TO THE POPE
Friend, read this over, and the sad Lamentation that is over you. You may behold, how your field is a field of blood, and how you are naked, your emperors and your princes, from the spiritual Weapons, and the armor of God, who has had the form, but out of the power since the Apostles' days, for yet you, nor any of your company dare ever adventure a meeting in the field with them that have the spiritual weapons, (as in the book called The Papist's Strength Broken, may be seen). Therefore, they, and all the emperors and princes, and yourself, having not the spiritual weapons, nor the armor of God, you have set up your inquisitions, your racks, your tortures, your prisons, your banishments, and this shows you have no rule nor government by the power of God. Therefore read this over, that you may see what you have gotten up into, since the Apostles' days, and how you have killed and mangled, martyred and tortured, which is not the work of a true Christian, whose command from Christ was to love your enemies.
—By George Fox (written in the late 1600s)
Friend, and friends, innocent blood has long cried for vengeance to the Lord, the earth almost swims with innocent blood, and the cry of it is heard, your frozen profession, your cold winter images set up in your streets, and the Lord God of power, of dread, of heaven and of earth, will be avenged on you, and you all. His day is approaching, his day is drawing near at hand on you all, his everlasting arm, his power is stretched over you, and gone beyond you, the Lord God is angry with all your idol images, your pictures, your jewels, your beads, your nunneries, all your several orders you have set up in your wills, and your will-worship, and your several orders of feigned humility. You have been fed like fat hogs in dens, you great and rich cardinals and pope, and seeing that you would not receive the Lord's messengers, but threw them into prison, and into your inquisition,* whose blood lies upon you, it may be before long the Lord may give you a visit another way, for his dread is gone out, the zeal of the Lord is kindled against you, he that touches his, touches the apple of his eye, and he shall never prosper; the dread of the Lord is coming upon you, and his mighty power before long, who has stained the earth and corrupted it with your images, but now is the Lord risen, that will plead with you. You have drunk the blood of the saints and martyrs. Now must you have blood to drink, for there is that gone forth that is against you, and you shall not be able to stand before the Lord, before his power, the mighty God of Jacob. God will break down your images, and your nunneries, and dethrone the pope of his power, (the Lord alone will reign). For he has long existed before the whore, the false church, which has gotten up since the true church went into the wilderness, and the man-child caught up to God; but now the judgment of the great whore has come, and the Lamb, and the saints shall have the victory.
*Early Quakers, Catherine Evers and Sarah Cheevers, were moved by the Lord to make testimony in Alexandria in 1658. En route by ship, they arrived at Malta, where they were interviewed by Roman priests, who after contacting Rome, quickly slapped them in prison and put them through the Inquisition for four years. Quakers John Luff and John Perrot went to Rome to visit and warn the Pope; they were promptly put in prison and through the Inquisition. John Luff died in prison.
In 1660, an eighteen year old Quaker, Mary Fisher, was sent by the Lord to warn the Sultan of Turkey,
Mahomet IV, then at the height of his power. Despite him being on the battle front, she was courteously welcomed, heard, and thanked; the heathen Turk then offered her a guard to Constantinople on her return to insure her safety. The kind treatment, received at the hands of the non-Christian
Turk, is in marked contrast with the severe persecutions, even to death, by the so-called Christian Roman Catholics' persecutions of the Quakers sent to warn them.
The Lamb's wife is known again, and the cry is, and the voice is, come out of her, that has been the whore, that has drunk the blood of the saints. Oh blood! The fields are sprinkled with the blood of the innocent, and you are the field of blood. Now the is Lord coming to take vengeance upon you, and his hand is stretched over your heads. His power is gone over you, and with that he will rule you and smite you under, and bring you lofty ones from your seats, and abase your pride, and take the glory to himself, and deface your glory and honor. You have been the cage of unclean birds, and the locusts, that have gone in swarms, that come out of the bottomless pit. The Lord God in his mighty power is entered into all your quarters, your wickedness has grown to the full, your time draws to an end, that the Lord God will be revenged on you. Now have you come into the remembrance of the Almighty. The Lords will destroy your will-worship. The Lord break will down all your feigned humility, all your invented images, pope, cardinals, orders, nunneries, pictures, and relics; the Lord will break down whatsoever, for you are as a barren wilderness.
