THE VOICE of the JUST Uttered: His passing out of Egypt through the Red Sea, through the Wilderness to the Promised Land, where rest and peace is enjoyed.  By him who is known to the World by the Name of THOMAS SYMONDS. 
Many false Spirits are entered into the World, who are seen, tried, and found out with the light of Christ, although it they oppose, and seek to darken with all their dark powers.  
Yet Christ's Voice a torment is to the unclean Spirits, known of them but not followed; his sheep hear his voice, and they follow him in the straight and narrow way, through tribulations, trials, and persecutions, which is embraced of all those that dwell in the light, and so come to the inheritance, the Crown of life.  
I Being quiet and still in my habitation, feeding upon the bread of life, known and enjoyed in the light of life, the former deal of the Lord was brought to my remembrance, and in love to the souls of men and women I am made to publish and make known these things which follow, which cannot be hid, for the command to me is, what is revealed, to thee in secret, that preach thou on the house tops, and what is made known unto thee in thy closet, that publish abroad and let my secrets to thee be no longer hid, the candle of the Lord being lighted in me, searching me from the beginning, and showing me the sins of my you h, and now knowing that when I had committed sin in my youth, the light of Christ in my conscience discovered it, and reproved me ever since the time of my being a child, but I not knowing where to wait run from place to place, from one man to another, who had the greatest name in godliness and profession of holiness, but Physicians they were of no value, sometimes I found them daubing as it were with untempered mortar, and would have healed that which was to be cut and wounded, and bruised the head of the serpent while it stood, acted I was in wickedness, and so from day to day, I went under, a wounded spirit, which made me cry day and night by prayer to the Lord as I thought to be at a distance from me, and Christ that had enlightened me with his light which was then present with me to let me see my condition, and wounded Estate, that I would not own for my guide this condition I continued in till about eighteen years of age, and then much calling and crying out there was of the priests of those times (whom I delighted to hear) to go forth into the war, harkening to their cry I entered into the war without me, thinking thereby to be beloved of God for my forwardness in that work, and the war within me did somewhat cease, but not wholly, for I sound the searcher of all hearts the light of Christ in me condemning reproving me in secret, and often when I have been to engage with my enemies without me, my sins have been set in order before me, which hath made me even to faint before them, but the resolvedness in me, and the justness of my cause as I thought, carried me on to encounter, but this brought not my enemies within me to the slaughter, but strength they got by it, I reasoning thus with myself, I had fought the Lords battle, and henceforth there was laid up a sure reward for me, and this sometimes did quiet me till the Lord uttered his voice in his habitation; then came I to see with the light of Christ that my iniquities were not yet blotted out, then sorrow would seize upon me, and sadness, paleness of face, so that I was long kept to the admiring of many, and when at any time I had been drawn out to receive the creature to the abusing of my body, which I see overtook me, I not being kept diligent and watchful, the severe Judgements of God would follow me and rest departed from me, than mourning and lamenting was my portion, and sorrowing, and sighing, with much heaviness of spirit from the oppressed in me did proceed, than such persuasion there was in me, that I should join with those people called Annabaptists and did contend much when I came with those that did oppose me (for water baptism) taking Scriptures to prove the necessity of it, but in a short time, I came to see the emptiness and huskinesse of it, and so became dead to it, and the witness of God the light arising in me though the power of it I little knew, my condition in measure I was brought to know, and to see myself naked and wretched, then to reading of Scriptures and praying I did much give myself, and at times much tears and weeping I was brought into, then looking upon them as tears of repentance there would be some quietness in my spirit, and a calm for sometime, but that remaining in me strong and uncrucified, the Lust; from whence wars did proceed, peace would not long continue, the light of Christ in my conscience being sinned against, for the virtue and strength of it, I was then ignorant of, but in this my time of ignorance the Lords working power in me his light was not put out though often quenched and sinned against, and this was the Lords love to my soul to waken and quicken me morning by morning, and in the night season call me to an account with his light, of life and power, with it I now see he hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world and that with his light Christ Jesus hath and doth, and shall leave all men without excuse eternally before the pure God who is light and in him is no darkness at all, but all who have and doth and shall abide in his light, have and doth and shall know, that in it is life and power, and it is able to cleanse and purify the heart, and abiding in it, the heart Soul and body is kept clean in the sight of the pure God, and so the peace of God come to be known of all those that abide in his light which shines in all consciences though darkness comprehend it not, yet light comprehend and discover it in man, although man by his strange inventions seek to darken the glorious light, as when I was afflicted and tossed too and fro with the slight and cunning of men's inventions, for when many conditions I had passed through as before mentioned and still the Lord in his love was searching me with his light, and with it I did see sin standing, which caused trouble and restlessness, than the docctine of free grace (so