FRiend, thou saiest, That in thy conscience tells thee, that there is no Law that is extant by which the people of God are kept in bondage; to thee I did alledge the Act of Mary, which I say is contrary to that in the Conscience, which is of God, for her Law did cause the righteous to suffer, which guarded the Jesuites, which guard the Priests now; which thou with it wouldst limit the holy one, and cast the Saints into holes, and prisons, and dungeons, and countest it just; and some are beat and stockt, and cruelly persecuted, and then after sent to Prison; see if thy Law here do keep Peace, or break it, and give liberty to all the peace breakers and fighters, and strikers, for them to beat, to stock, and after send them to prison, and there the wicked, the fighters, and strikers rejoyce over them, and they can scarce walk in the streets; and this Law thou countest just, which prisons the righteous, and encourages the evil doers, which is contrary to the Law of God, which is according to that in the Conscience, and which is contrary to Paul the Minister of Christ, who said, if any thing be revealed to him that stands by, let the first hold his peace; and if Paul were here again to go up and down the Synagogues, and dispute with them, to bring them off the figures and shadows, to bring them up to the substance. Queen Maries Act would take hold of him; and he was made manifest to the Consciences of all; and here thy Act is contrary to that in the Conscience, which would limit the Spirit of the Lord.
And thy Act, as Queen Maries, would take hold upon Am [...]s, and the rest of the Prophets, and Christ, who was supposed to be the Carpenters son, who went up and down in the Synagogues, and was hated of the Priests, and when he spoke in the Synagogues, they were full of fury; and there again thy Law is contrary to that of God in the conscience, and except thou doest repent, God will remove thy Kingdom: and if thy Laws were upon them that act, contrary to that in the conscience, fighters, envious, quarrellers, drunkards, murderers, and all unrighteous, such Law; we own, this is wholsom and good, but that which would limit the holy One, and the Just, we cannot own.
Secondly, there is another Law which is acted contray to that in the conscience, to put men to death for Cattle or money, when they were (according to the Law of God) to make restitution, if not, they were to be sold for their Theft, and there they had space to repent, for that in the conscience will let them see what they have done.
Thirdly, and another thing is acted in the N [...]ion, contrary to the light of Christ in the conscience; men that cannot swear, but abide in the Doctrine of Christ, who saith, swear not at all, for what is more then yea and nay, is evil; and the Apostle said, My Brethren swear not at all, lest you fall into condemnation, [Page 3]and some that cannot swear, such are fined and prisoned, and many suffer now, because they cannot swear; and so you would bring them into condemnation, and into the evil contrary to the Doctrine of Christ
Fourthly, another Law is acted contrary to that of God in the conscience, that men are forced to pay Priests tithes, and so deny Christ come in the flesh; and if they will not pay Priests tithes, they sue them at the Law, or imprison them, and that Law requires treble damages, and this Law is oppression, contrary to that of God in the Conscience, neither is there honesty in it; I charge it upon you, for Moses, which had the Law, and gave it forth to the Priests and people, and the Priests that should receive Ti [...]hes, they were to have a Store-house to put it in, and it was to be filled with Tithes, but it is not so with you; and all the strangers and the widdows, and the Fatherless were to come to be filled within the Priests Gates: and this the Priest was to Minister out of the Store-house; a figure of the everlasting Priest, who Ministers out of the everlasting treasury: the Apostle who preached him, said, the Priesthood that received Tithes was changed, and the Law was changed also; and yet you have a Law, that if any one do not pay the Priests Tithes he must pay treble damages, or lye in Goal, as many lye in Goal now, because they cannot deny Christ come in the flesh, pay the Priests Tithes; but they witness him, and deny the changable Priesthood, which you give Tithes to, but no Storehouse; who deny Christ come in the flesh, though you talk of him in words, but no Store-house to fill all the widdows, the fatherless, and strangers in England, that there might be no beggar in England, as there was no beggar to be in Israel, but be fed within the Priests Gates which receive Tithes: But by this Law, by which your Priests receive Tithes, you help the Priests to make many beggars, which is contrary to the Scriptures, and that of God in the conscience both, and by that Law many righteous ones suffer; all who own Christ in life, suffer by your Low, and are opprest; and all your Laws acted contrary to that of God in the Conscience: that of God in the Conscience will testifie and witness against you, and your Laws, and witness the Law of God, which is according to that in the Conscience, which is perfect, and endures for ever.
You that swear, deny the Lord Jesus Christ that bought you, and his Doctrine; and you that compel men to give Tiches, and you that take them are men that deny the Lord Jesus Christ come in the flesh, the substance; you that sue men at the Law, deny the Lord Jesus Christ, for he saith, in all your communications, let your yea, be yea, and your nay be nay.
And if you had a Law given forth to keep peace upon them that act contrary to the light of Christ in their conscience, and put in just mens hands, to be executed; but such are turned forth that are faithful, that are just, and so here you encourage evil doers, fighters, quarrellers, and drunkards, that they that fear the Lord, can scarce pass; to that in all your Consciences I speak, that with it you may see your selves, and what is acted in the Nation.
