Good counsel and advice rejected by disobedient men and the dayes of Oliver Cromwells visitation passed over, and also of Richard Cromwel his son ...

Good counsel and advice rejected by disobedient men and the dayes of Oliver Cromwells visitation passed over, and also of Richard Cromwel his son ...

Table of contents

Title page

TO THE READER.

For the hands of the Protector.

For the hands of Oliver Cromwell called Protector.

For the hands of the Protector.

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To the Protector and Counsel.

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For the Protector.

For the Protector.

For Oliver Cromwel.

This is for the Protectors Kindred, his Wife and Children, to be read soberly by them in the fear of God.

To thee, Richard Cromwel (called) Protector of these Nations, is this moved of the Lord God of heaven and earth, to be written for thy Instruction from him.

To Richard Cromwel, Protector (so called.)

To thee Richard Cromwel chosen to be Protector, and chief Magistrate Governour of these Nations of England Scotland, and Ireland, a faithful presentation and salutation by a servant of the Church.

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Good Counsel and Advice, REIECTED; By Disobedient men.

And the dayes of OLIVER CROMWELLS Visitation passed over; AND ALSO OF RICHARD CROMWEL his Son, late Protectors of these Nations.

And the many precious Warnings neglected by them, and set at naught, which from time to time the Servants of the Lord gave unto them, as declared in these following Letters; Whereby all may see the kindness of the Lord towards them, by his faithful Invitations to them, and their own Apostacy and carelesness, who rejected Warning [...] the time and day of their visitation is shut up with the vale of darkness and reproach, which lies over them, and their precious day of love is spent, and cannot be re-called.

[...] to [...] view, by one that wished well to them in their day, and is a Friend unto all that love Righteousness, and hates Oppression.

LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons, at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1659.

TO THE READER.

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FRiend, out of the same love from whence these were written, do I put them to publick view, and it was not without much doubtings and questioning in my own spirit, but at last having found perfect freedom and strength from the Lord, knowing that I am clear and free altogether of other ends, saving then for the honour of the truth, and that all may see that the downfalls of these men were not before sufficient warnings, which makes the Lord free, and his servants free from what is come to pass upon them, and even their fall lies upon their own heads that despised the Lords warnings, and would none of his Counsel, but suffered the innocent to be oppressed under their power, and relieved not the heritage of the Lord from her cruel enemies, though they had power to do it, but sought their own glory, and how to be established in greatness in the earth, till that the Lord hath cast them out, and made them as a reproach. And these things that have come to pass upon them, may be as warnings to all other Rulers that doth succeed them, and they may know that the Lord is Iust and his Iudgements Righteous, and whosoever shall follow their steps, and be Oppressors of the Lords heritage, as they were, the Lord shall extend his Iudgments unto them also, and their destruction shall come, even like as upon these before them; Therefore let all the earth be warned.

I am a lover of SION.

For the hands of the Protector.

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FRIEND,

MAny warnings hast thou had from the mouth of the Lord, his love hath been towards thee, and the glorious day of his visitation hath shined over thy head, wherein he hath called unto thee to hear and obey his voice, and would have instructed thee in the way that thou shouldst walk, that thy Soul might live for ever in Peace and Rest, when this world is passed away; and that in this present world he might have made thee a blessing to thy self and posterity and people, and a praise in thy Dominions, and unto ages after thee, if thou hadst hearkned and obeyed his voice, and chosen his way and Counsel, and not thine own; and then would he have made thine enemies to have bowed under thee, and the force of their policy and arm should never have prevailed against thee, and thou shalt be delivered from the will of all that hate thee, if thou yet will hearken unto him, and receive his instruction, and set thy heart to seek his honour more then thine own, and will let his Counsel be thy guide & ruler, & not vain man, which must be brought to naught; even now, before the day of thy visitation bespent, never more to be recalled, and the time come when God will cease to strive with thee, & will not call unto thee, but will leave thee to thy own hearts false judgment, and the counsels of treacherous men; And Friend I as one that hath obtained mercy from the Lord, unto whom his Word is committed, being moved of him, do hereby in his presence yet once more warn thee, that thou fear before him, and diligently hearken to him, and seek him with all thy heart, that thou maist know his Will and Counsel concerning thee, and may do it, and find favour in his sight, and live; and now is the day that his hand is stretched forth unto thee, to make thee a blessing, or to leave thee a curse for ever; and the dayes of thy visitation is near an end, when God will no more call unto thee, nor hear thee, when in the day of thy trouble [Page] thou cals to him, neither will answer thee by vision nor dream, nor Prophet, but will leave thee to the counsels of treacherous men, who will seek after thy life, and wait for thy overthrow, and watch for evil against thee, that they may glory in thy desolation; and such there is, of whom thou hast need to beware; and if thou reject the Counsel of the Lord, and follow the desires of thine own heart, and the wills of men, and will not have the light of the world, Christ Jesus onely, to rule thee and to teach thee, which condemns all evil, then shall evil surely fall upon thee, if thou lovest not the light in thee, which condemns it, and the Judgments of God, nor the day of his last visitation with vengeance, thou mayest not escape; Therefore consider, and mark my words, and let this Counsel be acceptable unto thee, that thy dayes may be many, and blessed upon earth; And first consider, and let it move upon thee to meekness, to humbleness and to fear before the Lord, assuredly knowing, that it is he that changeth times and things, and that bringeth down and setteth up whomsoever he will; and how that thou was raised from a low estate, and set over all, thine enemies, and thy horn was exalted above them all and he gave thee the necks of Princes to tread upon, and more honourable; and their Dominions to inherit, and thou was set a Ruler in much Dominion, and had favour in his sight, and in the sight of many People who wished well unto thee for a blessing; many victories honourable and remarkable was given unto thee, over them who had exalted themselves against God; and ruled in tyranny over his people; whom the Lord pittied, and thou an instrument in his hand, was ordained by him, to lead forth a people, whom he blessed with thee, against a cruel People, and generation of oppressors, who exercised tyrannie over the Lords heritage, till they were taken away and cast out, and is a reproach unto the Lord and his People unto this day; and even so shall all be that followes their example and are oppressors and tyrants over the seed of God; as they were; and this thou knowest, that not by might, nor multitude, but by the arm of the Lord, were they subdued and made a prey unto thee, and their treasures a spoil unto thy hands; and so it was, that thou mightest have glorified [Page] him for ever; and exalted him in the great Congregation, and gone on in faithfulness to the end, and in that day when thou was raised up, when the fear of the Lord was before thy face, and thy heart was towards him; and thou was but little in thine own eyes, then was it well with thee, and the Lord blessed thee, and made thee honourable, and his people had love towards thee, and desires for thee, that thou might have been as a helper to the poor and a father to the faithful, and a preserver of the upright from unreasonable men, and an easer of the oppressed, & a taker away of every oppressive bond; and it was not once thought concerning thee, that the hands of the ungodly would have been strengthened against the righteous under thee; or that such grievous and cruel burthens and oppressions would ever have been laid upon the Just, and acted against them, in thy name, and under thy Dominion, as unrighteously have come to passe in these three years, as a large testimony might be given; and this thy suffering of such things is thy transgression, and thou hast not requited the Lord well for his goodness unto thee; nor fulfilled his will in suffering that to be done under thee, and in thy name, which the Lord raised thee against to break down, hadst thou been faithful to the end. Again consider and let it move on thy heart not to exalt thy self, nor to be high minded, but to fear continally, knowing that thou standest not by thy self but by another, and that he is able to abase thee, and give thee into the will of thy enemies; when soever he will, and how the Lord hath preserved thee sometimes wonderfully, and doth unto this day, from the murderous plots and crafty policie of evil men, who seeks thy evil, and would rejoyce in thy fall, and in the desolation of thy family and countries; how have they and do they lay snares for thy feet, that thou may be cut off from amongst men, and die unhappily, and be accounted a curse; and yet to this day he hath preserved thee and been near thee to keep thee, though thou hast hardly known it; and the Lords end is love to thee in all these things, and yet a little longer to try thee, and that thou might give him the glory; O that thy heart were opened to see his hand, that thou mayst live unto him, and die in him in peace; and beware [Page] least hardness of heart possesse thee; if thou slight his love, and so be shut up in darkness, and given to the desires of thine enemies, and left to the counsels of treacherous men, who may seek to exalt thee by flattery that they might the better cast thee down, and destroy thee, and blot out thy name in reproach, and make thy posterity a People miserable; but now O consider and let it enter into thy heart, for thou hast not answered the Lord, but been wanting to him for all this; and hast chosen thy own way and glory rather then his, and not fulfilled his counsel in raising thee, for the bonds of crueltie are not loosed by thee, and the oppressed is not altogether set free, neither is oppression taken off from the back of the poor, nor the Laws regulated, nor liberty of pure conscience altogether allowed; but these Dominions are filled with cruel oppressors, and the poor groans every where under their heavy hand of injustice, the needy are troden down under foot, and the oppressed cries for deliverance, and are ready to faint for true Justice, and Judgement; the proud exalts himself against the poor, and the high minded and Rebellious contemns the meek of the earth; the horn of the ungodly is exalted over the Lords heritage, and they that are departed from iniquity are become a prey to oppressors, and the cruel hearted deals cruelly with the innocent in these Nations; and such whom the Lord hath freed in their consciences from false worships and Teachers, and from the wayes of sin and death, are made slaves, and greedily preyed upon by unjust men, through casting into prisons, and dungeons, and unjust fines, and Illegal proceedings, and beatings and abusings, and woundings and bruisings, hard to be expressed and large to be declared; even the hands of many of the people over whom thou art set to rule, are full of blood, merciless and cruel; and neither fears God, nor are subject to the just rule and Government of men; and the mouth of many of thy subservant Rulers and Governours that have their power from thee are as the teeth of young Lions, and the upright and harmless, are devoured and made a spoil by them, through policy and oppression, both in their persons and estates; if I perish I must speak the truth; my life is not dear to me for the truth [Page] sake; many who should have judged in true Justice and righteousness the cause of the poor, have been as bryars and thorns to insnare and pierce the just man; and have perverted Judgement, and turned it backward, & equity have hardly had place to enter; most of the prisons this day in all thy Juridictions have and doth testifie the unjust judgement, and the great oppressions and cruelties of some in Authority who have used, or rather abused thy name, and made it a cloak for their hard-heartedness; O my heart is troubled, and my bowels pained at the remembrance of this; how doth the poor cry under the heavy hand of oppession, and the needy lament for want of true Judgement, and the oppressed groan for want of deliverance? and these things are thought upon by the Lord, though not considered by thee as they ought to be; and because of this will he arise to plead the cause of the innocent against him that is too strong for him; and will dash to pieces his enemies, and break the jawes of the devourers, and the righteous shall not alwayes be a prey to the teeth of the ungodly. O Friend when wilt thou consider the oppression of the poor, and hearken to the cry of the oppressed within thee, and without thee, when shall it enter into thy heart, this cause of the unjust sufferings of the Lords people, from which thou canst not altogether be excused? for it is acted in thy name, though not by thee. O let thy ear be opened unto the cryes of the oppressed in the prisons; and let the cause of the innocent come before thee, and let thy heart be pierced at the consideration of these things which are come to pass in thy dayes, contrary to the expectation of many, and see if it be, not contrary to thy own promises sometimes vowed by thee; let the light of Christ in thy own conscience answer, and some of the multitude of the grievous oppressions of which the Land is full, hath been laid at thy door and brought unto thee, but scarcely found an entrance upon thee; and this aggravates the crime of thy transgression, in that thou knowest of these things; & wonderful is it to consider, that even thou with whom the power of the Lord hath sometimes been, should now suffer that people with whom the power of the Lord is to be persecuted, and thy name to be a cloak for it; how many in all parts of this Nation have [Page] been and are at this day grievous sufferers under cruel bondage concerning tythes, that great abomination and idol, and cause of heavy groanings? the bodies of many just men violently surprized, and cast into Goals and prisons unjustly, and some illegally; their cruelly suffering the loss of their liberties and the enjoyments of their families, and honest Assemblies; and others have their goods spoiled and made havock upon, almost to the ruine of families by unreasonable men, through unjust Judgement and cruel dealings of some in Authority for so much unjustly, challenged by the Priest or impropriator, it may be; they distress five times so much, to the great shame of the government of a Christian Nation; as may appear in a Book called the cry of the oppressed; and how many are ready even to faint under the hard oppression of maintaining hireling Teachers, and idol Temples; many for that cause also being unjust sufferers in bodies and estates, by cruel imprisonment and spoiling of goods; the very cry of this oppression reaches unto heaven against thee, who suffers it, and against the idol shepherds who are the ground of it, who makes a prey upon Gods heritage; and the Lord God will be avenged upon them, and they and their staff shall utterly perish; wo unto them, and to the idol worships of which the Land is full, which they uphold, which causes the hearts of the righteous to mourn, because of the seed of God which is in captivity under them; again many are unjust and woful sufferers because they cannot swear on this or that occasion, though in all causes they speak the truth, and do obey Christs commands, even such are trodden upon by unjust fines charged upon them, and imposed oppressions; the example of which never went before; many parts of this Land is witness of this; and this is by the corruptness of some that bear rule under thee, who rules not for God as they ought, but turns the sword of justice, and doth unjustly thereby, and grieves the Lord, and dishonours thee; Again some suffer long and tedious imprisonments, and others cruel stripes and abuses, and danger of life many times from wicked men, for reproving sin and crying against the abomination of the times, which the Scriptures also testifie against, in streets or Temples, or other places; some having [Page] been sent to prison, taken on the high way, and no evil charged against them, and others committed, being taken out of peaceable meetings, and whipped and sent to prison without transgression of any Law, just or unjust, wholly through the rage and envy of the Devil, and such who have perverted Judgement and Justice, and some in prisons have suffered superaboundantly from the hands of the cruel Gaolers, and their servants, by beatings and threatnings, and putting irons on them, and not suffering any of their friends to visit them with necessaries; and some have died in the prisons, whose lives was not dear to them, whose blood will be reckoned on account against thee, one day; and many more other wayes have suffered grievous things, as banishments out of Towns, and whipping and stocking, and grievous unjust abuses, and none of these for evil doing, but for good; even because they cannot bow to the Devil, but are redeemed out of the world and therefore the world hates them, and some have suffered hard cruelties because they could not respect persons and bow with Hat, or knee; and from these cruelties canst thou not altogether be excused in the sight of God; being brought forth in thy name and under thy power; consider friend, and be awakened to true Judgement, let the Lord search thy heart, and lay these things to mind, that thou may be an instrument to remove every burthen, and may at last fulfill the will of God, are they nothing to thee; that such things should be brought forth under thee? O, be awakened, be awakened, and now seek the Lords glory and not thine own, least thou perish before the Lord and men; nay if men would give thee This was meant that he should deny to be made King that was in agitation when this letter was written. honour and high Titles and princely thrones take it not, for that which would exalt and honour thee in the world, would betray thee to the world and cast thee down in the sight of the world, and this is Gods word to thee; what? shall the whole Nation be perjured men, and thou the cause of it? and wilt thou transgresse by building again that which thou hast destroyed? then shall the Lord and his light in every conscience bear witness against thee, let it not be, but deny thy self and thou wilt find the Lord honouring thee, give heed unto my words and understand my speech, be not exalted by man least man [Page] betray thee; the Lord give thee an understanding in this and guide thee in his Councel, and the rather above all things, let thy heart be stirred up in thee for the Lord, for now is he setting up the dominion of his Son, which never shall have an end, and thy Dominion must bow under it, and all the Dominions of the earth, or else be confounded and broken to pieces, the glory of the Lord is revealing, and thine shall be vailed before it, and the glory of all flesh shall fall; therefore strive not openly nor secretly against his way, for it shall prosper, there is no enchantment against us nor any formed weapon that can prosper; knowest thou not that the King of Righteousnesse might command thousands of his Saints to avenge him of his adversaries, and to plead his cause against the rebellious? all power is in his hand, yea and the authority and dominion shall be in the hands of his Saints, and every one that exalts himself against them shall be brought down, not by an outward sword or might of man, but by his out-stretched arm, and all crowns that are mortal shall be troden down, by him whose crown is immortal and never fades away; therefore be wise and learned, this is thy day, as thou dealest or sufferest to be done with the Lords people, so to thee it shall be done in that day, when their Government shall outreach thine and be set a top of it, as thou hopes for mercy from the Lord, when his Kingdom conquers thee and thine; Now deal favourably and relieve the oppressed; boast not thy self though the Lord hath used thee in his hand, but know that when he will he can cast thee, a rod, out of his hand into the fire; for in his hand thou art, if thou honour him he will honour thee, otherwise he can, yea, and will confound thee and break thee, and make thee weak as water before him; his love, through my heart, breaths unto thee; he would thy happinesse if thou wilfully contemn it not, by exalting thy self and seeking thine own glory, and hardening thy heart against the cry of the poor; and this I was moved in the bowels of pitty to lay before thee, who am thy friend, not in flattery, but in an upright heart, who wisheth well unto thee in the Lord.

