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<DATE>2010-08-27</DATE>
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<NAME>Susie Lorand</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>A LAMENTACION (By one of <HI>Englands</HI> Prophets) Over the Ruines OF this oppre&s;&s;ed Nacion, To be deeply layd to heart by <HI>Parlia|ment</HI> and <HI>Army,</HI> and all &s;orts of Peeple, le&s;t they be &s;wept away with the Be&s;om of De|&s;truction, in the Day of the Lords fierce wrath and Indignation, which is near at hand.</P>
<P><HI>Written by the movings of the Lord in</HI> James Nayler.</P>
<P>AND A WARNING TO the Rulers of England Not to u&s;urp Dominion over the Con&s;cience, nor to give forth Lawes contrary to that in the Con&s;cience.</P>
<P><HI>Written from the Spirit of the Lord in</HI> George Fox.</P>
<P>Printed for <HI>Tho: Wayt</HI> at his hou&s;e in the <HI>Pavement</HI> in <HI>York.</HI> 1653.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="lamentation">
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<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>A LAMENTACION By one of <HI>Englands</HI> Prophets, over the Ruines of this oppre&s;&s;ed NACION, to be deeply layd to heart by Parliament and Army, and all &s;orts of People, le&s;t they be &s;wept away with the Be&s;om of De&s;truction, in the day of the Lords fierce wrath and indignation, which is near at hand.</HEAD>
<P>OH <HI>England!</HI> how is thy expectation failed now after all thy travails? the People to whom Oppre&s;&s;ion and Vn|righteou&s;ne&s;s hath been a Burden, have long waited for Deliverance, from one year to another, but none comes, from one &s;ort of men to another.</P>
<P>Ha&s;t thou looked for Reformation, but all in vain! for as power hath come into the hands of men, it hath been turned into violence, and the will of men is brought forth in&s;tead of Equity, and this they &s;eek to e&s;tabli&s;h by a Law, to which all mu&s;t bow that are under them, or they mu&s;t be judged as Of|fenders, &s;o that which &s;hould be for Deliverance of the &s;imple from the hand of the oppre&s;&s;our, is turned into a &s;nare to entrap the righteous, and he that turns from iniquity is made a prey to the wicked, and none lays it to heart through the Nation, for all hearts are full of oppre&s;&s;ion, and all hands are full of violence, their hou&s;es are filled with oppre&s;&s;ion&punc; their Streets and Markets abound with it, their Courts which &s;hould afford remedy again&s;t it, are wholly made up of iniquity and inju&s;tice, and the Law of God is made altogether void&punc; and truth is troden under foot, and plainne&s;s is become odious to the proud, and Deceit &s;et on high,
<PB N="4" REF="3">
and the proud are counted happy, and the rich are exalted above the poore, and look to be wor&s;hiped as God, which if any refu&s;e a &s;nare is layd, and Bonds and Impri&s;onment is appointed for them, as not worthy to breathe in the ayer, and no Law, Equi|ty, nor Iu&s;tice can be heard for their freedom: and this is not done by an open Enemy, for then it had not bin &s;o &s;trange unto thee, but it is done by tho&s;e who pretend to be again&s;t oppre&s;&s;i|on; and for whom under that pretence thou ha&s;t adventured all that is dear unto thee, to put power into their hands; and now thou crye&s;t to them for help, but finde&s;t n&oslash;ne that can deliver thee; Oh fooli&s;h People, when will ye learn wi&s;dom? when will ye cea&s;e from man, who is vanity, and the &s;ons of men who are become a Ly?</P>
<P>Are not the&s;e the choice&s;t of thy Worthies, who are now in power? Hath it not been the top of thy de&s;ires and labors to &s;ee it in their hands? and are not they now becom weak as other men, and the Land &s;till in travel, but nothing brought forth but winde? How is the wi&s;dom of the wi&s;e turned into folly, and the under&s;tanding of the prudent hid! How is he who &s;eemed valiant for general freedom fallen into a particular earthly in|tere&s;t, and hath no power to help him&s;elf! Would any have be|lieved that the&s;e &s;hould have fallen in the Pit, and &s;tuck in the Mire, as they who were before them, who&s;e names are made a reproach in the Nation! how have the&s;e cryed out for the King|dom of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> to bear rule in his Church, and con&s;ciences of his own, above the wils of proud oppre&s;&s;ing Tyrants, yea and have been In&s;truments to execute Gods decree upon &s;uch as have with&s;tood the freedom of the righteous &s;eed; but now what is brought forth by them more than words! do not the members of <HI>Chri&s;tly</HI> &s;till under the power of the oppre&s;&s;or, ca&s;t into holes and Pri&s;ons for the Truths &s;ake, and are denyed that liberty they allow to thieves and murderers, though the breach of no ju&s;t Law can be layd to their charge, neither will they let them come to tryall, left by their own Law they &s;hould be forced to free them; and how long &s;ome have layn upon this account you are not ignorant.</P>
<P>Wo is me for you Rulers, how are you fallen from what you have profe&s;&s;ed, when you your &s;elves were &s;ufferers under &s;uch
<PB N="5" REF="3">
