To the Priests and People of ENGLAND, we discharge our consciences, and give them warning.  
FRIENDS,  
WE have no envy nor malice to any Creature, Priest or people, but are to mind you of your conditions, without any partiality or hypocrisy, and wish your eternal good: and what we contend against is your greatest enemy, and will be your everlasting woe and torment, if it be not destroyed in you. For know, there is the seed of the Woman, and the seed of the Serpent in the World, there is the generation of Cain and righteous Abel. Now it lieth upon you all to know what generation you are of: for little did the false Prophets and that generation that put to death the true Prophets of the Lord, think they were of Cain's race; nor did the Scribes and Pharisees, that with their Priests put Christ to death, think they were of Cain's generation, for they garnished the Sepulchers of the righteous, and said, If they had been in the days of their fathers, they w uld not have slain them; yet Christ Jesus told them, That all the blood spilt since righteous Abel, should be required of that generation; and, that they were the children of them that murdered the Prophets. Is it not strange, that the learned Priests and Scribes, and Pilate that had the Hebrew and Greek besides Latin, should not find out by all their high learning, the original of the Scriptures of the Prophets, concerning Christ Jesus, that he was the true M●ssiah: but that they that read the Gospel every Sabbath day, that spoke of Christ, should murder and put him to death. Now Christ Jesus himself gives the reason, and thanks his Father, that he had hid it from the wise, and prudent, and revealed it to babes, because it was the Father's good pleasure, and the Scriptures declare them to be ignorant, that had the Hebrew, Greek and Latin, For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of life and glory.  
Now People, this was the same generation of Cain in them after Christ's death, that persecuted the Apostles and put them to death; and it was the same spirit in them that put the Martyrs to death, and of that generation were the Bishops that persecuted, and so it continueth still to this day in the World; for Cain's generation is now still envying, hating, and persecuting the righteous Abel. Now the persecuting Cainish generation would never acknowledge they were such, but in all ages persecuted the just under some false colour, as they of old said, The true Prophets were troublers of Israel; and Amaziel the Priest of Bethel said of Amos, That the Land was not able to bear his words; and Haman said, that the Laws of the people of God were contrary to the Laws and Customs of all Nations; & of Christ they said, He was a Deceiver▪ and had a Devil; and of Stephen, That he spoke against the holy Place and the Law; and, That Paul was a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition: so that all along it was on a false account, the just were persecuted: so in the days of the Bishops, the Martyrs were burnt and butchered under the name of Heretics; so now the seed of the Serpent is subtle, and will not persecute the Truth, as it is the Truth, but under some false pretence or other, else all would see their deceit. But the Truth is, it's from the first rise, because their own works are evil, and their brothers good: they hated Christ Jesus, because he testified that their works were evil. So now cain's generation hates the just and pure seed of God, because it declares that their works are evil.  
Object. But do not the Priests declare against evil works?  
Answ. Yes, they do so: the Scribes and Pharisees spoke good words, they spoke of the Messiah, yet they killed the substance of what they spoke: so the Priests speak true words, good words, and yet kill, and persecute, pursue, and imprison the substance and life of what they speak, for he that departs from evil makes himself a prey to Priest and People; and sometimes when the light in their consciences, tells them, when they are persecuting the just seed, That they are innocent, yet they wilfully run on against the very light of their own consciences, as did Stephen's persecutors.  
And is it not so? I speak to that in your consciences, That though the Priests speak true words, yet Priests and people that live in cain's race, do pursue and persecute even to the very death, the life and power of what they do preach. And know you of a truth, that all the blood since Abel, shall be required of this generation; for, as it groweth to the end, it heightneth and ripeneth its malice and wickedness, and so shall its judgement be, for double plagues shall be poured out upon her.  