called) was preached to me that Christ had suffered for sinners, and his suffering was free, his mercy free, his love, his grace free, so there was nothing for me to do, but to believe these things, which Doctrine was soon received by me, for it was pleasing to the fleshly mind as it was then held forth and declared, by the blind guides of the world, and now I know that his love, grace, mercy, and light is free, but this must go with it, abide in hislove, in his mercy, in his grace, and light, and here is something to do contrary to the will of man, and this answers Christ's words, who saith, if ye abide in the vine, etc. he further exhorting them; abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me, which man to own I now see he must deny himself, and take up the Cross, and deny that liberty which all the professors of the world are pleading for, who are out of the life, and enemies to the light, so these things above mentioned, being in the time of my ignorance blindness, and darkness, received into my understanding, the work of God was stopped and the witness his light in me, quenched, than carelessness, and wildness, and unstaiednesse, with me increased, and I could be merry, and sport myself in the day time and so grew sottish, dark, and dull, and my profession withered, and my zeal abated, and my staidness, and soberness was turned into wantonness, and laughter, and could plead for it, that it was the liberty of the Saints, to be merry and cheerly in the world, else it might dishonour the Gospel, and discourage others, and in this condition I was for some years, after I had taken a wise and fell to trading, and much buying and selling, and great acquaintance with man I began to have, and to increase in my estate as to the outward, than I grew tall and great in my thoughts, and began to think the Lot of my inheritance was in a good place, then with my fellow tradesmen I delighted often to be in Taverns, Inns, and drinking houses, and often times, and money I spent that way, and thought it my liberty so to dee, and some small covering of profession was still with me, which hide me from the world, as praying, and reading in my family, and going to the chiefest places of worship so counted, but all this would not hid, nor cover me from the wrath of the Lamb, and now my fellow tradesmen, and sometimes companions in wickedness, in excess of drinking, eating, and wicked singing, and idle jestings, and foolish laughter, in the day time and often in the night season be warned to flee and shun, all foolish laughter, and wantonness, and idle communication which corrupts the good manners, and wait in the light of Christ, which convinceth you of sin, and of your ungodly deeds, to know the living God, who sometimes you will talk of and in words profess him, but in works deny him, for all works of darkness, are contrary to the pure God, who if ever you come to know you must know him a consuming fire to all your idle filthy, foolish unclean, corrupt communications, and to all your lusts and pleasures, which ye at present take delight and live in, poor hearts, there is a tenderness in me towards you, and all men; consider your estates, your living carelessly as to your eternal estate, your bodies growing far, with ease and fullness, but enter in to your own closers, and let the door be shut, and be quiet and still in your spirits, and with the light of Christ diligently search and see the leanness and starvedness of your souls and how faint and feeble they are that the pant and breathe after God from the innocent in you, (which lieth oppressed) you may come to know, and your present conditions come to see, in the light, for really when you come to be searched and sound out with eternal light of God Christ Jesus, than woe to you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and lament, and your joy and gladness, will be turned into sighing, and bitter weeping, for the life of sin and wickedness you have lived in and still take delight in, this I now know and see, in the eternal light of God, that it is your present states and conditions, for it is not long since I was in that state with you, which was pleasing to my fleshly mind, though while I was with you in that mirth and delight, to the sinful mind, yet the Lord was present to condemn me, with his light, and this, if you will deal plainly with your own hearts in particular, with the light of Christ you may come to see the Lord condemning you in the midst of all your mirth, and witnessing with his light in you against your ungodly deeds, in the midst of your sport, and riotings, thus it was with me, whilst I with you in wickedness did join, which was until near the time called Michaelmas in the year 1654. I then journeying towards Cambridge purposing to take my delight at that place called Sturbidg fair, & hearing of a people in Cambridge called Quakers, I had a great desire to see them, although they were counted as the off scouring of the world, some of the people being then prisoners, after my stay one night in that place I went to prison to see the despised one of the world named Anne Blackely who is a mother in Israel, I seeing her sober stayed countenance after some little space began to ask her some questions which she in discreet, and wise manner answered with much tenderness to me, she seeing in the eternal light of God my condition, spoke as she was moved to the witness of God in me, which did soon answer the soundness of her words, and I was brought into much tenderness and many were the tears that then fell from mine eyes, and really such a condition I was then in as I was never made sensible of before, in all the time of my profession, for I was pierced, and wounded, and made sensible of my condition, and exhorted where to wait, which exhortation took deep root in me, it not parting from me day nor night, but to the light of Christ in my conscience I was kept which brought me into soberness, and staidness, so the inten, ded evil of my journey, I was kept from, and soon after departed out of that town, towards my outward being, which was at Norwich, where I had and have a wife and tender babes, who were, and