the Lambs war with the Dragon in your particulars that you may enjoy the presence and peace of God to your own souls and then will you be for peace among men and verily this thousands of your own selves cannot be ignorant of how that there hath been many thousands that have gone forth against the old Serpent in several Sects since the Apostles dayes in the Apostacy and for want of the inward spiritual Armour and weapons and love and wisdome to order them and to beat the enemy out of their own hearts first they have armed themselves with outward Armour and carnal weapons and so in the ignorance have rose up one against another and smote and killed one another about Religion and Worship and what grievous havock hath been made about service of God in killing one another and so the Devil hath escaped and creatures hath suffered and this hath been in the night c. Even as a great mans servants although their Lord and master was very patient and exceeding loving and kind to them all and though they all did amiss and contrary to his will yet he continued his goodness to them all to see if they would learne to doe as he would have them and be quiet one with another and if they would not but continue in naughtinesse and rebellion against him and one against another then at the last he would reward them according to their doings but those servants after they had done evil against their Lord and master they would not agree together but find fault one of anothers service and then fight and beat one another impatiently about their masters service and so provoke one another the more till the enmity become so great that they began to kill one another and then blood that toucheth blood and so some destroyed others and when he that was Lord over all saw that he called them to an account that had killed their fellow servants and required their blood at their hands so they that had killed without mercy they must dye without mercy and that hath been and will be the end that the persecuting spirit hath and will bring persecuters to that will not return at the Lords reproof But they that have been armed with the Armour of Light and love they through the faith and power and patience thereof overcome the envious persecuting spirit in themselvs first and they are the called and chosen and faithful ones that are with the Lamb who have been exercised in the warfare within against the Devil and all the fleshly lusts that have warred against the soul first before they came forth into the field to joyn with Christ their Captain against his enemies or else the enemy within would make them turn to the enemy without and so they in the faith and patience follow the Lamb that taketh away the sin in the regeneration within before they come to joyn with him in open proclaimed wars against the Dragon and old Serpent and Gog and Magog and all others that rise up against the holy Seed Christ the Lamb who is the leader of all the whole Camp of God and the Captain of their salvation And now all you great and smal high and low people even from the Kings and Princes to the middle sort and from them to the meanest or least degree of all to whom this Information doth happen you have a description of your greatest adversary the spirit of envy and persecution which you are all required and that by Special Warrant from your God that made you to agree together and stand up with one consent and with all your strength of love joyn your selves to the noble Principle of God in every particular in order to the finding out stopping apprehending and taking of this insufferable enemy to mans peace on earth and good will towards one another that Christ the Prince of peace may be chief among you all to bring your souls into everlasting peace with the father in his everlasting Kingdom For of a truth the Lord of Hosts and his Son is arising in power and great glory from on High to destroy the grosse darknesse and great City Babylon and Confusion which hath reigned over the Kings of the earth and set them one against another to destroy one another And this Author of confusion and strife which is the spirit of pride and persecution hath no place in Heaven but is cast out and thrown down to the earth and hath been and still is in a great rage because he hath but a short time to reign there and woe hath been and still is to the inhabitants of the earth as it is said in the Revelation And the Devil upon earth and in the hearts of the children of disobedience hath stirred many Kings one against another and Nations and all hath through ignorance rose up against the Light and Lamb of God but all they have and may do and Gog and Magog together may rise up and joyn in battel against the Lamb and his chosen ones the Saints of the Most High yet as it is said The Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 17. 14. And they that are with him that over comes are called and chosen and faithful and when Gog and Magog and their Armies hath made themselves in number as the sand of the Sea and hath spread themselves on the bredth of the earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the Beloved City then shall fire come down from God out of Heaven and devour them and the Devil that deceived them shall be cast into the Lake where the Fire never goeth out as it is in Revelations the 20. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear and the meek shall eat and he satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him your hearts shall live for ever that draw neer unto him Oh let all the ends of the world remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds and Nations shall worship before thee that obey thy voyce and their peace shall be as a flood and their righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea and they that through faith and patience and by the power of the word of God do overcome they shall inherit all things in the Kingdome of God and his Christ and they shall sit down at the right hand of the Son of everlasting life and glory even as he overcame and is sate downe at the right hand of God where is joy and pleasure for evermore Amen THE END
