







 
   
     
       
         A few words in tenderness to the well-meaning professors, suiting the present season [by] Thomas Zachary.
         Zachary, Thomas, d. 1686.
      
       
         
           1674
        
      
       Approx. 14 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image.
       
         Text Creation Partnership,
         Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :
         2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).
         A97307
         Wing Z2
         ESTC R43844
         42475310
         ocm 42475310
         151484
         
           
            This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of
             Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal
            . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
          
        
      
       
         Early English books online.
      
       
         (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A97307)
         Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 151484)
         Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2260:21)
      
       
         
           
             A few words in tenderness to the well-meaning professors, suiting the present season [by] Thomas Zachary.
             Zachary, Thomas, d. 1686.
          
           1 sheet ([1] p.).
           
             s.n.],
             [S.l. :
             The 5th of the 9th Month, 1674.
          
           
             Reproduction of original in: Friends' Library (London, England)
          
        
      
    
     
       
         Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.
         Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors.
      
       
         EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.
         EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).
         The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.
         Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.
         Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.
         Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.
         The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.
         Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).
         
          Keying and markup guidelines are available at the
           Text Creation Partnership web site
          .
        
      
       
         
         
      
    
     
       
         eng
      
       
         
           Society of Friends -- Apologetic works -- Early works to 1800.
           Holy Spirit -- Quaker authors -- Early works to 1800.
        
      
    
     
        2007-06 TCP
        Assigned for keying and markup
      
        2007-06 Apex CoVantage
        Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images
      
        2007-08 John Latta
        Sampled and proofread
      
        2007-08 John Latta
        Text and markup reviewed and edited
      
        2008-02 pfs
        Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
      
    
  
   
     
       
         
         
           A
           Few
           Words
           in
           Tenderness
           TO
           THE
           WELL-MEANING
           PROFESSORS
           ,
           suiting
           the
           Present
           Season
           .
        
         
           UPon
           the
           serious
           Consideration
           of
           the
           various
           and
           long
           continued
           Contests
           and
           Oppositions
           of
           all
           Sorts
           of
           People
           against
           us
           ,
           the
           contemptible
           People
           of
           the
           Lord
           ,
           called
           
             Quakers
             ;
          
           it
           hath
           seemed
           most
           strange
           and
           grievous
           ,
           that
           any
           of
           the
           Professors
           of
           
             Christianity
             ,
          
           who
           have
           had
           any
           Simplicity
           of
           Heart
           to
           God
           ,
           and
           known
           any
           inward
           Work
           of
           the
           Spirit
           of
           Truth
           ,
           should
           joyn
           with
           the
           
             Gentiles
             ,
          
           who
           know
           not
           God
           ,
           to
           make
           void
           that
           Blessed
           Work
           ,
           which
           the
           God
           of
           Heaven
           by
           his
           pure
           eternal
           Spirit
           hath
           begun
           to
           work
           in
           our
           Dayes
           in
           these
           despised
           People
           ,
           who
           have
           given
           up
           their
           Souls
           to
           serve
           him
           ,
           and
           for
           whom
           their
           very
           Lives
           would
           not
           be
           dear
           unto
           them
           to
           give
           up
           for
           his
           Name
           
             sake
             .
          
        
         
           O
           unto
           you
           ,
           who
           have
           had
           any
           experimental
           Knowledge
           of
           God
           and
           of
           Christ
           ,
           through
           the
           Operation
           of
           the
           Spirit
           in
           you
           ;
           unto
           you
           is
           my
           very
           Soul
           drawn
           out
           in
           tender
           Love
           and
           Compassion
           ,
           desiring
           that
           the
           God
           of
           Heaven
           would
           open
           your
           Eyes
           ,
           and
           give
           you
           a
           clear
           ,
           spiritual
           and
           certain
           Knowledge
           of
           the
           inward
           State
           of
           your
           Souls
           before
           him
           ,
           and
           bring
           you
           to
           the
           Obedience
           of
           his
           Heavenly
           Will
           ,
           for
           ,
           for
           this
           very
           Cause
           ,
           for
           not
           being
           Obedient
           &
           answering
           the
           Lord
           in
           his
           Requirings
           Hardness
           of
           Heart
           is
           come
           over
           you
           ,
           and
           Darkness
           hath
           covered
           you
           ;
           so
           that
           that
           Simplicity
           and
           Tenderness
           that
           was
           once
           in
           you
           in
           the
           Time
           of
           God's
           Visitation
           ,
           is
           much
           defaced
           ,
           and
           an
           Enmity
           sprung
           up
           in
           you
           against
           the
           Appearance
           of
           God
           amongst
           us
           .
        
