FIRST, I shall give unto the Reader, a declaration of the work of God in my Soul, and the conversion of my heart from dark­ness unto his marvelous Light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and out of the path of death into the path of Life, where I now walk in the Light of my God, with the Ranso­med of the Lord, who are travelling towards the Holy City; and also the cause of my coming forth into the World to declare the truth, for which I now suffer Bonds, by the persecuting Generation, wherein I once lived a Child of wrath (as all are by nature) and when I was loved of the world, while I followed the vain courses and wayes of the world, where by nature I was led in imitation of others, being in that nature which is prone unto the same: the time I was sent unto the Schools of humane learning, for to learn the humane wisdome, for which end the Schooles are profitable; but for the attaining of heavenly wisdom and knowledg, they are as far unpro­fitable, and many bookes that are there read, are much for the corrupting of youth, and the nourishing of the wild prophane nature, which then ruled in me, and I was as wild as others, during the time I followed the School; and after I was taken from the School, I stil continued in the same nature, growing and encreasing in sin and iniquity, following the vain courses of the wicked world, & also was trayned up in the customary way of the wor­ship of the world, which is held in the Idols Temple, every first day of the week, but no conversion there was wrought, but all still continued in the old nature, both Priest and people, young and old, and as was the people, so [Page 2]was the Priest, all walking in darkness and blindness, by form, custome▪ and tradition, but ignorant of the pure light, which is the guide and rea­cher of the faithful, which oftentimes did reprove in secret, when I was a lone, but then I knew not what it was, but oftentimes it did strike me into a consideration of my wayes and doings, and set life and death before me, so that I have sometimes promised within my self, never to do the like again, but the promise being▪ in the wil made, it did not stand, but when the temp­tations came, the careless mind got out again, and led me still to delight my heart in the vanity which my eye did see, and my ear did hear, which all passed away with the using thereof, and left me to the judgement which was due unto me, for my iniquity, which did follow me time after time, cal­ling me to repentance, and the more I did incline my mind and draw nigh to it, it also did draw nigh to me, and so the goodness of God led me to re­pentance, and the Grace of God wrought in my heart a Reformation, and so I was found of him when I sought not; and thus he both wrought the will and the deed of his own good pleasure, and plucked me as a brand out of the fire, to make me a vessel of honor to his name; all living eretnal pray­ses, be to his name for ever; my soul shall praise and magnifie his name for ever; For, I may wel say with Paul, Of sinners▪ I was chiefe; for according to my years, J was as perfect in sin and iniquity, as any in the Town where I lived; yea, and exceeded many in the same, so that there was as little hopes of my conversion, as any in the Town; and yet though it is a place of many people, J was the first in all that town which the Lord was pleased to make known his power in, and turn my heart towards him, and truly to seek him, so that J became a wonder to the World, and an astonishment to the hea­then round about, but they was such enemies to goodness, and so given up to idolatry, that as much as before they had loved me in my vain conver­sation, so much the more thdy hated me in my conversion, yea, and my Families came to insnare me, and lay wait for me for to intrap me, but when they could not prevaile,Psal. 41.9. they stood afar of me, and reproached me with lyes, and proved my greatest enemies, yea, and my Relations became my adversaries, and laboured to destroy what God had began in me, because that thereby J came under the reproach and shame of the world, because J could not conform to the world in their invented facious customes and traditions, and their words, wayes, fellowship, and worship, but was made subject to the law of God, and could not respect persons, neither in word nor deed; then the beast which rules in proud flesh was disturbed, who before ruled in peace while he was worshipped; but when I came to see proud Lucifer,Rev. 13.38. the lust in man, to be the beast, which all the world worships and wanders after, but these whose names are writ­ten in the book of life; therefore J could no longer follow the world in blindness, for by the power of God my eye was opened, so that J did be­hold their idolatry, and therefore J could no longer be conformable to them, so that their rage and persecution arose against me, and J became a [Page 3]mock in the streets; yea, and was I accounted as one not worthy to live a­mongst them; yea, and they said, he that killed me would do God ser­vice; but he that had called me out from amongst them unto himself, that I might no longer follow the vain courses of the world, nor set my delight no things below, but that I might serve him in newness of life, that in me his workmanship might appear, to the confounding of the heathen, who know him not; he by his power kept me, and gave me strength to bear his Cross, and despise the shame; so that neither foul words nor faire words, could cause me to deny what God by his grace had wrought in my heart, but by