WHereas we the People, called in ſcorn Quakers, in the North of Scotland, eſpecially in the Shires of Aberden and Merns, are under great ſufferings, both of long Impriſonment, and ſpoiling our Goods; which if continued upon us, may turn to the utter ruine of our Families: for many of us have now ſuffered above ten Months Impriſonment; ſeveral of which are poor Labourers, and Tradeſmen; and our Goods ſpoiled and taken away, from moſt of us to the double, and from divers of us to the treble of the Fines impoſed upon us: And in the Cold Winter ſeaſon, our Priſon cannot admit of any Fire, and is deſtitute of many other neceſſary accommodations; not to mention many other ſeverities and hardſhips we have, and do daily meet with from the fury and prejudice of inferiour Magiſtrates and Keepers. Therefore we have found it our duty to lay before you, eſpecially the King and His Counſel, our innocent cauſe, and ſo to leave it with you before the Lord, for whom we ſuffer, and to whoſe good and holy Will we are reſigned, and freely given up to endure, whatever he ſhall be pleaſed to permit to come upon us; as moſt certainly believing, it ſhall work for his Glory, the proſperity of his truth, and the comfort of our Immortal Souls.

The alledged grounds and reaſons of our preſent ſufferings are, becauſe we join not with the National Worſhip and Miniſtry, and that we meet together among our ſelves, and ſome of us do ſpeak and pray at ſometimes in theſe Meetings, without a Licence from the Biſhop of the Dioceſs; which is contrary, as is alledged, to divers Acts of Parliament. To this we have anſwered, and do at preſent anſwer, that we do not underſtand our ſelves to be tranſgreſſors of theſe Acts: for none of theſe Acts, although made ſince we were a gathered People in this Nation, do mention us; nor doth the ground and reaſon of theſe Acts reach us, being made to prevent all ſedition, plotting, and inſurrection, againſt the preſent Government; and for preſerving the outward peace of the Nation: whereas it is abundantly known, that our principles and practices univerſally, are moſt peaceable, and tend to nothing but the univerſal peace and quiet of the Nation: for as to our principles in relation to the King as the ſupream Magiſtrate, we hold it our duty to live in all godlineſs and quietneſs under him, to pray for him, and to give him what is his, as Chriſt did teach, ſaying, Give unto Caeſar what is Caeſars; and to God what Gods. And we are of the ſame Faith that the primitive Chriſtians were of, both in the Apoſtles days, and long after, that we ought not to reſiſt the Magiſtrate by force of Arms, or any Military reſiſtance, not in our own defence, but in the patient and meek ſpirit of the Goſpel, to ſuffer the wrath of men, even when we are innocent, and have done nothing worthy of puniſhment; and our practice always ſince we were a people, hath anſwered moſt agreeably to our principle: So that nothing hath ever been found among us, either in this Nation, or any other Nation where the Lord hath raiſed us up, to give the leaſt ground of jealouſie; as if we were not peaceable, or were obnoxious to the preſent Government.

And it being thus with us, as towards the Magiſtrate, we acdnowledging the King to be ſupream, and that active or paſſive Obedience is to be given to his Commands by all his Subjects univerſally, why ſhould any ſeek to incroach upon the peaceable exerciſe of our tender Conſciences, or to limit the Spirit of God, and his divine movings and workings in our Souls? And we earneſtly wiſh in true love and good-will, both to the King himſelf, and to all that are in Authority under him, that they may not incroach upon the things that are Gods, to ſeek to hinder us from giving unto God the things which are Gods, to wit, his true Worſhip in ſpirit and in truth; and to anſwer the pure, holy, and peaceable movings of his ſpirit in aſſembling our ſelves frequently together, and to preach, pray, and give thanks as he doth move and command us: ſeeing our being thus excuſed tends only to Righteouſneſs and Peace; and our Meetings are not ſeditious Conventicles, but Schools of Virtue, and open unto all, to hear and ſee what is ſaid, or taught among us, where nothing is heard, but what maketh courteous, meek, ſhamefaſt, modeſt, chaſt, and tending to good Neighbourhood; as was ſaid concerning the Meetings of the Primitive Chriſtians, and as was confeſſed by the very Pagans themſelves, that they were a Sect troubleſome to none; the ſame can all ſober and impartial people that know us, and converſe with us, declare concerning us; as we can appeal to all our Neighbours every where among whom we live. Whom did we ever prejudice or injury? and let all ſober and impartial people, who have ben preſent at any time in our Meetings, declare, if the very nature, end, and ſervice of our Meetings, be not the common good of mankind, to turn People from Darkneſs to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

