A Brief DISCOVERY OF THE Cause for which this LAND Mourns, and is AFFLICTED.  
With Several REMEDIES TO BE Applied in ORDER to the Removal Of the Present VISITATION.  
Given forth the 2d of the 6th Month called August, 1665. being the last General FAST Day, appointed to PRAY for Preventing the Spreading, and Increase of the INFECTION of the PLAGUE.  
By a Servant of the Lord, Thomas Salthouse.  
Printed in the Year, 1665.   

A brief discovery of the cause for which this Land mourns, and is afflicted. With several Remedies to be applied in order to the removal of the present Visitation.  
OH! ENGLAND renowned among the Records of ancient days, beautiful for Situation, and famous among the Nations, a Land flowing with Milk and Honey; an Island in which the Light of the Glorious Gospel hath shined, and upon which the Lord hath lifted up the light of his Countenance in these latter days. The day of thy Visitation is come according to God's determination declared, by his faithful servants the Prophets, who hath been esteemed in thee as earthen Pitchers, and persecuted from City to City, and who have been set as signs and wonders in the Land of their Nativity, for giving thee good counsel, and showing thee the path of Life, and the way of Holiness, in which thou hast refused to walk, and now is the hand of the Lord lifted up to correct and chastise thy Inhabitants, for their envy against the innocent, and their oppressing of the poor and needy, and the Lord is turning a fruitful Land into barrenness, and your mirth into mourning, for your iniquities and transgressions which hath provoked him days without number.  
Oh! therefore lift up your eyes and look unto him whom you have pierced, and let every Family mourn apart, and let every particular person be humbled for his own transgression. Let the wicked forsake his evil ways, and the unrighteous man his vain thoughts, and turn to the Lord for he is gracious, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. Wash you and make you clean, put away the evil of your do; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and plead for the Widow; let all the oppressors and persecutors of God's people be ashamed, because of their envy against the innocent, now when the hand of the Lord is lifted up, and when he hath undertaken to plead, with equity, for the meek of the Earth that have long mourned in desolation.  
For this I am moved of the Lord to give forth in the day of your fast, that it may be read in the fear of the Lord, with the Spirit and understanding, and I declare unto you, that Persecution is the crying sin for which the Land mourns; and in the great City where Persecution and Banishment for worshipping God did begin, and where judgement was first turned backward, and equity perverted, hath the Lord begun to execute his Righteous Judgement, and the cry of the Lords Prisoners, together with the supplication of the righteous Souls that lieth under the Altar, hath entered into the ears of the Almighty, who hath taken cognisence of their cause, and will with equity plead it on their behalf, and every tongue that riseth up in judgement against them shall be condemned, and all that gather together against the Lord and his chosen people, shall be broken to pieces, like a Potter's vessel; for this is the portion and heritage of the Lords servants, (who are established in Righteousness) no weapon form can prosper, nor no enchantment can prevail, against God's peculiar treasure.  
Wherefore now in the day of your fasting and praying unto which you are enjoined by authority, be not like unto the Pharisees and Hypocrites of old, who fasted often, and did all their works to be seen of men; you that profess Christianity should not fast as they did, by afflicting your bodies, and bowing down your heads in outward appearance for a day, by drawing near to the Lord with your mouths, and lifting up your voices on high; for verily except your Righteousness exceed the righteousness of the strictest sect of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; neither will the Lord accept an offering at your hands, whilst you are building up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity; and whilst you are exercised in oppressing the poor and needy. For this is the fast that the Lord hath chosen, and which he now requires of you, who have enjoined others to abstain from their ordinary food, that you fast from sin, envy, oppression and persecution, that you lose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and set the oppressed free, that you deal your bread to the hungry, that you visit the fatherless and widows, and bring forth the Lords Prisoners out of the Prison houses, from among transgressors and malefactors, where they lie languishing in nasty holes, dismal dens, and contagious cottages, unto which they are confined for good conscience sake, and for worshipping God in the Spirit, whilst the proud are accounted happy, and they that do wickedly are at liberty, living in pleasures upon the earth.  
