A MESSAGE Sent forth from the RISEN SEED OF GOD, BEING A faithful expostulation and Testimony concerning the unjust and hard deal of the Rulers and people in ENGLAND, WHO Have a hand in the cruel oppressions and sufferings of the people of God called QUAKERS.  
Hearken and give ear ye Sons of men, and consider what ye are doing in making snares, traps and Gods 〈◊〉 Innocent people, what have we done against the Righteous holy God, or against any of his Laws, or against any righteous just Laws of men, (since we were a people called and chosen of God out of the ways and vanities of this worlds) that you should thus oppress, abuse and persecute us, as if we were not worthy to ●●●e upon the face of the earth? Why do ye thus built us as a 〈◊〉 upon the Mountains, & as sheep for the slaughter? What evil have we done? or what is our offence, that you like Saul pursue us; If you pretend and say we are breaker of the King's Laws, or Queen's Laws, or Acts of Parliaments, or the like, of this be the only cause, then let me query or reason with you in God's behalf: What are those Laws or Acts of Parliament, and the ground of them, by which a harmless and Innocent people are thus caused to suffer, who breaks not the Law of Christ and of God, but worship him in the Spirit and truth, with our heart and understanding, mind and strength, and loves our neighbour as ourselves, as God is witness, and even prayeth that God would open the eyes of them that hate us and despitfully use us, had not them in daniel's time, and in the Jews time, and in Shedreck, Mesheck, and Abednegoes time Laws and Decrees sealed with King's seals, which was against God and his dear children, (which worshipped him in spirit and truth as we do now) who suffered such things for the trial of their faith and patience for a season, yea, he suffered Cain to kill his brother Abel, about sacrifice and worship, he suffered Judas to betray Christ our elder brother, and the Rulers and Priests to crucify and murder him by a Law, but what Law was it by which the Son of God was out to death, judge ye; was it not made in man's will by that spirit that protect the good words, and had the sheep's Clothing that did say and not do: and were not the Scribes and Pharisees and Rulers and Chief Priests Hipocrits that did so, and had not they their portion in the Lake that burns; And did not he say to them if you have done these things to the green tree, what will they do to the dry; And was not he had from Prison to Judgement, and 〈…〉 amongst ●●ngressors, and is it not so now between you and us as it was then, the enmity between the two Seeds and Births; read and let Gods witness which reproves you in secret answer: And did not he suffer the Prophets to be stoned by the great professing City and is 〈◊〉, and Priest Pas●ir to smite jeremiah on the mouth, and to 〈◊〉 put in the 〈…〉 Dungeon for speaking the truth, and suffered Zachariah 〈◊〉 be slain between the Porch and the Altar, and Stephen to be stoned for witnessing against Temples made with hands; any many such things God did suffer that evil and a 〈…〉 upon his servants and tender Children, who saith to their oppressors in this age, as he did then, fill ye up the measures of your Fathers that upon you may come the vengeance, for all the righteous bloodshed from Zachariah to this day.  
Are not you in the way of Cain, are not you in the way of the Jews, are not you in the way of the Heathen that did rage and the people that did imagine vain things, who took Counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed ones, saying let us break their bands asunder and cast away their Cords from us, and are not you now saying within yourselves, and among yourselves, let us break their meetings, and cast away or banish their strength from us, that their name may be bloated out, and their remembrance from amongst us, but he that sits in Heaven hath you in derision, who will laugh at your callamnity, and mock when your fear and destruction cometh as a whirlwind: Are you not like Herod (that subtle Fox,) who sought the young Child's life as soon as it was born, & was not he prevented though he slew all the Males in that Region, about two years old or under; and are you nor like Pharaoh, and those dark Egyptians, Enchanters, Magicians and Wise men, who said let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and become great in number, and so enjoined the Midwives to kill all the Males of the Hebrews, but was not Moses then born, and hid from them in an Ark of Bulrushes, whom God had appointed to be the leader & deliverer of his people out of Egypt, even thus are you deceived and God will prevent you and your intents, as he did them and theirs, whose Decrees were frustrated, and Laws and Counsels of none effect, for God hath sworn by himself, and he will perform it, that no weapon form against jacob or his seed shall prosper, nor any Enchantment or divination, against his Israel shall prevail, for he hath determined to exalt Truth and Righteousness in the earth, and to throw down wickedness, oppression, Idolatry, and ungodliness, and he will take the wise in their own craftiness, and lay low even to the dust, all the powers of the earth, who exalt themselves against him and his heritage, he respects not the persons of men, but will trample the ungodly as in a Wine-press, in his fury for his seed sake, who hath said to us his babes and children, concerning our oppressions, fear ye not the face of man, nor the revile and threaten of the sons of men, whose breath is in their nostrils, that shall be made as grass, the moth shall eat them up like wool; and I'll plead my cause with them, in their Consciences by my own witness, which seethe in secret, and beholds all their hard speeches, and ungodly deeds, which they have proudly spoken against me and my people; for vengeance is mine, and I will repay it saith the Lord: Therefore hear now ye Rulers, Priests, Soldiers and people this day in England, who are brewing your hands in the blood of the Innocent, and let me reason with you concerning these things; What was Cain and his way, to which the