the Ladder catching at the Rope with his other Hand missed the Rope and fell from a very great Height down upon Stones by which Fall he was exceedingly Wounded in the Head and Arms and his Body much Bruised and taken up for Dead Then they put him in a little low Hole call'd the Oven which place was so Little that some Bakers Ovens have been seen Bigger then it though not so high without the least Air Hole or Window for Smoak neither would they suffer him to have a little Charcole brought in to prevent the Smoak And after he was a little Recovered they would not suffer him to take a little Air which was but once desired by him feeling himself spent much for want of Breath And although some did offer their Bond of Forty Pounds to a Justice so called and another to lie Body for Body that James might have but Liberty to come to their House while he was well and to be returned again when he should be Recovered and that if he Dyed they should have his Body but they would not their Wills being unalterably set in Cruelty against him And it was desired That he might but walk in the Yard but it was said He should not have so much Liberty as to walk to the Castle Door which was strictly executed for the Door being open he did but walk forth into a Close Stinking Yard before the Door and the Goaler came in great Rage and lock't up the Hole where he lay and shut him out in the Yard all Night being in the Coldest Time of all Winter And seeing that their Rage did more and more encrease and there was an Addition to his Sufferings daily and seeing there was no way to satisfie their Malice but his Blood and seeing his Life could not in all likelihood be continu'd long in that Place and Condition he was in there was no little Labour and Means used to lay it before the Highest in Authority yea more concerning that Man that his Life might have been saved and they kept from Innocent Blood then ever was concerning any if not all that ever were Imprisoned of our Friends for some Years before but no Mercy could be found amongst them and though they were told of his Wounds Weakness and Ill Usage yet would not believe it till he was Dead and then some who were his Persecutors used their Wits to cover his Sufferings from being known and would cast it upon himself At his Departure there were present with him Ann Langley and Thomas Shortland who related his last words as followeth viz. HERE I DYE INNOCENTLY and further said NOW I MUST GO and turned his Head to Thomas and said THIS DEATH I MUST DYE and further said THOMAS I HAVE SEEN GREAT THINGS and bad him That he should not hold him but let him go and said it over again WILL YOU HOLD ME then said Ann Dear Heart we will not hold thee and then he said NOW I GO and stretched out himself and fell into a sweet Sleep and slept about an Hour as he often had said that ONE HOUR's SLEEP WOULD CURE HIM OF ALL and so drew Breath no more This is the Substance of a Relation given of his Sufferings and Death heretofore printed in a Book entituled The Lamb's Defence against Lyes published soon after James Parnel departed Thus did this Valiant Souldier in the Lamb's War Conquer through Sufferings and hath laid down his Head in Peace forever London the 29th Day of the 6th Moneth 1675. Written by a Lover of the Faithful Followers of CHRIST JESVS ELLIS HOOKES A TABLE OF THE Principal Heads Contained in this Book I. A Tryal of Faith wherein is discovered the Ground of the Faith of the Hypocrites which perisheth and the Faith of the Saints which is founded upon the Everlasting Rock page 1. II. Christ Exalted into his Throne and the Scripture owned in its Place 11. III. The Trumpet of the Lord Blown or a Blast against Pride and Oppression and the Defiled Liberty which stands in the Flesh 28. To the Libertine whose Liberty stands in the Flesh 41. To all Scoffers Scorners Reproachers and Revilers of the Children Servants and Messengers of God 49. IV. A Shield of the Truth or the Truth of God cleared from Scandals and Reproaches cast upon it by Scandalous and Reproachful Tongues which the Devil in all Ages did make use of whereby he Blasphemed the Truth of God striving to present it Odious to the Eyes and Ears for all People that so he might uphold his own Kingdom pag. 55. Concerning the Name Quakers 58. We are Accused to be False Prophets False Teachers and Deceivers c. ibid. We are Accused to deny the Scriptures 68. We are Accused to deny the Baptism 67. We are Accused to deny the Supper of the Lord 68. We are Accused to deny all Prayer 70. We are Accused to be destructive to the Ministry 72. We are Accused to deny all Magistracy and Government 81. We are Accused to be destructive to all Superiority and Honour Breeding and Manners c. 85. We are Accused to say That we are Perfect without Sin 97. We are Accused to deny Christ come in the Flesh 104. We are Accused that we Judge People 105. We are Accused to deny the Church 107. We are Accused to deny the Sabbath 108. We are Accused That we Justifie our selves and Condemn all others 109. We are Accused to be one with the Ranters 111. We are Accused That the Ground of our Religion is Popery pag. 113. A few words to all you Heads Rulers and Magistrates of what Degree soever 115. To all who are convinced by the Light of God in your Consciences 118. V. The Watcher or The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands striking at the Feet of the Image whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay 121. A Relation of several Passages that James Parnel had with the People called Baptists in several Meetings with the Occasion of the First Meeting 180. A Copy of some Queries which were sent to the Baptized People in Fenstanton 188. The Occasion of another Meeting between the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers 196. Another Meeting between the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers 208. The Excommunication of Ezekiel Cater and Samuel Cater out of the Baptists Society with their Answer thereunto 225. A Word to all who are still in their own Formings Self actings and Imitatings 230. VI. The Fruits of a Fast appointed by the Churches gather'd against Christ and his Kingdom who go about to mock God with their Out-side Worship and Appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary Humiliation or a Declaration of the Persecution of a Messenger of the Lord by a People who go under the Name of Independents in Essex who have set themselves in the Enmity of their Spirits to oppose the Truth of God calling it a Lye and
