Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	life_n	power_n	13,082	5	5.0974	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60436	The fruits of unrighteousnes and injustice Brought forth by John Bulkley, and Thomas Bowrman, and the rest of the rulers in Hampshire, against the innocent people of God called Quakers. Who in words and writings have often declared their unjust sufferings; as also at two sessions, and two general assizes holden at Winchester, requiring justice and equity, and their right and liberty in the nation; of the which being still most unjustly deprived, it is now publiquely declared, that they and others seeing their deeds of darknesse brought to light, may be warned, and learn to do justice, and to relieve the oppressed. Also the sounding voyce of the dread of Gods mighty power to all the judges and rulers of the earth, who rise up aginst the Lamb, and to all the host of powers of darknesse who fight against God. By the servants of Christ ... called Humphry Smith. Anthony Melledg. George Henderson. James Potter. Will: Baily. Daniel Baker. John Day. Winifred Newman.	Smith, Humphrey, d. 1663.	1658 (1658)	Wing S4061; ESTC R216933	45,374	58

they continue on and none shall be feeble among them their arrows shall reach into the bowels of the scornful and their words of life pierce the hearts of the hypocrites They shall tread upon Kings as upon mortar and trample upon the wicked as upon ashes they fear not the greatest Goliah's neither yet the wickedness of the pride of Haman unrighteous Decrees cannot stop their mouths nor the fear of a Furnace or a Dungeon with-hold them from their way all flesh is as graffe before them and at their rebuke shall the potsheards of the earth be broken for ever before them there is no Nation shall stand for one of them shall chase a hundred and before five shall the strength and wisdome of a thousand be confounded And this the Lords Army shall never be confounded and his glory in them shall never be defaced nor his power with them shal never be overcome nor his strength in them shall never be vanquished therefore in vain do all the potsherds of the earth strive For they that rise up against them shall be as flax before the fire and the mightiest among the sons of men shall be as the grasse that is cut downe for the Lords host is very terrible and in meekness is the Lamb riding on to judgement his followers are enrobed with the light of the morning and adorned with the beauty of the Sun Their eyes are enlightned with the light of the most high they see through the dark parts of all their enemies and discern the secret plottings of all their adversaries Their wisdom comes in like a river and their understanding shall never be darkned Their strength is renewed as the morning and they are valiant to do exploits The wisdome of the wise before them shall be confounded for ever and the understanding of the prudent be esteemed as a thing of nought They spy out the lurkings of their enemies and see through the coverings of the deceitful Of their strength they shall never be deprived neither shall their weapons be taken from them Their refuge shall never be shaken nor the place of their rest removed The wicked shall never enter upon their dwellings nor all their enemies invade the land of their rest for the desire of all Nations to them is come him that they long waited for have they now received And they tread upon the Cocka-trice den and meet the devouring Lyons in the power of the Fathers love there is no deadly thing that doth them hurt nor any weapon formed against them that ever shall prosper And this is Sion the redeemed of the Lord the glory of the God of Israel the seed of Jacob whom the Lord hath chosen and set up on high over all the kindreds of the earth which stands against all the enemies of the Lord and is his new threshing instrument with which he will thresh the Heathen in his anger and bath his sword in the blood of the slain for behold his sword shall devour much flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many with Sion the perfection of beauty will the Lord break in pieces wound confound and overturn for ever the horse and his Rider the Captain and his Troop the Ancient and honourable the Prophet that telleth lyes yea all the host of the unrighteous and the strength of the Army of the man of sin and the beauty of the whore that rides upon the beast and all them who set themselves in battel against the Lord and all them who lead into captivity and would captivate the Servants of the Lamb shall go into captivity for ever For behold the Lord is with us the Shout of a King is among us the Lord whose name is holy is come he hath uttered his voice from Heaven and now the Nations of the earth are angry but the Lord will reign in righteousness and all his enemies shall be astonished at his presence and his adversaries shall be amazed for ever their hearts shall be turned as a stone within them and men shall be at their wits end for fear and for looking after those things which shall come upon the earth and all them whose names are written in it their wisdome shall not preserve them their understandings shall not defend them neither shall all their subtilty cover them from the Light their nakedness shall appear to their everlasting shame and the prisoners of hope shall rejoyce over them for ever more For behold I say your day is come wherein you shall bow down under the prisoners and fall under the slain according to the words of the spirit of prophecy Esay 10. 