to worship his golden Image but after he came to know them be loved them and honoured them in the sight of his Nobles Princes Dukes and Counsellors confessing them to be the servants of the high God commending their faithfulnesse in yielding their bodies to the flames rather then they would serve or worship any God save their own God Then he saw his vain labour in forcing the servants of the most high God contrary to the commands of their God And will you shew your selves more unreasonable then a Heathen more blinder then those that knew not God and yet call your selves Christians and the Scriptures your Rule When Nebuchadnezzar had once tryed the three children of God to the laying down of their lives and found them faithful he was satisfied How many times have you tryed us by Imprisonment till death and spoyling of our goods by breaking up our Meetings beating innocent harmlesse people to death How many Cruel Barbarous Unhumane dealings have been used against us both before your Government and also since by you which we have walked through and in the furnace of affliction with the patience of the Son of God who hath kept our precious lives unhurt and brings us forth to his praise and yet cannot you see the Son of God with us whom you fight against Can you not see neither how little you do prevail against him and his spiritual work in us Though some of you can say We are a very confident people but if you could but see him that leads us who is the Captain of our salvation you would say We had good cause to be bold and valiant knowing our leader is not to be overcome nor those that follow him who are called and chosen and faithful which faithfulnesse Nebuchadnezzar did commend and honour And did he not do well in 〈◊〉 Yes you cannot deny Then as you have followed his example by indeavouring to compel us to fall down to your imaginary worship which I believe you will not justifie in him follow his example also in justifying the faithful children of God that would not obey his Commands to the dishonouring of the most high God who having tryed them blessed God for their faithfulnesse In this will Nebuchadnezzar stand in Judgment against all those who make unrighteous Decrees to compel men to disobey the commands of Christ except they follow his example in this that is to say the change of their minds and altering of their Decrees in Justifying the faithful servants of God in their pure obedience to him Objection But if it be said If we knew you to be the servants of the high God as well as Nebuchadnezzar knew the three children we would not make Laws nor Decrees to compel you to our worship being sure it would be but lost labour Answer Then all our sufferings and persecutions and hard usages from you is because you do not know us and whose fault is that ours or yours that you do not know us to be the children of God Whose fault was it that Saul the persecutor knew not the Church of God but made havock of the true worshippers were they to be blamed or he If he then you when he hearkened to the High Priests he persecuted the Disciples of Jesus but when he obeyed the voice of Christ he saw their deceit and believed the truth then he preached him and suffered with those he persecuted Now if you that persecute knew the truth you would know us that walk in it And have not we laboured even to the laying down of our lives that you might know it and be saved by it What could we have done more for you then we have to bring you to the knowledg of it Have we not suffered to the death in obedience to it that it might preach to you that we have found the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof which is better then our lives for which righteousness sake we suffer and are blessed if we continue faithful to the end And this is the only true way that can be used as to you to convince your understandings that we are in the truth when we lay down our lives for it If we were unfaithful to our God and disobedient to his Spirit in obeying your commands that are contrary to the truth you had no reason to judge or think we were in the truth for had the three children been deceitful and obeyed the Kings command he had never knew them to be the servants of the high God that was able to deliver out of his hand And the deliverance that he saw was of their bodies from the flames that made him blesse the God of their lives but the deliverance that we witnesse is of our souls from etenel death which is far greater and more glorious yet you cannot see it but if your spiritual eyes were open as his fleshly eyes was then you might see a greater deliverance in the spirit then he saw in the flesh and would have as great or greater cause to blesse the God of those you in scorn call Quakers as the King Nebuchadnezzar had to blesse the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego though he be the same God over all blessed for ever Yet his appearance in this the great and notable day of the Spirit is that in which the riches of his love is and shall be made manifest which was promised to the ages to come which now is come of which the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were the first-fruits but now is the day of the whole Harvest of the earth begun in which the Lord is gathering in unto himself his Elect seed in all Nations Lands and Countries even from the one end of the earth unto the other that they may worship in spirit and in truth and be established in righteousnesse and the Mountain of the house of the Lord be prepared in the top of the mountains and be exalted above the hills where all Nations shall flow unto it out of which shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from this Jerusalem and they shall break their Swords into Plough-shares Mark the day of the breaking of Swords is begun and their Spears into Pruning-books and Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither learn to fight any more And this is the day that is dawned and blessed are they that walk in it but wretched and miserable are all those that despise it and persecute those that walk in the light of it casting them into Prisons Holes and Dungeons because they cannot submit to their corrupt wils nor worship the Imaginations of their Wise men which they teach for Doctrine and give forth for a Prescription of a Religious Worship contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles whose Worship stood in the Spirit But I believe if all you that resist us knew in what our Worship did stand you durst not oppose that power that hath gathered us and made our
