to live in their native Country as their Brethren the ancient Christians were in Ages and Generations past I say as they suffer for Righteousness sake in Conscience to God not as Evil doers they shall have the Answer of a good Conscience and enjoy the Presence of the Lord which is better then Life and all those things you threaten to deprive them of and they shall live the Life and dye the Death of the Righteous and enter in and inherit the Crown of Life when you that are of a bitter spirit a persecuting envious spirit against your Neighbours who have done you no Wrong and yet profess Christ and Christianity shall see your selves shut out and when trouble anguish sorrow pain perplexity of spirit and horror of conscience shall attend you in your Houses and upon your Beds for the Hand of God will lie heavy upon the Evil-doer and Cruel Men and Vengeance is the Lord's and he will repay it and to him they can commit their Cause and appeal to for Justice seeing their Importunity though like the poor Widow's to the Unjust Judge cannot prevail with men They are known viz. the people called Quakers to be a quiet peaceable people among their Neighbours in all parishes Towns Cities and Countries where they dwell throughout England and great Observers and Honourers of the End of Magistracy and true Christian-Government which is a praise to them that do well and a terror to them that do evil and are true Subjects to the King and obedient to all the good and wholsom Laws of their native Country which tend to preserve men Liberties Properties Persons and Estates not for fear of Punishment but for Conscience sake and they are ready to obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake in all things relating to the Things of a Man giving Caesar his due and readily paying all Rates and Taxes that tend to the Good and Service and Preservation of their Neighbours and Country-men which is proper for any Christian men to do but in things relating to God and his Worship and Conscience they cannot endure to be imposed upon they rather chuse to obey God then Man in all such Matters and rather chuse to suffer the spoiling of their Goods imprisonment of their Bodies and give up their Lives also then submit to the Wills and Commands of men in Matters of Religion Church and Worship contrary to their Consciences and the perswasions of the Spirit of God in their own Hearts knowing it is a grievous thing to fall into the Hands of the living God and to sin against Light and Knowledge for fear of suffering therein they would not only be like the Common Sinners of the Times but worse who in their common Service daily confess They do that which they should not do and leave undone that which they should do who confess they have no Health in them but are full of putrified Sores from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot I say they would be worse then these if worse can be and would be Abomination in the sight of the Lord and a Stink in his Nostrils and his Righteous Soul would be vexed with them from day to day and they would not enjoy the Light of his Countenance which to them is better then the encrease of Corn Wine and Oyl They can say and that truly in the sight of God That they desire the good of all men and have Love and Good-wil to all their Neighbours and country-men and can truly pray for their enemies though they use them despightfully and do desire they may see the evil of their wayes and repent that they may enjoy Blessings and Peace temporal and eternal And if any thing to the contrary as Evil Thoughts Evil Will Prejudice or Enmity arise in them or among them against any they judge it with the Light and Spirit of God as an Evil inconsistent with their Profession of Christianity and directly contrary to the Life and Nature thereof for they have do declare own it their duty to live walk according to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and to know the same written in their Hearts and this Law was the Guide of Man-kind before Sin entred the World before outward Laws were written in Tables of Stone or in a Book And those that are led by this Law of the Spirit of Life are the righteous Men and righteous Women against whom there is no Law being living Witnesses of its power and vertue making them free from that and giving them Victory and Dominion over that because of which the outward Law was added viz. Sin And these own all good Laws outwardly and will not transgress against them And the Law as saith Paul Is not made for the Righteous but for the Wicked 1 Tim. 1.9 10. or Lawless and Disobedient for the Vngodly and for Sinners for Vnholy and prophane for murtherers of Fathers and murtherers of Mothers for man-slayers for Whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for Lyars for perjured Persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine c. And whoever talks and professes