bondage! and now is it nothing to you that your Brethren who have been one with you again&s;t oppre&s;&s;ion, now peri&s;h under the hand of the &s;ame men, from whom you are &s;et free! and do not the &s;ame men judg us now for offenders, and doth it not con|cern you to &s;ee what is the cau&s;e why they thus vent their envy again&s;t the innocent, and their Lives and Libertyes are taken away in clo&s;e holes and dungeons, when it is your duty and in your power to &s;ee them have ju&s;tice, according to the Law of God which you profe&s;s, and not after mens wils: and if you know the offences for which they thus &s;uffer, how is it that that which <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> doth command and the Saints did practice is now become &s;o heynous offences that nothing will &s;erve but perpetual Impri|&s;onment in clo&s;e holes without hearing or tryal! and that you may &s;ee for what the&s;e de&s;pi&s;ed ones do &s;uffer under you, con&s;i|der their crimes, whereof the greate&s;t of them is, that &s;ome of them are moved to go into the Idols Temples, to di&s;pute and rea&s;on with them who uphold the Idols wor&s;hip, and to call the People out of it, unto the wor&s;hip in Spirit; and though this &s;eem a heinous crime to you, yet it was the practice of the Apo|&s;tles and Saints as is plain in Scripture.</P>
<P>Others &s;uffer becau&s;e they cannot break the expre&s;s com|mands of God, to give that wor&s;hip to proud men, which God Almighty hath forbidden to give to any Creature in Heaven or in Earth, but onely to him&s;elf; and here may all the heathen Ru|lers condemn you, who never impri&s;oned nor fined <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> nor his Saints for this, though the Scripture &s;ayth, they <HI>respected no mans per&s;on,</HI> nor did they <HI>bow down</HI> nor give <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> to the Crea|ture, though the Devil the father of pride tempted to it then as well as now.</P>
<P>Others &s;uffer for confe&s;&s;ing the Name of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and witne&s;|&s;ing him in them in their mea&s;ure, as they finde him manife&s;t in them to overcome &s;in, the world, and the Devil, and reconcile them to God, and this is called Bla&s;phemy, and &s;o proceeded again&s;t, though the Saints have always witne&s;&s;ed the &s;ame, and it &s;tands in Scripture for a witne&s;s again&s;t you&punc; and &s;ayth <HI>Chri&s;t, He that denyes me before men, him will I deny before my Father;</HI> and thus the practice of the Saints was and is counted Bla&s;phemy by the profe&s;&s;ors of the world.</P>
<P><PB N="6" REF="4">Others &s;uffer for denying to &s;wear at the commands of men, after the cu&s;toms of the world, when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;ayth, <HI>Swear not at all, for what is more than Yea and Nay cometh of evil;</HI> and the Apo&s;tles warneth the Saints above all things <HI>not to &s;wear</HI> by any Oath what&s;oever, which all that have entered into <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> have denyed, for he is the Oath and Covenant of God forever.</P>
<P>Others &s;uffer becau&s;e they are moved of the Lord to go into the Streets and Markets to declare again&s;t all manner of &s;in which abounds there, and to call all to repentance, and to declare the great day of the Lord at hand, and his wrath to be revealed upon &s;uch abominable practices: and a &s;nare is layd for him that reproveth in the gate, and they &s;uffer as di&s;turbers of the Peace, but what Peace is this which is di&s;turbed by the crying out again&s;t &s;in? but Drunkards, Swearers, Lyars, Ballad-&s;ellers, are &s;uffered in the &s;treets and markets, and are not counted Di|&s;turbers of the Peace: Is this the Saints Peace which &s;tands in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, or the Worlds Peace, upholden by man of &s;in?</P>
<P>Others whom the Lord hath called to leave hou&s;es and land, wives and children, fathers and mothers, and hath in love to poor &s;ouls &s;ent them out, to declare his love to the world, and the glad tidings of the Go&s;pel freely, the&s;e are taken under the name of wanderers and &s;trangers, becau&s;e they have no earthly po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions among&s;t you; &s;ome of them by your Law you impri|&s;on, &s;ome you whip out of your Towns, &s;ome are beaten, &s;toned, and &s;hamefully intreated, though they ask you nothing, neither are free to receive any thing from the world, if they would give them, but do wait on their Father for food who &s;ends them their journey, and thus you entertain &s;trangers, contrary to the pra|ctice of all the Saints in all Ages, and the commands of God and the Apo&s;tles, who warned not to forget to entertain &s;tran|gers, for &s;ome thereby <HI>have entertained Angels unawares,</HI> but as the men of <HI>Sodom</HI> did compa&s;s <HI>Lots</HI> hou&s;e, who had entertained &s;trangers, &s;o do the&s;e compa&s;s the hou&s;es where the&s;e are, threatning to pull down the hou&s;es and da&s;h their brains again&s;t the &s;tones in the wall, and this is done when &s;uch are with them, who go under the name of Magi&s;trates and Mini&s;ters, and the innocent are haled out and &s;ent to Pri&s;on, though nothing can be charged again&s;t them but as &s;trangers, who have no habi|tation
<PB N="7" REF="4">
