Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	lord_n	people_n	2,899	5	4.6740	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33894	A word in season to all in authority with weighty considerations what persons, practices, and things doth chiefly cause division and contention, rending of kingdoms, and distresse of nations : as also a plain discovery of those things and that ministry that will bring blessings and unity, with deliverance from bondage into liberty, and instead of strife, wars, and fighting, righteousnesse, reconciliation and peace in the land of our nativity / published by J.C.	J. C. (John Collens), d. 1682.; Anderdon, John, 1624?-1685.	1660 (1660)	Wing C5235; ESTC R27130	21,270	30

all and brought them into subjection how soon did they Court him with Flatteryes endeavouring to promote him to the highest honour and so blinded his judgment and he suffering them to breath a while and not executing judgment speedily their hearts had another mischief to devise and so then preaching up his Government as Jure divino and then both they that had joyned with the King and stirred up people to fight for the King and for the Service-Book and the rest of that stuffe and them also who had fought against the King and Service-Book they soon became one and they preach up Oliver to be Protector and they all make use of his Authority they tooke the Engagement against King or House of Lords and so then he was the only man and this was the only Government But still there was a few people who still saw their deceit and Treacherous dealing with all sorts and these could not cease to make mention of it their souls being grieved with their abominable deceit and then they make it their whole business in all places to stir up the Rulers and especially the Protector to cut off such from the earth and they labour to create Parliaments to their mind and all sorts of Rulers to their mind never ceasing by all meanes to cut off this people But Oliver the Protector being by the Righteous hand of God cut off because he had not executed the thing for which the Lord raised him up but suffered the people of the Lord to be sorely afflicted and the same oppression to remaine upon the free people of this Nation as before His Son Richard he came in his stead how then did the men called Ministers hasten with their addresses from their severall Townes and Corporations to congratulate the young Protector and to give unto him the greatest stile that could be thought upon so that to some he was the Orient Star that was risen to give them light and such like and so having lifted up the young mans heart they then thought themselves secure and then they with him call a Parliament according to their own hearts desire whom they thought were fitted to do the work which they long had desired but when they had as it were brought that work to maturity that was to have cut off all those from the earth which would not bow to their Image the Lord overturned their Counsels in one * day brought up another people in their stead into whose hands the Lord delivered them for that they many of them had long cryed against the Protectors Oppression and Usurpation and had promi●ed to execute the judgment which God expected should be done upon those who had kept his people in bondage but they likewise forgot the day of their adversity in which they cryed unto the Lord and he heard them and they likewise began to lay more heavy Yoaks upon Gods people * and the Lord overturned them likewise and set up another sort * but their hearts being not right in the sight of God and had no mind to execute his judgment upon these who still held the people of God in bondage the Lord gave them no rest but brought in their Enemyes upon them as a flood his long-suffering being at an end and the measure of their transgression finished he hath now delivered them into the hands of their Enemyes that as the Lord sent his Servants to cry unto them and to wa●ne them and they had no regard unto the sufferings of his people yet the Lord often warned all sorts of them of the evil day that is now come upon them and they would not hear nor regard the cry of the Oppressed but the men called Ministers they preacht peace unto them and said no evil should happen unto them and they cryed that the Lord had not sent these men but they were deluded untill sudden destruction came upon them as is seen even pain as upon a Woman in Travell And now what is become of these men called Ministers who as I said before the war and in the war Preach'd and Prayed against the King who made it as it were their work and the Cause of God to f●ght against the King the same men against the Protector and for the Protector who were so zealous for the Government of the Protector that they imprisoned and whipped and cryed out in the ears of Magistrates where ever they came against a poor despired people that they were Enemies to the Government and were suspected that they met together to plot against the Government of the Protector I mean and stirred up the Rulers and they got Souldiers and they called Ministers with the Souldiers and rude people brake their meetings and accused them as being dangerous to the Government having a design against the Government and so cast into prison and all this in Zeal to the Government of the Protector and these were Ministers so called of all sorts as well of them who had been formerly for the King and those who had likewise been against him were become one for the government and one against the people of God which discovered their deceit and the Protector as it s well known and his government was the onely Man and Government that stood in opposition both to the Person and Government of