Consciences and where your Power is to obey is here shewed unto you So here is Life and Death set before you Deut. 30.19 now if you yet refuse to hear you shall not be able to plead ignorance in the day when God calls you to an account for I have cleared my Conscience unto you in the sight of God and am clear of your Blood Ezek. 33.9 and am witnessed by the Light of Christ in all your Consciences which Light is your Teacher if you love it but your condemnation eternally if you hate and reject it Therefore whilst you have time prize it and despise not the day of your visitation but to day if you will hear the Voice of the Son of God come down to the Light in all your Consciences which reproves you for sin and shews you the loss that ye are yet in and wait in it and harden not your hearts nor despise the long sufferings of God neither linger through sloathfulness any longer lest he give you up wholly to your own wills and vile affections and lusts Psal 81.11 12. which lead you into wickedness and perverseness and so God overtake you there and bring his Judgements upon you and you perish with the wicked in your stubbornness and Rebellion So hear fear and do no more presumptuously From me who am a sufferer for the innocent Seeds sake who labours and waits in the power of the living God for its deliverance out of Bondage and Captivity G. F. Unto you the Officers and Soldiers of the Armies in England Scotland and Ireland REmember how at the beginning of the late Wars in these Nations that many of you were of the lowest of the People according to the account of men and you were poor and contemptible in the eyes of your Enemies who disdained and scorned you and thought soon to have made a prey upon you But I bear you Record that then many of you had a zeal for God and against his Enemies and according to your knowledge some of you acted faithfully for a time and then some of you had a desire to grow in the knowledge of God and to act for him and some of you were come so far as to see the Priests to be Enemies to the Truth and such as deceived the People and your Zeal waxed hot against them and their Idolatry so that you robbed them of their abominable Attire which they had caused the deceived People to provide them to wear in the time of their Idolatrous Worship and some of you did help to break down their Images and Altars which were in the high places where they worshipped And thus far â—ou did that which was right in the sight of God and you saw that the Priests laid heavy burdens upon the People Mat. 2.3 4. and oppressed them greatly in forcing them by an unjust Law to give them the tenth of their Labours and you saw several Laws which were made and upheld by the wills of Tyrants in these Nations to be contrary to the Law of God And then you Promised and Vowed unto God if he would deliver your Enemies which then were many and great into your hands that then you would take off that great Oppression which by unjust Laws were laid and continued upon the People and that those Laws concerning Oppression and constraining men to Worship contrary to their Consciences should be regulated or disannulled and made of none effect and that all men should have their Liberty to Worship according to what they knew and that none should Tyrannize over the Consciences of their Brethren to compel them otherwise but that all should have their Freedom and Liberty therein These things you Promised and Engaged to do and you caused many People to Engage to be True unto you and to stand firm with you that so you might recover their Liberties and outward Rights and bring them out of Bondage in which they were then held Captives by their Enemies and upon this Account the People furnished you with Money and VVeapons to War against their Oppressors and you cryed then unto the Lord in your Distresses and he was pleased to hear you and he smote your Enemies with Terror and Fear and overthrew all their wicked devices and frustrated all their designs and brought to naught all their mischievous plottings against you neither suffered he them to stand in the day of Battel before you because they trusted in their own strength but he gave them into your hands for a Prey and whom ye would ye slew and whom ye would ye preserved alive and you spoiled them and they became Servants and Bond-men unto you and you ruled over them as it is at this day Thus God by his own Power delivered them into your hands and preserved you in the day of Battel and was seen mightily amongst you and wonderfully delivered you out of their hands and gave you outward rest and ease from your outward Enemies and your Name became a Terror and an Astonishment unto the Nations about when they heard of those Acts which God had wrought by you But now the love of the Lord unto you and the day of your Distress by you is forgotten and your Vows and Promises which you then made unto God and Man are neglected and slighted by you for as great or greater Oppression and Burdens yet remain upon the People as were then and now many of you are possessed of your Enemies Houses and Lands and Goods and some of you are waxen rich through the spoil of your Enemies and the greatness of your Pay and some by doing Violence and so through your Riches and abundance many of you are grown high-minded and proud and many of you through idleness and fulness of the Creature are grown exceeding wanton and lustful and now run on in the common pollutions of the world and some of you are grown exceeding covetous and are become grinders of the faces of the Poor Isa 3.15 and defrauders one of another and many of you now are seeking and contriving in your own Wisdom how to grow greater and to excel others in earthly Riches and Honour and to establish your selves there by the strength of the arm of flesh and some of you are boasting of you strength and valour and stoutness Jer. 9.23 24. and are oftentimes telling how you killed and wounded and took and destroyed your Enemies and this is oft done by you when you are devouring the Creation upon your ungodly lusts and when you are gaming and spending away your precious time in vanity and here you remember not how God by his own Power delivered them into your hands neither give you him the Glory but ascribe it to your own strength and wisdom and boast in the Creature and so forget the Creator and so that simplicity and tenderness that was once in some of you is destroyed and murdered by the lusts of the flesh which are highly exalted in you and that Zeal that was
your reward with the unrighteous And so remember you are warned of the destruction that is to come upon back-sliders and ungodly men if you perish your blood be upon your heads I am clear of it having cleared my Conscience unto you and verily my desire is God is my witness that you might return unto the Lord with your hearts and break off from your iniquities by true Repenâ—ance that so he might heal your back-slidings and that you might come to know the Salvation of your Souls now your Power to act righteously is in the Light which comes from Christ who is the Wisdom and Power and Righteousness of God unto whom all Power is given and he hath given unto every one of you a measure of his Light which if you love and believe and wait in it as it arises in you that is your Teacher to teach you the Truth and to guide you to God who is Light and if you walk in the Light then shall you have fellowship with the Children of Light but if you hate and reject the Light which shews you Sin and Evil that is your Condemnation from God John 3.19 and from the Saints in Light Eternally This from the motion of the Lord in me who for several years was amongst you and had a great zeal as some of you once had against Tyrants and unjust Laws by which the people were are greatly oppressed and in that time I suffered much hardship as to the outward man and was oft in jeopardy of my life as many of you have been which I was willing then to endure and to pass through for the suppressing of Tyrants and unjust Laws which by them were made and upheld But the Lord hath called me out from among you hath made me a Souldier in the Army of the Lamb who shall overcome all his Enemies although for a time he suffer like a Lamb yet he will arise like a Lyon upon his Enemies at unawares and he will tear tread down and consume and destroy them and none shall be able to deliver out of his hand I am now a sufferer also for the everlasting Truth and not for the breach of any known Law and thus the Rulers in this Nation who persecute the Innocent reward me evil for good but in the Power of the living God I stand a witness against all Persecutors and Tyrants who seek to make a prey upon the lives of the Righteous by which Power I am preserved out of their hands and kept above all sufferings and time and place which they are permitted to inflict upon me for a time for the tryal of my faith but my cause is the Lords and he will plead and revenge it Remember from whence you are fallen G. F. A Strong and terrible Alarm sounded out of the holy Mountain against the Inhabitants of the Earth c. WOe wo unto you Rulers Priests and People who live without the fear of God and do hide your abominations in hypocrisie and dissimulations you are got into several Sects and Opinions and there some of you have long made a Profession of God with your tongues and lips but your hearts are removed far from him so that your Profession stinks in the Nostrils of the Almighty and he loaths and abhors your Preaching and Praying for you are weighed and you are found too light your coverings are too narrow they will no longer hide you for now you are searched with the true Light which makes you manifest and rips off your coverings so that your nakedness appears the day hath made you manifest and now is the Light risen and with it you are seen to be out of the Life of Truth yea you are found to be the greatest Enemies to the life that be upon the earth for you Murther it in the particular and you hate and persecute it wheresoever it is brought forth yea and in all its appearances you seek to suppress and murther it Remember your fore-fathers cryed Not this man but Barrabbas and your cry and Practice is seen to be the same in nature now for the Robber and Murderer is set free and hath his Liberty in and among you and in you and by you is the Son of God cryed against and murdered yea ye are the betrayers and murderers of him and his blood you are guilty of and it cryeth for vengeance against you unto the Lord who hath long forborn you and because his Judgements were not speedily executed upon you you have strengthned youe selves in your wickedness and imaginations and have provoked the Almighty to wrath and have not considered that his long-suffering towards you was to have drawn you to Repentance but the day of your Visitation you have despised and have hated the Light of his Son in your Consciences which hath often shewed you your Evil Deeds and so have trampled the blood of the Covenant under your feet and have done despight unto the Spirit of Grace and hath chosen to follow the vain imaginations of your own hearts and have contemned the Counsel of the Lord and would not that he should reign over you for which cause his Iudgements linger not against you but are ready to be poured forth upon your heads even upon you who have sold your selves to work abomination in the sight of the Lord and are worshipping in the house of your Imagery and have joyned and are become one with the great Whore of Babylon who hath made her self drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus but now is she come in remembrance before the dreadful and terrible God and now shall both she and her Lovers be Plagued and tormented together Therefore you Nobles and Rulers Captains and Mighty men Priests and People High and Low Rich and Poor Bond and Free who hath committed Fornication with her awake to the Iudgement and behold your King the old Dragon which is the Divel and Satan for he is come forth and deceives you and he is come to gather you to the Battel of the great Day which is at hand for the Harvest is ripe and the Wine-press is full and your Fat 's overflow and the measure of your Iniquities is great and now will God be avenged on you who will bring you all down unto the valley of Discision even there shall the Day of the Lord be upon you which will be a day of pain and anguish a day of blackness and gloominess and of thick darkness unto you that have slain the Witness of God and have made merry over him your mirth is almost at an end and instead thereof shall be mourning and bitter Lamentation which shall come upon you in one day and now is the day of Vengeance proclaimed now is the Trumpet sounded forth behold the LYON roareth Therefore Oh! all ye Inhabitants of the Earth fear and tremble before the living dreadful God and dread ye his Name for now is he arising in his Glory and Majesty
People as to outward appearance than themselves and they prevailed daily against their Enemies And the affections of the People run forth and inclined towards them And God struck thy Father's Party with dauntedness of Spirit and turned their wisdom backwards and prospered them not in the Field but sometimes caused them to Flee before their Enemies and other times gave them into their hands and yet they repented not neither did they humble themselves before the Lord and some fretted and strove and some Blasphemed and Cursed even for madness to see how they were Defeated yet they strove in vain for God was against them and they grew weaker and weaker until they were even wholly subdued and brought under their Enemies and given into their hands for a Prey That so they durst not scarce act or speak any thing against their Enemies And God suffered Thy Father to be delivered into their Hands And thus the Lord stained the glory and pride of that People which took part with Thy Father and Thee by a low and contemptible means as to outward appearance Though I do verily believe that those in whom God did appear against thy Father thy Self and those that took that part did act several things against you beyond their Commission they had from God yet he did permit them And in several of them who did engage against Thy Father and his Party there was once a tender honest good Principle in the day wherein they were low and there were true desires in some of them after a just Liberty both as appeartaining to Conscience and in things betwixt man and man and they were truly sensible of many Oppressions that were in the Nations both in matters of Religion and in the Laws and Customs of the Land and they cryed unto God when they were low and Vowed unto him and engaged unto man That if he would deliver their Enemies into their hands that then they would remove all Oppressions and make the People of these Nations a Free People and that they should have their Just Rights and Liberties both as Men and as Christians Now after Thou hadst also stroven against them with a perfidious People to wit the Scots and ye were defeated the Lord gave their Enemies so into their hands that they had as much outward Power in these three Nations as they could desire and they also became a Dread and a Terror to some Nations about them And they had Power and Opportunity to have removed all Oppressions out of the Land but alas Covetousness and self-seeking Lusts sprang up in most of them and leavened them And when they had Rest and Fulness they forgot the Lord who had raised them from a low degree and they forgot the Oppression of their Brethren also and regarded not to pay their Vows to God and Man But after a time the Chief of them got into thy Father's Houses and Lands and into Thine and into some of those that took your parts and others they sold and so thereby became great in the Earth And then their Lusts encreased and they grew wanton against the Lord also and boasted themselves over those whom they had conquered And some of them began to creep into those Places and Things themselves which they had cryed out against in others And so built and set up the same Thing in and among themselves which they had thrown down and destroyed in another only in Deceit and Hypocrisie they got other Names for them Then several of the Army that were amongst them when they saw their Deceit and Wickedness and that they did not intend the thing which they did pretend durst not for Conscience sake continue any longer amongst them but left them several years ago and declared against them And others since that feared the Lord were turned out by them so that in a short time many of them became greater Oppressors and Persecutors than those whom they conquered and so provoked the Lord to anger Then the Lord raised up many Prophets and Servants and sent them amongst those who had acted thus treacherously and some also wrote unto them and laid their Abominations plainly before them and shewed them wherein they had erred and exhorted them to Repentance and plainly shewed unto them what the Lord required at their hands And sometimes were made to Reprove them sharply and plainly and prophesied unto them That the Lord would confound and break them to pieces one against another and suffer them to be destroyed if they repented not speedily but they would not hearken but grew stiff-necked against the Lord and his People and suffered many of them to be Oppressed and their Goods spoyled and some of them to be Imprisoned unto death in their Names And thus they Rebelled against the Lord more and more and boasted of their Strength and Wisdom and Valour and so forgot how that it was the Lord that raised them up from a low degree and gave them Power over their Enemies And thus they wrought grievous provocations in his sight so that then the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and as they forsook him so he forsook them and at length he gave them up to the Counsels of their own Hearts because they had rejected his Counsel And then they began to divide and split amongst themselves and to betray one another for self-ends and their courage began to fail and faintness and deadness of Spirit seized upon them And having plunged themselves so far in Covetousness and Lusts the Cloud of Error grew so thick upon them that they could not see the Cause that they once were so zealous for And when Confusion fell upon them and they groped like blind men and knew not at what they stumbled neither knew they for whom nor for what to stand but sometimes cryed up and engaged for one Thing and shortly after cryed against it and threw it down again and some of them cryed for one thing and others brought forth another thing and so like Babel's builders whom God determined to scatter they acted and their Eye being blinded they wrought their own Destruction and few of them saw it until it was come upon them and them that did were as men amazed and knew not how to help themselves And thus the just hand of the Lord came upon an Hypocritical Deceitful professing People who in Words have made a great professing that they knew God but in Works they have denied him and therefore hath the Lord taken away their strength for the present and turned their wisdom backwards and stained their glory that they also might come to see what they were and what the Lord did for them and what they are fallen from that so haply some of them may come to find repentance and to be humbled under the Mighty Hand of God and the Lord may heal their backslidings and may raise up his own Eternal Witness in them the Tabernacle of David which hath been fallen down III. Concerning
