Wherefore O ye Companions of good Consciences consider, and ye Messen­gers of glad Tidings, to Men of good will, Go ye into the Country, Cities, Towns, Villages, and Habitations of this Land; appear ye, if possible, in the hearts and hands of the mighty and powerfull ones, in the hearts and heads of the Judges, Officers, and Rulers thereof; in the hearts and lives of Superiours and Inferiours, of the rich and poor; appear ye in and among all people, of all sorts, knowledges, and o­pinions; declare and publish the everlasting Gospel, in­folded in your blessed and upright nature of Righte­ousness, Peace, and Love, recorded and testified in the sa­cred Scriptures of our Lord Christ, the Prophets and A­postles; whosoever heareth, and obeyeth, that soul shall live, and his life shall be precious in the sight of the Lord; but whosoever disobeyeth, resisteth, regardeth not the same, or hardneth his heart, his name shall be root­ed out of the land of the living; for the Creation of God doth mourn over every mans unrighteousness, and the earth doth grone being burthened with the disobedi­ent man, whose body is a habitation for foul, noysome, and unclean spirits; therefore verily, verily, it will be ea­sier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Gods just judg­ment, then for thee O England, and thy off-spring: If thou resist, neglect, despise, or refuse the profered grace of the most high, once spoken from heaven but now made [Page 4]manifest before thy heart and conscience, the life of Righteousness, Peace and Love. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one Iota or tittle of thy pure Word, and upright Lawes, O LORD GOD everlasting, shall not pass away unfulfilled. Be it O LORD from thy ser­vants and handmaids according to thy Word and Will.

Saith the Scripture, the Divels believe and tremble; where then LORD, shall that man appear? or in what monstrous shape shall he stand in the presence of ever­lasting burnings, whose life is not herewith reformed, or whose conscience is not once moved, or pricked at the Doctrine of thy Righteousness. Let the earth which beareth him, and the air wherein he doth breath, bear witness against him before the seat of thy Judgment.

O Man, honoured and in power among the sons of men, raised up out of the dust of the earth, by the power of the Almighty, to be a living Creature, that you might serve your Creator in this your generation, not in Hyprocrisie but in Righteousness and true Ho­liness.

[Page 5] For thy sake (O mortal man) this hand-writing is or­dained and published to thy view, if possible to with­draw your mind with the cords of Gods unspotted Righ­teousness, from the Acts of all Injustice, and from the Guilt of Innocent blood; or if it takes not places in thy soul, that then in the day of Inquisition, for works of Unrighteousness, and for shedding innocent blood, you may appear before the Pure and Just Majesty of God, Angels, and holy Saints, without excuse. Resist not, resist not the voice of the Spirit of the Most High, which forewarneth all people and Nations of the earth of their duty, before the judgments and wrath intended be executed against them; that they might obey, saying, To day (even in this very moment) if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as many in power have done, who have tempted the Lord of Life and Glory, by Oppression, Partiality, Violence, Cruelty, Blood­shed, &c. on whom the Great and Righteous God hath recompenced, as his enemies, Indignation, Blood and Destruction; and hath given to many of them to taste the bitter cup which they in their unrighteousness have filled for others, whereby many of them are, and remain unto this day a scorn, a contempt, and a derision upon the face of Gods earth.

Wherefore (O man, uncloath thine Immortal soul, from the corrupted Garments of all false Righteousness, and appear in the Righteousness, or Righteousness Life of JESUS CHRIST, in the place of thy Judicature, that the Truth and the Law of the LORD may proceed out of thy mouth, hand in hand (and not the Law of men Lusts, in true and upright Judgment. Disrobe thy self from Envy, Malice, Pride, base Ends, and Cove­tousness, whereby, in the Seat of Judgment, the good Law of Justice is perverted, and the true, plain, simple dealing and upright meaning therein circumvented, and no further prosecuted, then to serve the base self-Interest and corrupted wills of high and lofty spirited men. Li­sten then (O man) with a right Christian mind to the [Page 6]secret voyce of the sacred Spirit of the most High, and let it enter and pierce through and through thy most in­ward and hidden secret part, untill it hath purified the living spark of thy immortall soul from all injustice and blood thirstiness, Note which the water that washed the hands of Pilate could not do; Remember then that the protection of the innocent from violence and oppressi­on, Note. the distribution and ministration of Justice, to Su­periours and Inferiours, ought in the sight of heaven to be executed without respect of persons; Else (O man) re­member, thou art an unrighteous Judge in the seat of thy judgment, Note. which thou canst not hide from the through searching, all-seeing eye of God; therefore will be that formed thee and me, even the preserver of men, whose eyes are over, and above all his works, beholding both the evill and the good, behold such men with the eye of wrath, who in judgment respect the person of the migh­ty and powerful, Note. thereby doing wrong.

