests or Iesuits in their Meetings and there suffered to Preach c. For I know the Iesuits and the Quakers and there is such vast difference in points of Religion that it is as possible to reconcile Light and Darkness as to reconcile them though they may appear different from us yet I think they are no Murtherers as the Papist have been and are I have no more but that I am yours though unknown T. O. The 13 th of March 1678 9. An Exhortation to all People to prize their Time in making their Calling and Election sure before they go hence and be no more As it hath pleased the Lord God in his tender Mercy in his Heavenly Power in Christ to assist his tender Hand-maid Mary Sam and give her full Assurance of her Eternal Salvation who lived with her Grand-Father William Dewsbury at Warwick where he was and is Prisoner for the Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ And there she departed this natural Life when she was the Age of Twelve Years and sixteen Weeks and in her Sickness declared to all about her what God had done for her Soul. A brif Account whereof Follows ALL People mind the fear of the Lord who created the Henvens and the Earth the Seas and Fountains of Waters and all turn your Minds to the Light of Christ Jesus in your own Consciences that reproves for Sin in the secret of your Hearts and this God requires of you all to search your Hearts thorowly with the Light of Christ Jesus which is the true Light that lighteth every one that comes into the World as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth Iohn 1.9 And as you are faithfull to the Light it will let you see how you have lived and spent your precious time that is gone over your Heads then will your Consciences be awakned with the Light of Christ and you will be made sensible of your careless sinful and miserable state and condition that you have lived in so will the Lord in great Mercy to your Souls set your sin in order before you and the Iniquity of your Heels will compass you about so will you be made sensible of your lost and perishing State and Condition that if the Lord did not look upon you in his Mercy in the Lord Jesus to give you strength to forsake every evil Way and Repentance for what you have done you would perish forever So from the deep sence of your own nothingness and the need of the help of Christ Jesus the true Light and blessed Saviour to whom you Cry and Pray continually That he would perfect his great work of Regeneration in leading you in the foot-steps of the Tribulated Companions who go weeping and seeking the Lord their God asking the Way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards no more to let your Eyes slumber in peace nor your Eye-lids have rest until you be assured the Lord is your God and that he hath blotted out your Sins and done away your Iniquities for his Name sake and hath accepted of you in his new and Everlasting Covenant of his Mercy in Christ Jesus So you that were afar off in your Rebellious Nature of which you are now ashamed through true Repentance and Obedience to the Light you are made nigh in the Blood of Christ which gives you full assurance of your Eternal Salvation and purgeth your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God and whoever you are that come to witness this blessed Work of Regeneration wrought in your Hearts as before written in your being created to a lively Hope in Christ Jesus Mark you are to watch and pray that in the Exercise and Improvement of this Hope you may receive Strength to purifie your selves as he is Pure â—o comes all that are Worshippers of the Father to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth for such the Father seeks to Worship him and these are they whom he Perfects forever through the Sanctification of his Spirit So is this Scripture fulfilled in you He that doth Truth brings his Deeds to the Light that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God John 3.21 And these are his Children who walk in the Light and have their fellowship with the Father of Light in Christ Jesus their blessed Saviour and one with another in his humble meek pure and blessed Nature and so becomes his chosen Jewels and Citizens of Sion who walk in the Light of the New-Ierusalem as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth The Nations that are saved shall walk in the Light thereof And whatever any of you suffer who are redeemed from the Earth and have your Confidence in the Lord alone Christ takes as done unto himself as it is written Mat. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and his holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory and divide the Sheep from the Goats when he hath set the Sheep on the right Hand and the Goats on the left then will he say to those on his Right Hand Come you blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World for I was hungry and you gave me Meat thirsty and you gave me Drink a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me I was sick and you visited me I was in Prison and you came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee hungry and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee or when saw we thee sick and in Prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Then shall he say unto them on the Left Hand Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels He gave them to understand why they must depart they had not done to him as those at the right Hand had done as you may read at large from Verse 41. to the end of the Chapter So all may see how Man's destruction is of himself in not regarding the Counsel of Christ Jesus the Light to guide them in a Humble Pitiful Compassionate Pure and Blessed Nature so they go into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteouss that are guided by his blessed Spirit as before written they shall go into Life Everlasting which is the Inheritance of all that walk in the Light faithful unto Death the Crown of Life they shall enjoy forever and for evermore as it pleased the Lord to give a full assurance to his tender Handmaid of her Eternal Salvation in his blessed Work upon her Spirit as the following
against them and notwithstanding all thy Wickedness and Rebellious walking before me in love to thy Soul I have preserved thee to this day and still doth wait upon thee to be Gracious and Merciful to thee if thou wilt still return to my Counsel and diligently hearken to it the Light in thy Conscience which witnesseth against the pride of thy Heart and loftiness of thy Spirit and calls of thee to perform thy promises thou madest to me in the day of thy distress in speedily taking away the Unrighteous Laws by which my People are Persecuted that are guided by my Righteous Law in their Conscience that they be no more given up as Sheep to the Slaughter for declaring my Word and Mind to the People as they have been and are in this Nation but that they may have free Liberty and no more be Persecuted by any outward Law for declaring what I make known to them by my Spirit Which if thou dost return to me that I may guide thee by my Power as is declared then will I heal thy Backslidings and deliver thy Soul forth of the Pit of Corruption and bring it into my Banqueting-House where thou shalt drink of the Rivers of pleasure that is in my presence where thy Soul shall be for ever with my dear Children in the purchased Inheritance that shall never fade away and this shall be the Portion of thy Cup. I once more tender to thee if thou wilt speedily return while my Arm is stretched forth in this day of thy Visitation to imbrace thee and if thou wilt not hearken to my Counsel but like proud Pharaoh still hardens thy Heart against it and continue in thy Pride and Obstinacy as thou hast done know this my Spirit shall not always strive with thee but I will hasten the day of my Righteous Judgments upon thee and the Arm of Flesh which thou trusts and leanest upon to uphold thee and protect thee where thou art shall be to thee as the broken Reeds of Egypt that shall break to peices and Torment and Wound thee and I will get my glory upon thee in breaking thee down in my Wrath and fierce Displeasure and none shall deliver thee out of my Hand which will speedily perfect my Pleasure upon thee for the time is not long ere I accomplish what I have spoken except thou Repent and thou shalt know thy Destruction is of thy self and thy Blood shall be upon thy own Head and shall confess my Judgments to be true and righteous to all that hear of it that they may be warned by thee to fear and walk humbly before me in the day that I do this saith the Lord of Hosts The Word of the Lord I was commanded by him to writ to thee and after it was written was taken from me by one Thomas Pentlow called Justice of the Peace at the Town called Willby in Northampton-Shire yet notwithstanding in the love of God to thy Soul I am again ordered by him to make known his Counsel to thee that thou mightst not be Ignorant of his mind towards thee what he hath made known to me who am a lover of thy Soul and known to the World by name William Dewsbery Prisoner in Northampton Goal for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ. From the Common Goal in Northampton the first day of the Tenth Month 1654. The Mighty Day of the Lord is comming in which Christ knocks at the door of the Heart of Kindreds Tongues People and Nations who desire to know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent to be the Light of the World and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth to all that obey him but a stumbling Stone and a Rock of offence to all that resist his Counsel whom he will take in their own Craft and overturn in their own Devices to the shame and confusion of their Faces but they that believe in him shall never be ashamed This was given forth in the common Goal in Northampton the 7th day of the 11th Month 1655. by William Dewsbery there Prisoner for the Word of God and Testimony of Iesus THe mighty day of the Lord is comming to you People whose natural Birth and Generation was in the Northern Islands whom the Lord of Heaven and Earth hath placed where he hath suffered you to be scattered into Barbadoes Virginia New-England and other Islands there away and Countries elsewhere and to every Kindred Tongue and People and Nations in whom there is desires raised to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent to be the Light of the World to guide the Feet of those that sate in Darkness into the Light and Way of Peace To you People the mighty Day of the Lord is coming and in his Power is appearing amongst you in raising desires in some of you towards his Name which desires cannot be satisfied with any outward Observations and Traditions of your Fathers but above them doth your minds rise in true Hunger and Thirst towards the living God for refreshment from his presence prize the Love of God to you in whom he hath raised desires towards him and look not forth at any that teaches to hearken to the Teachings of Men without who draw you to seek Christ and God without and to come to the knowledg of the Kingdom of God in outward Observations with which the knowledge of God comes not the Kingdom of God is within and as the Lightning is from the East to the West so is the coming of the Son of Man in his day whose appearance is within but you People in the day of Darkness and Ignorance that have been over the whole Earth have been deceived in looking forth at teachings of Men without and for the Kingdom of God to come in outward Observations that men have set up in their vain thoughts Wicked and carnal Imaginations of the Saints condition which is Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth but they not regarding the motion of the Spirit of God within which taught and guided the Saints they are Strangers to the Saints Life though they speak great swelling words of the knowledg of God and with them deceive the simple with the inticing words of Mans Wisdom and boasting in other Mens Lines made ready to their Hands but they themselves are natural bruit Beasts living without the fear of God in Pride Covetousness Dissimulation and Hypocrisie full of self-Love making their Bellies their God delighting their Hearts in the Creature enjoyments and visible objects and are Men-Pleasers having their Persons in admiration and them respecting for advantage and these Men who are Ignorant of the only true God you have followed to teach you to come to know God who hath drawn you to Worship an unknown God in the ignorance of your minds so have they destroyed your Souls and the Souls of many and you People perish for want of Knowledg Hosea 4.6 In being caused to err with