Thy coming so far into Power again c. NOw observe the hand of the Lord in thy coming so far into Power again and those who took part with thy Father Thee First consider the cause of it in the fear of the Lord and thou wilt find that it is because they unto whom God gave such Power over you were not faithful unto God as hath been said before but grieved the Spirit of the Lord with their hypocrisie from day to day talking for Liberty but behold they brought forth Oppression and so became worser than you that went before them who did not Profess so much for Liberty in words And this I know that if they had been faithful unto the Lord thou and those called thy Friends could not have come over them thus as ye have done Therefore let no man deceive thee by perswading thee that these things are thus brought to pass because the Kingdom was thy own proper right and because it was with-held from thee contrary to all right or because that those called Royallists are much more righteous than those who are now fallen under thee For I plainly declare unto thee that this Kingdom and all the Kingdoms of the Earth are properly the Lords and that he may and doth give them unto whomsoever he pleaseth and whensoever he please he may take them away again and give them unto others and when he doth thus it is not contrary to right And this know that it was the just hand of God in taking away the Kingdom from thy Father and Thee and giving it unto others and that also it is now the just hand of the Lord to take it again from them and bring them under Thee though I shall not say but that some of them went beyond their Commission against thy Father when they were brought as a rod over you and well will it be for thee if thou becom'st not guilty of the same transgression now thou art brought over them and this consider that those who are call'd thy Friends who were conquer'd have humbled themselves but little under the hand of the Lord but are still found to be in great transgressions and also consider the manner how this thing hath been wrought and carryed on concerning the bringing in of thee again that so there may be no fleshly boasting for the thing is plainly discerned by them whose eye is single and I shall declare it unto thee Mark The Army having acted so deceitfully the lusts and gain of the world blinded their eye and they having so far provoked the Lord untill his Decree was sealed against them and he had determined that they should be broken after they had split among themselves and turned from one thing to another and knew not where to rest and the Lord suffered some of them to rise up from among themselves to deceive the rest and so they through dissimulation in professing to stand for those who had so eminently stood against thy Father and Thee got Power to weaken and turn out those that were really against thee as disturbers of the Good Old Cause as they termed it and so by little and little strengthened those that stood for thee and thus the deceived blind men provided a Rod for themselves and so by little little wrought themselves under it and it is just upon them For the rod is for the fools back So let this be considered that this was not carryed on by the stoutness of those that stood for thee nor yet by a visible plain down-right dealing but rather through the hidden mystery of deceit which was suffered to work against those whom God had determined should be broken that so by the same way whereby they had deceived others which was by pretending to stand for that which they did not intend I say even by the same way they in the end should be deceived themselves So let none glory in what is done concerning this thing as if it were done by their Valour or Wisdom though I can truly say the hand of the Lord hath permitteed these things and that for the Cause before mentioned and he will be glorified in all these Overturnings IV. Concerning the great danger thou art in in thy coming in c. ANd also consider the danger that thou art in in thy coming in as King of these Nations for it is exceeding great as things stand and this hath been much upon me to lay before thee and it is in tender love both to thy Soul and Body for I plainly see that if thou shouldst come in upon the account of the People called Presbyterians if thou shouldst refuse to bow to what they would set up or if thou shouldst not satisfie the ungodly covetousness of their Priests there is several of them would be ready to serve Thee as they did thy Father if they were permitted And if thou do come in upon the account of those People called Old Royallists Mark truly though I do believe they would abhor such a thing as to sell Thee yet the iniquity of many of them is so great and there is so much Swearing lusts and vanity amongst them that except they repent they are not like long to prosper but the hand of the Lord will assuredly break them also And furthermore consider there are a deceitful People in these Nations for there are many thousands that now appear highly for Thee in words that if they could see a likelihood of a change they would appear as much or more against Thee Therefore consider thy standing and be not high-minded but fear and take heed lest thou fall and never go about to Engage the People unto thee by Oaths lest thou cause many to forswear themselves for truly this People a great part of them are a perfidious People as they have manifested themselves who one while have sworn for a King and Parliament and shortly after they have sworn against a King single Person or House of Lords and shortly after they have sworn or Engaged for a single Person again and called one another Lords and a little after they have turned against that Government and cryed up a Parliament again and now the same People are generally crying up a King again And truly those Rulers who have imposed so many several Engagements upon the People they have done exceeding evilly therein And how abominably have these dirty deceitful covetous Priests acted in all these changes O it is hard to utter their deceit who one while they have prayed for a King Parliament and when they saw the King was likely to fall and that he was no wayes likely to maintain them then they turn'd against him and prayed only for the Parliament and asserted their Authority and cursed them that would not go out to help against the Mighty And shortly after when Oliver Cromwel had turn'd out the Parliament and set up himself then they cryed up and prayed for him and many of them began to
assert his Authority to be just and when he died many of these Priests began to address themselves to his Son fawned upon him that he might provide for their god which is their belly and they appeared to be sorrowful for his Fathers death and blasphemously termed him the light of their eyes and the breath of their Nostrils and they told Richard that God had left him to carry on that glorious Work which his Father had begun And some of these Priests compared Oliver to be like unto Moses and Richard to be like unto Joshua who shall carry them into the promised Land But surely these blind Priests are yet in Aegypt the land of Darkness and there are like to die except they repent And surely those that made Oliver Chancellor of one of their Vniversities they hoped he should have continued longer in his place than he did But it is manifest that they are such as the Prophet said Night should come upon them and they should have no Vision And how soon did some of them turn for a Parliament again when the Army turned out Richard And when George Booth made a Rising and they thought there would be a turn then some of them cryed out against the Parliament and began to curse such as would not go out against them And when George Booth was taken then many of them began to Petition to the Parliament and to excuse themselves that they had no hand in that rising And now they are generally crying up and praying for thee and all this is for their bellies therefore if thou wilt believe them and trust to their prayers thou art worthy to be deceived by them And all that will uphold them in that state they are in and compel others to maintain them they are not like to prosper for the hand of the Lord is against them and that Scripture is fulfilled upon a great part of these Nations like Priests like People who are given to covetousness and deceit and will turn and appear for any thing that is for their gain Yet this I testifie in the Lord that such Ministers as the Scriptures of Truth own I own And such a Maintenance as Christ allowed his Ministers to take I have unity with And I know that such as are his Ministers will be there-withal content but such Ministers as will not they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and such I cannot but declare against Therefore now O King be Wise and cleave unto the Lord with thy whole heart and he will teach thee to love thy Enemies and to do unto all men as thou wouldst they should do unto thee if they were in thy Condition and thou in theirs and this is the Way for to prosper and this will Engage the Lord for to stand for thee and also it will reach the witness of God in all People and thou wouldst become honourable in their hearts and hereby they would be engaged and drawn unto thee more than by Oaths or force of Arms But if thou wilt not hear and do the thing that is just and right in the sight of the Lord then will the Lord appear against thee and when thou hast filled up thy measure thou shalt be assuredly broken and then shalt thou know that God hath spoken unto me And if thou dost not speedily seek to stop this abounding ungodliness which flows in this Nation and which hath much increased since there was a likelihood of thy being brought in verily an evident hand of God shall come upon thee which thou shalt not in any wayes be able to escape Therefore consider it speedily for verily the Mighty God is greatly displeased by reason of the great wasting and spoil that is made of his Creatures in a way of rejoycing and triumphing concerning thee O how is the Devil the destroyer let loose in this Nation and the streets thereof become like unto Sodom and Peoples mouths are filled with Oaths and bitter Cursings And they go stammering and staggering because of Drunkenness and sober People that fear the Lord can scarce pass in the streets without being scoffed at threatned or having violence done unto them by those that appear for thee who bitterly will curse and wish that which they call the Pox and Plague upon us and the next words cry out and say God save King Charles Oh consider these things and seek to stop them least they become thy burthen And also when we have been peaceably met together to wait on the Lord and to hear and declare the everlasting Truth we have been abused and part of our Houses and Windows broken and some of us knockt down and torn as though they would have pulled us limb from limb and our blood drawn knocking us down without respect had to Age or Sex this they say thou wilt bear them out in and they expect an order they say shortly from thee either to banish or hang us all and in thy Name was I commanded and fetcht out of a Meeting at Harwich upon the first day of this week and haled to prison without being examin'd and without a Mittimus and this was because I was made in the Dread and Power of the Living God to cry aloud against the Cursing and Rudeness which I then heard and beheld amongst the People in the streets and I was made to utter these words and say Wo wo unto the Rulers and Teachers of this Nation who suffer such ungodliness as this and do not seek to suppress it And for this was I put in Prison O King for these things will the Lord God visit and if thou seekest not to stop them thou wilt feel God's hand for it Verily I declare unto Thee in the fear of the Lord I never heard of nor beheld so great prophaneness as I have done within these few weeks past Oh! it is hard to utter how much Wine and strong Drink hath been devoured in waste by Peoples drinking of healths unto Thee some upon their knees and some otherwise even until some have been so drunk they could neither speak or go right and what abundance of Wood hath been wasted and devoured in making of great Bon-fires as they call them which they have done as they say to rejoyce because of Thy coming Yea even such great Fires have been made upon this account that they have been dangerous both unto Cities and Towns and such noises have been heard of late in Cities and Towns as scarce ever have been the like by shooting of Guns both great and small and by ringing of Bells and by People singing and laughing and shouting like riotous mad men and the Streets in several places strown with flowers and the like and this is done in rejoycing concerning Thee And what abundance hath been devoured in Feasting and Banqueting and abominable rejoycings And also consider in what great need poor People are of such Creatures as have been thus devoured and consider what
any that took his Part leave that unto the Lord who will reward every one in Righteousness according to their deeds done in their Bodies And consider how far Christ was from seeking or desiring Revenge when they murdered him as concerning the flesh who said Father forgive them for they know not what they do Oh mind that Spirit and consider he was greater than thy Father and he was free from all Transgression and wherein thy Enemies did evil in any thing against thy Father or Thee and those that took your Part freely forgive them and render not evil for evil unto any man but overcome evil with that which is good O King this were the way for Thee to be established in peace and so to end thy dayes Oh that thy Heart were thus inclined that Mercy and Righteousness and Peace might be found to reign in Thee and that Mercy might Triumph over severity then might'st thou prosper and many of thy Enemies and also of those that are called thy Friends might be converted unto God and so ye might be united in true love one unto another and this were better than conquering by force And consider this there are many that acted against thy Father and Thee whom the Lord intends good towards though I know that several of them through Covetousness and Envy have done exceedingly wrong in many things Yet consider how Christ taught his to pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And I do verily believe that if they turn unto the Lord and truly humble themselves under his hand and believe in the Light of his Son and obey him that he will freely forgive them all their Transgressions But if thou resolvest to avenge thy self and those called thy Friends which have suffered and to keep under those which are now fallen under Thee by a heavy yoke either in matters of Worship or otherwise I know it will exasperate the spirits of many against Thee and it will raise up the desperate aggravating part in man and so the thing may kindle again in the murdering Spirit And the Lord may suffer it to break forth into blood which if it should it may be the sadest time that ever thou yet sawest for this I know and do stedfastly believe that after God hath tryed his People he will assuredly bring an overflowing scourge upon this Nation and many shall fall and perish by an eminent hand and judgement of the Lord except they repent speedily And verily there is but a little space given to prevent this great Judgement and Destruction because the Lord hath already born long and his patience hath been exceeding great and he hath sent many of his Servants and Prophets to warn this Nation and others and many thousands have believed us and are gathered into Peace with us notwithstanding they see a great Judgement to come upon the Earth and though many have believed us yet alas the far greater part hath either beaten or imprisoned or scoffed at or slighted and rejected us or the Testimony which we hold and some have spoyled our goods and imprisoned some of us to death and some of us have been killed for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God And so many in the Nations are waxed worse and worse And when the Lord hath smitten some they have revolted more and more and when he hath raised up others and given them prosperity they have then fed themselves without fear and forgot the Lord and waxed wanton against him Therefore seeing people will neither hear the Prophets of the Lord nor regard the Light of his Son in their Consciences which checks and reproves for sin and evil in secret nor turn to the Lord when he smites them nor regard his Truth when they have prosperity the Lord will leave striving with such a People and bring sudden destruction upon them and deliver his chosen as he did just Lot So we are given up to the Will of the Lord and do patiently wait for his mighty appearance to deliver us who have long been a suffering People who have suffered both by Parliaments Army Protectors and by those called thy Friends also yea we have suffered and been most cruelly entreated even by Rulers Priests and People Professors and Prophane because we could not joyn unto the evil in either but we have been made to reprove them for it and to exhort them unto that which is good and so we must yet do so long as we find the Lord requiring it at our hands though for it we be hated and persecuted unto death yet knowing that it is without cause on our part when we suffer we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ in all our sufferings and our lives are not dear unto us that we may finish our course with joy and our Testimony for the Lord which he hath given to bear though it be sealed with our blood for we certainly know that the Lord is our reward in whatsoever we do or suffer for his Names sake And now O King as thou expects the Blessing and Presence of the Lord with Thee in thy Government Fear and Dread his Presence by standing in awe of his living Witness the Light which he hath placed in thy Conscience to guide and direct Thee in all thy wayes that his wrath may be turned away from Thee that so this Scripture might not be fulfilled upon the People of this Nation God gave them a King in his anger and he took him away in his sore displeasure But if it should prove so I shall have peace for I am clear of thy blood in as much as in plainness I have let Thee see how things have been and how they may or shall be and wherein thy danger stands and how that Righteousness only establisheth the Throne And my desire is if it be the Will of God that thou mightest consider them in the Principle of Life and Wisdom and thereby come to be preserved and saved from that Destruction which in God's Eternal Light I see Thee in great danger of Thus in Innocency and Truth and in Uprightness and Sincerity of heart I have freely declared unto Thee what was laid upon me and it is in true tender and unfeigned love both to thy Soul and Body And that this is true God is my Witness and the Witness of himself in thy Conscience shall answer unto it unto which I leave and commend Thee from which thou canst not hide thy thoughts So to the Lord God of Life be Glory and Dominion and everlasting Praises over all to whom it doth belong Amen Given forth in Harwich Goal in Essex the 16. day of the 3d. Month called May 1660. Where I suffer for the Testimony of Jesus through the envy of the Devil who is the false accuser of the Brethren POSTSCRIPT THough this Treatise was more especially laid upon me to write it unto the KING and therefore to him was it directed