his power he carryed me above the raging waves of the tempestuous sea, so that I knew that he that was in me, was greater than he that is in the world; yea, and out of my kinred and acquaintance I came, and became a stranger to them that loved not the truth; yea, and present­ly I came to see the Priests of the world, by their fruits, and the fruits of their Ministry, which was cursed from God, and therefore profited not the people at all; but when the Lord by his power had changed and converted my heart unto himself, the Priests became mine enemies, and said I was de­luded, whenas before, when I lived in the vain conversation of the world, they took no notice of me, either to reprove me or instruct me, but as they went on in a customary way, for again and lucre, speaking against sin in the generall but not reproving it in particular, but was as deep in it in their lives as others, and so what they preached down with their tongues they upheld in their lives, and countenanced in their conversations, and so from them I turned, whom I saw had gotten a form, but denyed the life and power, and I sought for a people with whom I might have union; and there was a people with whom I found union, a few miles from the Town where I lived, whom the Lord was a gathering out of the dark world, to sit down together and wait upon his name, but we was the objects and re­proach of the countrey, and was accounted as the off-scourings of the world but in all this we saw the Scriptures fulfilled, and that we might thus suf­fer if we would live godly in Christ Jesus,2 Tim. 3.12. and here was our confidence and strength, which carryed us above our sufferings, as knowing it greater riches to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; and about this time I was about 15 years of age, & afterwards I was called forth to visit some friends in the North part of England, with whom I had union in spirit before I saw their faces, and afterwards I retur­ned back to my outward dwelling place, and remained in my outward cal­ling, and the Lord all this time stil more and more perfecting and encrea­sing his work in my heart, which by his power he had begun in me, & by his pure power bringing forth his truth in me, and making known his wil unto me, until by his power he opened my mouth to declare his truth in the world, & stil I continued in my outward calling, and also in the work of the Lord, as not being called far from my dwelling place, and when I was [Page 6]betwixt 17. and 18. years of age, I was moved in my spirit to go to a place about fifteen miles from my outward dwelling place (southward) amongst a people, to whom the Lord was making known his truth, not knowing when I went out of going farther than that place; but when I was there, I was moved of the Lord to come on to Cambridge, and in obedience unto the Lord, I came to see what he had to do for me, not knowing one soot of the way, but as I was directed, neither knowing when I came there where to be received, but had heard before of two of my friends that was there whip­ped, caused by the Mayor that then was, onely for declaring the truth as they past through the town, against the deceipt thereof, neither did I know but it might be my portion also when I came there; but without conferring with flesh and blood, I passed on my journey, and he that called me forth went along with me, and did direct me, and when I came there, I found these that was worthy that received me; and also I found a friend, whom the corrupt Rulers had put in prison for the same testimony which I also was sent to declare; and before I had continued there the space of fourteen nights, VVilliam Pickering the Mayor of Cambridge, committed me to Pri­son for publishing two Papers, the one against the corruption of the Magi­strates, and the other against the corruption of the Priests, at the time of their commencement, as they call it, and there they kept me in Prison the space of two Sessions, and tossed me from Prison to Dungeon, and had no­thing to lay against me, whereby to prove the breach of any Law, but when I came to the last Sessions, they called a Jury to prove the Papers to be scandalous and seditious Papers, and they was nigh two hours about them but could not prove it, but came and said that they found nothing, but that the Papers was mine, which I had before owned in the open Court, and there was my name to them to testifie the same; and so they was cros­sed in their intentions, and their plots came to nought: then they commit­ted me back to Prison again, and after the space of three dayes they sent me away with a Passe, under the name of a Rogue, yet durst not give me the Law which belongs to Rogues, but had me away with Clubs and Staves, and I could not see the Pass until I was three miles out of the town where I lodged that night, and the next day there came a Justice of peace from Cambridge, who knowing me to be innocent of what was laid to my charge, so he witnessed the Passe to be false, and took it back to Cambridge, and so I was set free: And not long after I went to Cambridge, again, and went abroad, preaching and declaring the truth freely in the Countries about, and many I found that received the truth gladly, but more ene­mies; yet nevertheless, Truth spread and conquered over its enemies; & there I continued labouring in the work of the Lord about the space of halfe a year in the Countries about Cambridge, and from thence I was moved of the Lord to come into Essex, where I heard of the people that was seeking the Lord, and when I came