Oh! therefore you that now bear rule amongst men, take council at the ancient of days, and remember what the Rock of Israel hath said, do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord, rule in love and in the fear of God, that your light may shine as a morning without Clouds; and that you may be as the tender grass springing up out of the earth by clear shining after the rain, then will your health spring up speedily; and the Lord will make you as a watered Garden, and as a spring of waters, whose waters doth not fail; for upon them that fears the Lord, and thinks on his name, and tremble at the words of his holiness, will the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his Wings.  
Cease smiting with the fist of wickedness, and if you expect an answer of your Prayers and fasting, which you pretend is for removing this dreadful Visitation, and to prevent the spreading and increase of the infection now begun in your Metropolitant City, where you first began to persecute, imprison, and transport the people of God out of the Land of their Nativity, for their Religion and Righteousness sake: Oh then remove those grievous yokes of bondage which is unjustly laid upon that innocent people, who are persecuted and imprisoned, under the reproachful denomination of Quakers, and let a general Goal delivery be proclaimed, (as well as a public fast) and let the Prison doors be set open to all who are in bonds for worshipping God in the spirit, and for their obedience to the commands of Christ Jesus, and for their Nonconformity to the customs and traditions of men which doth not make the comers thereunto perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, and do not sell the Saints and servants of the most high, as bondmen and bondwomen, for their obedience to the Lord, and keeping their consciences void of offence, both towards God and man.  
Is this a time to banish the Husband from his Wife, and Children from their affectionate Fathers and Mothers, to make Women as Widows, Children Fatherless, and tender hearted Fathers and Mothers Childless, for meeting together in the name of the Lord, to the number of five or more to pray to God for all Men, for Kings, and all that are in Authority, That under them the Saints may live a godly and peaceable life, and to pray for the removing of this dreadful Visitation. Is this a time to transport them for this Cause out of your Coasts, when you know not how soon the Lord in his justice may make your Wife's Widows, you Childless, or your Children Fatherless, and reduce you to the number of five or under in your high places appointed for public worship; do you not pretend to use means, and give forth Directions to prevent the spreading of this great Contagion, and is not this the way to spread and increase Sickness and Infectious Distempers, and incurable Diseases, when People are thrust together in great numbers in Goals and in stinking Prison-houses, in the cold of Winter, and heat of Summer, where they are deprived of the benefit of open air, and other competent accommodation for their refreshment, and the preservation of their health in such a season as this? Is this doing unto others as you would they should do unto you, do you not desire the Lord to forgive your trespasses, as you forgive them that trespass against you? what transgression hath the innocent People of God called Quakers committed, that you punish them so severely, or what is their trespass against you? would you have the Lord do unto you, as you have dealt with them that never did you hurt in thought, word nor action, nor never designed evil against the present Government? How long shall the Spirit of the Lord strive with you? the patience and long-suffering of the Almighty hath been exercised, as in the Days of Noah, when all Flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth, when the thoughts and imaginations of men's hearts was evil, only evil, and that continually, and he hath been provoked with this Generation as in the days of Lot, for pride, fullness of bread, wantonness, and abundance of idleness hath been acted and practised of late days, in this Nation, and because of swearing this Land mourneth: And the People of God that trembles at his word, and cannot swear at all, are trampled upon, persecuted, fined and imprisoned, and accounted as Men not fit to live upon the Earth, nor to have a habitation in the Land of their Nativity. Oh! that the Heads and Rulers of this ancient Nation would consider the Cause of this common Calamity, which is come upon the Inhabitants of the chief City, and other places of the Land, and that instead of persecuting and imprisoning People of tender Consciences, they would punish Profaneness, & lay the Law upon the unrighteous, and that all People who are now called to Fasting and Praying, did know the things that belongs to their peace before their houses be left desolate, for the Lord who delights in mercy, and in the exercise of loving kindness doth yet wait to be Gracious, and is willing to gather you, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and to heal your backslidings, if you will return unto him, and this Generation hath had as sufficient warning, as Jerusalem had before her destruction and desolation, and more messengers, hath the Lord sent forth amongst them, than was