yet I could not but publish it because its service reacheth so far in several Particulars unto those also that have been engaged in the late Wars on both sides as in declaring the Mighty Hand and working of the Invisible God therein and for what cause these things have been suffered and how they have been effected which being truly considered may cause many to bow before the Lord and henceforward cease rejoycing in the destroying one of another and rather admire the Lord's mighty and strange workings whereby he hath taken away the cause of boasting in the Arm and Wisdom of flesh on both Sides that so none might glory but in the Lord And many other things are declared in this Book as a Testimony both against Hypocrisie and Prophaneness and what God will do if Repentance be not come unto speedily and also the Innocency and Just and Equalness of the Way and Order of the Truth and such as live in the Life of it both in many things appertaining to Religion and in things Civil is here Demonstrated with many wholesom Exhortations tending to Righteousness and Peace and the safety both of King and Nation and the contrary witnessed against which may be of great service to many if they in the Fear of God will read it and receive his Witness in them the Light of Christ which will answer to the Truth and for no other ause do I Publish it but that if it be the Will of the Lord Truth and Peace may be encreased which this directs unto and that Violence and Wars which this bears witness against might cease and that so God may have the honour of all unto whom it doth belong From the Counsel and Nobility of the Royal Seed the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah the Everlasting King of Righteousness who reigneth in George Fox the Younger A Coppy of this was delivered in Writing by Richard Hubberthorn into the Kings hand at White-Hall the 4th day of the 4th Month 1660. And this may be of service to any of those called Royallists or others if they in Moderation will Read it and for that Cause it is upon me to send it abroad in Print Honest Plain Down-right-Dealing WITH THE PEOPLE CALLED Episcopal-Men and Presbyterians In this Seasonable ADVICE given unto them and their TEACHERS FRIENDS YOu both pretend in Words to be Friends to the KING now let your actions shew forth the same lest ye in this Cause concerning the King be found like those who in words professed to know or love another King but in Works denyed him Tit. 1.16 Therefore labour not to perswade the King to set up either of your Forms of Worship in this manner mark as to compel by outward Force all others to conform thereunto or else to persecute them for if you do thus and if the King should hearken unto either of you and fulfill either of your wills in this particular mark you to whom he so consents unto would shortly be made manifest to be the greatest Enemies to the King in the Nations And not only the Kings Enemies but Enemies to your selves also even to the endangering of the destruction both of the King and Your selves for if the King shall set up either of your Forms and compel all others thereunto or else Persecute them mark you two are so inverate one against another and have acted already so cruelly one against another that thus it will be with you mark you that the King so sets up will seek to avenge your selves and to Lord it over the other Mat. 5.44 46. and neither of you are able to suffer in patience and to forgive your Enemies as the Ministers of Christ were to do Mat. 6.15 that so which-soever of you were put under the other you will be watching to Plot both against the King and them that are set over you and if you that are put under can but get an advantage against the other which-soever of you it be mark even the Mercies of you would be cruelty towards those that kept you under And if either of your Forms should be set up as before mentioned you who be set up in that manner will be in great danger of being destroyed and that for these reasons First Because it is not owned by the Lord that any should set up a Worship and compel others to it by outward force or Persecution and this is the way in which either of you would proceed if ye had Power and thereby you would Engage the Lord against you and your Worship for the worship which he owns is in the Spirit and in the Truth John 4.23 24. and nothing but the Power of his Spirit can compel thereunto and they that rebel against this Power in matter of Worship are for it to be punished thereby Secondly Because the Lord hath decreed to remove Oppression and Persecution and to judge and blast that spirit which hath exercised cruelty against the Saints and to set up Righteousness and to give his People their just Liberty to worship him according to the leadings and requirings of his Eternal Spirit in them mark and if either of your Forms should be set up as before mentioned it would strongly oppose this Decree of God which cannnt be broken and therefore it would engage the Lord to destroy you Thirdly If one of you be set up and ye be impower'd by the King to compel by outward force all others to your Worship or else to Persecute them mark this will exasperate the spirits of most of the other Sects against the King and you that shall be so set up and it will engage all them of the Sects that are in the fighting nature and can use a carnal Weapon for their own defence to joyn together as one man against the King and either of you that he should so set up Therefore if you would be true Friends either to the King or your selves and your Nation labour not with the King to establish either of your Forms or any other as before-mentioned but if ye own CHARLES STUART to be King be content that HE may Rule over all as one keeping the outward Peace among you all by providing just Laws to punish any that would hurt any mans Person or Estate upon any unjust account whatsoever or any that shall run into open prophaneness Mat 7.12 and be content that others may have as much Liberty to Worship their God in that way they are perswaded to be right as ye desire to have in that ye think is right and lay by all these Carnal Weapons as Prisons Fires Gallows Stocks Whips and all outward violence and use none of them mark about compelling to a Worship 2 Cor. 10.4 But you that are Teachers come forth with your Spiritual Weapons if you have them and smite at the Spiritual Wickedness that is Exalted in the Creatures if ye be able wrestle with that and not with the Creatures and if without using outward force and compulsion
means can any resist his Will Or if he will do it by outward means cannot he provide it himself contrary to man's expectation Therefore Dread ye the Maiesty and Power of the Lord and fear before his Dreadful Name Friends I must deal plainly with you in the sight of God who hath made me a Prophet to the Nation I may not flatter any of you My Life is in the hand of my Maker and not one hair of my Head can fall to the ground without his Providence He hath redeemed my Soul from Hell and my Mind from the Earth and he hath given me his good Spirit to lead me I am henceforth no more my own but I am the Lord 's who hath formed me for his Praise and hath brought me forth that I may sound forth his powerful Truth amongst the People Therefore must I not fear Man neither must I be afraid of the Sons of Men. Verily your Spirits are seen to be too high for the Work which God will have to be wrought in the Earth and you are found in that your selves which the Lord will work against And he is loaded with the pride and excess that ye and many in the Nation are in and his Soul abhors the Vanity Musick and Pleasures which ye delight in Oh how hath Iniquity abounded since ye came into place and how is Oppression and Cruelty encreased and continued upon them that seek the good of all Now consider this That which the Lord was wroth with you for and threw you and your friends out for before he will not own that now nor that you should revive and establish that again For the Lord's Controversie is yet against those things though he hath thrown out a treacherous People who perverted his Cause Therefore try your Foundation before you build and settle for verily whatsoever is not founded upon CHRIST JESUS the Rock of Ages whether it be in things Religious or in things Civil the higher it is built the greater will its fall be and every ones work must be tryed by fire what Foundation soever they build upon and great will be the Destruction and Consumation for nothing but what can abide the fire shall remain And verily there is exceeding much both in Governours and Governments Laws Ministry Profession Trades and in the Constitution of them as they now stand and in the Conversations of the People which is to be utterly destroyed by the fire of the Lord's Jealousie and the day hastens which will try every man's work of what sort it is and that which is for the fire neither high words nor outward strength shall be able to save it Oh! The Spirit of the Lord is grieved and pressed with the Iniquities and Whoredoms of this Generation Oh! the Waste and the Spoyl that is made of the Lord's Creatures excess in Apparel excess in Diet and deceitful Feastings and Banquetings and each strive to exceed one another not scarce knowing what to invent to eat and to drink or to put on or what Musick or Images and Vanities to invent to please the Carnal Eye and Ear and in the mean time your own flesh or them of the same blood lye go sit or stand in your streets crying for a piece of Bread and many of your Lame and Blind and Sick and others both in Prisons and other places are ready to Famish Oh! Consider these things speedily and mock not at the Lord's Menssengers as some before you have done when they have been warned as you now are lest your bonds be made strong also and lest the Lord smite you with a Curse and send you Famine or Want in the room of your Abundance and Superfluity and Rags instead of Ribbons Feathers Gold and Silver Lace and Gorgious Attire and howling and mourning instead of your Musick Songs and Oaths Oh! It 's hard to utter the abomination that flows and swells in this Nation it is a shame to the Rulers to suffer these Stage-playes Mount-banks and vain Sports and Shows whereby the Lord is greatly dishonoured and foolish People are cheated of their money and the Creation is devoured and wasted and Mens lives sometimes endangered Oh! How have men invented mischief and vanity to stir up lightness and vanity one in another Oh ye Rulers is not this a horrible wickedness that a man who hath his right natural senses should be suffered to feign himself to be a Natural Fool and that he should be suffered to speak any light vain words he pleaseth even what he can invent to stir up lightness and vain laughter among you Have you not manifested your selves to be slighters of the Apostles Doctrine read Eph. 4.29 5.4 And is this an honour for the Chief of you to have a company of Men and Boys drest up with Ribbons and Bells about their legs and one acting like a Fool with a Ladle in in his hand dancing before you even like a company of mad distracted men making a noise like a company of Carriers Horses Oh! the Life of God is grieved with these things and all that fear his Name loath them and it is a shame that ever such things should be suffered in a Land Therefore O ye Rulers let all this ungodliness and superfluity of naughtiness be laid aside and receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 and that will teach you to love even your Enemies and to forgive them and to put a difference between the pretious and the vile And it will keep your hands from blood and your hearts from desiring after it if you will obey it and it will shew you with what God's Controversie is both in your Government and Worship and Conversations and it will teach you to deny it Yea if you will own its Teachings it will teach you to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. But if you will not return to the Word which is nigh in your mouths and in your hearts that you may obey it and do it Deut. 30.14 Rom. 10.8 verily this know that neither your Strength nor Wisdom shall be able to deliver you from the just hand of the Lord which shall find out all his Enemies Therefore if you would escape the overturning hand of the Lord Repent speedily and humble your selves before the Lord and forgive your Enemies love Mercy Compel none to your Worship nor to uphold your Teachers and be willing that the Lord alone should send forth Labourers into his Harvest and that he may lead them by his own Spirit that they may speak as that gives them utterance and limit or quench it not but let all have their Freedom to Worship God in the Spirit who know it according to the manifestation of it which is given to every man to profit withal Joh. 4.23 24. 1 Cor 12.7 for such a Worship the Lord owns And take away that grievous Oppression
their Visitation even in the day of God's long Patience and Forbearance but set and bend themselves against the Lord and his Anointed Now Friends here is our strength and these are the Weapons which we must war withal against all this ungodliness that is come and coming up Therefore every particular hearken diligently unto the Call of God in the inward parts and wait in the meek Principle of Life that each may know and feel their own proper Gift or Gifts Weapon or Weapons and that every one may be kept sensible of the Teachings of the Captain of our Salvation that so ye may be expert in handling and using of it or them to the glory of him who hath called you to War against Babylon And dear Friends if any who love the Truth be yet further oppressed and their Goods spoyled by the false Prophet or Beast as many will be Oh! be ye tender-hearted towards such and know that the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof and they that follow the Lamb are redeemed from the Earth Therefore ye who know the Life dwell in it that your Redemption from all earthly things may be witnessed and that your Bodies and Estates may freely be given up to serve the Lord and one another whilst you are suffered to enjoy them Friends I know many of your Bodies and Estates have been and yet are so given up but these things I speak by way of remembrance to stir up the pure mind in all who breath after the Truth that love unfeigned may be maintained and encreased among you that ye may be all as Children of one Family dwelling together in Unity and Peace contented with the Will of the Father and be not at all discouraged or daunted because of the strength and malice and cruelty that is in the Adversary but be still and Patient in the Faith and stand out of all mortals in the sence of the Invisible Immortal Power of God and in that Meet oft together and visit one another whilst you may and be as Lambs amongst Wolves and the LORD our God shall appear for us and fight against our Enemies as he fought in the dayes of old against the Enemies of his Seed yea he shall confound our Enemies and bring them to naught and bring Liberty to his People when he hath tryed them to the full be Patient and doubt not though the Day must be hot yet it shall be but short for the Elects sake Watch and look not out He that will save his Life shall lose it but he that is willing to part with it shall find it eternally So the endless eternal Father of Life of Power of Wisdom of Peace of Love of Salvation gather and knit and unite you together and preserve and keep you in the melting Power and Love of the Lamb that ye may be as a Garden of Spices that your savour may be pleasant unto the Lord and unto all that breath after him in this the day of Tryal Amen Ah my dear Friends you have had a large and glorious day allowed you for the begetting and gathering of you into the precious Faith and the Unity thereof and many precious opportunities have you had for the assembling your selves together in the Name of the Lord and plenteously hath his eternal sweet Power and Life been manifested in and among you and as you have waited therein Oh! how have you felt the Blood of the everlasting Covenant the Life of Jesus purging and purifying your Consciences that therein you might hold the Mystery of that Faith which is your Victory over the World And now my Friends the Lord our God hath seen it good that ye may yet be tryed yea you must further be tryed your Faith your Strength your Patience must all be tryed and that by fire as I said before that a pure People you may be who stand and endure the Tryal unto the Lord yea a glorious People shall ye be whose beauty and splendor shall fill the Earth Therefore my dearly beloved in the Lord be watchful I beseech you and turn in and keep low in the feeling of the eternal Power in your own Vessels and know that every particulars strength lyeth there and ever particular will be tryed Therefore keep to your particular strength and be obedient to the Power in all its movings that so by it your minds may be drawn off all things that can or may change and come to an end and become wholly centered in the unchangeable endless Life of God Then my Friends nothing can harm you But verily if any of your affections be centered in Husbands Wives Children or any earthen Vessel or visible thing whatsoever so as that you cannot be willing to part with all if it be required at your hands then may your sufferings be great and dangerous unto you Therefore I beseech you be followers of the invisible Life of Jesus in all its appearances anddrawings that so by it you may be taught how to use all visible changeable things unto the Glory of the Lord whilst you are permitted to enjoy them And that you may be made willing to give up and to part with all yeâ— even with your lives also if you be called thereunto for the Tryal of your Faith or that your Enemies thereby may fill up the measure of their Iniquity and that Judgement may come upon them to the full And whilst you have outward liberty for the keeping your Meetings together be diligent therein as I said before and when any of you come to be hindred from such opportunities as you have enjoyed Oh! then be patient and wait upon the Lord for strength and if in any place it should come to pass that but two or three of you could come together neglect not that for if in the pure fear and love of God you be kept it will be profitable comfortable unto you And dear Friends you who are but weak in the Truth to you I now speak Take heed of looking out at any of us whom the Lord God hath drawn forth by his own Power and Love to declare his living eternal Truth unto you I say look not out at us as for strength or teaching but look to the endless Life in your selves which we have directed you unto in which your strength and satisfactory Teaching is for we may be removed far from you as to the outward but the Life and Power by which you and we stand abideth with and in you and we as to the outward may be bruised broken and slain for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God which we hold But the Life and Spirit of God and the Lamb dwelleth for ever with you that believe in it and if ye crucifie it not to your selves there is none that can slay it And while you have Us or any of Us among you I exhort and warn you all and that in the Name and Authority of the Lord that ye look not