And ſeeing we are perſwaded by the ſpirit of God in our hearts, that the National Worſhip is not the true way of Worſhip, that is, in Spirit and in Truth; and that we do not refrain from it in any contempt of Authority, as God is our witneſs; why ſhould any ſeek to force or compell us to join thereunto? for the witneſs of God in our Conſciences teacheth us, as alſo it doth teach all men, that no forced or conſtrained Worſhip or Religion is acceptable unto God; to which alſo, the teſtimony of the Scriptures do fully agree: for the Lord will have a willing People to ſerve him, whoſe own Divine power alone doth, and only can make truly willing, and no other power can do it: And the Lord hath ſaid, My Son give me thy heart; but if we ſhould Worſhip contrary to the perſwaſion of our hearts, then we ſhould not give our heart unto God; and all conſtrained and forced Worſhip by outward power and force, is expreſly againſt the very nature of the Goſpel Worſhip and Obedience; for under the Goſpel, we do not receive the ſpirit of Bondage again to fear, but the ſpirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father. Therefore we exhort you in tender love and good-will, not to encroach upon the things of God, nor to meddle with the prerogative of Chriſt Jeſus, nor ſeek to ſtop and limit his Soveraign Power, Will, and Authority in and over the Conſciences of his People: let him ſet up his Kingdom among you, which will not deſtroy any juſt Kingdom, or Government of men, but will indeed eſtabliſh and confirm it. His Kingdom is not of this world, and therefore it is no Enemy to the Kingdoms, and righteous Governments of this world: and if they incroach not upon this Kingdom, he will not only permit them, but bleſs, proſper, and promote them; whereof many examples can be given out of the holy Scripture.

Now for this cauſe it is, that we cannot in Conſcience own the worlds Teachers to be the true Miniſters of Chriſt Jeſus, nor concur to hold up, or countenance their Miniſtry, even becauſe they neither preach the true Doctrine, nor live the true life of Chriſt and his Apoſtles; and therefore it is, that their Miniſtry, their Preaching and Praying, is ſo barren, unfruitful, and unprofitable unto their Hearers. They preach not Chriſt Jeſus to be the true Life and Light of all mankind, as he doth inwardly appear, and is revealed of the Father, to quicken and enlighten them, who is the true Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world; and by his divine Illumination in the heart of every man, doth convince and reprove of all unrighteouſneſs, and perſwade to all righteouſneſs; yea, and by his power, his ſpirit and life, powerfully move and encline all unto it, and ſo ſhould attain to Everlaſting Salvation, according to Scriptures teſtimony. But the worlds Teachers deny the ſaving univerſal Illumination of Chriſt Jeſus in all men; and tell the People, that the Light in them is not of a ſaving nature, nor able to lead them unto God, although they ſhould follow it never ſo diligently; and ſo they deny the true univerſal free grace of God; alſo they deny the immediate Revelation and Inſpiration of the ſpirit of Chriſt Jeſus in theſe days, and the immediate teachings of God, which is contrary to the nature and ſubſtance of the new Covenant, wherein the Lord hath promiſed, that all ſhall be taught of him: And although they preach ſin and the Devil to be in men, and that the Devil hath his falſe Prophets, whom he doth inſpire; yet they deny that God hath his true Prophets, whom he doth divinely inſpire with his divine inſpirations in our days, or ſince the Apoſtles times, contrary to the promiſes of God, and the experiences of the Saints in all Ages.

And they preach Chriſt only without, and his Righteouſneſs without only; and ſo they preach only an outward foundation, and outward rule and guide, an outward word and call; whereas the true Apoſtles and Miniſters preached Chriſt within as well as without; and preached the Law and Word in the heart, and an inward call; and they witneſſed the life of Chriſt made manifeſt in them; and from this life they preached and prayed, and gathered the Churches, and they miniſtred according to the meaſure of the heavenly gift given unto them of God; they ſpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt: And their preaching and teaching was not with words of mans Wiſdom, nor ſtollen from the Mouths and Lives of other men, but in the demonſtration of the ſpirit and power of God, as he ſpake in them, and gave them utterance; and as they freely received, ſo they freely gave, and forced none to maintain them; and did take of none, but ſuch as were worthy; and having food raiment, therewith were content: In all which, the Worldly and National Teachers are contrary unto the true Miniſters of Chriſt Jeſus. And they plainly declare, they know not Chriſt within them, they have heard nor ſeen nothing from the Lord, nor received any inward or immediate call from him, to preach, or teach, but derive their call generally from the Church and Biſhop of Rome; as is manifeſt out of their own mouths, and printed Books. Now how can we own ſuch teachers, who know not Chriſt in themſelves, nor his ſpirit, nor his life, nor his power in their hearts.