woe belongs to this day, was he not of the wicked one who slew his brother about worship and sacrifice, and are not they of the wicked one, (the murderer from the beginning) so now, let Gods witness in you answer, and what was Balaam and his way, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, whose madness and folly the dumb Ass with man's voice reproved, if you have ears to hear, hear, for many that hath been as dumb rod upon by you, and your predecessors, gins now to speak with man's voice, and are not you and your Teachers found in cain's way, and Balaams' way; will not you murder and rob, and banish, and imprison and persecute about sacrifice and worship? Is not this cain's way and Balaams way; do not flatten yourselves, nor daub with untempted mortar, but let the witness of the just God arise and answer, which will speak the truth; which will be as a worm and moth, in the heart and bowels of the ungodly and hypocrites for ever, if you repent not with speed, if your Common prayers, and homilies, and Organs be the fruit of your ground, can you not offer it to your God and be content, or will not your God accept it at your hands, without you murder, rob, and persecute us, who offer unto our God Male and firsting of our flock, which opens the womb holy to the Lord; if you do well shall you not be accepted, but if not sin lieth at your door like Cain, whose countenance fell who was wrath and slew his brother; consider these things for you have either a wicked God, (the Devil the God of this world) or your sacrifices are wicked and abominable, or you offer it with wicked hands, for God said unto Cain why art thou wrath? and why is thy countenance falling? if thou dost well shall thou not be accepted, but if not sin lieth at the door, ●●d your state now you that can sing and pray, and murder about it, and make laws against the true worshippers of the living God in spirit and truth, and see what you are doing, and how far you are out of cain's way, and the Pharisees way, who could pay Tithe, and fast twice a week, and make long prayers or Common prayers as well as you, (and kill Christ Jesus and his Disciples) who had the Latin, Greek and Hebrew as well as you, and see what you differ from them, and whether you are not of the same seed of evil doers, and let the witness of the dreadful God Judge in this matter, who will not be mocked with your Sacrifices and prayers, and will-worships, and feigned humiliations, it's all abomination to him; therefore repent least while you rejoice in the sound of your Organs, he sweep you down to Hell; And be awakened to Judgement, and arise and behold the great Controversy which is at this day between Cain, and Abel▪ Christ and Anti-christ, Light and darkness, Righteousness and unrighteousness, Truth and deceit and wickedness, what shall I say of it, but in plainess between God and the Devil, the Lamb and the Dragon, Michael the Archangel, and the Devil and his Angels; and consider and see of whose side ye now are, and whether you are not them of whom Enock the seventh from Adam prophesied, and jude declared ungodly men, raging waves of the Sea, foaming out your own shame, speaking evil of things you know not, filthy dreamers, walking after your own ungodly justs, the mockers and scoffers in these last days, speaking evil of Dignities, and despising Dominion, (even the sons and Children of the most high God, and their Kingdom and Dominion which hath no end, of which Abel and Enock was, whose life and Kingdom you know not,) who of old were ordained to this condemnation, heady high minded, self willed, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; and whether you are not those Wells without water, and Clouds without rain carried about with a Tempest, having a form of Religion, but denying the power of God; and persecutes them that live in it.  
And whether you are not the Heathen that live at ease, with whom God is very sore displeased, which helps forward the affliction of his people, read your state and your portion, Zach. 1.15. Zeph. 1.15, 16, 17, 18. etc. And whether you are not them that chant at the sound of the Viol, and drink Wine in Bowls, and eat the Lambs out of the flocks, and anoint yourselves with the chief Ointments, inventing to yourselves Instruments of Music like David, and are not greeved for the afflictions of Joseph, putting far away the evil day, and c●●●sing the seat of violence and oppression come near ye which rejooce in a thing of naught; read Amos 6 and within with God's witness in your Consciences, and then behold us in your Goal holes and stinking places of cruelty, who are a poor and an afflicted people, whose trust is in the name of the Lord; for thus saith the Lord God concerning us who tremble at his word, I will appear to your joy, and they that hate you shall be ashamed; and I will lead joseph like a flock, and set the sollatry in families, and they shall rejoice in my highness, and sing for the glory of my Majesty, and I will joy over them and rejoice to do them good; But as for you, your wresting of Judgement, and your turning of things upside down, and your Sword backward shall be rewarded upon your own heads; for as you have oppressed and lead into Captivity my people, and broke your words and Covenants, and your promises and engagements consuming them and their worships of me the living God, which is in the Spirit and Truth (which shall not be limited;) Even so shall you be oppressed and go into Captivity, and be dealt treacherously with; for with the same measure you meet to them, shall others meet to you again; And who do you think will keep their Oaths, Covenants, promises and engagements to them, that are false in their own to others; consider these things for because of swearing and forswearing, promising and treacherous dealing, Convenanting and breaking of the same, the Land mourns, and will mourn, until the spirit of Lies deceit and falsehood is banished from amongst you; but the Proverb is true, the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver, but the heart of the wicked is little worth, much less their words.  