once in some of you for God and against his Enemies and those unjust Laws which by them were made and upheld is now lost and your ears are not open unto the cry of the Oppressed whom once you promised to set free from their Oppressions but now some of you are become upholders of and pleaders for those Laws and Customs which formerly you cryed against and strengthners and upholders of such as oppress tender Consciences though once you pretended that you fought for the Liberty of Conscience and now by those unjust Laws which you saw to be contrary to the Law of God do many suffer in these Nations some Imprisonment and some the spoyling of their Goods some because they cannot pay the Priests Tythes for if they should they must deny the unchangeable Priest which took not Tythes but abolished the first Priesthood and disannulled the Commandement that gave Tythes unto them that were of the first Priesthood which was a figure of him that was to come but now is he come who is the substance and sum of all Types and Figures even the everlasting High-Priest which changeth not so the first Priesthood is changed and the Law is changed also Heb. 7.12 Therefore they that witness the unchangeable Priest they deny the changeable Priests and for Conscience sake cannot uphold them and some suffer Imprisonment for Declaring and Publishing the everlasting Truth as they are moved of the Lord in the Markets Assemblies and Congregations of the People and some of late time have been Stock'd and Whipp'd and some wounded and despitefully used for the same and some when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord to wait upon him in their own houses or upon their own ground or some of their Brethrens not being troublesome outwardly to any man they have been then and there abused some have been violently haled away to the Magistrates who without shewing them any Law which they had transgressed hath forth with sent them to Prison and some have been stoned and kicked and buffeted and spitted upon and mocked and some have had their doors and windows broken and they scarce permitted to abide in their own houses And these things have been acted some of them by the Priests and some by the Rulers and Souldiers and rude multtude who are strengthned in such actions and suffered so to act by the other and some of the servants and chosen ones of the Lord have lately been cast some into Prisons holes and dungeons and there have lain until the outward man hath perished and many of the Children of the most high God are yet in Prisons in this Nation for witnessing forth the pure Truth of God and not for the breach of any just Law neither could our Persecutors when we have been brought before them shew any Law which we had transgressed when some of us have demanded this of them that if they had any Law against what we had acted that they should read it to us not withstanding this they have sent us to Prison again and there caused us to be kept and some of late time as they have been going peaceably to visit and relieve the servants of the Lord who are imprisoned in this Nation they have not been permitted but have been stopped by the way and some of them have had their money taken from them and then forthwith they have been sent to Prison and there are kept and some have been Fined and Imprisoned for entertaining or lodging of the Servants and Children of the Lord who have come peaceably and for peace to their houses and some lately hath been presented and money hath been demanded of them because for Conscience sake they could not go to the Steeple-houses to hear the hireling Priests and Deceivers on the first dayes of the weeks Now consider these Practices how contrary they are to the Vows and Engagements which you have made and taken and contrary to the Liberty which once you pretended unto I have not written these things unto you because I am a sufferer for I neither look for help or expect deliverance from you neither are my sufferings wearisome or grievous unto me because I know I suffer in innocency neither do I look for any help or have I any helps in the Earth but these things was I moved to write unto you that you may consider how you have neglected and slighted that which you Promised to do when you were in your distresse and trouble if God delivered you out of them who now hath delivered you and that you may see how you have rewarded evil for the good that the Lord hath done for you and how you have not onely lyed unto Man but unto God So come down to the Light of Christ in all your Consciences unto which Light all the Powers of the Earth must bow and with it search your hearts and try your wayes and it will shew you your back-slidings and the evil of your doings and repent speedily and do your first works and return to your first Integrity and do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your Wages and submit your selves unto the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World that with the Light you may see the violent and false Accuser judged and cast out of you that so with the Light which makes manifest your present estate you may be brought out of the Fall and out of the Losse which you are yet in But if you refuse to return unto the Lord who hath so marvelously delivered you out of the hands of your Enemies to pay your Vows to him Verily the living God will arise and set free the oppressed and destroy their oppressors by his own Power and outstretched Arm and not by you neither shall you have the honour of it and he will cast you off and by his own Power will he bring you down and destroy you and root you out Remember how he lately by his Mighty Power brought down and destroyed those that Rebelled against him and even as he cast out them because they oppressed his Righteous Seed so also will he cast out you if you repent not speedily because you have not wholly followed his Counsel to destroy and break down and root out whatsoever did oppresse his People but now he hath given you deliverance and ease from your Enemies you have forgotten the day of your Calamity wherein you cryed unto the Lord for help in which day you were oppressed by your Enemies also and now ye are set down in ease and fulness and regard not the cry of the oppressed but you your selves are become oppressors also so what you did act for God in the time of your trouble shall not be once named or mentioned unto you because you continued not faithful unto the end but in your back-slidings and unrighteousness wherein you have delighted you shall perish and you shall receive
to shake terribly the Earth the noise of a Trumpet goeth before him which soundeth an Alarm Strong and Mighty is he there goeth a Sword out of his mouth and a Threshing instrument is in his hand wherewith he will cut down the tall Cedars and thresh the Mountains to dust A fire proceedeth out of his mouth also which shall devour and burn before him and none shall be able to quench it And the breath that cometh forth of his Nostrils shall scatter the Earth as the VVhirl-wind scattereth the dust yea terrible and dreadful will he be unto you wicked who live in the Earth you shall not be able to behold nor stand in his presence Therefore weep and howl and lament for the misery that is coming upon you for a total destruction is at hand yea the Lord hath decreed an utter overthrow of the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof for now shall his overflowing Scourge pass through the Earth and the Besom of his destruction shall sweep you away for your VVhoredoms and Murders and Idolatry and Drunkenness and Swearing and Lying and VVantonness and Prophaneness is come in remembrance before the dreadful and terrible God who will be avenged on you at once Rejoice ye Saints who are clad with Zeal and shout for joy you Sons of the most high God and sing ye Heavens and you that dwell therein for the Lord is risen ye are Witnesses thereof behold he cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to Iudge the Earth in Righteousness and to execute his Judgements upon his and our Enemies The Vials of his VVrath are made ready to be poured out upon them and his Indignation is waxen hot against them which shall burn and slay and consume them unto the end Glory Glory Honour and Dominion and Praise be given unto our King who liveth for ever for he is worthy to reign over all who was dead but now is he alive and liveth for evermore And he hath redeemed us from the Earth and hath brought us above the Earth to reign with him up the Earth Eternal Praises to our King for evermore who is above all and over all who was before the VVorld was and hath brought us to be before the VVorld to reign with him eternally above the VVorld and our Enemies are to be plagued and tormented in our presence and we shall rejoyce over the smoak of their torment which ascendeth for ever Now here is the joy and cause of our rejoycing who have followed the Lamb through great Tribulation and are brought above the Tribulations to dwell in the presence of the living God this is joy unspeakable and full of Glory which shall never have an end Hallelujah to our King for evermore Edmonds-Bury Common Goal the 22. day of the 7th Month 1656. By me George Fox whose natural Birth and outward being was at Charsfield in the said County of Suffolk A Visitation of Love unto all People in whose hearts there are any true honest tender desires begotten towards God and his Righteousness In what Sect or Opinion or Profession soever they be who are not in the Light especially unto such who have felt something of the workings of the Life and Power of God in them and yet notwithstanding have been led by the subtilty of the Serpent from the Life and Power of God into many Sects and Opinions and Forms which are without the Life and Power of God and herein the subtil workings and devices of the Serpent whereby he deceives the hearts of the simple is clearly made manifest Friends GOd the higher Power unto whom the soul is to be subject he only hath immortality and dwelleth in the Light and he is Light And he hath freely given his Son into the world by whom the world was made for a Covenant of Light and he is the true Light which lighteth every one that cometh into the world that all men through him might believe who is the VVord of God in whom is Life and that Life mark is the Light of men and the pure Grace of God which bringeth Salvation by which the Saints are freely justified hath appeared unto all men yea the the Eternal God of Truth hath appeared unto you in his Son Jesus Christ the true Light and with this Light hath God made manifest unto you your sin and evil deeds and with the measure of the Light of his Son in you sometimes hath he appeared in his mighty Power whereby he hath smitten you for your sins and evil deeds and he by his Power hath broken you into tenderness and brought you down into lowliness for a time and then by his unresistible Power thus working in you did beget a holy Seed from whence pure desires and breathings after God hath often arose in you which seed could not nor cannot be satisfied without Gods living presence Now ye not standing in the Power which convinced you and smote you and broke you into tenderness and brought you down and then begot a holy Seed in you from whence a pure unfeigned love to God hath oft sprung mark you not minding the workings and movings of this Power in you nor waiting in it for to receive counsel you entered into reasonings and thoughts which the subtilty which is the Devil presented in you and so ye hearkned not to Gods voice the power which had wrought so in you but you entred into reasonings with the subtilty which abode not in the power and this begot a questioning in you what that should be which had so appeared in you and broken you into such a tenderness and had wrought such a sudden change in you which you were not able to resist And ye going into the reasonings in your minds thus you turned from the pure Power of God and then sin which separateth from Gods presence which he by his Power worketh in you had in measure smitten and brought down in you arose again and got the Dominion in you and so you going thus from the Power wherein ye should have waited to have been preserved in the tenderness ye soon lost the tenderness and fear which the Power had wrought in you and then hardness of heart soon grew in you again and then the Seed which God had begotten in you which cannot be satisfied without his presence that began to be sorely oppressed in you by the sin which separates from Gods presence which got up more and more in you through your turning from the Power which ye once felt manifested and working in you against sin And then a grievous weight or burden came upon the Righteous Seed in you and then it began to groan and cry to God from under the burden and weight of iniquity that was upon it and then the Light appeared more brighter in you again for the Seeds sake which suffered in you and shewed you that you were wrong then the Light judged you for the wrong and then trouble came upon you and encreased in your minds and then
motions and the bad motions which you will see stirring in your minds and if you hold fast the Word of Truth it will preserve and keep you out of the bad thoughts and motions and it will joyn you unto the good and ye will come to feel the operation of the Spirit and Life and Power of God in you to shake and overturn and work out that ground which hath been in you from whence the bad words and bad thoughts and bad motions have arose which have burdened the oppressed and tender Seed in you which you never could witness satisfied with all that ever you have performed but as ye all believe and wait in this unchangable measure of God you will come to feel the burden taken off the Seed and ye will come to feel and witness more true durable peace and satisfaction in one hours waiting upon God than ever you felt and witnessed in all the words that ever you have heard from any man or woman in all your lives or in all your Practices that ever you have practised before you were brought to wait upon God in his Gifts which he hath given you to profit withal although in those things which we have practised I know ye have had a great joy appearing in you for a time but it was not durable nor lasting for when God's true and faithful Witness the Light appeared and shewed you how that God never required those things at your hands which you had practised then your joy and peace withered and came to an end which you appeared sometime to have in those Practices and if at any time ye came to feel some little peace and joy and refreshment through what God opened to the Seed in you when by his Power ye were brought into some tenderness ye soon lost this also by going from that which brought you into the tenderness But as you all come into the Obedience of the Spirit and abide in it this will bring you into the seasoned Life and then ye will come to feel and witness pure peace and joy and refreshment and satisfaction which will last and abide for ever with you if ye abide in the Spirit and then ye will be made willing to lay down and deny all that which ye have been acting which ye never were led and guided to act by God's Pure Holy Spirit and to deny all such also as would draw you to act that which God requireth not at your hands So take heed of such as daub with untempered morter and heal deceitfully who will speak peace when there is no true peace but the pure Witness of God condemns for such with good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple keeping them ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth and these through covetousness and feigned words make merchandize of poor People for they have a Form of Godliness but they deny and resist the Power and therefore from such turn away And all mind that and feel that and be subject unto that which for sin condemns sin in the flesh and then you will feel the Spirit of Judgement and Burning and Righteousness through which the Seed is redeemed which Seed is Heir of the Kingdom of God So all wait in the meek lowly quiet Spirit that ye may come to witness this Holy Seed which delights to do the Will of God by the power and Life of God raised up in you satisfied and brought forth out of captivity And look not out nor strive after great and high things beyond your measures for that puffs up and leads into confusion and dark imaginations but all wait and be still in the measure of God's Light manifested in