Oh, you have long cumbered the ground! You have long stained the earth; and the man of sin has long reigned among you, and with Cain's weapons you have slain many that have been contrary to your minds. You have been the great city, and with Cain's weapons you are fenced. You have reigned over the kings of the earth, the false church, the whore, since the woman went into the wilderness, as you may read in the Revelations. The Lord has come to break you to pieces, with his mighty power, and to lay your city level, and his power is entered among you; for how much blood, (which is immeasurable here to be measured), have you slain and drunk since the days of the apostles, and made yourselves drunk with it? But now has the indignation and wrath of the Almighty come, and is coming upon you, and you, pope, must feel it. The Lord God of heaven and earth is come to rule and reign, whose kingdom is without end, in whose hand all kings are as the waters, and you, and your images, and relics, and cardinals, and the several orders, they are only like the relics, and the potsherds.
The mighty God is risen, tremble before him, for he will abase you, and go over you all in his mighty power, for the blood of the innocent lies upon you, who have laid aside the scriptures, and the exhortations in them, which is to entertain strangers, and you imprison them until death, and you burn and rack people. This is your church's authority, for the whore has drunk the blood of the saints, apostatized from the true church, and set up images, and idols, (the true church is told to abstain from idols), and departed from the true faith, and has taken the glory and honor to yourself, that glory which belongs to God. You have gone into Cain's ways, (murderers), and are out of Abel's. You have gone into Balaam's way, for the wages of unrighteousness. You are as the devil that John speaks of, that casts into prison, and you are them that have a name, but are dead. You are the blasphemers, who said they were Jews, and are not. You have taken the honor and glory to yourselves, and you compel others to worship the beast, and the whore; but now is the cry gone out, worship not the beast, come out of her, fear God and give glory to him. Now see your fenced cities broken down with the arm of the Lord God. The power of the Lord God is going over your city to break it down, and you are as Cain, that went from God, to whom the woe belongs, and plagues, and misery, and thunders, and vials, and the earthquake shall be known to shake down that part.
Are not you ravening wolves that set up your images, earthen images, crosses, and temples? The mystery of God is revealed, that discovers you all, and is revealing you. The Lord God will confound you, who have trusted in your graven images, your molten images, who have deceived the world, made havoc, shed blood every way, and flung your swords about you, set as a queen that sees no sorrow, but now desolation is coming upon you, now it is near the door, now shall the power of the Lord God go over you like reeds. For you and your relics are as pieces of clay, as potsherds, and pieces of dusty cloth, with dark Cain's spirit, and wolfish spirits, that Christ said should come, that went forth from the apostles, and the world is gone after you, but the Lord God is risen; the Lamb, and the saints shall have the victory, and he shall kill with the sword, and slay with the sword, even the word of his mouth, who have been the cause of all bloodshed about religion, worship, and church, and ministry. Tremble you pope; tremble, fear, and quake you pope; tremble you cardinals; tremble you Jesuits; tremble you priests; tremble all you orders of monks, and friars, and tremble you papists of whatever rank, for now is the power of the Lord God coming over you. Now you shall be shaken; and by whom shall you be shaken and dashed to pieces? The living Almighty God will reign, who thunders out his power, and has uttered forth his voice, and has sent his servants before to warn you, for before the Lord God brings his judgments on a city, he sends his servants to inform them, whom you have imprisoned, and kept in your prison even to death,* the noise of which visitation of the Lord's servants is gone abroad, who were sent to visit the pope, from the Lord God of hosts, of power, of heaven and of earth, whom you have thus evilly entreated? They were sent so that the kindness of the Lord might be known to you, before he has brought his judgment and sword, and his plagues, and his woes, that with his mighty thundering power you might be warned, for by that he will break down your images, and pictures, and nunneries, and strike, and break down your orders, and break down your fathership, your popeship, and lay it in the dust, for you have been the wolves, you have been a wilderness, and as wolves ravening up and down in the wilderness, and made the earth like a wilderness, but the Lord God of power, of life, of heaven and of earth will now reign and rule, oh how have you cankered and cumbered the earth, and stained the ground!