Verily therefore, that man, whether private person or publike Judge, that shall indeavour to subvert a mans right, or shall act to the destroying of a mans life or livelihood, upon the ground of any private Interest, grudge, malice, or discontent; or through fear or affe­ction, shall act in or condescend to any such Act, not being clearly and manifestly according to the Law of Righteousness, published in the everlasting Gospel of truth, such men are declared to be no other then theeves and murtherers, who having not the Law of Equity in the fear of the Lord before their eyes, Hear & trem­ble, yee unjust Judges of the earth, lest in e­ternitie you re­main guiltie of perishing from the pre­sence of his face. shutting the coun­sel and word of Eternal life out of their hearts, have al­so no Inheritance in the righteous Kingdom of God, nor part nor portion with Christ, the Lord, for no unrigh­teousness, nor unrighteous person shall enter thereinto, according to the Scripture; against whom the Spirit of the Lord doth signifie, that the ways, Acts and Actions of all such unjust men, are an abomination in his sight, and that bloud shall be the portion of blood thirsty men, For Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, saith the Lord.

[Page 7] Wherefore (O Mortal man) if CHRIST be thy LORD, embrace his Righteousness, be not pufft up with an imagi­nation of thine own Wisdom, Prudence, Judgment, Note. The Wisdom of men to cir­cumvent and encrease a man in life or liveli­hood, is it w ^th is enmity a­gainst God, & against the Love and sim­plicity of CHRIST. or Un­derstanding; but know this, that you are in the hands of the most high God, even as clay in the hands of the Potter; and if the hand of the LORD be but once stretched forth a­gainst you, or his wrath never so little kindled, may not your condition in a moment be as Nebuchadnezzars; or may not that visible form of yours, which hath but a short breathing in the common air, be in the twinkling of an eye dissolved into dust, and you become a worm, and no more man? Let then foresightfulness and Moderation be the forerunner of your Judgment, Note. or else your Judgment will end in Injustice; therefore let heaven and earth bear Re­cord and Witness, before the Righteous God, and just Judge of all his earth; that the process of Christian Judg­ment, in the true Evangelical administration of the Law of Right, described by the LORD CHRIST, is not obscured from your eyes. If therefore you atract to your soul, the guilt of innocent bloud, by accusing or condemning unjustly, then will the bloud of Innocence be upon you and your Posterity. Note.

Cursed are they, who see­ing, will not see; and hear­ing, will not hear; but will blind the eyes of conscience, if and stop its ears from the dictates there­of, that Judg­ment may be perverted to their own wils, and the holy Law of the Lord lye trod under foot.Therefore (O man) set not thy Wit, thy Wisdom, thy Subtilty, thy will, nor thy Power, thy Understanding, nor thy Judgment in opposition to the reasonings of a good conscience, whereby the hearts of men become hardned, and their eyes blinded from the true light of the Christian life; but let thy conscience free to the voice and dictates of Gods Spirit; which will shew unto thee, O man, if thou wilt hearken thereunto, and obey it, the thing which is right and good, acceptable and well pleasing in the sight of the Lord, which thou shalt find comprehended in that golden Rule of Righteousness, by the upright Judg of Truth and Equity, even the perfect Lawgiver, the LORD of Life, for a Statute and Law to all Nations; how much more to be observed by those who call themselves Christians! That all men in the fear of the LORD should do to other men as they would that men should do to them, and that they [Page 8]should so judge of other men as they themselves would be judged; for saith the Just One, with the same measure ye mete to others, Note. it shall be measured to you again; verily the mouth of the Lord that created thee hath spoken it, who, beleeve it, cannot lye; this therefore is the way, walk therein, so may thy seed, and childrens children after thee, O Man, have a right to the promised blessing, made to the righteous, through all the generations of the earth, and thy soul shall be established in Peace, at thy appear­ance before the judge of all flesh, to give an account of thy Stewardship.