there, I found those that were worthy, who received the truth gladly, and there I continued, freely declaring and [Page 5]preaching the truth, from place to place, sometimes in the Synagogues and was haled out by the Priests party, that the Scripture might be fulfil­led upon that Generation; yet nevertheless, I continued in constant prea­ching of the word to the consciences of the people, freely and publickly, in severall plains of the Countrey, notwithstanding much opposition both of Priests, people, and professors, and much did the truth prevail in the hearts of people, to the glory of God the father of truth, which did make glad the hearts of many, who have long expected this day to appear; but the false Prophet begun to utter forth his lyes and Blasphemies against the truth, and the Beast (by whose power the false Prophet stands) began to rage and persecute; and the Ministers of Antichrist stood up for their Kingdome, crying against truth, striving to present it odious in the ears of the people, but when J came to their faces, they fled like hirelings, and left their I lock behind, so that the truth much prevailed, notwithstanding their railing and raging, so that they begun to appoint meetings, purpose­ly to set themselves against the truth, to present it to the people, as error and heresie, so that if by any means they could by their evil incensing and leavening of the minds of the people, turn away their mindes from heark­ning to the truth; and on the other side they had the earthly powers to up­hold them and strengthen them against whomsoever should come to gain­say them, and to lay their Law upon them; so I hearing of a publick Mee­ting that was appointed by the Priests and Professors of these times, to be at a Town, called Great Coggashall upon the 12. day of the 5th. month, cal­led Luly, as was declared in publike by the Priest of the said Town, to Fast and pray against the errors (as they said) of the people called Quakers, and also their intent was to insnare me, and to bring my body into Bonds if that I came amongst them for to defend the truth, which afterward ap­peared, and although I did see their intent towards me, I was made wil­ling not only to be bound, but also to suffer for the pure eternal Truth which I am made a witness of, so I being pressed in my spirit for to go a­mongst them, and in obedience to the same I went, and there was one Priest VVillis, an independant Teacher, who was set up in the seat of the Pharisee, the chiefest place of the Assembly,Mat. 23.6 these speaking a divination of his own Brain, and not from the Mouth of the Lord, and therefore knew not how to divide the Word aright, but cryed against false Prophets, and Deceivers, and he himself one of them; and when the Priest had done, I spoke unto the people, in vindication of the truth of God, which the Priest had before reproached, reviled, and blasphemed, but the Priests and the Rulers interrupted me, and run into many words, which bred much dis­order and confusion; and then another of the Priests got up into the Pulpet, and they bid me put off my hat, and stand with my hat off the time the Priests was praying, which worship I denyed, and therefore could not be conformable to it, and so J said, before J should be subject to their wills, J would passe out of the meeting place, and so J did, and many people [Page 6]came out after me, for I intended to declare the truth in the Town, being I could not have liberty in the publick place; and as I was passing on the way quietly towards my friends house, he that is called Justice VVakering came rushing behind me amongst the people, and suddenly smote me with his hand upon my back, and said, he arrested me in the name of the Lord Protector, and so I turned me about, and looked upon him, (but knew not that he was a Magistrate) so I asked him, where was his writ? and hee said, he had one, but none he shewed me; then they hurried me into a house and there some friends ingaged that I should be forth-coming when their worship was done; and so I went unto my friends house, and there spoke the word of the Lord unto the people that there came together, and was also ready when their worship was done, according to my friends ingage­ment; and when I came before them, there was four men called Justices, and six or seven Priests; yea, there was nigh nine or ten Priests that day, that was gathered together against the truth; and when I was come before them, he that is called Iustice VVakering, came and plucked my hat off my head, and threw it away; then they fel to question me of many things, to which I made answer, and many frivolous questions they asked mee, whereby to insnare me, which was neither just nor honest for men of their profession to do; so when they had satisfied their wills in examining of me, they caused a Mittimus to be made, and committed me to the Com­mon Goal at Colchester, and there was several of the chief Priests in Essex that was actors in this Persecution; Priest VVillis, who is a Teacher of an Independant company at Brantry, and Priest Sammes, a Teacher of an Independant company at Great Coggashal, and Priest Sparrow, a Tea­cher of an Independant company at Halstead, and Priest Stellum a Teacher of an Independant company at T [...]ling, yet are all Parish Priests, and are maintained by those that are not of their Church, and those was the head actors in this persecution; yea, and Priest Stellum spoke to the Rulers in the publike place, thereby to stir up their spirits to persecute; and this was plotted amongst