         
           I
           beseech
           you
           bear
           with
           me
           ;
           for
           the
           Zeal
           of
           God
           is
           upon
           me
           ,
           and
           dear
           and
           tender
           Love
           to
           your
           immortal
           Souls
           :
           Know
           you
           this
           all
           you
           who
           have
           any
           Simplicity
           and
           Tenderness
           left
           in
           you
           ,
           that
           I
           now
           directly
           stand
           for
           God
           ,
           and
           in
           his
           Name
           I
           plead
           with
           you
           and
           for
           you
           ,
           that
           you
           may
           be
           reconciled
           to
           him
           ,
           and
           that
           the
           Enmity
           that
           is
           yet
           in
           any
           of
           you
           against
           God's
           Heavenly
           Appearance
           and
           Revelation
           of
           his
           Son
           in
           us
           might
           be
           taken
           away
           ;
           for
           God
           is
           exalting
           his
           Son
           over
           all
           ,
           even
           this
           is
           the
           Work
           of
           God
           ●n
           this
           his
           Day
           ,
           to
           exalt
           his
           Name
           above
           every
           Name
           ,
           and
           we
           ,
           the
           despised
           Remnant
           ,
           are
           made
           Witnesses
           of
           the
           Heavenly
           Appearance
           of
           the
           Son
           of
           God
           ,
           and
           cannot
           but
           testifie
           of
           him
           :
           I
           say
           ,
           we
           are
           made
           Witnesses
           by
           God
           ,
           through
           the
           Revelation
           of
           Christ
           in
           us
           ,
           a
           Holy
           Constraint
           is
           upon
           us
           ,
           and
           not
           of
           or
           from
           our selves
           or
           any
           Act
           of
           our
           own
           ,
           but
           through
           the
           Begetting
           of
           Life
           we
           are
           made
           willing
           to
           exalt
           his
           Name
           in
           the
           Earth
           :
           And
           herein
           our
           Hearts
           are
           single
           before
           him
           ,
           having
           no
           other
           Thing
           in
           our
           Eye
           ,
           but
           the
           lifting
           up
           and
           spreading
           that
           blessed
           Name
           ;
           and
           herein
           I
           can
           appeal
           to
           the
           Lord
           God
           of
           Heaven
           and
           Earth
           of
           the
           Integrity
           of
           my
           Heart
           to
           him
           ,
           having
           this
           Faith
           begotten
           in
           me
           of
           the
           Lord
           ,
           that
           while
           I
           stand
           in
           Simplicity
           and
           Singleness
           of
           Heart
           to
           him
           ,
           he
           will
           be
           my
           Strength
           ,
           and
           keep
           me
           in
           the
           Hour
           of
           Temptation
           ,
           that
           I
           fall
           not
           ,
           or
           ever
           turn
           my
           Back
           upon
           him
           ;
           for
           truly
           I
           must
           confess
           that
           this
           Way
           of
           Truth
           which
           the
           Lord
           hath
           brought
           me
           to
           ,
           is
           a
           very
           narrow
           and
           streight
           Way
           ,
           so
           streight
           ,
           that
           if
           I
           could
           have
           found
           Peace
           and
           Satisfaction
           out
           of
           it
           ,
           I
           had
           not
           now
           been
           a
           Travailer
           in
           it
           :
           for
           being
           once
           tempted
           by
           the
           God
           of
           this
           World
           to
           withdraw
           my self
           from
           the
           Lord's
           People
           ,
           and
           to
           retire
           and
           get
           from
           under
           his
           Yoak
           ,
           the
           Lord
           pursued
           me
           with
           his
           Judgments
           ,
           and
           Rest
           and
           Peace
           was
           taken
           from
           me
           ,
           that
           I
           cryed
           out
           ,
           
