'TIS by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God, and the Holy Motions of Love which it produces in my Heart, that I am prompted at this time, to Write to you: And I do by the same Spirit of Love and Charity intreat the good God, that it will please him by his invisible Power to open your Hearts, to receive this short Word of Advice which I present you with, and which concerns only your Everlasting Felicity. It is Evident, that your Sufferings are great, and the noise of them has reach'd many Provinces, Kingdoms and Countries; by which means, a great part of the World has been able to make Reflections upon the Cruelty of your Persecuters, and at the same time, to lament your Miserable Estate, which has so nearly affected most men, that they have not been content only to be touched [Page 2]with the greatest Compassion for you, but have stretch'd forth their Hands to lift you up, and assist you in your Necessities; shewing themselves thereby truly affected to Christianity; it being the indispensable Duty of all Christians, to do what good they can one to another, or (in the Phrase of the Apostle) To do good unto all Men, but especially to those of the Houshold of Faith.

These Motives prevail'd upon me to visit you in this your Day of Tribulation, with a few Lines of Counsel and Advice, which you will do well to accept with a sincere Heart and Humble Spirit; for you cannot but reap some Advantage from them.

I. To begin then, Consider seriously in the first place, what could be the cause of your Sufferings, and why the Lord permitted these times of Tryal and Affliction to come upon you?

Where by the Way, I would not have any Man think me so presumptuous, as to pretend to judge you, or to conclude, That God is always angry with those whom he suffers to lie under the greatest Afflictions: No, God forbid! For who ever underwent such Afflictions, as the most dear Children of God? But though many have born severe Sufferings for the Tryal of their Faith, and to be thereby Purified and prepar'd either to serve as Witnesses of God's Holy Name, among the Sons of Men, or to possess his Heavenly Kingdom, into which nothing that is filthy and unclean can enter: Yet neverthe­less, it cannot be denied, but that there are many who suffer, for having provok'd the Lord to Anger by their Disobedience. Now, which of these Reasons was the Subject of your Suffer­ings, you cannot better understand, than by that Light of Truth, which shineth in your Hearts, and manifesteth it self in your Consciences.

For doubtless, whoever of you will set your selves seriously and attentively to consider your Ways and Manners in times past, will quickly find how it stands between GOD and your own Souls; For the Lord God hath a Faithful and True Wit­ness in the Consciences of every one of you, which hath Enre­gistred and kept in Order, all the Actions you have done from [Page 3]your Childhoods. This Witness will help you to Recollect, how you walked with the Lord, in the days of your Prosperi­ty and Liberty, in your own Countrey, when ye sat every Man under his Vine, and every Man under his Fig-tree.

How little have you answered the Kindnesses and Bounty of God to you? How little did ye prize that Light of Under­standing which God gave to you, in greater measure than to your Countreymen? So that although it were as offensive to the Eyes of God, for you to follow and obey the Lusts and e­vil Passions of your Hearts; as for your Neighbours to be Prostrated to, and Adore their Images of Wood and Stone: Yet how great were your Luxuries, your Debaucheries, your Quarrels and Jealousies, one against another? How did the greater Part of you content your selves with a Religion, differ­ing indeed in Form, from that of the Countrey, but in Life and Conversation almost the same; giving your selves full Ca­reer and Liberty, in all sorts of unlawful Pleasures, Vanities and Concupiscencies of the Flesh? Was it not a thing most disagreeable to the Spirit of God, to see you at that same time call upon him with your Lips, and Dishonour him by your scandalous Lives; which yielded Occasion to your Adversa­ries, of reproaching you and your Religion? And it has been a great while the Observation, that most Travellers into your Countrey have made, that there was little Difference between the Protestants and Papists of France, as to matter of Life and Conversation; unless it were, that the latter frequented the publick Churches, and the others had their more private Con­gregations.