Now to you all I speak, sin not against the light in your own consciences, be not wilfully blind, but harken to the light of Jesus Christ in your Consciences, that you may come to see what generation you are of, whether of Cain or Abel: and if you did abide in the light, you should come to witness the life and power of what you profess, and so come to that life that gave forth the Scriptures, and not wrest them to your own Opinions and lusts: One saying, Lo here in Presbytery; another, Lo there in Independency; and another, in Prelacy; and another in Baptism: but the Scriptures are not divided, they agree, and hold out one thing; but you divide them, because you live not in that life that gave them forth, yet you boast of your learning, that you have the Hebrew and Greek, and know the Original: but you see Pilate and the Jews had the Hebrew, Greek and Latin, yet knew not the Original, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of life and glory.  
Therefore know you, that you may be, and are ignorant, though you think yourselves wise: Silly men and women may see more into the mystery of Christ Jesus, than you: for the Apostles, that the Scribes called illiterate, and Mary and Susanna (silly women, as you would be ready to call them, if they were here now) these know more of the Messiah, than all the learned Priests and Rabbis; for it is the Spirit that searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God, you may know, and yet murder the just, and think you do God good service.  
This I warn you in love, for I cannot but think that there are some among you, that ponder on this day, and if you would hearken to the light of Jesus Christ in your consciences, it would lead you from your own wisdom, learning, and self-conceitedness, into the simplicity of Jesus Christ, which is a mystery of Faith hid in a pure conscience: for your own wisdom must be denied, if ever you will come to witness the life and power of true wisdom, which the fear of the Lord is the beginning of; for so did they of old.  
Paul and Apollo were very learned and eloquent, saith the Scriptures, yet Paul counted all his learning dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, let his second Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians be a full witness of this: and Apollo was willing to be instructed of his hearers Aquila and Priscilla that were Tent-makers, & the learned that studied curious Arts burned their Books that were of great price, when they came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ: so you now, would you hearken to JESUS CHRIST, and obey his light in your consciences, you would come down to humility and the fear of the Lord, to the true wisdom and understanding, that you would not need so many Authors, and Books, you would not need to rend your heads with studying, but you would come to see your Teacher in you, which now is removed into a corner, you would come to live a preaching life, and witness that Faith you talk of, to purify your hearts from envy, pride and malice, and to get the victory over the world's glory and honour that is so highly esteemed by you; and coming to see yourselves in the light of Jesus Christ, you will not Lord it over God's heritage, nor lift yourselves up above your Brethren in pride and arrogancy, but be a servant to all in love.  
Therefore, come now to the light, sin no longer against that in your conscience; for Antichrist must be destroyed by the brightness of his coming, and God is gathering his people out from idol-Shepherds into his own fold, to make them one flock and to give them one Sheperd, that they may serve him with one consent, for he hath fulfilled this Scripture in thousands this day whom he hath gathered out of Antichrists Opinions to worship one God in one way, in Spirit and Truth, speaking all the same things: if you speak with ten thousand of them, they all agree, having one King, one Law giver.  
Now fret not at this, you that live at Babylon in confusion, in divisions: for the little stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, shall break Babylon's Idols.  
Now consider Friends and people your conditions, for what good doth all your preaching and hearing do you? break your sleep, rend your brains, and as it were, speak out your lungs, and alas who is bettered by it! was there ever more pride, lightness, vanity, and wantonness, manifested in your Assemblies, than now? you make it the place where you set forth your pride, and vanity to the utmost: was there ever the like injustice, violence, falsehood and deceit in any age? that scarce can a man tell what men mean by what they say any longer.  
Men say in effect, That God hath forsaken the earth by their wicked practices: the people cry out upon the Priests, and say, That their Opinions have made them so wicked; and the Priests cry out upon the people, and say, That the fault is theirs: So that the Lord beheld, and in stead of righteousness, equity and judgement, there is a cry. So your whole Religion is but a noise, the life, power and substance is not in it.  