             That
             it
             was
             a
             great
             Strength
             to
             be
             willing
             to
             live
             in
             the
             Earth
             :
          
           But
           the
           Lord
           fetched
           me
           in
           from
           my
           Wandering
           ,
           and
           I
           was
           made
           to
           return
           to
           the
           God
           of
           my
           Life
           ,
           and
           in
           my
           very
           Soul
           bowed
           to
           him
           ,
           who
           is
           become
           my
           Defence
           and
           Holder
           up
           of
           my
           Head
           in
           the
           midst
           of
           many
           Enemies
           raised
           up
           by
           the
           Power
           of
           Darkness
           against
           us
           ,
           to
           lay
           us
           wast
           ,
           and
           to
           make
           void
           our
           Testimony
           for
           the
           God
           of
           Heaven
           in
           this
           Generation
           :
           But
           God
           will
           exalt
           his
           Name
           ,
           and
           in
           vain
           do
           Men
           strive
           against
           him
           ;
           for
           their
           very
           Strivings
           shall
           turn
           to
           the
           Advantage
           of
           his
           Name
           and
           People
           ,
           and
           the
           Shame
           of
           his
           Adversaries
           .
        
         
           Oh
           my
           Soul
           hath
           travailed
           for
           our
           Adversaries
           ;
           for
           having
           in
           Years
           past
           been
           one
           with
           them
           in
           Profession
           ,
           I
           cannot
           but
           have
           Love
           to
           them
           ,
           and
           have
           cryed
           to
           the
           Lord
           for
           them
           ;
           Oh
           that
           they
           had
           an
           Ear
           to
           hear
           ,
           they
           would
           then
           certainly
           bow
           to
           that
           blessed
           Truth
           ministred
           in
           God's
           Authority
           by
           his
           chosen
           Ones
           :
           And
           a
           strong
           Belief
           is
           in
           me
           ,
           that
           the
           Lord
           will
           bore
           the
           Ears
           of
           many
           simple
           Hearts
           amongst
           them
           ,
           and
           cause
           the
           Sound
           of
           his
           Everlasting
           Gospel
           to
           enter
           ;
           and
           it
           shall
           be
           a
           Day
           of
           glad
           Tidings
           to
           as
           many
           as
           shall
           receive
           it
           .
        
         
           The
           God
           of
           Heaven
           open
           the
           Eyes
           of
           all
           the
           Professing
           People
           in
           this
           Nation
           ,
           that
           all
           may
           dread
           and
           fear
           before
           him
           ,
           and
           consider
           what
           they
           are
           doing
           in
           setting
           themselves
           against
           that
           living
           Word
           of
           God
           revealed
           in
           us
           .
           O
           Friends
           ,
           it
           will
           be
           too
           strong
           for
           you
           ;
           for
           it
           is
           not
           any
           fine
           coyned
           Notions
           that
           we
           publish
           to
           please
           the
           Ears
           of
           the
           Curious
           ,
           Wise
           and
           Lofty
           ;
           No
           ,
           no
           ;
           but
           it
           is
           the
           living
           Word
           ,
           the
           mighty
           Word
           ,
           the
           very
           Word
           of
           the
           Lord
           God
           of
           Heaven
           and
           Earth
           that
           we
           exalt
           among
           Men
           ,
           that
           Word
           that
           redeems
           from
           the
           Power
           of
           Satan
           all
           such
           as
           in
           Love
           receive
           it
           :
           It
           is
           that
           Word
           that
           comes
           not
           to
           us
           by
           the
           Will
           ,
           Power
           or
           Wisdom
           of
           Man
           ,
           but
           by
           the
           Revelation
           of
           Jesus
           Christ
           ;
           nor
           no
           Man
           on
           Earth
           can
           attain
           to
           the
           Understanding
           of
           it
           ,
           but
           by
           the
           Spirit
           of
           Jesus
           ;
           a
           Man
           must
           be
           born
           of
           the
           Spirit
           before
           he
           can
           know
           the
           Things
           of
           the
           Spirit
           .
        