What was then become (my Dear Friends) of your Ta­lent of Knowledge? Did ye not know, that as ye had re­ceived greater Understanding and more Light than others, your Lives and Conversations ought to have shined with the greater lustre, and to have been the more exemplary for So­briety, Temperance and the Fear of God, to the Honour of his Holy Name, and confusion of his Enemies? For this would have had more efficacy and success in converting your Adver­saries, than all your Arguments formed by the Help and Rules of Logick, Rhetorick, or Philosophy.

These things, when the Spirit and Witness of God in your Consciences, shall have recalled to your minds, and you shall be made sensible of the mis-spence of your past Lives, you will see great reason profoundly to humble your selves, and prepare your hearts to say (as Saul once did) to the Lord, What wilt thou have us to do? And the Lord, on his part, will not fail to draw nigh to you in a strange Land; I mean, to those who seek him diligently: For all Nations are alike to him, since every Nation or People which feareth him, and doth that which is righteous, is accepted by him through our Lord Jesus Christ, and (as David saith) he teacheth the Humble, and instructeth the Meek in his ways. Pardon me, I pray you, dear Friends, if I tell you, in plain terms, that the reason why you are such Strangers to the divine and inward moti­ons of the Spirit of God, is, because ye are not enough hum­ble and poor in Spirit; which renders you insensible of your own wants and necessities; so that you choose to you Teachers to please your Ears only, whereby you are diverted from a diligent and earnest search into the ways of God, and from hearkning to those holy motions of his Spirit, by which he reproves you, in your hearts.

II. In the Second Place, it is a matter of the greatest con­sequence to you in the world, diligently and attentively to consider, what should be the occasion of your falling under so many Afflictions. You will tell me, perhaps, that it was because ye could not in Conscience subscribe to certain Ar­ticles, as ye were required, nor practice certain things which ye did believe to be altogether contrary to the Will of God, &c.

Ye say well; but, my Friends, if Conscience be to be re­garded and obeyed in these respects; why is there not the same reason, to hearken to, and follow it, in the whole course of our Lives and Conversations? If our Consciences are enlightned, 'tis by the Light of Jesus Christ, who lighteth every man that cometh into the World; and if our Consciences are governed by this Light, and we give up our selves to the conduct of our enlightned Consciences; we are by the same Law of Conscience, which is Light, forbidden the commit­ting [Page 5]any thing that may offend God: For the same Light which doth convince my Conscience, That it is a sin to fall down and to worship an Idol, or adore a Crucifix; doth also convince me, that it is as much a sin to Lye, to Swear, to forswear, to commit Fornication, to speak any vain or idle Words; or to let proceed out of my mouth any foolish, ri­diculous or insolent speeches. Oh! what happiness would ye find, what peace of Conscience would your hearts enjoy, would ye observe this throughout your whole Lives? And indeed the same reason should oblige you to it; for, if the dictates of Truth in the Conscience, are (as ye confess) to be followed in some things, why not in all, and especially in those wherein we are as equally enlightned and convin­ced?

I would also demand of you, If there be any one among you, who is not fully and intirely convinced in his Consci­ence, that Drunkenness, Swearing, Lying, Hypocrisie and Pride, are as contrary and disagreeable to the Holy and Pure Will of God, as are the Adorations and Services that are paid to an Image or Crucifix; or as are any subscriptions to the most superstitious Articles, that can be exacted of you? I be­lieve there is not; for the same Light of Truth which mani­fests the one, discovers the other also; as saith the Apostle, Whatsoever is reproveable is manifested by the Light, for that which manifesteth it is Light.

But, by the way, it will not be impertinent to put you in mind, that there are divers Operations in the Consciences of Men; for all men do not make the same Scruples of Con­science, in matters of Religion, nor are induc'd thereto by the same Reasons and Causes; for were it so, they would be all of the same Opinion with Christ, the Apostles and the Primitive Christians; who while they had their Con­sciences governed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, continued alike, and were all of one heart, and one mind. But there are three things chiefly which divert the Consciences of men from this Universal Rule of Holiness, Faith and Charity; leading them out of the Road of a Holy Life, dividing them in their Faith, and rendring them cold in their Charity. These [Page 6]three Points I will in a few words treat of, to the end that every Soul, that is willing to search diligently, may find some helps, whereby he may know if any of them have the Go­vernment and Conduct of his Conscience.