sent unto Sodom or Ninevy, to call them to repentance; Therefore shall the Men of Ninevy rise up in judgement with this Generation, and shall be a witness against it, because they repent at the Preaching of Ionas, and behold a greater than Ionas is here, and if the mighty works, and sound Declarations had been done and declared in Sodom and Gomorah that hath been declared in England, they would have repent in Sackcloth and Ashes, for the Lord hath sent forth his faithful Servants and Handmaids, to Preach repentance in the dominion and demonstration of the Spirit of Life, in the Streets and Public Places, of the Chief Cities, Towns and Villages of this Nation; So that the Inhabitants thereof cannot plead ignorance, nor say they are surprised at unawars, or that the day of their visitation is come as a thief in the night, for the Lord hath made known his Power and Coming, and it hath been declared by Divine Authority, and confirmed by verbal Testimony out of the mouths of many faithful witnesses, and there hath been Precept upon Precept, and Line upon Line, Here a Little, and there a little, in word wrighting and in Print, published in plaineness of speech, in your own Language, in the ears, and unto the view of the whole Nation, that you might make preparation to meet the Lord, by speedy repentance, before he speak unto you in his wrath, and vex you in his sore displeasure; but you have mocked God's messengers, and persecuted his Servants and handmaids, and seized upon their Papers and Printed Books, put forth and published in love to your Souls, to inform you of this Visitation which is come, and of the desolation which is coming; and you must confess and acknowledge that the Lord is just in giving warning before he gives correction. And that Prophets and wise men have been sent unto you, though otherwise esteemed by you, and shamefully entreated among you, yet their testimony liveth, and remains upon record in the role of a Book, where he that runs may read it, and it shall stand as a witness for God against all persecutors and their cruel practices, and unchristian like actions, when some of those whom you banish for their Religion and Righteousness are Preaching the everlasting Gospel in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit, unto the Indians and Infidels in the Isles a far off, unto which you banish them out of their own Land, for worshipping God in the Spirit and in the truth, and for the Testimony of Jesus and the word of God.  
Mine eye affects my heart to see the distress, desolation and calamity, that cometh like a thunder out of heaven upon the inhabitants of the Land of my Nativity; how hast thou provoked a patiented and long suffering God who hath watched over thee for good, and hath given thee the rain in its season, the former and the latter, and hath blessed thee with many spiritual blessings in heavenly things, and hath so loved thee, that he saith; How shall I give thee up, Oh England? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim.  
How shall I punish thee as Sodom, and afflict thee like the inhabitants of Gomorrah: who under pretence of Authority derived from the higher Power and holy Church (so called) and by the Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil, hast persecuted, imprisoned and imposed penalties, and corporal punishment upon my people, the sheep of my Pasture; the Lot of mine inheritance, whose righteous Souls have been vexed with the Sins and Transgressions, and evil Conversations of this Generation. The precious Sons and Daughters of Zion comparable to fine Gould, how have they been esteemed in England as Earthen pitchers? The inhabitants of the dark places of the earth are become cruel, like the Oystridges in the Wilderness. My Servants and Handmaidens saith the Lord, have you given as a sacrifice to fools, and as a pray to the rude multitude, to be reproached for the Name of Christ in their own Land, and to be sold as Slaves, Vassals and Captives among the Heathen, in the Isles a far off.  
Oh! England, thy leaders have caused thee to err, and those that undertakes to instruct thee, hath a high hand in this trespass of transporting an innocent people into a strange Land, whom they cannot convince of evil, nor legally convict as transgressors of any Law, either Spiritual or Temporal: Be awakened therefore unto Righteousness and meet the Lord by speedy Repentance. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, if once his wrath be kindled but a little; blessed are all they that puts their trust in him; and let the people of all persuasions have liberty in a peaceable way, at all times and in all places to meet together in the name of the Lord, to lift up holy hands unto Him, and to pray without ceasing; it may be the Lord will yet be entreated, to command the destroying Angel to stay his hand, and to remove this dreadful Visitation, which as a just punishment is inflicted upon the Nation for the land crying sin of cruel and inhuman Persecution.  
Barking in Essex the 2d. of the 6th Mon. 1665. T. S.  
This was given forth on the public Fast day appointed for preventing the spreading of the Plague by a mourner in Zion under restraint, for worshipping God in the Spirit, who is a friend & wisheth health both to the Souls and bodies of all people upon the earth.  
T. S. THE END.