What are you? Or what is your power? Or whence came you? that you in your Generation should deal thus treacherously with God and man, to grind the faces of the poor, and eat up my people like bread, and slay them, and chop their flesh as for the Cauldron, will not blood be required at the hand of him that shed it, have not many of my Children suffered to death, by your cruel imprisonments, and knockings down in their meeetings, to waire upon me, who had no other end but to worship me, as I am witness between you and them for ever; was not the death of Uriah laid to David's charge, though he slew him not with his own hands, but consented to it, and not restrained it, who had the power in his hand; and shall not my witness in you, be the Nathan 〈◊〉 your particular Consciences; and say thou art the man, for thou consentedst to it and not restrained it when the power was in thy hand: Consider these things before it be to late, and your day pass as the chaff before the wind, for I the Lord God am jealous for Zion, with great jealousy, and I will plead her cause with all her Enemies.  
Or will your saying we have a Law or an Act of Parliament, and by our Law or Act they ought not to meet above four or five, & by our Law they ought to be imprisoned, or banished, or they ought to die, or abjure the Land; save you in the day of my fury saith the Lord, will your King's Laws, or Queen's laws, or Parliaments laws or decrees, stand you in stead, help hid or save you, when I shall descend upon you in flames of fire, rendering vengeance on all them that obey not my Law and Gospel, written and preached in the heart of every man and woman under Heaven; or will your lying Indictments and Warrants plead for you which you say my people meet in force of Arms in contempt of the King his Crown and dignity; or will your writing them dangerous, seditious, and wicked Sectaries, and disloyal persons, cover you? will not all England's sober people give you the lie in these things; who knoweth our manner and conversation among them? yea, and will not the witness of God in your own Consciences testify the same with them? or will Elizabeth's Statute 35. or she herself rise from the dead, to keep off my vengeance that is hastening upon you for your lies, injustice and cruelty? will your writing the Assemblies of my people unlawful? make them so in my sight? was not daniel's prayer unlawful? and the Apostles preaching forbidden by the Rulers? but was it so in my sight? judge ye, might not they have said as well as you, they break the peace of Kings and people; were there not great stirs and tumults in all ages, about my people, against them in whom my spirit of truth was manifest; could the whole Land bear my servant Amos his words: Consider what peace is broken, or against what peace my people are: whose weapons are not Carnal and what people are terrified by them or their meetings in my name and fear, in Truth and Righteousness as you have written, (to the great terror of the people) by your lies to render them odious, and let my witness in you answer, for I am not come to send peace on earth but a sword, and a fire, which is already kindled, and you shall never be able to quench it, for I have raised my seed in my children, and have placed them as a brazen wall in the midst of Nations (against the flood of ungodliness, Idolatry and wickedness, else you had ere this, been destroyed as Sodom, in whom I will manifest my terrible power and Kingdom, which hath no end; against the Devil's Power and Kingdom, which must end against Oppression and Oppressors, murder and Murderers; injustice, cruelty, Idolatry and hypocrisy, and all manner of ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; which power shall grind the grinders, and bruise the bruisers and oppressors of my people; and shall tread upon Princes as upon mortar, for I am arisen, and come and coming in thousands and ten thousands of my saints and Children who tremble at my word, to convince all that are ungodly of their ungodly deeds and hard speeches, and to execute my Judgements upon the rebellious, and gainsaying Generation; and I will gather my Lambs into my bosom, and the Seed of jacob into their own Land, and the meek shall inherit the Earth, and the poor in spirit shall possess my Everlasting Kingdom, against which work now begun, neither you nor all the Rulers of the darkness of this World, your Kings, Queens and Parliaments, with their Laws and decrees, Gog nor Magog, Sodom nor Gomorah, Egypt, Death nor Hell, with the strength and gates of it, shall be able to prevail or overcome, I the Lord God of Heaven and earth (that made the Worlds in mine eternal word and unchangeable decree) hath spoken it.  