you that so you may come to feel him revealing his secrets and mysteries unto the Babes which cannot live or be satisfied without him God is making known that and stirring that in the hearts of People throughout the World which doth and shall confound and overturn all the Wisdom of this World and the subtilty of the Serpent from whence all the Worlds Wisdom arose and therefore the hand of the Lord will be terrible and heavy upon the disobedient who disobey and transgress that which he hath put into their Hearts whereby he is opening a mighty understanding in the People But the everlasting Blessing and Peace and Joy and Glory of the Lord over all shall arise and rest upon all those that joyn to and believe in and obey that Word which is nigh in the mouth and in the heart By a Labourer in the Power of Truth which doth make free for the Deliverance and Freedom of the Righteous Seed George Fox the younger An Exhortation to Families who have desires to serve the Lord God in their several places that they may all learn in the Light of Christ Jesus the Wisdom and Power of God who is the true Teacher O Ye Fathers and Mothers stand in the pure fear of the Lord and wait in his Light that ye may receive his living Wisdom and live in it that so ye may be ordered by it and with it order all things to God's glory and bring up your Children in the fear of the Lord watching over them in the seasoned savoury Life of God not suffering them to live in wildness nor idleness nor vain talking unreproved but in the sober meek Spirit and in the Authority of God's Lamb reprove them and that will reach the Witness of God in them and correct them in the Fear and Wisdom and Freedom of God in the Patience and follow not their foolish wills neither correct them in your own wills nor in hastiness rashness or passion for if ye do then that will use the Rod which is to be beaten with the Rod of God and that will make your Children more stubborn and wicked and this will offend God but stand ye in God's Counsel and discourage nothing in your Children but evil and let them have that which is meet just and reasonable and no more that none of God's Creatures be wasted and be ye patterns and good examples in all holiness gravity and uprightness unto them and let them have sufficient liberty to go to godly Meetings and rather stir them up and encourage them to go to such than hinder or discourage them and keep your minds out of them unto the Lord and let your love to them be in the Lord that so ye may feel his Blessing coming upon you and them And all ye Children who have Parents honour and be obedient unto them in the Lord and mind the Light of Christ in you and that will not suffer ye to be wild nor wilful stubborn nor vain but it will check and reprove ye for all evil and if ye will own its reproof and believe and wait in it it will lead ye out of all evil and it will bring ye into soberness and meekness tenderness and innocency and preserve ye in it and it will
it not been just with the Lord to have suffered your Enemies to have destroyed you because of your grievous back-slidings and wickedness O consider it consider it while ye have time and prize the Lord's loving kindness that he should yet spare you and yet give you time to repent And seeing the Lord hath shewed you your back-slidings with his eternal Witness in you and hath begun to frustrate the designs of those that would have cut you off in your back-slidings and ye confess some of you that you are willing to take shame also to your selves wherein you have back-slidden therefore seeing it is thus all mind that of God in you which sheweth you your back-slidings and believe and wait in that to feel that nature judged and destroyed in you wherein all this Wickedness and Deceit hath lodged and keep in the fear and dread of the Lord God that so ye may receive his pure Wisdom whereby ye may be ordered in the particular and that ye in God's Wisdom and Fear may come to Rule in your places for God to be a terror to evil-doers and an encouragement to them that do well And take heed of a selfish earthly spirit in the particular and of the Honour and Glory and Gain of the World for that the Lord is against Oh! there is a strong deep root of it in many of you which the Spirit of Judgement and burning and the Ax of God is to destroy therefore wait to feel its Work in you O Army in thee was I several years together in which time I saw the mighty appearance of God with thee even in the time of the outward War and when the War was ended I left thee in obedience to the appearance of the living God unto me who called me out of thee by his Powerful Word in my heart through which he hath sanctified me and hath brought me into the life of that Truth which I and many of you in the Army professed in Words And I can truly say in the Fear of the Lord That my love hath been and yet is tender towards you for the good of your souls and I have seen your conditions and have considered them in the Spirit of the Lord and I cannot flatter any of you but must deal plainly and truly with you and all People Truly in many of you there is an exceeding lofty proud covetous deceitful nature and in others of you there is a lofty proud lustful devouring wanton vain nature though many of you I know have felt a measure of the Power of God yet verily ye have so back-slidden that iniquity hath gotten a strong hold and root in most of you therefore ye must keep down to the Witness of God in you which searcheth your hearts and will let you see what is there that so the Lord 's righteous Judgement ye may all feel and own it upon that nature in you which is contrary to the living God for if ye keep not to the Spirit of Judgement I know whatever you have declared in words that a selfish Spirit will get up more and more to act in you And verily Friends if you keep not your minds to the measure of the pure God in you a secret boasting will be ready to get up in you of what you have done and then you will soon forget where you are and your minds will run further and further into your Commissions and into your great Houses and Lands which many of you have got and others minds will run into your Souldiers places and ease and idleness and these things will beguile you if take not heed and you will soon forget the Oppressions then that others suffer under and if ye should do thus verily the Lord God would soon overturn you and break you to pieces Therefore all wait in the Light which shews you sin and evil that so by it ye may be brought to deny your selves and to come out of the loftiness that ye have been in into the true humility which goes before the true honour and come into moderation both in your Diet and Apparel and in all things and this would answer the Witness of God in all People and that being answered it would beget again a love in them towards you which you lost when you went into the excess Therefore be sober and watch in the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ which he hath enlightned you withal and believe in it that so ye may be preserved by it out of the deceitfulness of this World and that ye may be kept faithful in your places for the preserving of the outward Peace and Liberty of the Nation while ye feel a Freedom in that which convinceth you of evil for the bearing a carnal Weapon and know the manifestation of God's Spirit in you and wait to feel the motions of it and be obedient thereto and this will bring you to do violence to no man nor to accuse any falsly but it will bring you out of all such things if you keep to it and it will make you to be content with such wages as may find you Food and Raiment and things necessary and convenient for your Places and this you would then be worthy of So know the Lord hath a mighty Work to do therefore wait in his Light that ye may be kept truly sensible of your Places and go not beyond them but keep in the Fear of the Lord and wait to know what God requireth of you in your places lest the Lord cast you out So remember you are warned and it is in tender love to your Souls This following more particularly concerneth the Officers of the Army and Rulers of this Nation than the Army in general Take heed of raising or continuing War with other Nations in your own wills for to get your selves a Name and to get their earthly Treasures as some of you have been instruments to do for the Lord's hand hath been and yet is against that and he will not prosper you therein therefore be you warned and know that this is a warning unto you from the Lord God and seek peace and eschew evil and learn to do well that the Blessing of the Lord ye may come to feel and that this destroying of Creatures about Religion and the Honour and Gain of this World may cease And take heed how ye meddle with Religion for that hath split and broken many Rulers before you therefore set not up one Sâ—ct and throw not down another by an outward Law and force for that is wrong and the Lord is against that but wait in his Light to receive his Counsel that so ye may be kept in God's Wisdom and that therein ye may be instruments in the hand of the Lord for the keeping of the outward Peace of these Nations which are under your Command And take heed of hearkning unto such who in the King's time cryed him up and ran to him to give them a Law to settle them
in chusing of Parliaments according to England's Custom and how unlike it is that a Parliament so chosen should make England a free Nation seeing the great Oppressors of the Land viz. Priests and Lawyers and the great wicked covetous persecuting men are so much concerned in the chusing them so that if Parliaments so chosen should continue the People of the Lord are not like to be set free from their Oppression though Parliaments and Rulers have been made to do many good things by a Power which many of them scarce knew but the Lord hath a further thing yet to do in the Nations than either Protectors or Parliaments would submit unto therefore the Lord hath thrown them by but they had first a day of tryal given them and now is the Lord trying others and if they will not do his Work in breaking every yoke and letting the oppressed go free God will assuredly break them with a greater destruction than came upon those before them Therefore let your moderation be known unto all men for the Lord is at hand and thirst not after blood lest the Lord give ye blood to drink and we know that Kings and Protectors and Parliaments have made fair pretences and have given themselves fine Titles and have pleaded that they had a just right to and a necessity for their Authority and sought to get into the affections of the People by smooth words and large promises to carry on their own design but their hearts were not right before the Lord and therefore he broke them and their Titles and know that the People that fear God they matter not Titles and high Names but they look for righteous actions to be brought forth and many see that a Parliament that was chose by the most voices of the outwardly rich People were not like to act righteously and therefore they are willing to wait to see what the Lord will do by others and we see that People have been in great Blindness in contending for Parliaments so chosen so let this Wisdom be learned and lived in which is better than the strength of fools who oft perish in their passion and folly And now Friends in the Army and Committee that have turned out the Parliament Dread ye the Lord God and mind the equal just noble Principle of God in you which hath stirred against Tyranny and Oppression and make it not your business to declare only for Freedom as some before you did and did not the thing they declared for but in the Fear and Wisdom of the Lord go ye on to act for the good of all his Creatures and seek not your own Honours but singly do the same both for your Friends and Enemies that you would have them do for you if they were in Authority as ye are and until ye come to this ye are not like to prosper the Lord abhorreth the lying flattering double deceitful tongue and heart and the People also have been wearied with fair words because the actions have been wanting that should have accompanied the said words Remember how you have cryed out against the Oppression of a forced Maintenance for Teachers and now ye are tryed and have Power given you to break that Oppression down which some of you I say have desired others to do therefore abuse not your Power but leave the People free to maintain their own Teachers mark The Ministers that Christ sends forth they have no need of you in this particular as to provide Food and Raiment for them for their Heavenly Father knows that they have need of those things and provides it for them without an outward Law to compel it that so they lack not any thing and that Teacher that will not consent to this he serveth not the Lord Jesus but his own Belly and that is his God and such a one can never profit the People and mark if ye should take away Tythes and Command by a Law any other Maintenance from us for Teachers that would be the same Tyranny and Oppression in the nature and ground of it that Tythes were and we must bear our Testimony against it also and our Lives or Estates or both must yet suffer therefore if ye do thus you leave Us in the same Bondage as before And let Laws be provided that are righteous just and equal according to that of God in the Conscience and let such be impowered to execute them that will hear and determine Causes freely according to righteousness and let causes of difference between man and man be heard in every County and when by plain proof of two or three witnesses without transgressing Christ's doctrine it come to be manifested who have done the wrong then let the Executioners of the Law be impowered to cause the party or parties to restore for the wrong that is done according to Equity that so this abominable Oppression about the Law and Lawyers may be broken down and thunder down all ungodly gaming 's and shews whereby the foolish wild People are cheated of their moneys and spend away their precious time to the dishonour of the pure God And let the People of the Lord have their Liberty to speak his Word freely where and when his Spirit leads them and gives them utterance and let the Law take hold on such as would wrong any man's Person or Estate And let the dread of the Lord be upon your Spirits and wait in his Light to receive his Wisdom that therein you may be ordered in the particular and in it order all things to his Glory that ye may remove all that which is standing which is contrary to the Will of God And meddle not to establish Religion and Teachers by an outward Law for verily if ye do ye will be broken let that alone to Christ whose work it is Consider all that went before you of late years that would be medling with such things the Lord broke them to pieces and they were warned in their day as ye are now And let not your many Victories which ye have obtained nor your being preserved in so many overturnings wherein ye have been made instrumental nor your strength courage nor wisdom puff ye up for thus saith the Lord God even as earthen vessels are in the hands of a Potter who hath power to dash them one against another until they be broken or to break them in pieces with another thing that appears more weak than they even so are you in my hand saith the Lord and I can confound your Wisdom and take away your Courage and smite you with faintness and dauntedness of Spirit in the twinkling of an eye therefore seek not your selves for if you do your day shall be but short Remember you of the Army had Power once before to have acted for the good of your Nation but the subtilty in some who sought themselves whom God hath since blasted beguiled you and mark some of you sold your power for Commissions and others
Younger A Noble Salutation And a Faithful GREETING Unto THEE Charles Stuart Who art now PROCLAIMED KING OF England Scotland France and Ireland I. Several wholesom sound Exhortations c. LET thy Moderation be known unto all men for the Lord is at hand whose presence filleth Heaven and Earth and let such a Nobility appear in Thee as to try all things and to hold fast that which is good and either to read or to hear with patience before thou judgest for Wisdom becometh a King and true Reason Solidness and Patience him that is a Ruler of the People Mark The God of Heaven hath put into my heart to write unto Thee and in tender love both to thy Soul and Body to lay before Thee several things whereby thou mayest come to see and consider how the mighty Hand and Justice of the Invisible God hath been in these overturnings and changes which have happened in these Nations of late years therefore consider these things The Mighty God the Everlasting Father He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the whole Earth is his and the fulness thereof and he Ruleth over the Kingdoms of men and giveth them unto whomsoever he pleaseth Yea he pulleth down one and setteth up another and there is no overturning or changing the Kingdoms but it is either by his Commission or Permission and the Lord doth not do any thing neither suffereth he any thing to be done unto persons or Kingdoms without a Cause though he may do whatsoever he pleaseth and who shall call him to an account Yet all his doings are righteous and his wayes are just and equal altogether And it is for the unrighteousness sometimes of a King or Kings and sometimes of a People and other times of both that the Lord doth break or suffer a Nation or Nations to be broken and when he determines to break a People or to change Governments or to suffer such to be done in vain do men strive to preserve or uphold them and the Lord may and doth make whomsoever he pleaseth his Instruments for to do his determined Work and when they have done his Work then he may do whatsoever he pleaseth with them and many times his Instruments when they begin his determined Work appear very contemptible unto many Yet such speak foolishly and without understanding who say That such Instruments are too weak and cannot prevail seeing all power is in the hand of God who can give Wisdom and Strength and Courage unto whomsoever he pleaseth Yea so much as may accomplish his Work and he very oft-times by that which appeareth foolish weak and contemptible confoundeth and bringeth to naught that which appeareth to be Mighty and wise that no flesh should glory in his presence And when his Instruments have done his Work and he determines to break or suffer them to be broken again let them appear never so Wise Bold and Mighty yet vainly do they speak who say Such a Wise Bold and Mighty People cannot be broken seeing the Lord can do whatsoever