‘True it is, such hath been the coming to pass of time, and of things for many ages by-past, that my master hath been, as it were, banished from the nation, and hath not been suffered to enjoy his right; but hath been expelled, even, as it were, by the force of satan and antichrist, who hath long usurped authority over the inhabitants of this nation; and in my Master’s absence, lamentable injustice, cruelty, unmercifulness, tyranny, and oppression have been exercised upon the inhabitants; and the poor creatures have been held in great slavery by their rulers, that have ruled by the dragon’s power; and been kept in great blindness and ignorance, and under great oppression, both in body and spirit, by antichristian teachers, for this many years; even while the great King hath been absent, and, as it were, gone into a far country; even all this time hath antichrist and the devil ruled and reigned, and have made and executed oppression, and tyrannical laws and decrees, both in church and state; and all the nation hath been out of right order, and laid waste and barren of good fruit, and it hath been as a wilderness by reason hereof; and men that have ruled for many years, have not ruled singly by my Master’s authority, but by another power; though not without the knowledge of my Lord, neither as though he had not power to have done otherwise; but for his own pleasure he hath suffered it thus to be, and let men go on to rule and govern in their own wills, and after their own lusts; and people have walked wickedly towards him, and towards one another; and all this he hath suffered; not as if he gave toleration for it; for his messengers now and then, and his witness in people’s consciences, have been reproving their ungodly ways; and he hath often showed his dislike by divers ways, and tokens, and many judgments, and strange overturning, to the way and proceedings of both rulers, prophets, and teachers of this nation; but yet they have gone on against his mind, and contrary to his will, notwithstanding his reproofs and judgments. Not that he had not power to have executed his pleasure in wrath upon them, and to have destroyed them altogether, and have made the nation a heap, and as nothing long before this day; for power was in his hand to have done it; but he hath been long-suffering and of great patience, and borne all things, and taken the injustice, and cruelty, and wickedness, and idolatry, and all unrighteousness that hath abounded in the nation upon himself, and suffered under it, and borne it for its season, while woful and lamentable oppressions have been practised in civil state, even hellish laws, and devilish executors of them; merciless tyrants have borne the sceptre, and reigned for many years over the inhabitants, and in church and state have been heinous idolatry and superstitious vanities committed in a high nature and measure, and even all men, and states of men, and orders of men of every degree have been abominably corrupted in the sight of my Lord, even from the prince to the beggar, even rulers and subjects, teachers and people, judges and prophets. They have been corrupted both in heart and hand, and they have dealt falsely and wickedly towards him and towards one another; even to the great displeasure and vexation of him, and his blessed spirit, and to the high provocation of him to their own destruction, if his long-suffering had not prevailed; and all this while he hath lain as it were asleep, and at rest in himself; and he hath left men to try them, what they will do, and he hath given them a day; many kings and rulers, he hath let them have a little time, to see how they would use it, but they have abused it and not ruled for him, nor accomplished his work nor fulfilled his will, but acted even in defiance of him and of his power, and to his great dishonour.
‘Alack! I must be plain with you: my Lord hath been utterly exiled, and greatly dishonoured, and highly provoked and vexed by reason of such proceedings, as have been in this nation for this many years, through the corruption of all sorts of men in place and power, who have not ruled for him, but for the devil to their own corrupted ends: only he hath suffered men to go on in their course for a season; some as it were appearing on the stage for a time, and suddenly cast down again for their iniquities sake; and his hand hath been in all these things, though very privately and secretly, not known and discerned by the sons of men, yet hath he ruled over the kingdoms of men, and pulled down one, and set up another. And to forbear the several actings and proceedings of many by-passed ages, and to come to this generation, and to speak of things that have happened within these few years, and of the changing and overturning that hath happened in this nation; such was the cruelty, tyranny, oppression and idolatry both in church and civil state, that the people of this nation were held under, in the days of papal power; such, I say, was the exceeding height of the cruelty and tyranny of that time, that not any that feared or reverenced my Lord, in any measure, could scarce live, or have a being in the nation. Even against every man that did but incline towards him, and desire the knowledge of his ways, hell’s mouth was opened against them, and they were swallowed, and many of their lives taken from the earth, by the hellish power that had in that day usurped authority in this island; and when thus it was, then he looked down from heaven, and his bowels of compassion were opened, for the sake of the oppressed people that desired after him, in so much that he broke and threw down the power of their oppressors in some measure, as it stood in papal authority, and when the iniquity of that power was filled up, he took vengeance upon it; and I must tell you, it was he that brought it about, even the destroying of that power in this nation, and freeing the nation from it, though the men that were instruments in the cause were not his servants, otherwise than as Nebuchadnezzar served him; for he hath a secret way to have a service from the wicked, and such is his power, that he can turn the wickedness of the wicked to his glory, and he can make a rod to whip his adversaries, and burn it when he hath done, and he hath often destroyed one wickedness by another.