the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and lives under the power of Sin and Death or continues in evil-doing they are no true Subjects to it nor lovers of it nor walkers in it but a shame and a Scandal to the Christian Religion and Strangers and Alians from the Common-Wealth of Israel and the Law of Sin and Death rules in their Minds and Members and leads them Captive into Evil and these are in great Bondage to the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life And these are the Children of disobedience in whose Hearts the Prince of the Air the Prince of Darkness Rules and leads them to Envy Hate and Persecute their Neighbours about Religion which was never the work of a true Christian For he that hateth his Brother is a man-slayer 1 John 3.15 He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.20 Be Serious consider your Work and Condition and see how you stand in the sight of God and mind God's witness in your own Consciences and hearken to the Voice thereof and it will Infallibly inform and shew you whether the Spirit of Christ and Christianity which is the Spirit of Meckness Gentleness Kindness and Brotherly love rules in your Hearts or the contrary and the Voice of this whether it be with you or against you is as a Thousand Witnesses and all that sleight and disregard its Voice and stop their Ears at the Reproof thereof while the day of their Visitation lasts Time will come upon them and the Night will overtake them wherein they shall hear its Voice whether they will or no and be judged according thereto Conscience is compared to a Book and the
that cause people to err and that bite with their Teeth and cry peace so long as people feed them Indeed Dr. Parr's Moderation and peaceable Behaviour hath hitherto been noted and commended in that he hath not thrown so many into Goal for Tythes as he might nor persecuted Dissenters that dwell within his Parishes for not Worshipping in the same Manner Form and Way as he doth But now one of his Parishes has more in it presented for not coming to Church and as is said to be proceeded against by the Statute of 20 l. a Moneth and Excommunicated for not Repairing their Church then all the Parishes in and about London so that if he gives farther place to this unnatural Opinion of his That people cease to be Subjects to the King when they are called Quakers it will quickly lead him out of all his Moderation and seeming Tenderness and his Mouth will open wide enough to swollow down their Bodies Liberties Lives and Estates and if his Church's Curse was powerful enough would send their Souls to Hell also This would be the Work of a sad Pastour who is found in it cannot be a Watcher for the good of Souls nor a good Shepherd that careth naturally for the Sheep but are found Watchers for Gain from their Quarter and for the Fleece And it is an infallible Mark Sign and Demonstration of a Minister of Antichrist False Prophet and Deceiver to declare That people ought not to live in peace and enjoy their Liberty and property and benefit of the Law of their native Country as Subjects of the King except they will be his Disciples or members of his Church repair the same and put into his mouth also these are such as serve their own Bellies and not the Lord Jesus Christ but are a Scandal and Reproach to the Christian-Religion while they profess themselves Ministers of it But the nakedness greediness covetousness enviousness deceitfulness and cruelty of the priesthood appears more and more daily and is obvious to Thousands and Ten Thousands of people in this our native Country of England who make a trade of Religion and learn to be Preachers of the Gospel as they say as a Man learns to make Shoes they learn and buy their Skill of Preaching of Man and they not only sell it again to their free Customers that willingly buy but they impose the sale and exact the price of others that dwell within their Quarter though they like them not nor will have none of their Ware this is a sore Evil in the Priesthood and a great Burden upon the people So much by the way But to proceed to shew the truth of our Plea and the groseness of our Adversaries lyes First there was not a necessity to pull down so much as was pulled down neither was a danger of its sudden fall as was pretended the wooden Pillars were mostly Sound and the Roof and Walls might have been Repaired and Amended according to our sugestion for Three or Four Hundred Pound Only you would have it Fine and Beautiful and honourable Vaults for when some urged to have it Repaired and not pulled down it is said D. P. answered What did they think he would Preach in a patched Church or have a place propt up with Prongs and Forks So that if we could have had Liberty we could have answered the chief Baron's Question very fully which Question was Whether there were any thing done more out of Curiossity then of Necessity Secondly there was no Contract made nor so much as