The Voice of Truth uttered forth against the Unreasonable∣ness, Rudeness, and Deboistness of the Rulers, Teachers and People of the Island BARBADOS.

OH ye Rulers, and Magistrates, who are now in Authoritie; how do you slight the Goodness of God, in this the day of your Visitation, inas∣much as you have caused the Innocent to suffer, and let the guilty go free? Oh Friends, how doth wickedness abound, in Townes and Countrey, and also in your own Fa∣milies, (where first it ought to be punished) as also in your own Particulars? in so doing you would become good Examples in your own Families, and also general Patterns of good through∣out the Land: so would you be a Terrour to the Wicked, and Evil Doers; and a Praise to them that do Well: and herein would you answer the Righteous Law of God, written in the heart; which is according to the Apostles Doctrine: but be∣ing out of that, which bringeth into the Moderation in your own Particulars, ye cannot with safety punish others for the things whereof you are Guilty; and so living in the Excesse your selves, others eyes are upon you, and take example by you, to do as you do, and to follow after the fame excesse of wic∣kedness; and such are accepted of you, and countenanced by you, whereby the wicked are become very strong; inso∣much that they run into wickedness with greediness, and commit Lewdness as with Zeal; and so Mercy, and true Judge∣ment is forsaken in the Land, and the Righteous Law of God (which is to do unto all men as you would they should do unto you) is turned backward; and Righteousness, and Equitie, is counted a Ridiculous thing; and the Holy Spirit of God, which teacheth the Law of the Lord, & leadeth into all Truth, this is made a mock of, and is had in Derision dayly through∣out the Land; and the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant of God is trampled upon, and accounted of as an horrible thing; and thus it is come to passe; and thus you suffer to be done Page  4unto them who keep in Gods Holy Covenant, and obey the Holy Spirit of God; and do Meditate on his Righteous Law Day and Night, by which they are led, and guided up to God; and in all things to do as they would be done unto, and for de∣claring this in Doctrine, Life, & Conversation; and for bearing our Testimonies against false Prophets, & against false Teach∣ers, such as Preach for Hire, and will be drunk in Tavernes, and other places; Who are Covetous, Proud, Boasters, Heady, High∣minded, Lovers of Pleasures, more then Lovers of God, &c. Tim. 3. Such as the Apostle spoke of, and bore his Testimony against: and for our declaring against them, and such as fol∣low them in those things; who are become one with them; like Priest like People, all in the Errour, out of the Fear of the Lord; committing all manner of Lewdness, and runing dayly into all manner of excesse of wickedness, with greedi∣ness: In consideration whereof, many is the time that my Life hath been heavily burthened, and my Soul grieved; which hath caused me to walk Sorrowfully, day after day, to see how greedily the People run on to their Everlasting De∣struction, & fat up themselves in wickedness, as the Ox for the slaughter: Oh! ye Rulers, when I have considered how these People are strengthened by you, thus to run on in Lewdness and all manner of Prophanness, against the Righteous God that made them, then hath my heart been grieved for you, and have hazarded my Life for you, and for them; and have freely given up my Life for your sakes, being thereunto re∣quired of the Lord, whose Tender Visitation hath been over you; by whom I have been sent amongst you, at your Meetings to acquaint you that it was the Day of Gods Love, and Visita∣tion towards you, and to declare against your ungodly Worship, Lives and Practices, to the end you might hearken thereunto, and that you might be turned from the Darkness to the Light, and from Satans Power, unto the Power of the Living God, which is the same the Apostles Preached, and brought People into: for which Doctrine they suffered grievously, by the Men of that Generation; even as I have done by the hands of this Generation, for bearing the same Testimony as they did, namely, my Wife haled out of her house, by Samuel Graves Page  5Priest, who also tore off some of her Clothes, in the open Street, in sight of many People, by which my Children that were crying about her, were affrighted, and received hurt thereby, and my People beaten from their work and haled by the hair of the head, and threatned with grievous Language, what he would do unto them: this was done by the said Graves, and his Wife, and my self abused very much at several times, for Truths sake; once haled to the Stocks and there set till the Priest had done; and after committed to Prison: once for coming to their Meeting at Speights