among them. And for &s;uch offences as the&s;e do the poor de&s;pi&s;ed little ones of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;uffer the wor&s;t &s;ort of Impri|&s;onments that can be invented, in dark holes, under Tyrants, who will not &s;uffer their Brethren to vi&s;it them, and all this while all manner of &s;in at liberty, and Drunkards, Swearers, Ly|ars, and Whoremongers, and &s;uch like men of <HI>Belial,</HI> are be|come the fitte&s;t men to be &s;et up to witne&s;s again&s;t the inno|cent, and many of tho&s;e who &s;it to judg them are guilty of divers of the foremencioned crimes them&s;elves; and thus the wicked are &s;et up to make the Righteous offenders for a word, who are none in deed, nor can they be convinced of the breach of any ju&s;t Law; and this is not done in &s;ecret that you know not of. Oh you that bear rule in the Nation, and ought to relieve &s;uch, for then might you have an excu&s;e, but it is done in the Cityes, County, Towns, and Courts, where Ju&s;tice ought to relieve &s;uch; and you know this and are &s;ilent, but it is that you may be left without excu&s;e, at the great Day of Account, which is near at hand, even the Day of <HI>Sions</HI> recompence, which hath long been troden under foot by the earthly powers! and now will you profe&s;s your &s;elves to be <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> the Scripture your Rule, or &s;o much as talk of the practices of the Saints, when &s;uch works as the&s;e are found among&s;t you, which were acted by the Heathens, and formal Profe&s;&s;ors again&s;t the Saints, but never practiced by the Saints again&s;t any; neither have you any ground for them in Scripture: O how will you appear before the Almighty, who&s;e profe&s;&s;ions and practi&s;es are &s;o un&s;utable, and ju&s;tice and mercy is talkt of, but not brought forth.</P>
<P>Wo, wo, wo unto you, who have not u&s;ed your power to re|lieve the oppre&s;&s;ed, do you thus requite the Lord, who hath &s;et you free from your Enemyes, and hath &s;et you to rule for him over his People! Is this according to your promi&s;es made to him in the day of your fears, when you were little in your own eys, and now that he hath &s;et you free, and you are exalted, &s;hall his poor &s;imple little ones &s;uffer in bondage under you, as under the Tyrants and Bi&s;hops before you, and you not once &s;ay they are our Brethren&punc; nor your hearts pity them! Are you building your Hou&s;es, and &s;etting your Ne&s;ts on high, and <HI>Sion</HI> lyes wa&s;te, troden upon!</P>
<P><PB N="8" REF="5">Wo is me for you, you high ones, how are you fallen from that tenderne&s;s I have &s;een in &s;ome of you, when you were &s;uf|ferers with the People of God! but now the &s;ufferings of the Saints are made a talk at your fea&s;ts to fill your mouths with laughter; and you can eat and drink and ri&s;e up to play, and &s;tretch your &s;elves upon your Beds of ea&s;e, but the afflictions of your Brethren are not layd to heart. Wo to you that are at ea&s;e while the &s;imple are en&s;nared by their Enemyes, God is highly di&s;plea&s;ed with you and he will not e&s;tabli&s;h you, who have neglected mercy and ju&s;tice. Hearken O ye Prie&s;ts, and give ear O hou&s;e of the King, for judgment is towards you, who have been a &s;nare upon <HI>Mispah,</HI> and a net &s;pread upon Mount <HI>Tabor,</HI> to catch the innocent, you have not been carefull to relieve others when you had power, neither &s;hall you deliver your own &s;elves at that day: You are &s;eeking to be high, but you &s;hall finde one above you who is angry with the proud, and will bring down the mighty from their &s;eats, that he may relieve the oppre&s;&s;ed, and let the Pri&s;oners go free, and the Lamb &s;hall take the Kingdom. How are you deceived who have &s;omtimes been the wi&s;dom of the Nations; in that you have pulled down others, and &s;et your &s;elves in the &s;ame heigh! how is your judg|ment failed you, to think that all this &s;haking and overturning hath no further end but to &s;et up fle&s;h, and to exalt one man to rule over the con&s;cience of another by his own will, where <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hould reign as King for ever! do you here as you would be done by, do you not act contrary to the Scriptures, and practice of all the holy men of God, who dur&s;t never &s;it in the Throne of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> per&s;ecute or impri&s;on any for Con&s;cience. Oh that you had taken councel at the fear of God, then had you &s;tood in your places, and &s;hould have known his &s;ecrets, and that his intent is onely to exalt his Son in Spirit, in the fall of proud fle&s;h, &s;o &s;hould you have u&s;ed all your power to make way for his King|dom, and you al&s;o to have ca&s;t down your Crowns at his feet, &s;o &s;hould you have been e&s;tabli&s;hed in his power, a terror to the wicked, removers of oppre&s;&s;ion, and makers up of the breach, and your names a ble&s;&s;ing to generations: but now that oppre&s;&s;i|on is found with you in as much as the poor de&s;pi&s;ed little flock of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath &s;uffered under you, as under tho&s;e whom the Lord
<PB N="9" REF="5">