he pleaseth who suddenly can turn man's Wisdom into folly his strength into weakness and his boldness into dauntedness of Spirit Now such things as these O King come oft to pass and none of them without a Cause and they that are truly Wise learn further and get understanding through all these things Therefore is true Wisdom better than Strength and a right Understanding is better than an earthly Crown Therefore O King wait to feel the noble Principle of Wisdom which God hath inspired Thee withal for there is a measure of it in Thee though it hath been hid and that measure is the Light which Christ the Wisdom of God hath enlightned Thee withal which Light in Thee is that which never had fellowship with darkness in Thee or its deeds nor concord with the Devil or his Works but makes manifest and reproves all such things which Light being received in the love of it and believed and waited in man becomes a child of it and so it gives him a good understanding and opens an eye in him whereby he comes to see the hand and workings and appearances of the invisible God and this Light is the free Gift of God which is come upon all men which being rejected and a man not liking to retain it in his knowledge he profesing himself then to be wise becomes a fool and brings condemnation upon himself for rejecting that which should minister all things unto him pertaining unto Life and Godliness Therefore O King give all diligence to receive the Gift which God hath placed in thy heart that so thou mayest be acquainted with Wisdom and that thou mayest be filled with moderation gravity and patience and come to a right understanding and discerning that so thou mayest rightly look upon things past present and to come and see them as they were are and shall be II. Concerning the overturning of thy Father c. COncerning thy Father and those that took his Part There was an eminent hand of God in breaking them down and bringing them under and God did it not without a Cause for the Iniquity in them provoked the holy God to anger and the hight and pride of their spirits grieved and pressed the Spirit of the Just God and after he had a long time born with them and warned them with his Eternal Light in their Consciences yet they repented not but still grieved his good Spirit by many provocations and waxed higher and higher against him in disobedience his anger then was kindled against them and his indignation waxed hot and he arose in the fiery spirit of his jealousie to ease himself of his Adversaries and avenge himself of his Enemies and because the Living Wise Eternal God who made all the Nations of the earth of one blood and is no respecter of persons saw that those that took part with thy Father were generally according to outward appearance accounted the wisest richest noblest and stoutest men mark and that they did glory in their Wisdom Riches Nobility Stoutness and Strength and vaunted themselves over those that were made of the same Blood He the living God did then appear in contemptible Instruments as to outward appearance as in Trades-men Plough-men Servants and the like with some others whom I know thy Father's Party made a mock at and even scorned them as it were and thought it too low and too base a thing to engage War with such a contemptible People yet in such I say did the Lord appear to carry on that Work which he had determined even to bring down the loftiness of man and to stain the pride and glory of flesh and that thy Father's Party might have come to see that they were but men made of the same earth and blood that others were And the Lord God appeared mightily in those his Instruments giving them Wisdom Courage and Strength to mannage a War against a far more Mighty and Wise
your Ministry and Worship and in the constitutions thereof and in all your Conversations And that which you see with the Light to be contrary to the mind and will of God in any of these things before-mention you must deny and give it up to be consumed by the Spirit of Judgement and burning and you must give your full consent that the Lamb of God the Light of the World the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the quickning Spirit who is one with the Eternal Father may have the preheminence in all things And that he may Rule in you all over you all and lead and guide you all in all things before you can witness that God's Controversie with you is fully come to an end And all them of the Nations that are saved must walk in the Light of the Lamb Therefore let every particular in their several stations come to a true honest search speedily and cast off and deny that which the Light will let you see that God is against that so haply God may stay the mighty Judgement which otherwise must come which is nigh at the door which will sweep away the ungodly These are faithful and true sayings and things which must shortly be fulfilled therefore blessed will every one be that will hear and obey the Counsel of the most High for the day of the Lord draweth nigh And now ye Rulers if ye resolve to build up that which God hath thrown down by an out-stretched Arm and if you strive to establish your selves in that which God's Controversie hath been and yet is against you will undo your selves for ever for you will engage the Lord against you who assuredly will be too strong for you and break and confound you as opposers of his mighty work therefore take heed what you do the Lords decree shall stand George Fox the younger THE DREAD Of Gods Power UTTERING ITS VOICE Thorow MAN unto the HEADS of the NATION OH ye Mighty men who sit upon the THRONE that are Exalted into Power and brought into great Authority Do you indeed know the Hand that brought you up thither And do you rightly understand the End of your coming into Power again And do you certainly know the Work which God requires at your hands And do you indeed see the true Leader which is to lead in the Way and Work of the Lord And do you Feel and Witness that your Hearts are truly Enclined and Prepared towards the Work of the Lord Or are you not ignorant of these Things And do you not rather feel your Hearts enclined towards REVENGE and to make your selves Great and to get your selves a Name and to follow that which is pleasing to your own Eyes and to Condemn that which God hath Justified and to Justifie that which God hath Condemned and doth Condemn Let there be an honest search made with the Witness of God in your own hearts which will shew you the thoughts and the intents thereof and think not to flatter your selves as others have done before you by conceiving that you are safe enough because the Arm of Flesh is with you and at your Command For verily verily Thus saith the Lord God I will yet make the Powers of the Earth to know that I am God and there is no other and that I can do whatsoever I please and my Purpose and Decree shall stand unalterable And I will bring to pass the thing that is in my Heart and none shall let it for in its season it shall be accomplished Oh! Hear ye Rebellious and live be not so stiff-necked and wilful like those that went before you who would not hear Reproof lest I make you a hissing and scatter you with more dishonour that any that went before you for my Anger is kindled and my Jealousie is waxed hot against the Man of Sin My Decree is to Dis-throne him and to take the Kingdom my self and to slay his Subjects that will not turn at my Reproof and be subject to my Government Therefore seek not your selves neither follow the Devices and Iniquity of your own hearts any longer for I the LORD am coming to plead with all flesh and I will make mine Enemies know that I have Power to accomplish my own Work though I should find all the Armed men and the men in Authority against me Now this is my Decree I will set up Righteousness in the Earth and I will establish Equity and Mercy amongst the People I will remove Oppression from off the Earth and I will Search out and overthrow the Ground and Foundation thereof in whomsoever or in whatsoever it stands even as I overthrew Sodom in the dayes of old and they that will not haste out of it shall certainly be destroyed saith the Holy One who will break the Potsherds of the Earth that withstand him and consume the Stubble the Thorns and the Bryars that set themselves in Baâ—tel against him who is a consuming Fire Therefore Oh ye Heads of the People Consider your Wayes and weigh your Actions in that equal ballance the Word of God which will shew you the thoughts and the intents of your hearts for verily the Lord God is highly displeased and your hearts are seen not to be right before him Therefore consider your Foundation upon which you build lest your building fall with great dishonour and loss when the Storm comes which shall come to try it Mark Were You or your Fathers and Friends able to keep your selves in Power when the Lord formerly appeared against you to cast you out before your Enemies because of your Rebellion against him Or were your Enemies able to keep you out of Power and themselves in when the Lord appeared against them to Split and Confound them and to turn their day into darkness and to bring you in as a Flood over them because of their treacherous dealing with the Lord and because they perverted the Cause and Power that was put into their hands serving themselves and their Lusts and not the Lord Verily as they were not able to stand no more will you be able to stand and keep your Places except you repent and own that your Enemies had a a just Cause put into their hands against you And so put a difference betwixt the Cause and That which perverted it and not judge and condemn both together for if you do verily I say unto you when you have filled up your measures you will assuredly fall without recovery though you were ten thousand times stronger than you are and although not one man appeared against you with a Carnal Weapon Consider Was it a Carnal Weapon that brought you in Were you not brought in without a stroke outward And is not the Lord the same Is his hand shortned Hath not he the hearts of all Flesh in his Power And can he not turn them as he pleaseth Can he not root out and overthrow whomsoever he will And if he will do it without outward
Truly many of you have mightily provoked the Lord unto anger and grieved his Spirit in this particular Mark in your applying Promises as you have termed it for many of you have stollen the words which declare of the Promises which are to the Seed of Life and you have applyed them unto the wrong Seed or Birth yea you have gathered the good words out of the Scriptures that were written unto them who were born again of the incorruptible Seed and you have applyed them unto your selves in the corruptible unregenerate state and when you have done thus the Witness of God in your own Consciences hath oft arose and condemned you and broke the false peace joy which you had created to your selves by stealing the Saints conditions and experiences and applying them to your selves calling them yours and saying it was so with you when it was not yea many of you have said your sins were washed away in the Blood of Christ and that you were freely justified in the sight of God by his Grace and your Teachers also have told you it was so yea they have Preached peace unto you because you put into their mouths even while you lived in your sins But the pure Grace of God hath appeared in your hearts and condemned you And when you have been thus judged by the Witness of God your false peace hath been broken and then some of you have run to your Teachers who had cryed peace unto you and daubed you up with untempered Morter and told them your conditions how you were condemned in your selves and how you had lost the peace and joy that you formerly had and how judgement was felt in the room of it Then some of your blind Guides have told you that that was the Devil that condemned you and brake your Peace and thus they have brought themselves under the Wo Putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness and then they have told you you must apply the Promises and act Faith as they call it upon the Promises in the Scriptures and keep unto them And thus they have sought to daub you up again and to draw you from the pure Spirit of Judgement and some of you who have received their words have then strove against the pure Witness which condemned you and counted it the Tempter and have laboured in your wills to get from under its pure Judgement and to force your selves into a belief and perswasion again that those things to wit the Promises belonged unto you And thus have you fought against the Witness of God and denied its Testimony and strangled it and so got into a false peace again but others of you have been kept more sensible of its judgement and have not dared to deny it because you have seen that ye were not fit for the Promises for you have seen with the Light that you were out of the condition which is required of such as come to be partakers of the Promises Now it hath been a great saying among many of you That you must act Faith upon a bare Promise in the Scriptures as your Teachers have taught you and they have told you That Abraham believed God upon a bare Promise and so must you Oh consider this well The Word of the Lord came unto Abraham saying unto him Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And again the Lord spake unto him saying I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and Abraham believed God in these Promises and others and he obeyed him So Abraham's Faith was reckoned unto him for Righteousness and he was called the Friend of God because he believed and obeyed him Now if you were come to hear the Lord speak unto you as Abraham did then you ought to believe whatever the Lord promised unto you that he would perform the same But if you only get these Promises or others out of the Scriptures and then apply them unto your selves and say you believe it is or shall be so with you as it is expressed in those Promises and yet you never heard the Lord say any such thing unto you Mark you do but deceive your selves for such a belief or acting of Faith upon the Promises as you call it will never be accounted unto you for Righteousness Neither will you come to find such Promises so gotten fulfilled unto you by the Lord. And you are also to consider this That many of the Promises in the Scriptures were given forth upon Conditions and except you come to witness the conditions fulfilled in you by the Power you are not like to witness such Promises made good unto you And also there are some Promises spoken of in the Scriptures which naturally belong to the Immortal Seed that were by the Lord given forth unto it without expressing any conditions because the Seed is free and doth the Will of God naturally Now all that come to have right to such Promises and to witness them fulfilled unto them by the Lord they first must be converted into the nature of the Seed by the working of the Immortal Word in them Therefore you that have true desires after the Lord wait to feel the work of the Word of Life in your own hearts that so by it you may be made meet as I said before to be partakers of the Promises Verily Friends Many of you have much to pass through before you can come to feel and witness the Lord ministring his precious Promises of Life and Peace freely unto you Oh! He waiteth to be gracious unto you yea he hath long waited Oh! That you would now turn unto him in the drawings of his Power and Life and cease willing and running and striving in your own wills and wayes and wait to be guided and led by his Spirit into those things which he requireth at your hands Oh Friends It is the inside it is the inside that must be cleansed for whilst that is polluted and unclean the Lord regardeth not the Worship It is he that searcheth the heart and tryeth the inward parts you cannot hide any thing from him For he beholdeth all your goings and actings and thoughts Now I know many of you will oft make large confessions of your sins but Friends there is a further thing to be minded Mark you must also come to forsake them or else you cannot find the mercy Therefore hearken diligently unto the call of the Lord and believe and wait in that which makes manifest sin and calleth you out of the same for this is holy and consenteth not unto sin it hath no fellowship with darkness nor concord with the Devil Now this is the living Truth by this you may know it mark it is contrary to whatsoever is not of the Truth and it opposeth evil in the very appearance thereof Oh that you would hearken unto this and receive this in the love of it when it appeareth in you that so by the