the King yet all this and much more that might be said was then done by that sort of men in behalf and by vertue of that Government and these are the men that now as it were with one heart and with one consent Preach up and cry up the King O you that are now Rulers Are these men to be trusted Are these men to be followed as leaders Are these men to be regarded as to teach the way to eternall life Are they not guilty of all the blood-shed in these Nations Can any Government be secure whilst they are the men set up and their wayes upheld after such a manner as now it is Did not the King and that party follow them and were guided by them in their Councell and had their blessing and were taught by them that they were in the Truth and that they should prosper And did they not prove false Prophets unto them and were deceived by them and led into destruction Whereas on the contrary if the King had removed the Yoak off from the Consciences of people and had set peoples Consciences free and have had his eare open to have heard the cry of them who were afflicted by the Cruelty of the then Bishops and their Courts and Clergy and had eased the burthen from off their shoulder why then might not the King have lived in peace and ruled over the people and gone to the grave in peace And again after if the Parliament had not fought to inslave this people and have brought a greater yoke upon the Consciences of those who sought after God in sincerity of heart might not they have remained and their

under the power of Satan into the Power of God that Righteousness and just Judgement may run through the Nation as a mighty stream That so him or them whom God shall set up over this Nation may have his Throne established which cannot otherwise be established for for want of these things hath the wrath of God been revealed and his indignation poured out against these who in the day of his wrath after the Lords Long-suffering was over is now justly manifested And so now this is written in short to no other end but that these things may be taken out of the way which Gods Wrath and Vengeance is against That so the Wrath of God may be turned away from this Nation and that the Ruler or Rulers thereof might be firmly established and this is the true end and no other for which it is done And now unto all those who is honesty of heart shall read this let them honestly consider that those who are now set up who were of late Sufferers exiled and banished that what deliverance is now wrought is no way the price of their blood for whilst they strove that way they were continually overthrown from time to time but that the Power and the Glory might be the Lords and that all might be returned unto him the Lord hath made bare his own Arm hath brought this thing to pass that he himself might have the Glory and whether as well for our sakes whose innocent blood-shed in the time of Peace within these last seven years many Goals and other places can testifie besides the many beatings flockings whippings and cruel imprisonments of us for nothing but for crying against sin and oppression in Rulers Magistrates Priests and People I say whether from those multitudes of cruel wrongs done against us by those late Powers we may not now justly expect ease and the redress of our grievance likewise as well as others who then by the same powers were made sufferers since it is so just and so reasonable a thing that we do desire we seek no high Places Promotion nor Worldly glory amongst men We seek no revenge as to our selves upon any Person or People but that we may be protected in the exercise of our Consciences which is the Lords Prerogative in our Worship towards God and that we may be freed from all unjust Lawes that blindeth the Consciences of Gods free people that he hath bought with his own blood that as Sojourners in our own Nation we might dwell in safety as to our outward man as long as we live peaceably in all godliness and honesty And since the Lord hath visited you and hath returned your Captivity and is setting your Feet upon the Neck of your Enemies thus much doth the Lord require of you That you deliver His people and unloose their Bonds and break every Yoak that oppresseth them for this is all that we desire that we may walk in the way of our God And take heed unto your selves how you set up or go about to establish that which Gods wrath hath been made manifest against and hath pluckt down both it and them that did uphold it for the Lord he is God and changeth not and his fury and his anger is against it still and take heed how you continue that or suffer it to stand which is not yet cast down which the Lords wrath hath been of late manifest against the upholders of whom he sent his servants unto and warned and testified from time to time what it was the Lord required and what it was his judgment was against if they disobeyed which is fulfilled and fulfilling and now it is your time to work whilst you have the day to labour in before the night If there be a Heart amongst you to do any thing for the Lord and for his people in return of the large love of God made manifest unto you for the day of deliverance draweth near and all sorts have had a day and a price put into their hands but had not hearts to use it And the Lord hath smote them in his wrath and vexed them in his sore displeasure And the day of your Tryal is come and a time you may have now 〈◊〉 the Lord hath driven you away and chastised you with his Rod for your former Idolatrous Vain Superstitions and for your Pride Vain-glory and many other great abominations which feigned amongst you and if upon your return you forget the day of your distresse and so set up these things again and remain in your former