They are these three.

• 1. Education.
• 2. Worldly Interest.
• 3. A blind subjection of the Conscience, to the govern­ment of another, whereby it becomes passionately devo­ted to his interests, and vehemently enamour'd with all his inordinate affections.

I. As to the first of these, we must consider Education in a twofold respect, 1. Good, and 2. Bad. A good Education has a grand influence upon the Spirit, in regard of Doctrines, Principles, Forms, Manners and Ceremonies of Divine Wor­ship: Not that this is the only means whereby the Life and Power of Religion are conveyed from the Teachers to the Disciples; no, that is reserved to the immediate operation of the Power and Spirit of Jesus Christ; and it is, therefore, the Duty of every one, how-good-soever his Education may have been, and whatsoever pure and solid Doctrines he may have received, to desire, wait for, and entertain this Divine Operation on his heart, that he may be thereby rendered pure and holy, and fit to bear witness to the Truths that he shall at any time hear delivered by word of Mouth; for other­wise, all his Religion will be but dead and formal, and with­out any inward Life to animate his Actions; and so he may be without any Oyl in his Lamp, although his Teachers be never so well provided; and yet such a person as this, though destitute of the life and vertue of Religion within himself, may make great Conscience of this or that for­mality of Religion, and prefer the way wherein he was born and bred, before any other whatsoever; but will, for all this, be never the better Christian, and it will stand him in little stead, in reference to the great and principal end of man, which is the Sanctification of his Soul, and Reconci­liation of it to God; to have been only a professor of such points of Doctrine, though they were never so pure, holy and orthodox.

Because, they that have had a bad Education, and have been brought up in ways of darkness, and full of the errors and corruptions of this World, invented by sinful man, have also a Conscience, though stain'd and defil'd by the aforesaid Darkness, and the ill precepts of their Teachers; they pride themselves in their Errors, and would fain have them pass for so many Truths; embracing Darkness instead of Light, and walking by the Light of that fire which they themselves have kindled; crying aloud, Thus did our Forefathers; and alleadg­ing Antiquity for a Cloak to cover their Errors and Abomina­tions: All which, nevertheless, is far from justifying them; for, on the contrary, it renders them the more blame-wor­thy. But this is not all; these Consciences, thus deceived, have most commonly this property, That they employ their utmost endeavours to make every mans Conscience comply with theirs; and when they cannot compass their designs by perswasion, nothing is more grievous to them; as they also esteem it the greatest piece of Religion, to persecute and de­stroy all who will not be of their perswasion. All which is a manifest token that they are the Children of the Destroyer, and are about his work; of such our Saviour Christ prophe­sied truely, when he said, They shall think they do God good service when they kill you. And yet even these men will plead their Consciences for what they do; but, alas! they make it appear by their Deeds, who has the government and conduct of their Consciences: They cannot be so impudent as to say 'tis the Lovely and Sweet Spirit of Jesus Christ; but must needs con­fess it to be the force of a corrupted Education, nourished and kept up by the continual inspirations of the Devil.