in your Forms without Power neither Flee the Cross any longer but wait in the True Simplicity to feel God's hand of Tender Love which he reacheth sorth to and manifesteth in you to lead and guide your minds into his Pure Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Oh People This is the Worship that he will set up He will be LORD and LAW-GIVER in the Consciences of his People and those that will not be content that EMANUEL should Reign over them he will Slay them with the Sword of the Spirit The words of his Mouth Oh! Hearken hearken a little and stand still that you may hear the voice of the True Shepherd in your own hearts who calleth for Truth in the Inward Parts he will discover what lodgeth Within and He will shew you the Way wherein you should walk and he will let you see what the Cross is unto and He will teach you when you are alone in your Beds or where-ever you are if you will receive Him who giveth you Life and Breath whose gentle Reproofs and Instructions are the Way of Life Therefore you in whom the Breathings and Desires after the Lord are Consult not with Flesh and Blood neither reason against the Cross but submit to every Appearance of God's Power in you which appeareth to Crucifie the Fleshly Birth and Nature which hath stood and doth stand in Rebellion and Emnity against the Pure and Precious Life and Requirings of the Lamb of God that so that Mind which is at enmity against God and that Nature in you which is Disobedient to his Commands in Spirit may come to be Crucified that so there may be a Change Inwardly felt and witnessed by the working of the might Power of Christ in your Inward Parts and then the Desires and Breathings which are Begotten in you after Righteousness they will be strengthned and the Teachings of the Almighty will be truly known and you believing in the Power you will receive Power to obey and Practice whatsoever the Lord shall make known unto you by his Spirit to be his Will and Requirings Oh People Let the Dread of the Lord Seize upon your Spirits in this the Day of his Power wherein he is Trying Sifting and Winnowing the Nations and wait to feel that Life arise within you which beareth Testimony against all evil within and without that so ye may become more and more acquainted with the Teachings Drawings and Leadings thereof that thereby you may be drawn and led out of those things which have kept your Souls in the Death hindred you from enjoying the Pure Peace of God And this know and consider that all that come to witness their Souls raised out of Death and brought to enjoy the Peace of God they must Believe in the Life of the Quickning Spirit which is the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven who for Sin Condemneth Sin in the Flesh and appeareth in the Inward Parts of man to work out Sin and Transgression which hath Separated from God and so to make clean the heart and inside of Male and Female Oh People This is the Work of Christ the Son of God even to make manifest and destroy the Works of the Devil and so to reconcile man unto God by the Virtue of his own Life which he gave a Ransom for many and blessed are all those that believe in the Life of the Son of God and feel and know it manifested in their mortal flesh for they shall witness the Power of it to make all things new and so their Souls will come up in the hand of God and his Peace will be Received and Enjoyed Oh People Wait to know and feel this Work of Christ within you that so you may be made able to Stand in the Judgement and to Endure the Tryal and that you may be Hid from the Wrath of the Lamb which is nigh to come upon the Rebellious Oh! Consider this Those that are his Followers they come thorow many Tribulations and their overcoming their Enemies is by His Blood not by a talk of it but by the Virtue and Power of it sprinkled in their Hearts which washeth and maketh them White Clean and without Fault before God Oh People my Bowels yearn my Bowels yearn towards you whose Desires in any measure are after the Lord O that you would now Return with all your hearts unto Him and obey the Voice of his Power in you then should you be made able to stand and endure the fiery Tryal which is come and coming Oh! the Day hastens wherein all Profession that is not grounded in the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ whatever the shew of it be it will be so shaken that an utter Blasting and withering shall come upon it and for that cause the Lord doth and will yet suffer great Tryals to come both upon the Professors and Possessors of his Name that so his Children the Possessors may be manifested unto all and discerned from all that are but Professors though never so fair and seemingly Covered For all Coverings but what is of the Power and Spirit it self shall be too Narrow and all that are not Covered with the Spirit and Power of Emanuel their Shame and Nakedness shall appear more and more This is the Testimony which the Spirit and Word of Truth giveth therefore He that hath an ear to hear let him hear before the day of his Visitation be wholly past and the things belonging to his Peace he hid from his Eyes For yet a little while and the Voice shall be He that is filthy let him be filthy still For the Spirit of the Lord shall not alwayes strive with Flesh but his Plagues and Indignation shall be poured out upon such as will be gathered in the Day of his Patience long Forbearance and Free-Love and He or She that Loveth Father Mother Husband Wife Children House or Land Liberty Honour or any Thing more than the Life of the Lamb shall be counted not worthy of him and plainly manifested so to be Read this who can and he that can receive it let him For the Time draweth nigh that these Sayings must be fulfilled Printed the 13th of the Second Month 1661. GEORGE FOX the Younger SEVERAL EPISTLES To FRIENDS Who are GATHERED into the Light of Life A General EPISTLE and a tender Greeting sent unto the Flock of Christ who meet together to Worship the Father and the Son in the Spirit of Truth to be read in the Fear and Wisdom of God amongst them DEAR and tenderly beloved Friends and â—hildren of the most High God who have felt and tasted of his eternal Word of Life and have been acquainted with the workings and operations thereof whereby you are begotten again unto a lively Hope and are brought to know that Life which you were alienated from and that Covenant of Promise which ye were strangers unto Oh Friends unto you is my Love in the Lord Jesus Christ exceeding great
for Friends that dwell in it for they that stand approved shall be made manifest and the upright shall not lose but gain through all these things and certainly when our God hath tryed us to the full he will appear for us and though our Enemies were as the sand of the Sea and as strong as Gyants yet shall they fall as untimely fruit and our GOD shall consume and weaken them by the Majesty of his Power and an exceeding desolation shall come upon the Earth and a Besom of destruction shall sweep away many Therefore dear Hearts be stedfast in the Lord and keep the Word of his Patience and know that not one hair of your Heads shall perish nor any thing shall be done unto any of you but what the Lord will be glorified by and you shall receive a full and a sufficient reward for it if ye continue faithful So live in the Power and Seed of God that ye may possess the Kingdom the eternal Peace Joy and Righteousness which stands in the Power And love fervently Oh Friends let that abound more and more one towards another and by this shall men also know that ye are taught of Christ if ye love one another and wait that ye may feel the springs of Life in your selves and feed upon that which proceeds from God that ye may grow up in the Power and Life and Wisdom of God and therein be established So the Almighty Power Life and Wisdom of God keep and preserve your for ever Amen The Lord God Almighty keep you fresh and lively meek tender and innocent and fill you with every good word and work which accompanieth Peace and Godliness if any Decree unrighteous Decrees heed them not for the Decree of God shall stand which is to establish Righteousness in the Earth and in the Power of the Lord we shall break the bonds of the ungodly and cast their cords from us So the Spiritual Weapon war withal and stand in the Faith and hold fast the Word of Truth that through it you may feel and witness your sanctification and the Birth Immortal raised up over all which is the Heir of the Kingdom without end and assuredly God will do mighty things for his Poples therefore be ye comforted and strengthened in the Lord and dwell in and keep his Covenant and answer his requirings in the Light of Life and live in the retiredness and in the Wisdom of God that your Enemies may have no just occasion against you and that ye may be preserved out of their snares and if they Imprison you and falsely accuse you or spoyle your Goods or Persecute you any manner of wayes keep in Patience and freely forgive them and suffer as Lambs in the true Innocency that so your Peace with the Lord may be preserved in all conditions And Friends let the Dread and Majesty of God fill you And as concerning the changing of Times and Governments let not that trouble any of you for God hath a mighty work and hand therein and he will yet change again until that come up which must Reign and in vain shall Powers and Armies withstand the Lord for his determined work shall come to pass but what is now come up it 's just with the Lord that it should be so and he will be served by it Therefore let none murmur nor distrust God for God will provoke many to zeal against unrighteousness and for Righteousness through things which are suffered now to work for a season yea many whose zeal was even dead shall revive again and they shall see their back-slidings and bewail them bitterly and God shall thunder down from Heaven and break forth in a mighty noise and his Enemies shall be astonished and the workers of Iniquity confounded and all that have not on the Garment of Righteousness shall be amazed at the mighty and strange work of the Lord which shall be certainly brought to pass but my Babes look ye not out but be still in the Light of the Lamb and he shall fight for you So the Almighty hand which must Break and Split and Divide your Enemies and take away Peace from them preserve and keep you whole and in Unity and in Peace with it self and one with another Lambeth-House the 3 d. day of the 4 th Month 1660. I am your Dear Friend and Brother in the Kingdom and Patience of Christ who am a Prisoner for his Testimony and keep his Word and am made as willing to suffer bonds or to dye for his Name as to declare and publish it amongst men Eternal living Praises and Hallelujahs over all be unto him for evermore Amen George Fox the Younger AN EPISTLE UNTO All who love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity who are made partakers of the riches of his Grace and meet together to wait upon him therein to be read in their Meetings in the Fear of the Lord. DEAR Friends whom the eternal God hath visited with his own Life and Power and thereby hath called you out of the Darkness of the World into his Marvellous Light and hath begotten and quickned a Seed in you unto which pertaineth the Promises of Life and Peace and also hath opened a good understanding in you by the measure of his Eternal Spirit and hath brought you into a feeling and a sensibleness and a savour of that which ministers and reacheth to and refresheth his own Seed Oh Friends great is the Love of the Lord God unto you and large is his Eternal Riches let not his everlasting Love be forgotten by any of you neither slight nor neglect his rich Mercy but dear Friends dwell in the living measure of his Grace and hearken diligently unto the Voice of the Lamb so shall you be refreshed with the living Presence of the Father and the Fountain of Life shall be enlarged unto you whereby the Babe of God shall be strengthned and grow up in stature And when you are met together to wait upon the Lord Oh! feel his living Gift in your selves and be obedient to the motions and operations thereof that so the Presence and Power of the Eternal God may be felt and enjoyed in your Meetings and at other times for the bringing down and working out of all that which is contrary to himself in you and for the working you into the express Image of his own Glory and for the bringing you into the perfect Obedience of his own Life and Power that the Nature of the Lamb which takes away the sins ye may all grow into that so the Patience of Christ may be felt and witnessed in you all and that it may have its perfect Work in you that therein you may possess your Souls then shall the Lord enlarge your understandings and ye shall grow into the meek quiet Spirit wherein your savour and discerning shall be encreased and ye shall feel the gentle leadings of the invisible Life whereby satisfaction and refreshment shall be received unto the Seed
Christ who am filled with his streaming consolating Virtue Joy Peace Love and everlasting Refreshment George Fox the Younger Touching compelling Engagements this in the Truth I say A Fearful hard unbelieving heart in man was the ground from whence those Engagements arose They that stand live in that ground cannot trust in the Lord but make flesh their Arm and therefore where such have Power they seek to force and compell men to Swear Vow and Promise and Engage to be true to them and to seek to preserve them But whosoever do Righteousness and Rule therein God is their trust and his Arm is their strength and such are a Dread and a Terror to Evil Doers and a praise to them that do well and their hearts are inclined by the Lord to such Rulers Now he that desires to turn a fearful hard unbelieving heart out of that state he must seek to turn it from the false refuge strength and security of it made to preserve it self in that state and so direct it to that which must break it and its confidence in its false refuge Also if a man puts trust and confidence in Bulwarks of Earth that cannot preserve him and labour to fortifie himself therein by building them higher and believes that if he gets them higher he shall be safe Mark he that stands by and knows certainly that such a one is deceived and doth see that he cannot be safe in that place and yet for self ends upon any account whatsoever shall help the deceived man to build his Bulwark higher that man doth not do well in so doing he doth not as he would be done unto Are not the Children of Light Engaged and bound to God in the bond of love to resist every thing that is Evil and to do unto all men as they would they should do to them yea to serve and obey the Lord in all things is not this our Covenant with God therefore can we consent to any Evil Custom of man without breaking Covenant with God and have we not seen counted and declared this to be an Evil Custome that hath been upheld among the Sons of Men Mark for them that get upper most in the many changings still to force and compel others to Engage to them Oh! consider this seriously But what if the Ruler will take that for an Engagement to him that my Principles leads me unto whether he command me to it or not may not I lawfully give him that if that will save me from suffering and if it be so that he will Persecute me if I do not so Engage to him It is not lawful for thee to do evil that good may come thereof Mark the Persecuter is not of God but of the wicked One and he is not to be bowed unto whatever thou suffer thou oughtest not to be compelled to Engage to any that compelling custom is Evil and is to be resisted in the Lambs Power Mark Although I dare not but serve the Lord God according to the Principle of his Truth in me yet if any man should come and say thus unto me If thou wilt not Promise and Engage unto me that thou wilt serve and obey the Lord thy God I will Persecute thee but if thou wilt I will not I say though I knew he had Power to Persecute and execute the same yet I dare not Engage or make such a Promise to him whatever he were First Because I know the Lord requires no such thing at my hand Secondly Because if I did I should in so doing bowe and yield to the compelling Power of a Persecuting Spirit which is not of Christ but against him and this will dishonour and offend the holy God and bring me into sore bondage also therefore I dare not for Conscience sake yield to that Evil Custom of Engaging to man which hath been upheld in the compelling Persecuting Power among the Sons of Men. From one that truly seeks the good of the whole Creation and can freely give unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's but I must give unto God the things that are Gods who also desires that the Authority and honour of Truth may be preserved whatever become of me George Fox the Younger None can hinder the DETERMINED WILL of GOD. WHat my Father hath Determined for these men to do no man can stopt it Oh! that Patienec might be abode in by all that know his Name and his Will submitted unto by them that he hath called O be still strive not but Drink the Cup which my Father suffereth to be given I know it will be bitter to some but whosoever striveth against it shall come to loss and shame for the Lord will yet further Try his People till it be fully and clearly manifest who are the Approved in his sight This he will certainly do Therefore let not the present Calm beget a wrong security in any for loe the Day hastens and comes swiftly that another storm must arise and in Vain will it be to flie to the Tall Cedars and strong Oakes for shelter for nothing but the Name of the Lord can preserve in that Day Written the beginning of the 4th Month 61 GEORGE FOX the Younger Concerning the departure of Dear GEORGE FOX the Younger or words spoken by him a little before he was taken out of the Body THis may inform Friends that as formerly he was a man full of the Power of the Lord whose living presence dayly did accompany him so also in the last Visitation of his outward man even till the laying down thereof it was largely continued to and with him for he lay although weak in body as a man dayly renewing his strength in the Lord even to the last whose living powerful presence was seen and felt to be very powerfully present with him yea he was so fill'd with the Power and presence of the Lord of Life That he said although very weak as aforesaid That he would even shout and sing for Ioy of heart and so did Exhort Friends to keep in that Vnity which he had so long travailed for And then with much fervency of Spirit he Prayed and exhorted all Friends To keep their Garments unspotted of the World because great was the Day of Tryal that was at hand Recommending all Friends to the Lord with his Dear love to all the Faithful Lambs and Babes of the Lord and taking his leave of Friends fell a sleep in perfect Peace with the Lord being in perfect memory to the last This Testimony was Received from a Friend who was with him in the time of the weakness of his outward man even untill the laying down thereof This is for you who are called Common-wealths men both in the Army and Parliament to read Wherein are many plain and true things declared unto you which are suitable to your present Estate and Condition that ye may consider them in the same that they are sent unto you in which is in Truth and in sincerity