sins and drink in quity with greediness what can you think will be your end but that shame and confusion must cover you and if you will force people to any Form of Worship and bind them to that so that Gods fear shall be taught by mens Precepts the Lord will proceed as formerly to wo●k wonders Even to destroy the wisdom of the wise and to bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent and when Counsel and Understanding is hid then you will grope as in the dark and seek the way but shall not find him and so misery will come upon you as upon them that went before you Therefore be wise in time and take Counsel and advise amongst your selves for you may see that these which conquer'd you with the Sword are now conquer'd without a Sword Consider whereby they conquer'd and whereby they fell The Lord is now come to Challenge His own Heritage of the Children of Men that is the exercise of the peoples Consciences which is his Throne and Dominion and he will caft out destroy and lay waste all Usurpers that hath or shall Usurpe Authority in His Kingdom for it is his own and if he by his own strength give unto others their Right he will undoubtedly take his own Kingdom to himself and if men will keep him out if those to whom he hath let his Vineyard beat his servants and kill his Son and think the Inheritance shall be theirs yet the Lord of the Vineyard will come at a time when they are not aware and all these who would not deliver up the Vineyard must be brought out and slain before his Face as his Enemies And so as one who desires with my whole heart that the breaches of this Nation my Native Country might be healed and might come to injoy true rest and might be the glory of all the Nations that the blessing of the God of Heaven might be upon it day and night to water it that the Rulers thereof might be established and their seed after them that they may be honourable in their Life and renowned in their death unto Posterity that ignominy and shame may not follow them I have cast in my Mite according to the ability which God hath given me to that very end in the sincerity of my Heart well knowing that untill Judgment and Justice be established and the Yoake of Oppression and Cruelty be broken in pieces and

names been honourable and they gone to their graves in peace and likewise the Protector if he had done the thing he promised and engaged for and had broken the Yoak of the Oppressor and removed the Oppression to have taken away Tythes and set the consciences of all people in their Worship to God free might not his Kingdom been established and his Name been perpetually honourable For now consider that it was never Names as Kings or Judges or Elders or such like that the Lord owned not the name of the thing one more then another but the thing it self that is to say the Ruler called by what name he would he that ruled for God neither the right as by succession or not so if he ruled for God he established him as Saul whom the Lord chose yet when he did not obey the voyce of God the Lord rent the Kingdome from him and gave it unto his Neighbour for it is Righteousness and just Judgment and the breaking the staffe of the Oppressor it is this that establisheth the King and the Kingdome and that King whose heart is wholly set to seek the Lord in sincerity and to establish judgment and Justice in the earth and to remove oppression It is he and his Kingdome that shall be Established and this cannot be done as long as the men called Ministers are thus set over the people and can exact by force so large a maintenance from them for there is no sort of people whatsoever that can carry on Plots and designes to overturn Governments as they can for they being scattered over all the Nation in every Parish having so large a maintenance they have leisure and know the mindes of every person in the Parish how they stand affected and to whom and they themselves under pretence of Fasting and Praying have opportunity to meet and by that know the minds of every one amongst themselves how they stand affected and by this meanes they can Poyson a whole Nation and leaven them with malice against whom they please for as is the Priest so is the People or the most of them who are their followers and so then if their interest be upheld they will uphold them that uphold it whatsoever they are they will preach peace unto them and promise them prosperity though the judgments of the Lord be at the doore and their interest are so differring one unto another that they one stand in the destruction of the other for the Old Protestant so called he cannot stand with the Papist nor the Presbyter with the Protestant nor the Independent with either and the pride of their hearts and the greediness of their gaine that causeth them that they alwayes envy one another for because of the greatness of their profit and pride of life and the ease of their flesh there is so many that seek after it and so this blinds the minds of them the God of us World and so they cry up that man and that Government that will stand for them and uphold their gaine though to the destruction of all others besides themselves So it is altogether inconsistant with the safety of the people and the well being of the Ruler or Rulers the upholding and maintaining a Ministry by a forced maintenance It oppresseth the poor burtheneth the Conscience stirreth up strife and Contention brings Gods wrath upon people and that is the reason that so many of the worst of People get to be Ministers because whether they be good or bad if they love Pride and Wantonness and Lust and Pleasure and Luxury here if they can but use a meanes either directly or indirectly to get the place they know their strength