midst of them and went his way Luke 4.16 28 29 30. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ not of man neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the Dead Gal. 1.1 He was a chosen Vessel unto the Lord to bear his Name amongst the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9.15 It was his practice to go to and fro to preach the Word of eternal life to the people in their Synagogues and Markets as the Ministers of Christ do When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iews Paul as his manner was went unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures Acts 1â— 1 2. When Paul went unto Athens his Spirit stirred in him when he saw the whole Citty given to Idolatry therefore disputed he in the Synagogue with the Iews and with the devout persons and in the Markets daily with them that met with him Then certain of the Phylosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoicks encountred him and some said what will this Babler say other some he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he Preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection Acts 17.16 17 18. And all my Brethren this day with me that witnesseth Christ Jesus risen from the Dead and are sent to Preach Christ the Resurrection who hath enlightned every one that is come into the World that all may in his Light that from him comes that shews them Sin wait for his Power to cleanse them from Sin and raise them out of the fallen and dead estate by the power of his Resurrection to live in pure obedience to God. We are by those the World call their Ministers and Teachers withstood as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses But the Lord is making them daily manifest that all shall see their folly and by them be no more deceived 2 Tim. 3.8 9. And as the Heathen Phylosophers before written encountred Paul so hath these men encountred with us as before written for witnessing Jesus the Resurrection and the true Light that enlightneth every one that comes into the World. And as Tertullus the Heathen Orator accused Paul before Felix Acts 24.1 5. We have found this man a pestilent fellow and mover of Sedition amongst all the Jews throughout the World and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens The same spirit that was in the Heathen Orator Tertullus that lead him to accuse Paul before Felix did Edward Bowles whom the people of the World call Minister and Teaches in the high place in York manifest to be in him who never had spoken to me when he by that dark spirit was lead to give in an Information against me and at the time when it was expected I should have the priviledge of the Law that Thieves and Murtherers had by it to be Tryed and my Accusers to appear face to face the said Edward Bowles did not appear to prove against me what was written in the Information neither a perfect Coppy of it would he or they that had it in keeping give to me when it was demanded least their works of darkness should be brought to light but what was brought to light when it was demanded of Edward Bowles This is a perfect Coppy that he wrote with his own hand as followeth It is informed that one William Deusbery a Ring-leader of the Persons calleâ— Quakers goes up and down the Country of York and is now in the West-riding thereof dispersing Principles prejuditical to the truth of the Gospel and peace of the Common-Wealth It is therefore desired that seeing no man is allowed publickly to exercise his gifts to a particular Congregation unless he be first tryed and approved that the said William Deusbery may not be permitted to go up and down from place to place Teaching until he receive Approbation of some Persons who shall be thought fit to judg how agreeable his Principle are to Truâ—â— and Peace This is the substance of what I delivered into Mr Payler but the particular words I cannot exactly remember but I believe they do not any thing considerably vary from this Paper E. B. This man whom Edward Bowles calls Mr Payler was the Fore-man of the Grand-Jury to whom he delivered the Information against me that they might deliver it to Hugh Windham who sat Judge of Life and Death at the general Assizes holden at York about the time of the thirteenth and fourteenth dayes of the first Month called March 1653. Upon the sight of the Information given in against me the Judge granted a Warrant in the open Court to the men that was in Commission to do justice in Yorkshire to apprehend me Which after that time I being at a place called Tholthorp about ten Miles from York in the North-riding thereof and many of the Servants of the living God with me waiting on him his Power to manifest to his glory and while we were together there came one George Mann in great rage two several times with an Iron Fork to satisfie his blood-thirsty minde the Lord with his Power did him chain and prevented his bloody intents to satisfie his will on me he went to Thomas Dickeson who was at a place called Kirby-Hall in Yorkshire and he accused me as Thomas Dickeson said before him that I said I was Christ upon which accusation he granted forth a Warrant on the twenty sixth day of the second Month called April And on the twenty seventh day I being with the Children of the Lord at Crake Iohn Lockwood called high Constable apprehended me with the Warrant before mentioned and the day being far spent he said to the Friends with me if they would ingage for my appearance the next day he would shew me that favour that I should stay with them that night I replyed these words that not any man should ingage for me neither desire I favour at the hands of men if thou hast power over the body do with it what thou hast power Then Iohn Lockwood said the day is far spent I shall not go with thee to the Justice to night until to morrow stay at thy Friends House Reply if thou say I shall stay here if the Lord please I shall be ready to go with thee where he gives thee power to have me so he went away and said he would send for me the next day and in the night season many of the Lords Servants and Children was with me waiting on him who is worthy to be waited on for he is good to the Souls that wait on him and to the Souls that seek him when much of the night was spent the Inhabitants of Crake in great rage and fury came to the Doors and Windows of the House like the Inhabitants of wicked Sodom crying and rushing at the Doors and said they would have me forth to dispose of me according to their wills for I should not be there and Iohn Lockwood high
another for all my Children shall be taught of me saith the Lord God and the Scripture is but a killing letter but of use in its place a Testimony of Christ but not any knows Christ by it for Christ is known by the Light of his Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures and all that are guided by his Spirit knows the Scripture in the Truth as it is in Jesus Ephes. 4.21 9. Qu. Whether the conversion that was wrought upon the Souls of many under the ordinary outward Ministry of the Word in our publick Assemblies turning Men from Darkness to Light from prophaness to true Godliness be true unto Salvation and whether those tâ—at have been thus converted were in the state of Salvation before they joyned themselves unto your Society or whether can none be converted and saved that never came under nor gave their assent to the dispensation of your way and how you will justifie yours to be in the true and good old way that all have and shall be sâ—vâ—d in you may do well to make it out by some evident demâ—nstration Answ. Who can witness a true conversion by the Power of the Spirit of God in turning their minds from Darkness to Light that comes from Christ and in his Light wait to receive the sentence of Death in themselves to destroy all self-confidence in any thing below Christ and in the state of Death to wait till that they hear the voice of the Son of God and by his Power were raised up to a living hope in Christ to walk who throw his Blood do witness their Garmentâ— wâ—shed and made white to reign Kings and Priests upon the Earth for ever to Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and who ever can witness this conversion whether it were begâ—n when they frequented your Publick Assemblies or absented from them this conversion we own who it can witness and of our way they are and will to us come and all shall know the Truth we witness is the good old way that all Souls that came to God walked in Christ the Way the Truth and the Life the ancient of days which was before time but manifest in time in all the Children of Light who doth them lead in the narrow way of self-denial and the daily Cross with him to enter thorow the strait Gate into the holy City new Ierusalem where the soul hath union with the Father of Light and beholds his Face and his Name is written in their Foreheads and there is no Night there neither need of Candle nor light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they shall reign forever and ever Rev. 22.5 10. Qu. Whether any of your Way attain unto Perfection in this Life that they can truly say that they do all that God commands without failing either in matter or manner of obedience no not in thought word and deed and whether the Persons of any stand just before God that are not thus perfect Answ. All that are in the Way we are in which is Christ the Way to the Father in whom all in their measure are pressing on to the fulness of stature in Christ the perfect Man and who in him is grown to the fulness of stature in his Power doth stand which doth them guide that in their Mouths is found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14.5 THE MIGHTY DAY