removed before, when it hath been in your hands to relieve them, and you have not done it, and you that have &s;o much cry|ed up the Kingdom of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in words, and yet have been bold to limit him in his Kingdom, (the Con&s;ciences of his Saints) therefore above all the re&s;t you &s;hall not e&s;cape unpuni&s;hed, for the Lord looked that you who have &s;een his love and pity to you, in &s;etting you above your Enemyes and Fears, &s;hould now have had pity on your Brethren, and walked humbly before him; and for that end he put power into your hands, and removed tho&s;e that were before you, and left none to oppo&s;e you, that you might freely act in mercy and judgment and righteou&s;ne&s;s, but &s;eeing you have forgotten the Lord and his work which to you&punc; ward was good, and are become exceeding high, and cruel as others, and the poor are not delivered by you from the hand of the oppre&s;&s;or and him that is too &s;trong for him, neither have you chearfully gone on in unity, in the work of the Lord and his will but &s;tand up in your own wills, oppo&s;ing the deliverance of the righteous &s;eed. Therefore now will I ari&s;e, &s;ayth the Lord, who have long holden my peace, for I am full of jealou&s;ie for <HI>Sion</HI> who is troden upon, and I will appear for her in the mid&s;t of her Enemyes, and I will gather the outca&s;ts thereof, who have not been regarded, but have been &s;cattered by you, as the off|&s;couring of the world, and as you have &s;cattered and not pityed, &s;o &s;hall you be &s;cattered, and none &s;hall pity you; for the worlds outca&s;ts are my jewels, and I will bring them to po&s;&s;e&s;s the gates of their Enemyes: Even by the word of the Almighty &s;hall this be accompli&s;hed, the Day is near at hand.</P>
<P>Wherefore awake all you to whom oppre&s;&s;ion is a burden, whom the proud have troden upon, and you have been as people without hope, neither have known any way to look for help, for every man hath become vain: Now ari&s;e up out of all your earthly expectations, and &s;tand up to meet the Lord our Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s, who is ri&s;en to deliver his people, the promi&s;ed &s;eed who is in Covenant with him, and to gather them from among the heathen and them that have made prey upon them, becau&s;e they have not known him who will &s;ave them. And now look no more to the Arm of Fle&s;h for Freedom, for therein hath been
<PB N="10" REF="6">
your wo, but wayt for the Deliverer out of <HI>Sion,</HI> the Ancient of Days, and God of <HI>I&s;raels</HI> &s;eed, who hath letten you &s;ee the emptyne&s;s of all created helps to which your eys have been looking that you might return, and complain to him onely, who is the Fountain from whom all his finde pity.</P>
<P>And now a word to the wi&s;e among&s;t you, for as much as the Lord hath &s;hewed me that there is a Seed among&s;t you, who&s;e hearts are not wholly hardened, nor have wilfully &s;top|ed your ears again&s;t the Cry of the oppre&s;&s;ed, nor have been con&s;enting to the cruelty that hath been acted and is intended again&s;t the innocent; to you I &s;ay ari&s;e and deliver your &s;elves from the guilt of Oppre&s;&s;ion, and Cruelty of the&s;e men, and humble your &s;elves before the Lord, that you may receive wi&s;|dom from him, and boldne&s;s to declare again&s;t all violence and inju&s;tice, and &s;et your &s;elves to deliver the oppre&s;&s;ed to the ut|mo&s;t, that you may be hid, and have a &s;ure house, and be e&s;ta|bli&s;hed: take heed that you walk not by example of others, but in the light of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> which guides the con&s;cience, and that will keep you tender-hearted in bowels of mercy to all, and let it not &s;eem &s;trange to you to &s;ee others wholly &s;et on mi&s;chief, but con&s;ider, could ever any of your cruel oppre&s;&s;ors believe, though God hath always &s;ent to warn them before the judg|ment come, that thereby he might leave them without excu&s;e, and be clear when he comes to take vengeance, but they have hardened them&s;elves again&s;t all reproof: and marvel not to &s;ee it &s;o at this day, for the &s;eed of the proud is but one in all ages. Wherefore minde the fear of God and his Law, and con&s;ent not to any thing becau&s;e of a multitude, but for Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Equityes &s;ake; and having Righteou&s;ne&s;s before you fear not the face of any, nor the reproach of men, but be valiant for the truth, the glory of God, and freedom of every oppre&s;&s;ed one, and victory is before you, if you be faithfull; and the Lord God Almighty ble&s;s, pro&s;per, and guide all the faithfull among you, to keep clear out of all the con&s;ultations of the wicked, that you may never con&s;ent to any thing but what is of God, warranted in Scriptures, and practiced by the Saints, that you may no longer re&s;t in a Profe&s;&s;ion of what the Saints were,
<PB N="11" REF="6">
and act to the contrary but that you may come to be guided in all things by the &s;ame Spirit, kept out of all the wi&s;dom of the world, and the fear of God be among&s;t you.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Written by the movings of the Lord in one that pi|tyes the Ruines of the Nacion; for want of Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, Iu&s;tice, and Mercy, whom the World calls
Iames Nayler.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>Westmerland,</HI> <DATE>the 9th Moneth 1653.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="warning">
<PB N="12" REF="7">
<HEAD>A Warning to the Rulers of <HI>ENGLAND. Not to u&s;urp Dominion over the Con&s;cience, nor to give forth Laws contrary to that in the Con&s;cience.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe Law it was added becau&s;e of tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, it came not by the will of man, but was revealed to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> of God, and is perfect according to that in the con&s;cience, it was added becau&s;e of tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, who walk contra|ry to that in the con&s;cience, which is pure of God, there is the &s;eat of bla&s;phemy, he &s;peaks what he is not, and what he doth not, and &s;peaks evil of tho&s;e things he knows not, and he that acts contrary to that in the con&s;cience acts contrary to the per|fect Law of God, and there he lives in the lu&s;t, when the Law &s;ayth thou &s;halt not lu&s;t; he that lu&s;teth goeth forth, he &s;teals, he covets his neighbours wife, and his neighbours goods, he kills and doth murder, and he goes forth and breaks the Sabboth, and he that breaks one breaks all; and heer the righteous Law takes hold upon him, that is perfect, and &s;lays him.</P>