II. The next thing that is apt to get dominion over the Consciences of men, is worldly interest; those who are led away by this, are such as do not heartily embrace any Religi­on, but take the liberty to form in their imagination such an idea of Conscience as may best suit their Profession, and con­tribute to their Worldly Profits, Pleasures and Advantages; so that it is plain, they are Christians without a Cross; and consequently no true Disciples of Jesus Christ, who did in express Terms, Deny all those to be his Disciples, who would [Page 8]not deny themselves, and take up their Cross and follow him. But alas! How difficult is it to such men to make any Scruples of Conscience, or to be faithful to their Consciences, who if any worldly Loss happen to them, or any danger threaten their Gains or Pleasures, what earnestness and care will they not make use of, to force their Consciences to comply with any Side? What Methods will they leave untry'd? What Way will they not turn themselves, though all their carnal Argu­ments cannot make them believe otherwise, than they do in Effect believe? Yea, moreover, they do oftentimes for In­terest-sake, force themselves to Profess such things, as they do not nor cannot believe, which is certainly the highest Abomination in the Eyes of God. Such Men are most commonly Encompassed with the thickest Darkness, and A­bandoned to a reprobate Spirit; because for worldly Ends, they preferr'd Darkness before Light, and must therefore expect to dwell therein for ever.

III. The third and last way by which Men's Consciences are deceived, is, When they give up their Consciences to the Go­vernance and Management of others: Such may be said, Not to have the free Exercise of their Consciences, because they are engaged to another Man; besides, they ntirely inca [...]pacitate themselves, to receive any Illumination by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God in their Hearts, and so continue Vassals and Bondslaves to him, whom they have subjected themselves unto, and from him, they receive their Precepts and Instructions, though he may prove to be the most wicked Man in the World. They do not Consider that the Lord heretofore complain'd in this wise, The Way which they should walk in to come unto me, is taught them by the Precepts of Men; from whence it is plain, They ought rather to have chosen God himself for their Teacher: But, Oh! In what a miserable Condition are these poor Souls? And with what Uncertainty do they follow that, which Abandons them to the Government of another, who must order and direct their Thoughts, their Faiths, their Lives and Actions? Not considering, that if he fall into a Ditch, they must fall also with him. But this is not all, he who has thus blindly submitted himself to another's Conduct, [Page 9]is no more Master of himself, nor free in the Lord, but Ser­vant to another Man; and so we may see that Error, Darkness, and Blindness, are far from that Spirit which Jesus Christ sent according to his Promise, To guide his People into all Truth; and which he said, the World could not receive: For we see Men do all they can to hinder themselves from coming, and hearkning to the Instructions of his Spirit, chusing rather to build their Faith upon a Priest's or Fryar's Sleeve, than trust themselves in God's Hands; though all the while they do not own these men to be Infallible, either in their Doct­rines, Lives or Actions: For every Day one may observe their base Failings and Mistakes, their Wicked Life, their Cruelty, their Hypocrysie and their Pride: But how should it be other­wise with them, when they will not preserve themselves from, and Watch against the Ambushes of Satan, who is their principal Director? How can any Man be so Blind and void of Understanding, as to think he can have Pardon and Remission of his Sins from such an one, who is not able to deliver him­self; but suffers himself dayly to be led away by the Sugge­stions of the Devil, to Evil Lusts and Concupiscences; and who has himself as much need of another, and he again of ano­ther Ghostly Father? Ah! Where now is the pure Light of Christ in the Conscience, which should govern it in one Man as well as in another; to teach them to keep their Conscien­ces void of Offence towards God, and towards all Men? O! Would to God Men would hearken to, and seriously reflect on these things! O that they would not forget to deal with the Holy Spirit, as God hath appointed them!

'Tis this that would nourish, and fortifie all the good that has been Implanted by a good Education; and would more­over, cause all the Knowledge we can acquire, to flourish in Vertue and good Manners: This would chase away, and ba­nish all the Evil that has been sown by a bad Education: This would teach you to quit all Wordly Interest, and give up your selves intirely to the Lord, to be taught and directed by the Spirit and Light of Jesus Christ, which would so open your Eyes, that you would become more Learned and Knowing than your Teachers, in the Mystery of Regeneration; without [Page 10]which, all Divine Service, all Religious Worship, all Confes­sions and Absolutions, all Alms and Prayers are nothing worth: For, Ʋnless a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.