and singleness and uprightness of heart in that love which thinks no Evil even in obedienae unto the Spirit of the Lord which also saith Try all things and hold fast that which is good Friends IN several of you I know there hath stirred and doth oft stir a pure true living Principle of God which hath begot and doth beget true honest and upright Desires and Breathings in you after Righteousness true Liberty and Freedom and loathings of Oppression and Tyranny and it hath been in the hearts of some of you and much upon you to break down Oppression and Tyranny and to remove Oppressors and to make void all such Laws as make provision for Tyranny and Oppression whereby the Oppressors have long been strengthened in their Oppressing the People of this Nation and some of you have felt the weight and burden of Oppression and Tyranny under which the Innocent suffer and it hath been much in your hearts to set up Righteous Laws whereby all People might have Equity and Justice done to them and for them by such as you have had thoughts to put in Authority which would do just and equal things between Man and Man without respect to persons These things the Lords witness in you hath shewed unto you that they ought to be done by you and some of you have breathed and desired much to do these things when ye have owned the pure movings and stirrings of the measure of the Life and Power God in you which hath stirred and moved in you towards Righteousness Equity Mercy and Justice But hitherto ye have been much hindred in this work And truly Friends there are many things yet remaining in and among you mark that which hinder and stop you in this work of true Reformation and they will stop you therein mark that so long as they bear rule in and among you and are consented to and regarded by you many of those things are as followeth First There are many that pretend that they are of you mark that which have joyned unto you in some outward appearance but it is more for fear of loosing their places and the riches and honour of this world than for to the Cause of Equity Justice and true Liberty And these are in the Priests nature who for covetousness and self ends can change with the times and Governments and pretend they are for them so long as they will hold them up and such are neither true to God nor their Country for they can lay down their Religion which they have pretended to stand for and deny the Cause of their Country if it will make most for their own Gain and then say it was the Lords doing and they are satisfied in it though it be quite contrary to that which they have formerly contended for and of this sort there are many among you which stop the work you ought to do And several of you also in whom the Truth of God hath stirred against Oppression and Tyranny verily your minds are yet so much in your Commissions and Places and in the love and honour and Wisdom of this World that this stops you in the work ye ought to do And some of you have so many relations mark that that have such a great gain in those very things which greatly Oppresse the People of this Nation and also some of your selves are concerned in these things that so ye cannot tell how to take away Oppression wholly without taking away their and your own gain and these things being looked at by you they exceedingly stop you in the work you ought to do because herein private self ends and respect to Persons by you are preferred before the general good of all Now Friends whilst your minds and thoughts and hearts run into or after any of these things They with the Enemy of your Souls will not suffer you to do that which is equal no further to be sure then it will stand safe for the upholding and preferring of yout relations and your own private particular self ends Therefore all wait in that which is pure and living of God in you which will shew you all Deceit if ye keep to it that so by it your minds may be redeemed out of all self and respect to Persons that so all particular private self ends and respects to Persons may be denyed and utterly trampled upon by you and that the general good and freedom of all without respect of Persons may be minded and acted for by you that so ye may serve the Lord God and your Generation in singleness and uprightness of heart and then the Lord will honour you and he will be your sufficient reward Verily it is a mighty thing and it is highly to be prized by you especially ye of the Army that ever the Lord God should make use of you again and again put an opportunity into your hands to do that which you formerly promised and vowed unto the Lord and your Nation to do seeing ye so slighted mark that the former opportunities which the Lord God gave you and acted so Treacherously and Deceitfully as ye did in your back-slidings and if ye should slight this opportunity also do not expect another be not deceived God will not be mocked therefore consider these things and mind to answer the Lords love yet continued unto you But if ye look out at or suffer your minds to run into mark the greatness of your Places or after your gain or the honour of the World or if ye look out at love or hatred of your Friends or known Enemies or at any particular self end whatsoever These things will strangle the Principle of God in you which moves to do that which is equal and just unto all and then the tender Seed in you which feels the weight and burden of Oppression that will be murdered and then the deadness and hardness of heart will come upon you more and more and ye will settle deeper and deeper in the death and verily if ye should do thus ye would become even as Sodom and Gomorah unto the Lord and he would overturn you with a great and mighty destruction as he did them therefore remember you have been warned So look at none of these things but look ye to the Lord God and mind the movings of his Life in you and be obedient thereto and as Oppression and Tiranny and Injustice is made manifest unto you by the Light of the Lord in you in the Power of the Lord committed unto you break it down and overturn it and set up and establish Righteous Laws Equity Mercy and Justice and true Liberty in its Place and then you neeâ— not fear what Man can do unto you for the Lord will then be your preserver So the Lord God hath once more tryed you Now if you love Father Mother Wife Children Houses Lands Commissions Honours of the World or any particular self end whatsoever more then the work of the Lord or if ye
prefer any of them so as thereby to stop the Lords work or if you do the Lords work negligently which he hath once more put into your hands verily ye shall not be counted worthy to be the Lords workmen So remember Saul who was made an example that others might take warning who slew but part of that which was to be distroyed and saved a part alive and therein he was stubborn and disobedient Now if ye should destroy but part of the Trranny and Oppression which is utterly to be distroyed mark that and preserve part of it take heed lest the Lord rent you from your places for your stubborness and disobedience as he rent Saul from his Kingdom for his Therefore Awake Awake and wait in the Light to feel the Lord's strength that therein your zeal and courage for him may be renewed and linger not in things as ye have done but dwell in the Power of the Lord ye who have felt it and do not abuse it or resist it any longer and in his Power act for the Freedom and just Liberty of all his Creatures this will bring honour unto the Lord that so ye in whose hearts there is a singleness an honesty an uprightness unto the Lord may keep your selves from being defiled with the corruptness of others and so be preserved in his Wisdom and Power in the Breakin gs Overturnings or Purging â—nd Separating that yet must be in the Nation And Friends in the Army when will the Spirit of â—â—â—hteousness and Equity be clearly manifested among you to rule you thus that so long as ye bear an outward Sword it might be onely turned against Evil Doers and not for the upholding any Oppression whatsoever but for the breaking down of all Oppression and Tyranny wheresoever it is found and for keeping the outward Peace whilst equal and Just Laws be established whereby the Just Liberties and outward Freedom of the Nation might be enjoyed and not to make a trade of using your Swords to enrich your selves by them by heaping up outward riches and to feed your lusts But whilst ye use your Swords to be content with such wages as might but even find you things necessary and convenient for your Places Now if this Spirit lead you then self denyal will be manifested in you indeed and they that called you a mercenary Army then should be ashamed for if Tyranny and Oppression were destroyed and Equity true outward Liberty and Freedom were established and the Enemies of it so brought to nought that so there were no need of you this Spirit if it ruled you would make you as freely willing then to lay down your Places and Swords as ever any of you were made free to take them up and then to fall upon improveing the Creation in the fear and Wisdom of the Lord and to be content to enjoy an equal proportion and share of the Liberty with your fellow Creatures which you have fought for and if it were thus then ye might truly be called the Common-wealths Men or servants But if ye carry a Sword expect and desire still to carry or uphold a sword to make a Trade of mark that then I know you will not utterly bring down Oppressors and Oppression and firmly establish outward Liberty though ye could lest your Trade should fall Now if you do not act singly for your Nations good stand out of all self ends whatsoever but still continue making a Trade of using your Swords then you cannot truly be called the Common-wealths servants but such as serve your selves and such as are their Masters though you receive wages of them And Friends there are many things done lately in the name of the Keepers of the Liberty of England Now mark ye should first make England a free Nation and set it at Liberty from all its Oppression and bondage that it is in befoâ—e ye take such a name upon you and then in the fear and Wisdom of the Lord see to preserve and keep its Liberty and then ye might truly be called the Keepers of the Liberty of England But if ye do not first set it at Liberty and then keep it and ye be called the Keepers of the Liberty of it ye will be but like unto those which had a name that they lived and yet were dead and like the false Christians who are puffed up with a name but are out of the nature which belongs to the name This from me who have a tender love going forth unto all both in Parliament Army and others who have any true Breathings or Desires in them after Righteousness Truth Equity Mercy Justice and true Judgement which I wait to see set up and Establiâ—hed And I honour the higher Power and am subject thereunto where ever or in whomsoever it doth appear which Power hath made me a watchman unto you to warn you to watch for your Souls and for Peace And in obeying this Power I am clear of and free from the blood of all men Given forth by Geo. Fox the Younger The Ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the Wise He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own Soul But he that heareth reproof getteth understanding Friends the reason why this comes last is because a Copy of it could not be obtained till such time as the foregoing writings were Printed otherwise it had come in order with the Rest of his Books THE END * Since the writing of this before it could be delivered we have seen a Declaration put forth by Thee by which in part this is answered which as this and the rest comes to be fulfilled the Lord will bless prosper Thee †This Abomination have I beheld several times out of my Prison Window * So that none shall be able in the day of the Lord to plead or say Lord because our first Parents fell from thee and became dead unto thee and so were driven out from thy presence and we being brought forth in this unreconciled state there was no way left unto us to approach or come near unto thee to lay hold of the Grace that thou offerest unto all by reason of thine Anger I say none shall be able thus to plead For Christ the Fathers Love hath consecrated a way by his freely giving up himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice which appeaseth God and therefore it is said that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing sin unto them So he that perisheth it shall be for his own sins not for his parents but because he believed not in Christ who hath freely made a way for him to come unto God and by the power of his life visiting him puts him in a capacity to receive the free grace which bringeth salvation which to all men hath appeared * As for the Government and Ministry of the Town of Harwich their streets like Sodom have shewn its effects And the Angels and Lot might as justly have been charged with making a disturbance in Sodom when the ungodly thronged Lot's Door as RG and I in Harwich as the sober Reader may see Also when I was in Prison there I have seen out at the Window many go staggering with Drunkenness in the street and both in the day and in the night they have come to the Gate and cursed me bitterly and stammered our Oaths by reason of Drunkennes and then cryed God save KING CHARLES saying He would hang the Quakers and the Anabaptists and these have gone unpunished But when sober People have come to the Gate to hear the Truth declared them the Goalors Company hath thrown water upon and the MAYOR hath come and commanded them to depart from the Window and the Goalor hath come and shut it up and threatned me
emptiness of the water outward and let them see that it is the Baptism inward with the holy Spirit and with Fire which saves and brings to the answer of a good Conscience And that no Form is to be minded any further then the Power is felt to lead into it or then the presence of the Lord is witnessed in it And thus the Lord by his pure Life hath gathered Thousands out of the Forms before mentioned and I do believe that he will yet dayly gather more and more into the Power which is endless Therefore all you who are yet left in any of those forms before mentioned or any other or out of Forms who have retained any thing of the former Tenderness and Smiplicity which was begotten in you by the appearance of the Lord And all you who are brought to see your backslidings and are now brought to feel any true desires and thirsting after God renewed in you my tender love reacheth forth unto you all in the Life Power and love of God wherewith I am loved and in which I am preserved Oh! that I could feel you bound up and established with me in the unchangable Truth of God where satisfaction and Peace is received and where nothing can make afraid Oh! that ye would freely yield your selves obedient servants unto the Righteousness of God which is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness of men Mark that is the thing which you must become obedient unto God's Righteousness which appeareth in you against all unrighteousness And all wait in that which moves against Sin for that is the Power of God which you must be turned unto and receive before you can receive the remission of Sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by the Faith which Christ Jesus the Righteousness of God is the Author and finisher of And Friends you must all mind the present manifestation of the Power of God and what it now draweth and leadeth unto For if you should now run into those things wherein you have formerly enjoyed something of the presence and Life of God yet if you feel not the pure Power of the Lord God now drawing you into them deadness will come upon you more and more and the tender desires that are renewed in you towards the Lord will be destroyed Oh! consider this the day of the Lord is far broke forth in Light and Knowledge and he is yet making it brighter and brighter unto them that truly wait upon him yea he is leading them by the hand of his love from one degree of Grace and Faith and Knowledge unto another and changing them from glory to glory And he is powring from vessel to vessel that the dregs may be left by themselves Yea he is sifting and winowing that the Chaff and the dross may be taken away and so the Seed which standeth approved may be made manifest And he is bringing thorow the fire and thorow the fire because the day hasteneth and draweth nigh in which he will make up his Jewels and consume the chaff and the dross Therefore look not back neither be afraid of the rage of man seek not to save your selves by bowing to his Will but look to the Lord who declareth unto you what your thoughts are and gird up the loins oF your minds and watch and be sober and hope to the end all you who through patience and experience are come to know any thing of the true hope which maketh not ashamed And Friends concerning Faith and the Promises of God there hath been much Profession and talk of those things amongst you But now the day is appearing which will try all Professions and every one's work must come to Tryal Therefore consider your Faith and the Ground Author and effects of it For there is a dead Faith and a living Faith and a ground for both Now the living Faith hath Jesus for its Author and the power of God for its Ground and its effects declare it to be the living Faith for it works in them that have it by love unto the purifying of their hearts and it is their victory over the world These were the effects of the living Faith in the Saints of old and it hath the same now as they can witness who have received it Now there is a Faith which stands but in Words not in the Power and this is a dead Faith it cannot work it purifies not the heart it gives not victory over the world nor access to God as the living Faith doth Oh Friends Labour not to content your selves with a dead Faith but wait that you may hear the leaving Word by which the living Faith comes Now a man may declare of the Word of Life as the Scriptures do and many may believe the words to be true and profess the same and yet if they receive not the living Word or VVitness in their own hearts their Faith will prove but a dead Faith and they will have but words for its ground but they that hear the VVords of Truth declared or read them and then feel the living VVord arising in themselves witnessing to the words that they have read or heard that they are true over-powering them to believe the same or if the VVord of Life speaketh to any ones understanding when words outwardly are not spoken and they be over-powered by the Word to believe the same such come indeed to feel and know how the living Faith cometh and is wrought And they come also to see that this Faith stands in the Power of God and not in words and that Jesus who saveth from sin is the Author of it And all that come into this state if they wilfully turn not from the Power they will feel their Faith increased in and by the Power and the effects of it will daily come to be manifest which will be an evidence unto them to prove that it is the living Faith for they will feel it giving them access to God Oh ye Professors I speak what I know and witness and without this Faith you cannot please God And concerning the Promises of God this know The Promises are unto the Seed Not unto Seeds as of many but unto the Seed which is One which is Christ So all that come to have right unto the Promises of God they must come to be of the Seed unto which the Promises are Now it is the Word of Life which begetteth unto God and brings to be of the Seed which is the Heir of the Promises of God Therefore wait in the appearance of the Word of Life that by it you may be begotten into the nature of the incorruptible Seed and become born of it that so you may be made meet to be partakers of the precious Promises Oh that ye would hearken diligently and obey and your Souls should live The Lord's hand of tender love and pitty is stretched forth towards you Oh! be not rebellious any longer lest he cease striving with you