Oh how the Lord is grieved! Oh how the Lord is burdened with your filthiness and pollutions! “I will arise,” said the Lord, “I will avenge me of all my enemies,” fear and dread shall surprise you, and take hold upon you, and you shall become as a quivering leaf, as a shaking leaf; the Lord has spoken it, and he will bring his power over all nations, and break you to dust, and trample you to powder, in this day of his glorious appearance. His majesty shines forth, and in his righteousness he reigns, the Lamb and the bride is known, his wife is witnessed, he is going on conquering, and to conquer; and the everlasting gospel shall be preached again to all kindreds, tongues, and nations, and to them that dwell upon the earth, for the beast has had power over all kindreds, tongues, and nations, with lying signs, and wonders, and has corrupted the earth, and made the inhabitants thereof drunk, which has overcome the saints, and killed them, and drank their blood, and you have had the outside, the sheep's clothing, but the sheep's life has been wanting, and you have been them that Christ said should come, Mat 7:15, which John saw had already come,1 John 2:18, which went from the apostles, which the world went after, and sat up your lying signs, and wonders, and miracles, and your images in the world, (a cage of unclean birds, the habitation of dragons), the great city reigns over the kings of the earth, who have been guided with the dragon's power, and the beast took it, and the whore took it, the false church, and since have the true church and the woman been in the wilderness, but now is come forth to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and the saints shall have the victory, glory to God in the highest, and the everlasting gospel shall be preached, as I said before, to all kindreds, tongues, and nations, and to that the apostles were in, his people shall come into, and thousands, and ten thousands witness it. The arm of the Lord is spreading over the whole world, the host of heaven shall be known, and the reapers, and they are going forth to cut down, and the gathering together to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, the fowls of the air shall feed on the flesh of captains, and nobles, and great men, the mighty angel is going forth with the vials of the Almighty, pouring them out, and the wrath of the Almighty is to be poured out without mixture upon you, and that you must drink. The sharp glittering sword of the Almighty is drawn, and hangs over your head, you pope, therefore call in your Jesuits, priests, and cardinals, and give up to the Lord when he calls, for he is coming, he is near at hand, to throw down all your images, nunneries, pictures, crosses, jails; deliver up all your arms, your carnal weapons, for the mighty God of power is come upon you, and coming upon you, and you shall not escape his arm. The Lord will plead with you in his power, in his strength, in his might, and you shall feel his sword, (hand, arm, and strength, and his threshing instrument); which is drawn, which will hew you to pieces, and you shall have no place to flee.
You have been worse than the heathen, you have been worse than the Jews, you have made the name of a christian to stink among Jews and Gentiles, by your fires, inquisitions, and cruel acts, your crosses, beads, and your nunneries; you have been worse than the heathenish philosophers. I will make you to know that I am the Lord, said the Lord God Almighty, who will stamp you to powder, and make you as ashes. Cain's weapons shall not secure you, who have turned against those in the true faith; you would let them have no place among you. Now will the Lord God Almighty reign and rule, and of you take vengeance, and be revenged on you his enemies, for his elect’s sake, who by you have suffered since the days of the apostles, under your kingdom, and your islands, and your nations. On you all will the Lord God take vengeance, and make you as a shaking leaf, (as before), whose dread, power, and authority, and dominion over you all is set, the righteous scepter over you all is gone, and the bar of judgment to which you shall be called is set up. You are ripe for the sword, for the press, to be trodden without the city. His sword is drawn to cut you all down. Consider with yourselves what you have done; since the days of the apostles, in this time, and times, and half a time; since the woman has been in the wilderness, and nourished and fed there of God. Consider how unlike the apostles you have been, and the churches among them, unlike Peter, unlike Paul. Having published your traditions, which you call your church, such traditions have been invented by yourselves, you have made the true practices of the church of God, and the commands of God to no effect. Thus deceived the world, deceived the ignorant, and deceived nations; but now shall the everlasting gospel and the power of God go forth, and you shall be taken, and the judgment has come. The beast and false prophet, and the whore the mother of all harlots, and Babylon is confounded, and the Lamb and the saints shall have the victory. The everlasting gospel shall be preached, through which life and immortality shall come to light, in which is the power of God, the unity, and fellowship. The mystery of the fellowship, in the mystery of godliness, is the fellowship that is everlasting. In the light is the power of God, which is the cross of Christ, instead of which, you have set up your stone, wooden, golden, and iron crosses, by your church authority, which has ravened from the power of God, the cross of Christ; but with the power of God, the cross of Christ, you are all judged, along with your crosses, including the founders of them, and all the rest of your lying signs and wonders. The power of God is going over you, which power is the cross of Christ that shall throw down all your crosses, nunneries, inquisitions, images, and your lying signs and wonders; and the mystery of God is now revealed, Christ Jesus to the church is known, of which church the apostles were, which was before you came up, and is now seen over, as is seen the age to come with the exceeding riches of his grace, which the Lord showed through Jesus Christ to the churches among the apostles, Eph 2. Therefore now is the dread of the mighty God, the great and mighty day of the Lord's power gone over you, and going over you, and with that power you are foreseen, before you were, and before you came up, and what you have done since you came up, and since you reigned. This is the day of the Lamb and his power, (and his wife his church is known, Rev 19:7); and with this power the Lamb fathoms you all, your time, your reign, your actions. He sees before you came up to the days of the apostles, and we are of the true church, and none of yours, 1 Pet 2:9, but are of the royal elect seed of God, and co-heirs with Christ, and heirs of the covenant of God, Christ Jesus the covenant of God, that stands sure; whose blessing, life, and immortality we possess, with which power you are seen as dead corrupt trees, lying in a wilderness, full of vipers, serpents, and venomous beasts, locusts, unclean spirits, and fruitless trees that have not borne fruit to God, but cumbered the earth.
