God Magnified, MAN DETHRONED: Presented to the PARLIAMENT, And SYNOD of England: Who sit as if Judges for Saints, as if Leaders, and Guides unto the Generation of Jesus Christ, the Body of the Communion of God.  
By W. BRAY.  
ISA. 9.15, 16. The ancient and honourable he is the Head: the Prophet that teacheth lies, he is the Tayl. For the Leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.  MAT. 21.13, 14, 15, 16. 
JOB 20.26. A Fire not blown shall consume him, it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle. The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.  
JOB 36.22. Behold God exalteth by his power, who teacheth like him?  
JOB 21.22, 34. Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judgeth those that are on high? How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?  
LONDON, Printed, Anno Domini. 1647.   

TO The High Court OF PARLIAMENT.  
Right Honourable,  
HAving by experience beheld God, and in seeîng God have seen man also, I desire to speak a word or two unto you, as not losing my life unto the death, for I desire more and more to be translated and transformed into the Image of Jesus manifested in the flesh, and to live by the Faith of the Son of God in the Spirit. I have now seen man, the perfection of the earth's Creation to be vanity, and his ways to be as mutable as the wind, which is sometimes East, and sometimes West, sometimes North, and sometimes South: and now I desire to lie low before the God of the whole earth, and to lay aside all voluntary humility, and worshipping of Angels or men: I have seen many writings, and I have heard many tongues which have endeavoured to hinder the pure flamings of the Eternal God; even the God, the King, and Judge. The pure Sceptre is in the hand of Immortality and Immutability, that can make the light to shine in the darkness; so that darkness shall not withstand or comprehend the power of its infiniteness. There is much contending for victory over one another's censcience in the world, & the root of such endeavour for a present Conformity proceed from your Synod which you have chosen, who would (if they could) fain be riding on others, and making the Image of God in others a slave, a servant to their fallible & fallibly interpreted results, whereas the walkings of the visible man should alone proceed from the pure power and teachings of the invisible God, both as to God and to man, (if we walked as he also walked.) The Gods of the Nations they are all Idols, vanity, a lie, and a shadow, though I remember I have read it was an opinion of old.  
Quicquid Humus, Pelagus, Coelum, miserabile gignit,  
Id dixere deos, etc.  
What ever Heaven's Sea, and Land begat,  
Hills, Sea, and Rivers, God was this and that.  
Me thinks I see sensibly and experimentally (praised be the Father of mercies) that the Saints sit by the River of Babylon, and weep when they have the remembrance of Zion, and may yet still do, if the Lord give power any longer to the enemy and oppressor: then they that carry us away captive, will require of us a song, and they that made exile or banishment our portion (as a Synodean Minister (so called) told me there was no other way for Sectaries) will revile us exceedingly, and say, race, raze them even to the ground; and they that waste us, will require of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the song of Zion. But if we have not the Lord with us, God with us, How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange Land? Psal. 137.1, 2, 3, 4. verses.  
Me thinks it should be a business of high concernment to you to offend one of the littele one's of the Father, (which you may do, seeing neither you, nor your teachers are infallible) lest you be found fighters against God (as God is in jesus) and crucifiers of the body of love, and complacency. But if you are, and if you are to me, Crucifiers, I desire to embrace the Cross, as my Father's Crown to me, I desire to see the Cross, and Crown, from one supreme cause, power, and will, I shall be glad if the Father will account me worthy (when I have no ground to account myself so) to suffer for his sake: if you shall have the Crown any longer, yet know this, that your crown, your dominion, is not an everlasting dominion, the people of the most high God shall appear more palpably, as God, with them in the inmost man, and then God shall be palpably exalted, and man dethroned.  
The invisible God, and substance, hath carried me out to write these things, and hath answered all objections (though many) of flesh, hell, and death, so that to me, to will and to do, is God, so that all, or any thing shall be to me gain and immortal advantage. In fine, is not particular, fleshly interest, the God of the world: is there, not a general acting, judging, censuring and condemning, without infallible judgement, and Testimonies and have not men thrown down Episcopacy, to set up tyrannical domineering Presbytery, mutato nomine tantum. And is not formal Philosophy, vain deceit, traditions of men, and rudiments of the world, the great Argument that sways, witness many men who writ many elaborate Volumes, and the continual man-teachings of priests to Counsels: do not the Priests of the nation endeavour to blow the bellows of contention; and to divide dear friends, because of difference in judgement, so that as one Augustine, one of they Fathers, Tempestate contentionis serenitas charitatis obnubilatur. In the tempest of contention the serenity of charity is overclouded: may not Episcopalls, Presbyterians, and Independents sit all under their own Vines, and Figtrees, and yet live lovingly one with another, one to another be contraries, & yet be contraries in the spirit of love, and mekeness forbearing & forgiving one another; may not every one walk in the light of his God, according to the prophecy; And the Saints walk in the light of the Lord their God: surely if all that talk of Christ, of that anoinment, were really possessed in the glory of it, man would not be any thing, but God would be all in all: I cannot hold my peace, I am Idem calamo quod in ment, I desire you to excuse me (if you can) that I have been so bold (according to the common denomination of boldness) God hath condescended to speak to me, and I have spoken to God, and his Testmony is sure; why should not you condescend, peradventure God may give you an invisible dart, to think on temperance, and judgement to come: So I rest,  
Your Honour's humble Servant if you walk according to the pure light of nature, and if you shall stand for justice and mercy in the Land. W. Bray.   

Nationall Assembly.  
YOU that endeavour to make yourselves renowned, and to exalt God with yourselves alone, you that consult and endeavour to make the places of Saints too strait, and to bind up the spirit of God to your formality, darkness, and bounds. You that hear the children that you have lost say in your ears, the place is too strait for us, give place to us that we may dwell, Isa. 49.20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. You that say in your hearts, who hath begotten me these? seeing you have lost your children, and you are and will become desolate; and who hath brought up these? these, where have they been? will you make the broad places strait? will you comprehend God in a narrow compass of a man, of a Synod? will you compass the incompassable? will you compare with the incomparable? Oh you cannot! Do you think that God hath no other Ornament than a Directory, to adorn a Nation which he means to reform? If he hath such a mind, surely he hath. Do you think that he who hath rivers of all sorts, and waters of glory, and of variety to change his Creation by jesus Christ, and according to jesus Christ, hath but your stream? But that one current of yours which you intent to make to run in the veins of the heavens, and of the earth if you can? Surely you are deceived, God will, I am confident dry up your River, and make your fish to stink, and die for thirst. If you have a Jasper, do you think all must have jasper's; may not another have a Saphir? Yes truly, whether you have, or have not a Jasper, if you have a Saphir, may not another have a Chalcedony? If you have an Emerald, may not another have a Sardonyx? If you have a Sarduis, may not another enjoy a Chrysolite? if you have a Topar, may not another enjoy a Chrysophrasus? If you have a Jacynth, may not another have an Amethyst? Rev. 21.19. If you have, or be any of these, surely it would be satisfaction enough to you. If you have the light of the Sun freely given you, will you endeavour to destroy him that hath but the light of the Moon? will you despise the day of small things? Have you freely received, and will you force another to walk as you walk when he hath not received? You that were overcome yourselves, (if you have truly overcome evil and Heresy) will you have another Conqueror than the brightness of the Father's glory? Is it not your darkness and inconsiderateness, to say in your heart, who hath begotten these? Do you think you must be perpetual Fathers? shall Saints be always taught of fallible, mutable, vain man? would you not have God to beget how he pleaseth, and when he pleaseth? Oh vain man! why contendest thou with thy maker, the holy one of Israel? Thou canst not prevail, thou never madest a hair of thine own head, thou never addest a Cubit to thine own stature: He that walks in the circuit of heaven laughs thee to scorn, and hath thee in derision daily. Dost thou think God can bring none forth, but such as thou willest? can teach no other way, but such as thou teachest? can have no other Terms but such as thou understandest, comprehendest, studiest, and contrivest? If that invisible God, and eternal substance doth begin to set up his Standard to the people, & to lift up his hand to the Gentiles, and to make Kings nursing Fathers, and Queens nursing mothers; Wilt thou instigate the Magistracy, the Kings, the powers of the world in the high places, to bind the people of God (though under another notion) in chains of death and darkness? Dost thou think that Kings, Queens, and Magistrates must be only nursing fathers and mothers unto you, must honour the God of Heaven and earth only in you, and lick up the dust of your feet? In the consideration of these things, I am cast into admiration of infinity. Oh boundless God and binding man! Oh boundless God that measurest all things, comprehendest all things, who hast infiniteness in all thy true variety; let not thy Saints be ashamed to wait for thee. Oh Super-superlative binding God who art able to bind Synods, Counsels, Powers of the world, in chains and fetters of Iron; that have bound the people, & deceived the Nations a great space, manifest thyself, that thou bindest and losest, and art able to restrain the bindings of man, as well as to unloose after thou hast given him power to bind. And if thou hast an intent that this Synod shall be a scourge, or means of a scourge to thy people, as well as other Synods (formerly called Convocations, or other names) do thou say to thy Saints in the spirit of understanding; Where is the fury of former oppressors? and am not I the Lord thy God? and is not my name the Lord of Hosts, who have divided the Sea, whose waves roared? Isa. 51.15. Say thou to thy people, as thou saidst of old, Isa. 52.3, 4, 5, 6. Ye have sold yourselves for nought, and ye shall be redeemed without money, though they that rule over you make you to howl, and cause the ignorant of God to blaspheme the Lord every day. But let thy people know, it is thou that speakest, even thou. I am confident Synod, the thoughts of God are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, the ways of the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are the ways of the triumphant God, and the thoughts of the triumphant God higher than yours, and you may miss of your aim in your generation: but I rejoice you keep your Crown, Power, Kingdom, and Glory so long as the Father will: Synod read, perhaps you may know and understand, 56 Isa. 11. & 57 Isa. Whose Chapter may appertain to thee in thy own understanding, and the 13 Ezekiel & 14 Ezekiel 9, 10. & 41 Isa. & 10 jeremiah, & 23 jeremiah, & the 26 jeremiah, & 29 jeremiah, 8 & 12 verses etc. And also the 34 of jeremiah 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, etc. I can (I thank the most High, the invisible substance) make parallels, and the parallels aequipolent. Therefore though you shall endeavour to scourge me and afflict me, yet I shall see the love of the absolute Lord, in scourge and whip. Though you shall say as others before you have said, Come let us scourge him and afflict him, for he hath sinned against the Lord; yet my glory is in the absolute God, washer, cleanser, purger, discerner, informer, reformer, and acquitter, and from him I have my Quietus est. What though you make me an offender for a word? What though you shall have the Nobles, the Powers of the world, the Parliament (whom you instigate,) the People, to say, Come let us devise devices against him, because he speaks of the things of God (he being not Ordained.) The Law shall not perish from the Priest, nor Counsel from the Wise, nor the Word from the Prophet. Come let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. Yet the absolute Lord, non-respecter of persons can give a word to the poor, as well as to the rich; to the Carpenter, to the Fisher, as well as to the Prophet, the Priest, and the Levite.  
I rejoice in your instigation of Magistracy, because of the Father's will, and because it causes this operation in me, it makes me, and hath made me to see, if I might attain it, how I am (as really) in the beauty of the Son of righteousness, who is more beautiful than the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. And truly I am told of God (as I am persuaded) that I should not as yet one myself with you, nor acknowldge you as friends, to the wisdom and glory of God in jesus Christ. If I should not hold forth my contrariety, as the Father hath made me contrary to you, in love for God, in love from God, and to God; I should have burning fire in my own breast. Would you have me know any thing of God and not speak it? if I should forget the Lord my maker and trust on you, and upon you; surely my Lord when he looks upon me and I see him, would make me to lie down in sorrow, and to weep bitterly: therefore I had rather have your frowns (who call yourselves Teachers & Fathers) than my real, absolute, & immutable Fathers. Will you scourge me, or afflict me, or instigate Magistracy, if at any time I shall declare the sweetness of God? Shall I be in the garden of variety, and not speak of it? would you have none be in the garden but yourselves? would you have none other but yourselves (though others are in the garden) to speak of the things they see and hear? Do you know the root and the ground of God's wisdom? Do you know all the branches of Eternity? Do you know the God of Dominion? Will you not let him save whom he will, and condemn whom he pleaseth? Will you assume to make a man know, before he must truly know; and understand, before he must truly understand? Are not the times and the seasons in the heavens and the earth, for the father's accomplishments? Must not the heavens and the earth hear his voice when he speaks with an intention that it shall hear, know, and understand.  
