O Earth, earth, earth, Tremble, tremble, tremble before the pure, Eternal Lord God of unlimmited power, which is riſen in Majeſty, to ſhake terribly the earth, and to do ſuch things at which the ears of them that hear it ſhall tingle, and all faces ſhall gather paleneſs, who in this day of his power, are found out of his fear, working the works of unrighteouſneſſe, when Gods unchangeable witneſſe the light in their conſciences ariſeth to plead with all fleſh, for by fire and ſword is the Lord God come and coming to plead with all fleſh: And woe, woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth; for it is plainly ſo in the ſight of the Lord and thoſe that fear before him, that the Devil is come down amongſt you, and hath great rage becauſe his time is but ſhort.

Witneſſe the laſt firſt dayes work in Tower-ſtreet, and other places wherein he was working in the hearts of the children of diſobedience, againſt the obedient children of the Lord, who ſtand in his Counſel, and walk in his fear from day to day, and do violence to no man; yet theſe harmleſſe Lambs of Chriſt, the Lamb of God, becauſe they have not fellowſhip with the World in their unfruitful works of darkneſſe, but rather ſtands faithful witneſſes for the Lord, in opening their ſhops in obedience to the Lord, leaſt they ſhould partake of their plagues, who are mockers of God, and pretend to worſhip him that day (which they falſly call the Sabbath;) whileſt pride, fulneſſe of bread, and idleneſſe, Sodoms ſins appears in the Divels rule in and over them therein, that day more then any other; and ſo the earth is full of violence; as any are purely moved of the Lord to witneſſe againſt this their evil practiſe, then the Divels kingdom (who is king over all the children of pride) being ſtruck at, by any that fear before the Lord, and do not conform therein, with the World that lies in wickedneſſe. Then the Devil rageth, and his inſtruments beſtir themſelves, ſome with throwing ſtones and dirt in their faces, others pulling and haling the Friends of thoſe their enmity riſeth up againſt, though they meddle not with them in word or deed, but are peaceably coming to a meeting of the Lords people, ſome ſpiting in our faces, others uttering forth vile unſavoury Language, being in the nature of dogs, and wolves, and bears, greedily and unnaturally foaming out their ſhame, in rending, and rearing, and pulling, and haling thoſe whoſe natures are changed from ſuch, and is of, and in the Lambs nature, whom they follow and obey in witneſſing againſt the World, that the deeds of it are evil, who though they are reviled, revile not again, if perſecuted they ſuffer it, committing themſelves to him that judgeth righteouſly, who will give to them which patiently continue in well doing; glory, honour, Immortality, eternal life, whileſt they that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, Chriſt the Light of the World in them, to ſuch Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguiſh is their portion who do evil, not dealing as they would be dealt withal, but doing violence to a peaceable quiet people, who harm no man; But the Diſciple is not greater then his Lord, who ſaid, If they perſecute me, they will alſo perſecute you; and he ſaid, if you, were of the world, the world would love its own, but becauſe you are gathered out of the world, therefore doth the world hate you; but ſaid he, it hated me before it hated you, and it hated me, becauſe I teſtified of it, that the deeds thereof are evil.

Now all ye who gaze on us, we being as Monſters unto many conſider who they are, that are of the Army of the Lamb Chriſt Jeſus, who gave his back to the ſmiters, and his cheek to them who plucked off the hair, and withheld not his face from ſhame and ſpitting; and ponder in your hearts, whether it be not the better choice of us to ſuffer all things, and reign with him over the world, then to conform to the world, in their worſhip and imagery, which they are in that imagine, that whilſt they live in pride, in envy, in luſt, in covetouſneſs, in wildeneſs and wantonneſs, out of Gods fear and dread, which ſhould keep their hearts clean from ſuch evils, yet if that they forbear their outward labour, and paſs to a place which they falſly call a Church; but there is but one true Church, and that is in God, the pillar and ground of truth, made up of living ſtones, elect and pretious, gathered together by the grace of God, out of the world, which hath and doth teach them to deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live righteouſly, ſoberly and godly; which Church, they that call the Steeple houſe a Church are ignorant of, yet notwithſtanding, though you are ignorant, you will ſeem to ſtrive and plead for a day which God never commanded in Scripture to be obſerved without working, for it is the firſt day of the week, of the ſix dayes, wherein God commanded men ſhould labour; and now, men ſtand up and command the contrary to what God commanded, and ſay, that men on the firſt day of the week whereon God commanded men ſhould labour, they ſay, men ſhall not open their ſhops to labour; But what would ſuch have ſaid, had they lived in the dayes of Iſaiah the Prophet of the Lord, who ſaid to a rebellious people that walked in diſobedience to the Law of the Lord which is Light, To what purpoſe is the multitude of your ſacrifices unto me, ſaith the Lord, I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beaſts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of hee-goats, bring no more vain oblations, incenſe is an abhomination • nto me, the new Moons, and Sabbaths, the calling of aſſemblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even your ſolemn meetings; Why did the Prophet ſay this, might the wicked men ſay then, who were then worſhipping him, as the world is now, out of his fear? did not God Command to offer ſacrifice? did not God Command the obſerving the new Moons and Sabbaths, and doth he now cry them down, that which God commanded? Yet herein the Prophet was obedient to the Lord God; and further, yea rather ſaid, waſh you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ceaſe to do evil, learn to do well, if ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good of the Land; and obedience ſaid another is better then ſacrifice, and to hearken then the fat of rams; Therefore conſider of it, you that cry out againſt any now, who in obedience to the Lord, walk contrary to the world in opening their ſhops, whether they are the cauſe of the wickedneſs of the wicked, in ſtanding witneſſes againſt the wicked, in obſerving a day in their wills, which God never commanded them any more then Iſaiah was, if any were wicked and did wickedly, becauſe he ſtood witneſs againſt, and cryed down thoſe things which God had commanded, when they that obſerved them were out of his Fear and Counſel, and did not ceaſe from the evil of their doings; Nay, the Lord God is come to ſpread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your dayes and worſhips, which is out of his fear obſerved by you, all you who live in pride, and are vain and light, and wilde, and wanton, living in pleaſure on earth, which who do are dead while they live

