CHAPTER XII (5)

“A profession of the Reformed religion may be transmitted to generations, and so holden by tradition; and in that, wherein the profession and tradition are holden, is the day of humiliation kept; which stands in the will of man. This is not the fast that the Lord requires, ‘to bow down the head like a bulrush for a day,’ and the day following be in the same condition that they were the day before. To the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences do I speak, which testifieth for God every day, and witnesseth against all sin and persecution; which measure of God, if ye be guided by it, doth not limit God to a day, but leads to the fast which the Lord requires, which is, ‘To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to break every yoke, and to let the oppressed go free.’ Isa. lviii. 6, 7. This is the fast that the Lord requires; and this stands not in the transmission of times, nor in the traditions of men; but in that which was before times were, which leads out of time, and shall be when time shall be no more. These that teach for doctrine the commandments of men, are they that ever persecuted the life and power when it came.

“And whereas ye mention a decree or edict that was made against the said persecuted Protestants, all such decrees proceed from the ground of the Pope’s religion and supremacy, and therein stands his tyranny and cruelty, acted in that will, which is in that nature which exerciseth lordship over one another (as ye may read, Mark x. 42; Luke xxii. 25), as all the heathen do, and ever did; and in the heathenish nature is all the tyranny and persecution exercised, by them that are out of the obedience to the light of Christ Jesus, which is the guide and leader of all who are tender of that of God in the conscience. But they who are not led by this, know not what it is to suffer for conscience’ sake. Now, whereas ye take into your consideration the sad persecution, tyranny, and cruelty, exercised upon them, whom ye call your Protestant brethren, and contribute to administer to their wants outwardly; this is good in its place, and we approve it; and see it good to administer to the necessities of others, and to do good to all: and we who are sufferers by a law derived from the Pope, are willing to join and to contribute with you to their outward necessities. For ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof;’ who is good and gracious to all, willing that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

“But in the meantime, while ye are doing this, and taking notice of others’ cruelty, tyranny, and persecution, turn your eye upon yourselves, and see what ye are doing at home. To the light of Christ Jesus in all your consciences I speak, which cannot lie, nor err, nor bear false witness; but which bears witness for God, and cries for equity, justice, and righteousness to be executed. See what ye are doing, who profess the Scriptures, which were given forth by the saints in light, who dwelt in the light, and in the life of them. For them who now witness the same light, life, and power, that gave forth the Scriptures, which ye in words profess, ye persecute;—them ye hale out of your synagogues and markets;—beat, stock, and imprison. Now let that of God in your consciences, which is just, righteous, and equal, examine and try, whether ye have any example or precedent to exercise this persecution, which now many in this nation suffer under, who are a people harmless and innocent, walking in obedience towards God and man.

“And though ye account the way of truth they walk in, heresy, yet therein do they exercise themselves, to have always ‘a conscience void of offence towards God and man,’ as ye may read the saints of old did (Acts xxiv. 14, 15, 16); wronging no man, neither giving any just cause of offence; only being obedient to the commands of the Lord, to declare, as they are moved by the Holy Ghost; and standing for the testimony of a good conscience, speaking the truth in Christ, their consciences bearing them witness that they lie not; for this do they suffer under you, who in words profess the same thing for which they suffer. Now see if any age or generation did ever persecute as ye do; for ye profess Christ Jesus, who reveals the Father, and persecute them that witness the revelation of the Father by Christ Jesus unto them. Ye profess Christ Jesus, who is ‘the light of the world, that enlightens every man that cometh into the world;’ yet persecute them that bear witness and give testimony to this light. Ye profess that the Word is become flesh, yet persecute them that witness it so. Ye profess that whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is an anti-christ; yet persecute them that do confess him come in the flesh, and call them antichrists and deceivers. Ye profess that the kingdom of Christ is come; yet persecute them that witness it come. Ye profess Christ Jesus, the resurrection and the life; yet persecute them that witness him to be so.