Persecuting his Messengers as Deceivers and Wanderers wherein their Persecuting Spirits are made manifest and them to be in Cain's Generation and Strangers to the Spirit of Christ which were persecuted and so are none of his And also of the Unjust Dealings of Judge Hill who sate upon Life and Death at the Assizes at Chelmsford 229. A Reply to his Mittimus 250. A Copy of some Queries that were sent to the Justices so called 266. The Copy of a Note that was written against the Idol's Temple 271. Several Queries that were sent to four of the Chief Priests in Essex 274. The Copy of a Letter writ to Judge Hill after the Assize 282. A few Words unto you who call your selves Gathered Churches and go under the Name of Independents in Essex 286. A few Words to Friends in Essex 291. VII Goliah's Head cut off with his own Sword in a Combat betwixt Little David the Young Stripling who stands in the Power and Strength of his God and Great Coliah the Proud Boaster In a Reply to a Book set forth by an unnamed Author under Pretence of an Answer to Thirty Six Queries propounded by J. Parnel And also an Answer to several Counter-Queries propounded by the same Unnamed Author pag. 295. VIII A Warning of all People 426. IX An Epistle to Friends in London 433. X. An Epistle to Friends in Essex 438. XI Another Epistle to Friends 445. XII An Epistle to all Friends 453. XIII Some Queries sent to the Masters of the Colledges in Cambridge 457. XIV To all Judges Justices Rulers and Officers 463. XV. To all Magistrates Rulers and Officers who call Men to Swear and Imprison them if they will not 470. A TRYAL Of Faith VVherein is discover'd the Ground of Faith of the Hypocrites which Perisheth and the FAITH of the SAINTS which is Founded upon the Everlasting Rock So all may see what their FAITH is and what they Trust to COme try your Faith all you Professors of Godliness of God and of Christ who say God is your Father and Christ is your Redeemer and say You Believe in God and you are saved through Faith in Christ Come search the Ground and Bottom of your Faith what it is built upon for the Faith and Hope of the Hypocrite perisheth which stands in words and on any Unstedfast Foundation You say You are Saved by the Blood of Christ and by his Stripes you are Healed and so would make him the Ground of your Faith But what are you saved from and what are you healed of Search and see within Christ came to save and redeem Sinners from their Sin and to heal them of the Wound of Sin to bruise the Serpent's Head and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House to cast out the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple of God which is made a Den of Thieves and to open the Prison Doors and to set at Liberty the Imprisoned and to lead Captivity Captive to throw Antichrist out of the Temple of God who sits as God there and saith He is God and he is come to rend that Vail of Darkness and to open the Eyes of the Blind and to unstop the Deaf Ears and to make Blind those that can see and to make Deaf those which can hear and give Strength to the Weak and to make Weak those that are Strong and to Feed the Hungry and to Famish that which is Fed and to make a separation betwixt the Precious and the Vile betwixt the Wheat and the Tares the Sheep and the Goats and to purchase to man that which man hath lost and to this end is he come and who can witness this can witness him and may claim an Interest in him and have an Assurance of their Salvation and their Faith will stand against the Beast and overcome for the Lamb shall get the Victory But who cannot witness this cannot witness Christ and so are Reprobates concerning the Faith Now here all you Drunkards are shut out here all you Swearers are shut out here all you Proud and Covetous and Lustful Ones are shut out here all you Scoffers and Scorners and Back-biters and Bevilers and Extortioners and Whoremongers and Envious Ones and Gamers and Sporters all you Self-righteous Professors who live in the Fashions and Customs of the World delighting in the Pleasures and Vanities of the World having Fellowship with the World whose Conversation is amongst the Children of the World all in one Generation cleansing only the Outside of the Cup and the Inside full of Lust and Filthiness Pride and Covetousness and all Uncleanness Whited Walls and Painted Sepulchres who deceive the Carnal Eye and Ear but the Lord searcheth the Heart Here you are all shut out from the true Faith which purifieth the Heart and the Serpent is Head in you and your Strong Man keeps the House and a stronger than he is not yet come and the Buyers and the Sellers are uncast out of the Temple and Antichrist sits in the Kingdom and raigns as an Angel of Light and the Imprisoned lies in Prison and the Wound of Sin is yet fresh and the Vail of Darkness is yet spread over and Death raigns and Christ lies low in the Manger and the Inn is taken up with other Guests and here you can challenge no Interest in the Blood of Christ and have nothing to do to Talk of God and Christ and have no Assurance of your Salvation and all your Faith is vain and Hope vain and the Foundation thereof is Sandy and will not stand in the Day of Tryal but will be as a broken Reed to to lean upon and all your Prayers and Praises and Singings and Graces and Baptism and Sacraments which you build your Faith upon and think to Merit withal are all in vain and the Enflaming Sword is set against it being offered up from an Unclean Heart For how can your Hearts be clean while you live in sin for sin lodgeth in your hearts and while sin is there no purity can dwell and nothing that is pure can come forth of an unclean Vessel and God doth not put his Treasure in an unclean Vessel and he is Pure and receives nothing that is Impure and here all your Faith is vain and here you destroy all your Faith out of your own mouthes who say You believe you shall never overcome your Sins so long as you are here or be made free from Sins And here you shew your Faith is not built upon Christ who came to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cleanse from all sin and those whose Faith was built upon him did witness it and said The Blood of Christ hath cleansed us from all sin and they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Lusts and Affections thereof which is the Ground of Sin and he that Believeth is born of God and he that is born of God cannot commit sin and no