‘Well, but to leave that, though he did in some measure, free the nation from much tyranny and cruelty, in the casting out popish authority, yet alack! the nation in a few years was near as much violated by injustice and cruelty, under the succeeding power, as ever it was once under the papal power; though before, there had been some small reformation and change in outward appearance, though little in ground and nature; yet oppression, and idolatry, and superstition, in church and state, and all profaneness and wickedness among people were grown so high, like as it had been under the papal power before; and all that desired after the Lord, and were weary of iniquity, and of the then present oppressions and idolatries, were persecuted, and slain, and destroyed; and injustice and cruelty exercised upon them, even almost to the rooting out of righteousness, and to the grieving of the Lord’s spirit. Well then, because of the cry of the people, and the oppression of the nation under that authority, my Lord looked down again; and even for his name’s sake, and for his seed’s sake, he had compassion on this nation, to set it free, and to break off its oppressions; and in a great measure he did deliver the people of this nation in many things, and there was a part of reformation wrought, and much pretended and looked for; and all this came to pass through him, and my Lord did accomplish it, however the instruments by which he wrought proved deceitful, and became oppressors, as others before them; and though there was in this nation a day of great troubles, and wars, and contention, and great strife, and the wasting of much blood, and earthly treasure, and none of these things, I must tell you, fell without the ordering of my Master’s hand; yet so it was, and came to pass, that after this nation was restored to peace, though much unrighteousness and injustice was removed, yet there was much also left behind; and men that he had used as instruments in his hand, in a good work, and to whom he had given wisdom and understanding, and appeared in much mercy and in great deliverance, yet they even turned to seek themselves, and became corrupted in the spoils of their enemies. And when peace and plenty abounded, the Lord was forgotten again; and then the land fell under oppressors, and began again to cry out for freedom, even when other horns of the first beast sprang up, and went on each of them after his fellow. And though one horn hath striven to break another, yet after one hath been cast down, another hath risen, and made an image to the first; and ruled and reigned by the same spirit, and authority, derived from the dragon’s power in cruelty and oppression; and made laws and executed them to the dishonour of the Lord, and to the great oppression of his people, and to the filling of this island with injustice and cruelty, even from one generation to another, until this day: and thus up and down have times and seasons been altered, powers and authorities changed and altered, statutes, laws, and decrees, changeable and alterable; for as the iniquity of one power was filled up, that was cast down, and another had its day, till the measure thereof was also filled up, that it might partake of the same judgments. And in all these overturnings, breakings-down, and overthrowings, the very hand of my Lord hath been, though secretly, and not discerned; yet his power hath brought about, and suffered all these things to come to pass: and who shall charge him with injustice? Or, who shall say, ‘What hast thou done?’ Or, ‘Why hast thou done it?’ For, as I have said, he is a high and mighty prince, and can do whatsoever he will; and he is the supreme power and authority, which rules and reigns in and over all the kingdoms of men. And what though he hath used wicked men as an instrument to accomplish his work, and made the wicked his rod; and even brought it to pass, that one wickedness should destroy another, and one oppressor break down another, and the kingdom of antichrist confound itself; yet what of all these things? All flesh must be silent before him, and all people, and the whole earth must be subject unto him; for the government and dominion over heaven and earth is his, and all power and dominion belongeth to him alone, and all judgment is in his hand, to bring to pass whatsoever he will, and by whomsoever, as he pleaseth.
‘But now, my friends, though I would not be tedious to you, yet must I tell you the truth, and faithfully deliver the Lord’s message unto you; and as concerning this last overturning, there was something of the hand of my Lord in it; and he can, and will bring forth his own work and praise by it, and it shall be for the good of all his people, that wait upon him, though there was much ambition and corrupted ends in the instruments, and neither part were perfectly single to the Lord in their proceedings, but their work was tainted with the false idolatrous spirit of self-seeking; yet notwithstanding, the Lord may bring forth his government, and his pleasant plant, through and beyond all this, even out of another root, which yet appears not among either of them; and righteousness may arise in the nation, contrary to both of them, out of another stem, and he will set up his kingdom, and in the meantime, leave one potsherd of the earth to break another.
