Oh all you rulers of the earth, from the foundation of the world, to this day, who have been in the transgression of the law of God, of the life of God, out of the fear of God, such in all ages have turned the sword against the just, that have transgressed the just principle of God in themselves, and grafted themselves into the wicked root. All such, from the foundation of the world to this day, have turned the sword backward like blind men; so hit their friends that come with love to their souls; and strike at them instead of their enemies; you persecute the just, you kill the saints, the prophets, and the Son, and persecute them that are in the life of the prophets and apostles. These rulers have always strengthened the hands of evildoers; but those who have reproved in your gates, in your streets, have been your prey. You have banished, you have whipped, you have imprisoned, you have persecuted, you have burned my flesh, said the Lord; you have branded, you have marked, you have fire and faggots, and houses of correction, and inquisitions, and sending up and down warrants, mittimuses, banishing the servants of the Lord, persecuting them because they cannot bow with the hat, give you the earthly honor, not honoring the courts, (as it was in the days of the martyrs, for the testifying of the truth,) and say you to one, showing that you are of the earthly old Adam, driven from God into the earth; not of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, Christ Jesus, who receives not honor of men. None honors the Father and the Son, but who has received honor from God, and that which is of God.
Now men in haste and passion, in rage, and fury, and bitterness, and prejudice, these are unseasoned men to be justices, unseasoned men to have honor, for humility goes before the honor; pride and high-mindedness, and lifting up, that looks for respect of persons, more than for truth, justice and equity. For if men keep down, low and humble, all doing justly, they are honored in the hearts of all people, with the just principle of God, that all people honors the higher power, that honor justice, and exalt the humility which goes before the honor, for God brings down the mighty from his seat, and abases the proud, and beholds him afar off, and brings down the lofty. Where bitterness, and prejudice, and burnings are in the breasts of people, they will side for parties, and be for their own ends. What work have men with these innocent people, which you in scorn call Quakers? Imprisoning, hauling out of steeple-houses, sending them as vagabonds from place to place, those that are able people outwardly, whipping of them; and because they cannot bow with their hat to you. What work are your judges making with them; and fining of them, imprisoning them because they cannot swear; and imprisoning them, and fining them, because they cannot pay the priest tithes; preparing war against them, because they cannot put into their mouths [pay them tithes], Such as Micah cried against. If people were not hardened, they would look into these things, and consider these things, and see all along from the foundation of the world, how they persecute out of the fear of God, though they have gotten the form of words, but are out of the life of them. These persecute men because the cannot put into the Priest's mouth(pay tithes) and such as hold up such priests as are made by men, and held up in men's wills, and not by the will of God; and persecute them because they cannot break Christ's command, but keep it, which said, swear not all and imprison and persecute such as cannot receive honor from men, nor give honor to men which is from below. Can the children of God give honor to that which God will abase and throw down?
All that seek or would be honored in the hearts of all people, must answer the principle of God in all people, with justice, with equity, with truth; and they must have patience, and humbleness, and mercy; for you have whipped, you have burned, you have persecuted, and these things lie upon you; you that have acted these things are out of the fear of God. Therefore now you that fear God, whose hands are clear from blood, and from persecuting the innocent, and who have done justly to the wicked; the Lord God will be your reward, you shall have a crown that is immortal, you who have kept yourselves from persecuting the innocent, and put a difference between the precious and the vile. To them that do well, you have been a praise. Those that have reproved sin in your gates, have not been a prey, but you have protected them, you have nourished them; and the evil-doer has not been strengthened. Happy are you, who are honored in the hearts of all people; you are in their hearts who do justly, love truth, are merciful, and humble. Such persons God exalts and honors in the hearts of all his people, with that of himself. Such know the proud and lofty cannot honor them; they will not receive the honor from the proud and lofty ones, for their honor is only a compliment from below and is earthly. For what honors a magistrate, who does justice and equity and honors the power, is from the principle of God in him; that keeps him humble and low which brings him from under the occasion of the law, which is a praise to them that do well, and a terror to the evil-doers.
A lover of all your souls, and your eternal good, and a friend to the creation, and the truth, and them that be in the life of God. 
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