such are now that the Scripture may be fulfilled for such are not of the world but of God for said they the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and they were with sound Doctrine and a holy Conversation to beget unto God out of the world and if you who are called Lords spiritual did exercise your authority over none but they that you had begotten to God out of the world you would have but a very small flock if any at all but instead of gathering a flock out of the world you take the world for your flock and so exercise Lordship over them as Christ said Luke 22.25 The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them the example of those you follow and not Christ for there is many thousands by the year to be gotten by them and so rule by your outward power and Lordlinesse like the false Prophets of old and many of the world love to have it so and so let them have it But the flock of Christ the Church in God cannot own these things nor love to have it so but must stand witnesses against these things even to the death if the Lord require them And therein you come to be tried and made manifest what nature you are of and also their faith and patience is made manifest and the nature of the Lamb shewed forth that overcomes but the contrary nature as I have said is to be overcome that which persecutes and imprisons and would force the conscience and so slay the soul or else kill the body this was ever of the Devil and so it is now and a mark of Antichrist the false Church the Whore that is adulterated from the Spirit and alienated from the Lambs nature that overcomes in patience and obtains the victory and is made perfect through suffering but on the contrary the Whore the false Church is said to drink the blood of the Saints and the Scripture bears testimony that all the bloud is sound in Babylon then Sion is clear of bloud Mark that and the name Babylon comes thus to be written in the forehead of every persecutor who is of Cains stock that slew his brother because his worship was in truth but his in the murthering nature Mark he that was slain was in the truth from the beginning and he that slew was in the deceit and so we see it hath been all along unto this very day And that nature which slew our Lord Christ when he was upon the earth is the same that now persecutes and slayes his Disciples and followers because they are redeemed from the earth and cannot submit to their vain traditions customes and fashions and commands that are contrary to God therefore are sufferers by the world but the sons of Sion are such who are redeemed with judgment and that nature which is at enmity to God being condemned is crucified and cast out and the Lambs nature being raised up converts to righteousnesse and righteousnesse being brought forth glorifies God And we being called and gathered cut of the vain conversation and also from the vain worship which teacheth for Doctrine the commands and traditions of men by the mighty power and out-stretched arm of God are kept in faithfulnesse to him that we cannot bow or submit to that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil for fear of men or their threats who are but dust being accompanied in our sufferings and persecutions with the power and presence of the eternal God that made heaven and earth And be it known unto you persecutors of the holy seed you shall never prevail to overcome us as we are kept in the power of Life which hath gathered us out of your dead forms to serve the God of Life in the newness of his spirit in which he is worshipped by the true worshippers out of the way sight and understanding of all that are not come to receive the true light who are all in a false worship erred from the spirit blind in the dark and stumble at the truth and fight against the life that is hid with Christ in God out of the sight of the vulterous eye and out of the way of the venomous beast where the lions whelp treads not and where the devourer cannot come and that which God hath hid in the spirit all the natural learning in the world could never find out nor ever shall for being hid from the wise and prudent of this world is revealed to such as are babes who hunger and thirst after righteousness and not after preferment in the world who cannot be satisfied with the bread that perisheth but with the sincere milk of the word of life they grow which word is nigh them and is the word of faith in their hearts that begets life in them and this life pints and breaths after nourishment from that which hath begotten it and cannot be satisfied with words but with the immortal word of life that was in the beginning that quickeneth that again that in Adam we were dead to and this is the quickning spirit that ministers life which we having obeyed do live and the life we now live is by the mighty power of God which our souls are made subject to and we cannot but obey that which quickned us and is the immortal life in us the second Adam that the children of the first persecute because they are born of that which cannot reveal the second and so being in the darknesse of death see him not nor know him But alas for you it is in vain for you to think that you can prevail over us by your carnal weapon for the sword of the spirit is with us which hath slain and cut down that nature in us that your strength stands in to make War against us for the strong man the enemy of our souls being overcome by the power of life that is stronger comes to be cast out who is the Captain that leads all persecutors and all destroyers of mens lives for Conscience sake that is he that would destroy us being cast out from within and cannot destroy our souls would revenge himself upon our bodies but we know that he that hath given life to our souls can preserve our bodies if he please if not his will be done but this I say to all persecuters We have overcome your Captain-general and he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world as we have said and you shall know who is the Captain of our salvation that suffered by the world and overcome the world and therefore know this that as our Captain hath overcome the world in us so with us and in us will he overcome the world by us but this the world seeth not therefore cannot receive it so if all the world rise up against us as one man for the obedience of the spirit of truth we know it is that they may be overcome And how can you expect that we should submit to that in others
word of the spirit of truth to you all for we are a people that have done you no wrong at all and as we walk in the truth we do professe and own we cannot wrong you nor any upon the face of the whole earth but you have wronged us and do daily in afflicting punishing and persecuting us as evil doers and as a people not fit to live upon the earth but know this from the Lord that lives for ever what you have designed against us in your hearts shall be your own portion because we are of the seed of the spiritual Jews whose Kingdom shall flourish for ever But what is the evil and what is our crime that we are thus reckoned as sheep for the slaughter is it not only because we cannot break the commands of God and his son Jesus and own your worship which he never commanded nor his Apostles and Disciples ever practised but warned those that feared God to depart from them that were lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God covetous proud unholy men despisers of those that are good walkers in their own ungodly lusts speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage who run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and to cover all this hold forth a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 and because we do so therefore are we hated and persecuted but if we could