OF the LORD is Coming In which Christ is exalting King upon the holy Hill of Sion over all the World to Raign who in this Day of the Lord knocks at the door of the Heart of Jew and Gentile Kindreds Tongues People and Nations who desire to know the only true God and Christ Jesus whom he hath sent to be the Light of the World and Salvation to the ends of the Earth to all that obey him but a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to all that reject his Counsel whom he will take in their own Crafts and overturn in their own Devices to the shame and confusion of their Faces but they that believe in him shall never be ashamed The Word of the Lord to all the faithful scattered in the World that in the Counsel of the Lord stands to strengthen the desires raised towards his Name them to give Victory over the World. A Warning to all that dwell upon the Earth and to the Kings Princes and Rulers in the World to submit to Christ the Light of the World least they perish in the day of his fierce wrath when the Hearts of all that disobey him do fall before him From the common Goal in Northampton the 7th day of the 11th Month 1655. Given forth by him the World knows by name William Deusbery at the writing of this Prisoner for the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ. You People WHose Natural Birth and Generation were in the Northren Islands whom the Lord God of Heaven and Earth hath placed where he hath suffered you to be scattered into Barbadoes Virginia New-England and other Islands there-aways and Countries elsewhere and to every Kindred Tongues People and Nations in whom there is Desires raised to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent to be the Light of the World to guide the Feet of those that have sat in Darkness in the Light and Ways of Righteousness and Peace TO you the mighty Day of the Lord is coming and in his Power is appearing amongst you in raising Desires in some of you towards his Name which Desires cannot be satisfied with any outward Observations and Traditions of your Fathers but above them doth your minds raise in true Hunger and Thirst towards the living God for refreshment from his Presence Prize the Love of God to you in whom he hath raised Desires towards him and look not forth at any that teaches you to hearken to the Teachings of Men without who draws you to seek Christ and God without and to come to the knowledge of the Kingdom of God in outward Observations with which the the Kingdom of God comes not the Kingdom of God is within and as the Lightning is from the East to the West so is the coming of the Son of Man in his Day whose appearance is within But you People in the Day of Darkness and Ignorance that have been over the whole Earth have been deceived in looking forth at Teachings of Men without and for the Kingdom of God to come in outward Observations that Men have set up in their vain Thoughts wicked and carnal Imaginations of the Saints conditions which is Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth but they not regarding the motions of the Spirit of God within which taught and guided the Saints they are Strangers to the Saints Life though they speak great swelling words of the Knowledg of God and with them deceive the Simple with the enticing words of Man's Wisdom and boasting in other Mens Lines made ready to their
the movings and in the presence of the Lord I warn you wait for an understanding in the Life you to lead neither to add nor diminish so will Death with all its Formality be kept out of you and from amongst you let none burthen the Seed with an airy dead spirit in the Form out of the Life All wait in the Life to be kept every one in particular in your own Habitations with God in the Life to dwell and as moved in the overcoming Power and Life in you let no thoughts hinder the Life for declaring it self who are overcome with the Power of it in any Service which you are called unto to the building up one another or witnessing to the World then will the presence of the Lord God be felt within you and amongst you to guide you all in his Wisdom to his praise and to be tender one over another and know your union one with another and in it bear one anothers Burthens and in the tender Bowels of Love in the movings in the Life judge out all strife all disorderly Spirits who would Rule amongst you and build up one another in your most holy Faith that in it you grow in the unity of the Spirit and bond of Peace in Christ to stand over all deceit in its appearance within and without over it to Raign in the Dominion of the Spirit of Life you in him all faithful to keep unto the end so the dread of the Lord God you will feel compassing you about and make you terrible as an Army with Banners before one of you that is in the Resurrection and Life in Christ shall a Thousand flee and Five put Ten Thousand to â—light for you in the Life are the Host of Heaven before whom the Nations shall shake and the Inhabitants of the Earâ—h shall tremble and before the Power which preserves you in the Life faithful until the Sufferings of the righteous Seed be fulfilled shall the Hearts of all the whole World fail in the day that the Lord God will make you manifest in the Eyes of all People you are his Jewels who faithful in his Liâ—e abide he will Crown you with eternal Dominion in his Life to Reign over all the powers of Darkness within and without that in the unity in the Life you grow up together in his presence to delight to praise his Name for evermore the everlasting Power of God guide you in a pure understand in his Life up in himself to serve your Generation according o his Will in faithfulness unto the end Amen The Decree is gone forth over all the World Christ Iesus shall be King blessed are all they that bow dâ—wn in obedience to his Light all that disobey and withstand shall fall down before him until the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it W. D. Given forth the 22 d of the 3 d Month 1657. in Kent SInce my last from the Lands-end in Cornwel dated the 17th of the 7th Month great were the service of my God in that Country on the 27th day being the first day of the week I was at a Meeting at Humphry Lowers a Man that had been a Justice which was near the High Sheriffs of the County who was wicked against the Truth of our God it were said he threatened to break the Meeting which in the Power of my God I did stand which Chained him that the Meeting continued precious in the Lord The 29th of the Month I was at a Meeting at Lanceston after the Meeting I Journied into Devonshire as the Lord had let me see I should meet with a storm in the outward in the Country or near it that day it was manifest I was stayed with certain Men in a Town called Torrenton and a guard of Men with Halberts set over me then brought before the Mayor and other Justices who were some of them very cruel and wicked against the Truth of God and did deal very rudely with me they in great wrath took my Hat off my Head and threw it on the ground and committed me to Prison where I was two nights and near three days and was many times brought before them who did charge me very strictly to be a Jesuite that was come from beyond the Sea they read unto me many new Laws as to proceed against me as a Vagabond which then the Lord reigned over them as in that he set me free then they read to me the Oath of Abjuration and said I must take it which was denied and the Truth declared against it the Pope and all Idolatry the second day at night they brought me forth and they would know how I came to be a Minister of Christ much being spoken to it in my Examination the day before as of my coming from my Wife and Children to Preach the Word of eternal Life through the Countries into Cornwell in answer to their questions I was free in the Lord to declare to them how I came to be a Minister of Christ which cut them to their Hearts that one Justice wept and the Justices Clark said if thou hadst spoke thus much before here had not been this to have done Then I did speak in answer to what was propounded but they would not hear Then some of them stormed against me for my Hat and sent me to Prison again many times I was brought before them to see if they could ensnare me in the wisdom of God I stood innocent They made a Mittimus to send me to the common Goal at Exeter some of them would not have me to go but he that had the chief rule said to me thou shalt not see my Face any more until thou art before the Judge the next Assizes at Exeter I answered do what thou hast power my Innocency will plead for me I was had again to Prison and the Mittimus given I lay on the Prison Floor without straw or any thing on the Second day of the eighth Month I was brought before them my God had then pleaded my Cause and changed the Heart of Man which failed in them when I was brought before them the Man that said I should see his Face no more until I was before the Judge at Exeter he pulled the Mittimus in pieces before my Face and said to me thou art free So did my God set me free out of the Hands of unreasonable Men according to his promise he made to me Praises to the Name of my God for ever The first day after I was at a Meeting in Summersetshire the 4th day being the 7th of the saâ—e Month at a Meeting where as they said were near a Thousand the next day I was with T Salthouse and the rest in Prison with him at night with many Friends the next day at a Meeting in Wilshire on the 11th day being the first day of
in the Light as he is in the Light and so are Partakers of his Divine Nature and as he is so are we in this present World bearing his Name in his righteous Power guiding us in his Light Thought and Will which keeps us in the Heavenly Fellowship with the Father in the Son and one with another in him So all my dear Friends Brethren and Sisters who do witness proud ambitious Self buried in this Heavenly Baptism in Conformity to Christ in his Death and you made alive through Faith in Christ our Light and Life as you have received Christ so walk in him in all Humility and godly Fear and true Watchfulness that your own Thoughts Will and Unbelief have no Dominion over your Spirits but every Minute of Time as they appear through Faith in Christ the perfect Light and Life keep your Dominion and reign over them And thus in Christ being victorious over all Self in you you will reign as Kings in the Authority of the glorious Truth of God over all the Power of Darkness without you So whatever you suffer for the Testimony of the Name of Christ he takes it as done unto himself and better a Milstone were hanged about their Necks and they cast in to the Sea then hurt or offend the least of you my Brethren and Sisters who are regenerated and born again and your Confidence is in the Lord alone So in all your Sufferings whether spoiling Goods or imprisonments or whatever your Trials be from the Sons of Men that you meet withall for your Testimony in the Blessed Truth of God let nothing Discourage you but judge all your own Thoughts and in the Glorious Light and Life in Christ Jesus rest in Peace in the pure Contentation within the Gates of Sion where your Faith and Patience will so abound in you that