whatsoever they are or whatsoever they do they are sure to be provided for having a Law to inforce it and so many people where there is any fear of God though they are such as follow that kind of Ministry yet when they see such a one loose and prophane they grieve and murmour in their minds and Gods Witnesse in their Conscience testifies both against them and their Minister and troubles them and so here is fear and doubt and then they seek abroad for satisfaction then the Ministers so called rages and he stirrs up the rest of the people against the man who is not satisfied in his Conscience under the Ministry of it may be such an Ignorant Blind Prophane Covetous Proud Unruly Wanton Wicked man as a Minister who they believe can never lead them or reach him the way to Heaven who himself never went a step therein but is in the broad way to eternall destruction and so if the blind lead the blind he knows both must fall together So then the man called Minister he pre●ches to the rest of his ignorant prophane Congregation and he sets their mindes on fire of hell against him and then he complaines of him to Authority and he hath enough to joyne with him to be evidence against him the poor man and then under the Notion of an Heretick or a dangerous person or principle to the Government they proceed against him and rack and torture him and then all them in whose hearts there 's any feeling or compassion or honesty they conclude this man doth not deserve this and that both Ruler and Minister hath not dealt well to punish after such a manner such an Innocent man and say in their hearts if this be their Law how shall we live amongst them And here division ariseth and increaseth and the bond of peace is broken but if the Magistrate be such a one as hath any zeal or tenderness towards God and will not joyne with the Minister so calledt o invent a way and wrest a Law to punish the poor dissatisfied man but perceives the Minister to be such a one as rather deserves punishment Then the Minister rages in his mind against him and he secretly deviseth mischief against him and goes to others whose ears he thinks will be open and he leavens their hearts against the other Magistrate and then what one will punish or who one of them will punish another will uphold and in time seek a remedy and complaines one against another to him or them that are over them and here the bond of Government is broken here begins strife division and contention and heart-burning waiting for iniquity one against another and so into rents and partyes and siding stil the Ministry blowes the fire and drives on furiously and it may be get such a one to be cast out and then he is dissatisfied and many more they see it is but for doing justice that he is so dealt withall and then people feare how they shall live or be governed when honest men are cast out of favour and then whosoever is found to question such things and the Minister so called heare thereof he begins to threaten againe and here is a Yoak which cannot be borne but people will break it though they break themselves

with it And after this manner have Nations Countreys Kingdomes and Governments been pluckt up and now I appeal to any unbiassed-man whose understanding is any thing open whether these things and much more that might be spoken of this nature be not true and whether the men called Ministers be at any time with any Government all satisfied and whether their siding do not lead people to side and whether there hath been any war in a Nation and the Ministry so called had not the chief hand in it and whether after one party is worsted they are not the first that comply to that person or Government which before they might preach it damnable to joyne with and whether they be not the most Treacherous Perfideous Changable Deceitfull people of any sort of men and whether the ground of all this be not the large maintenance which is settled upon the Office and so a Law to force it This makes them afraid on the one hand lest such a Party will pluck it down and so stir up strife amongst the other because they will hold it up and when that Party can hold no longer then they are the first that turn to the other because they may be by them held up for if they may be held up there is no fear but to make them or the most of them of any Religeon that the Powers will establish as was manifestly seen in the time of Edward the 6th and Queen Mary and Elizabeth where many turned from being Protestants to Papists and from Papists to Protestants and in our dayes from the Common-prayer to the Directory and from the Directory to the Common-prayer and this is well known The same that Preach'd up a King for a Maintenance Preach'd up a Common-wealth for a Maintenance and a Protector for a Maintenance and now a King for a Maintenance And so I say again It is altogether inconsistant with the safety of the people and wel-being of the Ruler or Rulers the upholding or maintaining a Ministry by a forced Maintenance So then the way to preserve the people in Peace and safety and the Government in security from danger and to establish it is this To give unto every judgement so called tolleration in the matter of his Worship towards God And that every Society Congregation or judgement among themselves maintain their own Ministry in and after what manner themselves can or shall agree amongst themselves and maintain their Places of Worship themselves amongst themselves so no one sort of people should be burthened nor their spirits grieved and vexed by another But this in this particular fulfils the Law and the Prophets in doing as they would be done by for the conscience of every individual man and woman ought to be free unto God and none to have