put into your mouths then we might save the spoyling of our goods and be accounted good Christians though we served the devil but we are come to the knowledge of the truth everlasting praises be given to our God for ever and ever and to the power of godlinesse that cannot bow nor creep to deceit but must bear testimony with the holy Prophets and Apostles and the blessed company of Saints and martyrs of Jesus against preaching for hire and divining for mony and spoyling mens goods for trebble damages casting their bodies into prisons till death and all for mony and for gain from their quarter Oh blood thirsty bloody minded men destroyers of souls and bodies for your bellies who never have enough woe woe from the Lord is your portion that ever you were born to live to exceed the false prophets of old and yet professe Christianity For we do not read that ever they did force any by suite of Law to pay them but we read that Balaam when he did not his work that he laboured so mightily to do for the King of Moab which was to curse the people whom God had blessed mark when he could not do his work he went away without his reward and so is it not meet that those whom in this nation are sent by men pretending authority over souls and put into Parishes and places to reform and blesse the people and cannot do their work but the people grow worse and worse though they take pains yet God never sent them and is it reason that they should have such a great reward as the tenth of all our labours If they had sowen spirituals it had been a small thing for them to have partaked of our carnals or if they had planted a vineyard they ought to have eat of the fruit thereof But this Vineyard of Times the Pope hath planted for his Priests and never intended it for these who do not his work nor the Lords neither And therefore why may not they with Balaam return without a reward from the King seeing their blessing doth as little good as Balaams intended cursing did harme for he went away without the Kings great honour and promotion because the Lord would not suffer him to fulfil or satisfie the will of that spirit which would have had the Israel of God destroyed Num. 24.11 but so saith the King the Lord shall keep thee back from honour But wo be to that spirit that willeth the destruction of Gods Israel now that it may keep or get its earthly ends and selfish fleshly honours which God is risen in his mighty power to bring into contempt because it opposeth it self against the work of his spirit which is to bring down the earthly and exalt the heavenly Which work must and shall be done when men and devils have don and said what they can for he that made us for his praise hath now by his spirit quickened us up again for his glory And this is the Lord from heaven that spirit that as is the heavenly such they may be that are heavenly That the heavenly Image may be exalted above the earthly both to rule and reign over it in the Lambs patient nature to overcome the earthly which preacheth forth to the heavenly Witnesse in all consciences So the long suffering and patience leads to repentance and newness of life But that spirit which turneth people from the gift of God in them is the deceiver that strengtheneth the hands of the evil doer to make War against the appearance of God in man that brings salvation and this is the false Prophet that hath and doth deceive the Nations which second appearance of Christ the true spiritual light is to consume with the breth of his mouth and the brightnesse of his coming And this appearance of truth in the inward parts the false Prophet cannot endure Mark because it is come to reveal and consume him and therefore he thinks to strengthen himself by the powers of the earth in perswading them to believe his report and Prophecy against the spirit of truth and they being not come to the word of life in themselves that was before the deceiver was do not discerne him and so come to be deceived by him and to make War against the brightnesse of the rising of the Son of righteousnesse and the leadings of his pure spirit of life in his Children by making Laws and Decrees against them for the exercise of their pure Consciences towards God and man And hear is the tryal of their faith made manifest to be precious by which many comes to be added to it and the kingdom exalted by its own power through opposition and persecution so it comes to be seen and known to be the power of life in us that is greater and mightier then the power of death and darknesse that comes against us that we can of a truth say He that is in us is greater then he that is in the world who comes against us but must be overcome by him that is in us whose power shall burst the bonds of wickedness destroy the spirit of persecution that makes Laws for stumbling-blocks to the people that have a desire to seek after the Lord and come to the measure of his spirit that leads into all truth that they may witnesse dominion over sin and the works of the Devil destroyed in them and they forsake him and all his works and all the vain pomp of this wicked
world that both Priests and People live in with the filthy unclean lusts of the flesh that they may keep Gods holy will and Commandements that the Priests and people for the most part say they can never keep here and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives and if this ought to be done as you say and is possible to be done by the power of God as I say then let the Priests bring forth one out of all the Parishes in England that they by their ministry have taught and brought into this perfect life which they have made the people promise and vow that the Children shall perform when they come to age Now if they have and still do make the people promise and vow That the Children shall do that which all the Priests in England cannot do then in all just reason the people should have the Tithes but if the people do not performe this vow and bring forth this life and the Priests and Bishops to help them then what is all your Religion worth that have not God a bridle for your tongues that promise and break it that vow solemnly before the Lord and not perform it You may very well say you are a generation of miserable offenders and there is none of you doth good as it doth appear no not one And yet you Priests would have a reward for teaching the people to profit when you cannot bring one of all your Flock that hath done that which you say and they promise and vow they ought to do First you ought to do your Work before you require your Wages but you take the reward first so you are herein more cunning then Balaam for you are sure of the reward though you never do the work and most of you are not ashamed to say it can never be done here yet you still take the Wages Can this be any other than the wages of unrighteousness to be paid for deceiving the people keeping them ever learning and never able to bring them to the knowledge of the truth but ever would be paid though never do the work therefore you are unprofitable servants and no Ministers of Christ and therefore we cannot follow you who deny the light of Christ within and so you choose the darkness