4. and the slain over you shall rejoyce for ever more having the high prayses of God in their mouths and the sword of the spirit in their hearts with which they shall cut in pieces and pierce in sunder the bowels of all flesh and it shall be as chaff before them and the strength thereof as the passing away of the morning cloud and in the strength of the most high shall the Army of the Lyon of the tribe of Judah go on and prosper even as Kings whose Armies are swift to the battel their faces are as an Adamant and their countenances fierce and terrible the sound of their voice is dreadful and the noise of their appearance astonisheth the Heathen the earth before them is full of its fruit behind them its a desolate wilderness they spare not the ancient nor the honourable neither have they respect to the persons of men they even smile at destruction when it 's coming and they are prepared for all your oppressions Wherefore now gather your selves together O ye potsheards of the earth and stand up all you that thirst for blood assemble your selves together all ye persecutors let your counsels come up from hell and let the depth of the powers of darkness shew forth it selfe in the utmost of its strength and with it combine ye all together and stand up in the power of your King which is the Angell of the bottomless pit who is head among in and over all you who thirsteth for the blood of the innocent Now come and draw near in the very height of your Fathers wrath and behold we meet you in the infiniteness of our Fathers love and stand you together in the depth of your secret subtilty and behold we abide in the pure wisdome of the most High Stand ye up for the glory and honour of the world and we abide faithful for the glory of the Lord our maker And this I say plainly unto you that your long tyranny will never weary but the patience we have received neither can you inflict more punishment then the Lord hath enabled us to bear and as your wrath is increased our humility is increased much more and as you are filled and moved with envy we are much more filled and overcome with the power of the Fathers life and though you contrive wayes to ensnare the innocent we take no thought aforehand to deliver our selves for selfe we have denyed and we have given up our bodies and souls a living sacrifice unto God to do or suffer his will And him that kills the body we feare not much lesse those that can but whip or imprison but for a few moneths for our life you cannot reach neither can you disturb their rest whom the Lord hath crowned with honour who out of the world are redeemed and bought with the price of blood most precious but are become his to follow him whither ever he lead them though it be through tryals great tribulations bonds and long imprisonments these things cannot move them who are brought to rest in the deserts and sleep in the woods Yea and there is none can make them afraid with all their threats unrighteous Laws bonds Bridewels long unjust imprisonments or death it self And this honour hath the Saints and herein do they rejoyce for evermore in that they are counted worthy to suffer for his Names sake who was made perfect through sufferings and thereby overcame all the powers of Darknesse whereby Principalities and powers are spoiled for ever and through sufferings are we made more then conquerours over all our enemies whose day will have an end whose cruelty will cease whose tyranny will be rewarded upon their own heads and their memoriall will rot for ever but the faithfulnesse of the faithfull shall never be taken from him nor the innocency of the harmlesse shall never be forgotten neither shall they ever want strength to stand in the day of battell nor courage and boldnesse to endure when the enemies of the Lord ariseth up in opposition against the brightnesse of the rising of the power of the Lamb of God who is come to take away the sin of the world even him who is the Light and the Heir against whom with one consent the Rulers of the earth the Hireling Priests with all the prophane and unclean and all them of all opinions in the world are joyning together in one combination as with oneminde conspiring in their enmity to slay and murther the Heir that is now come to make an end of sin who saith I am the Light H. S. THE END

