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TO THE KING AND HIS Both Houses of Parliament;
This is the WORD of the LORD.
FRIENDS,
YE stand in a slippery place, whilest ye take upon ye to meddle with His Dominion who lives for ever; For the Conscience he hath placed in Man as his Particular Witness, and his Seat throughout all Generations, who hath given the Earth unto the Children of Men. So see what you do in this par∣ticular; for, if you set free that which onely can be bound by Him, and not make men to suffer for their freedom of Conscience; you are upon a foot which wil preserve you for ever, a•••• perpetuate your Station to all Generations; for herein the Lord will be with you, and preserve your station whilest you stand with him; ••nd he being with you, who can be against you? For, his Presence makes the Earth to tremble, and the Isles to be afraid, the Mountains to leap, and the little Hills to skip, and the Sea to be driven back, whilest he makes a way for his ransomed to pass over. Therefore fear and tremble before the Lord God of Hosts, Who divideth the Sea and it is driven back, who maketh the Waters to stand as upon heaps, who de∣clareth to man his thought; The Lord of Hosts is his Name: and let his dread be up∣on you, so you will be kept, and his particular Rule will be in your Conscience, and his Dominion set up, who is Lord of all, and so ye will be preserved from en∣trenching upon his Soveraignty, when he as Soveraign rules in you; and encroach∣ing on his Prerogative, when it is your Prerogative to Rule with the Lord; and from being at a stand what is his Will, when in you his Will rules; and the Blessing of God will be upon you whilest you Rule with God, and your Rule is his Will. For, here hath been the undoing of men in all Generations, and that which hath ruined Kingdomes and Nations: Another thing than the Will of God hath been their Rule, which God being against, and that thing against God, a War hath been, and God being the stronger they have come to nought. For, Who would set the Bryars and Thorns against me in Battail? (saith the Lord) I would go tho∣row them, I would burn them together. So then, the Interest of Kings and Na∣tions, of Governments and Rulers, of Kingdoms and People, and their Peace and Prosperity is the WILL of GOD, and to do that which is well-pleasing to Him; that so it may be well with them, and their posterity after them, and the Earth may give forth its encrease, and God even our God may bless us, and give us every good thing. And so your Prosperity I wish, who am moved of the Lord thus to write unto you, and whose Word it is.
George Bishope.
Bristol, 14th. 12th. Month, 1662.