or claim Lordship over anothers conscience and so that Government that settles this the people under it every one watcheth for the good of them or him that governs because by him or them they are kept in peace and their consciences free and so this every sort of people if they did but once taste a while all people would delight therein especially those who fear God and cannot be injurious nor seek the hurt of their Neighbours and here every one might sit under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree and this is so reasonable a thing and so agreeable to the Scripture of truth and to the Law of God written in the heart that if it were put in practise all mouths would be stopped and envy durst not open her mouth and strife would cease and love and unity amongst people would grow and increase and the Revengeful Murderous nature amongst people would be starved and die within them because they would want the matter which is the Law which forceth the conscience to feed it And all they that now minde earthly things that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies would be stopped and have nothing to do but to seek some honest calling in which they might labour and be serviceable in the Creation And here none but such who in conscience and zeal towards God would be Ministers for ther 's many who are now called by a great maintenance would then be without a call to Preach for this sort of men do no good at all to people who labour for their Bellies Who do they turn from the evil of their wayes But on the contrary they are so perfideous and changeable Preaching up so much Faction and Division according to their several Fancyes that they cause people to be Truce-breakers for whatsoever Government comes that will serve their interest and will do what they will have them kill whom they would kill and save alive those whom they would save alive that 's preach'd up But if any sort or faction of them be not countenanced as that they cannot be for one must go down if the other go up then they set themselves against that Authority and secretly begins to smite and so the same Government which they preach up and all Traytors and Rebels which shall deny it in a little time they Preach and cry all Traytors and Rebels that hold it up And thus the people under them are carried by them For now were it not that there is so large a maintenance setled upon them by a Law which yet depends upon Authority they would not be such Medlers with Authority and cause such Rents and Divisions amongst people but because they are still in fear of losing that or that Authority will countenance those whom they fear but if the Law were taken away that forceth the Maintenance then they that Preach would Preach the Kingdom of God to people and turn people towards god that their hearts might be opened towards the Lord and to his truth that they that minister might seek that which is lost and which is driven away and not seek the Fleece and seek to kill and destroy and so when people were brought to God and returned from their lost estate they who were the Lords Messengers need not fear a maintenance For the Lord careth for Sparrows and feedeth the Ravens and so these have little faith who cannot believe him and cast their care upon him And have they not proved false Prophets Antichrists Deceivers to all ●o t● of Powers that hath been within these few years Did not they Prophesie Peace and Prosperity to the King and his Party and did they not deceive him And when they were overthrown and the King suffered and his Friends did not they start aside and preach Peace unto the Parliament against the Army calling them Rebels and did they not deceive them likewise And then did not they turn to the Army and Protector and Preach'd Peace and Prosperity to them and deceived them likewise And now are they not turned to the King and Preach Peace unto Him and set all their old servants at nought Surely there is not a more dangerous thing

A WORD IN SEASON TO ALL IN AUTHORITY WITH Weighty CONSIDERATIONS what PERSONS PRACTICES and THINGS doth chiefly cause DIVISION and CONTENTION RENDING of KINGDOMS and DISTRESSE of NATIONS AS ALSO A Plain DISCOVERY of those THINGS and that MINISTERY that will bring BLESSINGS and UNITY with Deliverance from BONDAGE into LIBERTY and instead of STRIFE WARS and FIGHTINGS RIGHTEOUSNESSE RECONCILIATION and PEACE in the Land of our Nativity Published by a Lover of Truth and the Kingdoms Peace J. C. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-Spread-Eagle and Windmill in Martins near 〈…〉 A VVord in Season YOu Rulers and Chief in Authority I have Written this unto you that you might Read and understand what and who is the cause of Strife and War and Division and Rending of Kingdoms Governments and Common-wealths and causing Distraction amongst people and Heart-burning and Murder and Revenge one Brother against another and one Neighbour against another And farther that no Ruler not Governour nor Government can be Established nor firmly settled until these things are removed which is the Ground of Unsettledness and which hath unsettled Kings and Parliaments and divided them and dasht them one against another Now they that Preach for Hire and Divine for mony whose maintenance doth depend upon their Office and their Office doth depend upon Persons and Forms and Times so that if their Office be taken away their Maintenance fails and if their Form be disliked their Office comes in question and their Maintenance in danger and through these Men and these Things have been the cause of all the late War and expence of Blood and Treasure And all People who have trusted in them have been deceived by them and cheated and betrayed and