I was lately cast into a consideration of the incomprehensible odd, even of God (who is acknowledged by you generally to be Causa Causarum) and also of vain, weak, inconsiderable, Logical, Sophistical formal, in fine, sensual man. I was thinking how small a particular creature of God I was, and how little of the visible world I could comprehend in the hollow of my hand, and then I considered, and said, surely it would be an admired thing, if a Synod, if a man, if men, if a few men should make a Law, or procure a Law, Ordinance, or Declaration to be made, that a man that could not comprehend the heavens and the earth, or the glorious visible things of God in the hollow of his hand, should be accounted an Heretic. All rational men in the world, and those that are only rational would think it a foolish Ordinance, an inconsiderate Law. Would you have a Law made then, that he that cannot comprehend (or comprehend as you would have him comprehend) the invisible things of that invisible, indivisible God, shall be accounted an Heretic. O surely if you had faith, you would be glad to have it to yourselves, and you would manifest it, with the glory of its pure self, and undefiled being: surely if you had faith to remove mountains, you would have more love to Heretics (as you call them) and less bitterness. But it satisfies me that God can roll the heavens and the earth together like a scroll, and bring it into the narrow compass of a man's hand, if he will, and manifest himself to whom he will, and when he pleaseth, and you are not masters of him. He always comprehends, and he can so be seen to man's capacity if he will; and he can and doth comprehend not to be seen if he will; he is not like to man, one little particular of God's varieties; he can feel us, and we shall not be sensible of it; and see us, and we shall not see him; though he be within, and without; upon the right, and upon the left; before, and behind. Suppose you have seen Lilies, but another hath seen Roses, and another hath seen flowers of other natures and kinds: will you make a Law, or endeavour to have a Law made, that all must say they have seen Lilies, and nothing but Lilies; when they have not seen Lilies at all, but Roses, or other of God's diversities? Again, suppose you have been in the garden of God, did you get in by the sword, by violence, by power, by sleight of hand, by wit & policy, by Logic and Philosophy? what must others do that have not your Logic and Philosophy? but truly I think the flaming sword of the incomprehensible God will keep you out with your Logic, and prevail with you, and over your Philosophy, and truly, immutably, and substantially cry, Victoria Again, suppose you have been in the garden of God, and seen the fragrant flowers, the sweet beams of Divine Light; your names written in heaven: suppose you have the witness of Jesus in your consciences, will you endeavour to have a Law made, that all that will not believe you, may be burnt with fire, may be imprisoned, may be banished, may be sawen asunder, may not trade & traffic in the kingdoms of the world, which are the Lords? Surely if you were truly taken up with those beauties in yourselves, you would not desire that fire should come down from heaven to destroy others much less make a fire yourselves to consume them.  
Again, suppose that a multitude, or many now in these days should see Jesus Christ, should enjoy the invisible teachings of God in the inward man, should speak of it, or preach it: would it not be a Pharisaical envious trick to endeavour to rebuke such Disciples: if they should cry Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord in the inward man? May not Christ say, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out Luke 19.37, 38, 39 When the incomprehensible pleasantness of the spirit is manifested, from enjoyment, it would be never the worse if it were by all the people, if in the streets, if upon the house tops. But I know that Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests will murmur at this, and pray, and fast, that Christ may rebuke this, but Christ will not; and therefore Assembly, though I have been held in chains of darkness a great while, and though held in the grave as it were; yet when the eternal God to my understanding, and with his flame inflames, and zeal makes me zealous, and in his time makes me to serve him, I desire it in that time when he wils, and alone in that time when he wils and until that time I may say, from myself, to myself, and to you, Ne suitor ultra crepidam. But when he will inflame me to speak in the understanding, I desire not to value the powers of the world; whether within me, with me, or without me: For I desire to be a servant to the most high God, though bonds and afflictions shall wait for me. And so with my respects to you, as to men, men subject to infirmities, and passions, fallible men: And also desiring the father alone (if it be the father's pleasure) that I may whilst I live (under the appointed power and Authority of the World) be more and more drawn up into the life Supereminent in a way of peaceableness, (though I live in unpeaceable, unquiet, unholy, ungodly Authority, and Power) and quietness, in all godliness and honesty, I rest:  
Hoping I am, and so shall be A Servant to the absolute Lord, though I shall be persecuted for the same, W. Bray.   

To the Impartial and Partial READERS.  
Reader,  
WHosoever thou art, under what name soever thou wouldst be accounted, and esteemed amongst men, if thou art free to read, let it be as if there were no distinction of names by man which tend to division & fleshly contention; but if thou & I are distinguished in the true nature of distinction, (as of, and in two bodies in opposition, designed, and brought forth by the eternal God) I know we shall be contraries, though in some measure, I can say, I have the spirit of testimony, the spirit of understanding, yet, I can say, I am nothing at all, neither do I desire to be any thing, but what God will, and whatsoever I am, or am made to be, that God may be all in all. Perhaps I shall lead thee through variety of objects, which thou wilt like, and dislike, but whosoever thou art, I hope I shall not be offended with thee (being in it kept through the power of God) if thou dislikest, nor the more affected, if thou likest, for thy liking, or disliking, commends me not, neither discommends me unto God. But his Testimony unto me, with me, for me, in me, is free, and true, even higher if possible, than perfection can style it, Non ab homine testimonium accipio, I receive not man's record, I care not for man's testimony. I have directed this ensuing treatise to the national Ministers (so called) perhaps you will expect they should confirm the words they have spoken, and preached unto you: If that ministerial Assembly, and those godly divines, (so called and esteemed) will not vouchsafe or condescend to give me an answer, I should be unwilling to be a Proselyte to such men. But my comfort is, that he that inhabits eternity will discourse with me in the inner man, within my own vail, when I shall not be admitted, or accounted worthy to come within a thousand foot of a Synod. I have read, that Mahomet when he had published his Koran, no man must comment, dare to dispute, or call in question any part of it, be it never so absurd, incredible, fabulous, and ridiculous, it must be believed, implicit, no man must contradict it upon pain of death, threats, terrors, affrights, tyranny, are their means to keep men in obedience, Priests and polititions do delude the whole world now at this day: Such men as have, and do read Machiavelli and Tacitus are the men that act to the bene esse of a Commonwealth, and must also (as they suppose) act in dominion and authority over the Church of God The Priests talk much of the spirit in their prayings, and preach, yet none other must upon pain of damnation, or heresy, at least; others if they preach it, or declare it, must be termed by them, Enthusiasts, and what not. Can we exclaim thus O Festus dies hominis! If that the light of reason only were not stifled, and choked in the world by the national Priests and their Proselytes pretended divinity men would not be so much deceived. Do not take notice of names, as Episcopal, Presbyter, and Independent, for a man may use either of them, without wrath or malice, a man may say unto you all, do as you would be done by. Let God alone (if you can) to destroy all unrighteousness, and to add Cubits to our statures; whosoever thou art, if thou art righteous, thou canst not hinder another's wickedness, and falls, until God wills it; so if thou art wicked, thou canst not hinder another's righteousness unless God wills it, God hath brought forth variety in the world, and one thing shall not hinder another till the Supreme cause of all will hinder as to man, and further as to man. Methinks it would be more suitable to the Scriptures of an Apostle, if in any thing any one be otherwise minded, God shall even reveal it unto him, and that would be the cessation of contention in Episcopalls, Presbyters, and Independents so called. I desire only to manifest a striking at the root of any evil, as I am stricken lovingly of God, the supreme cause, I desire him alone to perfect the work in righteousness, and to bring forth judgement and truth unto victory when he will, both to thee, and me. I writ this unto man, not for liberty, but to declare what grounds I have in my own conscience for the same of him, and from him, who giveth and continueth liberty, and holy complacency in a divine will, in prison and out; I have been under an extraordinary temptation (of & from the Devil & Satan, that for the present hath Crowns in the world) that I might not manifest myself in this particular way but God hath answered all Arguments that I can, and paradventure also that thou canst make. If I shall be again stricken friendly of the Saints, I desire I may see it as a precious balm, and embrace it, and in some of all see the active God in it. If I am stricken of others, I desire to see only power, will, and authority, from the Father of consolation: So accept this from him who is  
Thine in the service of the everlasting God, as in the generation of Jesus Christ. W. Bray.   

Temporary Potentates, (that now are) you must go to the great Grave of your Fathers, even you Mutable, living, and dying Potentates, you must be enclosed in the Concave of the earth. You Principle Counsels the best of you not much better than your fathers: nay, if some of your fathers were extant in the Visible life, you would hardly counterpoise them in a balance: if you would suffer yourselves to be weighed, you would be found too light. Oh! you spiritual Sensitive Synods or other Assemblies in the whole World: What though you break out without an absolute holy zeal of the eternal God, (but yet with zeal) with a zeal to set up yourselves, or to honour eternity with the thoughts of yourselves, with the directories of your own hearts. Interrogemus Prophetas, Interrogemus Apostolos, Interrogemus Scripturas, Interrogemus Christum: Have not many of your Nationall fathers erred, not knowing the true and real mind of the minifestations of that incomprehensible God? Have not many of your forefathers, even you yourselves varied from Apostolical know and live in the Spirit? If I did think Antichrist would not lie, or if you were competent Judges of your own hearts (in this great time of your contention for Masteries, for power and authority, for the sitting in the uppermost Rooms of feasts, for Judging according to yourselves) you would tell me that you have all gone out of the way, and that you are altogether become abominable, even in the eyes of the divine invisible presence, as it is in the Son of the Father's love; and also in your own eyes: Have not many of you endeavoured to find out the profound, unsearchable riches of the incomprehensible God, who is every where, in all the natures of things; and yet can hid himself in relation to any thing beside himself, so that they shall not perceive him? May not God work upon the Left hand, and upon the Right hand, & you see him not? surely it's recorded that Job was in such a condition Job 23.9. Have you not endeavoured to find out that one indivisible mind, that one unalterable God, as if you contained him in the hollow of your hands, in one associated, assembled company? Oh! then truly those that you are pleased to call Sectaries, of all men are most miserable. Have not you thought you might find truth's glory by the knowledge of the Etymology of words, by your artificial learning and parts, by finding out the fallible derivations and national change of Terms? Have not your Sermons been cunningly and artificially composed, like Menander his two Comedies Andria and Perinthia, which were very unlike in composition? And hath not this deceived the hearts of the people, though your subject matter, (as you will say) differ little? Do not you in your great contentions endeavour to make a Uniformity in worship, (which you are pleased to call circumstantials, or to give some other slight name to it,) and also an Uniformity in your substantials; so that the Magistrates have been as the Priests, or the Priests as the Magistrates; and so Priests, Magistrates, and people have been almost all one? But you must likewise go to the Sepulchre of your fathers, to be intoombed, or hidden mystically in the containing Bowels of the earth, the grave of the eternal God for all. Yesterday it was to a persecuting Papist, afterwards to a persecuting Protestant power, and to day is to a domineering Presbyter, Hinc illae Lachrymae, here is unstedfastness in all our ways, here is persecution under 3. adulterated forms: though I mention only these forms, I complicate other forms whatsoever they are in the world, that are not of God even the Father, as considered in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give me leave to reason with you, and take all in good part; for I freely give in a loving consideration: but let me tell you in this little Tract, that which I apprehend, will in the time of the invisible, omnipotent Father pierce you to the very heart; even some of you in this Generation before it passeth away, by that word which endures for ever. Oh thou Papist! hast thou jesus, jesus, so much in thy mouth? Oh thou Protestant! hast thou Christ as much in thine? and thou Presbyter hast thou the Lord Jesus as much in thy mouth as either of the former, to throw both down; and others also that are in a form of contrariety to thee, and to make thyself an absolute Lord, an absolute lover of thyself, an absolute pleaser of thyself, an absolute liver to thyself: I only give these names, because you are capable of those names you own yourselves by, and distinguish yourselves; and indeed are distinguished in the world; therefore be not offended at it.  
You speak much of Christ, and your own ordinary and frequent expressions to maintain your own Jus Divinum are frequently in your mouths (nay, I think in your hearts.) You say indeed Interrogemus Christum, but you do take council with yourselves, and if you, or any of you, shall be subject to the sweet teachings of God, of the most holy, true, and absolute, you will tell me hereafter, or others, if not me, or yourselves, if not others; or be told of God that you did proclaim a Fast, but you intended to cut of Naboaths head before hand, to stone poor Naboath & all because he will live in the inheritance of his Father. You will say that you had self-contrivings, and Law-making, to destroy those that would walk, and live, and speak, as being the inheritance, and in the inheritance of the Father, of freeness, love, and excellency: You will say that you with the will of yourselves, and the mind of yourselves, (though unseeingly to you, the mind of the incomprehensible) did make way for Stigmatising, and Stigmatising Informers; if you fasted from yourselves, if you did not ask council of yourselves in the forms of truth; make interrogatories to yourselves, and answer your own questions; it would be a great question whether you obeyed the voice of God, or walked after your own premeditated Ordinances, Laws, and Designs. What though your Counsels, (as it is recorded of Herod in the people's apprehensions) do speak as the Oracles of God? what though you make yourselves strong by arguments drawn from your vast Humane Intellects, (according to the formal denomination of wisdom and understanding in the world) it is all but yourselves, it is but the high glory of an exterior and mystical Antichrist; it is but ad res inanes studia convertere; It is that, that hath deceived all the Nations of the world, and doth deceive the people & multitudes of the earth, and make them to wonder at you: and indeed it hath not only drawn the earthly, and beguiled the simple, ignorant of God through deceit, but also the heavenly, the Saints of the most high, those that are in the father's bosom, & glorious teachings, even to make a Disciple for a season to deny his Master; till the substance, the invisible, incomprehensible God hath given them to see himself more, and also themselves and others, and to see and live to themselves and others less, and to see him inmost of all, within every vail, within whom nothing is, and without whom nothing is, or is not: is it not evident in the world, that Synods and Assemblies have more looked upon, and judged truth to be according to men's various argumentative varieties, according to the seeing of the eye, and the hearing of the ear, rather than the true and real discending of God in their own understandings, by the absolute spirit, witness, Testimony, or manifestation of the sole supreme?  