A Special VVarrant Given forth from the SPIRIT of GOD Who is Lord over all Lords and King above all Kings against the Spirit of Envy and Persecution who hath been is and will be the Greatest Enemy to God and Godliness and to all People ALSO Some Descriptions set down how this unsufferable Enemy the Spirit of Persecution may be known and what he is and from whence he came and where he lodgeth in the Night and what Weapons people may be armed with against him when they go to take him that he may not hurt them that so they may bring him to Judgment and Sentence may be past upon him Sathan shall go forth to deceive the Nations and Gog and Magog shall appeare together for the stirring up of an Army to Battel against the Saints the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea and they went upon the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the Beloved City and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them as in Rev. 20. These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 17. 14. Written by Joseph Fuce LONDON Printed in the Year 1663 A Special VVarrant Given forth from the Spirit of God A Special Warrant given forth from the Spirit of God who is Lord over all Lords and King above all Kings against the Spirit of Envy and Persecution which hath is and will be the Greatest Enemy against God and Godlinesse to Kings and Kingdomes Nobles and Nobility Neighbours and Neighbourhood and therefore would the God of the Spirits of all flesh have both Kings and Nobles and all other People in all parts of his Creation and that more especially in those Parts where Kings and Nobles and People of all sorts professe to owne God and his Christ to be awakened and moved to stirre and stand up and to set unto their helping hand and to lend their best assistance for the stopping apprehending and taking this Great and Notorious Enemy to God and all Mankind from the very Highest to the Lowest of all in the Creation and to True Religion it selfe With some Descriptions what this Insufferable Enemy is and from whence he came and where he Lodgeth in the Night and how he may be knowne and taken and what People of all sorts are to be Armed with against this Thief that cometh in the Night so that they may not be hurt by him nor hurt one another about taking him and bringing him to Judgement and Condemnation for they that profest themselves to be Religious people that have gone forth heretosore and have not beene Armed with the True Armour nor led by the True Leader they have Struck at this Enemy and missed him and Wounded and Killed one another and Taken and Imprisoned one another and let him goe at Liberty in every Nation and Country City and Towne like a roaring Lyon to devoure to the great Griefe of the Spirit of God who created Mankind and would have them all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth as the Scripture saith and then how peaceable people of all sorts may live and how in Life and Spirit they may Serve and Worship their Creator and in Love serve and doe one for another as Brethren and Friends and Neighbours and so every one may come to sit downe under his owne Vine and none shall make him afraid First What this Great Enemy unto God and Godlinesse and all Mankind is against whom this Special Warrant from the Spirit of God goes sorth This Great Enemy to all Mankind is that Old Envious Spirit of Persecution that got into Cain and moved and stirred him up against his Righteous Brother Abels Gen. 4 5 8. So he made Cain his Servant to Murther or Kill his Righteous Brother Abel and brought misery and sorrow and Everlasting Torment upon himselfe who then became a Vagabond from God to wander with a Burthen too heavy for him to beare and although he built a City to make himselfe an Habitation yet his Punishment was Greater than he could beare because he had done the Murthering Spirits Worke in Slaying his Brother and so became worthy of Everlasting Punishment like unto him that was a Murtherer from the Beginning And the same Envious Persecuting and Murthering Spirit was in Pharaoh who burdened and grievously Oppressed and Afflicted the Lords People for a long time Exod. 3. 7. which grieved the Lords Spirit who heard the Groanings of his People in Egypt Exod. 5 to the 14. And this Envious Spirit made Pharaoh the King do so Wickedly against the minde of God as to provoke the Holy One of Israel to bring the Plagues on the Kings owne selfe and the whole Land of Egypt and yet this Great Enemy to the King and Kingdome would not let the King be quiet but made him to oppresse them more than before and at last to pursue the Lords People with a Great Army of Horse-men and Charriots intending to Destroy those whom the Lord had Chosen to himselfe to be his People and by so doing the King brought everlasting destruction upon himselfe and all his Host who were destroyed by water in the Red Sea and that was the worke of the Envious Spirit to bring to everlasting destruction And the same Enemy was in Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazar and in the Presidents and Princes and in Haman and in all the rest of the envious Enemies of God and his People in those Generations Esther 7. And oh how did that great Enemy the Spirit of Persecution betray Haman even to the Gallows to be Hanged for devising mischief against poore Mordecai and all the Jewes which were the Lords People And also how was the great King Nebuchadnezzar deceived by the same Deceitful Spirit of Envy and Persecution that stirred him up to Persecute the Lords Holy Children and to exalt himselfe in the Pride of his heart until his Kingdome was taken and he drove our from amongst men to eat Grasse like an Oxe and his Body to be wet with the Dew until his Haires were growne like Eagles Feathers and his Nailes like Birdes Clawes Dan. 4. 33. And he humbled himselfe and looked up to Heaven and his Understanding returned to him Dan. 5. by which he spake to the great Praise of God and his Kingdome and Wayes and Judgements and he confest that they that walk in Pride he is able to abase and he knew it was the Most High that Ruled in the Kingdome of Men and that he appointeth over it whosoever he will And then after Nebuchadnezzar Belshazar was King and Reigned Dan. 5. and he made a great Feast to a thousand of his Lords and drunk Wine before them and then he sent for the Vessels that his Father had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem and he and his Wives and Nobles drank wine in them and in the same Houre came forth