And you my Dear Friends, who at this time are un­der so great Sufferings, dispers'd here and there in several Countreys, only because ye could not conform to a Religion which ye judge to be Idolatrous: You, I say, cannot Exercise your Minds to better Purpose, than in an exact and faithful View and Examination of your selves and your own Souls, to find out what were the Reasons and Motives of such your Refusal: Namely, whether your Education, or worldly In­terest, or Dependance upon another; or some mighty Empire and Authority of others over your Consciences: Or, lastly, whether it was only the Light of the Word, and Spirit of Jesus Christ; directing your Hearts, and guiding your Understand­ings, to perceive the Errors and Idolatries of the People of the Land, that so enclin'd your Consciences to obey God, and his Grace and Truth; and did finally give you Courage, ra­ther to abandon the Land of your Nativity, and all your Worldly Endearments, than defile your Consciences, by sin­ning against that Light and Grace, which the Father of Lights had bestowed upon you.

If there be any among you that know this to be their Case, what Consolation have these Men under all Adversities? With what Joy must they needs be filled, when they feel the Testi­mony of God in their Consciences, bearing them witness, that it is only upon this Account that they undergo all these Sufferings and Persecutions? O! What Advantage will ye reap, as many of you as give up your selves to this way of Conduct, in all things? In the mean while, try, search and examine, if there be not yet something in your Consciences, contrary and repugnant to that Light which shineth in your Hearts; if there be not something that is heavy and cum­bersome to your Souls, and which hinders your Reconciliation with God: The more ye set your selves after this manner, to sound, prove, and search your Words and Actions, by this Light which shineth in your Hearts; the more clearly will ye [Page 11]see the Necessity which ye have to amend and reform your Ways, your Manners, and your Lives, in the sight of God; and will also be so far from believing, that ye have done e­nough in obeying the Spirit of God in one particular, that you will not cease to go on and persevere, in bearing your Crosses all your days, until ye have vanquished and surmounted all that stands in Opposition to the Holy Will of God; so that in the end, ye lose not the Reward of what ye have hitherto done: For it is not Faithfulness in one thing only, that will be accepted and approved by God; but he expects, and abso­lutely wills, that we be obedient to him in all Things: And thus Moses heretofore Prophesied of Jesus Christ, And it shall come to pass, saith he, that the Soul which heareth him not in all things, shall be cut off. The most sure Way then to have Peace with God, and to be reconciled to him, is to follow the Lord intirely, as did Joshua, without any Reser­vation or Excuse; that is to say, Ye ought to forsake, quit and abandon all that is Evil in your selves, as well as the Ido­latry of others, who would have you run with them to the same Excess of Riot.

In the second Place, I would advise you to consider, what good Effects your present Sufferings have had upon you, in Order to your Sanctification; for this is the great Care and Concern of a truly Christian-Soul, to grow better, under what Degree of Afflictions soever God shall think fit to send; to Kill and Crucifie in his People, whatsoever is contrary to him, that they may be like Gold tried in the Furnace of Tribulation. It will be not a little advantageous to you to consider now, if you seriously set your selves a­bout the Work of MORTIFICATION, and to Exa­mine, Whether that Vain and Giddy-headed Temper, which Reigned so much in you, in your own Countrey, prompting and perswading you, to follow and Embrace all the Modes and Cu­stoms of a Corrupted World, be not still living in you at this Day? And if ye have not too earnest Inclinations, to suit and fashion your selves to the Wicked and Degenerate Modes, Ways and Manners of the Countries whither ye are scat­tered?