‘And as for you, that now sit on the throne and bear rule, whether committee of safety, so called, chiefly, though it is not without my Master, for he hath the knowledge of it at least, yet you are not the only men of his choice, truly called of him to the place of government, neither is your government the government of the Lamb, neither must it be forever established by him; its foundation is not blessed, nor can its building be prosperous. For why? Alas, it is but another horn of that fourth beast, that hath been made to rule over the world, and upon the earth for many generations, and it is but hitherto a very little refined from the last, and is of the last, even as the eighth was of the seventh, spoken of by that servant, Rev. xvii. 11, and it may also make war with the Lamb and his followers for a little season, and it may have a small measure of injustice and persecution to bring forth in the land, even till the words of God be fulfilled, and his kingdom be fully come, the way of which is but yet preparing by all these overturnings. And this your present government originally is leavened with the spirit of the old dragon, that hath killed the saints, and drunk their blood, and how should the Lord establish it? Nay, your kingdom may prove but small and little, and full of uproars and troubles, and little peace, and satisfaction and establishment in it to yourselves, or the people under you; but confusion will attend it, and fears will compass it about: though this I must tell you, as you are men, you have your day of trial what you will do, as many others have had before you; and something you may and ought to do, if but to make the whore, (the false church,) more naked, and to scourge her, more than some others have done; and indeed my Lord requires something more of you, (as such,) to do, than others before you could do; and you have a price put into your hands, which you may improve to the Lord’s honour, and to the nation’s good, and to your own happiness; which, if you will be faithful to the Lord, to do what he requires of you, and if you become meek and humble men, and fear his name, and deny yourselves, and not seek your own honours, nor any earthly advantage to yourselves; if you do thus, then my Lord will show mercy to you, and you shall not suddenly fall before your enemies, though many may rise up against you; but your days shall be lengthened, and the purpose of the Lord may be turned to your longer continuance, and not to your sudden destruction; and if you walk in this way, and rule only for the Lord, then shall you be honoured as men if not as an authority, and you and the nation preserved in peace, and the force of the wicked shall be turned backward, and you shall not suddenly fall. And the late sundry overturnings in this nation may be examples to you, that you follow not the steps of those that God hath cast out, lest you come to the same end of confusion and misery: for, as concerning that assembly of men, that last sat on the throne, something was done by them in their day and time, and in both their assemblings, in some things they served my Lord, and they were a rod in his hand to smite his enemies; yet they were not faithful to the end, till all his enemies were destroyed, but rather joined themselves to fight against the Lord and his people, and were hastening on towards the way of oppression and persecution; and it was time for the Lord to remove them, and to lay them aside as an empty vessel, sometime useful; and to break them as a rod, sometime of service to be a scourge upon his enemies. And when the day of their trial was over, which God gave unto them, being any longer, (at present,) unfit instruments for his hand, then he cast them into the fire; and this his purpose came to pass upon them; so that they and the whole nation may be contented, and yield themselves subject to what he hath done concerning them; for they being entering into the very same spirit of wickedness, of oppression and persecution, which the Lord had once reproved through them, and cast out by them; then was a rod raised up against them, even as they had been against others, and they were dealt withal as they had done to others; and this was in the justice of my Lord’s hand; and what hath mortal man to question his proceedings? And though some of you, (present rulers,) be looked upon as great traitors and tyrants in your dealings towards them; and doubtless the men of that part will seek vengeance against you, even by preaching and praying; and they will curse you in the name of their God, and seek continually your destruction, as such as have taken away part of their strength, and cast down their idol; but alas! All this is nothing; for the Lord doth not account as men; for these things must needs thus come to pass, for the furtherance of the kingdom and government of Jesus Christ, that it may arise through all; and if you were but faithful to what the Lord requires of you, in your proceedings, what you have done unto them should not be reckoned on account against you, neither by God, nor good men. But if you of the army be always treacherous and disobedient towards him, and abuse your power, and disregard your price that God hath given you, and trifle away your hour about places of honour, and such self-seeking matters, and the cause of God be neglected by you, and his people continued oppressed sufferers under you, as they have long been; even then shall you be cast aside with shameful disgrace, and the heavy hand of the Lord shall be upon you in judgment, and you shall be smitten more than any before you; your estates shall not be spared from the spoiler, nor your souls from the pit, nor your persons from the violence of men, no, nor your necks from the axe: for if you be unfaithful, and continually treacherous to the cause of God, then shall you be left to the will of your enemies, and they shall charge treachery and treason upon you, and your persons and estates shall be given for a prey to your enemies; and you shall not deliver yourselves, neither will the Lord deliver you from the execution of merciless men; for my Lord shall leave the cruel hearted to plead with you.