we purchase our liberty by speaking words of promising to go home seeing you hear already that we cannot make such promises knowing no law requiring us thereunto An answer to these things would we willingly receive in writing from some of you that both your ground and your end might from you be knovvn vvherefore vve are deprived of our right and liberty in the Nation and kept in long imprisonment At the Assizes vvhen the Judge vvas about to send us avvay a Justice so called spake to him that vve might be put in the house of Correction And the same day vvhen George and Christopher Darby vvere examined by the Judge the youngest of the Darbies could not then give a ready ansvver then one called a Justice bid him say that he vvas going into the Countrey to see friends and so joyned vvith a high-vvay Robber and before all the Court vvould have taught him to make lyes his refuge who was afterwards with his brother condemned for high way robbing but being reprieved since with others have much abused us and so they neither suffer according to your Law by which they were to dye neither yet do they suffer according to the righteous Law of God which is to restore four fold And moreover they and such as them have liberty to act even almost all manner of desperate wickednesse in the Prison night day by which our souls do suffer and such as these one called a Justice spake as for and we who fear the Lord another called a Justice spake as against whereby we were put into and kept in the house of Correction and so cause us to suffer beyond the extent of any law And is not this according to them who said and did release Barabbas and crucifie the Just Wherefore ye men minde the witnesse of God in all your consciences and come into his fear that you may love mercy do justly and walk humbly that the just in every one of you may have dominion and then the imprisoned members of Christ will not need to cry unto you for justice and equity Your answer to them you may return who certainly are the servants of God in outward bonds but the Darbies are since released Now let all peoples mouths be stopt for ever from saying we that are called Quakers are not subject to Authority nor obedient to the Law for if we for conscience sake cannot actually be obedient to an unjust Law yet if passively we willingly suffer the punishment which that Law saith is to be inflicted upon him that doth not keep it then therein is that Law also by us fulfilled and hath no more power over us who herein are obedient to Authority and submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake But our souls are subject to the higher power which rules over all them who are in the persecuting powers of darknesse who though they be set to be Ministers of a Law and acting without a Law contrary to the Law are found themselves transgressors of the Law being out of the feare and Law of God and out of the Law of the Nation And so they are far out and from that of which Authority consistech and indeed out of all power both of God and man in their own wills ruling with cruelty over others in the power of Darkness We having thus endeavoured by using all means which is just in the sight of God for our right and liberty and having remained close Prisoners many weekes without convenient place to worke though we were committed to the work-house we then endeavoured to get room and liberty to work with our hands and therefore one of us did write unto him by whom we were unjustly committed as followeth John Bulkley THou alone art the cause of my imprisonment almost these nine weeks in which I have almost suffered to the death of my body being also sicke when I was brought to prison among those in whose company wert thou but one night it would make thy flesh to tremble and grieve thy soul if thou feared God to hear see the filthy conversation of the wicked from day to day the like wickednesse I do believe was not found in Sodome nor in the old World whom God destroyed with an utter overthrow Oh! consider a little in the feare of the righteous God who is the righteous Judge of all mankind whether thou hast done unto me as thou wouldst be done unto who am a sufferer under thy hand of oppression for righteousnesse sake both in body and soule being grieved and vexed with the abominations that I daily hear and see and the injustice and unreasonableness of them by whom we suffer where also we are deprived of all outward liberty without cause which in the day of visitation the witnesse of God in thee for me shall witnesse and this action of thine against the innocent in that day will be as a milstone about thy neck and as a fiery flaming worm to eate thy flesh Yea and if thou proceed in the evill that is in thy hands and repent not speedily when thou wilt think peace to thy selfe then will thy sudden destruction come as in a moment from the Lord God who is a swift witnesse against all iniquity and unrighteousnesse of men without respect of persons Therefore once more consider and weigh thy actions in the just ballance even by the light of Christ in thy conscience which will let thee see by what measure thou metest it will be measured to thee again And this is right and according as God will judg and reward every man to which that of God in thy conscience do witnesse though for a time thou mayst strive to hide and vaile it for the honour of the worlds sake and the love of the praise of men but what will this avail or profit thee in the day wherein thou wilt be justly weighed and tryed then to be found by the Judge of all the Earth to be a persecutor of his people and anointed ones for whose sake he will rebuke Kings and will fight our battels and plead our cause in righteousnesse Therefore do we stand still in quietnesse to see his salvation and a freedome from the oppression of all wickednesse and wicked men under whom for a time the just do suffer I do not vvrite to thee as to complain to thee but am contented in my sufferings for my God heares the sighing of his prisoners neither do I expect any thing from thee but equity and justice of vvhich thou bearest the name but actest not in the lifethereof so in the day of try all vvilt be found among the hypocrites bearing the name of that thou neither art nor livest in I must deale plainly vvith thee though under thy povver I should suffer death this I can say I have no envy to thy person nor to any man upon the earth God is my vvitnesse neither dare I give flattering titles to any man for in so doing I should be