O my Friends! Had ye a true Sence of your Estate and Condition, What Gravity, Modesty and Sobriety, would ye not express in all your Words and Actions? This would easily perswade those among whom ye now live, that it was out of a good Principle of Religion and Holiness, that ye abhorred the Superstition and Idolatry of your own Countrey; and not meerly upon the Account of some Forms and Ceremonies of Religion not agreeing with yours: For ye are not ignorant, that Religion consists not barely in Forms and Ceremonies, since by them one Man is not made better than another: Moreover, ye cannot but re­member that ye have read, That the Apostles and Primitive Christians, would have no Communication with those Men, who, though they observ'd the same Rites and Ceremonies, would not be obedient to the Power of Godliness. And indeed, herein lies the Essence and Life of Religion, and the Glory and Crown of all Sufferings, that one can undergo for the sake of Religion; to wit, when those who are af­flicted, feel in their Souls, during the time of their Suf­ferings, the Power and Life of him, for the Love of whom they bear up manfully, under all their Torments and Agonies; and do wholly abstain from the defilements and pollutions of the world. Thus did the ancient Disciples of Jesus Christ behave themselves, who were by Persecutions driven from one Coast to another, into Asia, Cappadocia and Bithynia; but were not content only to undergo great sufferings, but were also accompanied with a remarkable savour of life; for we read, That the Word thereby grew and spread it'self abundant­ly. But what advantage will a Protestant have above a Pa­pist, so long as they both continue the Subjects of the Prince of the Air, who rules in the hearts of the Children of dis­obedience, of what Religion, Profession or Sect soever they be?

Wherefore I pray and exhort you, by all the compassion that the love of God can suggest, not to vaunt and boast your selves of the small Reformation already among you, but ra­ther to observe and consider what yet there is behind to be re­formed and corrected before ye can arrive at that end, to­ward [Page 13]which ye should always direct your aim, to wit, a life altogether pure and conformable to the blameless life of God himself: in whose presence ye hope one day to appear and dwell for ever. Now since we cannot attain hereto by good works, but only by Grace, all those therefore who are subject to the Pure and Free Grace of God, are hereby engaged, on the one side to renounce all sort of impiety and concupiscence, and on the other side to live righteously, soberly and godly in this present evil world. Tit. 2.11.

Try then, and examine well your selves, and see how your Lives, Manners and Coversations answer that Grace and that Light of the Truth which has been communicated to you by Jesus Christ the Fountain of all Grace and Light; and ac­cording to what I have before told you, ye may know by your own souls how to make a true judgement, for they will dictate to every one of you, in what a condition he is, in the sight of God.

I have but one thing more to put you in mind of, which is to excite you to all humble acknowledgments and thanksgivings to Almighty God; that it hath graciously pleased him to open the hearts of many Kings and Princes, to entertain and assist you, as also of a great part of the world, to succour you in your necessities. This, as ye ought to esteem it a great mer­cy of God's, so ought the serious consideration of so many kindnesses infinitely to oblige you, to put your whole trust in the Lord, and to serve him Religiously in all places, where God shall appoint your Lots, in requiting, as much as in you lies, his love and bounty: For his mercies and loving-kindnesses should strongly engage your hearts to love the Lord above all things in the World, by which also the hearts of all others who love him, will be more and more enlarged, to assist you in those things which ye shall have need of, both Spiri­tual and Temporal. Truly, my dear Friends, I have often looked upon you with great sorrow, considering you as a peo­ple under great afflictions and trials, and wishing these suffer­ings and persecutions would have had better effects upon you than, I fear, they have produced: Upon this account it was that I thought fit to visit you, as I do at this time, with these [Page 14]few Considerations, being moved thereto by the pure love of God, and hoping that most of you will accept my Ad­vice with the same love and sincerity that it was indited: And, I pray God, that what I have said, may, in some mea­sure, engage and affect your hearts, with a desire of those Spiritual Qualifications, which ought constantly to be your aim. But if, on the contrary, any of you shall slight or re­ject my good Counsels, and shall spend his time in cavelling and criticizing either upon my Person, or the stile in which I express my self, let such a one know he can do me no harm, but only his own Soul; and I cannot be any way af­fected thereby, unless it be with grief for such a person; for I have not said any thing, but faithfully to discharge my own Conscience: My reward I expect of the Lord only, who hath taught me by his Holy Spirit, to love all men, and do what in me lies, for the good of every one: for I know full well, it is not the will of God, that any one should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth, that they may be saved.