brought to misery whilst they have feasted and been ready to turn with all Times to serve themselves For now consider that before the Wars when Idolatry and Superstition grew amongst people under Episcopacy so call'd and prophaneness and licenciousness became tollerated by that generation and all the conscientious zealous people for God became persecuted and hated and made a prey so that it were a hard matter for any man to live without suspicion of 〈◊〉 dangerous who made Conscience of any thing especially in the worship of God But they who were Lovers of Pr●de and wantonness letters up of May-poles Bull-baitings Revels Wakes and such like by which many people did assemble together to be drunk and to Riot Blaspheme the Name of the most Holy God And if the Spirit of the Lord was grieved in any to see these things committed and a Testimony borne against it by any How were such made a reproach their goods spoyled by the Officers of the then called Spiritual Courts and that kind of Ministery that tollerated and partaked in such wickedness they were the men set up countenanced and intrusted and bore all the Rule amongst people every where and many years was the Spirit of the Lord grieved and his righteous Soul vexed with these abominations and often called them to return but they would not hear but hardned their hearts in their wickedness and went on in their Rebellion against God until his w●ath waxed hot against them and the Contest began between the King and the Parliament and increased until a great War began as is well and b● woful experience unto many to this day remembred and the Bishops being near unto the KING and well discerning that if by force they were not able to uphold their Office they must fail and their great yearly Revenue which depended upon their Office would be lost and they not doubting their strength because of the KING and the greatness of their number forgot God who saveth not by many nor by few and then they preached up the KING and their Office their Form of their Service upon 〈◊〉 of Damnation to all that should resist them calling them Rebels and Traytors and Heriteks that should oppose Another sort of Clergy-men who were then something more refined and were indeed many of them more zealous and consciencious they prayed against the prosperity of the KING and his Party and against the Bishops with the rest of their Train and so when one Blessed another Cursed and so men according to their affections sided and both were upon pain of damnation and here the Leaders of the people caused them to erre and many thousands that were thus led were destroyed and with great difficulty did the War go on for a long season and the victory inclining to neither But the Army of the King and his party grew numerous and still they who were called the Ministers ceased not on either part to Preach up the interest they had undertaken though never so much blood might be shed in the prosecution thereof untill the King and that party was worsted and overthrown And then some began to see that it was not honesty but interest that made them so eager So then they called Ministers of the Parliaments part many of them seeing that their gain was in danger by reason of that prevailing party which then had overthrown the King and his Army they to wit the Ministers so called began to drive on new designes so that they can never cease fomentinng of division except their interest be at top and they themselves alwaies divided amongst themselves by reason of their great number that some of them alwayes wants room so that they have leisure and liberty ability and opportunity to devise new stratagems to carry on new devisions that they may supplant one another to make roome But then when the Army had gotten the upper hand and that the Generall begins to appeare as if he might be at the Stern and that he countenanced those who at that time the Lord had opened their eyes and they discovered the rottenness of them called Ministers then they set themselves as it were wholly against him by all manner of means Labouring by Plotting Preaching and Printing against them believing in their minds that if he should once be at rest and in full power he would certainly have pluckt down their Tythes So from time to time the fear of loosing their great income on the one side and the Pride and Ambition of the other side they never in no time want matter wherewith to blow the ●ire of contention still crying out against one or other sort of people that stand in their way and so labouring to remove them out of their way by cruelty towards them having time and opportunity to fill peoples hearts and minds with evill by Preaching up the wickedness of their own hearts laying it upon others whom they 'l not suffer to answer for themselves by that meanes laying such loads of bitter Persecutions upon people that have forced many to be Enemyes to those against whom they had no thought of evill for who is there but will stand for his life So in that time when the then Generall had subdued them

