AN IRON ROD For the NAYLORS and Trades-men neer BRIMINGHAM.
O All you that were my honest Christian neighbours and Country people which are whole sale Chapmen of any Trade whatsoever; but more especially to you that be Ironmongers of Though many of you accounted me mad, (as Christ, Mark 3. was thought to be possest with a divel: and Paul thought to be a mad man) am I ever the worse for your false judgement, and slanders? But as the Lord caused Jerusalems destruction to be foretold by poor despised instruments whom the world would not believe: so did God compel me to foretel the destruction of all corrupted Governments, and the downfal of King and Parliament. Let no man dare to judge otherwaies. my own native Countrey: it being the Trade that God (by his over-ruling providence) ordained me, your servant in the Lord John Sanders, to be brought up unto from my youth, till it pleased my heavenly Master and Father in Christ otherwise to dispose of me by his heavenly wisdom: to call and compell me to goe on his message both to King and Parliament, as an Herrald or Ambassadour from the great Kingly power and Parliament of Heaven, who hath assigned and sealed to me a Commission to be a forerunner and foreteller how that the Church and State must be rebuilded and reformed in this Land, to be a pattern and example for the whole world to follow, to learn to serve God with one consent, Zeph. 39.
And for proof of what I here write, it will appeare to any mans view the Holy Ghost hath compelled me to put out a Book called An Iron Rod put into the Lord Protectors hand, to break all antichristian powers in pieces; or a Discourse which tends to a spirituall warfare with all Sects and self-opinions which are the true Churches enemies, which hath its ground and foundation from Abraham, Moses, and Christ, having both Law and Gospel rule to direct every poor soul into the true good old way which leads to the new Jerusalem cituate above, a pure glorious government whose founder and builder is God, Rev. 21. so that all dissembling hypocrites and wilfull oppressors shall leave their evil waies, or be suddenly rooted out, and those that have served God following the good old way, shall shine as the stars in the firmament, and enjoy a true religious peace according to righteousnesse and true holinesse: so that our true born King Charles Stuart the second being restored, and Oliver Cromwell by the grace of God being united to him, and the second under him, the Civil Magistracy will be a Wall to the Orthodox Church Ministery.
Four Monarks being broken down there will be another set up, even the Kingly power under the Scepter of Jesus Christ. Believe not those Dreamers, mockers, makers of Sects, as Peter and Jude speaks who write and speak nothing but swelling words against dignities and the powers ordained of God: nay against the Lords day or Christian sabbath, and the sacred institution of Gods holy Ordinances. Take away the Candlestick, and the light of Gods true worship will immediately follow. But God hath promised to deliver the poor from the slavery of the wicked, Psalm 12.
I tell you once again, that God hath formerly compelled me by the dictates of his holy Spirit to foretel First the Lord compelled me openly to foretel what would befall the King and Parliament when the King was prisoner at Holmhy, witness Col. Graves: the manner and time of Worcester fight: And the dissolution of the three last Parliaments, witness Colonel Baxter, Lieutenant of the Tower. And of the rising against the present power in the beginning of March 1654. before it was. the most remarkable revolutions and changes that have befaln this Nation, King, Parliament, and State, for these 12 yeers past, which God revealed to me by his holy Angel, not by dreams and fancies, but in a reall true manner, as in my book delivered to my Lord Protector, more at large appeareth. All that I have spoken having come to passe except only two things, namely the Church and State to be truly reformed, and the true born King to be restored. Severall things my neighbors and natural friends of Brimingham have heard me speak to their great amazement, as when God compelled me to weare old clothes, and rent the seames, puting off my old shoos, and with a Carpenters rule in my hand making Proclamation by the power of God and his great Parliament of Heaven, that the Parliament that very day and hour was dissolving in London, being 88 miles from the City.
Good friends, and honest neighbours, and brothers of a Trade, to you at this time I chiefly addresse my self: What manner of persons ought we now to be, in all godliness and honesty of life, living in brotherly love one towards another!
To which purpose I commend to you this course in our Trade: and first I speake to you rich covetous and uncharitable Ironmongers of mine own native Country, and also to other Trades and occupations in other Countries.
I am to charge you in the name of the living God whose workmanship you are that you be not highminded, or uncharitable grinding the faces of the poor, whom the Lord has promised to deliver for his name sake. For all that wil not deny themselves and leave off their wicked waies, and conform to the Image of his Son, God wil poure out his indignation on them, & destroy them, as he did Pharaoh and all his host, to the comfort of his distressed people, and deliverance of his Church. Therefore forsake your evil waies, and make your peace with God while you have time. Live no longer like so many Dives keeping the poor like so many afflicted Lazarus's. You cannot chuse but remember that many of you were poor, but now being raised up in the world you have forgotten God. Remember from whence you are fallen, and repent, lest you have no other heaven, but what you have here, but receive that dreadfull sentence, Goe ye cursed into everlasting perdition.
Amend your lives therefore for the time to come, and live to that end God gave you a being, the generall good: give better prises 2d, in 12 d to poor workmen, that they may not have cause to hate you, many hundreds of them enjoying nothing but misery and want. So shall the Nation be served with serviceable ware, and you live more honestly and honourably then ever.
Brethren and fellow sufferers if this be not forthwith done, for the healing of your grievances, then take my counsel, let them work themselvs: for certainly you that make the ware are the most, & most considerable, though least valued, and worst Whereas there hath been yeerly held by an old custom a month for the ending of harvest and mending of Trade, which rich men were the cause of for their own gain: Now, as other old customes have been altered and broken of late in this Nation, doe you alter that: and do you poor labouring Trades-men hold together, by assisting and maintaining one another one fortnight or a moneth, and forbear working for the cunning Egyptian Taskmasters now in the Spring. However take my advice, and let us have a general meeting thereupon. If we cannot gain our desires, we wil try another way, that is, I wil draw a Petition to the Lord Protector for a Corporation, that we may make orders among our selves: and those that have set up our Trade within these 7. or 8. yeers (not having served just apprentiships) may be cald in question. provided for. I pray God direct us in all our undertakings, for the generall good and welfare of the Nation, and every mans just interest. These being the things God hath set before our eyes, and put into our hearts, in which work, O Lord be pleased to arise and helpe us for thy names sake; to thy glory, and the comfort of many poor distressed people.
My other book is to be sold at the Angel in Cornhil.