that by it you may be lead out of the world and out of all its wayes fashions customes and traditions which are evill up unto God to serve and worship him alone who is a jealous God and will not give his glory unto another who will bring down the mighty from their ungodly seats and will exalt the meeke and the lowly and all that are proud and do wickedly and all that persecute and make a prey upon the innocent shall be as the chaffe before an unquencheable fire And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and his haughtinesse laid low in this the day of his mighty power in which he is arising to shake terribly the earth to give unto mystery Babylon and all her Merchants that are trading with her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath and all who worship the Beast or his Image and are joyned together with him making war against the Lamb and his followers shall have their portion together in the Lake that burns for ever James Pottar Having thus let the cause appear of the committing of other friends under their own hands and having not been wanting before in sending writing unto the Rulers to lay their unjust retaining of us in bo nds before them thereby to attain our just liberty but being most like at present to be deprived thereof seeing that they commit more also unto Prison we willingly together gave up our bodies to suffer if it were untill death and onely sought to have the liberty to worke as before was mentioned therefore we writ as followeth and sent it to them called Justice Cobb and Justice Betsworth WE whose consciences are clear in the sight of the living God that we have not injured nor wronged any person neither broke the Law of God whose witness will abide in us for ever that we are this day in bonds for the testimony of a a good conscience under the cruel oppression of men of sin who have taken several of us out of our honest lawful employments and in prison kept us from our labours which we should labour in for the maintenance of our selves and families whose souls do abhor idleness neither dare we eat any mans bread for nought and by this unjust imprisonment have many of us suffered much because we could not proceed in our present occasions some of our families also wanting us much whose wives are left as Widows and children as the fatherless And seeing mens hearts continue so hard as to keep us so long in bonds from our businesse therefore we have endeavoured to have liberty to work with our hands in the Prison something whereof having been granted by order in writing from John Bulkley We being in all 7 persons kept always close prisoners and what abuses and hard-ships we have suffered we mention little herein who are not only deprived of our way of livelyhood and liberty in the Nation but also restrained from having that liberty which the rest of the servants of God have in most or in all Prisons in England which is of having liberty for one or more of us to go forth into the Town to buy food and to provide other necessaries for the rest and for want of this liberty we have often wanted water to drink and sometimes bread to eat and other things when some of us have been sick yet have we not troubled you with many complaints herein but in secret have we powred forth our souls with prayers and tears unto the Lord God of life who seeth all our wants and knoweth our innocency and in his due time can us deliver but if not to the Devill we cannot bow for our soules are subject to the higher power which preserved them that broke the decrees and commands of men which is more then is justly charged upon us Esther 3. 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Act. 4. 17 18. Now the thing which we write for is that which is just in the sight of God and but reasonable in the sight of any reasonable Minister of the Law which law they themselves say should be grounded upon reason which thing is we being six men and one woman that she the aforesaid woman whose name is Winifred Newman or any other of us may have liberty to go forth and buy bring in other needful things for the rest of us that so we may no more be put to the extreamity of want nor to the charge of hiring another to do that for us which we might well do our selves who have been at great charge already besides other losse and that she or another of us may also bring work in and out for us and such things as may be needfull for us to work with and upon And that she or either of us having this liberty granted shal be as a prisoner without the least intent of running away we shall all engage and promise so far as men fearing God can promise herein that which we chiefly intend is combing of Wool A speedy answer or order in writing herein is expected according to justice desired by the members of Christ in Prison house of Correction at Winchester whose names are Anthony Melledg William Baily