Town, to shew the Magi∣strates that were there, how the Priests People were beating and abusing some of my Friends, with sore Kicks, and heavy Blowes, with Staves, and Cudgels; which thing was suffered to be done in sight of the Magistrates, and the People that did it were strengthened by them; and for declaring unto them my Friends Sufferings, how they were abused, that they might still the People, by whose Wickedness my Friends lives lay in danger. In answer thereunto, Command was given to take me away, the which was done by wicked People, who sorely beat me with great Cudgels, and Staves, with sore Kicks on my Belly, and other parts of my Body; and so they carryed me to the Stocks, with my hands and feet with the small of my back cross a Cudgel, shaking and abusing me in that manner unto the Stocks, as a sheep carrying to the Butcher; and after, with my Friends, committed to Prison. Another time; for put∣ting up a Friends Paper, at the Parish house, called Lucies Church; in which Paper was declared against Drunkenness, and all manner of Wickedness, exhorting People to turn therefrom, and repent thereof; for which thing I was taken into the house, by one of their Church Officers, called Miles Scotto, who said I should receive no wrong, with whom I went in, where Priest Gray and his People were met together, and spake these words to the People; I came in at the request of the said Scotto, who Promised I should receive no wrong, but before I had fully uttered these words, my Hat was pulled off, and by the People I was haled to the door, and thrown down three or four steps; and I getting up, they fell upon me, and beat me with Cudgels, un∣till I fell down as dead: and as I lay in that manner, several Page  6stood beating me with their Staves, as I was told, after I was recovered; and when my sences were come unto me, it was laid upon me to speak to the People in Love, to shew them the Evil they had done, and desired that the Lord might not lay it to their charge; for which several of them fell upon me again, and beat me, and punched me with their Sticks very much, and so continued following of me for a good space on my way. This was also done in the sight of Magistrates, and several others Officers that were there, who had Power to have pre∣vented it, but did not, but rather strengthened the People, I pray God it be not laid to their charge. Also by Matthew Gray Priest of the same Parish, sometimes after, upon the Day the King was Proclaimed, came Drunk to a Tavern over against my house, and I looking out at my Chamber-window, he seeing me, called to me, and held up his Horse Whip, shaking at me; and said, Tom, you must come no more to my Church, for now (said he) we have got a King; and so set Boys, and other Rude People to stone me in at my Window, and also several Persons with their Guns, who shot at me, by which I received some injury, at which he rejoyced, and leaped, and skipped about the Roome, and further endeavour∣ed in my hearing (what he could) to get the People to pull down my house; and more, I was informed, that he bid some to fire my house; but before he came the People were quiet, and offered me no wrong.

Also Thomas Manwaring Priest at Speights Town, came in∣to the house of Anthony Long, where I was about some busi∣ness, he behaving himself much contrary to a Minister of the Gospel, in vain words, and unseemly behaviour: I told him that he being a man that took upon him to be a Teacher of People, ought not to do such things, but rather reprove them; upon which he calling me Quaking Logger-head, and Rascal, and many such like words, and told me he would have a Law made to cut off my Ears. I told him, I had not done any thing worthy thereof; and he being filled with Envy, went away Railing, and Raging at me, without a cause; after which he promised to give me, and some other Friends, a meeting, but never did, though I, and my Friends waited some time Page  7upon it: Afterward he sent me a Note, wherein he writ, that provided I would come alone, by my self, without any other with me, to Richard Cluffs house, and also to come in such a frame of Spirit, as might induce him to hear me, then he might Discourse with me; and afterwards I carryed a Letter to his house, which was written to him by two Friends, but when I came there, he refused to speak with me, and also to receive the Letter, which I sent in to him; but he returned it again by his Clerk, who gave it me, and told me that his Master would have nothing to do with me, nor yet with my Papers: and soon after the said Manwaring writ me a Letter, in which was these words, (viz.) Thomas, I am sorry if the Zeal of thy Spirit be to quick for thy Discretion, and that a Cudgel must beat that out of thee, which the Devil hath blown in. And sub∣scribed his name, Thomas Manwaring.

