through all the visible difficulties of a 12. years
War) to a blessed hope and expectation of reaping
a harvest of rest and peace. We are grieved
and canot but mourn to see that Raging spirit of
Enmity in the hearts of men, bent to destroy
their brethren. Some like Korah and his companions,
labouring to turn the People from Obedience
to their Leaders; Others by false surmises
and open reproaches, endevouring to exasperate
the spirits of Superiors against their people; so
that if there were any inchan[unr]ment against Jacob,
or divinination against Israel, if men could have
cursed where God had blessed, they had ere this
involved the Nations into blood again. And as
no age (since Israels coming out of Egypt) can parallel
the great and weighty works of God for a
poor despised people, with this we live in, even
so we are perswaded there was never more subtilties
of Satan (under specious pretences of Religion,
Conscience both in Ecclesiasticks and Politicks)
then this age has produced. Therfore we
have cause to judg, That these late devices of som
men, are but new Tricks of the old Deceiver, to
subvert the foundations of good government, &
hinder an established Liberty to Gods people,
that in the midst of our divisions, he might more
easily strengthen his own Kingdom, and in time
bring an yoke again upon the neck of the Saints.
But that which is our greatest trouble in the
midst of these stirs, is, to see that any who have
professed Godliness, or any member of our body
should give the least occasion to be suspected to
joyn hands with the workers of Iniquity, by