A VISITATION OF Tender LOVE (Once more) from the LORD UNTO CHARLES the II. KING OF England, Scotland and Ireland. LEt the consideration of these following Lines deeply sink into thy heart, for they are things of great moment to thee at this day. There is a People within thy Dominions, called QUAKERS, whom the God of Heaven highly esteemeth, in whose hearts he hath placed his holy Law, according to his promise by the mouths of his Prophets, which is (and hath been) their Schoolmaster and Leader unto Christ, according to the testimony of Paul his servant. For their obedience to which Law, this people hath under one many and great trials and tribulations, both before, and since thy coming into this Nation to Rule as King, which they have patiently born without avenging their own Cause, till the Lord did arise and plead with their Enemies, which he hath done to their confusion and overthrow, even without remedy. And this poor people were never known to provoke the worst of their Enemies to wrath against them, unless by their honest conversation before them, coupled with God's fear and reverence, which is of great price in his sight, though not valued in the sight of men; for which they have suffered deaths often, long and sore imprisonments, and great spoil of their goods, stoning, stocking, whipping, and cruel mockings, and much more, which is too tedious to mention, for their due obedience to the Royal Law of God, & the weighty Commands of Christ; nay, they have been denied the liberty of Thiefs and Mnrderers, for their Loyalty thereunto, by them who were in Authority before thy coming in; which God took occasion against to destroy with remediless misery., as a just reward of their ungodly deeds: Then he remembered thee whom he had suffered to be oppressed by the afore-named Task Masters, and did raise thee from a low estate, in which estate when thou wert low, and in the sense thereof, thou promisedst much liberty to these harmless Lambs of God's Fold, saying, They should not suffer for their Religion, so long as they did live peaceably; and much more, which may be seen abroad in public view: Yet notwithstanding, their sufferings are much more encreaseed under thee, than before, and thou hast broken thy Word and Promises to them, though they have kept faithful and true unto thee, and have not broken the peace of the Kingdoms under thee, nor any of thy just Laws, but have laboured by all lawful means to live a peaceable and quiet life under thee, in all godliness and honesty; yet how great is the cry of their oppression in this Nation at this day, from the one end thereof to the other? They are appointed as sheep for the slaughter, even while they who work Wickedness are set up in high estimation. All which the righteous God hath regarded, and his soul is greatly grieved every day; and if these things be not speedily amended, he will visit thee and and the whole Nation in his hot displeasure; these and such like evils was the overthrew of many great Kings in the days of old, which when they forgot God and his Cause, and oppressed and persecuted his people, than did lie blast them in their chieselt glory, and laid their honour in the dust. So in all love and tenderness of heart consider what thou hast done, and art doing, and remember thy Covenants which God and man in thy low estate, and let it be in no man's power further to charge thee with the breach of thy Word and Promise. Suffer none to be oppressed for Conscience-sake in thy Dominions, that doth not disturb the peace of the Kingdom, as thou wilt answer the contrary before the righteous God: This can never be a good ingredient to thy future security with God nor man, neither will God ever bless thee, or prosper thy way in any thing of this nature; for his people is his portion which he hath called and chosen, and woe to all their enemies. He that offends one of them, it were better for him that a Millstone were hanged about his neck, and he in the midst of the Sea. And if any counsel thee to vex and scourge the afore-named Lambs, such are thy mortal Enemies; and if thou dost hearken and obey them, 'twil bring shame, reproach, confusion and desolation unto thy Crown and Dignity. Therefore be wise, O King, and recollect thy memory while thou hast a day and time, and consider thy former Engagements, and also thy Father's and Grandfather's Charges laid upon thee concerning these things, and let Love and Mercy establish thy Throne, that thy days may be prolonged; and be not highminded nor stouthearted against any; that will never draw the hearts of thy subjects to love thee; and so long as thou suffer est the Wicked to tread down the Heritage of God, thou shalt never have his countenance upon thee, but his displeasure shall attend thee in thy most secret Chamber, and at last he will give thee up to be a prey to thy Enemies, even as he hath done many before, which rejected his Counsel, till his wrath sealed the truth of it in their bosoms: Oh the Cry of Cruelty and Oppression that is every where! What will be the end thereof? None is now esteemed, but such as can run greedily into iniquity, and drink it up as the Ox drinks water. The Nations are in a flame, the fire of God's jealousy is kindled in every City and Town, even