And all you earthly Rulers and Magiſtrates, tremble, tremble, before the powerful dreadful God, and take heed to your ſelves in this day of his power, wherein the Heathen rage, and many Rulers have and may take Counſel together againſt the Lord, and againſt his annointed ones, and are ſtill ready to ſay in their hearts. Let us break their bonds in ſunder, and caſt away their cords from us, and reject the yoak of Chriſt; I ſay, take heed to your ſelves, how you ſtrive againſt your Maker, and conſider how many already as a potters veſſel have been broken to ſhivers, that have ſtood up and would have limitted the Spirit of the holy One, in the ſervants of the Lord, to their time, and place, and wills, leaſt you partaking with them in their ſins ye partake of their plagues, and the Iron rod you feel, which muſt rule all Nations, which will not take up Chriſts yoak, nor bow to his Scepter of righteouſneſs, to rule in their hearts in the Light of his Son, and eternal power of his Spirit; Therefore conſider, whether will be moſt ſound and ſavoury in the ears of the Lord, and of thoſe that fear before the Lord at the laſt day, when an account you muſt give unto the Lord of all the deeds you do in the body; all you, that have thoſe harmleſs people brought before you, called Quakers, for to anſwer to any thing, they, in obedience to the Lord in the exerciſe of their pure Conſcience have been, or may be exerciſed in, whether in your ſaying, if they will not reſpect your perſons, and put off the hat, nor will not be ſubject to mans Law, made to obſerve a day, though God in the Scriptures did not Command it; yet, though in Conſcience they cannot do it, we will impriſon them, threaten them, and proſecute the Law, and in our wils go beyond that too againſt them, though many give teſtimony of them, that they are humble, ſober, temperate, juſt, harmleſs people; or would it not be better for you to ſay within your ſelves, this people, who are thus temperate in all things, ſurely, they are running the race, at the end whereof, the Crown is, doubtleſs what they do (though contrary to us) is in obedience to the Lord, and not in their own ſelf wilis; For what do they receive from the world but reproach, and hard uſage? they are a harmleſs people. Let us therefore turn the ſword, which is to be a terrour to evil doers, to defend the harmleſs againſt the evil doers, them that do harm the harmleſs; yea, for if this that theſe people do be of God, as they ſay it is in obedience to the pure movings of his Spirit in their hearts, it muſt ſtand, leaſt peradventure we our ſelves be found to joyn with the rude multitude, even to fight againſt God, and ſo partake with the rude multitude in the plagues and Judgements of God upon our heads alſo. Oh! you Rulers, be wiſe, be learned, ſtand in aw, and ſin not, commune with your own hearts, and be ſtill, and know, that the Lord is coming to Judge himſelf, for the meek on the earth, and to debaſe the proud, and to bow down the haughty, and to claim his right, whoſe right it is in the hearts of all to rule; Therefore how, bow before him, ſtoop to his righteous Scepter, come under his dominion who is to Rule in all, over all, God bleſſed for evermore; then when your own hearts be bowed, you will come to diſcern between the precious and the vile, betwixt thoſe that pretend to ſerve him and thoſe that worſhip him in Spirit and in Truth, and be able to Judge, not according to outward appearance, but righteous Judgement.