On apostate England, what shall the God of mercies do for thee? what shall he do unto thee? he hath tried thee with mercies, and with the sword, and then with peace again, and yet thou repentest not; he hath given thee his witness, his just one to reprove thee, to convince thee of sin in thy conscience, but thou h●st slain the witness, murdered and slain the just: he will not always strive with man, he will now roar from Zion, and the children of the West shall tremble, those that w●rship their idols; he will redeem Zion with judgement, and he will tear his flock out of the mouth of the greedy devouring shepherds, that have made a prey upon them, and the idol-shepherds shall have their arm dried up, and their right eye darkened.  
Come down thou therefore that hast built among the stars by thy arts and learning; for it's thy pride and thy wisdom, that hath perverted thee thou hast gone in the way of Cain, in envy and malice, and ran greedily after the reward of Balaam, in coverousness, and if thou repent not, shalt perish in the gainsaying of KORE: for if a Son or a Daughter be moved from the Lord, to go into the Assembly of the people, in a m●ssage from the Lord God, thou canst not endure to hear them speak sound Doctrine, having a guilty conscience, and fearing they would declare against thy wickedness, thou incensest the people, telling them, that they are dangerous people, Quakers, so making the people afraid of us: and incensest the Magistrates, telling them that they must lay hold on us, as troublers of the people, and disturbers of the peace, and so makes them thy drudges to act thy malice, that thy filthiness may not be discovered, and thy shame appear; but God will make them in one day to forsake thee, and leave and fly from thee, though for the present thou Lordest it over Magistrates, people, meeting house, and all, as though all were thine: and thou sittest as a Queen and Lady over all, and wilt have the pre-eminence, and haft got into the seat of God, the consciences of the people, and what thou sayest must not be contradicted: if thou bid them fight and war, they obey it; if thou bid them persecute and imprison, they do it; so that they venture their Bodies and Souls to fulfil thy lusts of envy and pride, and in thy pride thou contemnest all others, thou tellest the people, Women must not speak in a Church, whereas it is not spoke only of a Female, for we are all one both male and female in Christ Jesus, but it's weakness that is the woman by the Scriptures forbidden, for else thou puttest the Scriptures at a difference in themselves, as still it's thy practice out of thy ignorance; for the Scriptures do say, that all the Church may prophesy one by one, and that women were in the Church, as well as men, do thou judge; and the Scripture saith, that a woman may not prophesy with her head uncovered, lest she dishonour her head: now thou wouldst know the meaning of that Head, let the Scripture answer, 1 Cor. 11.3. The head of every man is Christ. Man in his best estate is altogether vanity, weakness, a lie. If therefore any speak in the Church, whether man or woman, and nothing appear in it but the wisdom of man, and Christ, who is the true head, be not uncovered, do not fully appear, Christ the head is then dishonoured. Now the woman or weakness, that is man, which in his best estate or greatest wisdom is altogether vanity, that must be covered with the covering of the Spirit, a garment of righteousness, that its nakedness may not appear, and dishonour thereby come. Here mayst thou see from the Scriptures, that the woman or weakness whether male or female, is forbidden to speak in the Church; but it's very plain, Paul, nor Apollo, nor the true Church of Christ, were not of that proud envious Spirit that thou art of, for they owned Christ Jesus in man or woman; for Paul bid Timothy to help those women that laboured with him in the Gospel, and Apollo harkened to a woman, and was instructed by her, and Christ Jesus appeared to the women first, and sent them to preach the Resurrection to the Apostles, and Philip had four Virgins that did prophesy. Now thou dost respect persons I know, and art partial in all things, and so judgest wickedly, but there is no respect of persons with God. Indeed, you yourselves are the women, that are forbidden to speak in the Church, that are become women; for two of your Priests came to speak with us; and when they could not bear sound reproof and wholesome Doctrine, that did concern them, they railed on us with filthy speeches, as no other they can give to us, that deal plainly and singly with them, and so ran from us. So leaving you to the light in all your consciences to judge of what we have writ, we remain Prisoners in Exeter. goal for the word of God.  
Priscilla Cotton, Mary Cole.  
FINIS.   

Printed at London for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle, near the West end of Paul's, 1655.