         
           And
           here
           lyes
           the
           chief
           Ground
           of
           all
           that
           Warring
           and
           Contendings
           against
           us
           ,
           a
           different
           Birth
           ,
           Children
           of
           an
           other
           Birth
           ,
           though
           high
           and
           lofty
           in
           their
           Notions
           of
           God
           ,
           and
           Christ
           ,
           and
           the
           Scriptures
           ,
           that
           if
           they
           were
           indeed
           what
           they
           speak
           ,
           they
           were
           honourable
           ;
           but
           the
           Root
           of
           the
           first
           Birth
           ,
           and
           all
           Words
           from
           it
           are
           of
           another
           Nature
           ,
           and
           want
           a
           living
           Spring
           :
           It
           is
           the
           first
           Man
           in
           his
           best
           Robe
           ,
           that
           runs
           before
           he
           is
           sent
           ,
           and
           in
           his
           own
           Wisdom
           would
           mannage
           the
           Things
           of
           God
           and
           his
           Kingdom
           ,
           before
           he
           knows
           the
           Power
           from
           on
           high
           ,
           to
           break
           and
           confound
           all
           his
           curious
           Wisdom
           of
           Words
           ,
           and
           to
           make
           him
           as
           a
           little
           Child
           ;
           
             first
             ,
          
           to
           desire
           the
           sincere
           Milk
           of
           the
           Word
           ,
           that
           he
           might
           grow
           thereby
           ,
           and
           then
           in
           the
           Strength
           of
           the
           Word
           of
           Life
           ,
           to
           minister
           according
           to
           the
           Gift
           received
           .
        
         
           And
           in
           this
           first
           Birth
           are
           all
           the
           Children
           of
           the
           Flesh
           and
           Shadow
           exalting
           themselves
           ,
           and
           opposing
           the
           Heavenly
           Appearances
           of
           Life
           in
           all
           their
           several
           Forms
           of
           Religion
           ;
           and
           herein
           lyes
           their
           greatest
           Unity
           one
           with
           another
           ,
           in
           setting
           themselves
           against
           the
           enlightned
           People
           of
           the
           Lord
           ,
           who
           own
           their
           Enlightnings
           and
           Teachings
           from
           himself
           alone
           ,
           and
           cannot
           satisfie
           themselves
           in
           their
           own
           Willings
           and
           Strivings
           in
           their
           own
           Wisdoms
           and
           Understandings
           ,
           but
           wait
           for
           the
           Ministration
           of
           the
           Spirit
           of
           Life
           and
           Power
           .
        
         
           Now
           wherefore
           is
           it
           that
           you
           all
           joyn
           together
           against
           us
           ,
           and
           have
           Enmity
           to
           us
           ?
           Have
           you
           Peace
           in
           so
           doing
           ?
           Are
           you
           justified
           before
           God
           herein
           ?
           And
           have
           you
           Hope
           hereby
           to
           lay
           us
           wast
           ?
           O
           know
           assuredly
           ,
           such
           Hope
           is
           vain
           ,
           and
           shall
           certainly
           perish
           ;
           for
           our
           Foundation
           standeth
           sure
           .
        
         
           O
           the
           Sen●e
           I
           have
           had
           of
           the
           Power
           of
           Darkness
           ,
           strong
           Workings
           at
           this
           Day
           against
           us
           ,
           to
           render
           us
           infamous
           in
           the
           Eyes
           of
           all
           People
           ,
           not
           only
           as
           
             No
             Christians
             ,
          
           but
           as
           
             Deceivers
             ,
             Juglers
             ,
             Equivocators
          
           and
           
             Impostors
             ,
          
           and
           as
           having
           a
           
             Diabolical
             Spirit
             .
          