for that will not reprove you for your unprofitable works and they which walk there cannot see your deceit therefore you love the darknesse more than the light and the wages of unrighteousnesse more than the truth which is the perfect gift of God given to profit withall and this is the reason you cannot profit the people because you have not received the perfect gift of God that the Apostles and Ministers of Christ did receive and do receive which was given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ and they I believe spake truth when it was said by Paul that he spake wisdome among those that were perfect and that they that were sanctified were perfected for ever and the Scripture bears testimony of some that were sanctified So these could shew the fruits of their Ministry that they did perform that which they received the gift of God to do these did not receive the tenths of mens labours yet they did their work but you receive the tenth and say the work can never be done here if the work be to be done in another world what have you to do to take wages here but indeed you are like to have none of us in this world except you can do your work in this world but the Apostles and Ministers of Christ through the power of their gift brought men to the keeping of the commands of Christ who said Matth. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect and you priests make the people vow and promise to perform and is it not his will that this command should be kept on this side the grave if not why do you make the people promise to do it for he that forsakes the Devil and all his works and keeps Gods holy will and commandments shews forth and witnesseth a perfect life But if you have taught the people to promise and vow that which they nor you can never perform then you have led the people into errour and if it be not errour then you are erred from the spirit the gift of God by which the people should be perfected and the body of Christ edified being that your Ministry hath brought forth no such fruit and its like never will Therefore consider with your selves what cause those that love your souls have to warn you and deal plainly with you that if it be possible you may see your error and come to that spirit that leads into all truth for it s not possible for you to cover your selves but the eye which God hath opened in the children of Light doth see you and the woful sad miserable lamentable estate that you are in woe woe unto you weep and howl for the misery that is coming upon you what an account can you give to the Lord for all the souls that have perished under your cure who have not made with all your wisdome and skill one soul perfectly whole but still have laboured to keep them ever learning where they can never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth Woe woe unto you that ever you were born to be an occasion of such a great destruction in undertaking that which you have no spiritual skill in had you received the word of Life from the Lord the word would have healed them so there would have been some fruit to God if some had perished who had refused to hear or have been instructed by you you might have been clear of their bloud but the people have heard you and do hear you and if they come not you punish them and yet alas all spotted with Leprofie and there is as you and they say no foundness in you but all over polluted with wounds and putrified sores are not you judged out of your own mouths by your own confession before the people and then to cover your shame and errour you make the people believe it is not ever possible to be otherwise here Oh miserable comforters to a sick soul If the people did but see your deceit what would become of you but the Lord God of Life is making your deceit manifest daily by the light which you hate and all the children of Light see it who are taught by his spirit and therefore cannot but pity your poor miserable souls Alas what will you do when none shall buy your Medicine any more how will you look the people in the face in that day which hastens exceedingly for Sions sake you must sly to the rocks the mountains to cover you but they shall not be able for the mountains shall tremble in that day and the hills shall melt before the Lord and the glory of his
LAMENTATION OVER ENGLAND FROM A true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable Wickedness of such Rulers Priests and People that are erred and strayed from the way of God and follow too much the devices and desires of their own hearts offending against his holy Laws limiting the Holy one of Israel making the devices of their own hearts a Law to insnare the Innocent that worship the Father in spirit and truth Whereby all Persecutors may in pity to their souls truly consider what way they are in and whether it leads and whose work they are doing and what the Scripture saith will be the reward of Oppression and Cruelty By M. W. Evil shall hunt the cruel man to destruction I know that the Lord will avenge the afflicted and judg the poor Surely the righteous shall praise thy name and the just shall dwell in by presence Psalm 140.11 12 13. Printed in the Year 1664. Impartial Reader IF thy heart be upright towards God thou canst not but love his truth in the inward parts which teacheth thee to speak the truth and do the truth and to deal plainly with all men and not to call evil good nor good evil nor put light for darkness nor darkness for light but to deal justly with all men and walk humbly with thy God and then thou needst not fear the threats nor frowns of any man who is but dust but wilt fear the Lord and give glory to him that made heaven and earth the sea and the fountains of water in exalting his name above every name and his commands above the wills of men in bowing thy heart and soul to the obedience of his spirit that his everlasting kingdome of righteousness may be set up in thee that the blessed government of his Spirit thy soul may be subject to then thou canst in truth say the kingdom of God is come in power and great glory then the Idols of gold and silver and the glory of the work that perisheth thou wilt cast to the Bats of the night that cannot behold the Sun and to the Moles of the earth that know not him that gave them breath then canst thou declare what the Lord hath wrought and sound forth his praise to the ends of the earth then will the voice of the good shepherd of Israel be joy to thy heart strength to thy sinews marrow to thy bones and thy soul shall feed in the fat pastures and thy dwelling shall be in the hill of Gods delight even Sion that shall never be removed into which the Father of life is gathering his own seed out of all Nations Tongues and Languages to dwell with him in the unity of his spirit and to have fellowship with him in his life that his coming may be witnessed in the ten thousands of 〈…〉 the world and to destroy the will of the flesh and make his great slaughter of all that which hath rebelled against him and cannot be subject to the law of his spirit but resists and is a law warring in the flesh and that nature which slew the Lamb from the foundation of the world yet offereth