the Priests and their gathered Churches, to appoint mee­tings,Mat. 7.15 16. thereby to insnare the innocent, and raise persecution against the truth; yea, and two of the men called Jusrices, who was my chief persecu­tors, are members of the Independant Church; and thus the Churches garher themselves against Christ and his Kingdome; and now the ravening wolves in sheeps clothing doth appear, yea their fruits makes them▪ mani­fest, and those are they which calls themselves Iews and are not, but the Synagogue of Satan, and those are the builders which have and do reject the Corner-stone, which is now become the head of the Corner, and over their heads is set, and woe unto them on whom it lights. And after I was sent to prison, there I was kept close, and could not have my friends and acquaintance to come to see me with peace and freedome; and so when I was there, I writ an Answer to the Mittimus, whereby I was falsly accused and imprisoned, and sent to the men that committed me, for to clear my [Page 7]conscience unto them, & lay their injustice & cruelty before them, & leave them without excuse in the presence of the almighty; & so when the time came that I was to go to the Assize, they put me on a chain amongst felons and Murderers, and joyned me to one suspected for murder; and thus I was numbred amongst transgressors, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, and thus six of us was hooked together upon a Chain, so that we could not go into a bed, for four of us remained upon the Chain day and night, and thus I was led 18. miles through the Countrey for a gazing-stock unto the world; but truth was preached in all this, and prevailed on the hearts of the people, so that I could rejoyce in all, and triumph over mine enemies: So when we was at the Assize Town, which is called Chansford, the Juge came in upon the seventh day of the week, and upon the second day of the next week I was brought into the Court before Judge Hills, who sate upon life and death, and there I stood for a gazing-stock a while, and then the Judg commanded them to take me away, and did not say any thing to me, for then I was singled from the rest, onely had Irons upon one of my hands, then upon the next day morning the Goaler sent his man to take off my o­ther Irons, and so in the afternoon I was had before the Judge without any Irons, and the Goaler took off my hat and cast it upon the floore, and then the Clerk read a long Indictment full of falsehoods, and asked me if I was guilty, and I told him I denyed all guilt, and called for my accusers, and the Judge said I might see my accusers, and told me I might say guilty or not guilty, and I told him I was not guilty; so they called twelve men to try me, and the Foreman was a drunkard, and they bid me object against any of them, and I told them I owned none out of the doctrine of Christ, and all that swore was out of the Doctrine of Christ, and they had all sworn before my face, and therefore I openly denyed by them to be tryed; yet nevertheless they went on with their work, and Priest VVillis was called and he swore against me, and swore falsly too; and the two men called Ju­stices swore against me, and swore falsly too; and one of the Justices m [...] (so called,) and another man swore against me, and swore falsly too; yet all these false witnesses was heard to the full what they would say against me, and thus the leader of the people caused them to erre, for if the tea­cher be a swearer and a false swearer, what may the people be? for Christ saith, swear not at all, but let your yea, be yea, and your nay be nay, for whatsoever is more is evil: and the Apostle saith,Mat. 5.34.35, 36, 37 Iam. 5.12. 2 Iohn 9. in all things my brethren swear not at all, &c, and he that abides not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God; and thus like people like Priest, all live without God in the world. And when their false witnesses had spoken what they could against me, they brought in the Letter which I had sent to the men called Justi­ces in Reply to their Mittimus, and it was openly read in the COURT, and I owned it, for my Name was to it, and the rea­ding of it was much satisfaction to many that understood it, [Page 8]and they also brought another Paper that I writ against the Idols Tem­ple, and the deceiver therein; both which shall follow in order afterward; and then when they were both read, Iudge Hilles took them both, and re­peated over unto the Iury all that the could gather by wrong interpretati­on and construction against me, whereby to incense the Jury against me, and told them if they did not find me guilty, the sin would lye upon their heads, and he as it were passed the sentence upon me before the Jury went forth, yea, and told them what they should do, whenas they had sworn be­fore to speak the truth, and nothing but the truth, and I had charged them to take heed what they did, for I told them none could judge betwixt truth and heresie, but by the spirit of the Lord; but when I would have spo­ken somthing to the Jury before they went forth, the Judge interrupted me, and would not suffer me (though one of the Jury desired it) neither would he suffer that the Jury should have the papers that was brought in against me, though I required it, but sought all that he could against me, true or false, although I had sent him a true declaration of the grounds of my imprisonment, with the hands of four Witnesses to it, neither would he suffer that to be read; and that which I would have spoken unto the Ju­ry, was to clear