Therefore these things in the fear of God (if you have any) and in soberness consider, for it shall stand a living Testimony which shall not be made void, but is dropped upon you as an hour of God's Visitation the which if you slight and repent not of your deeds and unrighteous proceed against his people, you shall be left without excuse in the Terrible day at hand, which hastens upon you as a Woman in travel that is ready to be delivered, and you shall not escape; Therefore prize your time, and be not proud nor Rebellious for the Lord hath spoken, neither be ye mockers, lest your bands are made strong, but believe and tremble, and remember the King of Ninnive, who shall rise up in Judgement against this Generation and Condemn it, for a greater than jonah, and a greater than Solomon is risen among us, who respecteth not the persons of men, but will plead with all flesh which hath Corrupted its way, by fire and Sword, and the Slain of the Lord shall be many, even all the workers of Iniquity, which hateth reproof, despiseth good Counsel, and doth not choose the fear of the Lord.  
So this is unto you a Visitation and warning, (from him that lives for ever) of whose blood I his servant am clear, having obeyed his voice) whether you hear or forbear.  
I am a Traveller for Zions sake, and a trembler at the word of the great dreadful God, the Righteous judge of quick and dead, and a follower of the Lamb, through the great tribulations, loving not my life to the death for his sake, hallelujah Amen. W.B.   

And FRIENDS,  
TEll me how you came to be Christians, and by what Law you were lead to Christ, was it Queen mary Law without you. or Queen Elizabeth's which you now Act by, or was it the new Covenant, which God made unto his people? If these Laws before mentioned, as Queen Elizabeth's or mary, be now the scoolmaster, when came they in force; And when was Moses the just man the leader of the people out of Egypt, and the Law which God gave to him disannulled? And when was the Covenant broken between Moses and God? did not he stay 〈◊〉 wrath, and stand in the gap between God and his people, and prayed to God for them and God heard his prayer, and his wrath was turned away from Israel, whom Moses lead out of Egypt, to be tried in the Wilderness, as many are at this day, blessed be God; and Moses the Instrument which brought them thither, and cursed be they who disobey the command of God given to Moses, which is fulfilled in Christ the Elder brother, and them that follow him, who breaketh not the commands of God given to Moses; but fulfilleth them in his sufferings, which is now making up at this day.  
Have a care what you do in fight against God in his Members, you who profess yourselves to be Christians, Magistrates; persecutors of others who are members of Christ's body, who was persecuted by chief Priests and Rulers who professed they had more knowledge of God than them, they persecuted; but their Condemnation was the greater, for that they were sayers and not doers; as many of you are at this day professing Christ in words but serving an hypocritical generation.  
Woe to the Pharisees saith Christ; and woe to the Christians now, who profess Christ in words, and in their works and practices deny him, who make long prayers, and their hands full of cruelty and blood, and makes their seat a place of violence, that Justice and Truth cannot be heard; but the simple and upright in heart will learn Judgement; and the prudent in Queen Elizabeth and mary Laws, who refuse the Law of God to be their Rule, will God cut off, though called Justices, Chief Priests or Rulers: Look ye to it for the hand of Justice and true Judgement is lifted up, that the heritage of God shall be known, not by the Law of Queen Elizabeth or Mary which is now in hand; but by Jesus the King of the Jews, the Son of the living God the highest amongst men, the greatest in the Consciences of all his people; Swear not at all saith he, who is come to be Lord in the Conscience, and ●one else shall Rule over his Heritage, though now it seems to be trampled upon by injustice and unrighteousness. which is Acted by unrighteous men, who are but as the drop of a Bucket and dust defore him; Therefore dread the Lord, ye Kings and Rulers for the Judgement is now setting up, which respecteth not the ways of Kings, because the heart of Kings are in the hand of the Lord who can turn them as a River of Water, which way he pleaseth, and their Life is in his hand as a span; Therefore I say dread the Lord all Flesh. for the day of the Lord hastens and is even at the doors.  
To the truth of which, I subscribe M.B.   


SEek not by Laws, made in man's will  
The blood of Innocents' to spill,  
For if you do, the Law of God  
With in your heart, shall be the Rod  
Which shall you smite, with strokes full soar  
And you Condemn, for evermore;  
For your decrees, which are unjust  
They shall not stand, God's Counsel must.  
Professions, words and prayers long,   

He hath no pleasure in  
Without the life of righteousness,   

All Scarifice is Sin;  
The day is broke, and God's just stroke  
On Hypocrites must come,  
Their many words and Carnal swords  
Can't save them from their doom,   
Amen.  
THE END.   

Printed for W.M. 1662.