And now conſider what you are doing, who are crying out for a day to be kept holy; Whoſe is every day, but his that made them? and what is every ones work every day, but to be holy as God is holy in all manner of converſation? that whether we obſerve a day or not obſerve a day, whether we open ſhop and work, or not open ſhop to work, whether we eat or drink, or abſtain from eating or drinking, or what ever we do, doing it in obedience to the pure moving of the Spirit of the Lord, God in all things may be glorified; then if any one, any day of the week be moved of the Lord, to paſs to a meeting among the people of the Lord, who fear before the Lord, to wait upon him to know his Counſel, that they may do his will on earth as it is in Heaven, where two or three are met together in his Name, there is he in the midſt of them on any day, with his unlimitted power to break the bonds of iniquity, to draw the mind from pride, lightneſs, wildeneſs, wantonneſs and vanity, and whatſoever is evil, into his pure fear wherein the bleſſing is, even to him who feareth alwayes, whoſe Soul comes then to dwell at eaſe, then, though all the world condemn him for an evil doer (Chriſt was numbred with tranſgreſſors by the world (and the Diſciple is not greater then his Lord) yet walking in obedience to the Lord, he is near that with his pure witneſs Juſtifieth, then what matters it who Condemns.

And it was ſo, that on the ſecond of the eighth month being the firſt day of the week, that a poor ſober moderare man, came amongſt the rude multitude that did throw dirt at me, and ſpite upon me, and pul'd and tore part of my cloathes, be ſaid to them, hear me a little, ſaid he, I am a ſtranger to you, ſaid he, and a ſtranger to this man that hath opened his ſhop, ſaid he, You all have your Liberty to go to Church where you will, and to ſhut your ſhops, and I ſee no reaſon ſaid he, you ſhould deſire, or go about to take away anothers Liberty, that cannot go with you, to where your worſhip is, yea ſaid he, in matter of conſcience, I know not why the Papiſt, or any other ſhould be denyed their Liberty, any more then you your ſelves. ſhould he denyed your Liberty; And theſe words ſomewhat appeaſed and ſilenced the rude multitude, and though the Magiſtrate paſt by, and ſaw, or might ſee them rude, he ſpake not at all to them, nay not ſo much as this ſtranger, yet his dwelling was near, though it were his office to keep the peace, and though I did what I did in opening my ſhop in obedience to the Lord, yet the Magiſtrate is ſo blind, and dark, as that he calls good evil, and evil good, and ſaid I was the cauſe of the tumult and diſturbance in the ſtreet, though I remained peaceable and quiet in my ſhop, and had much abuſe by dirt and ſpitting, and rudeneſs done to me, by the rude people; ſo that they are rather countenanced by the Magiſtrate, then that he is any way a terrour to them. But this I know aſſuredly if the rude multitude ſhould proceed to harm any, the Magiſtrate dwelling ſo near knowing of it, and not regarding to ſuppreſſe the heady, violent, and wicked practices of wicked people, who are out of Gods fear; the Magiſtrate at the day of accompt will feel and finde, that the evil done will lie at his door, and be charged upon him, if he neglect to reſcue and preſerve the peaceable quiet man, or woman, out of the hands of fierce and violent people, who may think if they kill a man they do God good ſervice.

O ye Magiſtrates and all people, dread, dread the Lord, and love the light that ſhines in your hearts, that being guided by it, your conſciences may be purged with it, from dead works to ſerve the living God, not in the oldneſs of the Letter, or by tradition but in the newneſs of the Spirit, in which, God, who is a ſpirit, will be worſhipped, and may come to have the eye opened, that the God of the world hath blinded, and ſo may ſee your ſouls lie weltting in their blood, and may come into a true ſencibleneſs of your preſent condition, that ſo your ſelves might come to groan to the Lord for deliverance from the bondage of corruption, and may be made willing, in this Gods powerful day to wait in the light therein to receive power in the teachings of it, to break the bonds of iniquity, to turn from pride, bitterneſs, fierceneſs, envy, wildneſs, wanttonneſs, and all unrighteouſneſs, which the hearts of people, whilſt carnally minded take pleaſure in, and many plead for as their Liberty, to live in that which pleaſeth the carnal mind, againſt which Gods diſpleaſure will appear, as the light ariſeth in your hearts to judge you, according to the deeds done in the body.

Therefore now all of you ſtrive to enter in at the ſtraite gate of ſelf-denial, in denying your ſelves of whatſoever the carnal mind would lead you into, wherein the death of the ſoul is, and know, that this croſſe to the carnal mind is to be taken up dayly, when Chriſts diſcipline is received, that the partition wall of enmity may be broken down by the power of Gods grace in the heart, teaching to deny the carnal will, in which the wages is death; and to bring forth fruit unto holineſs, the end whereof is everlaſting life.

So dear people, all refuſe the evil, and chuſe the good, and live for evermore.