prepared to burn up all his Enemies; and the iniquity of Rulers, Priests and People, doth blow it up day and night, that it cannot long be stayed, unless it be speedily quenched by tears of unfeigned repentance, for the hour of God's Judgement approacheth, and the execution will speedily follow, if not prevented. This in short, I was moved to write unto thee in true love, who am, and have been a sufferer under thee for the Testimony of Jesus, being no Enemy, nor never was to thee, that thou mayest not run upon that which will be thy final destruction; but if thou dost reject the day of God's visitation in mercy to thee, he will take thee off in his hot displeasure, So the Lord open thy eyes to see the things that belong to thy peace, before they be hid from thee. This was written the 2d. of the 7th. Mo. ..62. This was laid upon me once more to lay before thee without flattering titles, who am one of thy suffering subjects, known by the name of A. K. OH King Charles, stay the hand of persecution, which is now listed up against the people of God (which thing is in thy hand to do (or else God will cut thee off, and rend thy Kingdom from thee; for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it, even the King of Kings; and this is the word of the living God unto thee, to be fulfiled by his own power. Wherefore, oh King, consider, The sufferings, and the persecutions of the people of God, is (and hath been) exceeding great since thou came to sit upon the throne of thy Father: And many good people (thy peaceable Subjects) have suffered the spoiling of their goods, and cruel torturing; as whip, banishments, yea, and death itself; and these things, oh King, have been done in thy Dominions, and thou hast not been acquainted therewith, for oft have the servants of the Lord laid these things before thee, to the end that by thy power these cruel sufferings might be removed, and the persecutors restrained: But hast thou rightly considered it, or laid it to heart, so as to ease them throughly of their sufferings (or hast thou had a sensible feeling of the deep afflictions which many of the Lords people have undergone) as thou ought, being see up as chief ruler over them in these nations (I speak concerning the despised people called Quakers.) And ought not oppression to be removed; and evil doers terrified; and those that do well encouraged; But alas, how is justice and true judgement perverted and turned backward, and those that work wickedness set up; And those that depart from iniquity become a prey unto the wicked, and ungodly: And these things oh King the Lord seethe with his invisible eye which goes through the earth, and his good spirit is grieved therewith; And thereby he is greatly provoked to wrath: And assuredly for this cause his controversy is very great, & his jealousy and fierce indignation is kindled, and burns exceeding hot: And really oh King, this I say unto thee, that nothing will appease the fierce indignation, wrath, and fury of the Almighty, but a true reformation of these things; For that is the thing which the Lord requires, and hath long called unto thee for; even from time to time, as he did unto those that were in authority before thee; but how did they harden their hearts, and refuse to hear, until their overthrow come at unawares, which their stiffneckedness, and refusing to answer the requirings of the Lord was the very ground of. Wherefore, oh King, consider how many tender visitations of love the Lord hath given thee, since thou camest upon the throne, and how many cautions thou hast had to beware of that great evil, which was the cause of the ruin and overthrow of them that are gone before thee; For this I testfie unto thee, that if they had been faithful to the trust which God committed unto them, thou hadst never come upon the throne to rule as King in these Nations; and this is the testimony of God unto thee: Wherefore believe not, oh King, that God will now justify thee in that which he overthrew them for that went before thee, not verily; for our God is no respecter of persons; and this I once more and further say unto thee, that except thou answer his requirings, that is, to stay the hand of persecution, and break the heavy yoke from off the necks of God's people (which they suffer for conscience sake) and leave their consciences free in matters of worship and faith towards him, even as he overthrew them that went before thee, (by his own secret hand of power) so will he overturn thee also, and rend thy Kingdom from thee; and then shalt thou know, that the Most High rules in the Kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth. Wherefore consider this, oh King, and know, and understand that the Decree of the Almighty (the King of Kings) is to exalt everlasting Righteousness, to reign, and Justice, and Equity, and true Judgement shall be set up in the Earth; and a full Reformation of all things he will have, and not in part only; and this work he hath already begun (though many see it not) and he doth and will carry it on by his own secret hand of power, and none shall be able to withstand him, nor to stop or hinder him in his way; For the hearts of Kings are in his hand, and all Nations before him is but as a drop of a bucket: Therefore let not the King believe, that the Lord, who hath brought so great things to pass, which have been so evidently seen, to the glory of his name, will now let his work fall: For verily and assuredly he will not, but will carry it on by his own secret hand of power in despite of his foes, and will dash in pieces the potsherds of the earth; and all that oppose or would withstand him, they shall be even as chaff driven of a mighty wind, and the Nations shall know the stroke of the hand of the Almighty; and upon some it will assuredly and shall certainly fall exceeding heavy; insomuch, that exceeding faintness of heart shall seize and take hold on them, because they have despised the day of their visitation, and have let it slip: Wherefore oh King, this is my Counsel unto thee, let not this the day of thy visitation, which hath been long upon thee, slip or pass over; but in the light of Christ wait to receive wisdom from God, that thou mayest be instrumental for the working of a Reformation in these Nations, by making void, and disannulling all unjust and unrighteous cruel Laws, which have been made, as snares, thereby to cause the just to suffer, especially in this New-England, who contrary to thy Order, which thou didst well in sending amongst them, do proceed in their cruel deal towards us, who are called Quakers; as finning, prisoning, whipping, and threatening to take away our lives, thereby evidently manifesting their rebellion against thee; And one of their Magistrates said to a Friend of ours in my hearing, as he was peaceably passing on the way, that he would lay him neck and heels for all the King's Letter: So if thou take some speedy course for the repealing and making void these cruel Laws by which they exercise this cruelty, both in these, and all other thy Dominions, haply thou may be as Moses, to stand in the gap, betwixt God and thy people, that his wrath and fury may be turned back, and appeased, lest his long-suffering come to an end, whose spirit hath not yet ceased to strive; Therefore incline thine ear, and give attention thereunto, and answer the requirings thereof, and leave the consciences of all people free in matter of worship and faith towards God, whilst they live peaceably and quietly under thy Dominion, according to thy former Declarations and promises: and let them perform the same in such a way and manner as they themselves shall be persuaded in their own Consciences; and let none be compelled to any way or form of worship; neither let any law be made for any such end; and let not any suffer imprisonment, because for conscience sake they cannot pay to maintain a company of hireling Priests, but in these things let all be left free; & let the evil doer be punished and terrified, and the (now wrongfully) oppressed go free; for this the Lord requires of thee, and only this is the way to appease his wrath, which otherways cannot he, for the Cries of the oppressed have entered into the ears of the Righteous God, and he hath regard thereunto, and he will not long endure to see the hard usage of his people, and the wrongs done unto his servants; especially by that generation of covetous Hirelings, whom the Lord God never sent, but will assuredly owerturn them root and branch in one day: oh how have they hurried, and laboured to destroy, the flock of Christ these ten years past, and how have they wasted, and made spoil of their goods, and prisoned their bodies until death: It's indeed even hard to utter, and still they thirst after blood; and the people of God suffers by them, and are still in bonds & prisons, because for conscience sake they cannot put into their mouths, nor give them wages that do no work for them: And this great oppression oh King the Lord the Lord will have his people eased of, and freed from, either one way or another; For it hath been long born already, and assuredly the long-suffering of his spirit will come to an end; and he will be avenged on the Adversaries of his people, who hath no other helper in the Earth, and in him our trust is, and not in man: And it is not because we do rely upon the arm of flesh, that we thus write unto thee, but to clear and discharge our Consciences to thee in the sight of the Lord, because he requires it of us, and at our hands, and that, if possible, thou mayest take warning so as to escape the evil to come. So in plainness, and in the fear of the Lord, and in obedience to the movings of the spirit of the Lord, I have discharged my Conscience to thee at present, and have faithfully declared to thee (the Counsel of the Lord, and) in short the things which must come to pass, which is and may serve for a sufficient warning to thee from the Lord; which if thou have regard thereunto, it may, and will be well with thee, but, if otherwise I am clear in my Conscience, and the will of God be done. Written in New-England, this 25th of the 3rd Month, 1662. By one who truly desires the settlement and establishment of of the Kingdom of Pence, truth and righteousness, throughout thy Dominions, and all other places of the Earth, and that all oppressions may cease in all places, and though oppressed be sat free, JOSIAH COALE. The Copies of those two Papers were delivered to the King, the last 7th Month.