<P>But he that dwels in that which is pure, exerci&s;ing the con|&s;cience towards God and man, the Law takes not hold upon him, it was not made for &s;uch the righteous, but for the &s;inners: and who are without the fear of the Lord ca&s;ts this Law behinde their backs, and who re&s;pects per&s;ons, and his minde that lu&s;teth and goeth forth from the pure in this con&s;cience, there the &s;pirit is erred into the earth and for the earth, as <HI>Balaams</HI> was, then that minde &s;peaks evil of the truth.</P>
<P>And this Law is made already, which is the Law of God, &amp; need not be made again; but all are to wait to receive it, which is perfect and is a ground again&s;t all unrighteou&s;ne&s;s and Sinners: where it is received it is under&s;tood, what it takes hold upon, which was added becau&s;e of Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, not for the Righteous, but it pre|&s;erves the Righteous, and gives way for the Truth, it meddles not with the Righteous as laying any thing upon them, for it doth
<PB N="13" REF="7">
not re&s;pect any mans Per&s;on, it takes hold upon all who act con|trary to that in the Con&s;cience: it doth not meddle with that in the Con&s;cience which is pure, which is perfect, that is its own, and that &s;aith <HI>the Law is holy, ju&s;t, and good,</HI> in its place, but it is for them which are without, and it doth not &s;peak evill of the Magi&s;trates which are in this Law and have received it which is perfect, but of the Evil the Law judgeth, which is perfect, but it exalts ju&s;tice, and dominion; Dominion which is according to the Soul, and that in the Con&s;cience, it is for the keeping them who act contrary to that in the Con&s;cience in order, a limit to the Lu&s;t, for it &s;ayth, <HI>Thou &s;halt not Lu&s;t,</HI> (for who act contrary to that in the Con&s;cience run out of Order) that there &s;hall be none that abu&s;e them&s;elves with mankinde, no Fighter, and how full is the Land of them! nor no re&s;pecters of Per&s;ons, and all who acts according to this in the Con&s;cience: that in the Con&s;cience is but one, in it there is no damnable Here&s;ie, nor no Bla&s;phemy, nor no licencious practi&s;es, for they ari&s;e out of that nature that acts contrary to that in the Con&s;cience, without the fear of the Lord, and that &s;peaks evill of Magi&s;trates and Magi&s;tracy, and de&s;troyes the Common-wealth, for this in the Con&s;cience guids into the fear of the Lord.</P>
<P>Now you not having received this perfect Law, but makeing Lawes in your wils and mindes contrary to this in the Con&s;ci|ence, and above this in the Con&s;cience; who acts according to that in the Con&s;cience cannot &s;ubmit to them, for tho&s;e Lawes are changable, but this is for ever, which was added becau&s;e of Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, and takes hold upon the Sinners and Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors outward, to the hewing down of &s;uch.</P>
<P>But you that go to make Lawes in your wils again&s;t the Righ|teous, and meddle with the Righteous, and them that act accor|ding to that in the Con&s;cience, which is according to the Law, of God, which is perfect, and for ever, the Law of God will hew you all down, which is for ever, as it has done many generacions before you: and the righteous Seed &s;uffered in all generacions by &s;uch Lawes, therefore to that in your Con&s;ciences I &s;peak to wait upon the Lord, that you may receive the Law of God, which is pure, which is ju&s;t, which is perfect according to that in the Con&s;cience, for there is Woes and Plauges gone out again&s;t
<PB N="14" REF="8">
this Nacion, le&s;t you be &s;wept away with the &s;eed of evill doers and in the way as your Fathers who have tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the pure Law, and that in the Con&s;cience, and &s;troven with the Law which is in the will, to keep down that in the Con&s;cience; for there<NOTE PLACE="marg">At the &s;econd Se&s;&s;ion of Par|liament, in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ir&s;t year of <HI>Ma+ry,</HI> Chap. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> has been a Law &amp; an Act made, which Act did the Martyrs &s;uffer by in <HI>Queen Maryes</HI> dayes, who was the maintainer of Popery: this has the Engli&s;h Mini&s;try who profe&s;s the Mini&s;try of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> got to limit the Spirit of the Lord, to keep them in their Pulpits and it has been their Guard; and they cry again&s;t Popery, and them&s;elves maintain the Popi&s;h Law, to pri&s;on and to per&s;ecute them that have the Life of the Scriptures made manife&s;t in them.</P>