           O
           thick
           Darkness
           ,
           that
           we
           should
           be
           so
           judged
           by
           a
           
             Professing
             People
             ;
          
           but
           we
           know
           we
           have
           a
           
             Testimony
          
           in
           the
           Hearts
           of
           many
           ,
           which
           the
           Enmity
           of
           our
           
             Adversaries
          
           cannot
           destroy
           .
        
         
           Lord
           ,
           what
           have
           we
           done
           ?
           Whose
           Cause
           have
           we
           espoused
           ?
           What
           Kingdom
           and
           Interest
           seek
           we
           to
           exalt
           ,
           but
           the
           God
           of
           Heavens
           ?
           We
           can
           in
           the
           Integrity
           of
           our
           Souls
           appeal
           unto
           him
           ,
           and
           stand
           over
           the
           Heads
           of
           our
           Adversaries
           ,
           and
           in
           true
           Patience
           bear
           with
           all
           the
           Revilings
           and
           Reproaches
           of
           Men
           of
           all
           Sorts
           ,
           counting
           it
           not
           a
           new
           Thing
           for
           the
           true
           Servants
           of
           the
           Lord
           to
           be
           so
           dealt
           with
           ,
           when
           Christ
           himself
           found
           the
           hardest
           Measure
           from
           the
           strictest
           Professing
           
             Jews
             ,
          
           who
           doing
           such
           wonderful
           Things
           ,
           even
           to
           Astonishment
           ,
           and
           which
           they
           were
           Witnesses
           of
           ,
           and
           could
           not
           deny
           ;
           yet
           their
           Darkness
           and
           Enmity
           was
           such
           ,
           as
           to
           strike
           at
           his
           very
           Root
           and
           Spirit
           by
           which
           he
           did
           those
           wonderful
           Things
           ,
           saying
           ,
           
             He
             had
             a
             Devil
             ,
             a
             Diabolical
             Spirit
             ,
             and
             that
             by
          
           Beelzebub
           
             the
             Prince
             of
             Devils
             he
             did
             those
             mighty
             Things
             ;
          
           and
           never
           rested
           till
           they
           murthered
           him
           .
           Oh
           that
           the
           same
           Spirit
           were
           not
           to
           be
           found
           among
           some
           of
           you
           .
        
         
           But
           I
           dare
           not
           charge
           all
           among
           you
           ,
           believing
           that
           some
           have
           true
           Desires
           after
           God
           and
           his
           Truth
           ,
           and
           truly
           desire
           more
           of
           the
           Knowledge
           of
           him
           ,
           for
           whose
           sakes
           I
           had
           some
           Constraint
           upon
           me
           to
           publish
           these
           Things
           ,
           to
           provoak
           you
           to
           a
           Retirement
           of
           Spirit
           ,
           and
           to
           an
           inward
           Feeling
           of
           your
           States
           before
           the
           Lord
           ,
           what
           you
           are
           in
           his
           pure
           spiritual
           Light
           ;
           and
           if
           in
           the
           true
           Measure
           of
           the
           Light
           of
           the
           Lord
           in
           you
           ,
           you
           feel
           not
           a
           closing
           with
           our
           Testimony
           ,
           and
           have
           some
           Savour
           of
           our
           Life
           ,
           then
           wait
           in
           that
           true
           spiritual
           Light
           ,
           that
           the
           Lord
           may
           reveal
           it
           to
           you
           ;
           and
           judge
           not
           those
           Things
           you
           know
           not
           ,
           nor
           turn
           in
           Enmity
           to
           us
           ,
           lest
           Hardness
           come
           over
           you
           ,
           and
           Darkness
           cover
           you
           .
        