it unto them, that it was no scandalous nor reproachfull words, to call a corrupt Magistrate, a corrupt Magistrate; and to call an unjust Judge and Lawyer, an unjust Judge and Lawyer; or a persecutor, a persecutor; or a deceiver, a deceiver; all which was brought against me, and called railing and scandalous, for by that account they might have taxed all the Prophets for railing and scandaling, for they open and often declared against the corruption of the Priests and Rulers, as you may read in many places in the Prophets Records, Isajah called the Priests, greedy dumb dogs;Isa. 56.11. Ezek. 34. Iohn 10. Lu. 13, 14, 15. Luke 13.31, 32. Ioh. 3.14. and the Prophets called them Idoll-shepheards, and the like, and Christ called them hirelings, and Christ called the Rulers hypocrites, and Herod a Fox: and read the 23. of Matthew, and see if you may not as wel call that railing, and yet in all this they did not raile nor scandalize any, but gave to every nature its name, and due reproofe, whether they would hear or forbear; but this is the condemnation of the world, light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. So when the Jury came into bring in their evidence; they could charge me with nothing, but the Paper I had writ in reply to my Mittimus after I was imprisoned, which Paper I had before owned in the open Court, with my name to it; but the Indictment they could not charge me with, for it tended to a Riot, which I was far from, or any that owned me, but the Judge and the Clerk, both, dishonestly strove to draw words out of the Fore-man of the Jury, which the rest did not consent to, neither could he speak their minds, but others of the Jury was fain to speak themselves, but nothing was cleared against me, then the Goaler was com­manded to take me away, & when I was gone forth of the Court, they sent for me again, and the Judge imposed two fines upon me to the value of [Page 6]about forty pounds, the one he said was for the contempt of the Magistra­cy, the other for the contempt of the Ministry; for he said, the Lord PROTECTOR had charged him to see to punish such persons, as should contemn either Magistracy or Ministry: But what a Ministry is this, that stands in need of an outward Magistracy, to uphold it against a people that comes with nothing but spiritual weapons, to defend them­selves against spiritual wickedness, which now sits in high places; but this Ministry is contrary to the Ministry of Christ, whose weapons are not carnal but spiritual; and also several of mine accusers stood upon the Bench hard by the Judge, several times whispering of him in the eare,2 Cor. 10.4. and leavening and incensing his minde against me and I reproved one of them in the open Court for so doing, and yet these things was suffered, and also the Judge gave charge unto the Goaler to let no giddy-headed people come to me (as he called them) which I never desired that any such should come, but thereby they take occasion to keep my friends from me, accoun­ting them giddy-headed people, but they are not giddy-headed people that own sound Doctrine, but they are giddy-headed people that cannot indure sound Doctrine, but have itching ears carried about with reports and hear-says, to speak evil of the things they know not. But thus without all honesty they acted in the enmity of their spirits against me, yet in all I was made to rejoyce, for I see their deceit was manifest to the people, and the Truth owned in many hearts, so that my sufferings was not grievous but joyous; but as the Judges dealings was rigorous and unjust towards me, it was so much the more on the contrary to Barrabas, for there was three or four arraigned for suspicion of Murder, and others for Felony, yet he did deliver them, and there was not one that dyed or was bran­ded, neither which I did desire, but onely this I do declare, to shew how the world loves its own, and how the same spirit now rules in both Priest, people, and Rulers, that ruled amongst the Iewes, who estee­med Barrabas above Christ, and numbred him amongst Transgressors; and so in all this the Scripture is fulfilled,Isa. 53.12. and the day further appears to the Glory of God, the Father of Truth, who wil exalt his truth by his own Power, over the heads of all its enemies: So then they brought me back to prison again, where I stil remain in the peace and freedome of my spi­rit, which none can take away, though in the hands of mine Enemies; yet this I know, That the invisible God is working in secret by his power, and with a strong arme, carrying on this great worke which hee hath begun in the Earth; yea, and he will bring down, and overturn all, untill it come into his hand whose owne it is, and hee will exalt his Kingdome in the hearts of his people, and his Son shal rule ovre the earth, yea, and all his Enemies shall be his footstool, and shall bow unto him, and bee glad to lay downe their crownes before him, and acknowledge his power, yea, and he wil dash all the forms and false likenesses and images, which is set up by man in his imaginations, (calling them Churches;) and he will dash them▪ and the [Page 10]Powers of the earth in pieces one against another, like a Potters Vessel, though now they set at nought the Corner-stone, yet then by it shall they be grownd to powder, for our God is a consuming fire, and who is able to stand in the day of his wrath? Therefore it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, then woe to all his enemies, or he that lifts up his hand against his Maker, to contrary what he hath decreed.