There is another thing in the Nation, acted by them in Authority, which is contrary to that of God in the Conscience; with such many have been fined and imprisoned, because they could not respect persons, for if they did, they were convinced by that in the Conscience, to be transgressors of the righteous Law of God; and their Judges, Justices, and Maiors would force them to sin against, and contrary to that of God in the Conscience, in bowing to them [Page 4]with hat, and respect the person, which that in the Conscience, which is according to the righteous Law of God, saith, Thou shalt not bow down to any, nor worship any but God; and he that respects persons and would have others to respect persons, is convinced by that in the conscience, to be a transgressor of the righteous Law of God; to that of God in all your consciences I speak, which lets you see you should not do so, and yet you do so, and would have others to do so; and them that do not, ye persecute, prison or fine with great summes of money; to the light of Christ in all your consciences I speak, which shall condemn all you that act contrary to it, and witness me eternally; to that in the conscience I speak which respects no mans person: He that receives the Law from God, dwells in the Light of God, and he doth not respect any mans person, nor the Law which is received from God: and he that doth respect persons, this Law goes upon him, and that in his conscence, which is according to this Law of God, doth convince him to be a transgressor of this Law.
And whereas the Priests should have Store-houses, that the Fatherless children, and widdows might thither come and be refreshed, that there might be no beggars in England, as there was to be no beggar in Israel; but the Priests and their Agents in raking terble damages, by vertue of your Law, have made both widdows and Fatherless to beg by reason of their cruel oppression, for they took of one widdow in lieu of her Tithes 11 s. 4 d. when all her whole estate, after her debts were paid, would not yield to so much, and so left widdow and fatherless both to beg or starve; and this is their charity to the poor; and many more in Westmerland, Lancashire, and Cumberland, who stand in obedience to the righteous Law, made manifest, and witness the substance, and deny the types, and so cannot put into the Priests mouths they make them pay, somedouble damages, and some treble damages, to the making many poor; for they that depart from iniquity are a prey to this Generation; For the Law that is made by the Will of man, is made a snare, and a trap to take hold of them who stand in obedience to the righteous [...]aw of God, which is according to that of God in the conscience, and this other is contrary to the Law of God in the conscience.
And this was I moved to write to the Heads and Rulers of the Nations, who sit in Counsel together, to exhort and charge them to stand in the Counsel of God, and to mind the righteous Law of God, which is according to that in the conscience, and that this Law of yours may be put in Execution, to be executed by righteous men, who respect no mans person, and then it will take hold upon the transgressors: and they who live up in obedience to this Law of God, which is pure, which endures for ever, will own and witness you and your Law, if you be obedient to this Law of God which is pure, and according to that of God in every mans conscience, for his Lavv is not made for the righteous, but for the transgressor: and if these be owned by you in your lives, you will put it in execution and it will take hold upon all lyars, swearers, drunkards, whore mongers, dissemblers, cheaters, hypocrites, and persecutors of those who obey this righteous Law of God; and it will take hold upon all fighters, quarrellers, and vain-Contenders, and upon all false teachers, who pretend themselves Ministers of Christ, but abide not in the Doctrine of Chirst, which respect mens persons, but are Antichrists, and deny the Scriptures [Page 5]in their lives, but take them to trade withal, and so deceive the people, telling them they are gifted, and sell them a Carnal letter, and so kill them, for the letter killeth, and so devour souls for dishonest gain: the Lord hath a controversie with them, hold them not up; for if you partake with them in their sin, you will partake with them in their plagues, for their fruits make them manifest; for if any in obedience to this righteous Law, put not into their mouthes, they prepare war against them, and sue them at Law, or Agents for them, and take treble damages, as many can witness in these four Northern-Counties; and so they oppress the righteous, and none resisteth them; and now it is come to you who are over the Nations, and it stands at your door, and if you suffer those things to be, and count it just, I will visit you for these things, saith the Lord: For I bear testimony against them, and my witness is true, that they are cruel oppressors, greedy devourers, Caterpillars, who have done no good at all, but kept the people in blindness and ignorance, making them light and vain, strengthning their hands in in iquity, and shut the Kingdom of heaven against men, that if any would return from their evil waies, they pull them back: all the Scriptures witness against them, if you will own Scriptures, and that in your Conscience witnesseth against them; for you had experience of them; and if you hold up that which is contrary to your conscience, God is greater, and will condemn you, and cut you down; were not your Promises and Covenants to take oppression from off the people of God? have you forgotten the dayes of your calamity and hardship, when you vowed unto the Lord? and prayed unto him and he hath preserved you? and were not all your pretences to take off oppression? and now the power is in your hand, and the Lord hath left you without excuse; for now you have time to pay your vows unto the Lord, and to take off oppression, and to take away all those Laws which are contrary to the Law of God, which is pure; and if ye will not own the Lord in his own work, he will do it another way, and you shall be cast by, as not worthy, with the rest that were cast out before you, who were not worthy: and therefore if you will own the righteous Law of God, which is pure, he will own you, and preserve you; but if you uphold those Laws which are according to the will of man, and contrary to the will of God, you shall be as dust before the wind, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And thus I have cleared my conscience unto you, and that of God in your consciences shall eternally witness me to be a lover of your souls, and of the righteous seed of God, a well-wisher of the Peace of Sion, called by the world,