         
           But
           if
           in
           the
           Singleness
           of
           Heart
           before
           the
           Lord
           you
           can
           receive
           our
           Testimony
           ,
           then
           be
           not
           hasty
           ,
           but
           wait
           in
           the
           Light
           of
           the
           Lord
           for
           Strength
           ,
           that
           you
           may
           come
           to
           the
           Obedience
           of
           his
           Heavenly
           Will
           ;
           
             For
             it
             is
             the
             Obedient
             that
             inherit
             the
             Good
             of
             the
             Land
             ,
             and
             whose
             Souls
             delight
             in
             Fatness
             .
          
        
         
           And
           until
           I
           was
           brought
           to
           Obdience
           and
           Subjection
           ,
           I
           could
           never
           witness
           Satisfaction
           ;
           for
           great
           and
           long
           hath
           the
           Travail
           of
           my
           Soul
           been
           after
           the
           Lord
           ,
           even
           from
           a
           Child
           the
           Fear
           of
           God
           was
           upon
           me
           ,
           and
           some
           Desires
           stirring
           in
           me
           after
           him
           under
           several
           Forms
           of
           Religion
           ,
           and
           still
           I
           followed
           that
           Ministry
           and
           People
           where
           I
           found
           most
           of
           the
           Life
           of
           Jesus
           ,
           and
           when
           I
           saw
           too
           much
           exalting
           of
           Form
           and
           idolizing
           of
           them
           ,
           and
           an
           inward
           Decline
           of
           that
           first
           Simplicity
           and
           Zeal
           that
           was
           once
           among
           many
           ,
           and
           that
           Religion
           was
           grown
           a
           Worldly
           Interest
           and
           a
           Foot-stool
           to
           Promotion
           ,
           my
           Soul
           loathed
           it
           .
        
         
           And
           upon
           the
           very
           hearing
           of
           a
           poor
           despicable
           People
           in
           the
           
             North
          
           of
           
             England
          
           called
           
             Quakers
             ,
          
           of
           their
           Behaviours
           ,
           Words
           and
           Conversations
           ,
           my
           Soul
           closed
           with
           them
           ,
           with
           Sense
           and
           Feeling
           of
           them
           ,
           that
           they
           were
           
             the
             Chosen
             of
             the
             Lord
             ,
          
           and
           then
           saw
           and
           declared
           of
           the
           Seas●nableness
           of
           their
           coming
           forth
           ,
           
             That
             when
             the
             pure
             Simplicity
             and
             living
             Testimony
             was
             just
             expiring
             among
             the
             Professors
             of
             the
             Nation
             ;
             the
             Lord
             ,
             who
             would
             not
             leave
             himself
             without
             Witness
             in
             every
             Age
             &
             Generation
             ,
             in
             due
             Season
             raised
             up
             his
             Witness
             afresh
             in
             a
             poor
             inconsiderable
             People
             to
             bear
             up
             his
             Name
             in
             the
             Earth
             ,
             whose
             Testimony
             was
             in
             Spirit
             ,
             and
             in
             Life
             ,
             and
             Power
             :
          
           Upon
           which
           most
           of
           the
           Priests
           and
           formal
           Professors
           in
           the
           Nation
           was
           stirred
           ,
           and
           provoaked
           ,
           and
           joyned
           together
           to
           oppose
           them
           ;
           and
           though
           they
           themselves
           in
           their
           Zeal
           had
           cryed
           to
           God
           ,
           
             to
             send
             f●rth
             his
             Light
             and
             his
             Truth
             ,
             and
             that
             the
             Kingdom
             of
             Christ
             might
             be
             exalted
             ,
             and
             that
             he
             would
             pour
             out
             of
             his
             Spirit
             upon
             his
             Sons
             and
             Daughters
             :
          
           yet
           when
           the
           Lord
           had
           chosen
           and
           raised
           a
           People
           thus
           to
           bear
           his
           Name
           ,
           and
           to
           exalt
           his
           Truth
           on
           Earth
           ,
           and
           to
           proclaim
           the
           Great
           Day
           of
           the
           Lord
           
             to
             level
             the
             Mountains
             ,
             and
             to
             lay
             low
             the
             Lofty
             of
             the
             Earth
             ,
             and
             to
             bring
             Proud
             Flesh
             into
             Contempt
             ,
             and
             to
             raise
             the
             Poor
             to
             inherit
             the
             Kingdom
             :
          
