‘Now see if any age or generation did ever persecute as ye do: for ye profess Christ Jesus who reveals the Father, and persecute them that witness the revelation of the Father by Christ Jesus unto them. Ye profess Christ Jesus, who is the light of the world, “that enlightens every one that cometh into the world;” and yet persecute them that bear witness, and give testimony to this light. Ye profess that the Word is become flesh, and yet persecute them that witness it so. Ye profess that whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is an antichrist; and yet persecute them that do confess him come in the flesh, and call them antichrists and deceivers. Ye profess that the kingdom of Christ is come; and yet persecute them that witness it come. Ye profess Christ Jesus the resurrection and the life; and yet persecute them that witness him to be so. If ye say, ‘How shall we know that these people who say they witness these things, do so, or no?’ I answer, turn your minds to the light which Christ Jesus has enlightened you withal, which is one in all; and if ye walk in the light, ye shall have the light of life, and then ye will know and see what ye have done, who have persecuted the Lord of glory, (in his people,) in whom is life, and the life is the light of men. To no other touchstone shall we turn you, but into your own consciences, and there shall ye find the truth of what we have declared unto you, and of what we bear testimony to, according to the Holy Scriptures. And when the books of consciences are opened, and all judged out of them, then shall ye witness us to be of God, and our testimony to be true, though now you may stop your ears, and harden your hearts, “while it is called to-day.” But then ye shall know what ye have done, and whom you have transgressed against; and then you will see that no persecutors in any age or generation that ever went before you, did ever transgress against that light and measure of God made manifest, in such a manner as ye have done. For though Christ and the Apostles were persecuted in their times, the Jews, for the most part of them, did not know that he was the Christ, when he came, notwithstanding that they had the Scriptures, which prophesied of him; neither did they believe that he was risen again, when the apostles preached his resurrection. But ye say, ye believe he is come; and ye say, ye believe his resurrection, and yet ye persecute those that witness him come in the flesh, those that are buried with him in baptism, those that are conformable to his death, and know the power of his resurrection; those ye persecute, those ye haul before magistrates, and suffer to be beaten in your synagogues; those ye cause to be whipped and stocked, and shamefully entreated, and into prison cast, and kept: as many jails in this nation, at this day testify to your faces.