The Hartlib Papers

Honoured Sir

    I doubt not but you hath had intelligence from time to time, how that the familie of the corrupt Clergie, the kingdome of AntiChrist, and the power of Satan is daily going down and drahing neere their period. Contrary the Lord appearing in his glory, separating the precious from the vile and building up Sion. which is the reason of the great differences in Wales, and the severall falsh reports and scandalls raised upon the people of God in Wales, supposing by their projects, plotts and deceitts to bleind the eyes of the people, to hinder the glorious going on of the worck, and to keep up their familie which is appointed by the Lord for the destruction. Let them say what thy will, the Lord comes although he comes in a cloud through many oppositions. His reightousnesse is neare[altered]: his salvation is gone forth, and his arme comes to judge the people: the Isles wait upon him, and on his arme thee poore people in Wales in trust, knowing that he is their God and their only help. If you was amongst the Saints and people of God in Wales looking upon their lives, practises, graces, gifts and conversations you would wounder how men could be so impudent contrary to their knowledge to raise and spread such scandalls: but it is noe wounder, for thy have learned it from the old serpent the Devill their father. I daily to my unspeakeable refreshinge behold amongst the Saints such dearnesse of affections, Such Squarenes of Conversations, such Lowlÿnes of mind such panting after Chreist, such experiences of the spiritt, such submission to his word, such triumph over reproches, such watching in prayer such longings for more knowledge, such Iealousÿes of their owne Spiritts, such care of the weacke, such cordiallnes to thier teachers, such joy in his Sabboths, such open hartednes to ane another, such painfullnesse to travell for the word, such alacrity in private Exercises, Such resolutions to follow Chreist and indeed such christian lustre and beauty of Spirit that together with the most serious consideration of all worschips I did meet with in my journey and life, I never found any more conformable to the word of God, then the wayes of the godly people in Wales, although I acknowledge ther is yet some things to be reformed, and as the Lord shall discover them I am perswaded thy shall gladly embrace them, and I am also perswaded that this glorious worck begun in Engelland will not end here but goe through the whole world untill we are come up to[altered] the puritie of the gospell and Iews and Gentils be united, and for my part, if it please the Lord, I am ready to lieve, to undergoe and to dye with them. I would trouble you often if I did know that your weightie imployments and publicke affairs would suffer it. My humble request is to send with care and speed this enclosed to Mr Gilbert Mabbott. I would not have troubled you with it, if not necessitie as it were did force me to it. for if I should have streight directed the letters to him they would have ben intercepted, as all the rest of our letters. So knowing noe convenienter and better way then this, I did presume upon your goodnesse and good will you beahre to the publick, (for this letter is of great concernment and therfore humbly &earnestly desire that it may be delievered to his owne hands without faihling or letting so soone as may be) to addresse

           sir

               your assured oblieged faithfull

                    friend and servant

                 Martinus Grundman [BS?]

                                [word deleted?]

Redcastell the 3 of 7bris

      Anno 1652.

[left margin, Hartlib?:] 7ber 3. 52/

For his honoured Friend

  Mr Samuel Hartlieb at

   his house in Charing-

   Crosse these

     [squiggle]

                London.

                  [squiggle]

[right margin, another hand:] Martin Grundman