O New-England, New-England! thou whose Rulers have persecuted the Lord's Prophets, and have caused some to be slain that he sent into thee, to warn thy Inhabi­tants of the Judgments of the Lord due unto them by reason of their Sins and Transgressions, as also to declare unto them of the Everlasting Way of God's Salvati­on to the end that they might have repented, and so been turned to it, and then would the Lord have gathered them together, as a Hen gathers her Chickens toge­ther under her Wings, but they would not, but sleighted the Lord's Counsel, and would have none of his Reproofs, O New-England! that thy Inhabitants would have laboured in that their Day of Visitation to have understood the things that did belong to their Souls Peace, then would it have been well with them; for then would the Lord have with-held his Judgments from coming upon thee, so as to Destroy thy Inhabitants; and surely he would not have suffered the Heathen to have made so many Widows and Fatherless Children among them, but that Cruel Hands and Hard Hearts of many of thy Rulers and People hath the Lord found guilty of persecuting and shedding the Blood of his Servants, who sought their Good; therefore hath he suffered the Blood of many of thy Inhabitants to be shed, O New-England, by a Nation, who by outward appearance were much inferiour to them, yet the Lord suffered the Heathen for a time to be a Rod in his Hand to correct thy Inhabitants: and as thy Rulers have had no Mercy upon an Honest and True-hearted People, when the Lord hath suffered them to come under the Power of their cruel Laws, but have Whipt, Imprisoned and Cruelly Used them; so have thy Inhabitants found no Mercy from their Enemies, but have been cruelly slain by them whensoever the Lord hath suffered them to get the upper hand: and thus have they received the Reward of their Doings; and the Cup which they have filled to others, hath been filled to themselves double, by which rhe Day of Re­pentence is now hid from their Eyes; for in the Grave they cannot find it. And there are many yet behind in thee, O New-England, which labour to fill up the measure of their Iniquity, by Persecuting the Lord's People, Whipping, and Halling to Prison for Worshipping of the Lord; yet themselves will proclaim Fast Dayes, and call them, Dayes of Humiliation, thinking that way to appease the Lord's Anger that is kindled against them; But I will not as yet smell, saith the Lord, in their Assemblies, until they break off their Sins by speedy and unfeigned Repentance: Therefore O ye Inhabitants of New-England, both Rulers, Priests and People, who have had your hands in Persecuting the Innocent, behold and look on him whom your Sins have pierced, that so you may come to Weep and Mourn bitterly, for the Lord is risen to Avenge himself of his Enemies.

Therefore, O New-England, New-England! A Lamentation is taken up over thee to whose Inhabitants the Lord hath called, but they gave him no answer, he hath stretcht forth his hand for their help, but they have not regarded it; therefore thus saith the Lord, A Day is coming and the time draweth nigh to many of them, wherein they shall call, but I will not answe [...]; then shall they stretch forth their hand, but I will not regard; for their Sins make a separation between me and them, and their Iniquities with-hold good things from them. Yet in thee, O New-England, in thee hath the Lord a Seed to gather Home to himself, for whose sake he hath born long, and doth still bear with thy Rulers, Priests and People for in the midst of Tryals hath the Cry of this Righteous Seed, seeking their good entred into his Ears, and he being moved with Compassion for his own Seed sake [...]ath born long, and in his Undeclarable Mercy hath spread many of thy Inhabitants until this Day.

Therefore O ye Magistrates and Rulers, Priests and People in Boston, or else-where in New-England, who have had either Hand or Heart in making, consenting to, or exe­ [...]ing your wicked and cruel Laws against the Lord's People, who are in Scorn called Quakers, The Lord hath beheld your Doings, by which his Anger is kindled against [...]ou; so as that he will not alwayes bear with you, neither will he suffer you alwayes to boast your selves against his People, whose Cause he will plead with you; For the Rod [...] the Wicked shall not alwayes rest upon the Back of the Righteous: Though your Hands may be lifted (up, and your Stroak may be heavy) upon them for a time, yet its but a lit­tle while that such shall remain, who seek to hinder or let the Work of the Lord from going on; for surely as a mighty Man of War is the Lord arisen, whose Sword is in his [...]and ready furbished for the Battel, and all of you that will not be removed out of your Cain-like spirits by his gentle Drawings, you will assuredly feel the Stroak of his Arm, by which he will remove you: for the Lord is a jealous God, and will not give his Glory to another, but his own Work he will carry on, no [...] by the Might or Power of Man, [...]ot by his own Spirit; for he bringeth to pass whatsoever he pleaseth, who overturns the Powers of Men by throwing down one, and setting up another, when he will, and [...]hom he will, and there is nothing too hard for him to do.