you shall weary out all your Persecutors and the Blessing of the Aâ—mighty God will be upon your Families who are rent one from another to fulfil the Sufferings of the Body and you shall wear your Crowns who thus patiently wait in a Quiet Mind and Resigned Will And in the Word of the Lord I declare it to all you who suffer Imprisonment as is before written That all the Wrath of the Power of Darkness shall not be able to keep you an Hour longer then the King of Eternal Glory hath determined for the Renown of his Glorious Truth on Earth and your Comfort forever Therefore let Patience have its perfect work for in Peace are we to Conquer and in Quietness to Prevail over all that resist the rising of the King of Glory who liveth in us who hath been Dead but now Alive in whose Life keep your Habitation in the Word of Faith which is in our Hearts and in our Mouths and this is the Word of Faith we preach unto you and which you are to contend for against all Evil Attendances both within and without for by this Word of Faith are the Armies thaâ— would alienate your Souls from the Enjoyment of the Lord within you beaten back and overcome and the Mouth of the Roaring Lyon stopt and all the Fiery Darts of the Devil both within you and without you quenched therefore as the Valiants of Christ Jesus in his Name and Nature contend for the Faith which is delivered unto us his Saints for this is our Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith as it was with our Brethren of old in Ages past I have fought a good Fight I have kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for Me a Crown of Eternal Glâ—ry And here iâ— our Fellowship with the Father in the Son and one with another in him and all dear Brethren and Sisters in this Word of Faith keep your Meetings both valiantly and faithfully that so none of you be found forsaking the assembling of your selves as the manner of some is who are out of the Word of Faith but as the Lord hath counted you worthy to be his Dwelling-place on Earth and his Tabernacle amongst the Children of Men Prize every Oportunity the Lord affordeth you to meet together in his Powerful Holy Name with the Loins of your Minds girt up with the Word of Faith in you which will empty you of Self and cloth you with the Garment of deep Humility and fill you with the Riches of his Everlasting Love and Endless Mercies for God dwelleth with the Humble but the Proud he beholds afar off So without Faith in the Name of Christ and a Humble Spirit the In-dwelling Presence of the King of Eternal Glory you cannot enjoy Therefore I charge you in the Name of the Lord Hearken not to any Suggestions within you nor Counsels without you that would draw you to sleight or forsake meeting together in the Name of the Lord Jesus but let every particular Member know your Service in the Body that by your Faithfulness others be encouraged to meet with you to wait in the Light to feel the Living Refreshings of the Lord and when you are refreshed with the Income of God's sweet Presence be watchful that not any utter words rashly before the Lord to spend your Talent in a forward Spirit to satisfie the Lust that would appear further then the Lord would have them as some have done which has brought them under a great Vail of Darkness and have lost their Way and returned with Sorrow to the burdening the Hearts of the Righteous but Tender Plants wait to know and truly discern between the Milk of the Word and the Words for the Milk of the Word is a Sweet Stream in the Refreshing to the Nourishment of this heavenly Birth that it may grow thereby and some the Enemy hath drawn to speak forth that which they in a retired Silence were to feed upon and grow up in its Nature Therefore dear Friends wait in the Light that the Word of the Lord may dwell plentifully in you as it is written so are we Witnesses If any have my Word let him speak my Word faithfully is not my Word like a Fire and a Hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces which sealeth up the Testimony God calleth unto in the Heart of his Disciples Therefore all be very circumspect in this weighty Matter that whatever you feel of the Refreshings of God in you that you do not let any thing come forth either in Words or Sounds or any Noises but what is brought forth in the Authority of this Living and Powerful Word then will the Blessing of the Lord attend what is brought forth be it much or little either in Words or Hymns or Joyful Sounds do not quench it but answer the Lord in the Authority of the Word of Eternal Life and the Sons and Daughters of the Lord who are thus exercised will not burden any but it will be a Stream of Refreshing in the Hearts of all the Righteous thus will every Vessel be preserved in the Life of Truth and not go but as the Presence
more that are the most grown in the Truth or you to whom the charge and care of the Flock is committed and you with the other that did speak to them in tender Bowels of love admonish them and with plainness of speech minister to the pure in the Consciences to raise up the Witness to judge and cut down the deceit that their Souls may be saved and their Nakedness covered but if they still walk in disorder when the Church is meet together reprove them openly and if they do not still reform but walk in their Filthiness when the Church is met together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ charge them to depart from amongst you so cast them out and not have any union with them not so much as to Eat with them until they repent and turn to the Lord to walk in obedience to that which is pure if they do then receive them again but if they still walk in the Stubberness of their Wills and not bend to the pure in their Conscience keep them forth that not any filthy Person dwell in the House of God then will the blessing of the Lord God be with you And this is his Word to you to see that there be not any in outward Want in the Church and that all walk orderly in their Places and Callings and if any Root of bitterness spring up in any which causeth Strife in their minds one against another as soon as you know of it call such before you and examine the matter strictly and stand in the Wisdom and Power of God to guide you to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness but if the Cause be hard for you to discern the measure you are grown to cannot discern betwixt the Parties I charge you and command you in the presence of the living God not to be hasty in the Cause come before you to order it in your doubtful and dark minds for what is not of Faith is of Sin but to send for some that is more grown in discerning to judge the Cause and end it in Righteousness then will Deceit be judged and Strife kept out and the Innocent set free to serve the Lord and your union will be in Christ Iesus where you will bring forth Fruit abiding in him and through his Blood you shall overcome the World in you and without and shall reign Kings upon the Earth In the Power of Christ you shall command the unclean Spirit in all his appearances within you and without and he shall submit to the Power of God in you dwelling in him who alone is Power and to whom all glory belongs for ever The eternal pure powerful and dreadful Spirit of the most high God rest upon you whom he hath chosen to watch over his Flock and his mighty Power open the pure eternal Eye in you to discern and separate between the Precious and Vile the Holy and the Unholy and furnish you with Courage and Boldness and pure Wisdom to rule in the Power of his Spirit to cut down all deceit and to wash the Disciples Feet in bowing to the pure in the least appearance and ministring to it to strengthen the desire raised up towards the Name of the Lord until Judgment be brought forth into Victory then will you have union together in that which is pure eternal begotten of God who reigns over all blessed for ever and Wisdom's justified of her Children W. D. Writ in the Year 1653. This is the Word of the Lord to thee Oliver Cromwell called Lord Protector THus saith the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to thee Oliver Cromwell Why dost thou slight my Counsel and harden thy Heart against it which I declare to thee by my Sons and Daughters and is witnessed in thy Conscience by my Word in thee which called on thee to trust no longer in the Arm of Flesh nor seek great things for thy self as those did I drove out before thee in my Wrath and destroyed in my Fury and the fearfulness of my Displeasure consumed them and hath given thee power into thy Hand who promised me in the day of thy Distress if I would deliver thee in that day and give the power over all that stood up against thee then wouldest thou take away all these Unrighteous Laws which is contrary to my Righteous Law in the Conscience which were made by those I drove out before thee that my Children should not be Persecuted any more by any outward Law but have free Liberty to declare my mind as I moved them by my Spirit and into thy power I have committed what thou requiredst of me that thou mightest perform thy promises to me and now I have tryed thee and in this day of thy Tryal thou hast proved unfaithful to me and to my People and no truth have I found in thee in this day as to perform thy promise to me but contrary to them all hast thou improved the power put into thy Hand to seek great things for thy self and hast set up thy self in the pride of thy Heart to rob me of my glory in taking upon thee to be Lord Protector of my People when contrary to thy fair words and promises thou by thy power Establishest those Laws by which my People always were and are Persecuted which Laws uphold this filthy and abominable thing in my sight the Heads thereof Judge for Rewards and the Priests Teach for Hire and thou with them leanest upon me and sayest Is not the Lord amongst us no Evil shall come upon us as the Wicked Generation did Mic. 3.11 And those Rebellious People I destroyed before thee who made those Laws thou hast Established contrary to all thy fair words and promises and to preserve thee in thy obstinate and wicked walking before me in setting thy self on high in seeking thy own glory thou trustest to the Arm of Flesh to protect thee in the ways thou livest in but since thou hast abused the power I put into thy Hand I have Corrected thee by the Arm of my Power to let thee see that all the Policy and Strength of men cannot deliver thee forth of my Hand and when thou wast nigh to Destruction I appeared as I had done in all the times of thy distress thy Lord Protector and in my tender Love to deliver thee by the Arm of my mighty Power when none could help thee that thou mightest fear me and lay thy Crown in the Dust before me and give glory to my Name in denying thy self and performing thy promise to me who am a dreadful God and will not be robbed of my glory but since I delivered thee still like proud Pharoah hardenest thy Heart against me and continuest in thy obstinacy in upholding these Unrighteous Laws thou promised me to take away but instead of performing thy promises in taking them away thou hast Established them by thy power by which my Children are Persecuted and the Hands of the Wicked are strengthen'd