[Page 28]And now a few words unto you who call your selves gathered Churches, who go under by the name of Independants in Essex, you are gathered by the wil of man, and are joyned by the wil of man, and so stands in the will of man, and are upheld by the wil of man, by which you are begotten, but stil alive in the worlds nature, in the worlds customes, fashions, and traditions, in the worlds fellowship, words and waies, and rudiments, only differing from others in judgement, opinion, or profession, wherein is your life in high notions, and feigned apprehensions, and false applications, and glorious expressions, and customary duties, and vain Traditions, which all appertains to the great Image, which all the world worships; by which they are deceived, whose head is gold, and brest of silver, and thighs of brass, and legs of Iron, and feet part Iron and part clay: and in the same nature ye are found with the world, the day doth declare it, and you to be the enemies and strangers to the light, which is not of the world, which is now come into the world, testifying against the world; and the deceit of the world, & the deceivers in the world, and the profession of the world and this is the condemnation of the world, Iob. 3.19. that light is come into the world, and men love dark­ness rather than light, because their deeds are evill; in which evil you are found, despising and sett [...]ng at nought the Corner-stone, and standing in the en­mity of your spirits, and joyning with the powers of the earth, to persecute the life and power which now is manifest in the earth, and is come to dis­cover your empty shadows, forms, and fair shews of godliness, but without life and power, which you have set up in your imaginations, and thereby are deceived, and blinded, and led in blindness, so that you cannot see the light, nor receive the substance, now it is come and made manifest, but stands up in your wills and wisdome to oppose the same, and persecute it in the enmity of your spirits, as if you hoped to kill the heir, that the inheri­tance might be yours; and therefore because you do despise this day of your visitation, and reject & slight the glad tydings which now are come to them that dwel upon the earth, and revile, and reproach, persecute and slander the faithfull messengers of the Gospell, rejoycing your hearts in their suf­ferings, by you and amongst you, therefore the Lord will rayse up a people out of the dust, & gather them from far, to bear testimony unto his name and bear witness against you, yea, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of the Son, and you, and such as you, shall be cast out into Tophit, prepared of old for hypocrites and unbelievers,, there­fore now read your portions ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in hearts & cars, who do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost, as did your fathers so do ye, but the greater wil be your condemnation, who go about to mock God with your wil-worship, with your calling of Assemblies, and Solemn Meetings, with your appointed Fasts, and dayes of voluntary Humiliation, with your long Prayers and feigned duties, all which is done out of the Light, and so are your own works, acted by selfe, for selfe But who hath required these things at your hands? it is all abomination to [Page 29]the Lord, his soul loaths it, for your sacrifices are as Cain's, for your are found in Cain's nature, envying and persecuting the righteous, yea the witness lies slain in your streets, therefore wo is unto you who go on in the way of Cain, for upon you shal come all the righteous blood shed from righteous Abel until now; and your professions stinks in the nostrils of the Lord, for you have lift up your hands against him and his Annoynted, & opened your mouths in blasphemy, and false reports against the truth; yea, you are blinde, and stumble at the noon day, you come neer the Lord with your lips, but your hearts runs awhoring after other Lovers, and you know not the only true God, that dwels in Temples made without hands, whose worship is in spi­rit and in truth, but would limit the unlimited under your wils, as if he were not a God of might, but that you could controle him with the arm of flesh, but be not deceived, God is not mocked, such as you sowe, such shall you reap, and your end shal be according to your works;Gal. 6.7. for our God is a God of Judgement and Justice, & wil avenge the cause of the innocent upon you his adversaries, yea and though your Teachers do cry peace, peace un­to you, because you put into their mouths, and so daubs you up with un­tempred morter, that you cannot see your wound, and so heals you slightly, yet you shal know that our God is a God of Truth and his word shal stand for ever, and their sorcery shal appear, and their witchcraft shal be laid o­pen, and the cup of fornication (wherewith they have made drunk and de­luded the Nations) shal be taken from them, and the cup of the wrath of the Almighty given them to drink their reward, and then shal you behold the Harlot with whom you have committed fornication, who now lies in your bosomes, bewitching you with a golden cup, with whom you have de­filed your garments, then to be cast into the bottomless pit, where you shal all be tormented together, who now partake of her pleasures, and thus shal you fal amongst them that fal in the day that I visit you, saith the Lord.