propounded to be made with the Master Work-man for the new Foundation work south Porth Chancel nor Vaults distinct and separate from the rest of the Work before the rate was made and your Lybel formed against us but all was Included together in one Bargain And the Rate mentioned in your Lybel is sufficient to pay for all if Collected And that this your Plea and invented Lye took beginning since you saw that you had out gone the Bishop's-order any President or Law either And that what hath been done through Curiossity hath occasioned great part of the Charge And your pleading an agreement with the Work-man for One Hundred and Twenty Pound for the said work was a late forged device to baffle and prevent the Course of Justice Thirdly every Man in the Parish were not satisfied nor Consenting to what was done Neither had every one paid their Money but Twenty Four Quakers Neither is Fifty Shillings the greatest Sum Rated upon any Quaker nor Forty Pound the whole Sum laid upon them some being above Six Pound and the Sum rated upon them about One Hundred Pound And more then a Hundred that pay to the Poor besides Quakers did not consent to the same So this is a four-fold Lye And seeing you have by corrupt Interest and Lyes stopped the Currant of Justice you have no cause to rejoyce nor ring Bells for Joy the consideration how you have come by and accomplished your designs truly weighed in a serious Spirit and Measured by the rule of Christianity of which you have a Profession is really a great cause of Sorrow and when you come to give an Account of your Deeds done in the Body you shall be sensible thereof The Primitive Christians practice was to rejoyce in the Truth and not in Iniquity and to speak the Truth every man to his Neighbour and to bear false witness against none and despise dishonest Gain or the gain of Oppression and to do as they would be done by Never so much as attempting to Compel such as did not believe nor receive their Doctrine nor own them as true Ministers or a true Church to Contribute to their Maintenance or to Build or Repair their Meeting-places Neither Law nor Gospel doth afford you any President or Example for such a practice you are faine to make use of such Laws and Cnanos as were made in the dark Night of Popery to Authorize you in such kind of work You deny the Pope and Papists in Words but imitate them in Practice and make use of all their Laws and Customs in being as you have occasion to serve your Interest and defend you in your Trade of preaching for Money praying and Singing for Money Christening Churching and Burying for Money Selling Absolutions and Licences for Money and for Money a Man may get into your Church again after he is Cursed out or Excommunicate and for Money a Man may purchase any part of your Religion yea for Money a Man may have Prayers and Sermon made for him after he is Dead but without Money it 's hard to get any thing of the Priesthood not a Child Christened nor a Corpes buried without Money by many Priests though the persons concerned have scarce enough to buy them Bread these and such like covetous Practices of the Priesthood together with the Unchristian-like Conversation of their people makes the Christian Religion stink among Jews Turks and Infidels Now that Religion and
will hear or forbear they shall find it Truein the Day of Account The 17th of the 3d Moneth 1677. Something after VVHereas the Cry against the Quakers is That they are Disobedient to the Law Enemies to Magistrates Haters of the Ministry of the Gospel and no Friends to the Lawyers and that they would overthrow good Government pull down Churches but build and repair none c. In Answer to which we in short say thus much That this Charge is utterly without just Cause and directly false For First We are obedient to the whole Law either actively or passively and our Principle and Profession leadeth us to obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake not for fear of Punishment but for Conscience sake and herein stood the Christian Obedience in the primitive times to every Law and Ordinance of Man that tended to the Encouragement and Praise of them that did well and to the Terror of those that did Evil to other Laws Ordinances and Commands of Men which did not carry this along with them they were never actively obedient but Witnessers against them and Sufferers by them as might be evidenced at large by a multitude of Examples throughout the whole Scriptures and every Conscientious Christian Man must needs acknowledge that God is to be obeyed rather then Men when they command things repugnant to his Law and impose upon the Mind Heart Conscience and Vnderstanding contrary to the Light and Law of God therein this is to usurp the Throne of God and to give Laws in his Kingdom which is spiritual and not of this World and where God rules governs in the hearts of men which is and ought to be his Throne and they know