a sacrifice but could never please God and they that please God could never please it therefore were they and are they persecuted and suffer by it and so spiritually overcome and reign over it so our kingdome is not of this world but over the spirit of this world neither can it be shaken by the powers of this world but by its power doth shake the world and shall over turn that foundation on which the wickedness is built that the blessed foundation of the Prophets and Apostles may be revealed before all Nations which is Christ Jesus the Light in which the saved in all nations shall walk and in which if thou that readest this dost not walk thou canst never witness Gods salvation but if thou believe and in it walk then wilt thou know this to be truth and love to thy soul from th◠friend A Lamentation over England from a true sight and suffering sense of the lamentable wickednesse of such Rulers Priests and People that are Erred and Strayed from the way of God c. TEnder love to all your Souls is the subject of this ensuing Treatise And your refusal to accept of so great love as the Lord God of life holds forth to you in this the day of his tender visitation is cause sufficient for this my Lamentation Oh England England and ye Rulers and Magistrates thereof Oh that you had prised this the day of your visitation Oh that you had hearkened to the voice of the truth in the mouths of the Prophets and servants of God who have finished their faithful testimony several of them with the laying down of their lives And that you had not despised and still do despise and persecute those whom he hath sent unto you Oh that the blood of his pretious servants did not lie at your doores which cries loud for vengeance in the ears of the just God of heaven and earth till he make Inquisition for it How many have been imprisoned till death for obeying the will of God And how hath their blood been mingled with their sacrifices when they have been peaceably met together in the fear of the Lord and in the dread of his power out of the fear of him that kills the body but in the love and patient nature of the Lamb that overcomes the wrath and saves the soul who is the highest power that the soul ought to be subject to who hath given it life breath and being and who can cast it into Hell fire if it obey him not And therefore you are very much mistaken in us who think to frighten us out of our Religion by persecution or killing the body it being that which the Lord hath raised up in us by his mighty power in the denyal of our own wills and so contrary to all mens wills that have not submitted to his power For when he appeared in his power to place his fear in our hearts then our flesh trembled and Immortality was brought to light through the Gospel which was the voice of the Son of God to our souls by which we came to hear and live which life is contrary and which voice is dreadful to the flesh and so we having felt the terrors of the Lord for sin and transgression do not at all fear the terrors of men which can but kill the body and when that is done can do no more Therefore friends you knew not what you did when you began to meddle with us and make laws against us and persecute us because we could not submit to your wills for had you known us you would not have begun such an ill work wherein you should have lost so much labour and gained so much dishonour and also incurr'd the wrath of God Had Nebuchadnezzar known the three Children as well before as he did after he would never have forced them
souls subject knowing thereby you should reap Condemnation But we know the power that is able to deliver us out of your hands and will deliver us in his time which is not earthly but heavenly into the hands of which power we have given up our selves and therefore are not careful what shall become of our mortal bodies that the will of God may be done and the trial of our faith appear to his glory who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light in which we are to stand and bear all things and suffer all things that we may overcome all things that oppose themselves against the truth for that which is against the truth is against God and God is against it and all that are acted by it and in it I am sure they cannot prosper And friends this is my lamentation over you Oh! that you had not chosen that which cannot prosper Can I do any less than mourn over you and can I do any more for you than warn you in the tender bowels of love to your souls and walk out of that which I warn you to depart from and so stand a witness for God against it for the which I and many others suffer and are persecuted and hated because we tell you the truth even that which God hath manifested to us and brought us into which comes contrary to your wills therefore you cannot hear us but if your wills were subjected to the truth in your selves then the single eye would be open in you and the whole body would be full of Light then you would see that in your selves which is contrary to God and also that which is one with him and that which is contrary being cast out in your selves you could not own it in others wherever you saw it and this is it that constrains us to declare against that in others out of love to their souls which God hath condemned and cast out of us whereby we come to be witnesses of his power and that he is come that doth destroy the works of the Devil and brings forth his own work in us and daily perfects it through sufferings and trials notwithstanding all the opposition of the Devil for the more it is opposed the more it shall prosper and the more it is persecuted the more it shall increase because it is the work of God and for the glory of his great and powerful name he is engaged to vindicate his own work he hath begun in and among us and we know he will do it and never leave us nor forsake us For he hath been better to us already than our natural lives who hath raised up in us a measure of his own spiritual life which we cannot but give obedience to though it be to the loss of the natural but alas for you can nothing satisfie you but our destruction because our lives are not squared by your wisdome must we therefore lose them because we cannot run with others into the same excess of riot must we not therefore live in the moderation because our liberty stands not in the flesh must we therefore be imprisoned because we cannot meet in Taverns and Alehouses to be drunk whore and blaspheme the name of God must we not therefore meet to speak good of his name because we cannot maintain and uphold a changeable time serving Priesthood with our estates must we therefore lose them because we cannot disobey the Lord to obey man therefore must we be banished out of the land of our Nativity Alas for you Is this your Justice and Judgment to your own Country men and Neighbours what will it be to strangers is this your liberty for tender Consciences or is this to do as you would be done by is this your learned Bishops and Doctors Medicine for a soul cure to imprison and kill the body be not these the weapons of your Lords spiritual or your spiritual weapons in what do they differ from the instruments of