A Friend to the Kingdom of Christ and not of this world, [Page] but an heir of Immortality with the Son of God, called

EDWARD BURROUGH.

The Original of this was given to the hands of Oliver Cromwell then Protector, in the third moneth of the Year, 1657.

For the hands of Oliver Cromwell called Protector.

FRIEND,

I am moved to write to thee, from the occasion of being with thee yesterday, and I take liberty from the true love and pitty stired up in my hart towards thee, who am thy friend and wisheth well unto thee in the Lord, even that salvation thou mayest receive, and that thy way may be blessed upon earth, and the fruits of the knowledge of God might more abound in thee, and the fruits of ignorance lesse, which doth appear, which I wish might be cut off before they wholly over-grow thee, and remove the blessing far from thee in this life and in the life to come, and bring upon thee destruction; for the fruits of all unrighteousnesse, brings death, sorrow, and misery, and the light of Christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justnesse of the judgements of the Lord. Thou sayest in effect, that thou wouldest not, or thou desirest not our persecution, or that we should be persecuted by cruelty or unjust imprisonment; now consider what the cause is, that what thou desirest not to be done, yet is done, thou having power in thy hand onely to prevent what thou wouldest not have done, is it not thine own unfaithfulnesse to the principle of God in thee, which beareth witnesse against the persecution of the innocent? or is it that thou mayest please men and therefore rather suffers wickednesse to abound, and injustice and oppression to be acted against the poor, (making it appear thou art willing to do the false teachers of this Nation and wicked men a pleasure) then to own the people of God in relieving them, and easing their cruel burthens and oppressions laid upon them by unjust men, for a word of thy [Page] mouth, or the shew of thy countenance in dislike of these many cruel and unjust persecutions, would bind the hands of many blood-thirsty men, and stop the mouths of many devourers; and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulnesse doth that come to passe which thou desirest not? and so I must needs say this appears to be evil in thee, to say in effect thou approvest not, or thou desirest not our persecution, and yet it is done, when the power is in thy hand to remove it, and this in much love and great pains, I declare unto thee in the fear and Councel of God.

Further thou sayest, thou art not guilty of these persecutions acted unjustly upon us.

Again consider, I say thou canst not be cleared in the sight of the Lord God from them, being acted under thee, and in thy name, in the day of the Lord the light of Christ in thee shall answer this; for there seemes to be rather a favouring of them in thee, and by forbearance of the actors of cruelty, by which their hands are strengthened, then any dislike shewed by thee in bearing thy witnesse as thou oughtest to do against them; for thou knowest of some in this City and elsewhere, whom we know to be just men, who suffers imprisonment and the losse of their liberties, because for conscience sake they cannot, swear, and many others in this Nation furthering cruel things upon the like or same ground, even for well doing, and not for evil, which oppression might be removed, and their unjust sufferings taken off by thee, by a word from thy mouth or pen, and this makes it to appear that thou canst not be clear in the sight of God in these things, because not helped by thee who hath the power to help it, and this is true love; I give thee to understand in the day of recompence shalt thou know the Lord will not clear thee, except thou repent and ease the oppressed; other things thou speakest about the light of Christ, which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World with the light of life, or with the light of condemnation, and about the Ministry of this Nation, with some other things which I had a desire to have answered if time had been seasonable, and thou willing to have heard, but thou shouldest not have appeared in such lightnesse, especially when speaking of the things of God which did grieve the spirit of [Page] the Lord, and vex the righteous soul, which behaviour with some words which thou utteredst with the Light of Christ, is to be condemned, and which I do judge with the life of God, and yet doth tender and preserve the measure of justnesse and honesty which is in thee, but thou art high above the principle of God, and cannot receive the teachings of the Father into that mind which is Light and unstable, for the Councel of God is manifest to the meek and to the lowly, but there is much in thee to be judged when thou comest to the witnesse of God in thee; and as concerning the light of Christ at which thou stumblest, by which every man that comes into the World is enlightened; in short this I say, the Light to thee is given of God, and it must thou own to be thy onely teacher, to receive by it from the Father, and to be guided by it in all things if ever thou inherit Gods Kingdom of righteousnesse and peace, and this is the word of the Lord to thee; and as concerning the Ministry of England for which in part thou seems to plead, thus I say in plainnesse, generally it is not of God but of Anti-christ, and the Lord is against it, for it is the ground of the greatest oppression of the poor in its maintenance, as any one particular abomination which this day is in the Nation, and this is the truth from the Lord, and if thou set thy self to uphold them by any law made, or to make against such whom God hath raised to bear witnes against them their wayes and idolatries, thou shalt fall with them into perdition, and be overthrown amongst them in the just and righteous judgements, and this is the word of the Lord to thee; for God is risen of a truth to make war against the beast which long hath reigned, and against the false prophets which hath long deceived the World, and I warn thee with hold thy hand from helping them, if thou mean to be preserved or blessed in thy person, in thy family and in thy Armies; for as I said to thee, the Kingdom of Christ is setting up by his own power, and all must bow and become subject thereunto, he needs none of thy policie, nor the strength of thy arm to advance him, yet would he have thee nor to prove thy self an open enemy thereof, by doing or suffering to be done cruelty and injustice against them whom the Lord is redeeming out of this World into subjection unto that Kingdom, least thou be such a one as will not enter thy self nor suffer others to enter, and [Page] & so destruction come upon thee; wherfore arise as out of sleep and slumber not in this worlds glory and honour, come away and appear for the Lord rather then against him, be not overcome by the pleasures of this World, nor the flattering titles of men, wink not at the cruelty and oppression acted by some who shelters under thee, and makes thy name a cloak for mischief against the upright, but let the Testimony of God in thee answer for his people; this Law is not just by which many suffers because they cannot swear, and because they cannot cease to declare against sin and iniquity, let that of God in thee bear witnesse, and thou and thy name being chief in the execution of this Law, what will thy account be to the Lord in his day? Consider I say consider, and be thou changed in thy mind and heart, least thou having forgotten God and his many deliverances, be shut up and numbered for destruction, and I say and desire the Lord give thee a more perfect understanding of his wayes and judgements, and that the Crown Immortal thou mayest strive for, by meeknesse and righteousnesse through relieving the oppressed, and shewing mercy to the poor, and removing every burthen which lies upon the innocent, and this is the desire of him who is thy friend and would not have thee crowned with dishonour, through suffering the people of God to be oppressed in thy name, which will be thy overthrow absolutely if thou remove it not by returning and easing the oppressed.

EDWARD BURROUGH.

This was delivered to his hands about the begining of the 4th. moneth, 1657.

For the hands of the Protector.

FRIEND,

THou oughtest to stand in the Coucel of God in all things, and not to follow the Councel of thy own heart, nor to act things in thine own will, neither shouldest thou suffer others to act under thee, and in thy name that which is unjust, [Page] and unrighteous; much unrighteousnesse, and great oppression is acted in thy name, by which the good name (Protector) is abused and subverted, and instead of protection by it, great unjustice is acted under it and covered with it; and this one thing I am moved to lay before thee, which hath been acted by thee or under thee, not without thy knowledge, in which thou hast done evil in the sight of the Lord, and one day thou wilt know it; several in these Nations Justices of the peace and other Officers who have been in trust under thee, when they have owned the people of God in scorn called Quakers, have been cast out of their places though they have not denied to serve thee and the Common-Wealth, neither hath unfaithfulnesse to their trust been proved against them, and also several Souldiers now of late in Scotland and elsewhere, have been turned out of their places because of the same thing, (viz.) for owning the people of God, and these things are not right in the sight of the Lord, that such who have been for many years faithful in the service and in their trust, and hazzarded life and liberty for conscience sake, to injoy liberty of conscience, which they cannot now possess because of thee, but are cast out for the exercise of their pure conscience, this thing the Lord is grieved with, and with thee because of it, for thou didest not obtain this victory of peace and freedom by thy own sword, then why should it be thus improved to thy own ends? Consider of it, for this makes the Nations more unhappie and lesse blessed, when such who delight in true justice and judgement are cast out of their places, and so deprived of giving their judgement among men, and absolutely this will make thy army lesse prosperous and more unblessed, when such who feareth the Lord, and against whom thou cannot justly charge evil, are cast out and despised, and this in time thou mayest see to thy sorrow, and as thy friend I lay this before thee, and do in plainnes tell thee, if thou thus utterly deny the people of God in the day of thy prosperity, and thus wholy cast them out of thy service, they cannot stand by thee nor own thee in the day of thy trouble, and such as thou cleavest unto may be a broken staffe in thy time of need; Ah friend, these things do shew that thy heart is not right in the sight of the Lord, and that justice and true judgement, [Page] righteousnesse and truth is even despised in this Land, and not encerely owned by thee, when as such who feareth the Lord, are thus cast out of Judicatories in thy Government, and out of defence in thy armies; what, is this the end of that long travel in wars, and of so many fair promises of liberty of conscience, that just men should thus be dealt withal, the Heathen Kingdoms may mock at this, that while some have pretended liberty of conscience, are become persecutors of such whose consciences are justly exercised, and as I have some time said to thee, much injustice and great oppressions and cruel persecutions continues daily to be acted in thy name, which is numbred up against thee upon account, because of hiding thy face from the cry of the poor, as one without bowels of compassion unto such who have truely served with thee in a faithful service for the Common-Wealth, who many of them now are grievious sufferers under thee.

Consider of these things, and search what will be the end of them, the Lord open thy understanding, that more of the wisdom of God may guide thee, and lesse of the Policie and wisdom of man, which will betray thee of Gods Kingdom, and may in the end cast thee down in this World also

Edward Burrough.

The Original of this was delivered to his hands in the fifth moneth, 1657.

§

§

FRIEND,

IT is upon me, and also I am pressed in spirit thereunto, to give unto thee, even unto thee Oliver Protector, the perfect measure of thy dominions, and how they stand in relation to thee as concerning the affections of the people towards thee, whereby thou mayest understand thy own condition, and the state of thy Government as I have viewed it in true judgment, and marked it upon serious consideration, and what I writ is in perfect love unto thee, how ever thou mayest judge of it, and [Page] of these things it will be well for thee to consider, now while it is time ere it be too late.