How many thousands of adulterous voices have the world heard and worshipped with, even with the Supereminentest names of Glory? how many false and uncertain sounds have the Plebeians (so called by many in scorn) affected from a Causidick, or a Terrestrial Politician, or an affected & self-affecting Priest, when the sound have been given by those that have the power of the Air, that are the princes, Lords, Counsellors, and Synods of the World, hath not error been affected from them, if under glorious names, and curious expressions? let the Generation that is now, be Judge, Oh you Lords! you Consellors of the earth: Oh! you Cedars in the world your Kingdom, you have interwoven yourselves into the language of the Almighty, and mixed your dross with the precious, and scarce-known truths in the World; But your mixture destroys not the substance, but the substance in the fullness of time shall destroy your mixture: but how many, or whether all you shall be saved in that day, I determine not; he alone knows, before whom, all things are naked, and not vailed.  
Truly Potentates I see (when I behold him, or when I am rather made to behold him, who is the cause of all, and of me, that am in particular, and of what I am, whom I desire to live unto) man's highness to be lowness; man's strength, to be weakness; man's promises to be perfideousness; man's liberty to be bondage; man's Communion to be far different from the Communion with the Father and the Son in the active, substantial, immutable, eternal spirit: I see man's truths to be vanity and a lie; man's love to be wrath, man's goodness and constancy to be all to himself, and man with God in his heart, as by his understandings contraction, and man with God in his mouth to carry on the design of his worldly Kingdom and glory.  
Truly earthly scourgers and Tormentors in your own Kingdoms and glories, your intentions to scourge and afflict, do make me to look to the interiorest, & to see if possible I can by that measure of glory ministered to me, how I am as to the great jehovah; and how I must be to him, and for him and not to you, for you, nor to him for you, but that I might be all for him, and all from him if possibly to you, to him, that so I might see what I have been and am unto myself, But in the consummation of my thoughts I considered this with myself, I shall not be truly able to endure the brunt of violence, if my contrariety be to you only with the flesh, it is but Satan's Kingdom divided against itself, whose Kingdom and glory must cease, and must be demonstrated to be vile and contemptible, for these two (which are but one) contraries in this seeming division, shall at length find and feel the absolute contrary, the supreme, and the supereminent, the head, the Judge. In my alone seriousness I considered that I had been a professor (of and out of the Church of England so called) but my profession made me no Saint: for it is the alone absolute and real sanctification in the Spirit that must make me a Saint & a professor, I did find according to the substance of examination & scrutiny, that my profession now must surely be more then formerly; that it must have an absolute life or else a fire would quench it, & the looks of Lords would abash it, a prison would imprison it when I should be in and out, if I shallbe out after I am in, it would cause a cessation, and honour and credit and preferment amongst men would ensnare me, and with its smiles would entrap me: But Lord let not the Lords excellencies, mutabilities, glories, in fine Vanities, entrap me, let not my profession be merely a profession of the eternal and everlasting being and name according to things without me in the similitude of the profession of the world, generally, cofusedly, and from an exterior extrajudicial affection, that eternity would comprehend me as knowingly to me (as well as knowingly to himself, who comprehends all things knowingly) in the true serious and real nature of sanctification; and that my profession may be the true and real effluxes of such a glorious comprehension.  
But Princes, Nobles, and Counsels, not worthy to be named so, in relation to the absolute supreme; I desire to behold a distance; when I am truly acted in contemplation of the Prince, the absolute, the true, the infallible, unspeakable; though I speak of the false, though I speak of the fallible and mutable, I desire not to centre there; I desire only to speak of the fading, and dying glories, as being United to him who comprehends the mutables, the exteriors, and the interiors, and speaks of them, and to them, and give them their names and places.  
But Satan that Devil tempted me, and endeavoured to have Dominion over me and it presented itself to my exterior, and approached violently with curious attire, fine expressions, the language of the most High to have admittance; but the interior (I thank the Lord) had present recourse to the Interiorest, to the comprehending the mystical God, the comprehending incomprehensible. Me thought I had these things presented me, if you will not walk according to the Law of Nobles, Lords, and Potentates, you will be crushed, they will bind you in chains, will not let you live in the world, Imprison your poor body, make you to be despised of all men, if thy profession or the things thou livest in, & knowest, were more general; then thou mightest have honour, credit, and reputation in the profession thereof, thou wouldst have friends in the unrighteous Mammon; the High-Priests, the Scribes & Pharisees, & the Doctors of the Law are thy Antagonists; but then was the time for the absolute Lord to appear, and his appearance caused contrariety to the Lords Agent or Agents: then I (despised, contemned, inconsiderable person) did desire that I might behold the absolute Lord, and might now contend in the spirit, and speak by the power of the highest, the cause of all causes, the God of all natures, the father of all spirits, and might now be made unwilling to stand before him, as being any thing; and that I might be what he willed, and might not be what he niled, Absolute supreme, one Absolute Counsellor, (yet more wise than Counselors) let me be abased, so as in my abasement thou aboundest, in me, to me, though thou art incapable of abounding in thyself: thou who comprehendest the heavens & the earth the constellations, glories, and powers of both; let the particular, producted, visible form and shape; even me in particular, see thee who art alone praiseworthy If the world have a prison for me, tell me that the prison is thine, both before and when I am there; and let me know that nothing divides thee and me; for thou art indivisible, and mayest, when thou wilt, be seen in all the natures of things. Oh thou eternal triumphant God let me live in the wondering and admiring of thy holy, unsported fullness: let me not look upon spots any more, upon emptinesses any more, but with the communication of thy fullness incommunicable, that is, let me not look upon things by the wisdom of self, by the sensual wisdom, the wisdom of the flesh; let me not look upon a lie any more to be deceived by it, to live upon it, to live to it, to be delighted in it: thou that hast habitation and habitations, and yet hast no habitation at all to enclose thee, comprehend thee, environ thee, & do good unto thee; if thou hast eternally willed it, let me be the habitation of thy wisdom, though a prison shall be a habitation for me: Oh sweet God how sweet will it be, that I should be a habitation for thy invisible, indivisible self, in the spirit of understanding: conquer that Devil for me whom thou hast made and given power to deceive, and yet hast power to conquer him; and if thou hast a mind that I shall speak of thee, and acknowledge thee, manifest it, and then let me not fear the face of a man whose breath is in his nostrils; but yet Lord let me have that courage that belongs to thy immutable life, and to those that live unto God, and not themselves.  
When I shall, or if I shall be brought before Magistrates, Kings, Counselors, or Judges of the earth, let not that move me; let me not be tossed to and fro by them, so as to give up or make recantation of those thngs thou manifestest by thy eternal impress, let me be before the Magistrate and judge as knowingly in the presence of the judge of Magistrates and Judges; and let me speak as in thy presence: Lord I have spoken in private of thee and to thee, and thou vouchsafest to reason with with me, and discourse with me, but man is vain, man is sensual, man is proud, and the lofty ones would be more lofty, than the lofty one that inhabits eternity. Wilt thou invisible God draw me to speak to thee, and furnish me with arguments: and shall I be afraid to speak of thee, to thee, in the face and hearing of a dying man? But Lords of the earth, Lords in time, I may truly say as in the presence of the Lord of times and seasons; Oh Lord my God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over me, (have been in me the head of a design) but by thee will I only make mention of thy name.  
Temporary Lords, Counselors, Synods, if he that sees would make you see, that say you see; if he that apprehends, would make you apprehend, you would see yourselves, neither Lords to yourselves, nor Lords to others in things concerning the invisible life; you would be glad to have yourselves dethroned, and the absolute supreme in all your titular, momentary glories alone dignified, and exalted.  
But Mutable Dominion, what will it avail in the day of the Triumph of the absolute perpetual Triumphant; when sorrow and mourning shall fly away from your abjects, the off-scum, and offscouring of your worldly glory: when fears, death and Hell, when worse than the Plagues of Egypt shall fall upon you, & possess you, even you that have had the pleasures of Egypt, & power given not only to yourselves, but pleasure in yourselves to scourge the Nations, especially the refining Jewels of the great God of heaven and earth.  
Me thinks I see and hear, that the Lords of the earth, the Potentates of the world; the praying, the preaching, the fasting, the fleshly glories, and the spirits of Antichrist (but I must confess with some comfort, it is only during their time of dominion and whilst their place is to be found) endeavour to destroy the prayers of Saints by praying, the declarations of Saints by Preaching; to destroy the glory of true, real, and absolute fasting, by fasting.  
This Nationall Interrogatory may be indeed asked; What Religion do you profess? May there not be a general cry by those that see? May there not be a Trumpet sounded in the Nations of the World (but more especially in the commonly called house of Jacob, or England,) that seemingly there is a daily delight to know the ways of the most high; as if a Nation that did righteously, and did not forsake the ordinances of the great God; as if they walked according to the dictamen of the absolute sole supreme, and lived according to the absolute spirit of the eternal God in the truth of understanding: do they not seem to ask of God he Ordinances of Justice, when their own premeditated, praeordinated, fleshly, Antichristian Ordinances, Laws, and Statutes, are maintained by their fleshly, carnal, accomplishing power? But these delight in their approaching to, and by the name of the eternal God.  
Have we not the Monarches, the powers of the world, of Nations, the spirits of darkness, death, hell, and the Grave that challenge the holy one of Israel to his face, that insultingly, and domineeringly, and as much as in them lie, blaspheme the absolute supreme wisdom: and would be in the place of the supreme Cause; or would have the supreme Cause to be their servant? and they to be Master to that eternal, absolute, undefiled, immutable glory; as if they should say, we have fasted and thou seest not; have we observed days and months and years, and observest thou not? We love the Nation with our hearts, and we will preserve the Nation with our prayers: Shall we observe a day, and wilt thou not observe both the day and us? We have not only afflicted our bodies, but our very souls: if bodily whip; scourge, and lashings of ourselves, (as many of us are persuaded in our understandings) will not move thee: yet our afflicting our souls, & piercing ourselves through with many sorrows, or reducing ourselves in body & soul into a super-superlative way of sadness and affliction, will, must move thee: Wilt thou take no knowledge of this excellent days work of ours? We came with an intent to have thee know what we would have thee know, and do, what we would have thee do against Heretics and Sectaries, disturbers of the Peace; we would have thee our servant, our slave, but we will not say so, for that will too much undeceive the world; if out of our own mouth we should judge ourselves, we should no more bind the world in temporary chains, and in fetters of our own devising. But Oh Lords! Oh you Monarches in a Nation and Nations! you have here in this little Tract, but an earnest of your charge drawn up; but when the interiorest of all, when that knowing, seeing, and judging God, that lofty one shall come and judge you according to that you are within, (for you are not always the same without that you are within) What are ye? What difference shall you see? Shall you not see a change, and a vast disproportion between a Lord, and a Lazarus that was captivated to the light and knowledge of the absolute Lord: But Lords, or powers of the World, by what name or title soever distinguished, what though in the day of your fasting you found pleasure and delight yet it was but an exaction of your own labours; ye fasted for strife and prayed for debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness, as a Nation that did righteousness, justice and mercy; as if you lived to the highest forms of truth, in relation to humanity, and likewise to infallible and absolute Divinity; but in the 58 of Isa. you may see your Image even by your Nationall fathers before you, when the absolute alone supreme judge shall enter into judgement, and give grinding to the grinders, in giving eternal burdens to those that have temporarily burdened, bound and oppressed. O then let the mountains and Rocks fall on us and the Hills cover us from the presence of the judge: Oh then! Ministers, Divines, Teachers, Instigators, Instructers (as you said of yourselves) in righteousness, what hiding place shall we have? But you say or think, it may be, that there is no such thing to be expected, therefore you will take another man's word, I wish I could truly say (if it were the will of eternity) much good may it do ye.  
When the absolute supreme shall fasten this to your Consciences, which as yet passeth away as a tale that is told unto you, 59 Isai. Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, you conceive mischief, and you bring forth iniquity; you hatch Cockatrice eggs, and wove the Spider's web: but your eggs, if they are eaten, they that eat them die; and if any with the power of life, manifestation, and understanding of the Absolute, crush your eggs, they break forth presently into a viper; but when eternity will enter into judgement; when the Islands shall fly away, and the Mountains not be found, when the hearing of this voice shall be manifested, Rev. 6.10. etc.  
