‘Friends,
‘See what it is in you that doth imprison; and see, who is head in you; and see, if something do not accuse you? Consider, you must be brought to judgment. Think upon Lazarus and Dives; the one fared sumptuously every day; the other a beggar; and now you have time, prize it, while you have it. Would you have me to be bound to my good behaviour? I am bound to my good behaviour, and do cry for good behaviour of all people, to turn from the vanities, pleasures, and oppression, and from the deceits of this world: and there will come a time, that you shall know it. Therefore take heed of pleasures, and deceits, and pride: and look not at man, but at the Lord; for look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved, saith the Lord.’
Not long after he wrote to them again, thus:
‘Friends,
‘Would you have me to be bound to my good behaviour from drunkenness, or swearing, or fighting, or adultery, and the like? The Lord hath redeemed me from all these things; and the love of God hath brought me to loathe all wantonness, blessed be his name. They who are drunkards, and fighters, and swearers, have their liberty without bonds: and you lay your law upon me, whom neither you, nor any other can justly accuse of these things, praised be the Lord! I can look at no man for my liberty, but at the Lord alone; who hath all men’s hearts in his hand.’
And after some time, not finding his spirit clear of them, he writ again, as followeth:
‘Friends,
‘Had you known who sent me to you, ye would have received me; for the Lord sent me to you, to warn you of the woes that are coming upon you; and to bid you, look at the Lord, and not at man. But when I had told you my experience, what the Lord had done for me, then your hearts were hardened, and you sent me to prison; where you have kept me many weeks. If the love of God had broken your hearts, then would ye see what ye have done. Ye would not have imprisoned me, had not my Father suffered you; and by his power I shall be loosed; for he openeth and shutteth, to him be all glory! In what have I misbehaved myself, that any should be bound for me? All men’s words will do me no good, nor their bonds neither, to keep my heart, if I have not a guide within, to keep me in the upright life to God. But I believe in the Lord, that through his strength and power, I shall be preserved from ungodliness and worldly lusts. The Scripture saith, Receive strangers; but you imprison such. As you are in authority, take heed of oppression and oaths, and injustice and gifts, or rewards, for God doth loathe all such: but love mercy, and true judgment, and justice, for that the Lord delights in. I do not write with hatred to you, but to keep my conscience clear: take heed how you spend your time.’
To the priests of Derby he also writ again in this manner:
‘Friends,
‘You do profess to be the ministers of Jesus Christ in words, but you show forth by your fruits, what your ministry is. Every tree doth show forth its fruit; the ministry of Jesus Christ is in mercy and love, to unloose them that be bound, and to bring out of bondage, and to let them that are captivated go free. Now, friends, where is your example, (if the Scriptures be your rule,) to imprison for religion? Have you any command for it from Christ? If that were in you, which you do profess, you would walk in their steps, who spake forth those words, the Scriptures which you do profess. But he is not a Jew, who is one outward, whose praise is of men; but he is a Jew, who is one inward, whose praise is of God. But if you do build upon the prophets and apostles in words, and pervert their life, remember the woes which Jesus Christ spake against such. They that spake the prophets’ words, but denied Christ, they professed a Christ to come; but had they known him they would not have crucified him. The saints, which the love of God did change, were brought thereby to walk in love and mercy; for he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. But where envy, pride, and hatred doth rule, the nature of the world doth rule, and not the nature of Jesus Christ. I write with no hatred to you, but that you may weigh yourselves, and see how you pass on your time.’
Having thus cleared his conscience to the priests, it was not long before a concern came upon him to write again to the justices, which he did as followeth.
‘I am moved to warn you to take heed of giving way to your own wills. Love the cross, and satisfy not your minds in the flesh; but prize your time while you have it, and walk up to that you know, in obedience to God; and then you shall not be condemned for that you know not, but for that you do know, and do not obey. Consider betimes, and weigh yourselves, and see where you are, and whom you serve. For if you blaspheme God, and take his name in vain; if ye swear and lie; if ye give way to envy, hatred, covetousness, and greediness, pleasures, and wantonness, or any other vices, be assured then, that ye do serve the devil; but if ye fear the Lord, and serve him, ye will loathe all these things. He that loveth God, will not blaspheme his name; but where there is opposing of God, and serving the devil, that profession is sad and miserable. O prize your time, and do not love that which God doth forbid; lying, wrath, malice, envy, hatred, greediness, covetousness, oppression, gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom, and all unrighteousness, God doth forbid. So consider, and be not deceived, evil communication corrupts good manners. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked with vain words; the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. Therefore obey that which doth convince you of all evil, and telleth you, that you should do no evil. It will lead to repentance, and keep you in the fear of the Lord! O look at the mercies of God, and prize them, and do not turn them into wantonness. O eye the Lord, and not earthly things!’
Besides this, he writ the following to Nathaniel Barton, who, as was hinted before, was both a justice, and a preacher.
‘Friend,
‘Do not cloak and cover thyself: there is a God who knoweth thy heart, and will uncover thee; he seeth thy way. Wo be to him that covereth, and not with my Spirit, saith the Lord. Dost thou do contrary to the law, and then put it from thee? Mercy, and true judgment thou neglectest: look what was spoken against such. My Saviour said to such, “I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me not; I was hungry and ye fed me not; I was a stranger and ye took me not in.” And when they said, When saw we thee in prison, and did not come to thee, &c. He replied, “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these little ones, ye did it not to me.” Friend, thou hath imprisoned me for bearing witness to the life and power of truth; and yet professest to be a minister of Christ: but if Christ had sent thee, thou wouldst bring out of prison, and out of bondage, and wouldst receive strangers. Thou hast been wanton upon earth; thou hast lived plenteously, and nourished thy heart, as in a day of slaughter: thou hast killed the just. O look where thou art, and how thou hast spent thy time! O remember thyself, and now, while thou hast time, prize it, and do not slight the free mercy of God, and despise the long suffering of God, which is great salvation; but mind that in thee, which doth convince thee, and would not let thee swear, nor lie, nor take God’s name in vain. Thou knowest thou shouldst do none of these things: thou hast learned that which will condemn thee; therefore obey the light, which doth convince thee, and forsake thy sins, and look at the mercies of God, and prize his love in sparing thee till now. The Lord saith, “Look unto me all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved:” and, “Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils.” And friend, prize thy time, and see whom thou servest; for his servant thou art, whom thou dost obey, “Whether of sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness.” If thou servest God, and fearest him, thou wilt not blaspheme his name, nor curse, nor swear, nor take his name in vain; nor follow pleasures and wantonness, whoredom, and drunkenness, or wrath, or malice, or revenge, or rashness,