Many Enemies thou hast which watches over thee for evil and not for good, who would rejoyce in thy overthrow; and first there is a people scattered through all these Nations who is full of wrath and ravening envy towards thee, even of those known by the name of malignants party, in whose hearts to this day there is continual hatred, and evil surmising lodgeth against thee and all thy off-spring; and I believe (without any further knowledge) that daily advantage they seek against thee, by subtil conspiracies and secret plottings, of maliciousnesse in their evil hearts, seeking by all means if it be possible how to be avenged, and not sliping any advantage how to revenge themselves, and the cause of their King, and of these scattered under thy Government is not a few but rather the greater number, who thus stands in affections to thee, with no better purpose of good towards thee, then to destroy thee by any mens if it were in their power, and to take away thy Name in reproach, such is the cruelty and desperatenesse of some of them, their own lives are not dear unto them, to take away thine; I have felt the strength of their rage against thee, which carries them above sence, or fear to forego any danger that they might see their desired end of thee; their malice towards thee is so seated in their wrathful hearts, that it cannot easily be quenched, I know the Lord hath cursed them and their endeavours to this day, and thou hast had dominion and power given thee of God to bruise them, and to break them to pieces; and what thou hast done unto their King should not be reckoned against thee by the Lord, if now thou wert faithful to what he requireth of thee; for because of the wickednesse of that generation which was grown to the full, did the Lord raise thee up as a plague upon them, because of their unrighteousnesse, oppression and tyranny, and they were made as slaves and bondmen under thy power, and without the Lord can they not at any time do any thing against thee, but what and if for thy wickednesse in the sight of God, he should make them instruments in his hand to accomplish his wrath upon thee, even like as he made thee once his instrument to overthrow them, and such hath been the Lords doings, even to overthrow his enemies [Page] one by the other, and to use the wicked as a rod in his hand, to break them one against another like potsherds; and by that which comes to passe in these Nations, thou seems no lesse then to tread in their steps, and in a measure already goes on in their way in oppressing (through Tyranny, or suffering it) the people of God whose cause the Lord will assuredly plead against thee one day, who now suffers under thee in patience, and who can tell the purpose of the Lord, or what he may bring to passe concerning this thing, in raising up the wicked to be a plague to wickednesse, and in suffering the oppressors to overthrow oppressions? this is by me in love to thee in sencerity declared, and by thee with soberness and in the fear of God it is to be considered.

Again there is another people scattered through all these Dominions, who is not thy friends nor wishers well unto thee or thy Government, who secretly murmures against thee, and envies thee, and even seekes God against thee and thy Government, which they judge to be not according to God, and bowes not to it in love; though they are forced to submit for a time, hoping continually if not hatching other wayes of Rule and Government to the overthrow of thee and thine; and these are more honest, and upright, and just in the sight of the Lord then the former; and indeed they are not nor their purposes accursed of the Lord, for many of them have been sufferers, and faithfully served their Nation with perfect purpose of freedom to the Lords People, and they have at this day perfect zeal for God and for his wayes, though not altogether according to knowledge, yet some of them are not far from the Kingdom of God; though they seek it not wholly in the right way, nor looks onely with a single eye; yet doth not the Lord hate them altogether because of their integrity towards him and zeal for him; who some of them have suffered imprisonment for truth and righousness sake, as they have wholly thought; and their suffering hath not been altogether slighted by the Lord; and these are they known by name of the fifth Monarchy, of whom there is more then a few, with them that wishes well unto them, who will rise up for them rather then for thee, many of whom propounds well in their minds, though they [Page] have not power to effect it, because their intent is not altogether according to the Lord, yet are many of them free from that whereof thy self is guilty, and some of them are cast out and wholly rejected without any just cause, as they suppose, and these things have grieved their spirits, and not onely kindled their rage and envy, but moved their sincerity and honesty against thee; wherefore they are not thy friends but rather thy enemies; and would not stand by thee or with thee in thy need, but rather I suppose would arm themselves against thee and thy power, who highly charges thee (as they suppose justly too) with unfaithfulness and such like, for they see that is not accomplished which hath been promised by thee, but the contrary, even one finger is become as heavy as was once the loynes; and their spirits are grieved against thee for such causes, and who knowes but that the Lord may take the occasion to trie thee and prove thee by them, for their hearts are high against thee and thy Government, and that upon good ground, as they sincerely think.

Again, there is through thy Dominions a People gathered and gathering dayly by multitudes, who are called and chosen of him and faithful to him, who hath owned him above all things, and whom he hath owned and will own in the sight of the whole world, and will encrease them to a numberless number, according to his promise; and even those the Lord is making many who are redeeming out of the world, into the Government and Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and these thou knowest are great and grievous sufferers; by many hard and cruel oppressions, from those who are in authority in thy Government, even unjust imprisonment and fines and burthensome taxations, in many things hard to be expressed; and they undergo grievous persecutions under thy Government, and wholly unjustly in the sight of God, and also are cast out of all power and place in it, and almost out of all subjects priviledge too; many of them being counted as vile amongst men, though they are not so in the sight of the Lord, Justice, and righteousness and true Judgement they cannot have in all these Nations, not from thy self nor subservant Judges, of whom hardly can their cause be heard: but are deprived of their proper right, and of subjects freedom in Judicatories, and exposed to all wrong [Page] that may be by unjust men through unjust Judgement, and these things are not unknown to thee, and therefore art thou inexcusable in the sight of the Lord, and guiltie of their sufferings in his presence, who hath power to prevent it but doth it not, and these thus suffering in thy Government and under it, how can they stand for thee and thy Government, or out of pure love be subject thereunto, though be it known to thee that we (the People of God) doth not envy thy person or Government in the least, neither hath purpose of seeking advantage against thee, or it to hurt or betray you by secret plotting or turbulent arising, as others may, yet friend the want of our prayers to God for thee, is worse to thee then the secret plotting of all wicked men.

And how can we mention thee in our prayers to God except it be to be delivered from thee, who are dayly cruel and unjust sufferers by thee or because of thee, as I have said, or how can we be friends to that Government, or subject to obey that power under which we dayly suffer such hard and cruel things, as the loss of our liberty and estates, and danger of life also? let that light in thy own conscience Judge, though for all these things, we do rather pitty thee, and desires thy repentance, then conspires against thee, or wisheth thy destruction, yet oughtest thou to consider of these things with a humble heart, and what a condition thou art in, who is hated of the wicked with deadly hatred, and not loved of the Saints because thou lovest not the Lord; also it might make thy heart to tremble to consider how that thy Dominions are thus devided, and the affections of the people thus dis-united, and few of them thy real friends, some having real offence given by thee; wherefore they are forced to loath that Government which is unjust; and others verily supposing of great wrong sustained from thee, wherefore they are turned against thee.

Moreover & besides all this, greatly it may be suspected that even they in whom thou dost repose confidence, who seems to cleave unto thee, may not be altogether true unto thee, though in appearance subject, yet may have secret hypocrisie and hatching of evil in their minds, if it were possible, to uncover thy nakedness, and some others also there may be, who may make use of places under thee, which may have no more affection to thee nor service for thee, then while their own ends of great advantage are served under thee, by their subjection to thy Government; and [Page] now friend, these things being justly considered and viewed by thee in righteousness, how is thy Dominions as a broken vessel, that cannot easily be bound up, and as a bruised reed not to be confided in by thee? and these several sorts of people being substracted out of the whole, how few is it that thou wilt find that are thy real and faithful friends, who may stand by thee in a needful time; some out of envy cannot be subject to thee, and others for the fear of the Lords sake cannot own thee in such a Government, whereby the just suffers, even all men are ready to stand afar off from thee, and because thou hast denyed the people of God, therefore cannot he be thy trust; and verily thy state and the state of thy Dominions are truly to be lamented, thou hast so much sought thy self, that thou hast lost almost all people and their affections, every one judging themselves to be the greatest sufferers under thee; Ah consider, for thou art but the head of a disjoynted body, which may not easily be bound up to thee; and thou art lost for lack of true knowledge, for the Lord hath done many things for thee though thou hast not known it altogether, and much less then knowest thou of those things which are eternal, which belongs to thy peace, it shewes thou ownes not the Lord who cannot own his people, but rather counts them thy enemies and suffers all evil to be inflicted upon them; and this is the greatest of thy misery, in that the Lord hath been so good unto thee, and thy promises so large towards him for the freedom of his people, and yet all forgot and the Lords goodness not answered, and his people made as slaves and bondmen under thee, suffering the loss of liberty, and even their birthright priviledge in many parts of these Nations; wherefore be awakened O man, and sleep not totally in carelesness, but remember thy self, either to perform the good, or at least to escape the evil which may suddenly come upon thee.

And this I have written to thee out of perfect love in the fear of God, without the fear of any man, or without any secret or open envying of thee, couldst thou but own the Lord, he would be thy strength to forgive all thy iniquities and blot out thy sin, and to defend thee from all thy enemies; and above all things love Judgement, mercy and truth, and fear before the Lord, and let not his people be thy bond-slaves, who is more dear unto the Lord then all earthly glory is unto thee, and if thou couldst own them, they would own thee in the face of all thine enemies, [Page] many times hast thou been warned, and that from the Lord, and thou shalt confess it, when the Lords hand is upon thee and thou delivered into the will of thy enemies, remember that I have told thee what the Lord hath shewed me, happy art thou if thou canst receive it, that peace may be unto thee and not war, salvation and not condemnation, renown and not dishonour, which waits for thee, except thou turn to the Lord.

Edward Burrough.

The Original of this was delivered to him in the seventh moneth, 1657.

To the Protector and Counsel.

A Servant of the Lord, and to you a friend wisheth Grace and Wisdom, the spirit of sound Judgement, and the knowledge of God unto you, that in all things true Justice and righteous Judgement may be brought forth, and abound unto all people, that you may be more honourable, and may be made a blessing to your selves and this Nation, and to generations after you; but alas my friends, how long shall Justice and true Judgement be neglected, and the innocent deeply groan for want thereof? how long shall it be ere the distressed cry of the unjustly afflicted enter into your hearts, I say when shall your ear be bowed down to hearken to, and consider of the guiltless cause of many of the faithful subjects, who lies deeply afflicted through this Nation, some under one cruel bond of oppression and some under another, being most unjustly and wickedly imposed upon them by cruel men, who perverts Justice and turneth true Judgement backwards, and neither fears God nor regards men, but contrary to Justice and the good Lawes of this Land, as men without reason and natural affections to mankind, doth act most illegally, to the grievous oppression of many approved & faithful subjects, and the true knowledge and consideration hereof is enough to pierce the hardest heart, and to vex the most patient mind, and undoubtedly the fierce anger of the Lord is greatly kindled because of these things, and even against your forbearance, who seems [Page] to take little notice of such cruelties and in justice when they are layed before you; for you do not relieve the oppressed, neither doth remove oppressors as you ought to do, and as the Lord requireth of you; what, hath the abundance of this worlds glory and its treasure quite overcome and stollen away your hearts wholly from all sence and feeling of the unjust sufferings of your brethren, who have in times past as faithfully as your selves served their Nation with their lives and estates, to the purchasing of this peace and freedom out of the hands of tyrants, and such may now justly claim the benefit of this peace and freedom, and to have a part with you therein, even by birth-right, and by purchase, and also by promise from some of your selves? but alas, while they have waited for it and thought peaceably to enjoy the same under you, are many of them entrapped into as great bondage as ever, if not more woful and unjust, and they are unjustly imprisoned and unreasonably fined, and every way oppressively dealt withall, and are even spoiled in their persons and estates, & their lives often in danger, being through great injustice become a prey to their very enemies, who now takes occasion to revenge their former cause because of their faithfulness for the Commonwealth against them, and all this is done while you look on, and no way shewing your dislike to these things, wch strengtheneth greatly the hands of evil doers, to add to the bonds of the afflicted, yet are you without excuse, for you are not wholly ignorant of these things, for the knowledge of them hath often been layed at your doors, yea and the very cry of these oppressions and cruelties reacheth through the whole Land, to the wounding deeply of all people that fears God, to know so great injustice and oppression brought forth upon the innocent and faithful people, by some so far entrusted as having the Law committed to them; which they pervert and turns Judgement backwards, and the greater is the wound because you who have power to stop and prevent these things, should no more regard to set at liberty the unjust sufferers, and to render Judgement upon those as thus perverts true Justice, by whom the Land is filled with violence, whereby the name of the Lord is greatly dishonoured, and the Government greatly reproached in many parts of the world, why, because the faithful subjects cannot enjoy their birth-right priviledge, as they ought, according to the Law of God and [Page] man; for their equals, yea their inferiours have exalted themselves above and are become oppressors of the free born people, & divers ways doth these hainous oppressions & cruelties abound upon the innocent, and not for evil doing but for the exercise of their pure consciences towards God; for many hath been taken travelling on the high way, and some out of peaceable meetings, and some out of their Innes and friends houses, and by some wicked men in authority, without shewing just cause therefore, have just innocent men been whipped, or stocked, or imprisoned, or other cruelties done unto them, and yet the transgression of no just Law truely charged against them, neither have been convicted of any evil doing, but they have suffered wholly innocently, onely through the malice and will and pleasure of their enemies, who have taken occasion without any just offence at all to stock and whip and imprison many of the true and faithful subjects, and this hath not been done in secret but openly in many parts of this Nation, and you have had information of these things, that you should have been awakened to true Justice & Judgment, and this the Lord requireth of you, though the guiltless sufferers have born all these things without complaining, yet ought you to have Judged justly, according to their deeds, such as caused such cruelty and unjust sufferings, that for time to come the like might not have been brought forth, but the free subjects might live in Peace, and rejoice under the Government, and all perverters of Judgment and Justice might stand in awe and be afraid, so should you be a praise to ages after you, and likewise many who are at this present remaining in prisons in divers parts of this land, some upon one false accusation and evil surmizing, and some upon another, for a good conscience sake; the cause of whom hath often bin laid before you, which seemed for the present to have some entrance upon you, yet little is brought forth by you as ought to be in that cause, for though none of any such doth complain unto you, who have and doth unjustly suffer, yet the Lord doth require you to set the oppressed and falsely imprisoned at liberty, and to bring true Judgment forth upon their persecutors; also there is another suffering great and grievous growing upon many, if it be not prevented, many faithful and approved men are dispossessed of their freedom, which truly belongeth to them by the law of God and man in divers Cities [Page] and corporations, because for conscience sake they cannot swear, by kissing the book and laying the hand upon it, according to the vain tradition in such causes formerly used; though to deal justly towards God and man in their craft and science they are bound by the Law of God, yet because they will not swear, and so break Christs Commands, are they threatned, and their windows shut up, and dis-priviledged of their trading, whereby they should maintain themselves and families in the Creation; and this one thing tendeth to the destruction of many, as in this world, and no little hurt will thereby grow to the whole Nation in a generation of time, and it is required of you by the Lord to prevent these sufferings, though many can forgo their own freedom in this world, and their lives also, rather then break the least Command of Christ, and thus are many faithful people made a very prey to their enemies, and in divers manners it is brought forth upon them; for many also suffers deeply in the house of correction, for reproving sin, and others are grievously spoil'd in their estates, because for conscience sake they cannot pay to maintain a professed Minister, or uphold a Steeple-house, for it is a common thing for a Priest to take (or have it done) four or five times so much by distress as any way he can prove a pretended due; and many other sufferings there are, which are only for conscience sake, as because some cannot put off a hat to a Magistrate, or the like; which gives an ill savour to the Government in which they are acted without reproof. Ah my Friends! be awakened to Justice and true Judgment, to relieve such unjust sufferers, and to throw down all such hainous oppressions and oppressors, that the Lord may yet make you and your Government blessed, after his long suffering to you which hath been great; for Justice and true Judgement in a Government is the happiness thereof, and the foundation for a long continuance; and on the contrary, cruelty, and injustice, and oppression being brought forth, the more is the Government unhappy and accursed, and the sooner will the Lord overthrow it, and bring it to a desolate end; and therefore my Friends, let this great enemy to your persons, government and whole Nation, to wit, persecution for conscience sake, be speedily removed, least the anger of the Lord break forth against you, and repentance be too late, for this know, in all ages the Lord stretched forth his hand, and [Page] in his time he quickly avenged himself for his peoples sake, after their innocent sufferings born by them for a season, and he is the same and changeth not, and the same will he bring to pass; therefore I say again, be awakned, and let that deadly enemy be removed out of the land, as you tender your own safety and honour, and the glory of the Name of the Lord, and his peoples peace, even this very enemy, to wit, persecution for conscience sake, for it doth and will obstruct all your good purposes at home and abroad; It eats away the affections of all good people from you, and it eats out your strength and valour, and it consumes the weakness of all your enemies; verily, it is an enemy that will work your destruction speedily, both in this world and in the world to come, that of God in ye all shall witness me in the day of the Lord; I am your Friend, and these things do I write as a Friend unto you, as to warn you of that secret enemy, so much reigning and rebelling in this Nation, which indeed may work a greater distruction upon you then any forreign invader, and this in time you may witness to your grief and sorrow, if something by you be not done to suppress it; all health and peace I wish unto you in the Lord, and thus far am I clear from the blood of you and all men, come life or death.