Also Francis Smith, Priest of Thomas Parish, being an aged man, I meeting him upon the Road very drunk, I told him, It was high time for him to forsake those Works of Darkness; His answer was, that it was high time for me to become a Rogue, and a Whelp. All this with much more, that might be mentioned, have I suffered, besides the Sufferings, which I have born, with the rest of Friends, by Cruel Mockings, Scoffings, Sto∣nings and Cruel Threatnings, which hath deeply been cast upon us, both in our houses, on the high wayes, and other Places, as we have passed quietly upon our honest occasions; all which we have born patiently without rendering Evil for Evil: And these things have been laid before some of you, yet no redresse have we had, neither is any amongst you that have laid these our Sufferings to heart, nor at all reproved any of the Evil Doers, for any of these things which have been the Cause of these our Cruel Sufferings, but have rather strength∣ned them therein; Notwithstanding the King set forth a good and wholsome Proclamation, for the punishment of the Evil Doers, which thing you put not in Execution, whereby all honest sober People do see, that you do not only cast the Righteous Law of God behind your Backs, but also the Just Act of the King; There∣fore all ye Rulers, Judges, and Justices, and all other Officers under you in this Island, of what sort soever; Consider what you Page  8have done, and what you are doing, and lay these things to heart, and Dread him, who is a Dreadfull, and Terrible God, and is Mighty, in Majesty, and Power; he it is that Pleadeth our Cause for us, and taketh notice of all your Actions, whatsoever you do, or suffer to be done against us, be they done never so secretly, and will in no wise let the guilty go free; but a Day you shall know, and assuredly will come upon you, that not one of you shall in any wise escape his hand, in which Day the Holy God, the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth, will awake his Living Witness in every of your Consciences; then you shall see, and know, that the Lord hath Regard to his People, whom you have caused to suffer under you by Cruelty and Oppression, and then will he present, to your open views, the Cryes and Groans of the oppressed, and all that have unjustly suffered under you; and then shall you read before you, as in a Book, our Sufferings, and our Burthens, which you have so heavily laid upon us; which we have patiently born in this the day thereof: and these things in Love, and Tenderness have been laid before you, that you might not be Ignorant of them, which thing hath been slighted by you; and would not be convinced of the Evil thereof; but have rather replyed with hard speechs, and great Threatnings given forth by some of you against the Innocent and Beloved of the Lord, though despised of men, and forsaken: and then shall all our Sufferings, which you have suffered to be done against us, be removed from us, and we eased, and you troubled; and so it must be, that which hath caused our trouble, must become your shame; and this will be our Joy, that we have suffered for the Testimony of a good Conscience; and then that which is our Joy, will be your greatest Sorrow; and the more you desire to be at ease, the more will your Sor∣row encrease: for verily now is the Lord making enquiry among you, and hath considered the Cry of his Suffering Seed through∣out this Island, and the Groans, and Sights, and Tears are now beheld, and are entered into the Ears of the Lord God of Sab∣bath, who is ready on the Seat of Judgement, and is Mighty in Majesty, and Power, and whose Countenance is Dreadful to the Wicked, and Oppressors cannot stand before him: Yea veri∣ly, this I say unto you, ye Bryers, and Thorns (for so ye are Page  9before him) he is a consuming Fire, who will assuredly burn you up, except you speedily Repent, and depart from the Evil of your doings, else overturned, and destroyed you shall be, as some that are gone before you; for verily, his Controversie is against you, and you have wearied the Lord greatly, in his long-suffer∣ings, and forbearing with you, inasmuch as he hath given you a Day to Repent in, and you Repented not, and have sent his Servants, and Messengers from far to Declare amongst you, and ye hearkned not; and hath tendered his Son unto you, and ye received him not; and though he hath long cryed unto you, ye have not hearkned at all, neither have ye had regard unto his Voice, but have grieved his Holy Spirit, and have slighted his Messengers, and done much wrong to his Prophets; and for these things is the Wrath of the Lord kindled against you, and his sore Indignation is ready to be poured forth upon you: for verily, again I say unto you, that the Crying Sins that have been Com∣mitted in this Land (Oh ye Rulers) are again brought into Re∣membrance before the Lord God Almighty, and