YOu have gained Riches, and you seek worldly Glory, an evill covetousnesse to your selves; and these Idols being set up in your hearts to be wor­shipped, you rage and wonder why the children of light will not worship your Gods you have set up, and fall down before the glory of the World in you, so you are angry; but why are you so blind to think that such who have denied to bow to the same spirit and pride in [Page] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] themselves, and have (through the Crosse) obtained power from above to cast out the same dols out of their own hearts, and can they bow to them in another; nay, the day is come, and the children of light have found the living God to worship, and there is none besides him to us, and now in vain is the Idol preached; we cannot worship with you, however you be tormented, it is of God to famish the worlds Idols; and he alone will be worship­ped who is mighty to save, what have we to do any more with Idolatry, pride cannot save us, nor can the worlds glory preserve in the hour of temptation, though we should how thereto; we cannot trust in uncertain riches, nor may we take counsell at silver or gold, flocks or heards, we have proved your Idols, and know what is in them, and we have found them destroyers and not Saviours; whatever your glory promises you (who most seek it) we know in its right hand is a lye, flattery, and falshood, and all who loves it comes short of the glory of God, humility is our glory, and he is our Saviour, who saith, learn of me for I am lowly, and ye shall find rest for your soules, and this we have pro­ved, and we find his words truth, and all loftinesse a lye; so having found the truth, the truth hath made us free, free from pride, free from vain-glory, free from that spirit that puts it on, and would have it worshipped, free from the man­ner of the Gentiles, who exercise Lordship in that nature which is out of the light and doctrine of Christ.

So the truth having made us free, in that liberty we stand fast, and may not be intangled again with your yoke of bon­dage, nor the manners of the Gentiles; and then you say its our pride and stubbornnesse, and many such accusations you cast on us; alas what darknesse is this, and how have you lost your judgement, what is Mordecai become prouder than Haman with you? is he proud who denies to worship pride, and he that would be worshipped free? is not this to put light for darknesse, and darknesse for light, to condemn the innocent to hide the offender? come down to that of God in your consciences, and let that judge, and let pride [Page 3] be seen and ashamed where it is; and then you plead Scrip­ture and say, Let every soule be subject to the higher pow­er, and be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake, &c. Now this we say also and own the Scriptures, but mans pride is not the higher power; in humility we find a power above pride, higher than oppression, higher than mens wills, higher than the lusts of the eye, yea higher than all that in man would exalt against it; so we deny the lower, that we may subject our selves to that which excel­leth, which is ordained of God, and to every ordinance of man are we subject for the Lords sake; but should we bow to the spirit of pride, we should betray the Lord, and give his honour to another, and that is not for the Lords sake, and what is against him for his sake we denie, and with him suffer under it, as witnesses for him against it, so we give Caesar his due, and honour to whom it belongs, but all glory and worship to God alone, to whom it is due.

But you say, that worship we plead for is Civil, not Reli­gious, but where do you read in Scripture of civil worship? we find, honour all men in the Lord, and that which is in the Lord, is Religious; and that which is not in the Lord is Idolatrous, is there any thing honourable in man but the Image of God which is spirituall, he that worships where that is not, worships the beast, or that which is worse, the Devil, and if any bow to that of God in man, how comes it not to be religious? and yet you say for conscience sake, and not religious, so your distinctions will not gain wor­ship from them who knows God and his Image, and the beast and his image in their severall appearances, and by this are they known for ever, he that's from above seeks not honour from man, but that honour which is of God alone; Gods presence in him makes him honourable in the hearts of all that loves God, so God gives him grace, and glory, and honour, but the other must have none from God, who abides not in that which is honourable, and so becomes as the beast seeking honour by force from such as he hath power over, and rages if he [Page 4] cannot have it, and this nature hath no right to it, though the false Prophet joyn with him to plead for it, who must into the lake together; and all that worship the beast and his Image, must drink of the wine of the wrath of God, powred out without mixture, as saith the Scripture.

So you that are in place to rule, and seek for ho­nour, seek first that which is honourable, and none can hold you from honour, and know it is the gift of God onely to such as honour him, and not them­selves; seek that glory and honour that hath immor­tality and eternall life, which is obtained of God by continuance in well doing; seek humility that goes before honour, exalt justice, set up righteousnesse and truth in judgement, hold forth Gods sword to all people under you, and not your own wills, with­out respect of persons, then you honour God, and he will honour you, seek first the Kingdome of God, that he may rule in your own hearts, over your pride, over your passion, over lust, over covetousnesse, over respect of persons, and over all unrighteousnesse, so shall you set up the higher power in you, for every soule to be subject to, which that of God in every conscience shall answer to, then are you Ministers of God, and he shall adde to you that honour which is of God, which is spirituall, which is immortall, binding every conscience and soule in subjection to your autho­rity which all that resist receive damnation to themselves, and this is religious and an ordinance of God, and re­ceives not its honour from man, but from God alone, who hath ever honoured holy men and women that ruled for God with God, as you may read in the Scriptures, who never needed to seek it from men while they retained God; but Saul when God wa [...] departed from him, through covetousnesse and disobedience, cryed, Hoour me before the people, who had lost the kingdom of God, had lost his honour, had lost that which binds the conscience, and to which the soule is to be [Page 5] subject, who cryed, Honor me before the People, from whom God was departed, who had departed from God, who sought honor to himself without God, the Kingdom of God being rent from him, his honor departed: So you that would have Honor, seek God, and retain him, ex­alt his Kingdom in your hearts, and he will add honor thereto; but if you be disobedient, and your own souls be not subject to the higher Power, then another power rules, to which the righteous soul cannot subject for con­science sake; then gets up he that's out of Gods Kingdom, and cries honor me before the people.