EDWARD BURROUGH.

The several Copies of this was delivered to Oliver and his Counsel, in the 12th month, in the year 1657:

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Oh! OLIVER,

HAdst thou been faithful, and thundred down the deceipt, the Hollander had been thy subject, and tributers; and Germany had given up to have done thy will; and the Spaniard had quivered like a dry leaf, wanting the vertue of God; the King of France should have bowed under thee his neck; the Pope should have withered as in winter; the Turk in all his fatness should have smoaked; thou shouldst not a stood trifling about small things, but minded the work of the Lord, as he began with thee at first; sober men and true hearts took part with [Page] thee. Oh! take heed, and do not slight such, least thou weaken thy self, and not disown such as the Lord hath owned, thy dread is not yet all gone, nor thy amazement; arise and come out, for hadst thou been faithful, thou shouldst have crumbled Nations to dust, for that had been thy place; now is thy day of trial, take heed of joining hands with the wicked against the innocent, but hear the voice of God, and that will keep thee from hardness of heart, and mind the Law of God, with which thou maist answer that of God in every one, and his fear and his dread to be in thy family, and that thou maist come to break the jawes of the wicked, that rends the innocent; and that thou maist be eyes to the blind, and legs to the lame, and an help to them that cannot help themselves; and take heed that any of thy servants that be under thy dominion of quenching the Spirit, or limiting the Holy one, but wait for the Wisdom of God, that with it thou maist order all to Gods glory, and all his creatures, by which Wisdom they were created and made, and that thou maist find the blessing of the Lord God with thee; and take heed of flatterers, and take heed of wild light spirits, that will speak thee fair, but mind sober men, for there is mischief in many minds; but if thou be kept in the power of God, and live in it, thou wilt live over all, and stop and cross and tread under the intents of wicked men; and take heed in any thing they be not thy executioners, for now thou hast time, prize it.

A lover of thy Soul, and thy Eternal good, and for establishing Peace and Righteousness amongst the people. G. FOX.

The Original copy of this was delivered to him the 11th month, in the year 1657.

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Dear Friend,

BE still, and in the Counsel of God stand, and that will give thee wisdom, that thou maist frustrate mens end, and calm mens spirits, and crumbel men under, and arise and stand up in the power of the Lord God, the Lambs authority, and fear not the face of man, but fear and dread the Lord God, then his presence and wisdom and counsel thou shalt have to throw down the [Page] rubbish, and quell all the bad spirits under thy dominion, and fear them about thee; live in the Lords power and life, then to thee he will give wisdom, and the pure feeling thou wilt come into, whereby thy Soul will be refreshed, and it will be thy delight to do the Will of God, and thy meat and drink, as thou in the pure Eternal Power, Counsel, Will and Wisdom of God dwells, things all will be made plain before thee, and to thee from the Lord God, in what thou doest for the Lord God thou shalt have peace and the blessing, and in that so doing, all the sober true hearted people will be one with thee in travels, sorrows and pains, and then in that a blessing from the Lord will come upon thee, will abound to thee and cover thee, as thou lives and art kept in the power and dread of the Lord God of Heaven and earth, where Wisdom is not wanting, nor peace lacking, but peace enjoyed, and counsel and instruction from the Lord God given, and the helping arm and hand that stretcheth over all the Nations in the world, thou wilt feel it, and with that thou wilt come to break down all mens ends that they have to themselves, and the worships that men invent, and images they have set up, for the arm of the Lord helps the righteous, by his hand he carries the Lambs, which arm is turned against the wicked stretched over them, and the hand of the Lord is against them that do evil, in which hand the Soul is, and brings it into peace; therefore live in the power of the Lord God, and feel his hand that is stretched out over the Nations, for a mighty work hath the Lord to do in other Nations, and their quakings and shakings is but entering. So this is the Word of the Lord God to thee, and a charge to thee from the Lord God, in the presence of the Lord God, live in the power of the Lord God of Heaven and earth, that will make all Nations to tremble and quake, for those be Gods enemies that be out of his power and counsel, and be thou faithful to God singlely, without respecting any mans person, but respect the Lord and his work, and be obedient to his will singlely, without any end to thy self, living in the pure wisdom, counsel and instruction from God, then wilt thou see Gods enemies that live out of Gods wisdom, power and counsel, fall in their pits, snare themselves, fear where there is no fear, slaying themselves with their envy, and the power of the Lord will clear all the wicked off of thee, as thou lives in it, [Page] and art kept in it, and this is the Word of the Lord God to thee, and live in the wisdom and life of God, that with it thou maist be ordered to his glory, and order his creatures to his glory, and be still and silent from thy own wisdom, wit, craft, subtilty or policy that would arise in thee, but stand single to the Lord, without any end to thy self, then God will bless thee, and prosper thee in his wayes, thou wilt feel his blessing in thy generation, and thy mind stayed upon the Lord, thou wilt be kept in perfect peace, without any intent to thy self, to the glory of the Lord God, and there wilt thou feel no want, nor a failing nor forsaking, but the presence of the Lord God of life with thee; for now the state of this present age is, the Lord is a bringing his people into the life which the Scriptures were given forth from, in which his people shall come to have unity with God, with the Scriptures, and one with another, for their establishing is in righteousnes, truth and peace, in which is the Kindom of God.

From a lover of thy Soul, and Eternal Good. G. F.

For the Protector.

FRIEND,

THE Salutation of my life wisheth well unto thee in the Lord, and most especially that thy precious Soul may be reedeemed out of death to God, and live, that thou mayest have a rest and habitation in him, when this world is no more.

Now whereas it is a general out-cry among the Teachers and people of this Nation, and also is doubted and hath been sometime objected by thy self, that the people called Quakers are deluded and deceived, and in errour, and such like; and now if it be possible that thy self and and others may be resolved concerning us; put therefore all thy objections and doubtings into plain positions, or let the wisest of thy Teachers do it for thee, and whatsoever thy self or any for thee can object against us, or what thou doubtest of, or stumblest at, either in respect of our doctrines or practice, let the matter be stated in plain words, in positions or queries, and if God permit, a sufficient answer thou maist receive, [Page] to remove all conscienceous scruples, and to confound all subtile alleadgments and evasions, whereby hereafter for ever thou maist be altogether inexcusable of all doubting or speaking against us, or suffering evil to be done or spoken against us upon that account; and this am I moved to give forth and send to thee, that thou maist be satisfied, and all things tried and made manifest in the sight of all men, and that all rash Judgement and false supposition, which lodgeth in the hearts of many, may be confounded and brought to nought, and let it be left off, to cry out deceivers and heresie, &c. and causing any to suffer upon suspition thereupon, but bring all things to light and true Judgement, that what is proved to be the truth may be owned, and not persecuted any more, for we are willing to be made manifest to all men, and if any thing be objected against us, which may not be sufficiently answered and resolved to sober men, then our enemies are more free, and hath whereof to glory in against us; but and if all occasions of stumbling be removed by answers according to the Scriptures, and our principles, practices and doctrines thereby vindicated, then let all the Teachers and all our adversaries shut their mouths from biting at us, and railing against us, and accusing of us to thee, and let thy ear be shut from believing lyes against the innocent, and let none suffer in thy Dominion under the cruelty of men upon such a ground; and hereof I should be glad to receive an answer, and to joyn issue in this cause, and in the mean time alwayes am a lover of thy Soul, but a witness against all oppression;

E. BURROUGH.

This was delivered to his hands at Hampton Court, in the 4th month 1658.

For the Protector.

FRIEND, Know that there is a God that doth whatsoever he will, all power is in his hand, and he bringeth to pass the Counsel of his own heart, and he rules in the kingdoms of men, & bringeth down & setteth up, he killeth & maketh alive, & he changeth times & seasons & Governments, & [Page] bringeth to nought the counsels of men, for all power in earth and in heaven is in him; and all his doings are right, and his wayes are equal; and thou and all mankind are as clay in the hand of the potter, he can honour and exalt as he pleaseth, and he can mar and break to pieces and dishonour whensoever he will, wherefore be humble and low in heart before him, for he is the highest power that subdueth all things under his feet; if he wound who can heal? and if he kill there is none can make alive; and know thou it is the Lord God Almighty that doth this; in whose hands are the Issues of life and death, and he it is who can break thee down and build thee up, who can wound thee and restore thee, and bring thee to destruction, and say unto thee return, and to know him that doth this, belongs to thy eternal peace.

Wherefore hearken thou to the word of the Lord, that thy soul may come out of death and live; and fear the Lord God, before whom thy heart is naked and bare; who can mould thee and change thee, and fulfill his pleasure upon thee, even according to his own will, and who shall say what doth he? and now come to consideration, and let thy heart be more upright before him, & chuse his way and counsel, that he may blesse thee, and seek his face to behold his countenance, that thy soul may be satisfied by his word, and the milk of the word may nourish thee unto life immortal, and mind his pure presence which is life, even God with thee; Christ the Immanuel to dwell with and walk in thee; which is the promise of the Father; and first come to the principle of God, and feel the word of God in thy heart, that will beat down the nature into which temptations enters, and the word will bring thee to War against and to overcome all thy enemies, which would defile thee or betray thee; and it will bring thee to know a birth immortal born in thee, and a Crown immortal received from God that dies not nor fades not away, and then he that Rules over heaven and earth will be thy shepherd to feed thee, and thy Teacher to guide thee, and thy Counsellour to direct thee in all things; and thy immortal soul will be satisfied with the bread that cometh down from heaven which the Father giveth, and the Covenant of God and the mercies of David that are sure will be revealed, [Page] and his promise fulfilled in thee; and life and immortality brought to light through the Gospel which is the power of God, which destroyes and puts off, and confounds the first man and his knowledge; and wisdom, and his sin and righteousness, all which is in transgression against the life of God, and the Gospel the power of God being received, it will raise up the seed of God in thee, and bring thee to know the second Adam, the image of the Father which the Devil hath nothing in, but he overcomes the Devil who hath been the Lamb slain by transgression, since the foundation of the world; and he it is that comes out of death that must take away thy sin and destroy it, and cover thy nakedness, and create thee a new, and give thee acceptance in the Father whereby thy soul in him may be refreshed, and a habitation in him thou maist have when this world is no more, and for this thou oughtest to wait above all things.

And friend, thou hast need of the Wisdom of God, which is from heaven to guide thee in all thy affairs, that by it thou may be preserved from the will of thine enemies, and from all that hate thee, that their eye may be blinded that watch for evil, and their wisdom and policy confounded and brought to nought that hatches mischief against thee; so feel a measure of the Wisdom of God in thee to guide thee in dread and Authority, and thy enemies will be afraid; for to walk in the fear of the Lord and in his Wisdom and Authority, in Justice, truth and righteousness, that will make thee a greater terrour unto thy enemies then all worldly policy and craft; the Nations will over reach thee, if thy strength be there, and if Judgement, Justice and Righteousness be neglected by thee, how should the Lord honour thee and defend thee; nay he will bring dishonour, and give thee into the will of thy enemies; for want of truth and just Judgement causeth a Land to mourn, and her People to sit as a widow comfortless, wherefore love Judgement, truth and righteousness, and walk therein, and thou wilt leave a praise behind thee and a witness to other Ages that thou hast served the Lord in thy generation, and then thy memorial shall never die, nor thy name come into reproach among the heathen; wherefore let all oppression be removed, and let the just go free, and let [Page] Judgement and righteousness run down, and be thou a praise and a blessing to all that do well, and a rerrour and a dread to all the contrary; arise and stand up for the Lord, and he will give thee strength and victory, and will make thy horn as Iron and thy hoof as brass to push down down and tread under the high places of Idolatry, in all the Apostatized Churches both Papists and others out of the life of the Apostles, and as thou comes into the life the Apostles were in, then thou wilt see and fathome over all this Profession of Christ, and all these Churches that are without the life of Christ which is come up in the Apostacy, and as the life of God ariseth in thee thou wilt see who the false Prophets are and deceivers which Christ prophesied of should come, and Iohn saw were come in his dayes, which hath over-spread the Nations, and these are they which hath the sheeps cloathing upon them; but inwardly they are ravening Wolves, and such are they that will flatter thee for great Benefits and places, and large maintenance, they have Christs words and the Apostles words, the sheeps cloathing, but they that put not into their mouthes they will prepare War against them, and raven upon them, cast their bodies into prison or spoil their goods; and wilt thou bring thy name into dishonour to all the Saints upon earth, by defending of these in their evil wayes, thou oughtest not to do it, nor to suffer the innocent to be troden down and destroyed for denying such, and witnessing against them that are out of the life of Christ, and a great overthrow will the Lord make among those Teachers, and such a Ministry that need to be defended by carnal weapons, and by stockes and prisons; for such Teachers and Ministry is not of Christ, as is manifest; and as People have been scattered after them for ages, so they shall again be gathered from them by the spirit, to follow the Lamb whethersoever he goes.