Remember that the wages of all manner of unrighteous­ness is death, and that the reward of envy, oppression, vio­lence, Note. He whose Conscience blinded per­verted or hard­ned, it is be­cause of his lusts, in whom the God of this would, the Prince of un­righteousness and worker of revenge in him hath pow­er and domi­nion. pride, bloud-thirstiness, &c. is attended with the se­vere wrath of a just and righteous God, either in the hard­ned, or in the awakened Consciences of men, before whose presence all the Powers, Princes, Rulers, or Nations, are but as a drop in the bucket, or as a dust in the balance; which wrath of the almighty God every moment hangeth over and about the impious, the unjust and unrighteous mans head, where-ever he is, or in whatever he acteth; the same devouring wrath of the Almighty, is always ready to exe­cute the judgment and vengeance written, and declared up­on and against all unrighteousness, and against the false and hypocritical righteousness, and against all which with-hold Gods most pure Laws, and everlasting Truth, mind and will, in unrighteousness: Even so, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, for if thou delayest, at thy appearing, Lord, shalt thou find Faith or Truth, Peace or Love, Righ­teousness or Justice, Temperance or Long-suffering, Mercy, or Patience upon the Earth?

Create in Men, O LORD, a new HEART, And renew a right Spirit within them:

O Ye Men of Good-will, and Moderate minded ones, that are Lovers of Righteousness, Peace, and Love, that are in your selves Haters and Despi­sers of Injustice, Arrogancy, Hypocrisie, Envy, De­ceit, Variance, Bloodshed, and Covetousness; Take ye up a Lamentation, and cease not, until Righteous bear the Rule in the seats of Judgment, and Peace, Mercy and Love obtain a Triumph and Victory in Mens hearts: for who knoweth but that your sighs and tears may prevail before Heaven, and among men, and suddenly turn to your rejoycing, that your gene­rations to come may reap the fruits of your supplica­tions? and who knoweth but that the blessed Age, foretold by the holy Prophets, declared in holy Scrip­tures, may become fulfilled in our days? Lament therefore, saying, LORD, LORD, God everlasting, How long shall the voyce of thy holy Angel be heard in the Heavens, read and testified in the sacred Scrip­tures [Page 10]giving Glory to God on high, proclaiming Peace on the Earth, Good-will towards Men, and yet the joyful sound thereof not once enter nor pierce into the hearts of the Inhabitants therof to learn righteous­ness, because the Honor, Lordliness, and Pride thereof hath stopped their ears; and the deceitfulness of riches, Luxury and Malice, which worketh Revenge, hath hardened their hearts, that they will not nor cannot hear, nor understand within themselves to glorifie the most high God by and in all their works, nor under­stand they aright within themselves the publishing of the Gospel of a peaceable Life, which is attended and preserved by Love, and good will among men. O thou immense Power! that by thy unresistible Word gave a Being to all Being, and broughtest all things into a creaturely form, that hast called the generations of men out of the dust, and hast ordained all things in their kind, to declare thy Wonders, and thy magni­ficent Power; O thou omnipotent God, and King of Saints, how long shall this Earth which thou hast formed be without thy Government, and the creatures which thou hast set therin to rule, rebel against thee, in that they will not suffer thee in thy righteous Laws, Statutes & Ordinances to reign over them? How long, LORD, how long, shall the beast like natured-men arrogate the Name of Christians? or how long shall the Name of Christians be imputed unto men, that ☞ trace not the upright paths of Christ, that obey not his Commandments, that reject the Law of Love, which is of wonderful and large extent, and herein are become the true Antichrists? for whosoever is [Page 11]not with thee, is against thee. How long, O thou Righteous One, just and true in all thy Judgments, shall the judgments of dust and ashes contradict thy Righteousness, and the presence of thy Glory in the purity of thy Laws be obscured upon the Earth through the corrupted lusts of men? How long, O thou Lover of Righteousness among the Creatures, shall the just Cause of the Needy ones, and men of low degree, perish out of the Earth, and the Power of the Mighty ones destroy their right? How long shall the rich man be respected in Judgment for his riches, and the right of the