Therefore unto you, in Love to your Souls, O ye Magistrates and Rulers, Priests and People, my Counsel and Advice is, in the Fear of the Lord, That you put from a­mong you that wicked thing (to wit, Persecution) which hath sorely displeased the Lord, and kindled his Anger against you; therefore cease persecuting the Innocent by re­ [...]ling all your Laws and Decrees that have been made against them, and no longer seek to build up your Profession to Religion by Blood, or Force of Outward Strength, but [...] the Lord be worshipped by his people in your Towns and Villages, when and where he pleaseth, and seek not to limit the Holy One by your Laws or Outward Power, ei­ [...]er to place or time; for he is not to be limited.

Therefore O ye Magistrates and Rulers, Let all have their Liberties in things appertaining to Conscience; for it is the Lord's Right to rule and govern there: so consider [...]hese things in Coolness, I desire you, and let the Spirit of Love bear rule in you, so will Moderation be in all your Wayes and Doings, and you will come to learn the Coun­ [...] of Gamaliel, who was a Ruler, and in letting all alone you will come to see, that all that are of God will stand, grow and flourish, when all other Professions will fall, wither and dye, so they will come to nothing in time without the help of any Carnal Weapon. Therefore let all the Beasts power of Forcing and Compelling be put aside; for it [...]th made many Hypocrites, but Experience never did shew us, either in this Age or any other, that ever it made one Christian; and seeing it is so, then surely there is a great necessity that all Professions should have their Liberties in things appertaining to Conscience, and where any matter of Difference lies between them in matters of Worship, or any other thing, I say, in such a Case, let them labour to convince one the other by sound Arguments, and let them bring forth their spiritual Weapons against spiritual Wick­edness, and this is according to the Practice of the Apostles and primitive Christians, the Weapons of whose Warfare were not Carnal (as said the Apostle Paul) but mighty through God to the pulling down of Strong Holds, as you may read in 2 Cor. 10. 4. and with those Weapons they warred against spiritual Wickedness, though it was in high places; read Ephes. 6. 12. and thus were Men and Women in the Apostles day brought to and established in the pure and undefiled Religion, in which they were kept from the Spots of the World, and this the force of Laws and outward Weapons could never do: Therefore mind the gentle Leadings and tender Drawings of the Lord's good Spirit, that by it you may be removed out of the Evil Way, so will you escape the Stroak of his Arm, and be preserved from the force of his Blow, which otherwise will assuredly come upon you.

This, in Obedience to the Requirings of the Lord through his blessed Spirit, have I written unto you in true Love to your Souls, not knowing at present whether ever I may see your Faces, yea or nay; so bidding you farewel, I Rest, who am a true Lover of your Souls, but do hate that persecuting spirit by which you have been led.

A Warning from the great God of Heaven and Earth, to the Rulers and Magistrates of Boston in New-England, that they put not in practice that cruel Law, that they have made concerning Swearing. Now this is the Word of the Lord unto you all, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, provoke not, nor cause not my People to break nor violate my ho­ly Law, Recorded in the holy Scriptures of Truth, that saith, Swear not at all: For thus saith the Lord, My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man, whose Breath is in his Nostrils, but I will arise, saith the Lord, and will case my self of mine Enemies, and be avenged of mine Adversaries; they shall know that I the Lord will Rule, and doth hear Rule in the Con­sciences of a tender hearted People, that dare not Break nor Violate that holy Law and Command of Christ, that saith, Swear not at all. These few words were laid upon me from the Lord to write unto you, and whether you will hear or forbear I shall be clear of your Blood thus far.