Therefore I charge you, and command you from the Lord God, that you read this over, and consider as you read it, for you and you shall feel it, the Lord's power which is to come upon you; the woes, the plagues, the vials, the thunders, the judgments of the Almighty, the recompense, the indignation, the fury of the Lord is coming upon you, and over you are his terrors, and upon you is his power gone, and that is the word of the Lord God to you. You have kindled your fires, and made them flame [to burn] for the servants of the Lord God; but now shall they be for yourselves. You shall be ruled by that power of life, in that power the servants, sons, and daughters of the Almighty reign; in the power, word, and life, over you all, which was before you were, which power will bruise you under, and the Lord God of power will make you to know that he rules, and he will be worshipped in the truth, (that Cain and the devil is out of, the murderer is out of), and be worshipped in the spirit. Christ has enlightened every man that comes into the world, from which you have ravened - from truth, from the light, from the worship of God in the truth; and so with the light are you judged, comprehended and condemned. With this
light and power, you are all seen, and comprehended, which was before the world was made, by which power the glory is known, which was with the Father before the world began. The plagues of God will be your portion, oh pope, you who has deceived nations. All you Jesuits, and cardinals howl, for your misery is coming, said the Lord God, who will be worshipped in spirit, and in truth, and with none of your inventions.
Site Editor's Postscript
The Roman sect's Inquisitions stands as history's greatest act of brutality committed in the name of religion. But it was all predicted in the Bible's Book of Revelation: the whore was drunk on the blood of the saints. The Roman sect's inquisitions and slaughters took place throughout Europe during the Middle Ages (800 AD to 1500 AD), in which nine million souls were put to death, accused of witchcraft. The Roman sect's methods and numbers of killing and torture make the 20th Century Nazis look like amateurs. Those intelligent enough to have seen the barbarity and falseness of the Roman religion quickly died from torture. The still lauded pillars of the Roman faith, Augustine and Thomas, approved and supported such murders in writing; unrepudiated, they stand as testimony to the continued depravity of the Roman Catholic sect. The Roman Catholic English Queen Mary, (nicknamed bloody Mary), burned over 300 Protestants at the stake.
The Protestant Reformation was a step in the right direction, but fell far short of restoring the church to the practices of the early apostles' Church; the Protestants retained far, far too many of the man-made inventions and heresies of the Roman sect. Infant baptism, grape juice and bread, the trinity, (nowhere mentioned in scriptures), marriage by priests, vain and prideful buildings, steeples with bells, black robes, black shirts, special collars, creeds, reading sermons, sacraments, salvation by ritual, vicars, clerks, parsons, curates, bachelors of art, masters, doctors, fathers, Christmas, Easter, bachelors of divinity, etc.; all are inherited from the mother of your sect, the Roman Catholics. Your founders burned and killed just like Roman sect. John Calvin was an early Protestant founder venerated by Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, even influencing the Lutherans; Calvin participated in the burning at the stake of twenty-four other Protestants with differing views. The founder of the English Episcopalians, Henry VIII, killed several thousand for differing religious views. The Protestants of England and America were responsible for the deaths of over 869 Quakers in the 17th Century. The persecutors of the Quakers included Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists.
The Protestants and Catholics are part of the same beast, the second beast of Revelations with horns like a lamb, but who speaks like a dragon, which re-established the heathen religious traditions that the early Christian church almost destroyed, (the wound to the first beast's head), at the early Church's peak. The false church, Roman Catholic and Protestants alike, boasts she is not a widow and will never see grief. These false churches boast that Christ is their husband; but all of these false churches are the whore of Babylon, who ignore Christ's commands to repent, his teachings, his requirements, his warnings, his required holiness, his gospel, his Kingdom, his promised freedom from sin, and his cross of self-denial - the Missing Cross to Purity.
All worships not totally controlled by the Holy Spirit are an abomination; God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. See Proper Worship for how the early Church and the early Quakers worshipped in Spirit and Truth.
To understand more on how all the so-called Christian sects today are part of Babylon, see Isaac Penington's outstanding writings on Babylon and the Great Apostasy. Also see Janney's Church History and Howgill's writing on The Entering in of the Apostasy.
This web site's purpose is to show how to become
free from sin
by benefiting from the changing power of God through the cross,
which leads to union with God in his Kingdom.
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