Oh Lord, (not Lords) holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth, shall the glory of the heavens afford you any comfort? they shall be rolled together like a scroll: shall the Kings of the earth, and the great men, the rich-men, & the chief Captains (your servants) the mighty men, the bond men, the freemen, the Dens, Rocks & Mountains afford you comfort and secure? Shall multitudes? shall kindreds, Nations, Tongues? shall power and authority? shall a Lady? shall a Queen? shall a woman arrayed in purple, and scarlet colour, decked with Gold & precious stones, with a Golden cup in her hand? Rev. 17. Shall the Merchants of the earth, with their Merchandise of Gold, Silver, and Precious stones? shall the fruits that your soul lusted after? shall the Shipmasters? Rev. 18. shall the Parliaments? shall the Synods? shall the Committees? No surely Lords: Oh then! happy is he whose God is the Lord.  
But Counsellors, but earthly Politicians, when you shall be arraigned in the interior man by the interiorest, the allseeing Jehovah, the infinite everlasting, the absolute Lord: What are many Lords, and what are many idolised false Gods? when you shall be called Gods, and Lords, and come to be judged, arraigned, condemned by the absolute non-respecter of persons, as men in the inwardest cogitations, mind, & understanding with those aggravations that lie in the wisdom of eternity, to make and manifest, your Webs shall not become garments, neither shall ye cover yourselves with your works; for your works are works of iniquity, and the Act of violence is in your hands.  
But in the midst of all my thoughts I was sore oppressed in my own spirit, & I was willing to give up myself, even the exterior & the interior life to the supreme absolute. To live in the world I was unwilling, yet willing; for live I must, and in this consideration live I would, so long as the giver or the taker pleaseth; let him do with me what seemeth him good in his own eyes: But I saw man, or the temporary Lords in the world contending to amend; & me thought I saw that which was mended by man, was but amended with a fancy; and that which was amended with a fancy, was lacerated and torn with another: one man's amending another in the world, in relation to the supereminent divine changer, amender, translater, is like a simple Cobbler his amending a pair of shoes, that may be for a fortnight's or less (not much more) walking, will wear them out, so that it may be said, as you were, or rather worse than you were, for these amending perish with the using; therefore I may say, Ne suitor ultra crepidam.  
But that which I beheld in the world, I desired the supreme to destroy in me, for I thought with myself, it may be I may contain all the innormities of the whole Orb, therefore I was in fine, made to reflect upon the supreme, and the absolute Lord and Lawgiver; and when I by reflection considered the foundation of all Generations, and I had no satisfaction in the apprehension of the life of the Generations past, or the life of the Generation that now is: I was reduced into the foundation, and that gave me some sweet solacing, and some pleasant refreshing.  
But in seeing I beheld, and in my view I saw the Lords of the earth had enlarged, and were ever enlarging their beds of pleasure, to take pleasure in their excess, and their temporary glories: Methought I saw them resolved so far as mutable Lords could resolve, to keep to their own Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, and to make them unto themselves, and demonstrate it unto others, as if it were the absolute, true and infallible Sabbath of rest, and commendable by the most high. And when I did upon the Lords casting me into serious consideration; behold the Lord by the glimmerings of the supereminent and everlasting glory opening the Seals: I saw beasts in the shape of men going forth conquering, and to conquer, with bows in their hands, Rev 6. And I saw and expected an Arrow to pierce all those who held the Testimony of Jesus, I saw the Lords and the Potentates of the Air, those that had the power of Nations and Kingdoms (so long as they had the Crown) go forth conquering, and to conquer. But Lord if it be thy will, make me also to will to receive (if thou willest to give) an Arrow from that Bow. The life supereminent was no sooner held out, the Seals were no sooner opened by the eternal supereminent judging word; but presently another beast represented itself (so long as it had the Crown) to take peace from the earth, and to kill with the sword. But Oh Lord Absolute and Eternal! I cannot say that thou wilt not reveal thyself to any one, because thou dost: not reveal thy truth to many a one; but if thou wilt reveal what thou hast hid, and hid what thou hast revealed, thy will be done: the generations of the world, are servants to thy Mystical glory, and to thy incomprehensible Majesty; draw me up unto that supereminent life in the truth of apprehension and understanding, that so I may live in that life though I am killed with the sword.  
Also I see a further accomplishment, and in the accomplishing I behold even in the temporary world, a horrible persecution and affliction upon the exterior forms, and natures of things: methought I saw violence on every side, persecution and affliction under all forms, to stifle the Testimony: methought I saw the beast, the powers of the world, the Air, the Kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty men, (that had the temporary Crown given them) endeavour by all ways and means possibly to destroy the Testifyers, and the Testifyers' Testimony. Methought I saw the temporany and yet infernal Nobles of the earth, that wear the momentany and yet perpetual Crown of Hell and death in themselves according to the power that is committed unto them, acting persecution in one form upon the Neck of another, which is the manifestation of the variety, and yet unity of that state, that body of Antichrist, Hell and death, sword, hunger, and beasts of the earth, even Ephesian beasts after the manner of men: and then I saw the doom of those that have the Testimony of the Lord jesus: and I broke out into Admiration in myself, Oh eternity! how do the Nations of the world, the Nationall powers of the world, hear, and see, and read, and seem, and would be supposed to understand, yet they see not nor understand, and yet they suspect not themselves, but teach and declare of themselves, and say that they are christians & walk in the life supereminent. But Nobles of the earth take this only if you can lovingly, till I am more lovingly inflamed, or until the father will manifest himself more unto you, or me, even in the interiorest in the dividing asunder, rending, and tearing in pieces of all your fleshly deceitful glories, whereby you have for many hundred years past, deceived the people of the earth: I am no disputer of the world, I desire to be Tomteltra and not Oedipus. I desire not to insinuate with you but to live to my God: the God and Lord absolute, merciful, holy, undefiled and eternal, I desire only of the father that I unworthiness & weakness, may live to him and with him in the interiorest, sublimest, and truest; and that thou worthiness, gloriousness, wouldst understandingly as to me, comprehend my particular, and do what thou wilt with me in my exterior, or in this visible world: if thou worthiness and truly eternal Lord, wilt surrender me up into the hands of the Lords and powers of the earth, that act in a constitution of persecution: Let me in the interior say Amen.  
But yet Satan that Devil tempts me; but yet me thinks I am surrounded and environed in this my pilgrimage, and methinks the exteriors of the world operate, insinuate, dispute, and reason with me and tempts my exterior to conform me to its self, and confound me in its self: I heard a voice in the world the other day saying, (very Schismatically, erroneously, and according to the witness of men) and denying the absolute witness of the great Jehovah, denying that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh denying that power is given to the Son, loving, to have the pre-eminence, the uppermost Rooms at feasts, and in Synagogues, setting themselves in the place of God: attributing that to their fallible, deceitful, devilish understandings, actings and contrivings, that is, to be attributed to the alone supreme; not waiting when God the absolute changer will give repentance to those that believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness; earnestly contending (as they say) for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints, in such ways of carnality, by such carnal weapons which were not used in the times of that excellent, glorious, Apostolical ministrations of God, and consequently denying the glorious and supreme power of the spirit; giving themselves to fornication, and going after strange flesh to deceive the Nations, desiling the flesh by their filthy dreaming, by imposing such things for an exterior worship (as if Commanders) as are not consistent, with the life and glory of the Spirit in us. Whereas the flesh of Christ that visible manifestation of God at Jerusalem 1600 years ago, was lead according to teachings of the Divine God, despising the true and absolute Dominion and dignities of the most High, speaking evil of those things they know not, and what they do know, as brute beasts in those things corrupt themselves, running in the way of Cain, killing their brethren in the flesh, because they are not of the same judgement and understanding in the spirit, envying them in the offering of their sacrifices, because they offer not their sacrifices as they do: pulling and haling them before Magistrates, Counsels, Powers, and Authorities, Imprisoning them, Banishing them, confining them, depriving them of their liberties, accounting the world not worthy of them, acoūting them the off scouring of all things, running greedily after the error of Baalam for reward, setting obstacles in the way of true, real and unblameable liberty of Saints, in their true and glorious feast of spiritual Charity and Love in the dispensation of the various gifts of the most High God, feeding themselves without fear, when others are living, walking, talking, lovingly conversing, eating and drinking in fear; Clouds without water, Clouds covering the clear Heavens and Firmaments as if they were full of water, and as if showers would presently fall, great Mountains travelling in birth, Clouds carried about of winds: from Popery or Popish Episcopacy to Prelacy in another form, and from that to Presbytery, and those that would have the same wind of Doctrine; the same teachings of fallible men to blow others, whethersoever it blows them, whose fruits have often already withered from one age to another, and more than twice dead, and plucked up by the Roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, having not the spirit of meekness, gentleness, tender mercy & compassion though Stars, yet wand'ring Stars, to whom is reserved blackness of darkness for ever; and therefore they would draw all men unto them, Murmerers, Complainers, Informers, Reformers according to their own lusts, speaking swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage (not knowing the glorious mind, infallible will of the eternal God, as the Apostles of jesus Christ) Mockers walking after their own ungodly lusts, separating themselves by the power, will, mind, fallibility of fallible sensual men, having not the spirit, denying any one but themselves, (and those whom themselves approve of) to build up any in the holy faith or to Minister the gifts they have had of the supereminent God: Teaching by necessary unavoidable consequences that their love, sensual, carnal, mutable affections are to be looked after before the love of God; or as well as the love of God (though God the absolute satisfyer, informer, and reformer satisfies not.) having no compassion but on themselves & those that they think they can by flattery draw to themselves, making no difference but from themselves, making no difference according to the true nature of difference, but only making a difference according to their Carnal Laws, ordinances, Statutes, decrees, not endeavouring to save others according to the true absolute, infallible, holy, just, warrantable way of salvation, Endeavouring to pull men that are (as they say erroneous) out of the fire with violence instead of fear, malice, hatred, imprisonments, bonds, Endeavouring to pull others out of the fire, and save others with a love, respect, affection to their fallible mutable garments spotted with the flesh. But oh, immutable, unspotted, undefiled God thou who art able to present me faultless before the presence of thy glory with joy, let me not be separated from any, or joined to any when thou shalt separate, till thou seperatest and joinest; that so separation may be of thee, & uniting may be of thee, and that I may hold forth the interior teachings, the hidden unspeakable mystery of calling and enjoying. Let me not walk according to the mind and will, of the men of the world, that are something and nothing, that live and command according to the will of the flesh, let me not walk according to the way of the wand'ring stars, the wonders of the world, of mountains, of Thrones, of Principalities and powers of the air, of the Gods of nations priestly Counsels, and Magistrates of the earth chosen by men of the earth. But oh Lord! let my Exterior be what the Lord, and not what the Lords will.  
But methought I saw the priests of the nation in Pomp and glory, in kings, Monarches and potentates Courts: and methought I saw them instigating the Civil Magistrates of the world, and I saw the persons, and their ways to be the Priestly Lineage and the successors of the Lord jesus, his and his Apostles and Saints enemies, who crucified the Lord Jesus, did kill and slay the Apostles, and Saints of the most high God, and being convinced of the glory, power, and truth of God, manifested in those Apostles & Saints, did endeavour to extripate & root them out from off the face of the earth, & made them to wander up & down destitute, afflicted, and tormented: And when they thought they had extinguished them, and rooted them out of the world, they styled themselves the Apostles successors, Ministers of the Lord Jesus, and Priests of the high God, like certain of the Jews, Acts 19.13. yea Vagabond Jews, Exorcists, who took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, whom Paul Preached. But here I was cast into admiration why the world should ever the more admire the Priests of nations and their adherent (that are the scourgers of Saints, the incensers of Magistrates) because they pretend to the Lord Jesus whom Paul did enjoy, and whom Paul did preach: But priests, but Ministers of the Gospel as you call yourselves) though I can say in some measure jesus Christ! know & somewhat by the power of that eternal spirit I know, which Paul know; But who are ye?  
But though you are in my apprehension, the great enemies of the Lord Jesus, and though I shall be accounted an evil spirit by you, a Devil, or what not; I would not insult over you though I had power over you. But it's I can only say, that many of you may be saved; it's the eternal, absolute, and only wise can say, you shall. But yet I think you shall suffer the loss of your craft; for many persecutors, both before and in the Marian persecution became persecuted one's; the Father called some of them from queenly, fleshly carnal, Antichristian glory, to the fire: I desire, that you would not be offended with words; for I profess seriously I speak not out of hatred, but out of pity to you that are in contrariety to the Lord Jesus. You often say, you acknowledge a God, therefore expect not that I should call you gods that have hands, nor your works gods that are made with hands, nor any or all your minds or understandings Gods, even a whole Synod or Counsel, But the absolute supreme God shall be, when you are not to be seen; Time may be when your Craft, as well as your predecessors craft may be set at nought, and your gods and goddesses despised and all your magnificence destroyed, though there were as many more, eager and violent persecutors and worshippers: are not you the cause, whilst you have the power in your hands, whilst you have the Kings, Lords, and Potentates of the earth to act for you, that there is so great a stir about that way which you partial, fallible Judges call Heresy: What though you cry out great is Diana of the Ephesians? what though you are full of wrath and bitterness, so that fire proceeds out of your mouth, and as much malice, envy, and devilish contrariety to all (except yourselves) as can be supposed to be in the most barbarous and cruel; yet your Kingdom is not an everlasting Kingdom, nor your Dominion an everlasting dominion, but the supreme infallible Judge will come gloriously, & will not tarry: It is but a Marian Trick to persecute a poor man, and to hale him, or endeavour to bring him before you Commanders in chief; your Magistracy and Counsels for Preaching, (as you call it) I will acquaint you with one thing, I providentially saw not long since in the Book of Martyrs of one Rawlins White a Fisher man of Cardiff, who was burnt for an Heretic: a little before the fire flashed up to his body, many of his friends came to him and took him by the hand, and one held held him till the flame arose and separated friends: but a Priest said it was not lawful to take him by the hand, for he was an Heretic, and condemned by the Church; I wonder Mr. Pryn doth not insert this as of divine Authority, to prove the lawfulness of persecution and violence to be used to Heretics.  