‘Wherefore, that you may be warned, I advise you to be faithful; let not the cause of God fall, nor the cause of his enemies prosper before you; for there is no other way whereby you can be preserved, nor no other defence shall you ever find from the wrath of the Lord, and from the fury of your devouring enemies, than your faithfulness in God’s cause; and therefore relieve the oppressed, and take off all oppressions, break down all unjust laws, and set all people free from unjust burdens, and let all oppression cease, both in church and civil state; and even all oppressive laws, and unjust judges, and evil men in power, let all these be removed, and the nation clean quitted and discharged, even from all men and laws whatsoever, that have held under oppression the persons, estates, and consciences of the good people of this land; and let the nation be corrected, and all orders and places of men, and laws and decrees be purified: for this my Lord, the great King, requireth, and he will suddenly have it brought to pass in the nation, if not by you, then contrary to you, and to your utter destruction. And this is the very substance of my message to you, that my Master hath given me to say unto you; and on his behalf I am come to claim of you my Master’s long lost right: let him have his right, from which he hath long been banished; I demand it of you, all ye whatsoever, that seem to bear rule in the nation; I charge you in his name let him have his title and prerogative, let him be Lord and King wholly in his own kingdom, let him have the exercise of his people’s consciences by his own Spirit in all things relating to his worship and service; and let him have the full authority by his Spirit in all things pertaining to church and ministry, and faith, and religion; and let his Spirit have the alone authority to persuade and dissuade people from, or to, such or such ministry, worship, and practices of religion; and let all forced maintenance to ministers, and tithes, be speedily taken away; and let all laws and decrees whatsoever, made and practised in the days of antichrist, upon the bodies, estates, and consciences of the people, in oppression and unjustness about church, and worship, and religion, be utterly repealed, and made void, and never more be in force in this nation; but let my Lord be sole ruler and governor, and have the full authority in his own kingdom, in all things whatsoever pertaining thereunto. And let no man henceforth hereafter be intrusted with the liberties of the members of Christ’s kingdom, as they are such, nor to judge over them in any matters of faith and worship, but give that right and privilege wholly unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ; for unto him only it pertaineth to be whole judge, and to have full power in his own kingdom; and until you give him the right, and deliver up unto him his own kingdom, and the exercise of peoples’ consciences in all things about religion, you shall never prosper, nor none that cometh after you, that shall in any measure abridge my Master of his proper right, from which he hath long been banished, as I have said; and till his right be given him, in the case aforesaid, he will dash one man against another, and none shall ever be established; but horn after horn shall be broken, and one power after another brought into confusion.
‘And, therefore, ye men, do not strive with him in this matter, but yield unto him the exercise of your own consciences by his Spirit in you, and let him do so unto all others, even as ye hope to prosper, and upon the penalty of his sore displeasure upon you in this world, and in the world to come; and let just men, and righteous men, and meek men, and men that have the fear and wisdom of God in them, without acceptation of birth, or otherwise; let such men have the power and judgment committed to them, to determine in things between man and man. Down with all the false-hearted flatterers, that have ruled for man and not for God, and for themselves, and not for the good of the people; cast all such out from you; for the good among you is choaked by them: down with all that judge for rewards; and away with all hireling rulers, that execute the law for money, and will not plead the cause of the poor without great fees; and down with all that will not serve places of trust without so large stipends; away with all these things out of the land, for they are heinous oppressions unto men, and great abominations in the sight of God; and the land hath long groaned under the weight and burden of these things, and the earth is weary of them, and my Lord requires their utter dissolution, as being iniquities fully ripe, and having the guilt of so much cruelty, injustice, and oppression lying upon the nation because hereof; therefore is the Lord’s season to destroy them, and remove them out of the land; which if you be the instruments in such a work, it will be your greatest crown, and your perpetual honour. For the Lord’s purpose is one way or other to cleanse the land of all these and other oppressions whatsoever, that the people of this land may be a free people from all the heavy yokes of antichrist, which have long sorely pressed them down; and the purpose of the Lord is to break the yokes of oppression and tyranny from off the necks of this people; and therefore it is that he overturneth, yea, and will overturn, all men and authorities that shall oppose his work, and none shall be able to stand before him; for the presence of my Lord is more dreadful to a nation, when he shows himself in wrath, than any multitude of armed men; and wo is unto you, if you be found opposing of him; and if you seek to stop his work, you shall not cumber the earth very long, nor oppress the nations many days. Wherefore consider, cursed will you be, if you be unfaithful in what you have to do on the Lord’s behalf; for your hour passeth over, that is allotted you; and will be suddenly expired, never to be recalled, and then you cannot work.
‘And whereas there is a great cry about ministry, for sending forth and maintaining, and encouraging a godly ministry, as you say.
‘Now to this I do answer on my Lord’s behalf, and I must tell you plainly; as for a true godly ministry, truly called and sent of God, such a ministry, and such ministers you can never be able to hinder; but the Lord will send them out, maintaining them and preserving them, whether you will or no; and while you are troubling yourselves about such a matter, you are but meddling with things above your line, and out of your jurisdiction, while you act in such a case; for it belongs to his government to send out ministers, whom, and as he will, and to maintain them and defend them according to his own pleasure, and all this without you; for such ministers, truly called thereunto, and sent of the Lord, will not seek to you to be sent forth, or maintained by you, they will not be beholden to you in such a case; but even without you, and contrary to you, must they be sent out and maintained; so that the Lord will have a ministry in this nation purely of his own, and not of man, nor by man, and such a ministry you shall not be able to hinder.