“If ye say, ‘How shall we know that these people, who say they witness these things, do so, or not?’ I answer, Turn your minds to the light, which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal, which is one in all; and if ye walk in the light, ye shall have the light of life; then ye will know and see what ye have done, who have persecuted the Lord of glory (in his people) in whom is life, and the life is the light of men. To no other touchstone shall we turn you, than into your own consciences; there shall ye find the truth of what we have declared unto you, and of what we bear testimony to, according to the holy Scriptures. When the books of consciences are opened, and all judged out of them, then shall ye witness us to be of God, and our testimony to be true. Though now ye may stop your ears, and harden your hearts, while it is called to-day; but then ye shall know what ye have done, and against whom ye have transgressed;—then ye will see that no persecutors, in any age or generation before you, ever transgressed against that light, and measure of God made manifest, in such manner as ye have done. For though Christ and the apostles were persecuted in their times, the Jews, for the most part, did not know that he was the Christ, when he came, notwithstanding they had the Scriptures, which prophesied of him; neither did they believe that he was risen again, when the apostles preached his resurrection. But ye say, ‘ye believe he is come; ye believe his resurrection;’ yet ye persecute those that witness him come in the flesh, those that are buried with him in baptism, that are conformable to his death, and know the power of his resurrection; these ye persecute, hale before magistrates, and suffer to be beaten in your synagogues; these ye cause to be whipped, and stocked, shamefully entreated, and cast into prison; as many jails in this nation at this day testify to your faces. Therefore honestly consider what ye are doing, while ye are taking notice of others’ cruelties, lest ye overlook your own. There is some difference in many things, between the Popish religion and that which ye call the Protestant, but in this persecution of yours there is no difference; for ye will confess that the foundation of your religion is grounded upon the Scriptures; yet ye are persecuting them that are in the same life which they were in, who gave forth the Scriptures, yourselves being the meanwhile under a profession of the words they spoke; and this ye shall one day witness. So ye have a profession and form, and persecute them that are in the possession, life, and power.

“Therefore know assuredly that ye must come to judgment; for he is made manifest, to whom all judgment is committed. Therefore to the light of Christ Jesus in your own consciences, which searcheth and trieth you, turn your minds; stand still, and wait there to receive the righteous law, which is according to that of God in the conscience, which is now rising, and is bearing witness against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; and they whom ye persecute are manifest to God, and that of God in all consciences shall bear witness for us, that we are of God; this ye shall one day witness, whether ye will hear or forbear. Our rejoicing is in the testimony of our consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world; not handling the word of God deceitfully, but in the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God; and if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. For witnessing the holding of the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, do we suffer, and are subject for conscience’ sake.

“This is thankworthy, if a man, for conscience’ sake, endure griefs and sufferings wrongfully. In this is our joy and rejoicing, having a good conscience, that whereas we are evil spoken of, as evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ; which is not only the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This we witness made manifest (eternal praises to the living God!) and bear testimony to that which spoke it in the apostle in life and power. Therefore do we bear witness and testify against those, who, being in a form and profession of it, persecute the life and power. To the eternal light of Christ Jesus, the searcher and trier of all hearts, turn your minds, and see what ye are doing; lest ye overturn your foundation, whereon ye pretend to stand, while ye are professing the Scriptures, and persecuting the life, light, and power, which they were in who gave them forth. For the stone, cut out of the mountains without hands, is now striking at the feet of the image, the profession, which is set up, and stands in the will of man. Now is that made manifest unto which all must answer; all must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and shall be made manifest in all your consciences, which ye shall witness.”

Divers times, both in the time of the Long Parliament, and of the Protector (so called) and of the Committee of Safety, when they proclaimed fasts, I was moved to write to them, and tell them, their fasts were like unto Jezebel’s; for commonly, when they proclaimed fasts, there was some mischief contrived against us. I knew their fasts were for strife and debate, to smite with the fist of wickedness; as the New England professors soon after did, who, before they put our Friends to death, proclaimed a fast also.

Now it was a time of great sufferings; and many Friends being in prisons, many other Friends were moved to go to the parliament, to offer up themselves to lie in the same dungeon, where their friends lay, that they that were in prison might go out, and not perish in the stinking jails. This we did in love to God and our brethren, that they might not die in prison; and in love to those that cast them in, that they might not bring innocent blood upon their own heads; which we knew would cry to the Lord, and bring his wrath, vengeance, and plagues upon them. But little favour could we find from those professing parliaments; instead thereof they would rage, and sometimes threaten those Friends that thus attended them, that they would whip them, and send them home. Then commonly soon after the Lord would turn them out, and send them home; who had not a heart to do good in the day of their power. But they went not off without being forewarned, for I was moved to write to them, in their several turns, as I did to the Long Parliament, unto whom I declared, before they were broken up, that “thick darkness was coming over them all, even a day of darkness that should be felt.”

And because the parliament that now sat was made up mostly of high professors, who, pretending to be more religious than others, were indeed greater persecutors of them that were truly religious, I was moved to send them the following lines, as a reproof of their hypocrisy:—