Fingers of a Mans Hand and wrote upon the Wall of the Kings Palace for a signe against the King and the King saw the part of the Hand that Wrote and his Countenance was then changed and his Thoughts troubled him so that he cryed to bring in the Astrologers the Chaldeans and the Southsayers which were the Wise Men of Babylon to see if they could read the Writing and tell the King the Interpretation thereof which none of them could doe then the King and his Nobles were sore troubled and astonished and in that time of trouble the Queen remembred Daniel the Lords Servant in whom was sound the Spirit of Light and Wisdome who read the Writing and told the King the Interpretation which was that God had numbred thy Kingdome and finished it and he told him Thou art Weighed in the Ballance and art found wanting and thy Kingdome is divided and given to the Medes and Persians And the King advanced and honoured Daniel to be the Ruler in the Kingdome although that Night Belshazar was slain and his Kingdome tooke from him by Darius and then it pleased Darius to set over the Kingdome an Hundred and Twenty Princes Dan. 6. to the end that should be over the whole Kingdome and over three Presidents of whom this Daniel was first and he was above the other and they were to give accounts unto him and then the King should have no Damage because there was an excellent Spirit in Daniel and therefore the King thought to set him over the whole Realme and so both the King and Princes and all were like to doe well and be in peace because of that excellent Spirit in Daniel who would let the King have no Damage for the Damage dishonour confusion overthrow and utter destruction came upon the Kings and their Kingdomes by reason of their following the Proud Envious Darkning Spirit of Errour that was known by his Persecution and Enmity but when the Excellent Spirit of Light and Wisdome that was found in Daniel the Lords servant was hearkned unto then the King was lyable to have no Damage although Daniels way of Worshipping of God was altogether contrary both to King and Princes yet all was well towards the King and Kingdome and Princes and Presidents because of that Excellent Spirits leading Daniel But then the Old Serpent which is the Devil the King of Pride and the greatest betrayer of mans Soul and Body which is and ever was the chiefe in doing mischiefe the Persecutor and Murtherer of Gods People I say this subtle Serpent seeing the Spirit of God and of Wisdome that was found in Daniel bearing Rule so in the King and over the Princes that there was like to be no Damage to the King nor Daniel nor Princes nor Presidents so that all was well and in Peace and his Kingdome of Enmity Pride and Darknesse lay wast then marke how subtilly he gets in amongst the Princes and begets them into Pride and Discontent because of Daniel's being set above them for that Excellent Spirits sake that no evil might besall the King or Kingdome and when this proud Envious Spirit was got up in and among the Princes and Presidents he exalted them into Pride and Discontentednesse with their places and then they began to watch for evill against honest harmlesse Daniel the Lords Servant and knowing they could find nothing against him except it were concerning the Worship and Service of his God which was differing from all their Worship and Services yet all was well and no Damage was against the King or Princes by Faithful Daniels Worshipping and Serving his God though differing from them all because of that Excellent Spirit of Light and Wisdome that was found in Daniel And then this Serpent led the Presidents and Princes subtilly to goe to the King and to stir up the King to make a Law and Decree for Conformity to make all Bow and Conforme to their way of Worship or to be cast into the Lyons Den intending this mischiefe against poore Daniel because he was confirmed and stedfast in the Worship and Service of his God and also Faithful to man in what he could doe for Conscience sake or in whatever he undertooke whomsoever bare Rule because there was in him an Excellent Spirit and the King Darius being innocent of their intent and not foreseeing their Plot they laid against Daniel in stirring him up and pressing him to make a Law or Seale a Decree about Service and Worship that none might ask a Petition of any God or Man for thirty Dayes save thee O King so for all to Consorme at such a time or to be cast into the Lyons Den And this Wicked Cunning Serpent he stirred up the Princes and Presidents and Governours c. of the Kingdome to Assemble together and vehemently to urge the King to Signe their mischievous Decree that it might be unalterable and when he had perswaded the King and he had Sealed the Statute or Decree then they Assembled themselves and tooke Daniel Praying before his God as he did aforetime then they came neere and spake before the King of his Decree and of Daniel who could not for Conscience sake leave the Worship and Service of his God although the Decree was Sealed against him but when the King did see how it reflected upon his True and Faithfull Subject Daniel he was sore displeased with himselfe and set his heart on Daniel to Deliver him and he laboured till the going downe of the Sun to Deliver him and then those men pressed upon the King to have the Decree executed upon Daniel who was brought according to the Decree that was contrived in the Envy of their hearts and cast into the Den of Lyons and the King Believed and said to Daniel Thy God whom thou servest continually will Deliver thee then the King went to his Palace and passed the Night pasting neither were Instruments of Musick brought before him and his Sleep went from him But oh how glad was he in the Morning when he saw how that Daniel was saved by his God and that because of his Faithfulnesse and Innocency that was found before the Lord and who had wronged no man and then the King in the exceeding Joy and Gladnesse of his Heart caused Daniel to be taken up out of the Den when they had taken him up no manner of hurt was sound about him because he believed in his God and the King commanded and they brought those men which had accused Daniel and they cast them and their wives and children into the Lyons Den and they were destroyed And thus were they blinded by the spirit of darkness and envy and betrayed even unto death and that was the fruit and work of the envious spirit of persecution to stir up to destroy the most honest and upright in the sight of God and man from off the earth or else to stir up and lead such destroyers to be destroyed and that more especially about and concerning