HEarken and give heed, ye that are called Magiſtrates, and likewiſe all People, of what condition ſoever, of this great City of London and elſewhere: What have we the poor innocent people of God called Quakers done, that ſuch cruel and bloody uſage we ſhould receive from your hands? Have we been at any time found plotters againſt the life of any perſon? or have we been ſowers of ſedition? or have we been peace-breakers, or tumult-raiſers? or any that have in the leaſt fomented miſchief, or trouble to the Government? I ſay, the God of our life cleareth us in all ſuch caſes. Therefore who is not aſtoniſhed at ſuch bloody actions, to have perſons come with ſwords drawn, and other weapons, and with unheard of violence, to cut and hew, and knock down, ſparing neither age nor ſex, ſpilling ſo much blood as there was; who will not bluſh at ſuch actions? And as though we were appointed for nothing elſe, but to ſatiate the minds of blood-thirſty men, and to do it by order, as they ſay. Oh fear, dread and tremble, ye Citizens of London, and others; and as if there were no Law in England, but club Law: Was there ever ſuch things acted in times of peace, and at ſuch time as it is ſaid, the reſtoration of the antient Laws of England is? I tell you, I have read the Hiſtory of the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes, but then they dealt with them by Law, though exceeding wicked and cruel, yet not by club-Law, as now; doth not this exceed Bonner and Gardnor's cruelty? for they would ſtill endeavour to convince before they murdered; but you wil kil before you convince, all which conſidered, far exceeds their cruelty: Muſt innocent blood be the cry in this great City, that muſt bring down the fierce vengeance of the eternal God upon you, and to make an utter deſolation, devaſtation, and to lay it on heaps? I tell you, the Cry is heard, and Judgement is at hand; therefore lay it to heart all people: And as for the acters of this bloody Tragedy, your portion you will have in the Lake, amongſt your Brethren. O London, London, is there no bowels of compaſsion left in thee! is all given up to obduracy and hardneſs of heart? Wo is me for thee; doſt thou ſport thy ſelf, and make ſuch actions thy mirth? and muſt our innocent blood be mingled with thy daily Sacrifices? why do you hunt our lives, as a Partridge is hunted upon the Mountain? and is it becauſe our Religion is different from yours? do you think to force us to yours by ſheding our bloods? I tell you nay, that will never be; we abhor in our ſouls all ſuch actions, and do alſo loath that curſed way of (Heaven driving) which never was practiſed by true Chriſtians, but by cruel Heathens altogether, and ſuch as were profeſſed enemies to every appearance of God; and will ye of this generation practice their curſed bloody works, that ye may pull down the plagues of God upon you and your poſterity, as they did? and have ye not read, how that the wicked and blood-thirſty ſhall not live out half their dayes? think ye God eternal is not as juſt as he hath been, and that he will not recompence your work into your boſom? Oh London, London, how am I ſmitten for thee! Oh, how am I bowed down under the unheard of wickedneſs that is committed and practiſed daily, and then covered up in thy skirt! Oh, where is the man in power, that ſeeks to ſuppreſs vice! I ſay, he need not hunt it in the twy-light, or ſearch into corners and holes for it; but at mid-day, and high-noon, in the chief ſtreets of thy City, and every where elſe doth it appear? is it paſt the Magiſtrates power, or cannot his ſword comprehend it? I ſay, if ſo, then an overflowing ſcourge from the hand of the Lord, is as natural for you as your food and ſuſtenance; and I faithfully believe from God it attends you. Oh my ſoul, my ſoul, mourn and weep till thou haſt emptied thy Ciſterns of ſorrow! Oh, that ever a City, a profeſſing City, a City whoſe Inhabitants are called Chriſtians; (and beſides, the cry that is now, that the antient Laws are reſtored, and true Religion again ſetled on its Baſis,) ſhould ſee her Inhabitants blood laid upon the pavements, for their unpolluted Conſciences in the worſhip of their God; yea, and by their own Neighbours, and by authority and order (as is ſaid.) Oh, my very ſoul bleeds within me for theſe things! where are you that call your ſelves Overſeers or Biſhops, and by ſome (reverend Fathers in God?) where are you that you come not forth in this great day of ſcattering, and of gathering, and ſeek out the poor, hunted, worried, and driven ſheep, and carry them on your ſhoulders to your fold. If we be in an error, why do not you come and convince us of that error? if we be deluded, why do not you come amongſt us, and tell us wherein? I tell you, it would be worth your while, to come into our Meetings, and there both openly confute us, and convince us, before the people; which actions, in meekneſs and pure moderation performed, would make you honourable in the places wherein you are ſet, and then thoſe names wherewith you are entituled, would not be vain and a lye, (which otherwiſe ſeems to be) and by that means you might haply convert many to your Faith, which you ſay is the true Faith; and we much queſtion it, becauſe of the fruits, which manifeſts it: But alas, alas, inſtead of your coming with humility, in your own perſons, your meſſengers treat us far otherwiſe; for they come to kill, and not to convince, and to ſhed our bloods, and not to convert us. Behold ye Biſhops, ye cannot be ignorant of this, for known be it to you, it hath not been once or twice, nor many times more, that the like Tragedy hath been acted in that place, though not altogether ſo bloody as on the