And take heed these Teachers come not too near thee, neither put confidence in them, for their hearts are not right before the Lord; and they will flatter thee while they hatch evil against thee, but stand over them in the Dominion of God; and if they sow spiritual things, let them reap carnal by a free gift, and if they have flocks let them eat of the milk freely given them, and if they have planted any thing let [Page] them eat the fruit, as it comes freely, and be not thou combered about maintaining Ministers, but free thy self of that burthen, neither suffer innocent men to be troden down and destroyed in their persons and estates about the maintaining of such Teachers, which is become the grievousest oppression in the Nation.

And as concerning thy family, thou hast need of Gods wisdom to guide thee, that thou mayest Rule in Gods Authority over all light, loose, proud, wanton, ungodly, and deceitful persons; take heed of such spirits, for they will be a temptation to thee to draw thee into evil, and into the world out from God, let no such be thy companions, nor remain in thy house, lest they betray thee with flatteries and honour which perisheth, and such professe much love and great duty in words, yet they being out of the fear of the Lord, cannot be blessed unto thee in their service; wherefore love such men and let them be thy companions that fear the Lord; and that are solid and sober and upright, such as may be good examples before thee, which will quench evil and not increase it in thee; and though such appear not in flatteries towards thee nor with a double minde, yet they will be faithful to thee, and such will the Lord blesse unto thee; and let no drunkards nor covetous, evil minded persons that seeks themselves and not the Lord have place with thee, for they will be a dishonour to thee, and bring the curse into thy family: and love such as makes conscience of their words & ways, and be not an oppressor of the tender conscience of any, but let the Lord be Ruler there both in thy self & in all thy family; and be of a pittiful, tender mind and spirit towards strangers and all people; and be kind and long suffering towards all, yet let Justice reach to all transgressors, and be an example to all in Authority under thee; and let not evil and cruel hearted men bear any place, for such renders thee and thy Government dishonourable, and by such the Land is filled with violence, and the just mourns, whereby the blessing is kept far away, & the curse near, ready to devour: Now friend, if thou come to be guided by the spirit, and with the wisdom of the Father, then thou wilt bring the Nations into good order, whereby the inhabitants may live in peace and perfect freedom [Page] from all oppressions and vexations that now is a bondage upon the just and upright, for there is great corruption entered into all places, and sorts of men, and when the Lord toucheth thy heart and makes thee rightly sencible of all things as now they stand, then thou wilt see the Ministry as now it stands to be quite degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles, before the Apostacie; and as it now stands there is much of it which is to be thrown down to the ground, and crushed to pieces; for its corrupted altogether, even in the way of its setting up and of its Call; and in the way of its maintenance and practice, in all these things it is corrupted and degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was before the Apostacy; And this may be proved by the Scriptures, and so it is not to be upholden by thee, but to be corrected and thrown down the rather.

And likewise in Magistracy, thou wilt see great corruption entered, and abundance to be purged out, for it is much degenerated from the state as it was ordained of God, and in the Lawes there is much to regulate and correct, when thou comes to the principle of God in thee; if ever that arise in thee, it will bring thee to thresh down and trample down all unjust men that handles the Law, and all such that Judge for gifts and rewards; and all such Lawyers that devours the innocent for gifts, that will not plead the cause of the poor without great Fees; and all the Priests that Preach for hire, and the Teachers that teach for filthy lucere and to get gain, all such men will be counted as bryers and thorns by thee, to be plucked up by the roots, and to be cut up as evil trees which cumbers the ground, for such doth corrupt the Land and cumbers it; and if ever the Lord doth arise in thee he will reward them by thee according to their wayes, whose wayes are corrupt before the Lord.

And as concerning thy War and Armies abroad in Spain, something there is in it known to the Lord, seek not thy own honour in it, but be faithful, and leave the issue of all things to the Lord; make no Covenant with Idolators, but tread down their idol gods that they have set up, and hew down their mountains in which their confidence stands, and plow up their ground that the seed may be sowen after thee: its [Page] honour enough to be the Lords plowman, be thou faithful in what the Lord calls thee to, and thou shalt have thy reward, and seek his honour and he will honour thee; and let thy mind be to the Lord in all things, and feel his word and power and presence in thee, to quench all that which is contrary, and then thou wilt be blessed in this life and in the life to come; but if thou continue in thy oppression, the Lord will suddenly smite thee.

By a Friend unto thee in the Lord,

E. BURROUGH.

This was given to Oliver Cromwel his hands at Hampton Court in the 6 Mon. 1658. about a Moneth before his death.

For Oliver Cromwel.

FRIEND,

THe Lord hath visited thy house, because thou hast suffered thy servants, to smite the Servants of the Lord, and Lambs of Christ, and prisoned his Lambs, and Sons, and Daughters, some until death; Therefore thy sons, and daughters, and servants will I take away with death, and visit thee and and thy house with sicknesse saith the Lord, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord who reigns; therefore spare my Sons and Daughters, that I may spare thee and thy house, and that thou mayest know that I am the Lord; Oh! how art thou fallen under men? and thy house will suffer as long as my Sons and Daughters and Servants suffers by thee and thy servants, and die in prison, and you not visiting them, nor suffer their own friends to visit them; therefore take heed least thou become as weak as water.

And Friend, thou shouldest have invited all the Christians upon earth in all Nations that are against popery to thee, to come in and joyn with thee against popery, for thou hast had authority, stand to it, loose it not, nor abuse it, nor let any other take thy Crown, and do not stand cumbering thy self about [Page] dirty Priests that flatter thee for means, for thou hast had fair warnings, and thou hast had power over Nations, for Nations begins to be upon heaps, and Nations and tongues, and multitudes are waters, and the beast hath power over them who hath long reigned, and they begin to swell, and the whore sits upon them; neverthelesse, do not thou heed nor fear them, nor be of a doubtful mind, neither fear their amazements, but let thy heart be single to God, and wait, that the seed of God in thee may come until the top stone be layed, and invite all them that professe against the Pope in all Nations to joyn with thee against him, and do not loose thy Dominion nor authority, nor the wisdom of God, but with that thou may order all, that will keep thee single in heart and mind to the Lord, and let thy souldiers go forth with a free willing heart, that thou may rock Nations as a cradle, and keep thou in the fear of the Lord, and all thy souldiers, and them that be under thee, this is a charge to thee in the presence of the Lord God, that thou nor them may lose the dread of the Lord, for that is it that strikes terror in the hearts of all people, and set all the prison doors open for them to come forth that are imprisoned for Churches and Ministers maintenance, and worship, and learn the pacience, for the Lords work is begun already in other Nations, and the patient spirit remaines in the Lords work, for that is it that tries, stands and abides, which gets the victory, and obtains the Crown; if any hurt come to thee, it will be through thy disobedience to the Lord.

I am a lover of thy soul and Eternal good, an establisher of righteousnesse. G. FOX.

Written the tenth of the 6th month, 1657.

This is for the Protectors Kindred, his Wife and Children, to be read soberly by them in the fear of God.

FRIENDS,

REmember, that by the Lord you were raised from a low state, and when he will, he can abase you and bring you [Page] down, he gave you the Palace of Princes, and threw out the high and mighty before you, because of their wickednesse, which was great in the sight of the Lord.

Oh, remember this every one of you, and come to the witnesse of God in you, and be humble, and meek, and lowly, and let the Lords fear be in your hearts, and be of a tender spirit, having your mindes exercised in purity, in holinesse, and in righteousnesse, and exalt not your selves, nor be lifted up in your hearts in the pride and vain glories and honours of this World, least the Lord cast you down, and make your name and posterity a reproach, as he hath done many before you, even for that cause was the generations of the Stewarts cast out, and if you walk in the same steps, and do the same things, and become guilty of the same abominations, and suffer the Children and Servants of the Lord to be persecuted (as many are at this day, some until death) shall the Lord spare you? nay, he will cause you to feel his hand of judgement, and bring you down with sorrow, and he will vex you in his wrath, and smite you with his rod more and more, till you learn his fear, and depart from all your iniquities, and the Lord will deface your glory, and pull down your crown, and he will make you know that he is the Lord that doth whatsoever he will; Wherefore humble your selves under the hand of God, and search your own hearts, and cast out the abhominations that vexeth the spirit of the Lord, and suffer not the people of the Lords pretious flock to be devoured, and made a prey to the wicked, for because of this, the rod of affliction cometh upon you, and may suddenly break you to pieces; but mind the seed of God in you, which is oppressed, and wait to know the power of the Lord which will redeem you out of sin and death, and reconcile you to God, and bring you into fellowship with himself, to enjoy peace and rest for your soules, that you may be made heires of the inheritance of an endlesse life, and this would make you truly honourable, and will be more satisfaction to you, and joy and content, and true rejoycing, then all worldly crowns and worldly glories, which will waste and consume away, and leave you miserable; and remember that you are now warned from the Lord God, by whom I am moved to write this unto you in dear and tender [Page] love to you all, and one day you shall witnesse it: And as concerning the Quakers (so called) who are accounted as vile in the sight of men, and are cast out of all power and place in the Nation, being despised of all, and also are reproached, persecuted, and imprisoned, and all manner of evil and injustice unrighteously done and spoken against them (by wicked and corrupt men in authority) yet are they the Children and Servants of the living God, and greatly beloved of him, and are as dear to him as the apple of his eye, and his power and presence is with them, and the time is at hand that the Lord will make their persecutors fall, and their enemies bow and tremble, though now they suffer unjustly, and are troden down, as not deserving a place on the earth, yet it is for righteousnesse sake, and because they shew forth the image of the Father, and not for evil doing; and will not their sufferings lie upon you? for many hundred have suffered cruel and great things, and some the losse of life, though not by, (yet in the name of the Protector) and about a hundred at this present day lies in holes and dungeons, and prisons up and down the Nation, and some at this time are sick nigh unto death, whose sufferings cries for vengeance, and the Lord heareth the cry; wherefore save your selves, and let the innocent be delivered, and the cruel bonds of oppression broken, and the exercise of a pure conscience go free without persecution, and then the Lord will turn away his anger, and cease to smite you with his rod which hath been upon you, and he will give you peace, and make you blessed if you come to be lead by his spirit into all truth▪ and though these innocent Lambs of Christ suffer thus under this present power, yet are they not enemies to you, but are friends to your persons and families, and pitties you, and loves you, and desires well for you in the Lord, that you may repent and be healed, and even that your hearts may be opened, to receive refreshments to your souls, and that you may be established in righteousness and truth over all your enemies, and may not be confounded, nor your posterity brought into reproach, which is hastening upon you, and though our love be disputed & we accounted hateful in your sight; and looked upon with derision; yet we bare all things in patience, truly desiring your returning and repentance, [Page] and not your destruction, but if these doleful sufferings of the Lords poor Lambs be continued by this present power, it will destroy you and undo you, and break you, and confound you; and the Lord will not cease to smite you with his rod of sharp rebukes, and he will make you know his Peoples cause shall not be unpunished, Oh did you but know how hundreds have and do suffer, how the bodies of some have been tortured by stocks and cruel whippings, and how some lies sick in stinking holes and dungeons on the ground, or a little straw at best; ten or often more in a prison together; and sometimes their own friends not suffered to come to visit them with necessaries; Oh did but your eyes behold, or your hearts perceive the greatness of the cruelty which some of the Lords dear servants and your faithful friends undergo, it would make your hearts ake, and your spirits to tremble, and all this is done in the name and under the Authorty of (Protector) therefore how should the Lord but lay it to your charge and afflict him and his family; he will make you know there is a God, that can do whatsoever he will, and that life and death are in his hand, and all creatures are as clay in the hand of a potter, and he rules in the Kingdoms of men, and pulleth down one, and setteth up another according to his pleasure, but if the love of God be with-holden from you, it is because of disobedience to him, and your transgression; Wherefore be obedient to him, and love his wayes and judgements, that he may make you more happy, with a Crown Immortal that never fades away; and remember once more the Lord hath warned you, by a Friend unto you in the Lord,

E. BURROUGH.

Written the 1. day of the 7. month, called Sept. 1658.

Copies of this were delivered to divers of his Children and Kindred the day before he died.

To thee, Richard Cromwel (called) Protector of these Nations, is this moved of the Lord God of heaven and earth, to be written for thy Instruction from him.