a foolish shepherd it is clear as the Scriptures of truth do testifie these are not the Instruments of the true and wise Bishop and shepherd of our souls these weapons and instruments the Apostles and Bishops of our Lord Christ did never use but on the contrary these were used against them by the unbelieving high Priests and persecuting Rulers of the Jews and by the wicked heathen Magistrates that knew not God Alas poor blind men how do you shew your nakedness and yet are not ashamed Do you think the old covering will hide you now no it is worn too thin and too narrow a thin covering would serve in the night but now the day is dawned in our hearts the light is risen and your covering is seen through the children of the light see you therefore you hate and persecute them and so shew forth your Wolvish nature which is to destroy and not to save for the way of salvation you persecute and are strangers to the meek nature and the sheep of Christ will not hear nor follow strangers because they alone know them that they cannot lead in the way they are ignorant of and strangers to and therefore we turn from you and that Church which is not in God but are as you say a company of miserable sinners all polluted and spotted with the Leprosie of fin and transgression and as you say there is no health in you and have we not good cause to deny that Church in which there is no saving health but have erred and are strayed from the way of God like lost sheep and so your Members are found living in swearing and cursing and lying drunkenness and whoredom and all manner of notorious wickedness for the which many are yearly put to death as Milefactors and what a great matter you make of it for to proceed against us to excommunication when you know that we have denied and separated from your Church of miserable finners long ago for the sheep of Christ cannot follow strangers that are erred and strayed from the way in whom there is health but the blessed and glorious Father of life hath revealed in us his saving health and we witness his living power and blessed presence that hath and doth save us to the uttermost and there is health and soundness among us blessed be his glorious name for ever who hath gathered us according to his promise out of the mouths of the false shepherds and from among those that are erred and strayed from the good shepherd and Bishop of their souls who being from the way are lost and without they return must perish so knowing that as you are strangers to the life and the way so also are you to the weapons of the Christian warfare which are spiritual so are not yours and mighty to the pulling down the strong holds of the Devil so are not yours which many thousands are witnesses of glory be to the great shepherd and bishop of our souls for ever and
in this I must needs say You speak the truth in the presence of God but if you had done the things ye left undone and ought to have done then you had as well done the truth as spoke the truth then you might have brought your deeds to the light with boldnesse and it would have been made manifest that they were wrought in God whereas now you must needs confess that which leads you to do the things you about not to do is the spirit of the Devil that is against the truth and leads to persecute it but the Lord is cur witness that the desire of our souls is that you might come to that spirit that leads to do the things you ought to do which is the spirit that leads into all truth then you and we should not differ but should be one Church in God and one people that are blessed for ever and till you come here we shall alwayes differ from you though never fight with you both in life and Doctrine for they that do not the will shall not know the Doctrine but if we or any of us should be so wicked as to turn from the spirit of truth and do the things which we ought not to do and leave the things undone which we ought to do then we should come to you and be of your Church which is not in God and then woe will be to us that ever we were born and then indeed we might fight drink and whore and swear and curse and then we should be counted good subjects to the King but I am sure we should be better to the Devil but the Kings best subjects indeed are they that fear God who depart from evil these honour the King and the King will in a little while know these to be his best friends who cannot flatter him for their own ends and have mens persons in admiration for advantage but when their earthly ends is not answered they can turn against him for a better advantage for hath not money caused many to betray their trust and oaths will not bind where God is not feared but where he is they must render to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods for they that are Gods people do only know the things that are Gods that only belong to 〈◊〉 and they cannot give to Cesar the things that are Gods for that were evil and unjust before God and out of his fear and therefore they that are not in his fear do quarrel with us about those things who would have us to give Cesar all that we cannot do but the things that are his we freely give Tribute to whom tribute is due Custome to whom Custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Now all this doth not belong to Cesar for fear belongs to God and therefore we cannot give all to Cesar Tribute and Custome we give and in that with the obedience to all his Just commands we honour him And in that which for Conscience sake we cannot do we patiently suffer and so we do submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 But it is written Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of a man Eccles 12.13 So our duty is to render to God his due that is to keep his commands and do that which is right in his sight And when Cesar commands us to do that which God forbids then we chuse rather to obey God then man and so we shew forth that we fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body if we do not obey him So in the things that belong to our souls we are to hear the heavenly voice of the Bishop and Shephard of our souls because every one of us shall give account of himself to God Rom. 14.12 And it is just and Gods due that the soul should be subject to that power that hath given it life breath and being that is the higher powers the soul ought to be subject to the powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.14 To be Ministers of God for good and not for evil but if the Ministers of the power given for good turn the power against the good they are not Ministers for God for God hath not ordained the power against the good So he that is against the good is against the ordinance of God and God is against them that abuse the power ordained for good and he will avenge and execute wrath upon them that do evil Thus it is clear Rulers for God are not a terror to good works but to evil and it is as clear that they which seek to terrifie those that do that which is good are not Rulers for God and so do not fear him nor honour the King for it is written 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just mark that ruling in the fear of God and he that