day precited; for it was taken notice of, at that time and place, there came one or more Papiſts to the aſſiſtance of the party, and one was ſeen to take a drawn ſword out of a Soldiers hand, who cut and hewed all that in his way ſtood, which made that daies work more bloodie than uſual; [but in prudence to his cauſe, he might have had more patience;] theſe were by-ſtanders, and no Soldiers, but well-wiſhers to that bloodie work, which was that day perpetrated by thoſe that cry out, we will make you conform to the Church of England, and the Laws. Now O ye men, that bear the name of Biſhops, do you juſtifie theſe men in theſe actions, or do you think that conformity will ever be wrought by that means, and in that way, by ſpilling of innocent blood? Oh, what ſhall I ſay, if theſe be ſome of the fruits of your Religion, that you would have us conform to, I muſt and do call it a bloodie Religion; we are not ignorant what true Religion, pure, and undefiled before God is, viz. to viſit the fatherleſs and widows in their afflictions, &c. which Religion we own, love, and are in, and for which we ſuffer this day; and I do aver in Gods fear to this Religion, there is no Law, either ſecular or military; for it wholly conſiſts of love and charity, which never was, is, or ſhall be forced or compelled, nor ever did it mix it ſelf with any coercive power ſince the world began, but hath remained a pure, chaſte virgin from eternitie, and will remain to eternitie: but what ſhall I ſay? this is a myſterie to you learned ones; and if at any time it be told you, ye call it (canting, or Chymical Divinitie) but that matters little what you call it; I aver it to be ſo, and the Spirit of the eternal God, which hath inſtructed and guided me therein, hath ſealed it unto me. And further, know you that preſume to ſet your poſts by the poſts of the Lords houſe, your Religion, and not only yours, but the Religion of the whole world, from head to tail, not being inſtituted by the Spirit of the eternal God, and founded upon love [which is free from force] I tell you, it is all a lye, and a juggle, and indeed the great cheat of the world; for the eternal Being is neither to be limited to time, place, as when, and where, or by quantitie meaſured, ſo much and no more, ſo little and no leſs: I ſay and do aver, God eternal knoweth no ſuch ſervice, as to be limited or comprehended. Oh vain man, what art thou doing! wilt thou that comes forth of time, and ends in time, go about to comprehend eternitie in thy vain imaginations? thou pot-ſheard, thou heap of duſt, thou Attome of duſt, not ſeen but in the Suns ray, for littleneſs; haſt thou not read, that the Nations of the earth are as graſhoppers about his Throne? how dareſt thou then go about to limit and ſet bounds to his holy Spirit, in any appearance whatſoever in his People? Now conſider theſe things in the pure fear of God, for they are wonderful weighty, and if you can, ſtop thoſe bloody incurſions and inroads that are daily made upon Gods innocent people in their Meetings, it may be well for you; but if you perſiſt and perſevere in theſe Tragical works, know this, and be it known unto you from the Lord God, that as you thirſt after blood, blood ſhall be given you to drink, with which you ſhall be choaked, and you ſhall be ſpewed out of every mind, as nautious, unſavoury, indigeſted meat is caſt out of the ſtomack, when it is burdened with it. This is Gods Eternal Truth to you, which will ſtand on your heads for ever: And as for us, who are the only objects of your cruelty, many and great have been the provokations wherewith we have been provoked, not only from you, but from the Powers gone alſo, though our provokations from you are much more vehement and cruel, and I may ſay, more barbarous and inhuman, many degrees; and though it hath been your intents, both of you, to make us break forth into rebellion, that you might have but one ſtroke at us, and no more, and ſo cut us off from the face of the earth, from being a People; I know in Gods fear, this is, and hath been your ends, but the Lord hath prevented you, and doth prevent you even to this day; for the Lord God hath brought us forth in his Lamb like ſpirit: And know you this, we have not the envy that is ſaid to be in a worm, which being trod upon, will turn again; and the Lord hath cloathed us with his patience, which was before your cruelty, or any cruelty in the world was, and I do aver, will alſo out-live your fury, be it as hot as Hell fire; and ſo in the ſtrength of God, which is the patient ſuffering Seed in us, we bid all cruelty and fury of men defiance; for we well know the Power that gives you power, and we further know, he can reſtrain the wrath and fury of man when he pleaſeth, and can turn it to his praiſe, and in his due time he wil alſo accompliſh what he hath determined, concerning the enemies of his holy Seed, not only in this Nation, but throughout the whole world, which this day groans for deliverance, from under that horrid and cruel oppreſſion of Conſcience, in matters of Religion. Therefore be awakened all you Magiſtrates of both Orders, and People of all ſorts, leſt you dip and plunge your ſelves into the blood of the innocent, as ſome did, not many Generations ſince, the ſtench of which remains upon the face of earth to this day, and is yet not wiped away; therefore what they left undone, do not you finiſh, leſt you bear the burden of their wickedneſs upon your ſhoulders, and ſo go out of your generation with a ſtench, as they did; and what hard meaſure we have received from you, if it be the will of the Lord, that ye may, both high and low, and every ſoul who hath contributed to our troubles, be forgiven.