Humphrey Smith James Pottar Daniel Baker George Henderson and Winifred Newman THis Paper was directed and sent to Justice Cobb and Justice Betsworth as they were called but was chiefly intended for Justice Cobb who was as Judge at the Sessions before who being without naturall affection denyed the members of Christ in prison this so reasonable a thing the which then I laid before the under-Sheriffe and read a Copie of the Paper to him he being then in the Prison who granted the thing to be but reasonable whereby it doth appeare that he and them that should do Justice were unreasonable in denying that which was reasonable and he said as the Justices did that it was not in his power then I asked him in whose power it was to grant this reasonable thing seeing both Justices Sherif and Goaler had denyed it then he referred me to one Browning but suddenly I was informed that he was a Papist and so I laid the unreasonableness of it upon him that we of whom some had been Captains and others long serviceable for liberty from under Popish Tyranny should be now deprived of all Justice and Equity and referred only to the the mercy of a Popish man Oh the cruelty and hard heartedness of the Sons of men who can read it without mourning no Transgressor in the prison but might be heard nor the cause of any thief so turned aside but the Lord of mercy was our refuge who is a present help in time of need and can never forget his Covenant nor for sake his afflicted who abide faithfull who in his mercy preserveth his Servants but overturneth his enemies for ever and be did visit for these things and began to avenge himselfe on his adversaries though his Lambs rejoyceth not

when the enemies falleth nor in that the Devils are made subject but in that there names are written among the living but in our affliction I writ the a foregoing paper and sent it to Justice Cob and Betsworth upon the 11. day of the 4. moneth the 6. day of the week and upon the 16. day of the same moneth the 4. day of the week at night the a foresaid Justice Cob was suddenly cut off though no outward eye saw how wch was to the astonishment of his family and many more And the man which the Justice and Priest Bental caused to swear falsly against James Pottar the same man was since that time bruised torn and spoyled with a horse and harrows so that he died very shortly after being before troubled in conscience for what he had sworn yet notwithstanding Scripture is fulfilled when the Lords hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed And it may be observed that we had sent several other papers to the Justice Cob some whereof are herein written all which he little regarded he being a great enemy to Truth and a Persecutor of friends he being as a judge at another sessions was not satisfied with the committing of Stephen Bevis to the house of correction who was before committed by Col. Norton to the common Goal for hearing testimony against Priest Simons false Doctrine but also gave order that he should not be suffered to work at his trade but be put to pounding of hemp or some harder work though he declared his willingness in open court to work at his trade A Copy of a paper to the sessions You at whose hands the dreadful God of life and his Servants doth require right and sound judgement to be by you performed at this present sessions at Winchester LEt our several causes be heard and read in open court and let our innocent sufferings appear in the Light before the eyes of the people and let them by whom we suffer be made manifest and do not shut up things in darkness as at the last sessions not suffering the cause of them who are oppressed to be read in the open Court wherein and in many other things we have been deprived of that which is just and right the wch i● proceeded in will even be a shame unto you for justice Equity and true Judgement is that we do both expect and would gladly see brought forth in you therefore do not wait to lay farther snares to betray the simple whereby to cover that oppression some of you have acted in against the Servants of the living God but let the fear of God guide you that sound Judgement you may come unto whereby rightly to understand what or what manner of evil we have done or what Law of God we have broken and what accusations are against us with the ground and cause of those accusations and take heed of entertaining false witness or joyning with it or forcing men to swear against the members of Christ contrary to Gods witness in them as Thomas Bowrman hath done and if any thing be or hath been proved or any one falsely accused either of the Servants of God or any other you are to see that you do not punish such accused above or beyond the fact or crime charged against them and herein all that rule for God are and should be guided with an understanding heart in the spirit of wisdom and knowledge as Moses Joshua Solomon and others were that none may be oppressed by wrong Judgement nor insnared because of envy and prejudice which lodgeth in the deceitful hearts of men who are out of Gods fear For we who are in scorn called Quakers do wait to have true Judgement set up in the earth in righteousness established in and among the Sons of men and are friends unto and Lovers of all them who judge for God without respect of persons