are dear unto me in their places, but the form of my countenance being changed from laughter and foolish jesting into soberness and staidness, caused a change in my wife at that time she weeping, and crying out, and ask me often what I ailed, for long I lay under Judgement, mourning sighing, and groaning, the innocent in me to be delivered, and pangs took hold on me, for the delivering of the man child, and then groans and sighs I came really to know, which could not, nor cannot be uttered, and then the ministrations of condemnation which is glorious in its time, I came to know, and when under the greatest condemnation, & judgement I was brought, & sensible of a spirit of burning in me, than had the innocent one in me, which never consented to sin, pure joy peace & comfort, from the Lord, & my members to it was borough: into subjection & so became the members of Christ, and not any more to become the members of an harlot, neither any more to go a whoring after my lovers, but according to what was made manifest to me, in the light I was made to own the cross, and despise the shame, and in my obedience I did see, and taste, that much coming was the love of God to me, & the just in me, got strength and power, and although many trials & temptations I met with from enemies without, & enemies within me, yet through them all I see good brought forth, to the clearing of the innocent, and strengthening of the just which live by faith, and through the greatest straits and troubles can rejoice, and that above written was my estate and condition for many months together, so that a wonder I was, and amazed they were at me, that formerly knew me, and a great noise of my condition went abroad, and many lies were uttered forth, concerning me, as that I was mad and bound in my bed, and seven men could not hold me, and many such things was invented by the devil in his children who are sit instruments for his purpose, who ever hated the children of the light, and Christ Jesus who is the light of the world, and hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world, by his children was put to death.  
I say, many things was raised and invented of me, as that I had given up Trading, and left off my Calling, which thing was utterly false, that they accused me and the truth of, although I walked along the streets about my business in the outward daily. And poor hearts, who make lies your refuge, this know, that where the truth of God is made manifest in the light of Jesus, and lived in in the life and power, none can or dare take liberty to idleness, and slothfulness in business, but every one in their places are made to be faithful and honest therein, doing what they do as in the sight of God, and so become blameless to that of God in every man's conscience, and justified in the sight of God, we doing unto all men, as we would that all men should do unto us, not defrauding, conzening, or cheating any, nor using deceitful words, to make any believe a lie, but in plainness of speech, with fewness of words, in singleness and uprightness of heart, we are ordered with the light of Christ in our lives and conversations, towards all men with whom we have to do, in this crooked and perverse Generation. So all you that have reviled and reproached the Lords people, scornfully by you called Quakers, it is time for you to stop your mouths, and lie low in the dust, and repent while you have time, and say not in your hearts it will be time enough afterwards, lest the Lord come suddenly in an hour you know not, and sweep you away in your sins, and so you receive your portion with the damned spirits, and kept in the lake of darkness and torment, their habitation, from whence there will be no returning any more to the Land of the living, neither shall a drop of water be granted in the midst of your torment and burn, to cool your tongues, which hath spoken lies of the innocent; therefore be warned in your life-time, you blind people Some of the lies which was raised of me, was received by one of your blind guides of this City, and preached of by him in his high place, but the Lord hath put an end to his days, as to the life, and his reward is with him. But herein this wicked and rebellious City, who are up in rebellion against the Lord and his chosen elected ones, they gathering about the doors of the innocent: Now see wherein you differ from that wicked City Sodom, for idleness and fullness of bread was found in it, and against it, and all wickedness in this City, I am, and a witness do stand in innocency, and harmlessness, against this lying, evil, inventing, devouring Generation, by whom I am made a mock, a taunt, a by word, and them against me do set their mouths awry and am persecuted and reviled, hated, and daily mocked at as I pass the streets, and I patiently bear it; being reviled I entreat, persecuted, I suffer it, and can rejoice in the midst of all, and through the strength of my God am kept above them all, Glory, Glory, be given to the pure living God, for ever, Amen, who hath kept me, and doth keep me alive in his light of life, from this destroying devouring generation of unreasonable men, of whom the righteous God, in his righteousness willbe avenged, and eased of these his advesaries, & this is according to Scriptures which you pretend is your rule, although your lives, practices, & daily walkings they declare against, and when any of your wickedness is declared against by any servants of the Lord, who dwell in the light, you are presently ready to fall upon perfection, although it be not mentioned by us, you crying out that none can be perfect here, none can be without sin here, where is there one Scripture that will maintain these words, this was the Scribes, and pharisees estate, who sought to put the Lamb of God Christ Jesus to death, saith he, I go away, and you shall die in your sins, now, that are crying out, and accusing us for being papists, Consider who are nearer them you, or we, for if there be not a place of purging after death, what will become of you, for into Heaven there shall enter no unclean thing, nor nothing that worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, and