his Law (a) This is the New Covenant that God promised and every Christian is to witness the law of God writ in his Heart and his Fear in his Inward Parts and none can be a Christian without it writ therein from whence all just reasonable good Laws outwardly did proceed such cannot transgress against them nor disobey them So it is a manifest spirit of Envy that saith We are disobedient to Law seeing our Conversation among our Neighbours throughout this Nation witnesseth the contrary and they find no just Cause or Occasion against us but in things appertaining to Worship Church Religion and Conscience which indeed are of a spiritual Concern and not belonging to Men of corrupt Minds though they give themselves the Name of spiritual men to make and impose Laws about And as concerning Magistracy and Magistrates whose Work is to judge between Man and Man when they trespass one against another according to Equity and Righteousness without Respect to Persons or any sinister Interest these we truly Love and Honour who bear not the Sword in vain but relieve the Oppressed and judge the Cause of the Innocent and help the Poor against the Mighty 2 Chron. 19.6 7 8. and are a Terror to the Evil-doers these judge for God and not for Men and the Lord is with them in Judgment and the Blessings and Presence of the Lord will be upon them Now it is the Evil-doers that are Enemies to Magistracy and that make and create Trouble to good Magistrates such as break and violate the Law of God and Man and kill and steal and commit Adultery and bear false witness against them and covet their Neighbours Wife Ox Ass nor any thing that is his c. these are they that are Haters of Law and Magistrates and disobedient to Authority Now we are kept by the Grace of God out of these things and do by vertue of the Nature and Power thereof the things contained in the Law which shews the Effect of the Law written in our Hearts and so because we love and obey the Law and Magistrates we fulfil the End of them both But they that say They love and honour the Law and Magistracy and yet are found in the Evil-doing they lye and do not the Truth and would subvert the Law and overthrow Magistracy and all Good Government among men and are direct Enemies to Magistrates Now to those that say we Hate those that are Ministers of the Gospel we say and that truly that it is a False Accusation for we love no men more they are indeed Embassadours of Peace and Reconcilation of Mankind to God and they have the Power of Perswasion and in the Spirit of Love and Meekness do prevail and turn many from the Evil of their Wayes and direct them into the Good Old Way and Ancient Path of Peace which the Righteous in all Ages walked in from Enoch unto this day in which Way the Wayfaring man though a Fool cannot err mark that and seek and enquire for this Way Now all such as pretend to be Ministers of the Gospel and do not do and Effect this Work in and among people it 's an evident sign the Lord never sent them and that they are not in Deed what they profess in Words yet let all know that we hate no men's Persons though we bear witness against Deceit and Hypocritical Pretences amongst men of all Degrees and Professions and would have men to be and to be known to be as they are in the sight of God where all Coverings avail not And to such as say we are no Friends to the Lawyers and that we would overthrow good Government c. We say we are Friends to all men and should rejoyce to see good Government set up among them and especially amongst the Lawyers that that common Honesty and Right might be fulfilled among them as is among other Trades-men who sell a Penny-worth for a Penny And we desire the Law might be declared in such plain terms that the Lawyer Knowledge and Counsel might be certain that he might undertake to do Peoples work and business to their Content if he expect to receive their Money as other Trades-men must And that they would be so honest that when People come to them with a bad Cause which the Law is against that they would Instruct and Advise them better and refuse to appear in it for love of Money Then would Equity enter and Justice run down as a mighty Stream But when Lawyers undertake bad Causes for bad People for love of Money Equity is obstructed and the currant of Justice stopped delayed deferred if not pervented and turned backward and by this means honest men are unjustly vexed troubled and abused trhough the Promisciousness of the Law and the crafty skill Rhetorick and Interest of a bad Lawyer and by these a poor man's Cause though never so good is overthrown all these things we would have amended and have every man honest in his Imployment and do as he would be done by and this only being observed will bring People to be good friends and love one another and live together in Peace as becometh Christians And then we believe the Lawyers would not have so great a trade and Imployment