and a praise to them that do well And he that reproves a Hireling that stands praying in the Synagogue doth well for Esaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Micah Malachiah Hosea and Christ and Paul and Peter did reprove and bear testimony against such and for the same things are the members of Christ in your dayes haled out of the Synagogues brought before Rulers and cast into Prison whom you should be a praise unto for therein they do well being moved of the Lord thereunto whose mouthes by men of sin are not to be stopped though they would have us or command us to speak no more in his name who maketh an end of sin and said I am the Light of the world whose Light hath led us out of evil and so are become a prey unto an adulterous generation that know not God whose love in our hearts hath constrained us to obey him rather then man in that wherein man would hinder us in our obedience unto God whose power worketh in ●s mightily which keepeth us from under the bondage of mans corrupt will yet to the higher power our souls are subject even to that power which preserved them who broke the Commands and Decrees of men Hest 3. 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6 Acts 4. 17. 18. Several papers have we sent to you who should do Justice of our unjust and unreasonable sufferings in prison and little hath it been by you regarded one of which papers we sent by a friend to John Hook called a Justice of Bramshot which friend since gave us an account in writing that when he came to deliver the paper John Hooks Clerk beat him in the house and others also abused him and after he was gone out of the house another who belonged to the house followed him and in a Lane did beat him and kick him very much and this was very evil which you are to punish Here followeth a short Relation of something of the cause of the committing and retaining of the members of Christ in prison Anthony Melledg William Baily Humphrey Smith IMprisoned two weeks without the breach of any Law and since kept in the House of Correction about 17 weeks from their business and from their home because they cannot promise to go home who know no law requiring them to make any such promise and where there is no law there is no transgression Winif. Newman Imprisoned for speaking a few sober words to the hireling Priest who cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2 14. after he had ended she being before a servant to a Widow and fatherless and so the hireling Priest by causing her to be imprisoned hath caused both she the widow and the fatherlesse to suffer Daniel Baker Geo Henderson Imprisoned for speaking words of truth to the same Priest and people which Priest said that God was author of evill And another Priest before the Magistrate wrested the Scripture to affirm that Christ did swear when he said Verily verily John Day Imprisoned for reproving the same hireling Priest Robert Dingly who confest he and his flock were full of

sin and evill which also doth appear by their envy and persecution which is of the Devill James Pottar Imprisoned without the breach of any law and fined at the following Assizes 5 l. because he could not transgresse the Law of God by respecting of persons to satisfie the lusts and corrupt wills of men in not putting off his hat when he was brought to the said Assizes of whom also is demanded 3 l. for fees who have been kept a close prisoner under these cruell oppressions 59 weeks and some dayes From them who are not onely ready to suffer bonds and long unjust imprisonments but also death it self if the Lord require it of us in testimony against all Deceivers and all manner of unrighteousnesse and oppressions and we are friends to the Common-wealth and to equity and true judgement having true love to the souls of all mankinde who for the testimony of a pure conscience are Prisoners by the corrupt wills of men in the Common Gaol and house of Correction at Winton At this last Sessions D. B. G. H. I. D. were committed to the House of Correction being prisoners before the which them set to do justice would not have done if they had not looked out more at the unrighteous hireling Priests vain customes and the glory of the world which shall all perish then to the light of Christ which endureth for ever in their consciences which did then much judge them for what they did against the servants of God and let them see their evill therein the which Light they are to love obey and follow From the servant of God in Prison to the Judge of the Assize at Winchester A Copie of a Paper to the Assizes THe righteous Judge of heaven and earth who respecteth not the persons of the mighty who tryeth the hearts of Kings who is the mighty God of Abraham Isaac Jacob and their seed who wandred up and down some having no certain dwelling place even he who seeth the secret intents of the hearts of the sons of men whose judgements are just and true who rewardeth the proud in his judgements and heareth the cry of the oppressed who will reprove Kings for the sake of the simple and forsaketh not his faithfull afflicted ones who by the man Christ Jesus will judge the secrets of all mens hearts according to his light in them whereby every man shall receive a just recompence of reward according to all their words and actions