[Page]

THere is a great & mighty & Innumerable people come & coming up out of Aegypts Land, travelling towards the Land of rest, promised of the Lord to them, to be obtained and enjoyed by them, and they do and have sojourned strangers in these Nations (over whom thou art called to Rule, and appointed chief Governour) this 7 years, and greatly are and have they been afflicted and oppressed, and even trodden down through unjust Judgment and unrighteous dealing, by the Rulers and Inhabitants of the Land; and all the dayes of thy Father the late Protector, they were held in great captivity and bondage, and unrighteous men made them a prey, and layed heavy yoaks of cruel sufferings upon them, and daily increased their task; and something thy Father did for them in their journey of great distress, yet but a little of what the Lord required of him, and what the Lord looked for that he might have done, for power was in his hands given him of the Lord, but he was not fully obedient; and therefore was the Lords hand stretched out somewhat against him and his Family, and he was smitten of the Lord, and suddenly taken away in Judgment, for he hearkened not to the Counsel of the Lord concerning that people, neither did fully relieve them from oppression, but slighted many warnings from the Lord, & the day of his visitation passed over, and death took him away in disobedience, while this people were yet under great oppressions, for he left above a hundred of them in prisons, unjustly suffering for [...]righteousness sake, and not for evil-doing; and in this he fulfilled not the Will of God, but left his name and glory somewhat stained, because of these things; and though the Lord chose him, and shewed love unto him, and gave him power over his enemies, and made him an Instrument in his hand to break down great oppressions, yet he was not obedient to the end, to do my will saith the Lord, but left something undone which he was truly called unto. Now this innumerable people that is come and coming up, as aforesaid, [Page] are them called Quakers, and this Aegypts Land, is that great darkness, ignorance, and wickedness, and false ways and worships in the Apostacy, and fleshly bondage to sin and death, which all the world, and kindreds, and multitudes that are unconverted to God lives and walks in; and that Land of rest promised, to which they travel, is, the peaceable and quiet dwelling with the Lord, free from the heavy oppression of sin and iniquity and cruelties of men, and free in the exercise of their pure Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord, as it shall move and lead them into all truth; and their sojourning as strangers, is, their denying and despising the world, and all its glories, and walking in the daily Cross of Christ, whereby they are crucified to the love, and respect, and renown and honours of the world, and are come out of kindreds, tongues and people, counting the reproach for Christ great riches, not respecting men, but the Lord altogether in all things, and also their suffering unrighteusly, false imprisonment, and spoiling of their goods for righteousness sake, this is their sojourning as strangers; And that something, that thy Father did for them, is, he released many of them dives times out of prisons, where they were unjustly cast, and he signified sometimes his displeasure against them that made them suffer, and shewed love to them in hearing their innocent cause, with some respect thereunto; and that which he did not, which he might have done, is, he took not away Tithes, that cause of great oppression to many, nor the unrighteous laws wholly as he ought to have done, and as the Lord required of him:

And know thou from the Lord, that this same people are the people of the Lord, and beloved of him, and as dear to him, as the apple of his eye, and his presence is with them, and he leads them as a flock by his Spirit into all truth, and who shall bless them shall be blessed, but he that acts against them shall not prosper, but be smitten of the Lord, for their cause will the Lord plead in his Judgments, and avenge them of their enemies, and the dread of the Lord God shall fall heavy upon the heads of their persecutors, and though they are hated of all men, and are under great afflictions, yet are they a Just people, and innocent, seeking the good of all men, and are peaceable towards all, and receiving all manner of wrongs and evil, and speakings against [Page] them by ungodly men; but they render to no man evil for evil, but bless them that curse, and do good to their enemies, and bears all things from all men in long suffering and patience for they are learned in the practices (of doing and suffering) of the holy Apostles and Prophets, and are of the seed of Abraham, who was the friend of God, and they were thy fathers friends, and are not enemies to thee, nor to righteous Government, but wishes well unto thee in the Lord, and that thou may not be destroyed in wickedness, but be established in righteousness and peace in thy Government, to rule in Gods authority over all wicked men that may seek thy hurt; and we desire for thee, that the Lord may give thee wisdom & a perfect understanding, and the Spirit of just and sound Judgment, to Judge righteously in all things, and to settle the Government in true Judgment, that the principle of God in every man may answer to it, in defending and preserving and protecting all that walk in truth and righteousness, and being a terrour to all evil-doers; for, for that end is rule and government ordained of God amongst men, to be a praise to all that do well, and a terrour to all that do evil; and now the Lord having suffered it to be brought to pass, that thou art set up in thy fathers stead to be chief Ruler amongst men, this the Lord God Almighty requires of thee, as thou hopes to prosper and be blessed in this life, and to enjoy life Eternal when this world is passed away; and this is the Word of the Lord God unto thee, be humble, meek and lowly in heart, and exalt not thy own horn, nor seek not this worlds honour, but seek the Lord with thy whole heart, and let Justice and true Judgment and righteous Government (which is according to the Law of God) be set up and exalted in the Nations, and come to know in thy self the Dominion and Authority of the Lord God over sin and transgression, and to keep down and condemn all that which is contrary to God in thy own heart, and that will make thee a dread and a terrour to men and Nations, and then the Lord will be thy Crown, and his people will rejoice in thee, and lift up their hearts to God for thee; if thou throw down and abolish all unrighteous lawes and decrees, which have been set up in the days of ignorance, and yet stands, wherereby the Lords dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day, and establish such a Government which is justly according to God, in which righteousness [Page] and truth, Justice and true Judgement may run down, and all the contrary may be stopped and chained, and limited and confounded; and then that which thy father left undone, the Lord will fulfil through thee, and doing these things, the Lord would make thee truly honourable and happy, and blessed in this life and in the life to come; but in doing the contrary, the Lord will make thee a curse, and take thee away in his Judgements, and thy name shall be left a reproach to ages for ever; and if thou do rule in oppression and cruelty, and suffer the innocent to be destroyed for want of true Judgement; then shall thy dayes be fewer then thy fathers; if thou be disobedient to him, the Lord shall cut thee off, and thy memorial shall rot; and this is the Word of the Lord God to thee.

And as for this afflicted & sojourning people, they desire nothing to thee but truth & peace & righteousness, & no more of thee but Justice, Justice and true Judgement, and that they and their little ones, which to them are brought forth, may sojourn in peace, and quietly pass through the Nations, till they come up to the Land of Promise, and they may not carry away of the glory, nor riches of this world with them, nor seek great places of honour from thee, nor be hurtful to thee, nor the people, nor to mankind in their sojourning, only what the Lord Commands them, that they must do, and what he forbids, that they must not do, for they have chosen the Lord to be their Leader, and to give him their obedience in all things, and thy Government so far as it is according to God, they will not destroy nor rebel against, but are true friends thereunto, & subject in all things; and if thou walk with the Lord, and chuse him for thy Counsellor, and abase thy self, and altogether exalt him, and preserve his people that fear him, then shalt thou prosper, and thy name shall be greater then was thy fathers & the numberless number of this (now) distressed people will be unto thee a strength, and stand by thee in thy day of trouble, and defend thee and thy just Government, and their hearts shall cleave to thee, and thou shalt prosper for their sakes, and none of thy enemies shall shall have power over thee to destroy thee, though many may seek for thy life; Wherefore my friend awake, awake, and now consider the day of thy visitation is present, and thy fathers is past, and now thou hast a time to gain unto thy self everlasting honour and renown, or otherwise [Page] to leave thy name a curse and a reproach for evermore; do thou hearken to the voice of the Lord, and fear his dreadful Name, and bow before our God that made Heaven and earth, who rules in the kingdoms of men, and pulleth down one, and setteth up another at his pleasure, and as he will, and he will make thee know that he lives and reigns over all, and doth whatsoever he will, and if he smite thee, none shall heal thee, and if he wound thee, none shall comfort thee; Therefore take him for thy Counsellor, and beware of the wicked counsels of men, for thou hast many enemies, and they would rejoice to see thy fall, and if the lord be not on thy side, thou cannot long stand, but if thou be obedient to him, and preserve his people, and break down all oppression, then thy enemies shall fall, and thy foot shall tread them down, and the terrour of the Lord shall be upon all that hate thee; but thus shall it be done unto thee, if thou be disobedient to him, and reject his Counsel by his servant.

I am thy Friend, and a lover of thy Soul, and seeks thy happiness in this world, and in the world to come, known to many by of the name of EDWARD BURROUGH.

The Original of this was delivered to him, a few days after he was proclaimed Protector.

To Richard Cromwel, Protector (so called.)

FRIEND,

THou being chief Magistrate of these Nations, and Dominions belonging thereunto, Carry thy self wisely in the fear of God, and take heed of being lifted up, but be low, and grave and temperate, then thou wilt foresee dangers that would happen to thee, and come upon thee, and not a plot or act against thee, but wisdom foresees; live in that; mind the humility of Moses, the meekness of Moses, and the humility that Solomon the King speaks of, who sayes, That before honour was the humility, [Page] Prov. 15. And keep on thy own leggs, in the power and strength of the Lord, waiting for his wisdom from above, by which all things were made and created, with which wisdom thou mayest be ordered to Gods glory, and all thou hast under thy hand to his glory, that with it thou maist feel the blessing of the Lord God of glory and life with thee, whereby thou maist come to see the Law of God, and counsel and wisdom and strength from him, and understanding and knowledge, that with the Law of God received of him, thou maist come to answer the principle of God in every man, which Law of God, the higher Power, goes over all transgressors, and with that order the Creation, which will let thee see as it did Moses that meek man, before any transgression was, the first transgression upon the earth; this Law the higher power to which the Soul must be subject, the which is a terrour to the evil-doers, a praise to them that do well, is higher then all the transgressors & evil-doers upon the earth, and a terrour to them that do evil, which Law and higher Power answers the Principle of God in every one that do evil, which goes from that of God in them. Now this is for the praise of them that do well, for them that do well are led by the Spirit of God, and such lives in the power, and this Law was not made for the righteous, but for sinners and transgressors; now there is no sinner nor transgressor upon the earth, but first goes from the principle of God in his own particular, then he goes out of the fear of God, and loses his Wisdom and Counsel, and such will turn the sword backward against the righteous, which the Law was not made for, and by such hath all the righteous upon earth suffered, and such hath been all the persecutors upon the earth from the foundation of the world, that is first gone from the principle of God in their own selves, and have been in authority, they have persecuted the just, and turned it against the just, and made a prey of such as reproves in the gate; yea, they that departs from sin and evil, comes to be their scorn, and these were they that made men offenders for a word, and compelled others to do such things which they could not, but sin against their own Consciences, and against the Lord, and such the Lord soon cut down, and cut off, and swept away; and often when things are young, they are tender, but when they grow up into prosperity, they grow wanton, and forget the Lord; therefore friend, live [Page] in Gods Wisdom, if thou wilt reign in his power and strength, then none shall touch thee, and all them that fear God, will be on thy side, and take thy part, and be one with thee in all thy sufferings, yea, till death.

And friend, let no wilde raw flatterers that will be lifted up by gifts, rewards or high places bear any Offices, for such to thee will be a burthen at last, and will clog thee, and flatter thee for their own ends; shake off such spirits from thee, and let no Judges or Justices or Priest be authorized that will persecute men for Religion, for such are not in the mind of Christ not the Apostles, for they wrestled not with flesh and blood, nor watred with it, but with the principalities and powers and rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places, Eph. 6. 2. that they struck down, which caused the enmity amongst people, and they did not strike at the Creatures, nor wrestle with them with flesh and blood, with such they did not war withal concerning Religion; and Christ, when they would have had fire come down from Heaven to consume them that opposed him and them, Christ rebuked them, and told them, they knew not what Spirit they were of, and he said, he did not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them; so all Judges and Justices and Priests, that will have mens lives destroyed, and war with flesh and blood, and wrestle with that about Religion, they are not of the mind of Christ and his Apostles the true Ministers, for abundance of prisonment to death and blood-shed hath been in these Nations, by the blind zeal of Magistrates, Judges, Justices & Priests; therefore thats the cause the Lord hath turned them upside down, that they stand not long, because they fight against the righteous and the just, and wrestle with creatures, and flesh and blood, such are not worthy to have the names of Magistrates nor Teachers, as thou maist read. And friend, take heed of letting any Goaler bear Office thats a drunkard, prophane swearers, as many of them is, or letting people lye long in goales, twenty or thirty together, for such they learn badness together one of another, and Goalers be bad examples to them, that they are worse when they come out, then when they went in.

And friend, take heed of letting any Judges exact upon the people in the poor Countries where they come, and their Courts by tricks, but keep them all to so saying and so doing, not saying [Page] one thing and doing another, for they have made many people come up to them 200 miles, and when they have come, they have said, they do not mean as they speak, and this be their tricks, as by their writs they must appear personally, and then when they come, they must appear by Attorneys or Counsellers, when the poor man knows his cause well enough himself.

And friend, take heed of holding up the Priests, and them called Ministers, and giving them means and maintenance, for which they do not work, least in thy name they sue the people, and cast in prison till the death, and so make thy name to become a cloak for their persecution; for who sets them on work let them pay them their wages, and whom they work for, let them give them their meat, and that will be like the Ministers of the Gospel; and now thou being free of these things, keep thy self so.

And friend, here is a great talk of Religion and Ministry, and Profession and Christianity, but if thou did but feel that which we feel and see, it would grieve thy heart, so much pride and haughtiness, and loftiness amongst people, and hard heartedness, that there is so many beggers, cripples, blind, lame men and women and children on their knees, women lying with children in their lapps up and down every corner, in the streets and high wayes and Steeple, house doors, throughout this great rich City, that never knew want, and do not know many of them what to eat and drink and put on; now if these things enter into thy ears, and tenderness strike thee, and thou consider, thou wilt feel it.

Now there hath been a cry of the Jewes hard-heartedness, that turned against Christ; now friend consider, the Jewes that took Tithes had a Store-house to put it in, and the Tenths were enough for to relieve the strangers, fatherless and widowes, that there need not be a begger amongst them; Now I say, the Tithes of this Nation would give strangers, fatherless and widowes and Priests enough both, if they had Store-houses to put it in, that there need not be a begger amongst them, as there was not amongst the Jewes, but then you must own Christ is not come in the flesh; for these Tithes were set up since the dayes of the Apostles, for they preached them not up, but down, as Heb. 7. but they have been preached up since the Apostacy, when all the want hath been, and before the Apostacy among the true Christians▪ [Page] there was no want among them, every one had for his necessity; now look amongst all the Magistrates and Ministery hear, and see how things are out of order, though there should be never such true Lawes given forth, yet putting them into such corrupt Magistrates hands; they will never act them, but wrest them and pervert them and turn them against the righteous, and by that the just suffers.

And friend, let none bear the office of Judge, Sheriff, Justice or Minister, thats headdy, perverse and peevish, for such often slay themselves by their envy, and it eats out the good in them, and they will be a burthen to thee and a grief both, thou living in the Power and Wisdom of God, the simplicity in thee will be burthened as it is in us, and thou dealing in truth, it will stand by thee, and answer the Principle of God in every man; for such causes many poor men to go away with sorrow and grief.