ruleth in his fear cannot punish those that meet in his Name and keep his commands because they do the things they ought to do but they that rule not in Gods fear are not just in punishing those that keep his commands and in doing that which they ought not to do these ought not to rule over men who fear not God nor honour the Kings to such I say doth God do you think love cursing and swearing better then a silent waiting upon him in his fear if you think not why do you punish the one and let the other alone or is the Law against the fear of God and not against the profaneness because it is executed upon the one and not upon the other and think ye that God loveth profane songs and wicked talk before or better then a good exhortation from the Spirit of truth that people might keep Gods holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of their lives how can you expect to prosper that do these things who tread in the steps of those whom God overthrew before you did they accomplish their end in persecuting of us did they cause us to come to their worship or submit to their wills or did they scatter and overcome us did not the Lord scatter and overcome them who rose up against his work in us and how do you think to escape doing the same things as against us who are a people that would lay down our lives that your souls might be saved in this the day of the Lords visitation But alas alas for you you have slighted the day of Gods love to your souls and your misery is you cannot believe it but when it is too late to return you may feel it and then you shall confesse we were your best friends who told you the truth though you hated us for it yet the reward of our love to you we shall receive at the hand of the Lord and you the reward of your hatred and cruelty towards us its the
which is laid up for all those that continue faithful to the end Woe woe from the Lord is the portion of all that oppresse Jacob and that spoil Israel who exercise rule and authority over the blessed seed in the cursed nature and so being Gentiles by nature are ignorant of the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of Sions King and of his spiritual Israel who are of the heavenly birth that is blessed and cannot bow to Esau's Lordship who is of the first birth that is hated which cannot please God being in the unbelief and under the curse and yet doth exercise authority and oppresse the birth that doth Mark He that is in the flesh cannot please God thus saith the Scripture Gal. 4.29 And he that persecutes is of that birth as it is written He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit Even so it is now then mark how can that birth that pleaseth God submit to that birth which pleaseth him not It could not do so of old both in the Prophets and Apostles it cannot do so now in Disciples and Believers and because it cannot do so now the birth of the flesh would force them by inflicting punishment upon their bodies and spoiling of their goods but he that gave them bodies is a Spirit and gives them spiritual power to overcome that spirit of darknesse in giving up their bodies that they may not bring guilt upon their souls And from this birth that cannot please God doth the enmity arise in all ages from the first that was Cain to the last that is Antichrist For the seed that bruiseth the heele rules in that birth that persecutes in all ages and is but one though it change its name yet its nature is to devour and destroy the life in which the seed rules that is blessed which is the Heir that the sons of Belial in all ages have combined to kill under the name of a deceiver or a blasphemer for old Cains Nature having put on Christe Name professeth him in Words but denyeth him in Works as saith the Scriptures by its testimony under the several appearances and dispensations of God it alwayes and in all ages testified against that nature For as in the time of the Law old Cain covered himself with a profession of it and with the strictest would Tithe Mint and Cummin but neglected the weightier Judgment and Mercy And when the Heir appeared in a body of flesh to do his Fathers will mark he could not own Cains Religion although he profest his fathers Law Then the old enmity said Come let us kill him this is the Heir but what saith the old enmity now in our age Come let us make a Law to Banish them to spoil their goods and hang them as Fellons and what not is the old enmity grown worse that it rages so much it knows who is appeared in his mighty power and that its time is but short for the Heir is again appeared and appearing in the bodies of his people to do his Fathers will and these cannot own Cains Religion now no more then their Lord Christ owned it then for the Heir of life know Cains nature then and so he doth now notwithstanding his taking the Law of God into his mouth yet he was from it in his heart for there was the murtherer in the heart where the Law should have been so the Heir of life the light of the world that manifests the deeds of darkness now said then to those Rabbies that went in long robes and for a pretence made long prayers yet devoured the poor Woe be to you hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdome of Heaven against men for you neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in Mat h. 23.13 Mark how the old enmity wrought then he that came to do the will of God they killed for having told them before that their Religion was vain and that they were of their father the Devil and his works they did yet they believed not but persecuted to the death so despised the day of their visitation and him that told them the truth both hated and slew Therefore was their house left unto them desolate and the things that belonged to their everlasting peace was hid from their eyes So it being sea for an example in the following ages that persecution is punished with desolation and that spirit that seeks not after truth and peace with all men the peace of God is hid from its eyes and that is the fugative and vagabond spirit that slew his brother because he pleased God and this is that spirit that reigns and rules in great Babylon that drinks the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus and this is the spirit that is Head in the false Church or Scarlet coloured Whore that calls her selfe the Spouse of Christ and covers her self with his Name being erred from his spirit dwels in enmity to his nature this is that spirit of Antichrist that is come into the world with which the great men of the earth have been led to commit fornication with and drawn their hearts from the measure of his good spirit in them which would have guided their feet into the way of peace but that spirit of enmity being received guids their feet into the way of Cain to kill and slay their brother that cannot sacrifice with them nor own their Worship in that nature which cannot please God and for this cause have the holy men of God suffered in all ages as at this present day And because of this our Lord Christ suffered who could not own that nature in the zealous professing Jews notwithstanding they seemed to justifie themselves in words to his face as if they were the children of God saying We have one father even God Joh. 8.41 Mark his answer and Character of the children of God If God were your father ye would love me Love to the truth Christ the light is the work of a child of God hatred to the truth Christ the light and those that be in it is the work of a child of the Devil thus their works makes them manifest in all ages hatred against the appearance of God comes from the cursed nature that slew the Lamb. And to the Professors of the Law of God that were in that nature his Son said and doth say Ye seek to kill me and what it the reason because my word hath no place in you This is the cause of persecution and enmity against the truth from the first to the last the word of truth not being hearkened to in the heart in the mouth truth comes not to be beloved in the inward parts and by such it comes to be hated in others without If ye continue in my word then art ye my Disciples indeed So mark this if the word of truth that which speaks the truth in you hearts and shews your evil deeds in secret and telleth you