           Instead
           of
           meeting
           with
           the
           Lord
           ,
           who
           was
           about
           to
           perform
           those
           great
           Things
           themselves
           desired
           in
           the
           Day
           of
           their
           Tenderness
           ,
           they
           evilly
           entreated
           those
           blessed
           Messengers
           ,
           and
           overlookt
           them
           for
           their
           Meaness
           ,
           and
           spake
           all
           Manner
           of
           Evil
           of
           them
           ,
           
             Imprisoning
             ,
             Whipping
             ,
             Stocking
             and
             reproachfully
             reviling
             them
             ,
          
           many
           of
           whom
           dyed
           in
           their
           Imprisonment
           :
           And
           I
           do
           believe
           had
           not
           the
           Lord
           in
           his
           Righteous
           Judgment
           taken
           Power
           from
           them
           ,
           they
           would
           have
           been
           farther
           deeply
           guilty
           of
           the
           Blood
           of
           the
           Innocent
           .
        
         
           But
           my
           hearty
           Desire
           for
           all
           that
           are
           tender-hearted
           among
           you
           ,
           who
           have
           the
           Fear
           of
           the
           Lord
           upon
           you
           ,
           that
           you
           take
           heed
           that
           you
           be
           not
           leavened
           with
           that
           Persecuting
           and
           Anti-christian
           Spirit
           ;
           for
           the
           very
           same
           that
           now
           reproach
           us
           ,
           and
           would
           
             unchristian
          
           us
           ,
           would
           destroy
           us
           if
           it
           had
           Power
           .
        
         
           But
           the
           Hand
           of
           the
           Lord
           is
           to
           be
           seen
           in
           suffering
           all
           these
           Storms
           of
           Oppositions
           against
           us
           ,
           to
           provoak
           us
           to
           the
           more
           Watchfulness
           and
           Diligence
           ,
           and
           to
           brighten
           our
           Testimony
           for
           the
           Righteous
           God
           ,
           whom
           in
           Spirit
           and
           Truth
           we
           serve
           .
        
         
           
             Therefore
             unto
             him
             do
             I
             commit
             our
             Cause
             ,
             who
             sets
             Bounds
             to
             the
             Seas
             ,
             and
             stills
             its
             Raging
             ,
             who
             can
             appease
             the
             Wrath
             of
             Man
             ,
             and
             scatter
             the
             thick
             Clouds
             of
             Dark●ess
             .
             with
             which
             he
             is
             compast
             ,
             by
             the
             bright
             Shining
             of
             his
             Day
             ,
             in
             which
             ●ll
             Works
             ,
             Doctrines
             ,
             Principles
             and
             Spirits
             shall
             be
             made
             manifest
             ;
             and
             in
             the
             Breaking
             out
             of
             this
             blessed
             Day
             doth
             my
             Soul
             rejoyce
             before
             the
             God
             of
             Heaven
             .
          
        
         
           
             So
             Friends
             ,
             in
             Faithfulness
             to
             the
             Lord
             ,
             and
             in
             true
             and
             dear
             Love
             to
             all
             simple-hearted
             People
             ,
             who
             have
             the
             least
             of
             Vprightness
             of
             Heart
             to
             God
             ,
             and
             sincerely
             desire
             to
             follow
             the
             Lord
             wherever
             he
             shall
             lead
             them
             :
             I
             shall
             conclude
             ,
             leaving
             this
             my
             Testimony
             to
             the
             Witness
             of
             God
             in
             all
             your
             Consciences
             ,
             who
             am
          
        
         
           
             Your
             Real
             Friend
             in
             the
             Service
             
             of
             
               Truth
            
             and
             
               Love
               ,
            
             
             Thomas
             Zachary
             .
          
           
             
               The
               
                 5th
              
               of
               the
               
                 9th
              
               
               Month
               ,
               1674.
               
            
          
        
      
    
     
  