And let no man bear office, whatsoever his office may be, that would have honour before he have humility, for such will more mind honours below, earthly, and favours of men, then Justice, and are out of Solomons steps, who said, before honour is humility.

And friend, take heed of giving Titles to men, nor do not learn to do it, but mind Elihu that young mans counsel that spake to Iob that great rich man the Judge, who said, if I give Titles to man, which he had not learned to give Titles to men, his maker would soon take him away, as thou may est read Iob 3d. and the last.

And friend, it is a just thing for thee to make all those Ministers that have cast into prison abundance of the servants of the Lord God, because they could not put into their mouths that for which they did not work for, nor never hired, and yet like ravenous Wolves cast them into prison, for bidding them repent and fear God, and lay away their pride and their rings points, and superfluities, and tell them of their costly apparel, wearing gold rings and costly apparel, as said the Apostle, it was not the wearing of gold or costly apparel, and such it may be for speaking to them have been cast into prison, and for telling them they be out of the Doctrine of Christ; now to make all these put them out of Prison again and all [Page] those Justices likewise as have cast friends in prison for biding People fear God; it may be moved of God to cry repentance through a Town, or reprove sin in the gate, they cast them into prison as sturdy beggars, though men or women of sufficient estates; now this gives an evil savour, now to make them put them out again, that will be for the convincing of People, and be a sweet savour, and the bringing and shewing the wisdom of the Lord God to thee.

And friend, take heed of having any to compell another to maintain his meeting house, or his Clark to say Amen, but that every one maintain his own meeting house, and if he will have a Clark to say Amen, let him pay him his wages, and every one if he will have a Minister, to maintain his Minister, for ther's many thousands in the Nations that they need not to say unto them know the Lord, that hath the Law of the Lord written in their hearts, and put in their minds, and are come under his Government, and knowes Christ to be their Teacher, and hears him, as God said, This is my beloved Son hear ye him, and the Apostle said to the Hebrewes, God spake to our Fathers by the Prophets and visions, but now in these last dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath made heir of all things, and upholdeth all things by the word of his power.

And friend, let no drunkard nor swearer or prophane man keep Innes, Taverns or Alehouses; but such as fears God, whose houses are wholsom to lodge travellers, that no young nor old People may be nursed up in such idle places to act wickedness, and to keep Games and sports, and things to play in their houses on purpose for people to spend and passe away their time in vanity, now this is an ill savour to a Christian life, and which is common in the Nations.

And friend, let none that is called a Minister that comes and creepes under thee for maintenance, Tythes, and augmentations, let him first go plant, and plough, and thresh, and get a flock, and then let him reap and eat, for that is the Apostles counsel, take it to thy side; and then thou wilt not be cumbered with Ministers, then thou wilt come to know the publick service that belongs to thy place, which is to do Justice.

And friend, let no officer whatsoever that is covetous after [Page] gifts or sums of mony, rewards or Bribes, let no man that is such bear office; for the gifts, rewards and Bribes blindes his eye, and make him he cannot do Justice, for because of such the helpless is not helped, and the jawes of the wicked is not broken, and for that cause the Lord brings Judgement upon a Land; and men are blinded with earthly honours, gifts, rewards and high places, and puffed up with honours, and do not see it how the Lord brings Judgement upon them and overturns them with his hand, & yet they take not notice who are crying peace, peace, but sudden destruction comes upon them; so thy time is now, consider as thou stands in the Wisdom of God, and lives in his fear, counsel and dread, and feels his hand and arm, and stands in his Wisdom and power, thou wilt prosper and reign, but if any earthly honour blind thee, the Lord will come upon thee when thou dost not see it, and turn thee into the earth, which the earthly honour comes to, and where God layes it down in the dust; but whose honour is from him thats from above, and hath his Wisdom and Power by which he made all the creatures, they shall reign with the Lord God in his Power, strength and arm.

And friend, take heed how thou let any perverse, peevish, crosse, malicious Justice or Magistrate whatsoever bear any office, that will not do Justice except they have earthly honour, but are in strife and peevish against them that cannot give it them, such Magistrates have left the Counsel of Solomon; but its honour for men to do justice, and it will be an honour for thee to do Justice, and see that Justice be done, and the greatest comfort in the world to thee, in that thou wilt have peace with God everlastingly, and happiness for ever, and his blessing, and know a world that hath no end; so the Lord God Almighty preserve thee in his Wisdom, Counsel and strength over the heads of his enemies in thy self, and in the world both, that thou maist come to live in that which comprehends the world, which was before the world was made, in that, and with that thou maist come to order the creatures, by which Wisdom of God they was made and created to his glory; And friend take heed of putting of honest, godly men out of the Army, or putting them out of place, being Justices, and such as fears God, in so doing thou wilt blame thy self, [Page] and weaken thy Authority, and remove thy self out of the hearts of them that fears God.

From a lover of thy soul and thy eternal good and establishing of righteousness. G. F.

From the Church of Christ and Elect Assembly, called of the Lord and gathered by his spirit, and redeemed by his Power from amongst men, & out of all the many false Sects upon earth into fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, and we are named in scorn, and known in the Nations by the name of Quakers.

To thee Richard Cromwel chosen to be Protector, and chief Magistrate Governour of these Nations of England Scotland, and Ireland, a faithful presentation and salutation by a servant of the Church.

WE are rightly and truly sencible in all things of the mighty hand of the Lord God who brings all things to pass by his own Power, and according to his will, and in heaven and earth, and over the Kingdoms of men he ruleth and Reigneth, he buildeth and breaketh down, and planteth and plucketh up, and he pulleth down one and setteth up another, and who may say what doest thou? or why dost thou it? for he is a great God and a mighty, and his Majesty is terrible, and all things in heaven and earth, and all the sons of men, are at his disposure, whose dominion is from everlasting to everlasting, and he may be feared and had in reverence by all creatures that hath life and breath.

And in particular we are sencible of his great and mighty Power, who hath of late years in these Nations once and again overturned and overthrowed and changed at his pleasure, times, and powers and Authorities, and Dominions, and he hath brought down the mighty from their seats, and stained the Crowns and glories of the honourable, and broken the stout-hearted, and the oppressors and their Governments, as [Page] potsheards one against another, and made the highest of men of no respect before him; for he hath pulled down and set up whom he would according to his will, and in all these things hath his hand been, the very doer and accomplisher thereof, that he might be known and feared amongst all People through the whole earth, who is the dread and terrour of men and Nations.

And as for thy Father the late Protector, great things and honourable did the Lord do for him, in raising him up and casting out his enemies before him; and giving him victory and power and renown through Nations; and we know the Lord shewed favour to him, and gave him strength, wisdom, and valour, and a right spirit; and he was called of God into that great work, to subdue the grievous tyranies once ruling over tender consciences, and to break down the great oppressions which for ages had caused the just to groan, and the Lord was with him in victory and went before him, and was his defence and preserved him from great dangers, and from the wills of all his enemies, and made him prosperous against them all; but yet we know (to say no more of him) he did not wholly fulfill the will of the Lord, nor▪ the work which he begun, but became disobedient, and abused his great deliverances and Authority, and did not set free the oppressed altogether, but left mountains of oppressions, and grievous yokes of bondage unbroken down, and unsubdued; and the Lord smote him and took him away in judgement because thereof.

And as for thee, who art now set up in his stead, we certainly believe that the hand of the Lord is in this matter, if but to try thee, and it is he that hath brought it to passe, not expected by any, nor much sought after by thy self; but its come to passe, a thing out of and contrary to the thoughts and expectations of the whole Nations art thou attained to this place of Government; & therefore we must acknowledge something of the great hand of God in it, being come to pass as out of due season, yet may the Lord make it seasonable, and we patiently wait to receive what the Lord brings to passe thereby, knowing that thou art in the hand of the Lord to do whatsoever he will with thee and concerning thee; and [Page] if thou fear him and walk with him, and chuse him for thy Counsellour, and be obedient to him, and seek his glory alone, and not thy own honour and greatness, then the Lord will do great things for thee, and by thee, and accomplish his own work through thee, which fell in thy Father hand, and thou wilt be blessed and renowned and honoured for ever, and thy name shall be had in respect in generations to come, and hereby the present thoughts of many shall be confounded; but if thou do harden thy heart against God, & live carelesly, and neglect his cause, and despise his Name and honour, & seek thy own renown, and oppresse the just in thee, and without thee, and suffer the poor to groan under the cruelty and burthen of oppressing men and Lawes in thy Government, without relief from thee, and go on in usurped Authority, as some evil men before thee, then shalt thou not prosper, but the Lord shall bring thee down, and lay his hand of judgement upon thee, and thy name shall be a reproach to the Saints for ever, and the heavy hand of vengeance shall be upon thee, and pursue thee more then any before thee, and the Lord will deliver his People by another way; and this is not in flattery and fainedness to thee, but as the Lord lives, our God shall bring it to pass in his day, and thou shalt be the witness.

Wherefore O man, seek the face of the Lord, and inquire diligently of him, and hear his word that thy soul may live, and feel a measure of his spirit in thee to lead thee into all truth, and set his presence before thy eye alwayes to direct thy steps, that he may bless thee with Power, Wisdom, Authority and Dominion, to perform the duty of thy place faithfully towards the Lord and all men, as he requires of thee; and if thou first seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and the reconciliation between the Lord and thee, and come to feel the Elect seed of God raised up over all the contrary in thee, and transgression, and thy own will and affections, and that which is of the flesh in thee judged and condemned by the word in the heart, which makes the immortal soul to live and be refreshed in God, and the heir of the promise of God born in thee, and hereby shalt thou have an assurance and hope of life Eternal, to [Page] rest in perfect peace with God, when this world is no more, but passed away with thee, and also in this present time, wisdom and valour, and true Nobility shall be added to thee, and the spirit of Power and Dominion to make men and Nations be afraid and fear, and all evil men, and such as seeks the hurt of thee and thy Government, shall be blasted and confounded, and all good men be encouraged and made strong, and the whole Nations kept in peace and unity, and the truth and peace of God shall hereby flourish amongst us, to the honour of the eternal God, and to thy renown, if thou Rule and Govern for him, and by his Spirit and Authority.

And we are truly sensible of the great charge of this place, & also of the multitude of perplexities and dangers to thy self occurring and happening thereby, dangers from open enemies by their malice and cruel plots, and dangers from thy pretended friends, and they of thy own house by secret surmisings, dangers in Martial and Civil affairs in this Nation and abroad, so that we certainly, believe nothing save onely the Wisdom of God and his Power can preserve thee & carry thee to go through, & faithfully fulfil so great a place, and to discharge it truly in the sight of God and just men, neither maist thou be defended and preserved by any other means, from the wills and plots and envy of evil men, who may watch for evil against thee, to destroy thee and blot out thy name, and thy fathers posterity out of the Land; Wherefore take heed to thy self, and fear God, that he may bless thee, for this is a subtil and crafty generation, and the Nations are politick, and the Inhabitants thereof wise and deceitful over whom thou art set, and with whom thou hast to deal; Therefore beware of men, for many may seek after thy hurt, and some may flatter thee, and shew seeming great respect unto thee, and profess great service of love to thee in the Nations and in thy Family for a season, till their own ends of advantage be accomplished, and may in the very time hatch evil against thee, and secretly invent to uncover thy nakedness and betray thee, for many men are treacherous; but thou receiving a measure of the Wisdom of God, it will guide thee over all such, and thou wilt see into [Page] the hearts and spirits of men, and to discern between love unfained, which will seek thy good & not self, & that love which is fained, which will flatter thee and blind thy Judgement, and lead thee into snares, and such as will the least flatter thee, will be the most true to thee; so beware, and let not vain flatterers, and proud ambitious and ungodly, selfseeking men, nor drunkards, nor covetous, nor politick and deceitful men and spirits have any place in thy heart, nor in thy house, nor in places of authority and trust in thy Government, for such men will be a snare unto thee, and a dishonour to thee, and the cause of Gods wrath & curse against thy person, family and whole Nations, for such men God will not bless, nor thee nor the Government for their sakes, & this thou wilt find true one day; therefore chuse unto thee such men as fears God, who are just and humble, and uprighthearted, who are sincere and faithful to the Lord, who hath the Wisdom of God, and true nobility of spirit, in righteousness and simplicity, free from the prophanness of this evil world, let such be thy companions to wait upon thy person, and to Govern and Rule in thy Family and Nations, and let such be put in trust, who will not be treacherous, for such are blessed, and will be a blessing to thee and the whole Government, and we know that the Lord gives respect and regard to the upright that fears his Name, and such he will accomplish his work by, to thy renown, and the peace and happiness of the Nations, more then to craft and policy, and the wisdom and subtilty of this world, for thereby the Lord will never fulfil his work, nor prosper a Ruler nor his people; and if thy strength and defence be there, and not in the Lord and his pure Wisdom only, thou canst not prosper, but the Nations & men will over-reach thee, & beguile thee, and thou cannot be happy, nor thy Government be kept in peace, but a little measure of the fear & power and wisdom of the Lord God from heaven in thy heart, & amongst such as are thy Counsellors, to guide you & Govern you, will be of more value and worth unto thee in thy place and condition, then all worldly policy and wisdom and craft, which with God is not regarded, nor of him ever blessed; and if thou deny the Lord and righteous men, and chuse thy own way and [Page] this worlds wisdom thats from below, then thy trust and strength shall pierce thee and make thee feeble, and of all others thy state will be the most miserable, if thou be given into the policy and deceipts of treacherous men; so be wise and seek the Lord, that he may be thy trust, and put not confidence in vain man, whose heart is deceitful, and desperately wicked.

And as concerning the condition of these Nations, they are in a broken state, much devided and divers in Judgements, and far out of good order, for there is much corruption and abuse in all orders and places of men, and much to be purged out and Judged, both in Magistracy and Ministry, before righteousness, peace and truth, union, joy and faithfulness, can embrace one another amongst the Inhabitants of the Nations, for both are in a diversion & degeneration from what they were at the first ordained of God, and this I could clearly manifest unto thee, for the Nations are but newly come out of Popery, having put off but part of the dress of that polluted Whore, and the garments of professions in Religion, yet smell thereof, as not being throughly purged from her abominable Idolatries and superstitions, as thou maist see when the Lord opens thy eye, to view the present state of all things.