cry loudly Day and Night for Vengeance, because ye have been care∣less, and do not yet Repent for these things; but are greedy, and eager, many of you, to afflict and punish the Innocent without a Cause, who hath in Dear Love, and Tender Pitty to your Pre∣cious Souls warned you of these things, that you might Re∣pent, and turn unto the Lord, while there is yet help for you, whereby you might escape his Wrath that is coming upon you; and for so doing have we been accounted by you as Fools and made men; and those that do Wickedly, are accounted Wise among you, and such do you Honour as your Counsellors, but thus saith the Lord; Wo to him that takes Counsel, but not of me, for what ever that man doth, his Work shall not Prosper; There∣fore ye Rulers, come forth of your Worldly Wisdom, which is Foolishness with God, by which Wisdom the wise Men of the Earth ever took Counsel against the Lord, and against his People, to do them hurt, as well in Ages Past, as now; for then by their Wisdom, they set themselves against Christ, and put him to Death, and by their Wisdom they Exalted themselves above him, and in their Wisdom, they withstood the Apostles, and Banishod him out of their Coasts; and in their Wisdom, they Page  10suffered much Violence to be done unto them, by Cruel Mockings, Scornings, Reviling, Stocking, and Imprisoning them; even as you have done, and suffered to be done unto us, this they did, and suffered to be done unto the Apostles, not∣withstanding all their Learning, and Wisdom. And thus they went on, and made great havock of the Church, and People of God in divers Places, and those things the Apostles laid be∣fore them, being sufferers under them, as we have laid our suf∣ferings before you, who have been, and yet are fufferers under you. And thus the Rulers, and People ran on in their own Wis∣dom in the Apostles times, crying against them, they were a Dangerous People, and there were many that followed after them, and that Paul he turned the World upside down, and if they were suffered to go on, the Romans would come upon them, and take their Places, and their Nation from them. This was their Cry then, and the same is your Cry now against us; and thus you have raised False and Evil reports of us, under a pretence of an Insurrection made in England, by a party of Bloody men, and have added to it our Friends, as though they had had a hand in that Bloody Plot, which is a very contrary thing: for Christ Jesus, he came not to destroy mens lives, but to save them: and him we take for our Example, Who said, All that use the Sword, shall perish by the Sword, Mat. 26.52. And this we say unto you, that we have put off our Swords, and cast aside all Carnal Weapons, never to make use of them more, and the Lord hath given us Spirituall Weapons, with which we make War, not with the Persons of any men, but with the Man of Sin, that dwelleth in them, and with Spirituall Wickedness that sitteth in the high Places, this also was the Apostles Warfare; and this also is our Warfare, and our Weapons are but one, and we are all of one mind, of one heart, and one Spirit, and we live in Love one with another, and desire to do good unto all men, and here we are brought out of the Strife, and out of Contention, out of Envy, and Malice, and so we are far from Oppression, and shedding of Blood; we live out of Falshood, and Lying, speaking the Truth from our heart, so that we have no Swearing amongst us, nor need of going to Law; and herein we do the thing that is well pleasing to God, and we have no Condemnation Page  11for it: and this is that we labour for, to bring People to, out of the Evil Doing, into the Well doing; out of Envy, and Strife, into Love, and Unitie, that all may be brought into the same with us, to live in Love, and Peace, and Quietness, and live in the Enjoyment of Gods Precious Presence for Evermore; and this is that our Souls long for, that it might be well with every Soul upon the Earth. Therefore know this, O ye Rulers, and Magistrates, this is the thing the Lord requireth to be done, that ye forthwith stand up, and put forth the Sword of Justice with speed, and let true Judgement be Executed throughout the Land, that the Heathen may fall before you, that the Innocent may no longer be punished, and let the guilty go free: Therefore ye Rulers, once more I say unto you, be ye wise in this your Day, which is far spent: for yet a little while will the Lord spare you, to try you, to see whether you will hearken hereunto, or not; and if ye resist, and still go on, in Rebelling against the Lord, then suddain Destruction cometh; in which Day you will find no help in the Earth. And this was upon me from the Lord to lay before you, which I have done in Love, and Ten∣derness unto you, and in Faithfulness to my Maker, that whe∣ther you will hear or forbear, I have cleared my Conscience before the Lord.