<P>Oh never profe&s;s Chri&s;t, and guard your Church and Mini&s;try as you call it, with a Popi&s;h Antichri&s;tian Law, let this never be mencioned in Ages to come as it is mencioned in this Age, how many have &s;uffred by her Law, and &s;uffers now, and yet you cry up the Go&s;pel, and cry again&s;t &s;uch as act according to that in the Con&s;cience; but this is a &s;hame to tho&s;e who have received the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, and walk in the Spirit that gave forth the Scrip|ture, and have the pure Law of God, whereby many have been impri&s;oned, and are Pri&s;oned.</P>
<P>Now con&s;ider and &s;ee your &s;elves, if you have not made and maintained this Act again&s;t the Scripture, when the Scripture &s;ayth, <HI>If any thing be revealed to another that &s;its by, let the fir&s;t hold his Peace, for yee may all &s;peak one by one,</HI> and the Teachers of the World, put up Peticions to you, again&s;t them who have been moved of the Lord to &s;peak his word; &s;o here Teachers and you who be in Authority you both act again&s;t Scripture, your Law it is again&s;t the Scripture, and their Teaching is again&s;t the Scripture, and &s;o its ju&s;t with God to hew you all down toge|ther, for the Mini&s;ter of God &s;ayd, <HI>You may all Prophe&s;y one by one: if any thing be revealed to him that &s;its by, let the fir&s;t hold his Peace:</HI> and <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> gave that Liberty, who had received the Law from God: and that was in all the Churches of the Saints, that they might &s;peak one by one,</P>
<P>Now here you that make a Law contrary to that in the Con|&s;cience, and you that put up Peticions for a Law, have cleared your &s;elves, both makers of the Law, and &s;eekers for the Law,
<PB N="11" REF="8">
not to have the Spirit of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and his Lawes which are per|fect, and not to have the Spirit of the Mini&s;ter of God, of <HI>Paul,</HI> who gave that Freedom, that all may &s;peak one by one, and here yee do limit the <HI>Holy One</HI> and the Spirit of the Lord God; and &s;o ty People up in Forms and Sects, and bring up damnable He|re&s;ies, and Bla&s;phemies, who bring People contrary to that in the Con&s;cience, for that is but one in ten-thou&s;and, and is accor|ding to the Law of God, which is perfect, and the Law of God takes not hold upon that, (A warning to you all, and be warn|ed and fear God)</P>
<P>Now in the Church of God, where they &s;poke one by one, there was no di&s;order nor di&s;traction, where all were guided by one Spirit; the Law has nothing to do with the Church of God <HI>that is the Pillar and Ground of Truth,</HI> and they are in Peace and Unity, and the Law was never made for &s;uch, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Head of the <HI>Church,</HI> the Head of the Body, who is the end of the Law, and therefore &s;ilence all Fle&s;h (who would make a Law upon <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>) from making Lawes for the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> The per|fect Law of God takes hold upon &s;uch who are Murtherers, who act unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, them that abu&s;e them&s;elves with Mankinde, them that are without, and act without, and you that meddle with the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and that in the Con&s;cience; the Law you have not received from God, but the Plauges will be pour|ed upon you: The Law of God is contrary to that in your Wils, according to that in the Con&s;cience, and they are both perfect, and it is not known but as it is revealed, and the mini&s;ter of God is perfect, according to that in the Con&s;cience, and it owns the perfect Law, for the Mini&s;ter of God is to bring from under all Sin, and the oca&s;ion of all Lawes, and this we witne&s;s, yea Thou|&s;ands! Prai&s;ed be the Lord for ever.</P>
<P>They that fear the Lord they have mutuall Peace among them|&s;elves, you need not make a Law for them; for the Law is up|on them that are without the fear of God, and there is the di&s;|turbance, and &s;uch the Law takes hold upon,</P>
<P>And as touching preventing the abu&s;ing and evil &s;peaking of Magi&s;trates, there need not be a Law upon them that fear the Lord, for they are taught by the Spirit of the Lord, that in the Con&s;cience, to fear the Lord and own the perfect Law which
<PB N="16" REF="9">
is holy, ju&s;t, and good in its place; and own ju&s;tice and the Dig|nity and Dominion; but as it was in the time of <HI>Iude,</HI> &s;uch Teachers as went in the way of <HI>Cain</HI> to envy and after the error of <HI>Balaam,</HI> who peri&s;h in the gain&s;aying of <HI>Core,</HI> what they &s;poke they knew naturally, and in tho&s;e things they corrupted them&s;elves, as <HI>England</HI> has many of &s;uch who have told us that <HI>Hebrew</HI> and <HI>Greek</HI> has been the Original, and the Steeple|hou&s;e has been the Church and the Temple, and &s;prinkling In|fants has been the Bapti&s;m, and the Letter has been the Light, and the Letter has been the Word, and tho&s;e are the Teachers that were made Mini&s;ters at <HI>Oxford</HI> and <HI>Cambridg,</HI> by the will of man; but we finde the&s;e things all natural, and the natural man knows not the things of God, but they are known natu|rally, and keeps People natural, and knowing the&s;e things are contrary to the Scripture, therefore do we trample upon them, and deny them; and the Magi&s;trat having his Law changeable, (not receiving the Law from God which is perfect and endures for ever) and not according to that in the con&s;cience, and ac|cording to the Scripture, but would limit the Spirit of the Lord, we deny them &amp; that which is contrary to the &s;oul, and contrary to that in the con&s;cience, but that which