For the Lord hath brought us to know Chriſt in us, and feel, and ſavour, and taſte of his Life and Power; and we have received of his ſpirit, and the ſame ſpirit hath taught us the living knowledge of God, and of Chriſt; and by the ſame, many of us have received a living Miniſtry, and living words of life to ſpeak unto people that miniſter Life and Grace unto the Hearers; and they give a certain ſound, and direct people to a certain and infallible thing, to wit, the principle of the divine Life and Light of Chriſt Jeſus that is in the hearts of all men, that all men may believe in this, join to this, and give Obedience unto it; and whoever do ſo, they receive the ſpirit of Chriſt, and it becometh in them a Well of living water, ſpringing up unto Eternal Life, as many witneſs at this day, bleſſed be the name of the Lord for his unſpeakable gift: And having found the Fountain of living waters, we can go no more to theſe broken Ciſterns, that can hold no water, to wit, the dead and dry Miniſtry of the worlds Teachers, that has no life in it, becauſe they preach not from any feeling of the life of Chriſt in their hearts. And many other things there are which we have to charge upon the worlds Teachers, as reprovable, and contrary to the ſound Doctrine of the Goſpel, as witneſſed in the Scriptures. And certainly if they were indeed ſpiritual men, and able Miniſters of the New Teſtament, they would have confidence enough to overthrow us, and overcome us (if we were ſuch as they alledge) by their ſpiritual weapons, and would not ſo trouble and weary you in crying out to help them againſt the Quakers with your outward coercive power, as they cryed out of old, help men of Iſrael. And if it would pleaſe the King, or His Counſel, to cauſe any of theſe Teachers openly to meet with us, and appoint ſuch as might fairly and equally hear us, we doubt not, but by the aſſiſtance of Chriſt, we ſhould prove them to be no Miniſters of Chriſt, and their Doctrine in the moſt weighty and material things; and alſo their Worſhip to be contrary unto the Doctrine of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, and unto the Worſhip which Chriſt ſet up, which was in ſpirit and in truth.

And ſeeing we are at leaſt thus perſwaded in our Conſciences, why ſhould the King, or any in Authority under Him, ſeek to force our Conſciences to a way that is contrary to our perſwaſions; we are as true Subjects, and as ready to obey the Kings juſt Laws, in all civil and temporal reſpects, and to pay Tribute, as any others we hope in the Nation: And being faithful to God, we cannot be unfaithful to the King; but if we ſhould prove unfaithful to our God, and for fear of ſuffering, defile our Conſciences, and act contrary thereunto, we might juſtly be the more ſuſpected as not like to prove faithful unto men. Therefore let us have the free exerciſe of our Conſciences as Chriſtians, as well as our liberty and freedom as men; for which cauſe, we are moſt willing to do all things that belong to us as good and true Subjects: For even the Emperour of the Turks, giveth unto the Chriſtians in his Dominions, the free exerciſe of their Conſciences, they paying their Taxes unto him; and alſo the Jews were permitted to have their Meetings by Auguſtus; and at this day are permitted by divers Kings, Princes, and Common-wealths: And then why ſhould not we have the ſame liberty, by and from them that profeſs the ſame God and Chriſt. We have no Idolatrous principles nor practices, nor are we holders forth of any ſtrange God or Chriſt, nor preachers of any other Doctrine, but the ſame abundantly witneſſed by the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament.

And why ſhould we be hindered to preach and pray in our Meetings; only becauſe we have not a Licence from the Biſhop of the Dioceſs? we queſtion the Biſhops own call, and do not believe that it is of God; nor can he inſtruct it any other way, but by the Popes and Biſhops of Rome; which all true Proteſtants ſhould deny, as they did at their firſt coming forth. He that hath my word, ſaid the Lord, let him ſpeak my word faithfully; he doth not ſay, provided he hath a Licence from the Biſhop of the Dioceſs: but the Lord hath given unto us his word, and it hath been as a fire in our bones; therefore we could not but ſpeak it; and judge ye your ſelves, whether we ſhould obey God rather then men: not only the Scriptures teſtimony, but the teſtimony of moſt famous and eminent for Piety and Learning, hath been againſt uſing force in the matters of Religion.

This work that is begun among us, is certainly of God; and therefore ye cannot overcome it, no more then ye can hinder the Sea to flow, or the day to ſpring: therefore O that ye would be wiſe, and follow Gamaliels counſel, that ye fight not against God; for none that fight againſt him can proſper.