As for Magistracy, it was ordained of God to be a dread and terrour, & limit to all evil-doers, & to be a defence & praise to all that do well, to condemn the guilty, & to justifie the guiltless; but the exercise thereof at this day inthese Nations is degenerated, and some that are in authority are greatly corrupted, and regards not the Just and pure Law of God to Judge onely thereby, but oppresseth the poor by injustice, and subverts the good Laws of God and men to a wrong end and use, abusing Authority, and turning the sword against the Just, whereby true Judgement is turned backward, & the innocent made unjustly to suffer for righteousness sake, through the corruption of men in Authority, and didst thou but know what we know in this particular, it would pierce thy heart; Why? It is frequent amongst some of the Judges & Magistrates to commit a just man to prison, & impose some great fine up on him, and to cast him into a dungeon or hole [Page] among thieves and murtherers for a long season, for no other offence or breach of any Law, but because he cannot put off his hat to them, and respect their persons by bowing the hat or knee; and many others that fears God, and for Conscience sake cannot swear upon a book by kissing it & laying hand upon it, because Christ saith, swear not at all, though they deny not to do and speak the truth in all things, as in the presence of God and all men; and many others, that because they are moved to cry against sin, and declare against the iniquities of the times in Teachers, Rulers and People, that highly abounds, perhaps in a Market, or Steeple-house, or High-way, or other place, as they are moved of God; and many others because for conscience sake they cannot pay Tythes nor give mony and wages to a maintain a Priest, or false Teacher that they receive no profit by, or to maintain a steeplehouse, where the world worships in vain traditions, and not in the spirit and power of God; and many have been taken out of peaceable meetings where they were waiting upon the Lord, and some out of their Innes, and friends houses, and many have been taken on the way, travelling about their lawful occasions, and some from their callings, and labours, and for these causes, through the envy of wicked men, and without any just conviction of the breach of any Law, or any lawful tryal, or examination, have hundreds of just men being wholly innocent, been sent to prison and layed many Moneths, and some for years, or whipt, and put in the stockes, and grievously abused by cruel executioners of wicked mens envy and injustice, and upon such grounds onely, and for such causes mentioned, and without the transgression of any just Law have and do at this day many hundreds of faithful subjects suffer hard and cruel things, long and sore imprisonment, and cruel and sharp whipping, and stocking, and unjust banishment out of Towns and Cities, yea, Friends its hard to be expressed and large to be declared how many of the Lords servants, do and have suffered great injustice in these Nations, through the abuse of good Government, and degeneration of Magistracy from its perfect state and place whereunto it was ordained of God in the beginning; and moreover, great have been the abuses, [Page] by stricking, and beating and halling, and kickings, and revilings, and reproaching, whereby many have suffered unrighteously, and not relieved nor defended by such in Authority as ought to have done it, neither the evil doers at all corrected and punished as ought to have been, though known to men in power, and thus it is happened to us in our age, well doers are punished as transgressors, and evil doers go free, and thus its manifest, Magistracy and Government, Rulers and Lawes are greatly degenerated and subverted from what they ought to be according as the Lord ordained them; for all this may be proved particularly, so that the Nations are out of good order, and the State of Government and Rule degenerated, and men in Authority and places of trust corrupted, not being in their own hearts ruled by the spirit of the Lord, and therefore they cannot rule for him among men, justly, and righteously, as the Lord requires; and also so great hath been the degeneration in Government in these Nations of late years, that many faithful and just men that have been in great places of trust, both in Martial and civil affairs, through the envy, and evil surmising of others, have been turned out of all place and Power, and not suffered to give their judgement amongst men, but been cast off as unprofitable, though no evil could be charged against them, whereby the Lord hath been offended; but all things and places of men must be new moulded and corrected, and purged, and regenerated, that true judgement may flourish, and righteousness and truth prosper, as in the beginning, and this will the Lord suddenly bring to pass by his own Power; and if thou oppose it, thou shalt not prosper, but be cut off, and taken out of the way; For the spirit of the Lord hath been provoked to wrath because of these things, and his anger is kindled against the Nations, and he hath overthrown and will once more overthrow till he come whose right it is to Rule, whose shall be the Government and Kingdoms, and all his enemies shall be slain.

And as for the publick Ministry as now it is in its present Estate, we certainly know and testifie from the Lord unto thee, and to the whole Nations, that it is not the same [Page] Ministry of Christ which the Apostles had, nor by the same power and spirit, but is wholly degenerated, in Call, in practice, and in maintenance, and in all things from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the true Churches, before the Apostacy; and it is as now it stands in degeneration, not of God, nor in the power and spirit of Christ Jesus, nor hath it the same end and effects as the Ministry of Christ once had, but its tasted, and tainted with the spirit of Antichrist, which long hath ruled in the world, and its become a grievous oppression in the Nations, and people are not converted nor turned to God from their evil wayes, but remains unprofited; and to say no more of it, though much I might say, what I affirm of it I may prove by the Scriptures against the wisest of them before thee if thou please, viz. That as now the Ministry stands, it is not perfectly the same Ministry the Apostles had, but is degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles, and true Churches, before the Apostacy, and if ever God touch thy heart thou wilt see it so, when the Spirit of Christ is chief Judge in thee, thou wilt witness this to be true; and then may not thy power uphold any thing which is contrary to God, when Government is purged and made pure from all its present degeneration.

Again, there are many and divers sorts of Sects, and gatherings of People, and Professions in Religion of several contrary Judgements and opinions, and worships in these Nations, and these People over whom thou art set to Rule are divers, and devided in their wayes and minds, and Professions of Religion, some looking for, and seeking after Christ, in such a manner, and others after another manner, all crying loe here is Christ, and thus he will come, and loe he is there, and so will he appear, and some are inventing, and supposing such a Government the best, and others contrary to that, and many are (as) distracted in their thoughts, not knowing what to seek, or what to look after; some are for such a Government, and Religion, and others for another, and peradventure each one of all these may seek to thee for protection against such as opposeth them, commending and justifying their own way, and Sect, and Form, and Religion, against all others, and craving Lawes to maintain [Page] themselves, and their Sect, and to stop and limit all other wayes as Heresie, because differing from them, and they will each of them turn and wrest the Scriptures, from the mind of the spirit that gave them forth, to prove their own opinions and Professions to be right against all others, but now thou maist know that the Scriptures were given forth by the one Spirit of God, and is the testimony of one truth, of one favour, of one true worship, and one onely true Religion, and not many, and divers wayes, and them that are of divers judgements and worships, and Religions, and yet all pleads proof from the Scriptures for what they Professe and practice; all such perverts the Scriptures, and wrests them, who are thus divided and unsetled in Religion, and they shew that none of them hath the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, which spirit leads into all truth, and in it is the true worship of God, and the true Profession and practice of true Religion, and that spirit onely understands its own words in Scripture, but all these divers Sects and heaps of People that are divided in worship, and about Religion, hath not the Spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures to lead them into all truth▪ and guide them in the perfect way and pure Religion which the Apostles and Churches of Christ were in in their dayes; but all these many Sects that are thus devided are risen up since the dayes of the Apostles, and are of another spirit, and of a false Religion; and as for such called Ministers, they will be hurrying about thee, and flattering thee with fair and crafty words, and smooth Petitions, and requests for protection and establishment from thee, and for large maintenance, and stipends and Tythes; And possibly they may complain to thee against such as cannot give them hire, and Tythes, but may reprove their evil and covetousness, and wickedness, Begging for Lawes against such, and crying out against Error and Herefie, because some may be moved to cry against their deceits and oppressions, and for the like causes they will run about thee, and seck their own advantage, and this we know their nature and spirit is such; and hath been for many ages.

But now friend, do thou stand in Gods Authority, out of, and over all such Teachers and Sects, and come not under [Page] any of them that have the form of godliness but want the Power, who are in the Apostacy, from the life and pure Religion that the Apostles were in, nor believe them not that shall say, loe Christ is here, or loe he is there; or who shall Ascend to fetch him from without, or when shall he come from far to save his People? go not thou after any of all these, but hearken to the word of God in thy heart, and know that Christ is within thee, else thou art reprobate, neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these Sects, or some of them above others, neither defend and maintain any of them against others of them, nor tollerate not one of them above another, for if thou do, it will betray thee and the Nations Peace, and set all spirits on fire about thee, and while one is pleased and may pray for thee, others will be vexed against thee and curse thee; wherefore be not troubled about these things, nor cumber not thy self about Religion how to establish it for it is in Gods hand onely to establish his worship and Religion, it belongs to him, as he will, and not as man by his policy and wisdom; but stand free from them all, and neither establish any, nor persecute any Sect whatsoever, but let them all have their course and season, they will fall and perish of themselves, and the good old way, and truth, and the pure Religion only will remain, and let them cry one against another,; and rebuke one another, and meddle not thou with that, but onely let thy Lawes and Authority preserve mens persons and estates, from the wrong one of another, that all men may live peaceably under thee, and no man wrong his neighbours person or estate; and thats only thy place to rule in outward affairs, but not to rule over any mans conscience, to compell him to such a worship, or to limit from such a worship in Religion, that belongs not to thee, but to the Lord, who alone will be the Ruler and guide and exerciser of his peoples consciences, and if thou do medle therein, thou shalt not prosper, nor be blessed in thy deed; so leave the establishing of Religion to the Lord, and let all these Sects manifest if any of them have the spirit & Power of God in them, & with them, & let them shew their weapons of the spirit, for onely such as hath the power and Spirit of God in them will overcome, and such will be increased and grow, and thou nor none can hinder, and [Page] such that wants the Power and Spirit of God, in and with them, may flourish in their form for a while, but they will be blasted and wither, and it is vain for thee or any to uphold such, or endeavour to establish them, but if thou meddle on these accounts, it will undo thee, and confound thee; therefore be wise, and know what the Lord requires of thee perfectly, for if thou leave that undone which God requires, then shalt thou be condemned, and if thou do that which he requires not, then shalt thou not be free; and this is written in love to thee, to inform thy mind, how to walk towards the Lord, and the people over whom he hath set thee; and as for the maintaining of Ministers, let that aloue also, and be not troubled about it, for it was ever the false prophets and deceivers that preached for hire, and went after gifts and rewards, and sought money and gifts of people, and they that do the same now were never sent of God, nor are they such as shall convert people to God; for who are true Ministers of Christ, will not seek to thee nor to men for wages, and Tithes, and money, but live of the Gospel, and not compel great sums of money from people to maintain them in their families in pride, in fulness and idleness, such things are great oppressions in this Nation, and a horrible filthy thing in the sight of God, and because thereof will the Lords Judgements come upon the land; if thou were but rightly sensible what casting into Goals, and what suing at Law of poor people, and what spoiling peoples goods by destraint, and all for and about Tithes and Priests wages, it would make thee admire the wickedness of that generation; but do thou let them alone, for they do shame themselves, and undo themselves, and loose the hearts of all good people by their own doings, and stand over them all in Gods Authority, and know a measure of the Spirit of God in thy own heart, and thereby thou wilt discern and try and judge of the spirits of all men, and their religion, and the Spirit will lead thee in the pure Religion, to worship God in Spirit and in truth, so let not thy mind be cumbered at all about establishing Religion, nor about maintaining the Ministers, but be faithful to what the Lord requires of thee, and learn his will, and do it, and then thou wilt be blessed and honoured in this world, & in the world to come.

And friend, know thou that the Lord is doing of a great work in these Nations, he is raising up a seed to serve him and to worship [Page] him aright, and the God of heaven is setting up a Kingdom over the kingdoms of the world, and he hath a controversy with all sorts of people, in as much as corruption and degeneration is entered amongst all, and all must be purged of all orders of men, and the evil cast out, the work of the Lord is great and mighty, and he requires no help from thee, nor any man whatsoever, for his own arm will bring it to pass, yet he would not have thee to gain-say his work, and strive against it, and seek to quench what the Lord is bringing forth, if thou do it, then shalt thou be condemned, and the Lord will speedily execute his Judgements, and remove thee, and overthrow thy power and authority into destruction; wherefore be passive in this matter, and look thou at the Lord, and protect and desend mens persons and estates from wrong, but meddle not with their opinions and professions in Religions, to exalt any of them, nor yet to persecute them; And as concerning the Armies abroad, let faithful and just men that will not seek themselves be put in trust, for the Army is of great concernment to thee, to stand or fall through them as to mans account, and the war against Spain be faithful to God in it, and let trusty men have authority, the Lord may accomplish something by it to his honour and to thine, if thou be meek and humble, and walk with the Lord; and to say no more about it, there is something in it known to the Lord, and he may bring it to pass in his season.

And thus Friend, according as it lay upon me from the Lord, I have written this unto thee in dear and pure love, God is witness, and I have cleared my conscience to thee thus far, and if thou fall by thy own transgression, it will lie upon thy self, I have warned thee, and I am clear; and if thy fall comes, remember thou wast advised.

Who am a lover of Iustice and true Iudgement, and a Friend of this Common-wealth, and to thee wisheth well in the Lord, EDW. BURROUGH.

London, the 18th of of the 8th month, 1658.

This was delivered to him the 8th month, 1658.

Information about this book

Title statement

Good counsel and advice rejected by disobedient men and the dayes of Oliver Cromwells visitation passed over, and also of Richard Cromwel his son ...

Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.

Edition statement

1659

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A30526

ID [STC]

Wing B6006

ID [STC]

ESTC R14571

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12034016

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12034016

ID [VID]

52859

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A30526)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 52859)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 861:15)

Source

— Good counsel and advice rejected by disobedient men and the dayes of Oliver Cromwells visitation passed over, and also of Richard Cromwel his son ..., Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662., Fox, George, 1624-1691..

Extent

61, 60-68 p.

Printed for Thomas Simmons ...,. London :: 1659.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.) (A collection of letters signed: Edward Burrough, George Fox, G.F., or E.B.) (Attributed to Edward Burrough. cf. BM.)

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