is according to the &s;oul and that in the con&s;cience we own and honour in our &s;ouls, for that is perfect and endures for ever, and does not &s;peak evil of Dignity nor of Dominion, and to that the &s;oul mu&s;t be &s;ubject: but as touching the Mini&s;try which I &s;ayd we trampled upon, which is natural, we having received the &s;ame &s;pirit according to the mea&s;ure that gave forth the Scripture, by which we are bap|tized into one Body, &s;o with that we deny their &s;prinkling of In|fants, which they call Bapti&s;m, becau&s;e there is no example for it in the Scripture; and that &s;pirit that gave forth the Scripture &s;ayd, the Church is in God, and therefore we deny the Church of the world which is natural, and they that were made Mini|&s;ters were made by the will of God and not by the will of man, and &s;o do we; and the Letter &s;ayth <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the Light, and they that &s;ay the Letter is the Light would di&s;throne <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and they that &s;ay the Letter is the Word &s;ets it up before God, and de|nyes God, for the Letter &s;ayth God is the Word, and they that &s;ay the <HI>Hebrew</HI> and <HI>Greek</HI> are the Original, they who were the
<PB N="17" REF="9">
Mini&s;ters of the Word, which was in the beginng, before many Languages were, &s;poke the Word among the <HI>Hebrews</HI> and were per&s;ecuted; now if the <HI>Hebrew</HI> had been the Original they would have received them; and the Apo&s;tle he &s;poke among the <HI>Greeks</HI> and they counted the Cro&s;s of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> a fooli&s;h thing: now had that been the Original <HI>Hebrew</HI> and <HI>Greek</HI> they would have embraced it: the Eternal Word which was in the beginning before all Languages were, breaks in pieces all Languages and tramples upon them, and brings all into one Language, for that which keeps in many Languages keeps in confu&s;ion, and always learning, therefore with the Word which ever was, which is made manife&s;t, which gathers our hearts together to God, we deny their Original; for the Apo&s;tle he denyed all his Learning when he came to know the Word which was and is the Original which endures for ever. And as touching giving fitting liberty for them that fear the Lord, for that you have no ground in the Scripture, for if you go to meddle with them that fear the Lord with your Law, you bu&s;ie your &s;elves with tho&s;e things that you have nothing to do withall; to that in your con&s;ciences I &s;peak, for you have nothing to do to meddle with them that act ac|cording to that in the con&s;cience, and act in righteou&s;ne&s;s; and as giving liberty for &s;uch, you are them that would limit the holy One, and ty up and pri&s;on that in the con&s;cience; he that meddles with that in the con&s;cience goes about to &s;earch the heart, and where it acts forth you will have a Law to act upon it, when it acts contrary to your wils for that in the con&s;cience is perfect, is pure, it te&s;tifies again&s;t all opinions, and all Sects, and all Here&s;ie, and all Bla&s;phemy, and all fal&s;e Mini&s;try, and all po|pi&s;h ways, for they all ari&s;e out of that nature which acts con|trary to that in the con&s;cience, and that in the con&s;cience is ac|cording to God, and he that makes a Law upon that makes a Law again&s;t God, and he that is guided by this in the con&s;cience to walk towards God and man, the fle&s;h is not defiled; he &s;peaks not evil of Dignity; and there is no man with his will has any thing to do to re&s;train or give liberty for this; and where have you an example for this in all the Scripture, or <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> who was a Mini&s;ter of the Law, who had received it from God, that re|&s;trained any mans con&s;cience, and he wi&s;hed that all the Lords
<PB N="18" REF="10">
people were Prophets; and the Mini&s;ter of God &s;ayd, <HI>Ye may all &s;peak one by one;</HI> and ye need not care for an Act or Declara|tion as touching them, and for &s;hame let it never be mentioned that there &s;hould be a Law for them that fear God as if there were di&s;turbance among them, or as if they were not in a mutual peace; but the&s;e are &s;uch Teachers that de&s;ire &s;uch things that have the likene&s;s of a Church, the likene&s;s of a Bapti&s;m, the likene&s;s of a Mini&s;try, and the likene&s;s of a Communion, and when any has been moved of the Lord to go &s;peak again&s;t them, they have openly &s;hewed them&s;elves to be quite without the fear of the Lord, and &s;trangers to the life that gave forth the Scrip|tures, Prie&s;ts, Magi&s;trats, and People; for <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;ayd, he would that all the Lords people <HI>were Prophets;</HI> and the Apo&s;tle &s;ayd, <HI>Ye may all prophe&s;ie one by one;</HI> and when the&s;e things have been practi&s;ed according to the Scripture, they who have been moved by the Spirit that is unlimited, to &s;peak the Word of the Lord as it was revealed, this the Magi&s;trat he hath limited with his Law and &s;ent them to Pri&s;on; heer the Law is again&s;t Scrip|ture and that Spirit that gave it forth: I charge you in the pre|&s;ence of the Lord, and again&s;t the Mini&s;ters of God that had the Law of God, and &s;ayd, <HI>Ye may all prophe&s;ie;</HI> and heer you Min|&s;ters that de&s;ire this Law are again&s;t Scriptures and the Apo&s;tles, and clear your &s;elves from having the Spirit, and your Churches to be no Churches; for when the Word of the Lord is &s;poken, &s;ome fall a &s;triking, &s;ome a punching, beating, haling, throwing down, and lays for dead, and the Law of God is perfect, and gives freedom to &s;peak what is revealed from God, and it hears with patience, and the Mini&s;ter of God gives freedom to &s;peak what is revealed.</P>