But Nationall Ministers you are the Children, or the children's Children of those that were so constituted, and did Act according to an unjust papal way, and as one saith of them, Cujus faetor usque ad nubes fumum teterrimum exhalabat, whose filthy stink did fume even to the Clouds of Heaven, but indeed you did still endeavour to cloth yourselves finer and finer to make the world wonder at you, and think you were really for Reformation, but be not deceived so as to think that God can be mocked and deluded, though you find men (almost the whole world) very facile and easy to be deluded with a lie, with a fancy. It was formerly wont to be said, Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis, but must we take it in this acceptation, Synodus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis? Oh the intolerable pride of Lucifer! O the Vanity of the high Priests! who are made by the power of the great God, to confess they are not infallible, yet act as if they were.  
But methinks I see and behold (I thank my eternal life and only wise God) my Lord to laugh at the Lords, my God at the Gods, the and my absolute, immutable, perfect, infallible informer, and Reformer to laugh at the mutable, non-absolute, imperfect, fallible Informers, and Reformers; but it may be these men may be sealed up to the judgement of the great Day: but the alone absolute Judge knows, and I am alone satisfied that he knows, and that he manifests, and mysteriously contains in his invisible self what he pleaseth.  
In my Soliloquies, in my withdrawings in secret before my God (of whom I desire not to be ashamed, and unto whom all things are naked and bare) the contrariety of the powers of the world, made me more now then ever in all my life to look up to God the incomprehensible glory, to see if possible I might attain, or had attained to it, as apprehended of him; how I was as to him, which would be the greatest comfort to me that could be: if the Lord should lay some heavy affliction upon me, if I should be brought before the powers of the world, for I saw in the world, and methinks I see and hear the Crowned Beasts (as well as the Saints of the most High, the fellowship of the body of the son of God that are round about the Throne) cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come, I saw the whole World in confusion, and yet walking in their place; the beasts in their place of adoration, acknowledge the most high God under the same forms of expression or Ministration of holiness and glory, that the Saints of the most High did. But I see & understand a variety of manifestation of the great God of Heaven and earth in distinction.  
But I seeing and beholding the Beasts of the earth to have a Crown, power, and authority given them to kill with the sword, under the name of the worship, service, glory, and excellency of the most High God, and it made me that have lived (in the time of my ignorance of God, or life to God with God) after the flesh, deceit, formal man, teachings, and fallible apprehensions to look and see, if I could behold, or attain to see the eternal, absolute & infallible to comprehend me in the body of the Lord jesus & to see if I lived to the life supereminent, to the life sustaining, feeding, even to the absolute, true, and not fading principle of glory, and to see if I lived to the true beams, life and Communion of true understanding. But Lords, Counsels, Synods, or Honourable men, of good, & admired literature, you that desire to be reformers of men for the salvation of souls, you that conceive yourselves to be the men absolutely infallible in yourselves, & undeniable to others called of God more than the generation of priests, or Synods before you, you that so well conceive of yourselves that you act not from Priestly Marian principles, as the Priests, your predecessors did, you also that hold forth your doctrine, as they did theirs, from your own or your Father's interpretation of Scriptures, you that endeavour to limit and bind in Chains of darkness and self, you that would have none teach but yourselves, or rather to minister what they apprehend of God, but yourselves as your Fathers before you. I desire you and earnestly entreat you, as you tender the Scriptures of God which you (as if convincedly, truly, and knowingly maintain and preach from) And because it may not be said if you, (if it be not true of you) according to that Rule of imperiousness earthliness, sensuality, and Devilishness, wisdom (and yet folly) Sic volo sic jubeo, stat pro ratione Voluntas; And furthermore because it is said in the 5 james 20. let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hid a multitude of sins, (if you infallibly know, as many of you seem constantly to aver, that this Scripture belongs unto you, to make use of) Consider you are men, and not God. You are many men, and you have many minds, See and behold (if you can) whether you may not be condemned by the Eternal God, though you condemn not yourselves, or judge yourselves; if you are now of one mind in your Assembly, you are not to be considered eternaly so; for yesterday you were of one mind, to day, you are of another, & before many days or years come to be consummated by that eternal God, (who is uncapable of change) you may be of another mind, contrary to them both; you have hissed at the generations; that have been past, & at the generation that is, but the generations that are to come may hiss at you, and may be ashamed of their father's pretended infallibilities; you or your fathers have Clipped the wings, whipped, scourged, imprisoned the bodies, in fine abused those that have been contrary to you; what did you do as you would be done by? Did not many of you that pretend to have a holy respect to the Sabbath, read (your selves, or countenance the reading in others) the book of sports. And will you now make it your sport to persecute? Did you not live far below the heavenly glory of knowing, and understanding? How will it be with you, when God shall say to your Consciences, you that thought you knew so much of me, did not know yourselves; you that were ready, and violently ready to scourge, had need be scourged, even at the same time, of God. It is true, I gave you understanding, power, and Crowns on your heads, and I will judge you according to what you are, and with what you have, as I have your fathers before you. Time was, when you would take notice of none crowned but yourselves, none honoured of God but yourselves, as if you comprehended all the incommunicable and communicable varieties of myself, as if you had the infallible discerning of spirits, but now I will show thee those whom thou persecutedst, those whom thou esteemedst the offscouring of all things, the filth of the whole world, to wear Crowns of gold, and white Raiment, though you had Crowns, though powers, kingdoms, & glories, though you are disputing, intellectual persons, and have rational capacities, though governor's of multitudes, Nations, Kindred's, and tongues, yet you have not white Garments before the Allseeing, Supereminent, eternal jehovah.  
When you Lords of earth shall see one that you Lorded over, crowned with transparent gold, Crowned with the transparent power, life, wisdom, and love of the eternal, invisible God, and in the body of Jesus Christ, if you shall behold it in time, Oh then my Lords, Tempora mutantur; if when time shall be no more, what shall my Lords be, I shall expatiate myself according to the Scriptures of God. 10 Luke. Christ gave power to (and manifested the father's glory in) a few poor disciples, a few tormented, hated, persecuted Saints; to cast out Devils, to tread upon Scorpions, and all the power of the Enemy; But surely they became not a magistratical power, to accomplish such a Victory; and though he gave them such power, he told them, there was no cause of triumph in this, or joy in this, that the spirits were subject unto them, but rather that their names were written in heaven, what though their are many spirits gone abroad in the world, Sectaries, the devils of the world, (as you call them) your rejoicing would be rather (if you had such a glorious Apostolical Commission power & glory) that your names were written in heaven, that you yourselves are comprehended in the bosom of the Father: But yet if you did so yourselves, and know yourselves, it would be questionable whether you have this Apostolical power and glory, if not the one, surely not the other. But you may have a Crown, power, and authority continued to you, to scourge and crucify.  
It it is said in the 21. and 22 verses, The eternal supereminent, the Lord of Heaven and earth, had hid wisdom from the wise and prudent, and revealed it to babes: Lords tell the people plainly and distinctly, whether you can say that it seemed good in the sight of the Lord to alter his visible dispensations, and to reveal his truth to Lords, Potentates, Counselours, wise men, prudent men, Satin men, Purple and Diamond men (that is to say) those that go in gay clothing, and would sway the whole world, those that have respect of persons, those that must sit here, and sit there, because they are thus, and thus: Christ told his disciples that many prophets & Kings, did desire to see the things that they saw and did not see them, and to hear the things that they had heard, and did not hear them. But admit there have been prophets, Kings, and Lords, since that, which have seen the things of God, you may not be such men, that are now in this Generation, Christ said all the glories of the Father were delivered unto him, and that no man did know who the Son is, but the father; and who the father is, but the son, and he to whom the son will reveal him, even that son who hath power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many as the father pleaseth. But Lords, Synods, Counsels, can you say all things are delivered unto you of the father? though you have Crowns, though you have power, yet have a power of mutability your power is not that power of all: that power of love, of life, of perfection, of infalliblity: do you know the son as well as the Father, and the father as well as the son? Do you know how many? and who, if how many, the father will give eternal life unto, by jesus Christ? do you persecute (you being fallible according to your own confession) because you would bring into the fold those that are not yet brought in, but must be, or would you be certain, infallible, powerful assistants with jesus Christ, the absolute Lord, or do you intent to persecute those that are not intended according to an eternal intendment, to be of the body of Jesus Christ? if so, are you as certain, as Christ is certain, that this is the Harvest? and are you as certain that you are the reapers? that you yourselves are not the tares? are you the Thousands, yea the ten Thousands of Saints by which he will come to judge the world? Hath the Father altered his mind in relation to manifestation, and told you that you must pluck up the tares before the Harvest? Or was not that his mind, when he declared that the tares should grow together till the Harvest? Hath the Father or hath the Son revealed these things unto you in this generation? if so tell us; and when it was; and how: and it will be a greater glory unto you, then to sit a great while & bring out a few fallible contrivances, & Scholastic inventions. But it is far more glorious, and a greater matter of rejoicing to you to be lead (if lead) then to lead, for the all-sufficient immutable Lord to lead the lords, the people and Nations, then for blind lords and Priests to lead poor blind people.  
How would the supereminent be exalted here? Admit that the Sectaries of the times, those that are called Devils incarnate (by you Potentates of the world) should in their journey to or from Jerusalem fall amongst thiefs, and should be stripped of their raiment and be wounded; should yield to the temptations of that raging devil in the world, in and since the Apostasy, or since that Satan's Minestery & Magistracy hath had and continued their power in the world. Is it commendable in the Priests and Levites to see them so, and to pass by on the other side? or is it commendable for these Priests to add, or cause others to add afflictions to their bonds: But these Priests and Levites God will not honour so much. The Samaritan must come and see also, and have compassion. Oh Good Samaritan! for the poor, wounded, stripped, and torn man; this is an excellent similitude, the supereminentness, and gloriousness consists in the subsistence.  
But Oh! unmerciful High Priests and Levites, when God hath sent a messenger of Satan, to buffet a man and to have power over the body, & may be the understanding in temptation will you buffet and imprison much more: look to your commission, may not God say to a Synod in this case as Christ said to Peter, in another Get thee behind me Satan, Are you better than Peter was? if you are, or if you think you are, dare not Christ say so as well to a Synod as to a Peter? But this is your pity, if we were wounded and naked, and if you were (as you are not) the true, loving, compassionate, judging, discerning persons, I think you had need to have the most glorious, infallible Commission for your security that may be, so to persecute and prosecute, if it were lawful so to do. What cruelty is it in you who made not yourselves, to destroy yourselves? you that are not able to make a man to destroy a man, starve a man for that which is in the conscience, even for that which a man himself is not Lord of, when you nor he are truly able to add one Cubit to his stature, unless that you go to a Shoemaker for a pair of Heels. Indeed what ye make you may mar, but 11 Luke 40. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make that which is within also, Profecto testificamini quod consentitis, operibus patrum Vestorum; For ought you know, God hath sent a few mechanical illiterate fellows (as you call them,) that the blood and cruelty of all Generations may be set on the score of the continued successive persecutors as well as upon those who slew and dealt injuriously with the Prophets and Apostles. But this will not excuse you, to say you had power to bind heavy burdens on others shoulders, and not to touch them yourselves with one of your fingers; This will not exuse you before the Supereminent life glory, Lord absolute, discern judge to say; what tongue, or Lord shall control us? Surely I think if Christ jesus the head, the anointed, of God in peculiarity, were in the world now, as he was, in so despicable manner to his enemies, you would scarce afford him to write, or seem to write upon the ground, If he did we should have a gangraena made presently to condemn this Heretic, this Belzebub, this friend to publicans & sinners.  
But Lords, But Counsels but Synods, in fine but men, when the absolute Lord, and supereminent God shall tell you (though a poor man) it may be that is judged and condemned before you may not neither doth that you who were, or are, called Lords in the sublunary, Visible Kingdom & glory did endeavour to cast a moat out of another's eye, & you had a beam in your own, and that you having a beam are no competent judges of a mote.  