than all their wisdome and so they came to know that in Judgement to their woe which they refused in mercy for their salvation And as it was then so is it now the wisdome of men is received for the Doctrine of salvation and the Doctrine of Gods salvation is accounted foolishnesse and delusion and cast aside as a thing of naught by the wise of this world who account it not worthy to have a room in their hearts nor in the Nation and they that have received in their hearts who believe and obey it they have made laws to banish out of their Native Countrey but the time is coming and very nigh at hand that you shall know in terrible Judgments that your wisdome was but foolishnesse and that which you are labouring to exalt is that which God is appeared to cast aside and destroy and that which you are labouring to destroy and pull down is that which God is risen in spirit in the hearts and souls of his people to set up and now you shall certainly know whose Counsel shall stand and we have told you before but you would not believe the report of the spirit of truth therefore the arm of Gods salvation is not revealed in you which now he is making bare before you and all Nations that you may know you have refused his Counsel and slighted the day of your Visitation and rejected the spirit of truth that would have gathered you and the power that would have preserved you from the hands of all your enemies both within and without which you shall see and know is able to preserve all those that put their trust in it and to deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies so far as it shall make for his glory and the good of our souls And if he shall farther suffer us to be-tried to the laying down of our lives for his Name sake his will be done and let our God glorifie himself with his own which way he pleaseth and if we drink deeper of the cup of suffering it is but the same our Lord hath drunk and the baptisme he hath been baptized with but the dreggs thereof shall his and our enemies drink for ever For saith he that lifts up his hand to heaven and lives for ever If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take bold on Judgment I will render vengeance to my enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrows drunk with bloud and my sword shall devoure flesh and that with the bloud of the slain and of the Captives from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries mark and will be merciful unto his land and to his people therefore blessed blessed of the Lord are you his people that suffer for his name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad Deut. 32.41 42 43. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 1 Pet. 4.14 And are we called to glorifie our God then let him have the glory due to his great and glorious name for this is a high and glorious honourable calling above all the glories of the world above the glory of Kings Princes and Emperours this is the glory wherewith the Son glorifies the Father and the Father glorifies his again for he hath given them his word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world but are sanctified through the belief of the truth which the world hates John 17.14 And how did the Son glorifie the Father Was it not in doing his will and bearing witnesse to his truth And every one that is of the truth heareth his voice and because we hear his voice and do his will in bearing witnesse to the truth therefore are 〈◊〉 hated persecuted and spoyled by those that are not of the truth for he that had the Languages was not of the truth but said What is truth Mark that for the Languages gives not the knowledg of the truth but truth was that which he that had the Languages gave sentance against And so it is now in all those that believe not in the true light that shines in their hearts which gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ All that are in the truth are in that which was before the many Languages were which began at Babel and without coming to the truth there must end but being sanctified by the truth serves the truth in its place to manifest the confusion of Babel that is in the curse taking counsel and not of the Lord and making themselves a name in the earth these were scattered over the face of the earth But the gathering out of the Confusion and the Curse is in the Name of the Lord that confounds the Wisdome and Counsell from beneath that is earthly sensual and devilish and the Language is in the Confusion cannot lead into the true knowledg of God and the unity in his Spirit but the word that was in the beginning leads up to the Father out of the earth where man was driven out of the Curse out of the Tongues and Languages in the Confusion where man was scattered out of the wisdome from beneath and selfish counsel of his own heart out of the names in the fall and alienation into the Name which is the power and life of the Son of God that only knows the Father and reveals him Mat. 11.27 and not Tongues and Languages but the spirit and life of Jesus that the Father hath sent into the world to do his will and where he is received he is the Covenant of light and promise of the father to the Gentiles to them that receive him by believing in his light he is elect and precious 1 Pet. 2.7 but unto them which be disobedient that is which believe not the stone which the builders disalowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence against which many have split themselves who were once high and mighty in the earth by disalowing him that made Heaven Earth to rule and reign in the Consciences of his people whom he calls out of darknesse into his marvellous Light Who are a Chosen Royall Priesthood peculiar to the Lord that he should act them by his spirit to shew forth the praises due unto his great and glorious Name And why should men be so unreasonable as to disalow the Lord of life that hath quickened our souls to live in them and rule in them and do his Fathers will which way or how he pleaseth seeing we are not our own to do our own will but are bought with a price to do the will of him that