poor and distressed not obtained nor considered, though pursued with the cries of prayers and tears? Hear, O ye Heavens, and send de­liverance, for the Injustice and Wickednesses of Men are great upon Earth. O thou holy One of Israel, how long shall the rich sit in thy Judgment seat, because of his Riches? who doubtless too too many of them have ☜ heaped up their Treasure meerly by the sweat, oppres­sions and ruines of their fellow-members, and by their study and subtil wits insnare the Innocent and the Ig­norant? O when shall Injustice be removed out of the Judgment seat, that the wills of lofty and proud insulting spirits, or of men ambitious of power, may no more be a Law over the lives, liberties and lively­hoods of them who in the right of Gods Creation are their fellow-members and Brethren? O Lord, when shall it once be, that the Judges of this Earth shall cease the service of Injustice, of Bribery, of Cover­ousness and Revenge, and of being men-servers, or serving their lusts, against the Equity, Justice, and [Page 12]Righteousness of God? O when shall it once be, that the Judges thereof shall cease to judg for hire or re­ward, or for fear or affection, but out of love to Gods Righteousness? How long, O thou God of long-suf­fering, how long shall Justice and Equity complain in the Land, and make her Lamentation in the Coun­try, in the Villages, in the Towns, in the Cities, and streets thereof, that she is bought and sold, and that no man obtaineth her as his birthright? How long, O ye sons of Perdition, and Cainish minded men, will ye thirst after the blood and livelyhoods of others, to advance your might and power, not considering the reason why God hath created you, viz. that all men should serve one another in the brotherly love? How long Lord (righteous and true) shall the black clouds of darkness remain over the face of the Earth, exem­plified in the corrupted minds of men, in and amongst all Societies, by judging for their own Interest and Party, whereby they bear witness against Gods Truth and Righteousness, with whom there is no respect of persons? whereby it is visibly manifest, that the blessed and joyful appearance of the Sun of thy Righ­teousness, which bringeth healing under his wings for all Nations, is interposed and eclipsed; whose upright Discipline, Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, O Eng­land, shall give thee Peace in thy Borders, and in the midst of thy Enemies; uniting the hearts of the Fa­thers; uniting the hearts of the Rulers to the People, and of the People to their Rulers; uniting the hearts of Superiors to Inferiors, and of Inferiors to Superiors; [Page 13]uniting all societies, and all degrees, both high and low, in one heart and in one mind, to wish, desire and endeavor the good, the welfare and right of each other; not as parties in partiality and hypocrisie, but in righ­teousness and in love, in submission and subjection to the good Law of the Lord, teaching all men to deny Ungodliness, Ambition, Covetousness, Envy, Wrath, and worldly lusts; and to behave themselves obedi­ently, peaceably, lowly, and righteously in this present evil world. Thus the blessed day of Restoration or Re­demption shall be accomplished, and the Creation of God, which groan under mans oppression, be delivered, and the joyful time foretold by the holy Prophets fulfilled, That the Lyon shal lie down with the Lamb, and the Leopard with the Kid, and the young Lyon and the Fatling together, and a Child shall lead them, &c. and the Lord God Everlasting shall be One, and his Laws, Statutes and Ordinances observed, in a holy and a righteous life, be one, in one heart and in one mind, by all the Lovers of Truth and Righteousness through­out the Land. Hasten, O Lord, hasten to accomplish this thy work, and let thy power and long-suffering once overcome the pride of man, that would resist thee, that we the Inhabitants of this Land in this our generation may be the glory and the rejoycing of suc­ceeding Ages, that they in us were ordained and creat­ed to see thy Righteousness flourish and established upon the Earth, to thy praise and honour among all Nations, O thou Creator and Preserver of Men; so shall we not resist in our deeds that which Christ hath taught, and which with our lips we have prayed, for [Page 14]saying, Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven; for the Kingdoms, the Power, the Glo­ry and Dominions thereof are thine, thou only of right O Lord art worthy to reign henceforth and for ever in the hearts of men.