A word from the north, sounded into the south, heard, and received of many.: Jesus Christ the Son of God, which is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world; and all that receive this light, and believe in this light, and are obedient to this light, they receive power and do become the sons of God. And as I have heard, so I have and do see in the true light, and am bold to give forth my testimonie that it is true, and there is no other way to salvation but by it. And therefore do I warn all people, and thee, O Kent, with the citie of Canterbury, and town of Maidstone, and all thy magistrates in you all, betimes to consider and take heed that none of you be anie longer enemies to it and its ministers, lest you be found fighters against God. Thomas Howsegoe.

To those called Magistrates and Justices in the County of Kent, a warning that you shed no innocent blood.

To Michael Leusey, High Sheriff of the County, with those in pre∣sent Power and Authority.

THis is the Word of the Lord God of life and power to you all, who is over you all, blessed for evermore: I am he by whom Kings reign, and Governors make Decrees, who sear∣cheth all hearts, and knoweth all secrets, and will do righteous∣ly, and reward all according to their works and doings; I am he that respecteth no mans person, but every where those that fear me, and work righteousness, shall be accepted.

Yea, I am he saith the Lord, who hath preserved and defend∣ed many of you when the Sword was drawn, and drunk much blood in your Land, and in your County; and you have seen my strong Arm, which is mighty to save and deliver in the day of battel, and have brought to nought the plottings and conspira∣cies of mine and your Enemies to this day.

And you are preserved to this day, and intrusted with my power, and in places of Government in this County, not to please your selvs, not to seek your selvs, but in all things him who hath kept, and preserved, and intrusted you in his service, and for me (saith the Lord) to govern, and on me to wait, pure wis∣dom and counsel to receive, all things to do and order, to the praise and glory of my Name, who hath the whole power, and there is no other with me, nor like unto me, saith the Lord, who kills and makes alive; throweth down one, and exalteth whom I please.

Therefore O ye Powers of the earth, fear before me conti∣nuallie, and tremble at my word, which is a sword and a fire that will devour all bryars and thorns, yea all that stand against it, but it is good to all that walk uprightly; yea, my Word is nigh unto you, I have placed a measure of my self, my eternal Wit∣ness,

that wil not consent to any evil; in your consciences it is, that vvil, that shall accuse you when you do evil, and excuse you when you are righteously, justly, singly, uprightly: And this my word is light in you all, and doth make manifest all your deeds of darkness, and doth not spare, but reproveth plainly, it's that which searcheth the heart, and tryeth the reins, and knoweth all your thoughts; I am he, saith the Lord, stand in awe before me.

And this is my word now to you all, that you mind my eter∣nal Witness placed in the midst of you, and that to it you keep at all times, in all places, and by it to be ordered in all you do, in every thing committed to your trust, that you never depart from it, but in its power you alwaies stand, that the unruly and disobedient by it in you all may be brought low, and your own wils denyed in every thing; that you begin at home to lay the yoke upon the unruly, and the sword upon the transgressor, to cut him out out of the Land, that it may be cleansed from the evil doer in your own particular, that so my wil which is pure being done in you, and by you, and my Law which is undefiled being written in your hearts, and you all in my fear abide, wai∣ting in the light of Christ which hath shined into your own souls, and shewn you the Enemy there, and past ••udgement on him there, you in that abiding wil be compleatly furnished with my wisdom, saith the Lord, to govern and rule over men in righteousness, and so you wil all become a terror to the evil doer at home, abroad, at all times, in all seasons, but a praise and incouragement to them that do wel; and then the end for which I the Lord have ordained Magistrates to rule, wil by you in your places be truly accomplished; and then shall the righte∣ous in you rejoice, and that wicked shal be brought to shame; then shal you be to the just as the rain to the Land new sown; then shal the righteous in the County praise my Name for you, and I wil establish you in peace, who makes peace, and none can make war, and exalt you above all your enemies at home and a∣broad; but if from my teachings, my Witness in the midst of you ye turn, and his voice wil not hear and obey, then my wil by you wil be denied, your ovvn vvils vvhich are corrupted vvil be done, and then I make vvar, and none can make peace.

Novv therefore, O ye men of place and authoritie in that Nation and Countie, I am moved of the Lord to vvarn you all to take heed what you do in all things committed to your pow∣er and trust, that you therein be found faithful, as the Lords Stevvards, and that none of you go beyond your power, nor yet from the true Povver, the Light of Christ in all your consci∣ences, vvhich vvil shevv you, if you keep to it, hovv and vvhen to give Caesar his due, and God his; the conscience is the Lords, he rules there, that must be kept single, holie for him; I vvarn you, Meddle not vvith them that cannot bovv to the vvils of any but God alone; touch not Gods annointed, harm not his innocent Lambs, vvho are as the apple of his eie, vvho dare not do their ovvn vvils, nor please themselves, but in all things him, in him all power is; and for him at this day stand single, and rather suf∣fer the loss of all their outword injoyments, then to sin against their God by doing any thing contrarie to the Witness of God within, and the Scriptures recorded without; I am free to tell you it is a good report of you, I mean many of you in thi Countie, vvho have not appeared forward as yet to shed inno∣cent blood, nor to restrain and imprison the Messengers and Ministers of Christ sent amongst us; and if you keep faithful to the Witness of God in your consciences, you vvil never do it whatever it cost you: And for such of you as are and have been friendlie to truth, and the declarers of it, I can safely tel you who are single and upright in what you do, you do, and shal know that your rewarder is nigh you, with the Lord our God; and for any who are enemies to us and the truth of our God; their rage shal he restrain, and we shal be enabled with patience and long-suffering to bear his vvil and good pleasure, and in the midst of all our cruelties to pray our Father to forgive them, they know not what they do.