<P>And you that &s;ay you will make Laws according to the patern of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> for you to go act according to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law word by word, and to take up the Form and not have it revealed to you, as it was to him, you are to be denyed, as having the Form with|out the power, and to be turned away from; Oh therefore fear the Lord God and minde that in the con&s;cience, which is pure, which will teach you the fear of the Lord, and bring you to re|ceive the Law from God, and the power, then you may give it forth to others, but not till then; would you have a Law now
<PB N="19" REF="10">
made contrary to your wils upon you, the Law of God is upon you, and will be for ever, who acts contrary to that in the con|&s;cience, the Law of God is to keep perfect, it takes hold upon that which acts contrary to that which is perfect, and the Mini|&s;ter of God is to pre&s;ent every one perfect, and to bring from under the occa&s;ion of all Laws.</P>
<P>A word from the Lord. Friends, take heed of making any Law contrary to that in the con&s;cience, for if you do, it will be again&s;t God&punc; and God will hew down it and you with his Sword, for it is drawn out of the &s;heath and furbi&s;hed, and fit to &s;lay Noblemen and great men, Captains beware, be low, minde that in your con&s;ciences which is of God, to guide your mindes up to God; fear and beware of the Sword, for its drawn out again&s;t you, le&s;t it come upon you, and wait in that which is pure in your con&s;ciences to ri&s;e and guide your mindes to God, and cry for ju&s;tice, and walk in it, for what&s;oever is not ju&s;t and ju&s;tice, mu&s;t be hewen down, that ju&s;tice may &s;tand up, which is ac|cording to that in the con&s;cience which is pure of God, for now God alone will be exalted, and that which is exalted mu&s;t be thrown down and all the loftine&s;s of men &s;hall be layd low, and the haughtyne&s;s of men &s;hall be brought down, and the glory of man, and his honor and renoun &s;hall be layd in the du&s;t, and the glory of the Lord &s;hall ari&s;e, and his Maje&s;ty, to &s;hake terribly the earth, and the Idols of Gold and Silver &s;hall be ca&s;t away, as the carnal part is de&s;troyed, all your Idols will cea&s;e, and the pure God be exalted and loved.</P>
<P>Oh Friends, make not Laws in your own wils for they that did, ever &s;lew the ju&s;t, and had a Pri&s;on for <HI>Christ,</HI> where he was made manife&s;t, and the Prophets and Apo&s;tles &s;uffered by their Laws who were made in their wils, for witne&s;&s;ing forth a good con&s;cience many &s;uffered death, for they &s;ayd they had a Law, if any one &s;ayd he was the Son of God, he might die, and &s;o the Law in the wil doth per&s;ecute the Son of God now where he is made manife&s;t, as the North part of this Nation doth witne&s;s, who has fulfilled that Law in per&s;ecuting and impri&s;oning the Son of God where he is made manife&s;t. And <HI>Paul</HI> when hee was brought from the Temple outward, and the Prie&s;ts outwardly, for that Seperacion and witne&s;&s;ing a good Con&s;cience towards
<PB N="20" REF="11">
God and man, he &s;uffered, &s;o their Lawes being in their Wils, took hold upon him for acting from a pure Con&s;cience, &s;o it doth now upon the &s;ame: O therefore wait upon the Lord for direc|tions, that your Lawes may be according to that in the Con&s;ci|ence, and again&s;t that which is contrary to a pure Con&s;cience; as the Law of God was added not for the Righteous, but for Sin|ners: the ju&s;t Law takes hold upon them, and this Law is not according to the Will of man, neither is <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> according to the will of man, who fulfils this Law in man, and takes away the ground and the occa&s;ion of the Law, which the Law is upon, therefore minde that which is contrary to your Wils, to receive the Law of God, which is contrary to mans will, which is perfect and received from God, and hath power over a man as long as he lives.</P>
<P>Written from the Spirit of the Lord; a friend to your &s;oules and your eternall good, and the e&s;tabli&s;hing of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the pefect Law of God, to the intent of clean&s;ing the Land of Evell-doers, and the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors of the perfect Law of God: And who knows this, are come out of <HI>Egypt, Pharaoh</HI> nor none of his Hoa&s;t knoweth it, nor the Egyptians, but who are brought out of <HI>Egypt:</HI> So God Almighty ble&s;&s;e &amp; direct you all, who have a fear and thir&s;t towards him, for this is the Day of your vi&s;itacion, while you have time prize it,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>George Fox.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>From <HI>We&s;tmerland</HI> <DATE>the la|ter end of the month called November. 1653.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TAILNOTE>
<P>The&s;e Papers were prepared and intended to have been delivered to every member of Parliament, but before they could be got out the Parliament di&s;&s;olved.</P>
</TAILNOTE>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