you that plead for these things, look to it in your life time, and be warned, and own the light of Christ, and it will let you see that the grave addeth no perfection, and as the tree falls so it lies, and if you die in your sins, Christ goes away, and whether he goes ye cannot come, This is to all you who plead for sin, would live in, and die in your sins, you must not go where Christ goes, and this is according to Scriptures, and you that deny to be guided by his light, in your life time, are workers of iniquity, the word is gone forth departed ye workers of iniquity into utter darkness, there shall be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and Christ will not know you, and this is according to Scriptures, ye scribes and pharisees, what will ye do if you die in your sins, where doth the Scriptures speak of any cleansing after death, and you that are pleading always to live in sin, and none can be without sin here, how can the words of Christ be owned and received by you, who said unto the woman taken in adultery, go thy way sin no more, and to the impotent man, lest a worse thing come unto thee, so be warned, for you must be called to an account, and you shall be rewarded according to your works, and deeds done in the body, and this is according to Scriptures, which are as a cloud of witnesses against you, and witnesseth for the innocent people scornfully, & reproachfully by you called Quakers, who are brought to witness the truth of them, in their lives and conversations, and therefore are hated of the world, who love their own, & if we were of the world, the world would love us, but because we are not of the world, therefore the world hates us, as it was from the beginning, so it is now known and seen in the light, according as the Scriptures declares, they that are borne after the flesh, persecute those that are borne after the spirit, even so it is unto this day, poor hearts, you are warned and the witness of God in you, will witness for me, and against your ungodly deeds.  
So though I be counted a foole to the world, and of them hated, it is for Christ's sake, and my wisdom I counted not too dear to give up unto him, and though a mad man as Paul was counted, yet stayed in the light, and speaking the words of soberness unto all men, with whom I have to do, and as one that is dead, but alive unto God; and I counted not my life dear unto him, who hath called me, and hath made known his mighty power in me, whereby I know that he is in me, and I in him, and so redeemed out of the world, and from the Teachers of it, not any longer to be deceived by them, but in the eternal light of God I do them see, and comprehend, and know them to be of that sort spoken of in the Scriptures, who shall and do lead silly women Captive, laden with sin, and pleading for no live in it, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. But it they are taught to oppose, the light of Christ, by the blind guides of the world, who are sensual having not the Spirit, as is made manifest by their works and fruits, they living in pride and covetousness, in envy and malice, haling and cause to be haled those that are moved of the Lord, to witness against their ungodly practices; and now all people who have any soberness and staidness, remaining, and any desire to know the Lord God, who have created you, and with his light enlightened you, to the light of Christ take heed, which reproveth you of sin and evil, although you act it never so secretly, and leave the blind guides of the world, and their silthy saigned words deny, for by them they seek to make merchandise of your souls, feed them no longer with dishonest gain lest they destroy the simplicity in you, & you perish with them who deny the light of Christ, to be sufficient to guide the creature unto God, and call it natural, and so would have a natural Christ suitable to their natural fleshly minds, but he is a spirit, and cometh from the father of spirits, and all who come to know him, must know him in his l ght, & worship God in spirit and in truth, & all who are brought into Christ's right to wait, know him to be a quickning spirit, and that he is made manifest in flesh, to discover and destroy sin in the flesh, this is known to the Children of light, but hid from the dark world, who perish in their iniquities, from the wise and prudent, and is revealed to babes & sucklings, even so holy father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. And now a few lines to you all dear friends, who have had a taste of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, keep in the taste, and knowledge, your minds stayed in the light, and in the eternal stillness to dwell, not striving in your own wisdoms to Comprehend the truth, this is not your work, neither will you come to a growth by it, but your work is to stand still in the light, the life to know, and there feed, that ye may see Pharaoh the oppressor, his Chariots, and mighty ones overturned and drowned in the red Sea, and the soul saved, and the creature redeemed out of Egypt and bondage, the promised Land you to enjoy, which brings forth all pleasant riches which is durable, and fadeth not away.  
Dear hearts fight not in your wills, neither strive in your wisdoms, but stand still in the light, and know the battle is the Lords, you that are entered into the wane, you being quiet, and patiented, and still in your spirits, the limb shall get the victory, over the uncircumcised Philistians, and hard hearted Pharaches, you being stayed in the light, there is your power, and it will give you victory over the unclean spirits and uncircumcised in hearts, and ears and in the power and authority of the Lord God, known in the light, trample upon them all, that they shall be ashes under your feet, this I know, who am your brother in the eternal truth, and therein stand as a witness against all those that know not God, who am known, and by their scornfully called Quaker.  
From my outward being in Norwich the 30 day of the 4 Month, 1656.   

London, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Sign of the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate. 1656.