But it may be you will say that you are infallible in this, and also say, that that saying of Christ doth not appertain to you; Let him that is without sin cast the first stone, when God shall discover himself and manifest you what you are, even that you that judge other, are Castawaies yourselves, are Heretics yourselves, you would not be very willing to find a stone for another. When the Lord shall say though you cried Templum Domini, Templum Domini, yet the everlasting was not in your esteem, even he that can when he will both cast out Beam and Mote. But thus it is, when the Lord is not or will not be understandingly & supereminently in the Lords thoughts, though he be near and sees, yet he will not be seen; but they say, how doth God know? can he judge through the dark Cloud, thick Clouds are a covering to him that he seethe not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven, Job 22, 23, 24. But Oh Immortality! thy righteousness, thy seeing, and thy seeing to be seen, thy knowing to be known, and thy understanding to be understood shines not upon all. Thou hast O Lord set the world in my heart, so that no man can find out the work that thou hast made from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3.11. Therefore Lord if thou wilt give a Crown, Power, and Authority to Temporary Lords to excercise their Dominion and power even upon me, if thou shalt manifest me and make me a little flame of thyself, thy will be done. It is only in thyself to comprehend the works that thou hast made from the beginning to the end, if man endeavours to comprehend, endeavours to enthrone himself in a state of comprehending others, and persecuting others from an apprehension that he comprehends, when he doth not in deed and in truth: and though I shall (if thou comprehending incomprehensib e, willest) be afflicted, scorrned, & contemned by that generation; yet let me in particular lie down and be satisfied, that I am apprehended and comprehended of thee, and that I know, see, and speak, according to the true and real nature of knowing, seeing, & speaking, & living, and enjoying, as comprehended: let me see, before I say I see, know, before I say I know, and be spoken to, before I speak: Oh! thou immutable knower, see'r, and absolute speaker, as to the things that thou hast made capable of seeing, knowing, and speaking, let thy loving spirit of righteousness and wisdom uphold me; and though thou deliverest me to the ungodly, and turnest me over into the hands of the wicked, let me say truly, knowingly, and understandingly; my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high, in love, Job 26.19.  
But Counselors of the Earth, Weak Contenders of the Earth with the absolute Lord: I see and consider oppressions (though I see not all oppressions) under the Sun. But a comfort it is that the absolute Lord sees, Eccles 4.1, 2. But it may be Lords, you will say when you persecute, there is no remedy in the death of a man, it is suitable to conveniency, and the constitution of a Kingdom to destroy a man: so as it was indeed to crucify the Son of God, who was known, & is known to some, not to be held of the grave: But you it may be, will say you have not known any man to return; it may be you will say men are born at an adventure, and shall be hereafter as though they had never been; & that the breath of your nostrils is as smoke, a little spark in the moving of your Breast; which being extinguished, your body shall be turned into ashes, and your spirit shall vanish as the soft Air, therefore you will lie in wait for the righteous, because he is not for your turn, he is clean contrary to your do, because he professeth to have the knowledge of God, and he calleth himself the child of the Lord, he is made to reprove your do, therefore he is grievous to behold, because his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion, because you are esteemed of him as counterfeits, and he abstaineth from your filthiness, and because he maketh his boast that God is his Father. And therefore you will examine him with despightfulness and torture, to know his meekness, and prove his Patience. But Potentates, I shall present a few things to your consideration, paradventure you may see with your eyes and hear with your ears, and when you are converted (if ever you shall) you may set to your seals that these things are true; to the praise and glory of the absolute,, infallible God, Judge, power, wisdom, and true glory.  
1. God is the alone supreme, King of kings, Lord of lords, and God may, as well as he hath already, give the Nations, (or those to whom he intends, to show and manifest himself unto) a light and glorious understanding, to see that Lords (by special authority and power formerly constituted) are but types and shadows of the absolute supreme, immortal God and Judge: but this is true, though the Lords and Kings see it not themselves, for I know they will say, you Prophesy not good unto them in these things.  
2. Christ the perfect pattern of the Fathers, manifested perfection to men; never gave any such power or kingly authority to any that then were in the world, either Magistrates or Apostles; he never gave the Apostles power to exercise themselves with scourge, whip, imprisonments, banishments, or oppositions of such a kind, therefore there is no such successive Magistracy, 2 Cor. 11.3, 4. verses If he that cometh, Preacheth another Jesus whom we have not Preached, and if ye receive another Spirit whom ye have not received, or another Gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. Likewise there was power given, or the manifestation of the most High in a way supereminent, that the Saints should do great things by the power of the Spirit, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, that supereminent name, that name above every name. In whose name the seventy returned with joy, and said, the Devils were subject unto them by it. Luke 10.17. I know no other authority, power, or glory given to any that should profess that name according to the spirit.  
3. Christ's commanding the Apostles to give Caesar his due, and God his due, is a plain demonstration, that somewhat might be due to the one that was not due to the other: and if the Magistrate would demand Lordship over the body and conscience, what would they leave for God, the eternal, infallible Ruler? Or doth the soul, the understanding alone belong to God, and the body belong to man, in relation to the commands of the Divine God?  
4 Externall contrariety to Magistracy is apparent by Jesus Christ and his Apostles in their Preach of the truth, and way of the most High God; so that as the visible doth do what he is commanded by Caesar, If that invisible God command another thing in the conscience or understanding; for Christ was not contrary in the invisibility, but also contrary in the visibility to the Magistracy, Governors, High-Priests, Scribes and Pharisees. Christ never enslaved himself, nor the mind of his Apostles to the Magistrates and powers of the earth. And there can be no more Conformity demanded from any, to any Magistracy, but only what he obeyed, and taught others to obey, even in the paying of Tribute to Caesar. Or unless a man be taught (by that Ministering spirit which was promised to direct into truth) to be obedient to a Magistracy in some other things which Christ was not obedient in; or was to be subject unto: no power of conscience to Magistracy. Again, the children will not be free in the Magistrate's jurisdiction from paying of Tribute, so long as they have that benefit to live in the world amongst them, in buying and selling. God will not have his Saints to appear more glued to the world than other men; to get by the world, and not to let the world have a benefit from them as well as strangers or other Cohabiters: and indeed it is good for the maintaining of love and Unity in the world, and that which doth comprehend in it a possibility to live peaceably with all men. And a Magistrate (if he be one that walketh and judgeth according to the pure light of nature and right reason) is to see that there be no injury offered to peaceable men amongst them: and for this cause, the Saints or those of contrary judgements pay Tribute also, because they are or should be the Ministers of God attending upon this thing. Rom. 13.6. And therefore very conscionable that they should have Tribute, whether they are appointed of God in an immediate manner, or of men in a mediate; if they are (as they are not) appointed of God in an immediate, in a more especial (if God shall send such, or constitute such a Magistracy) than reason to pay Tribute, if appointed of men in a mediate, good reason also because the people, multitudes or Nations, have made choice of some to do their business, to be their servants, and so long as the children of the Kingdom of God, have their just, lawful, and natural liberties, and freedoms, to act in their several trades and occupations in the world, in godliness and honesty, they will yield to Caesar in those things which a Law of nature or of conveniency obligeth them to, if they were not commanded: for if they live quietly under a Magistracy in godliness, or according to the teaching and way of the most High God in a way of peculiarity; then they also exercise themselves in honesty, in relation to civils' or to Magistracy. No power of conscience given to Magistracy.  
But if they are deprived of the supreme and absolute Glory of manifestation of themselves, as to God, even in godliness (viz) by imprisonment, banishment, or by confiscation of goods, or their conversing with men because they will not receive the mark of the beast, than the Magistracy weaken their own, and the Kingdom's strength. But yet they fulfil their own wills on them, but indeed have no dominion over the Saints at all.  
But if it be the Father's pleasure, the Saints may live under a Caesar, a Caligula, a Nero, a Domitian, or another successive civil Magistracy in these considerations, peaceably and quietly in all godliness and honesty (not affording a power of conscience at all) though they are persecuted and afflicted, despised, scorned and oppressed, and so not live quietly, and peaceably, yet they may live godlily, and honestly amongst them, or in the Nation under the power of a Magistracy and the Apostle might pray for it to the Father, and yet magistracy have no power of conscience; again though they are persecuted and afflicted under a Civil Magistracy, and so not live quietly and peaceably as before, yet they themselves may live quietly, and peaceably in Godliness, and honesty (viz) they may not be disturbers, though they are disturbed; afflictors and scourgers, though scourged; Tormentors, though Tormented; buffetters, though buffeted: in fine, may not walk contrary to the pure light of nature, and right reason, though others do so to them, and so they may live quietly, peaceably, godlily, and honestly in the midst of a perverse, irrational, self-ish generation; and so they may pray the Father to live, though they give no power of conscience to magistracy. And therefore a poor despised Apostle being ready to be devoured by every one, to be spit on by every one, in his abundant labours, in his stripes above measure, in prisons frequent, being beaten with rods, being stoned, being in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils by the City, in perils in the wilderness, in perils amongst false brethren, might very well break out and pray to the eternal God to alter and change the powers of the world, if that eternal God would that he or the poor Saints might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty: shall an Apostle speak of the things of his Father, and for it be ready to be devoured, and shall a Magistrate countenance it? shall he have stripes by authority, and without authority, be beaten with Rods, be imprisoned, be in peril of robbers, in the City, in the Wilderness? What is a Magistrate for then?  
The Apostle being under so great pressures, in relation to the walking of Magistracy contrary to the pure light of nature and right reason, might well become a suitor to the Father, for a benefit of quietness and peace under Magistracy. But yet Oh Lord absolute and undefiled, though thou givest a crown to defiled Magistracy to take peace from the earth, thy alone eternal will be accomplished and performed, and let thy Saints live to thee, the supreme Magististrate power, and authority, if thou wilt not suffer them to live quietly and peaceably in the jurisdiction of the powers of the world.  
5. Though the Magistrates may command the body, yet they are only to command as I said before, that which a Saint would willingly do for peace and quietness sake, if he were only entreated, or neither commanded or entreated; so that he will act being commanded, and act being entreated, and also though neither commanded nor entreated. But when the body was to be with Jesus Christ, who was manifested in the flesh, or when the body is exercised according to the life, power, and will of the supreme Lord, in Communion with those that have the same spirit of the most high, in knowing and understanding, than the Saints must not fear them that can kill the body, (viz) magistracy, but they must walk as the divine, supereminent Saviour, Lord, King Judge will have them. Suppose that a Magistrate commands my body to do one thing, but the invisible God in the understanding, he that is God of body and soul commands another thing; whether is it lawful to obey God or man? Judge ye.  
6. Suppose there is such a Magistrate in the world that does truly and really conceive that there is one eternal God, the judge, the absolute God, the Lawgiver in the conscience, and he according to rationality doth endeavour to demonstrate it, can he make another believe it? & if any conform to what he sayeth, not knowing it, is not he, an ignorant doer of what he would have him to do, or a dissembling person? But Aug. one of Gangraena's Fathers saith, Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas. But the Magistrates, and Priests of the earth, have led the world in a string, and they are at the sensual beck, and will of every base lust, and that rule is verified amongst them qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere, But Oh! how excellent will it be when Saints shall more and more live to the supreme absolute God  
7. Whether a man may not have a word of God to deliver to a Magistrate, as well as a Magistrate to another man? Formerly I know God called some to speak to Kings, and Potentates of the earth. But we are better than our Fathers. Is not the spirit of forbearance as good in a Magistrate as it is in another man? if the Magistrate hath had experience that no man can make him believe the truths of God, & that he can not make any one; likewise why should he use violence, bitterness, and wrath? But we call it not wrath, we call it Justice.  
But the absolute distinguisher sees what it is, and he will call that wrath and anger in you, which you call justice. But we will contrive a great many fine words to wave it. But there is nothing hath power, but what is given to it, nothing enjoys it longer, than he that gave it, pleaseth; neither shall any thing be waved, but what he will wave, even that absolute, I am: But oh! Lord supereminent, if thou callest me, causest me to speak of thee, to manifest thee, though magistracy heap up words against me, & strengthen their mouths, according to the judgement of Causidicks & Synods of the earth, though they hale me, & tear me in their ire, & sharpen their eyes at me, yet let it be sufficient that thou lovest, & when soever I see man, let me be drawn to God, & let me say with job in the spirit of understanding without respect of persons. job 20.4, 5, 6, 7. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon the earth, that the triumph of the wicked is short, and the joy of the wicked is but for a moment? Though his Excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds, yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung, they which have seen him shall say where is he?  
8. Those that the Magistrates endeavour to compel to the Laws, wills, Ordinances, interpretations of Scriptures (the Magistrates being and confessing themselves fallible) may, for aught the Magistrates know, have an obligation and an absolute understanding, engagement upon their spirits as to God, to live to Gods own interpretation, Law, will, and ordinance; which may be contrary to the Magistrate. For God is the absolute original of all things that are, and that are to be interpreted.  