Constable so called who said I should be there until the next day yet to do the people a pleasure he contrary to his word came in and took me forth and had me into the Streets where the people shouted with a loud voice as they had me to and fro from one House to another where they sold Ale till the people in one House let them in and there they set two men to watch over me until the next day which was the twenty eighth day of the Month before written on which day they had me before Thomas Dickeson who granted forth the Warrant for me to be brought before him and did me examine and it was manifest before him that what I was accused of in the Warrant and the day the Warrant mentioned my being in that place was false for I had not been in that place that day neither could they prove any such words spoken by me as I was accused of and when he had nothing against me in that Warrant then he did commit me to Prison by a Warrant that he said Judge Windham granted forth at the general Assize before written which Warrant I never saw A True Copy of the Mittimus as followeth To the Sheriffs of the said County of York and to the Keeper of the Goal of the Castle of York WHereas there was a Warrant directed for the Apprehending of William Deusbery of Stanly for the seducing the People of this Nation from Iudge Windham the last Assizes and he being brought before me and refuseth to find Surety to be of good Behaviour and to appear at the next Assize to be holden for the said County to answer the premises You are hereby required to receive into your custody the said William Deusbury and him safely to keep until he shall be delivered by due course of Law. Given under my Hand and Seal the 28th day of April 1654. Thomas Dickeson According to his command as aforesaid I was had to York Castle and there kept Prisoner until the general Assize which was holden about the 22d day of the 5th month called Iuly in the year above written and there Hugh Windham did sit Judge of Life and Death who at the Assizes before mentioned which was in the first Moneth called March gave order to apprehend me and according to his order it was done and he coming to judge the Cause between me and my Accusers it was pressed on him by some Friends of the Truth for the Truths sake that I might have the benefit as those had that were arraigned for Fellony and Murther to be brought before him and the people of the Country and there my Accusers to appear face to face to prove their Accusation that I mighr suffer according to Law if I had transgressed it otherwise that I might by it be cleered before the Country of the Lyes and Aspersions and false Accusations they had publickly charged me withal his promise was I should be brought before him and have a fair Tryal at Law as others Prisoners had but he was not faithful to do as he had said before him I was not brought at that time nor any Tryal had but at the end of the Assizes cleared me by Proclamation and sent me a Liberato as they call it to pass away Into Prison I was cast as formerly written the 28th day of the second Moneth called April and there was kept until the Twenty fourth day of the fifth Moneth called Iuly and then was turned forth as is formerly written without any Tryal or Law to me read why they had kept me in Prison that time So for the Truths sake to that of God in every ones Conscience I this day lay before He that hath an Eye to see let him see Which after the Lord by the Arm of his mighty Power had me set at liberty out of the hands of those unreasonable men I journyed as I was led by his Spirit to declare his Word in Cleveland and other parts in Yorkshire Nottinghamshire and so to Darby and as I was declaring the Word of the Lord to the Consciences of the Inhabitants of Darby there came two men and laid hold on me and had me before the men who were in Commission to have done justice who there did sit at the General Sessions holden at the Town about the twenty fourth day of the sixth Moneth called August 1654. When I before them was brought the first Question to me by them propounded was In whose presence â—oest thou now stand the answer to them was In the presence of the everlasting God the men called Justices replyed with these words Iaylor take him away put him in Prison for disturbing the Court which was done at their Command into Prison I was put and when the day was spent Thomas You ll called the Mayor of Darby sent for me and when I came before him he asked me What I came to do the answer to him I came to declare the Word of the Lord to the Consciences of the Inhabitants of Darby the Mayor replyed Wilt thou go out of the Town answer to him When the Lord orders me to go forth then I shall go till then I shall stay then Thomas You ll the Mayor commanded the man to put me into Prison again which was done the next day about the nineth hour came William Bould one of the Mayors Officers and said to me if thou wilt go forth of the Town and in it no more come I will open the Doors for thee to come forth the answer to him Out of the Town I shall not go until I am ordered of the Lord and if thou openest the Door forth of the Prison I shall not come till the man that said he had authority to put me in come by the same authority and take me out then away the man did go and afterwards did come and the man who is named Iohn Slalous who put me in Prison opened the Door and took me by the Arm and put me forth in much wrath and delivered me to the other man whose name is before written who said he had order to put me forth of the Town which he did and strictly charged me to depart out of their Coasts with many threatnings what should be done to me if in the Town again I returned but the words of vain man was not regarded into the Town I returned and there did stay till I was free in my Spirit to depart from thence Then I jourâ—â—yed to Leicester and was there the first day of the week which was the third day of the seventh Month called September And with me was many people to whom the word of the Lord was declared and after the Testimony of Jesus was finished to them I went into the high place of the Town which the people of the dark World calls their Church and after the man they call their Minister had done the Word of eternal life was declared to the Consciences of the people who
Lord God and great shall be the peace of my Children and â—his here declared the Scriptures witness and I witness the Scriptures fulfilled in me praises praises Hallelujah and eternal praises be unto the Lord God almighty who hath taken unto thee thy great Power to sit upon thy Throne and to the Lamb for evermore It being charged on me my Imprisonment to be just until I give a reason of the hope of my calling and that I am unwilling so to do To stop the lying Mouth of the false Accusers and to clear the Truth from the lies laid on it as is before written and in love to the Souls of the People that they the Truth may know as it is in Jesus Here I have declared the work of the mighty God in revealing his Son in me who led me on my journey through the dark World where I passed through great tribulations as formerly written until I came to the end of the World over it to rejoyce in the Power of my God 1 Cor. 10.11 upon whom the ends of the World are come whom the whole World that lies in wickedness hates and persecutes but to the pure single Eye that is not of the World I lay this before which is written that all which it minds may see the Truth I bear Testimony of is not any Popish Tenet though I was questioned concerning them at the general Assizes holden at Northampton the tenth and twelfth dayes of the first Moneth called March 1654. neither is it Seducing nor Blasphemy nor prejudicial to the Truth of the Gospel or peace of the Nation but according to the truth of the everlasting Gospel and sound peace of the Nation for which Testimony I am still kept in Bonds in the common Goal in Northampton numbred amongst the Transgressors in the low Prison with these arraigned for Fellony and Murther waiting in rest and peace till the Sufferings of the righteous Seed be fulfilled And all you that are Enemies to the Truth of God persecuting it under the names as formerly written calling the preaching of the Truth seducing this I declare and confess unto you in the presence of God after the Way you call Seducing do I worship the Lord God of my Fathers and witness fulfilled what is written in the Law and the Prophets he that can receive me let him W. D. Dear Friends whose minds are turned to the effectual Light that comes from Christ all mind your own measure and be content in what the Lord hath committed to you with the Light judge that which would draw your minds to look forth at others conditions and in impatiency to covet what the Lord hath given to them before it be manifest to you be faithful every one in your own measure and in patience wait in the Light for the unlimitted Spirit of Christ your Life to open the Seals of the Book and make known unto you the mystery of eternal Life which he will daily reveal in you that are faithful in your own measures to follow the Lord in what he makes manifest to you whom he hath called into his Vineyard at the nineth and eleventh hour be faithful to the Lord in walking in obedience to him in the Light he will make a short work in the Earth for his Seeds sake and your Reward shall be Rest and Peace in the presence of God in Christ with those that came into the Vineyard the 3d and 6th hour and laboured the heat of the day God almighty be with you his chosen Servants and Children and all in your measure keep in his eternal power bold valiant and faithful unto the end and crown you with eternal glory in Christ one Judge Lord and King God over all blessed forever Amen To all you that Rule in England from the highest to the lowest whom the Lord hath intrusted with power to see the Peace be kept and to judge the Cause of the People He hath given you Power their Causes to judge with Righteous Judgement the Evil-doers to Punish and the Righteous set Free out of the Hands of those that oppress them This is the Word of the Lord God to you THat you lend not your Ears to the counsel of your own Hearts or to the counsel of any without you that tempt you to draw your minds from the pure Counsel of God which is the Light that comes from Christ Jesus and calls on you in your Consciences to judge with Righteous Judgment as you will eternally answer before the pure powerful dreadful God take heed of abusing your power he hath intrusted you with in establishing any Law which is contrary to Scripture and the righteous Law of God in the Conscience as those did whom the Lord drave out and destroyed before you in his wrath and overturned in his fierce displeasure which if you uphold those Laws they made in their will or any other which is contrary to the righteous Law of God in the Conscience and rule according to those Laws and exercise the power committed to you to bind the Laws upon the Consciences of the Children of the Lord whom he hath chosen out of the world and made them his Jewels to fear an Oath in obedience to the righteous Law which saith Swear not at all which if you by these unrighteous Laws take advantage against the righteous Seed concerning the Law of their God them to ensnare under your power that you on them may satisfie your wills This I declare to you from the eternal God of Heaven and Earth it is hard for you to kick against the pricks for what is done to his people he takes it as done to himself and better a Milstone were hanged about your neck and you cast into the Sea saith Christ then to offend one of these little ones that believeth in his Name and obeys his Command who saith Swear not at all and now is manifesting his power in his People that all them may know between those that Swear and them that fear an Oath which if you them that fear an Oath oppress this knowâ— the Lord God will plead their Cause as he did the Cause of all his people in all Ages and destroyed those that oppressed them as in the time of Pharaoh and in the time of Nebuchadnezar and in the time of Hamon in the raign of King Ahasuerus and in the time of King Herod whom he smote in his righteous Judgments and consumed him with Worms Acts 12.23 for persecuting his people and robbing him of his glory the righteous justice of God he manifested upon the Enemies of his People is left upon record you to fore-warn that you touch not his chosen anointed People nor do his Prophets no harm for whose sakes he Kings rebukes and all that oppress them as is recorded in Scripture of truth And you Rulers of England who promised to the Lord God if he would deliver those that oppressed his people into your hands and