And all you my dear friends, you scattered and despised ones in and a­bout the County of Essex, whom the Lord by his powerful word is now ga­thering out of darkness into his marvellous light, out of the Kingdome of this World, into the Kingdome of his dear Son, whom he is seperating un­to himself to walk before him in holiness, that you might know him, and he might know you in the light of his countenance, whose faces he hath turn­ed to words Sion, to seek after a Land of Rest unto your wearied Souls which hath been tossed to and fro, from mountain to hil in this cloudy and dark day, seeking rest but finding none; but now is the day of beauty broken forth nigh you, even in you, yea & glad tidings is come unto your wearied souls, by which a pure love is begotten in you to the everlasting truth, which hath been freely declared amongst you by the messengers of the most high, who hath reached the witness for God in your consciences, which doth seal the same upon your hearts, which your teacher is, and unto it you hearken, and are abedient, in which light all stand stil, & behold the work which the Lord hath begun amongst you, and you shal have no cause of discouragement, though the sea do rise, and the raging waves do swel as if they would swal­low [Page 30]all up, yet it is limited by the unlimited, & it shal but foam out its own shame. And as I had a time to preach the truth amongst you, to the con­vincement of many, so also now I have a time to seal the same with patient suffering in the bonds of the Gospel, that you may see that it is no other but what we are made able and willing to seal with patient suffering, yea with our blood if we be called to it, as many of us hath done in this Nation, though it be called a Land of Liberty, but it is for Iniquity, but truth and equity are strangers in it, & therefore are persecuted, but you that are found worthy to receive these strangers happy are you; & though the raging So­domites compass you about for to cause you to cast out these strangers, that they may work their wils upon them, yet be faithful and fear them not, but cast out your darlings before them, & stand in the faith of the God of truth, & equity, and you shal see the Sodomites struck with blindness, that they shal not be able to prevail against you, but when they are weary with striving they shal be made to sit down in sorrow, & so shal it be fulfill d which of old was prophesied, that no weapon formed against the faithful shal prosper, but woe unto them that lift up their heel against them; therefore I charge you all in the name of the God of truth, be faithful, valiant, & bold for the truth received, and as you have received it, so walk in it, that you may profess no more in word but what in life you seal, that the light may be preached forth in your lives, & shine forth in your conversations, to the glory of the father of lights and the confounding of the heathen, who profess God in words, but in life denies him, & be willing that self shal suffer for the truth, and not the truth for self; for the truth was ever sealed with persecution since Cains generati­on had a being upon the earth; and so own the Cross, and despise the shame, and give up your selves to suffer for the truth received, all you that would follow the Lamb to the Land of rest, and through many trials you wil wax strong and bold, and confident in your God; for God is not known what a God he is, until the time of tryal; and all keep your meetings in the name and fear of the Lord God, waiting for his power, in the obedience to his Light, which in your consciences doth reprove you when you do amiss, that in it you may wait, and watch over the foes that are of your own house, that you may know the warfare begun in your hearts against your spiritu­al enemies; and so the God of Power manifest himself amongst you by his mighty power, bringing down all that in you which opposes him, & would not that he should reign over it, and exalt his own seed in your hearts, & e­stablish you in righteousness, that his image you may bear, and he shal be your God, and you shal be his people.

And so in the unchangeable Truth, I rest in unity with all the faithful in the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, though in outward bonds for your sakes.