whether for or against him and his people Wherefore this O man thou art to know that true ●ight and sound judgement is to be by thee performed according to the righteous Law of God which is written in the heart that corrupt judgement cruelty persecution nor receiving of gifts nor entertaining false witness may not be found in thee nor in any of them that Joine with thee whether they are called Sheriffs Justices Jury men Clarks or any other but that according to the Law of God in his fear thou may perform that which the Lord God of hosts certainly will require of thee in the day when all the arme of flesh and honour of the world will not prevent the true everlasting judgments of the most high with fierce wrath and indignation upon all them who pervert true judgment and transgress the righteous Law of God written in the heart The which that thou may not do nor see done before thine eys when thou may prevent it and that thou may escape the wrath of the Almighty which will certainly come upon all who pervert judgment and that in the councell of God thou may come to stand in meeknesse and godly fear to judge for God not for man that his will by thee may be performed that when thou come to stand before the Throne of his eternal judgments thou may not be turned to the left hand with them that forget God and turn his Law behind their backs and oppress his servants and neither visit relieve nor set at liberty the members of Christ in Prison who in these your dayes are in most Prisons where thou come and in Prison have been sick and deprived of that liberty which Thieves and Murtherers have that thou may come to be joyned to Gods witness with it in thee to see rightly to understand the ground and cause of things of which thou art to judge Therefore art thou to be guided by the light in thee which comes from Christ who is the sure foundation and was before-transgression by which the transgression is seen and with it is to be judged which light in thee will let thee see the ground of all transgression by the same out of transgression thou art to be led and then to judge over that which is in the transgression that so those who dare not transgress the righteous law of God thou mayst be a praise unto and all such who reprove sin in the gate market places publick assemblies or els-where and that all who transgress the law of God with that of God in thy conscience thou may be a terrour unto executing true judgment upon that head wch goeth forth from the light into the transgression for that is it for which the Law is added which by the Law which is perfect is to be judged that out of the transgression man may be kept Therefore hear with meekness and in patience understand and consider my words for all the holy men of God who ruled for God and not for men were therein guided by that which is holy pure just and right whereby they were guided in his fear to execute his judgments only upon the transgressor according to the will of him by whom otherwise they themselves were to be judged and they were guided by that spirit in them which gave forth the Law and with that joyned to execute the Law upon them that did transgress the law of God with whom in so doing they were said to be a help-government and such were called Gods who bore not the sword in vain standing in the higher power to which their souls were subject to bring the transgressor in obedience thereunto but such who did not transgress the righteous law of God their souls were already subject to that higher power but when man who should rule for God stood not in his councel but went themselves into the transgression out of the power and judged for reward such the light in them was darkned that they could not see the transgressor but let him go free and punish the just as Pilate and many others did even in the dayes of the Prophets who then cryed out against them because they were become as ravening wolves and then of such it is written I said ye were gods but ye shall dye like men and fall as one of the Princes and because of wrong judgment and the want of true exercise in the perfect law of God have many fallen and been overturned even Kings Princes Parliaments Bishops

released but not us and again any of their complaints would be heard by the Rulers and their papers received and read which was but just but why then should we be deprived of that right every way which they have let the Rulers of Hampshire return me any good reason according to Law for their partiallity herein for we sent a copy of one of the papers before written for some just right and liberty to John Bulkley and a book which I freely gave him in which was some of his own actions which his Clerk said his Master desired it might be printed and if so he might as well desire to have it and he sent his Clark after the messengers who laid his hands on their goods and broke up and read Letters which were of concernment and he also took away from them 7. or 8 books or there abouts which books were as properly the Goods of us called Quakers as the clothes on our backs the which to be violently taken from us is by us esteemed no less then robbery being not restored and so to be punished and not practised by a Magistrate especially by such a zealous out side professor as John Bulkley And so though any vile person