have been Persecuted and some cast into Prison by their power and this is the Beast that had power to give Life to the Image that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not Worship the Image of the Beast should be killed and this is fulfilled that when the Beast received his deadly wound with the Sword of the righteous Justice of God then did the other Beast which was the power that Raigned after him give life to the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast spoke and this was fulfilled in giving power to the unrighteous Laws where the Priests and unrighteous Lawyers and Judges that Iudge for Rewards that as many as would not worship the Beast in obeying the will of proud flesh must be Killed cast into Prison and there Starve and be broken to pieces and by the power of proud Nebuchadnezar's nature must be cast into places some into close Prison by the wrath of proud flesh and must neither Buy nor Sell to have any benefit of the Law but he that hath the mark of the Beast and the number of his Name Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints And you Saints of the most high God stand in his Will for these words are sealed up until the time of the end and you shall stand in the Lot at the end of the days Here is Wisdom Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a Man and his number is six Hundred threescore and six Now if you hold up this glorious Image which was set up by Nebuchadnezar's nature proud flesh in human wisdom which that Image spoken of in Daniel was but a tipe and figure of this which now shines gloriously in Forms and Observations and deny the Life and Power of Jesus Christ you will be found to be the strength and glory of this great Image And this I declare unto you from the eternal God of Power You shall be overturned as all that have gone before you which have set up this great Image and caused all both small and great to bow down and worship it The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hand shall smite this glorious Image and break it to pieces and it shall become like the Chaff of the Summer Threshing-Floor and the Wind shall carry it away and no place shall be found for it and the Stone that smites the Image shall become a great Mountain and shall fill the whole Earth O be valiant for the Truth upon Earth ye Rulers of England and give over building up Sion with Blood and Ierusalem with Iniquity as it hath been in this Nation by all that upheld this Image which the Lord hath overturned and cast out before you and is still held up by you The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evil can come upon us O prize your time and stand steadfast in the Counsel of the Lord the Light in your Consciences hearken unto it let it alone guide you in all your Counsel that Christ may be Head in you all then will the glory of God be the end of all your undertakings and you will remove this filthy and abominable thing out of the sight of the Lord the Judges that judge for Rewards and the Lawyers that plead for Money and the Priests that teach for Hire and set over the People to judge their Causes Men fearing God and hateing Covetousness to judge their Causes without Rewards and that the People may be taught freely without Money or Price by the free Spirit of Christ in the Hearts of his Saints who cannot but declare freely as we have freely received Then will the mighty Power of God go along with you in all your ways if you will stand in his Counsel and walk in his fear to depart from all evil which is the beginning of Wisdom and your names will become a sweet savour through the power of the Lord among his Saints as all the names of the Righteous are and you shall partake of the glory of the Lord which he is manifesting to his chosen People in this Nation which he hath chosen to make known his Power in exalting the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and will make it the glory of all the Nations in the World and the mighty God of Power will be unto us Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks and we shall sit under our Vines and Fig-trees and none shall make us afraid And this shall be the Portion of your Cup if you will deny your selves and diligently hearken to the Counsel of the Lord the Light in your Consciences to which I speak which shall eternally witness the Truth declared unto you For the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it who hath raised up his own Seed in his People in this Nation which cannot cleave to this great Image which was set up by those that were in the place where you are which the Lord hath overturned and cast out in his Indignation and is not yet taken away by you and while you uphold it the anger of the Lord is kindled against you There is no peace to the Wicked saith my God. This is the day that the God of Heaven will set up his own Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left unto other people but shall stand for ever and ever Here I have cleered my Conscience in declaring unto you what my God hath made known unto me concerning you and the Nation which shall shortly come to pass He that hath an Eye to see let him see and he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear To all you unrighteous Judges that judge for Rewards and Lawyers that plead for Money who devour the Creation and set people at variance destroy many Families and delight in unrighteousness and to all Oppressors high and low who grind the faces of the Poor and causes them to groan under your Cruelty and Oppression hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God Howl and Weep for the misery which is coming upon you for the cry of the Oppressed hath entered into the Ears of the Lord and he is coming to render vengeance upon you and set the Oppressed free For the rust of your Money and Gold shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire for you have heaped up Treasures for the last day and ye shall be cut down ye fruitless Trees that cumber the ground and cast into the Lake for it is the place prepared for you and for all fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murtherers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part
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
with healing in his Wings and ye shall go forth and grow as Calves of the Stall And ye shall tread down the Wicked and they shall be as Ashes under the soles of your Feet in this day that I do this saith the Lord Wherein he is now gathering his Elect together his scattered Sheep that have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day and will bring them from the People and gather them from the Countries and will bring them to their own Land and I will feâ—d them upon a good Pasture and upon the high Mountains of Israel shall their Fold be and there shall they lie in a good Fold and in a fat Pasture shall they feed upon the Mountains of Israel and I will raise up for them a Plant of renomn and they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the Land neither bear the shame of the Heathen any more but they shall dwell safely and none shall make them afraid Thus shall you know that I the Lord your God am with you and that the House of Israel is my People saith the Lord God. England here I have cleared my Conscience in declaring to thee what the Lord hath made known to me of his love and mercy he will manifest to thee if thou wilt hearken diligently to his Counsel the Light which is in the Conscience of every one and wait upon him to be guided by his Power and all you that disobey the righteous Law of God the Light in your Conscience you shall be swept away with the Beesom of his Wrath and your place shall be no more for the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it and whether you hear or forbear I am clear of the Blood of all Men in making known to you what the Lord hath revealed to me he that can receive it let him W. D. A Word from the LORD TO all Saints and Children of the most high God whom he hath called and chosen out of the World and all their Customs Fashions Worships Forms ' Observations and Traditions which are set up by the will of Man to wait upon him in the Light the Counsel of Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation every one in your measure stand valiant Souldiers and be not discouraged neither at the Enemy within nor without lift up your Heads and behold your King Jesus Christ who is present with you to dash in pieces and destroy all your Enemies for you Stand faithful in his Counsel and walk in his Power every one in your measure and be bold in the Lord for you are the Army of the Lord God Almighty his mighty Host whom he hath chosen out of the World to make known his eternal Power in to sound out his eternal and powerful Word which shall make the Ears of all the Inhabitants of the Earth that hear to tingle and at the sound and hearing thereof shall their Hearts fail and paleness shall gather into all Faces in the mighty day of the Lords Power which is begun in this Nation wherein he is exalting the Kingdom of Jesus Christ our King who is riding on in his Majesty and mighty Power conquering all the powers of the Earth in the Hearts of his Saints and will overturn and dash in pieces all the Powers in this Nation and all the World over that will not submit to his Scepter to be guided by his Counsel the pure Law of God which is the Light in the Conscience Now is he coming with Ten Thousands of his Saints to Judge the World and to give to every one according to their deeds and the Kingdoms and Dominions and the greatness of the Kingdoms under the whole Heavens shall be given to the