so many thousands to gather together in so many places with whooping shouting drinking cursing and swearing and all manner of Wantonness and Licentiousness Is the Lord God honoured by these things is the King honoured by any of this Consider hath not the Lord visited in iudgment this Nation as I have before shewed and overturned the workers thereof in former dayes and do you think he now approves of it Do not deceive your selves God is not to be mocked and do you think now since the Lord hath overturned those who formerly hath afflicted us as he had promised and is rewarding them according to their works Do you think that you do God service to kill us Take heed of bringing any of our innocent blood upon you And therefore this I say unto the King who is now proclaimed and that party who hath been for him constantly I say unto them that we ought to be protected under him in peace and safety and in equity to have these just things granted which we stand for for now ever since the death of his Father we have been as well as him and them sufferers under the powers that hath been set up and that especially in the dayes of the Protector since the name of Quaker was given unto us Who was there amongst the many ten thousands that can now cry with their mouths and their lips a KING a KING make Bonefires and such folly that durst open their mouths when he ruled to bear a testimony against his oppression but joyned with him in his Government and did pertake with him in his oppression and cryed against us in his eares and caused more cruel Lawes to be made against us then before not a Prison I believe in this Nation free but some or other of us have been committed and many of us as being dangerous to his Government and yet these men I say many ten thousands of them that have thus done are the only men to cry up a KING to destroy us as dangerous likewise to his Government thus indeavouring to cover their own unrighteousness by rendring us evil never ceasing to seek our blood For this let it be known unto you that we are not for Names or Titles or for these names to set them up above the nature of the thing for it is the Magistrate that rules for God that executeth true judgment and justice in the earth who hath his eare open to the cry of the oppressed and is ready to break the staffe and strength of the oppressor It is such a one whom God will honour and whose Kingdome the Lord will establish Therefore friends do not hearken unto flatteries and they who for their own advantage speaks fair for they may deceive you but let your ears be open unto reproof for that cannot hurt you and be not offended at any time with those that speak the truth How many thousands have erred and perished by flatterers but whoever that did hearken to reproof did amiss for now the things that we are against is every appearance of evill and the things that we are for is Righteousness and just judgment and unto this shall we stand whatsoever may be our Portion for why now may not we as justly expect to be eased by the KING now the Righteous hand of God hath removed them by which both HIM and US were sorely afflicted and since we both together suffered under them why is it not just that we with him should enjoy our Liberty for indeed we cannot flatter with any yet this we say that there is no people nor no principle amongst people profest that doth tend more neither so much to the true honour of the King as we do for now it is they that fear the Lord that truly honour the King for for as I have said the King is not honoured where the fear of God is wanting But where the Subjects in a Nation walk in the fear of God and know Christ the King of Righteousness to rule in their hearts by which the Lust which is the ground of warrs and strife which War in the Members comes to be destroyed and subdued such can by no meanes be otherwise but to the honour of the King for if the King rule for God and layes the Sword upon the evil doer and praise such who do well which is Gods Ordinance then such who are in the Fear of God and walk in Gods Covenant the Law written in the heart these are the strength of the King for his Sword is against the evil doer and the evil doer is not his strength for God who is the higher Power hath ordained him to be a terrour unto the evil doer and to praise such who do well so the well doer is his strength For what is it that we desire which ought not to be granted in reason and equity The Thing that we desire as to our selves is no more then this That under him we may live peaceably and Gods Spirit in us may have the exercise of our Consciences towards God in all things That no Law be laid upon us to force that from us which is our own and in that case both by the Scripture of Truth and the Law of God written in the Heart ought to be at our own dispose to wit to maintain a Minister which we cannot own or a Worship we cannot own for the exercise of the Consciences of people is Gods Prerogative alone and whoever meddles with that to exercise Lordship over anothers Conscience he is a Usurper and intrudes into anothers right and he falls upon the Rock that will grind him to powder and which hath done so by many and if Gods Spirit have the exercise of the Conscience in all things whose Spirit is a Sword to cut down the Lust that wars against the Soul inwardly and destroys that in man which causeth war and strife without and keeps the conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man whether such ought not to be protected and cherished and have the Magistrates praise And no otherwise do we desire Protection but as we live peaceably in the exercise of a good Conscience neither do we desire these things only for our selves but likewise that all others who desire to live peaceably in all godliness and honesty might enjoy Freedom and Protection for a greater abomination or Idolatry cannot be committed then for people to be forced to Worship that for God which they believe is no God or to Worship in the Way which they believe in their hearts is contrary to God or in which God is not to be worshipped for we do not desire but that others such as I have said that will live peaceably may every way partake of the same Liberty which we desire or expect He that hath a Gospel to preach let it be free like unto the Gospel of Peace not for money or filthy lucre that so people may be turned from their evil wayes and be brought from