And this is he that sought Davids life, and seeks the life of his seed, who is disobedient, who is covetous, who is greedy of Honor, who is a murderer, who keeps not the Word of God, nor abode in the Truth, to keep down Pride and vain glory; then the false Prophet cries worship this; so such as be out of the Faith of Christ, disobedient to the Law of God, and in respect of Persons; such as be Flatterers, Lyars, Scorners, Fighters, Suers, Drunkards, Swearers, and such as be out of the Kingdom of God, whose souls are not subject to the higher power for consci­ence sake, such bow and worship with putting off Hats, and bowing of the knee to the person, but the soul of such is not subject to the Power that is of God for conscience sake; yet such is the darkness of many Rulers, as to account this subjection to Authority, while such whose souls do truly bow to the Power of Righteousness, Justice, and equity, where ever it is, without flattering where it is not, are condemned for unmannerliness, disorder, and suffer as dis­obedient to Authority; but to that of God in every Con­science do we appear, whether such souls exalt the Power which is of God, and seek his honor, or their own, and so as you honor God, with God shall you be honored; but seek it as eagerly as you will without him it will flee from you, though flattery you may obtain, which will corrupt your judgment, and let in upon you everlasting dishonor. Wherefore turn to the Lord with your whole hearts, and [Page 6] seek his Glory alone, that he may put upon you his Spirit of humility, and righteous Judgment, that you may be co­vered therewith, as with a Garment, so shall you freely have our souls subjection, which now in secret mourns for you with Prayers and tears before God, and openly suffers under you for a test [...]mony against you, and now you that are not in place to rule and seeks to be worshipped of us, what is it you would have us bow to, in you, or upon you? Gladly would we see humility appear in you, and behold you covered with the Spirit of God, that in our souls we might subject thereto, and so in the Lord honor you; but should we bow to your Gold and Silver Lace, your costly Apparel, or Earthly Riches? To that of God in you all we appear, if we should not worship Idols, and break the Law of God, for which doing how should we be excused before God at the day of account, let such as fear God more than man, judg.

O You Rulers and Teachers of these Nations, to which Christ Jesus hath shewed so much savor as to honor these Nations with his first appearance now after so long a night; and that from hence the Sun-rise of Righteousness should shine forth in clearness to the world over the head of all Idolatry, false Worships, corrupt Laws, violence and oppression, and all the numberless number of vain customs, pride and excess, in which the whole world lies in wicked­ness, and with which the Holy pure One is burdened, and hath been grieved these many yeers, against which he is now arisen in many of his Servants openly to declare, not only here, but in most parts of the World, and should you be the men now to set your selves against this work by evil intreating such as are called thereto, and are found there­in, nor doth your Teachers go about it themselves; what will you answer the Lord to these things? is there no need [Page 7] of this work at home or abroad? Is your streets and mar­kets cleer, and your worships pure? Where can the pure eye of God look out, and not behold iniquity and provoca­tion? do you look for his coming, and evil intreat his servants whom he sends to prepare his way before him? Would you have him to find you as Sodom at his coming? If you see these evils abound in the World, why do you set your selves against such as call to Repentance where these things most abound? Is your Streets and Temples prepa­red for the pure God to walk and be worshiped in with de­light, when a mortal man who hath but modesty in his face cannot behold but be grieved with the excess of vani­ty and deceit shining openly therein? is the way prepared in your streets & Temples for the Lamb, when a Lyon can­not pass for Briars & Thorns, and other fruitless Trees tea­ring, and haling, and bruising? Did you love him in truth you would also hate that which would grieve his holy spi­rit at his coming in your selves, and in others, and you would hinder none that come in his Name who seek to make an end of sin, seeing nothing else hinders his appearance, nor hath caused his departure from the children of men; and you that call your selves Ministers of Christ, had not the spirit of slumber possessed you this would be your work; did the holy Spirit dwell in your Houses, and look out at your windows, you could not be silent till you had driven Iniquity into a corner, and made Pride to blush, and Ly­ing, swearing, and all cursed speaking afraid to utter its voyce in the streets, that the pure eye might bless you, and the holy one delight to walk in the open streets of your greatest Meetings; should not this be the work of the Mini­sters of Righteousness, and Messengers of Christ Jesus, ra­ther than to petition the Rulers of the World against such as are found in this work, to the utmost of your power, hindering it both at home and abroad, neither going a­bout it your selves, nor suffering them that would; were you seen to be diligent in this work you should appear to be such Servants as truly wait for your Lords coming in [Page 8] Peace, and not in Wrath, and that you had received the earnest of the Spirit which travels for the delivering of the Creation from the bondage of Corruption, and the glori­ous Liberty of the Sons of God, and the Joy and Peace of the King of Righteousness at his coming over the whole World.