Saints of the most high God and all Nations shall serve and obey him Rejoyce rejoyce ye Saints and Children of the most high God stand fast in the Counsel of Jesus Christ the Light in you and walk in his Power and you shall walk as Kings upon the Earth and shall sing the new Song that none can sing but the Hundred forty four Thousand and all whose minds are redeemed from the Earth who stand before the Throne of God day and night singing Hallelujahs and Praises to the Lord God omnipotent who is taking to him his great Power to sit upon his Throne and to the Lamb for evermore From the Spirit of the Lord Written by one whose name in the Flesh is William Deusbery called Quaker with the People of the World who live in their perishing nature CHRIST EXALTED AND Alone worthy to open the Seals of the Book And the Scriptures owned in their place A true Testimony of him as is manifested in Answer to a Book Intituled The Quakers Apostacy from the perfect Rule of Scriptures Given forth by Iohn Timson of Great Bowden in Leicestershire And the Deceits and Blasphemies he charges upon the Quakers is turned upon his own Head and he found guilty of what he reproaches them with in what is written for the simples sake and Truth to clear from false Accusations and Lies cast upon it And the Ten QVERIES he saith he vindicateth and would Print but four of them they are all published with the Answers that he charges to be confused dark and deceitful that the Answers may witness for themselves against what is charged upon them He that hath an understanding in the Light read and judge Search the Scciptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me And ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5.39 40. Iesus saith unto him I am the Way and the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me John 14.6 Iohn Timson THE Book thou hath Printed is seen with the Light that returned an Answer to thy first Queries and for the Truths sake and it to clear from the Lies Slanders and Aspersions cast upon it in the Light here is writ to witness against the falshood and untruth which thou hast charged us withal that answers thy Queries which to that of God in all Consciences who it minds will give them to discern that what thou hast charged against the People who in scorn are called Quakers is false and on thee is returned as the Lines following make manifest wherein is writ what thou hast charged them withal and to clear the Truth an Answer thereunto is returned In thy Preface as thou calls it which thou presents to the Reader thou hast not much of it exprest before thou begins falsly to accuse us charging us with drawing People aside and intangling them with dark Diabolical snares c. And thou sayst the Answers thou received to thy ten Queries were so obscure deceitful and confused that it constrained thee to Reply To which thou sayst an Answer thou hast received c. And hath now undertaken to give the sence
Consolation her broken Cisterns hath failed her What shall we do in this day she shall be spoken for which is come upon us though at present she cannot draw near but Mourns at a distance and Cries in secret for want of the enjoyment of the God of our Saâ—vation Oh let your Bowels open to her and let your Hearts breath unto the Lord that he may seal his Counsel unto her and cause her to walk in the Light of the Lord with us whom he hath raised to be the first Fruits amongst many Brethren to bear his glorious Testimony over and above the Heads of all the wrath of the Children of Men that withstands the Appearance of God who will cause them to bow before his Glory in the day he will clear the Innocency of his beloved people which shall smite the Hearts of them that know him not neither by Sword nor Spear nor strength of the Arm of Flesh but with the breath of his Mouth and the brightness of his comming which shall spread his Fame over the Nations to gather our Brethren from far and Sisters from the ends of the Earth yea the mighty shall bow to his Scepter and the Nations that are saved shall walk in his Light with us whom he hath made as dear unto himself as the Apple of his Eye and though a Woman may forget her sucking Child yet the Lord will not forget any that fear him but he will lead through all Tribulations with Joy in his heavenly Power untill we have finished our Course with gladness to the glory of the Name of the Lord forever And this is the Portion and the Lot of thy Inheritance thou beautiful Bride the Lambs Wife against whom every Tongue that is lifted up shall fall into Judgement and the Weapons formed against thee shall not prosper for the Lord hath made thee a burthensome Stone to the Nations and the praise of the whole Earth and the desires of the people shall be to the Name of the most high God who dwells in the midd'st of thee and hath displayed his Banner of Love over thee and hath turned his fury away from thee and never any more shalt thou want the fresh Springs of Life who loves the Light and bathes thy Soul in the Ocean of his inexpressible Mercies The Lord will keep thee in the safety of his Power and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against any of the Sons and Daughters who waâ—â— in the Light of thy City O Ierusalem in whom there is no more Curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb is in thee and his Servants doth serve him and they do see his Face and his Name is written in their Fore-heads and there is no Night there neither need of Candle nor Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they do Reign forever as the Lord hath spoken Through your Brother and Companion in the Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Iesus W. D. Given forth in York Castle the 19 th of the 1 st Month 1663. Let this be sent abroad to be read in the fear of the Lord in the holy Assemblies of the Church of the first born where she is scattered to the ends of the Earth The Breathings of Life To God's Spiritual Israel Through A faithful Follower of the Lamb in the Regeneration and Kingdom of Patience and Tribulation and now a Sufferer in Bonds for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus known to the World by the Name of William Deusbury DEar Children and Chosen Vessels of the Eternal Everliving God whom he hath plucked as Brands out of the Fire and hath manifested his heavenly powerful operating Spirit to lead you in his holy fear to wait upon him in the way of his Judgments which hath buried and 〈…〉 in the Death that you could not find â—ny Comâ—ort or Satisfaction unto your hungry thirsty Sâ—â—ls but in lying down in true subjection to the Judgments of the Lord manifest in the Light until the Lord broke in upon you when your wills were subjected with his tender love and bowels of free mercy which caused the Dead to live the Lame to walk the Deaf to hear and the Dumb to speak forth the wonders of the Lord. Oh you dear Companions in the Tribulations and Patience of Jesus when I remember you my heart is broken and as a man overcome with the Compassions of the Lords love that flows out towards you in which my Soul exhorteth you to dread the Lord and fear continually before the heavenly Majesty of our God and be faithful upon your watch that the Enemy which you know goes abroad as a roaring Lion to devour you that he may be trampled upon and never get Entrance to stain your pure Garments which you know never could be washed but in the blood of the Lamb And all take heed of giving way in the least measure to what you know would intangle you in any bondage do not rely upon your own strength though you have and do reign in the glorious dominion standing in the Light yet if there be the least hearkning to the Enemy to tamper with him though you may think you may be able to subject the disposition of nature he works upon if he draw you from the Light you will be insnared and distress and sorrow will come upon you as an Armed man and under Gods Judgments you must lye until the Lord raise you up again in the renewings of his mercy in the Light of his own Covenant Therefore dear Children of the Immortal birth I cannot but say once more unto you Watch watch with all circumspection and diligence stand faithful upon your watch that in the Light of the Lord the eye of discerning be kept open in you that you may discern the Mysterious workings of the subtil Enemy of your souls peace And take heed of taking any liberty to your selves in any thing but what you know stands approved in the Light Power and Life which hath so freely manifested it self in regenerating and renewing you in the spirit of your minds let your souls continually prize the Light and the Sin-condemning power to love it above all things that you may stand in the Marriage-union in the power which destroys the works of the Devil and keeps the Soul in pure freedom to walk with the Lord rejoycing in the daily Cross where Self is crucified and the Soul set free in the pure Liberty in the love and life of the most High to magnifie and praise his name in the beauty of holiness forever and ever Oh beloved ones look not at Self nor at any storm or tempest that ariseth through temptation or tryals of what nature soever as to vail you from beholding of the lovely countenance of Jesus the beloved of our Souls Oh lift up your heads all that love the Light for the Lord our God in the bowels of everlasting compassions will draw near you more and more and
the Glory of my Name forever Therefore in my Life stand faithful in resistance of every evil Thought or whatever would cause you to murmer or desire any thing but what you know will advance the Glory of my Name and the Exaltation of my Truth over all that riseth up against it in your being truly subject to the measure of my Light and Life that will not let any seek a Pre-eminence or esteem amongst Men neither let Self-striving nor Self-serving have power in any but in true Humility Love and Meekness watch one over another and let the strong take the weak by the Hand that you may all gently in Love Meekness and holy Fear dread my Name and serve one another that your Love may be manifest unto me saith the Lord your God and one unto another in the naked simplicity of your Spirits then will I make my Dwelling amongst you and with you and my dreadful and glorious Presence you shall all feel mightily in you and amongst you moving in the exercise of my Spirit to the Renown of my Name and the Comfort of one another and I will Crown you with heavenly Blessings and the Glory of my Powerful Life and you shall praise my Name forever that I made you my Jewels and counted you worthy to suffer for the Testimony of my Name I will go before you through all the Waters and Floods of Afflictions and I will appear with you before all the Counsels of the Sons of Men and my saving Power shall compass you about in your hot and sharp Afflictions all you who have your Confidence alone in me the LORD your GOD. Therefore trust in my Name ye my dear Children and cast all your care upon me And if any of you joyfully suffer the Spoiling of your Goods I will supply with what is needful for you and yours And if any of you seal your Testimony in the Word of my Patience with your Blood I