Also, I desire and warn you all in Authoritie to take heed that you do not lend your ear to the Priests of this Countie that preach for hire, and divine for monie, and if it be not put into their mouths they prepare war against their Neighbor; for that generation the Scriptures of truth declare to be bloodie, they smote the Prophets, they cried, crucifie the Son of God, and

said he was worthy to die; that generation in these daies are lit∣tle behind them, their Fathers eat the Grapes, and their teeth are on edge; they go so fast as they durst, and wait for further pow∣er: Oh ye Power of the Earth! take heed what ye do in deli∣vering the innocent servants of God into their hands; for the best of their mercies and cruelties, as many prisons in this Na∣tion, if not some in this Countie, wil witness, where many of the servants of the Lord have laine many months, because they cannot in their consciences pay them (as they call it) tithes, that idle, antichristian, beggarlie Rudiment, which none of the Mi∣nisters of Christ do, or durst own or compel the Saints unto, but did rather labour with their hands then make their Gospel chargeable to any, who said they had freely received, and did freelie give; and so the Ministers of Christ do now: Paul said 1 Cor. 9.14. That God had ordained that they which preach the Gos∣pel shall live of the Gospel. Therefore take heed you Powers that you do not go beyond your Power to compel any to pay Tithes to maintain a Gospel Ministrie, when God hath ordained that they were to live of the Gospel, and should live of the Gospel and not by the Law; for if you do compel any to that thing, I declare unto you all, you are Enemies to God and his children, and do inasmuch as in you lieth, cause them to disobey the Ordi∣nance of God.

And you may read, that tithes to be paid to the first Priest∣hood, the Levitical Priesthood, which was after the Order of Aaron, not of Christ the second Priesthood, the everlasting of∣fering; so all that pay tithes, that take tithes, are of the first Priesthood, they denie the second to be come, and the Priest∣hood to be changed, and the Law changed

Therefore consider what you do, all of you, lest you resist the Povver, God is the Povver, vvhat he hath ordained stands vvith povver, and his Gospel hath in it a povver, and he that resist∣eth the povver, resisteth the ordinrnce of God: and all such shal bring upon themselves judgement. So all that vvil be out of fear of the Povver, do vvel, and so thou shalt have praise o••

the same; but he that doth evil is under the povver, and the Svvord is not placed there for naught; but vvil take vengeance on them that do evill vvithout respect of persons.

Let none deceive you vvith their vain vvords, and flattering speeches, vvho seeks not the good of your souls but their own bellies, and now do the same things the Prelates and Priests did before them, by vvhose means much innocent blood hath been shed in these Nations.

So to that of God in all your consciences I have and do speak, which is the witness for God, and wil not deal deceitfully with you, but wil speak the truth, if you wil hear it, to all of you; and if anie now shal refuse to hear its voice, and wil not receive its testimonie which is truth, there wil come a day in which the Lord wil have his everlasting witness come forth, and if that condemn, he is greater; so in the mouth of two Witnesses all shal be confirmed; therefore now hear and be warned eve∣rie one of you, and do nothing in your own wils but wait in the pure light of Christ, and by it be directed and ordered at all times in all things; quench not its motions, stay not behinde it; neither go before it, for if you do you shal be judged and condemned by it: And blessed are all those that love the light and walk in the Light, and believe in the Light, and become o∣bedient children to the Light, such have their part in the first Resurrection, and over them the second death shal have no power.

And to so manie as receive him, and believe in him, and obey him, of him they receive power, and are become the sons of God.

But all that denie him before men, he wil denie them before his Father which is in heaven.

So in love to all your souls, which are more worth then all the world, then all your honor, then all your riches, I warn you all to minde the light of Christ in you all, the witness for God, by it to be ordered in everie thing, word, and work, be∣lieve it, become children of it, and if you walk in the light, as he is in the light, you have fellowship with him and his Fa∣ther,

and by his blood you are all purged from all sin; but if you denie the light of Christ, and wil not obey its teachings, by it you shall be eternally condemned, and then wo and con∣demnation shall be your portion for ever.

This is the Word of the Lord God unto you all, whether you heare or forbeare, declared and given forth by him who is a friend to all your souls, and seeks the redemption of the seed out of bondage; and am known to manie of you by the name of

Thomas Howseyor.

THE END.