9 The People shall not suffer for the Magistrates sins, but their own, nor the Magistrates, for the people's sins, but their own. But the soul that sinneth shall die: But yet in a common calamity the one may suffer as well as the other, though not for the sins of another, 18 Eezekiel, 1, 2, 3, 4. etc. There is a declaration as from the lord And the word of the Lord came to me saying, What mean ye that ye Use this Proverb, concerning the Land of Israel, saying, the Fathers have eaten sour Grapes, and the children's Teeth are set on edge? As I live saith the Lord, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this Proverb in Israel. Behold all souls are mine, as the soul of the Father, so also the soul of the son is mine; The soul that sinneth, it shall die: you may read the whole Chapter. This was a glorious Prophecy, of the time that should be, when God should peculiarly manifest himself, when God would be no more veiled by a man, when God would manifest himself to be the absolute Lord, me thinks a Magistrate (confessing himself fallible) should fear to desire, much more to command another, to that which that other is not satisfied of God. For the soul of the person that the Magistrate commands, is Gods. It was no argument, for a poor soul, when the absolute supreme entered into judgement, to say that the Magistrate gave me and I did eat, nor an argument for the Magistrate to say, that a company of people invested me with this, and that authority, (as I thought) or desired this, or that thing, and I did eat: I had received a Petition from the people, or from the Major part to release one Barrabas, & crucify Jesus Christ, I received a Petition to deprive such and such People of their liberties, (being such as they, when they did petition, confessed God had honoured in doing them good) estates, privileges, and benefits of living in the world, unless they indeed, were not persuaded of in their own consciences. If it was an Argument inexcusable that Adam and Eve used to God, this may also hardly be. They had an infallible Ministration, what should be death and life: But the Magistracy of the world, and Synods of the times (confess themselves fallible) It was an Argument in that most certain case for Satan to use, to suggest to poor weak Eve, as it was presented to deceive: God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. But oh Lord I let me seek unto thee, with thee, and from thee, though that Devil tempts me to unite, and manifest myself to that, and in that way of darkness, and man-sinning in the world, whatsoever specious, and fallacious pretences, I shall receive from the men of the world, and from my own soul, as considered in its way of operations contrary to the body of Jesus Christ: Let me, though I hear men in the world pretend to the glorious mysteries of the Eternal God, and the honour and glory of him, try things with thyself alone; and therefore, be thou pleased to condescend to be my Companion, and teach me the way of thy Commandments in the Spirit.  
Though honour, pleasure, and preferment is presented to me, if I submit to that way that I am, or am not persuaded is the way of God, as considered in distinction in thy production in Jesus Christ: Let me hate (O strength) all objects that are presented with pleasantness to my eyes, and with affection to my understanding, though it be presented unto me, to be desired, and to make me wise: If thou dost contradict all those exterior presentations in the Interiorest, And let me not value the favour, credit, respect, and reputation of men of the world but be thou my God, and then I shall have rejoicing, though I shall be cast out of the Paradise of men, and kept out every way with a flaming sword: But in this my affliction let me have communion and power with thyself, or else I shall prove a Devil to myself, and present the glories of the world to my understanding, and shall be deceived.  
Tenthly, Admit that the Laws, Ordinances of man, or the interpretations of Scriptures by man were plain; must not God, the absolute, and infallible, and Supreme power, accomplish in the hearts and spirits of all men, a believing of plain things as well as mysterious things (that have more palpable necessity to have the truth, and pure mind of them declared.) The Spirit was promised to show the Saints plainly of the Father: If the Father intended we should have Lords of the earth to show us plainly of the Father, and to make us believe the plainness of the Supereminent teachings, surely he would have told us that the Fathers shall teach us; The LORDS shall instruct us: The variable, mutable, fallible, windy spirits shall teach us.  
But if we are subject to such teachings: The fallible, mutable, spiritual men, or spirits of the world, may cast out Devils in the name of Jesus Christ, and sweep, and garnish the house, that seven other Devils far worse than the former may enter in.  
Eleaventh, Admit magistrates, and natural high Priests were the servants of the most high God, the beloved of the Father, those that knew the mysteries of the Lord Jesus, were infallible in all knowledge, or if they were true and real Fasters, and praying persons; have they any other way prescribed to cast out Devils out of those that are in their eyes damnable Heretics, such as are really possessed with the spirit of blasphemy, then by Fasting and Prayer? Have they any such rule as this, by scourge, by whip, by imprisonments, by banishments? Howbeit, saith Christ, this kind cometh not out but by fasting and Prayer, and no more. There is no other way spoken of by Christ, but by fasting from self, from strife, and from debate, and from striking with the fist of wickedness, living to, and seeing the will of the Supereminent in fasting, in willing, in desiring, according to the effluxes, and descendings of it to capacity: so that then fasting is good, and praying is exceeding good, when the will of the Supereminent & everlasting is become man's will, or man's will become the will of the supereminent, substantial, eternal, undefiled God, which shall certainly be accomplished. But if even their very Fasting and praying (according to the true, and real nature of Fasting and praying) be questionable, whither will they fly for their actions of Persecution and Tyranny?  
Twelfth, Admit the generality, or major part of Civil magistracy were truly godly, and heavenly-minded (though I must confess I know no such matter, it is well for themselves, if they truly know themselves so) and did walk in the Spirit; would they not say as Paul did, concerning his brethren after the flesh, who was so taken up with love to them, that he would be accursed from Christ Jesus for his brethren after the flesh (who no doubt had errors, yet not persecuted by him) would they not say, surely these are men as well as ourselves, and we cannot choose but confess ourselves fallible; we have not the Supereminent light, and perfection of infallibility discovered to us, as we confess the Apostles had; we have not the infallible mind of God discovered to us without the Scriptures; we have not the infallibility of interpretation of the mind of God in the Scriptures; these men that we now Persecute, though as now after the flesh to us, may be in relation to God the seed of Abraham, according to Faith; unto these may belong the Promises, the adoption, the giving of the Law of the most high God and LORD in Tables of the heart, as well within as without, as well within in love, as within in terror. We have had experience in this particular already; that those that have been extreme vicious, are become Religious; we ourselves have been debauched, most desperate swearers and blasphemers of that Eternal being, (and are so still) and we saw (or many of us) that nothing did us good truly, but the light and love of the absolute, Divine, Supereminent: Truly all are dry-vines, there is but one Supereminent power: Why should any the Dry-vines of the world urge such a thing on us, as to lift us up, and instigate us to Persecute a company of poor, may be, afflicted, tormented, tempted creatures of God, as well as ourselves, if they have received the Spirit of the Lord? So said their fathers before them, and yet Persecuted the members of Christ; they may boast beyond their line, as well as others have: If they have the Spirit, they have received it, why should they boast? Why should they insult, domineer, and Tyrannize over others?  
Suppose Lords of the Earth, that some of you should give a gift to some one man, and not to another, or a better gift to one man then to another, as a badge of your mutable honour and love, should another now that meets with one that hath not this badge, rend him and tear him for it? if that he did also meet one that had not so excellent a badge of honour as another should he also imprison him, and wound him, or strip him naked? Surely I should think its because he is so covetous, as to desire the garment: The Priest and the Levite that came by the poor Samaritane, might be the Thiefs: Apply it Potentates.  
Besides, admit you should give a man an excellent badge, or cognizance of love in your families, you should array him in glorious apparel, and set a crown of gold on his head, would you take it well, that he should beat his fellow servants, and wound them? Reflect my Lords, that he should kill all other poor creatures, that came in his way, because they had not the like garb; truly, you would say this with yourself; I may give my own to whom I will; so long as I have, I may give what I have; he hath abused my love and favour towards him. It may be you may judge yourselves for your liberality; but God's ways are past finding out; and God may give forth some way or other to discover the thoughts of all hearts. Oh Lord Supereminent! Thou hast made all men almost to differ one from another, and thou hast set the world in their hearts: to some thou didst give the gift of prophecy (it may be) in some measure, to some Tongues, to some discerning of spirits, to some working of miracles, to some wisdom, to some knowledge, to some Faith; if thou givest me but the glimmerings of love in the least of these, or in any one, let me not despise him that hath more, or judge him that hath more, nor yet despise him that hath less, or judge him that hath less (if any have less than myself) in relation to capacity, or understanding, for thou art the same; let me not pretend to know above what I really know, though the powers of the world would have me do that I am not convinced of; or leave undone, that which I cannot, because I am thine, not their servant: Oh than the absolute Lord, overrule the lords in me, and let me see thee, and walk before thee in the understanding: yet if thou wilt have a Nero, a Domitian, a Caligula, or any power of the visible world to scourge me: Give my back to the smiters, and let me know and see thou givest it, and then let me take pleasure in it. For oh Lord, me thinks I see that a man may have a vision of God, and may see a star to arise out of Jacob, and may be convinced in his conscience, that the earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, and that God is the alone Lawgiver, Judge, and absolute supreme (as many, or most of the Nationall Priests and Lords confess) yet at the request of a base sensitive lust, and devilish desire, will endeavour to have Altars built; yea, Altar, upon Altar, to see whether they can curse the Israel of God. Let us proclaim a Fast, that so God may hear our Prayers, and grant our desires, the longing of our souls. But Lord, how far is this from the true life of Saintship, and love in the World? But O Lord refine me, and then let me walk as refined.  
Thirteenth, The mandates of the Scripture (even the Scriptures from which the Potentates, and powers of the earth have, and do maintain persecution and violence to others) do all of them extend to the Magistrate, and if he were in a Christian constitution (as he pretends) he ought not in that relation to use carnal weapons, neither will he, unless he supposes himself wiser than ever Christ, or an Apostle was, or hath received the Spirit more than an Apostle had, or hath received the Spirit to maintain and defend such a practice, as the Apostle could not, neither did, 2 Cor. 10.4. Christ saith, when they were persecuted, should pray, when cursed, bless; Christ could have had twelve Legions of Angels to defend him in this visible world, but he would not take any invisible glory, or visible excellency of God to defend him: And if the Magistrates will tell us plainly, that they have that power given them (as considered in a constitution of holiness and truth) which the Father would not give Jesus the Son, or which he would not assume or exercise, nor give his Apostles power to assume or exercise: Let them prove, that they, or this, or that particular Magistrate had, or have, that which neither of them had, neither Jesus Christ, nor Apostles: And let those whom they are pleased to call Heretics, and to banish, imprison, and afflict; see their Arguments, that they have in themselves, as in the presence (though they think it not, nor perceive it, or know it, or though knowing it, will not acknowledge it) of the Eternal incomprehensible Judge, non-respecter of persons, the interiorest, discerner, that can describe that which man describes with a fuller description, and judge with a fuller judgement than man, or any visible glory, or rational intellect in the world; who is without the exteriorest, and within the interiorest, and indivisible in himself, who judges with a more absolute judgement, than all the Counsels, Potentates, Lords, Synods or Parliaments of the earth. And when he enters into judgement, the flesh of a Lord is no more than the flesh of another man, nor shall more be justified by him, or be able to justify itself. But I believe, if things were demonstrated in the world, according to the spirit of truth, reality, and non-confusion, the Lords, Potentates, and Counsels of the earth would appear to be the greatest Antiscripturists, though in words they would not have it so expressed, or so express it themselves.  
Fourteenth, Is it not a case of conscience, or is there not necessity, that every particular man should be persuaded in his own mind for what he doth or for what he is commanded to do, lest he call good evil, and evil good, lest he call oppressing, persecuting, Lords, Magistrates, Counsels, Synods, followers of the God of heaven in love, light and truth; Citizens of the New jerusalem, Saints of the most high God, livers in the Spirit, those that walk with God? when indeed they are not so, but grinders of the faces of the poor; Idolaters, carnal, sensual and devilish, having not the spirit, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage, making a prey of the poor and needy; having wisdom, yet are not wise unto God, but to themselves; oppressors (though not of their friends, or themselves) of the Saints of the most High, or those that are not persuaded in their consciences by the Divine Supreme God: It is not strange to say, know, and think, that magistrates (and ministers so called) have been so, are, and may be so: The Scriptures of the most High God testify it; the saints have witnessed it, and still do witness it with their blood and bodies: Are there not men, magistrates, and ministers of such minds as Caesar Caligula was of, that wished that all the people of Rome had but one neck, that he might destroy many at once: Many can apply this: But Hell must enlarge herself; God's design must be accomplished in Hell, as well as in Heaven; Saints give your backs to the smiters.  
In this my last Demonstration and apprehension, I was in the conclusion, desiring in my own spirit of that eternal Jehovah and everlasting God, that I might be so swallowed up into that eternal glory, wisdom, power, will, that I might not manifest myself with myself; but that myself, or rather himself might be manifested in me, by me, and from me: then though the mutable Lords of the Air oppose me, yet my alone substantial, ever-remaining, supereminent Lord remains: If I live he is, if I die, those that live after me shall not truly say he is not, but he is the same. I also desired that I might be so swallowed up to the life of the Lord, that in seeing of that Lord, in the things of that Lord, I might not respect persons & that it might be all one to me to be hated, and to be loved, to be honoured, and to be dishonoured, to have evil report, & to have good report to be buffeted, scorned, contemned, despised, and to be counted the offscouring of the world, & to be courteously entertained, affected, delighted in, to be out of prison when I am in, and to be in when I am out; to have all things when I have nothing, and to see only that all, that eternal wise God alone when I have any thing: if he shall call me to speak of himself, that I may not live to any thing under the Sun, for I see vanity in all things; I desired that I might see and live in the eternal life, in the life supereminent: and if I shall be called amongst the called Gods and Lords, that I might speak, as seeing truly but one eternal God and Lord: For all the Gods and Lords of the earth shall wax old like a garment, and shall be folded up like a vesture: this I know and see by experience. Thou Lord makest the lords of the earth their name to rot, and their memory to perish, and what shall be to them in their several particulars everlastingly, thou LORD knowest.  