will take care of your tender Wives and Children or Parents for whom your Souls have been poured forth in Prayers unto me for their good Therefore hear my Word which is sounded unto you from the Throne of my Grace and eternal Glory Rejoyce not too much in Spirits being made subject but throw down your Crowns before me that there be not a Self-seeking Self-serving Spirit in the Family of my People but all feel the Birth Immortal raised up in the Resurrection of my Life in you all which truly makes Self of no Reputation so that all Loftiness be laid low and all Haughtiness bowed down in every one that I the Lord God in you all may be loved obeyed and exalted who is taking and will take to me my greaâ— Power to exalt the Meek upon the Earth and reign over all the Pride of the Children of men that is exalted above my Witness in their Conscience that so my Sons may be brought from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth in the sight of all People whom I will make to confess in Subjection to my Power That you are the beloved People of the most high God and of the righteous Seed which the Lord hath Blessed and not any Weapon formed against you shall prosper but come to nought which will be hastened for your Comforts and certainly performed according to what is here declared to your Eternal Joy and you shall assuredly know the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The Word of the Lord before expressed came to me in the Prison-House in Warwick the 13 th day of the first Month 1664. which constrained me to send it to be read amongst you dear faithful and suffering People of the Almighty God in whom I remain your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and Kingdom of Patience in the Lord Iesus Christ. W. D. Oh thou beloved Seed of God in London Hartford Bristol Redding and Colchester with all in other Places where the Power of Hell and Darkness is begun to make War in the fierceness of his Wrath and great Fury as though he would destroy and utterly lay waste ALL you dear Children born again of the Royal Seed who is raised up in the Power of the most High to bear the Name of the Lord in the Earth and to shine forth in the lively Image of his own Nature amongst the People in your loving the Lord Jesus better then all the World and the created objects and enjoyments therein and in this day of your great Trial you are found faithful in the Name of the Lord to withstand all the Power of Hell and Darkness and to make War in Righteousness neither with Sword nor Spear but in the Word of the Patience of the Lamb of God who overcame and was made perfect in sufferings Oh you chosen Vessels whom the Lord â—ath counted worthy to stand in the heat of the Trial in the excellent noble Life to bear your Testimony with the hazard of the loss of your estates and Liberty even to Banishment yea to lay down your lives if the Lord require it at your Hands to the comforting and incouraging of all your dear Brethren whose eyes are upon you and their Prayers and Breathings to the Lord for you that he may carry you on with boldness and sweeten your Passage until in faithfulness you have finished what is determied of the Lord in drinking of this Cop he is handing unto you that he may make you manifest to be his dear and chosen Jewels to the perfecting of the praise and glory of the Name of our God over all blessed forever Oh you valiant Brethren and beloved Sisters cloathed with the excellency of the glory of the incomprehensible God lift up your Heads in the Name of the Lord trample upon all the fear of Man and upon aâ—l the Representations of hardships of parting with dear and tender Wife or loving Husband or with your dear and tender Children which lyes near to the Hearts of loving Parents Oh how doth the compassion of a Father flow forth towards them and the earning of the Bowels of a tender and loving Mother towards the dear and tender Children when the Trial looks in the Face of being separated from them and to see their Faces no more Dear chosen Vessels of the most high God let not any of these things enter into you as to trouble or weaken your Testimony for the Lord who hath commanded me to write unto you to cast your care upon the Lord and be faithful in standing approved before him in your faithful Testimony he will be more then Wife to Husband or Husband to Wife or Parents to Children or Children to Parents yea he will instruct our Children with his Spirit and teach them his Fear though they should be in the Hands of their Enemies so that our Children shall not want the thing that is good for them The Lord hath sealed his Counsel to me which I here declare unto you Parents of tender Children whose Trial is
thee in the Pleasure of our God in whom I remain Thy dear Brother W. D. A General Epistle Dear Friends WHom the Lord hath in this his Glorious Day visited and in his Light plucked as Brands out of the Fire to wait upon him that his Great Work of Regeneration may be perfected in all of you to your Eternal Comfort and the Glory of the Name of our God forever c. And my dear Friends seeing many are Called and few Chosen many Convinced that are not Converted and many come forth with us and go forth from us that are not of us as by sad Experience hath been witnessed c. and from the deep Sense of this working of the Enemy I am constrained to send this Epistle amongst you knowing the Kingdom of God is compared unto Ten Virgins Five Wise and Five Foolish who had all Lamps and slumbred in the Secure Mind until they were awakened to enter in with their Lord then were the Foolish Virgins made manifest that though they had Lamps like the other yet wanting the Oyl they neither did or could enter c. Oh! dear and tender Friends let all Dread the Lord who make mention of his Name in the Light of Christ for this Parable is to you unto whom the Lord hath sent to preach to you and in you the Word of his Kingdom And this is upon my Spirit in the Word of the Lord to you all convinced of the precious Truth of our God turly to examine and search your Hearts with the Light of Christ Jesus that you may have a certain Knowledge how it is with you and how you escaped the subtil Wiles of the Enemy which have hindred so many from the Possession of the Life of Truth and that you may truly discern how the Enemy draws into the Foolish Conceitedness in the Out-side and Formal Profession of the Truth feeding upon the Knowing Part and so stoppeth the Hunger that should reach the Life and then in an Exaltedness saith I See Know am Clothed and want Nothing when they are Blind Naked Miserable and want all things and this is the State of all the Foolish Virgins who dwell in the Outward Court and place all their Confidence in the Form and Outside and Profession of Truth and so has lost the Sense of that Heavenly Hunger which must possess the Life hid with God or else it must mourn out its days in Sorrow Therefore all dear Friends watch diligently to the Heart-searching Light that this Mystery of Iniquity you may all discern that so the Enemy may not prevail against you to turn you aside either to the Right Hand or to the Left that whatever the Lord has convinced you of to be Evil you may wait upon him for Strength to preserve you out of it that so you may Answer God's Witness in the Regulation of your Conversation in the Uprightness of your Hearts so you may stand clear before the Lord that you are willing to do and suffer whatever the Lord should call you to and when you have done all this then be you watchful to the Heart-searching Light that the Enemy doth not draw your Minds to place your Confidence in the Work of Righteousness you have done as the Ground of your Hope and Calling in Christ and want Faith in him and so cause you to rest in your Services and so come short of the hidden Life enjoyed through Faith in the Light and Life of Christ our Righteousness I beseech you dear Friends Wait to know your Passage in this great Mystery where the Entrance is into the Straight Gate where all the Foolish Virgins though their Lamp in the Outward Profession be never so Glorious yet through Pride in their Attainments never entered into this Rest and here is the farthest that ever any come that make a Profession of Truth that go from us and are not of us So tender Friends that truly seek God's Glory and so love his Light that you are willing to give up Life and all to do his Will and when the Enemy would draw you to rest in what you have done and so take the Jewels of God and play the Harlot and deck Your Selves you Dreaâ— the Lord and in his Light you see more Light and you see That all that you have done is your Duty and your reasonable Service which you must do or otherwise you perish eternally and yet your poor Souls in the Light travail on in the Foot-steps of the Flock of the Mournful Companions who are weeping in Secret and inwardly seeking the Lord God to be Married unto him in that hidden Life which is hid with Christ in God and until you enjoy the Marriage-Union in deep Humiliation you wait in the Light for the Lord to create you to a lively Hope in Christ Iesus the Second Adam And you tender Children of my Father who can understand in your Heavenly Travail and Exercise of Spirit what is here written Lift up your Heads and stay your Minds in the Light of the Lord Jesus which ransacks your Hearts and doth not only keep you in Holiness of Conversation but makes you weary of living under the Dominion of your own Thoughts and Wills Therefore I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ watch to the Heart-searching Light that discerns your Thoughts and Intents and judgeth your Thoughts and all Fearfulness and Unbelief and wait in the Measure of the Light and Life that quickeneth your immortal Souls and hath begotten heavenly Breathings Hungerings and Thirstings to eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Lord Jesus Oh thou blessed Birth let not Streightness be upon thy Spirit for the Bowels of the almighty God earn towards thee which cannot be satisfied with any Thing but the pure Presence of Christ to reign in thy Heart and to exercise heavenly Authority in his Throne in thy Conscience Oh tender Babe born of the immortal Seed leâ—d not thy Ear to any of thine own Thoughts Doubts and Unbelief neither to the Accuser who seeks every way to discourage thee for trusting in the Name of the Lord but diligently incline thou thy Ear to the righteous Counsel which is the Light and Life The Lord will satisfie thy Hungry and Thirsty Soul with his everlasting Loving-kindness in Christ Jesus and will create thee to a lively Hope and marry thee to himself in his own Righteousness where thou wilt receive Dominion to reign over thy own Thoughts and thy own will and to walk in his Strength in the Word of Faith which will give thee Victory over the World within and without so will thy Heart be kept pure thy Conscience clean and thou cloathed with the glorious Garment a meek low and a quiet Spirit and so become the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus the second Adam and the Lord of Life and Glory and here is the Dwelling-place of all the Sons and Daughters of Sion Citizens of the new Ierusalem who walk