might be heard yet I have made it appear but it is to the shame of the Rulers that we sent a messenger to John Hook of Bramshot and his Clark beat the Messenger and we sent another paper by other friends to John Bulkley and did not he send his Clark and rob them and then we sent another paper to that preverse rash tyrannical man who is an evil example to all Rulers and People called Iudge Nicholas at the Assises and he bid the Goaler take that Messenger Therefore now let Gods witness in every Conscience answer whether that which Rules in these and the like men be to be honoured and they flattered or owned to be men ruling for God or to be herein denyed and declared against by all such whose Soules are subject to the higher power which is Gods Ordinance which whosoever resists to please such mens wills shall receive to themselves damnation Pharaoh King of Aegypt of darkness kept the Servants of God in bondadge and would not let them go for which the plagues and Judgements of God came upon him and at last thick darkness which might be felt and when the Judgements of God were upon him he would promise to let them go but it was upon condition that they might leave some thing behind them that he might make a prey upon therefore he bid them go but leave their flocks and heards behind them but Moses was faithfull and said not a hoof should be left behind And so Iohn Bulkley and the rest who sit in darkness and rule with the powers thereof hath imbondaged the Servants of God for which his Judgements hath often come near the heart of him and others even thick darkness which they might feel over-powering their hearts even bringing them down to the Chambers of death and then in their minds and also in words would promise to let us go but it was upon condition that we should leave something behind us for he or they to make a prey upon therefore it was offered we might go if we would leave an ingagement behind us by giving security to go home and when they could not have that then they would have us leave a promise behind us by promising to go home and when they could not have that then they would have some words to that purpose or some desires from us for Iohn Bulkley asked Ann Read what was desired and if any thing was desired it should be done but we did not desire any thing as to beg it of them but vvait for true justice and judgement and vvhen Iohn Bulkley vvith the rest saw that not a hoof nor the least thing should be left behind of ours for him and them to boast of afterwards then he and more of them were tormented and refused to let us go out of their bondage from under their Oppressors and out of their Work-house like Pharaoh who also kept the Servants of God in his bondage under his work therefore was he destroyed for ever as these are in danger to be Thus much at present of the unreasonableness of the Rulers and the bruitishness of the Priests Jer. 10. 21. next may be expected to come forth our cruel sufferings in the prison under Em. Hobs whom it is more fit that she her self were kept in a house of correction or in chaines then to be suffered to be a Goaler who hath also suffered other Friends to be much abused that came to visit us who were at first like to suffer to death in this prison and house of correction where the Servant who is not greater then his Lord doth suffer by them of whom I am called Humphry Smith Finished in Winchester common Goal and house of correction the 6. day of the week the 6. day of the 6 month 58. The sounding voice of the dread of Gods mighty power to all the Judges and Rulers of the earth who rise up against the Lamb And to Gog Magog and all their Armys And to the whole host of the powers of darkness and to all men who fight against God who or whatsoever they be or whatsoever they are called BEhold ye Rulers of the earth listen and heare all ye earthly minded men let the blindness of you minds be opened that your dark hearts may be enlightened hear I say and stop not your cares you whose minds are in the earth whose eyes are closed whose hearts are covered with a thick vail by your own iniquity who see not the wonders of the Lord wrought among the living neither perceive the mighty power of the God of the whole earth who are besotted through the sinfulness of your continual transgressions and are groveling as moles in the earth laden with thick clay and covered with the vail that is spread over all flesh that you see not the glory of the God of life neither perceive ye the comliness of the holy one of Jacob to whom the bright morning-star is as a cloud of darkness and the way of the living God as a fierse whirlwind of fire who see not him that dwelt in the Bush neither hear his voice who hath made darkness his habitation and his pavilion round about him thick clouds of the sky Heare I say and let my words have entrance in you and let the sound of my voice take place in your hearts let the opening of my lips give astonishment to the wicked and the inlargement of my heart the confounding of the Heathen let the dread of the Lord take hold upon the Hypocrites and astonishment seaze upon the double minded let the prudent keep silence and heare and let the honourable be quiet and consider let the understanding give audience to my words and let the mouth of the fool be stopt let the sinner