In company I desire to see thee, and to look up to thee in the understanding, as if I had none, that so I might see and not see, behold and not behold, be thou my alone companion. Here in the world men love one another, because they are as to one another according to sense, but let me not be to any but to thee alone; let my life as the Apostle said, be in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God in the Spirit.  
In this world none must speak of the God, but that those the gods will approve of; none must speak of the eternal, immutable, incondemnable, but those whom the mutable, condemnable, dying Lords please, none must declare the eternal God to the world, but those whom the Ministers, or Synods of Nations, or the Gods of the Nation pleaseth. But if thou absolute, infallible minister, ministrests to me, if thou committest a word unto me, inflame me, and let me be thy flame in the spirit, though the world endeavour to drown, to quench thy glory in me. But if I am not manifested by thee, let my hiding place be in thee, and of thee, so that let manifestation, and cessation; (to be, and not to be; and again to be) be all of thee, who hast times and seasons comprehended in thyself.  
But Lord, if the lords of the earth imprison me, visit me in the understanding and lay not, if it be thy will, that sin to their charge; for I desire not to have pleasure in their horror, when hell and death seizes upon them, I desire not to be taken up with them, nor to live unto them, nor to rejoice in their pains; for I desire not to live unto my own pleasure in me, nor any pleasure to me, but be affected with pain to me from them, if thou wilt it. But let me wholly live to thee but Lord thy will be done, for all things are of thee, all things are for thee, all things are to thee, though particulars see it not.  
15. If it be supposed (as there is great probability to suppose) or if it hath been, and be known as by experience, that Magistrates, Lords, Potentates, Counselors, Priests, yea high Priests, are swearers, drunkards, oppressors, walkers after their own lusts, blasphemous, fallible men, will-worshippers, (having none, as they say, to rule them) contemners, and despisers of that which is good (unless it be from a Priest) from a Carpenter's son, from a fisherman; then Lords are you competent Judges? May not a man say to you when you would punish such a one as you call a Heretic (though a man doth not countenance Heresy no more than Christ did countenance adultery in the woman, when they would have had her stoned) Let him that is without sin cast the first stone at her; so you that are without Heresy, or without the same Heresy (for many times expressions of formality do make a difference) cast the first stone, imprison, destroy, banish, or take away the lives of those you call Heretics whose life perhaps may be better than ten thousand of yours. But precious in the sight of the Lord, though not of the Lords, is the death of his Saints; but you may do such a thing in your days, that you may never blot out of your consciences, at such a time, when you shall not be able to redeem yourselves or others with ten Thousands of Gold or Silver, or ten Thousand Rams, or ten Thousand Rivers of Oil, or the first fruit of your body, for the sin of your soul. But the Will supereminent, indescribable, is, that there must be persecutors and persecuted, crucifiers and crucified. Lords and high Priests look to yourselves if you can: God hath chosen the poor of the world rich in faith: not many mighty, not many rich, not many Noble, etc. I exclude not all: What eternity hath done, that itself knows.  
16. A man for what he doth, especially in a business of high concernment, had need be infallible, be absolutely resolved it is the mind of God as in Jesus Christ, for if you live not to the supreme Original according to the of knowledge God, you judge the things so God with your own minds, you judge the supreme; so that it may be said as well that the lords Judge the Lord as that the Lord judges the lords: But ye will not say so, will ye? neither will you say you think so: but whether you say, or think so, you do so.  
17. If you are infallible, your infallibility must proceed from the most high, immediately, truly, and understandingly; if you will declare things without the Scriptures (as you say you will not) if you will be absolute Judges, if you will have Heretics depart out of your coasts, if you will have them banished, (according to the mind of a Synodean Minister, who declared himself so to me) if you yourselves are your own teachers, you will not say you are infallible; if the pretended Ministers of the Lord Jesus are your teachers, they will not always be so audacious (thanks be to the most High) to say that they are infallible, so that you shall find great cause to confess you are at a loss.  
18. If your infallibility depends upon the understanding of the Scriptures, and so you (as you say) will walk according to the Scriptures, you must have the infallible Teacher to teach according to them, what is mysterious, and what not, to distinguish between the mystical and the plain: if you acknowledge that there is a plain and a mystical, and so to be more infallible distinguishers than others. Suppose a Noble man should send a Letter to one that hath been an intimate friend of his in the King's Army, and they having had precedent intimacy, know the mind one of another by this Letter, but when this Letter is intercepted, and comes to the hands of others, every man interprets this Letter as he pleaseth; would you not esteem it an indignity: when the supreme Judge shall come to judge the world, as the Apostle saith according to his Gospel, when the supreme God shall aver in the interiorest, and say, that indeed he sent his Son, and anointed him with the Oil of gladness above his fellows, and gave him the spirit not by measure, so that unmeasurableness, and mysticalness, was manifested in him, and by him, and he spoke to a few Saints, and gathered by the power of the Spirit a few poor men to teach the mysteries of Christ: but there was one William Pryn Esquire, a Lawyer, (I will not say Saint Pryn) and the Lords of the earth, and the Synods of the world proved interpreters with their own lusts, according to their formal, artificial terms of distinction, and so they said, this must be the meaning to day, & this must be the meaning to morrow, Procul dubio; Lords, is this not indignity? But Christ will not be for ever crucified in his body the Church, crucifying will be over may be in time; but surely will, when time shall be no more.  
19 If the Scriptures were so plain, that he that runs may read, & he that barely reads may understand, to what purpose is the spirit promised to lead into all truth since the Ascension? If I may absolutely, knowingly, understandingly, infallibly, Aopstolically, Christ like know and understand all that I see and hear concerning myself and others. But truly Lords and mutable Potentates, though you read, & hear, & see (as you say you do) you may say as the Eunuch, how shall I understand without a guide? But remember this, the guides say and confess they are not infallible.  
20. If you do confess the spirit was promised to be given after the Ascension, if it be given to ye, it is a greater glory for you to tell us of it, then laugh at it; to tell of it how it came to you, and when, then to tell us what you have done for us (if any thing) in relation to civils', Paul was not ashamed of it.  
21. If you confess that the spirit was promised to be given after the Ascension, you had need to aver, justify, and prove, that it was promised to be given to Magistrates, Lords, and Synods, not poor men, not Fishermen, that the spirit went from the poor, to the rich, from those that the honourable count base, to the honourable. And though it were so, it is no good Argument to convince a man, even to strike him, to imprison him, and defame him, as the false prophet did the true, when he said, when went the spirit of the Lord, from me to thee.  
22. If you prove that the spirit was to be given to Magistracy, Lords, Nationall priests, both you and the people had need know, whether you in this age, that now is more than any other, are the Magistrates, and the Priests. For it was not promised to Magistracy in all Ages, if it had, it would have been performed, for he promiseth nothing, but what he performeth. And that precedent Magistracy, have been enemies, and persecutors of the Saints of God under the notion of Heretics or those that have been contrary minded, it is plainly apparent, History declare it, and you yourselves confess it, & are convinced of it in your own hearts, as you say; therefore let that Magistracy as well as other men, let that Synod that thinks he stands take heed lest he falls, or is already fallen, or that he takes falling for standing in himself, and standing for falling in others, and so judges, condemns and persecutes.  
23. Me thinks I hear in my ears, a urge, saying, and a voice to my understanding, declaring that there was a Nation or multitude of people met together (as Episcopalls, Presbyters, and Independents, so called) and did convene from remote parts, the East, West, North, and South, and these chose some to consult and debate what should be for the good of that Nation, and kingdom, and gave them power, and honour, and external glory, (so much as they could, or was in their power) but the prevailing party took upon them the things of God, and the place of God, as much as in them lay, and beat and wounded those that were contrary minded in their minds, as to God, though they still continued loving and affectionate to them, Is this good? Oh! sad requital, may not you say, woe to your own soul, for you have rewarded evil to yourselves? Isa. 3.12. Oh! my people, they which lead thee, cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.  
24. Suppose that a multitude of fair complexioned men, of straight deportment should choose and elect a company, and place them in honour, and dignity, above themselves, but these poor creatures, or some of them (may be job in the parallel) should have an affliction upon them, their faces should be changed, their bodies should grow crooked, and this should be inflicted by the God of all natures, mutable glories, and excellencies; or suppose God should send Satan to tempt them, or some of them, that they may consent to the temptation, and whereas job had boyles, and sores, even from the Crown of the head to the sole of the feet, would it not be sad now, that one should come and lay jobs affliction more heavy on him, whip the man, sting him with scorpions? But would it not be as sad also, to see two that were full of boils, and sores, wounds of Satan, temptations of the Devil, that contrary, that roaring Lion, in the shape of man, to whip one another, and lash one another, for I have heard many of the national priests confess themselves publicly, that they have been full of wounds, and sores, and putrefactions even from the crown of the head, to the sole of the foot: Oh! Priest, it is better for thee to tell who healed thee, then to wound another that is in thy former condition, if thou art out of it, and truly translated.  
But would not this make a man to break out after this manner, and say (O inhumanity) had I known this, should I have been so inhuman to myself; I am scourged, because I am sore wounded, because I have boyles, because I am in temptation, because I am in errors, because Satan that politic Devil, that contrary, hath deceived me, and I am deceived, though I have boyles, and sores, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, sent me of the God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, the Ruler of Princes, yet after the manner of men; I might have spared the rending, and tearing my own bowels. I cannot comprehend the heavens, and the earth, much less him that is greater than both, I cannot change myself, nor make him change me, till he will.  
But the will of eternity be done, why should I contend with the God of all changes? when I did choose them, I was weakness itself: I was the weaker vessel, and I am despised for being so, yet I made not myself so, neither can I add one Cubit to my stature, read 1. Isa. 29.30.31.  
25. Admit that those that are generally called (and do call themselves) Ministers of the Gospel, and prophets of the most high God, in an eminent, and a supereminent manner, have communion with God, and should be told of God, as the Prophet was, what they should do, 13 Kings read the whole Chapter, must we go forward, and backward, because the Prophets do so. But surely I hope there is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in the way: I who am weakness, desire of thee, O Immortal strength, that I may more and more walk as comprehended of thy divine will, that I may neither go backward, and forward, and forward, and backward, to the right hand, and to the left hand, because the Nationall priests, and Prophets do so, but that I may walk as became a child to thee the Father of spirits, and the God of all consolation, and therefore let me live to the willing life, and living will of thee, O supersupereminent God.  
26. Magistrates and ministers of God (so called) you are but men subject to like passions that other men are, as well as an Apostle was (as he confesseth) if not much more; and you were not long since under Episcopacy, and owned it as of God, many of you, if not all did: did you satisfy yourselves, or were you satisfied of God? if you were, can you, or we that are contrary minded draw God to us to satisfy us when you or we will ourselves, yourselves?  
27. You Magistrates and ministers (so called) are but at the most, or the most you can say of yourselves in your own applause, is, that you are but wise and prudent men. But saith Christ, Father I thank thee, thou hast hid these things from the wise, and prudent, Scribes, Pharises, Lawyers, chief Priests, and revealed them to babes; but may be you will say now as Lloyden said, the case is altered; but many Scriptures will prove this.  
28. Magistrates and ministers (so called) you shall die as well as other men: the King and the Beggar, the Fool, and the Achitophel, the master, and the servant, ye shall go to one Tomb that contains all generations mystically in itself: But I will not say you think you shall have a Pardon, or a Purgatory, or both.  
29. Magistrates and ministers (so called) the Kings, the Priests, and the people; the beggar, and the rich; the wise, and the foolish; the abased, and the abounding person; the Lawyer, with his terms, fallacies, and term-pleading; and the Divines, (so called) with their formal, Sophistical Criticisms shall appear (if there be any judgement, as indubitably there is, and shall) before the absolute perfect Tribunal, all the restitution of all things, when all things shall be brought forth, according to the will, powerful Excellency, and mind of the supreme Cause, when the things that are mystically, unsearchably brought forth, and are again mystically hid in its proper centre, in a way of mutability, shall be brought forth in everlastingness; but this is a mystery of eternity, at which time, and in which appearance, you Lords of the earth shall be judged in those things that ye judge; questioned in those things that ye question others, and be yourselves examined, whether you are in the faith, in a supersuperlaive manner. And so farewell mutable, dying, vain, unholy, unnatural, temporary, judging, inconsiderable man.  
FJNJS.