Unholy nor Unclean thing must enter So now What Assurance have you of your Salvation or what is your Faith built upon when both Christ and the Scriptures witness against you And Faith which is not built on the Rock Christ Jesus is vain and perisheth And he that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is Pure Here all your Faith is searched tryed and proved and is found all vain and perishing and so is not built upon the Rock which Perisheth not Therefore come down all you High-minded Pharisees and lay away all your Profession and throw down all your old Building and begin and lay a new Foundation for the higher the Pharisee climbs the greater will be his Fall and he that will be Wise let him first become a Fool For man by his Wisdom knows not God Here the Pharisee is shut out from the Knowldge of God who stands in his own wisdom And all you Wilful Blind Carnal Ignorant Creatures whom my Soul pittieth to see how ignorantly you are led who pin your Faith upon the Sleeves of your Fore-Fathers and live in Lightness and Wantonness spending your Youth in Vanity in Gaming Pleasures and Sporting in Drunkenness in Swearing and Lying in Vain Talk and Foolish Jestings in Pride and Lust and Filthiness and say You follow your Fore-Fathers and say What is become of them and say Your Pleasures is Pastime and Recreation and your Vain Talk and Foolish Jesting is Pastime and Merriness and so you pass the Time away and say Your Drinking and Rioting and Feasting is Good-Fellowship and Neighbourhood and so you cover over your Sins and Iniquities but Wo unto him that hides his Sin and covers his Iniquity and all this will not profit you any thing neither can your Fore-Fathers excuse you before the Lord for in the beginning it was so that Eve could not Justifie Adam neither could be any Excuse but rather Condemned him because he hearkened to the to the Voice of the Woman and Disobeyed the Lord so Adam suffered for his own Sin and so did Eve for her's And so this will be no Excuse for you in the Day of Account to say You followed your Fore-Fathers and did as they did before you But then will the Lord say Because you followed the Traditions and Fashions and Customs and Inventions of Man and have hearkened to the Voice of the Serpent and have Disobeyed my Voice and my Command and Sleighted my Counsel and would none of my Reproof but cast my Law behind your Backs and trampled my Mercy under Foot and have turned my Grace into Wantonness and have nourished your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter and have spent my Creatures upon your Lusts and Stoned Stocked Buffeted and Imprisoned and Shamefully intreated my Messengers which I sent unto you to Forewarn you of your Iniquity and have killed my Son therefore depart ye Workers of Iniquity I know ye not into Everlasting Torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels To see now how vain your Hope is and how unstedfast your Faith is when you have more Assurance of your Damnation than your Salvation for the Lord saith No Unrighteous Person must enter into his Kingdom nor no Unholy nor Unclean thing Therefore all you who desire Salvation to your Souls Try and Prove your Faith and Hope which you do trust to and take heed of trusting to a broken Reed lest it deceive you Experience hath taught you That if a Foundation of a Building be decayed and wasted and naught the Building will Fall when a Storm cometh so let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he falleth So every one whose desire is after Righteousness hearken to that in your Consciences which raiseth up Desires after Righteousness and which sheweth you the Vainness of your Lives and checks you when you do amiss and troubles you and torments you in Conscience when you have been Drunk or have done some Evil Act be willing to be guided by that and that will lead you to Repentance and Newness of Life to forsake those things which it discovers to be contrary to the will of God and if you be willing to follow this and be guided by it you shall find a Teacher continually present checking in the Conscience for vain Thoughts and for Vain and Idle and Needless Words and Actions and so will Crucifie the Lust which is the Ground of those things and which will lead you out of the Pathes of Death into the Way of Life out of the Traditions and Customs and Fashions Opinions of the World into the Assurance of the Eternal Truth And thou that art willing to follow this and be guided by this shalt need no man to teach thee but it will be a Teacher unto thee Teaching and Directing in Righteousness Purity and Holiness and if thou art Dilligent keeping thy Mind within with an Ear open to the pure Voice thou shalt find it present with thee wheresoever thou art in the Fields in thy Bed in Markets in Company or wheresoever thou art when thy Outward Priest or Teacher is absent it may be in the Ale-House or at his Pleasures and Delights or far off it will be present with thee and will Check thee and Condemn thee for that which no Outward Eye can See and will cleanse thy Heart from Lust and Deceit and Uncleanness and will purifie thy Heart and will make it a fit Temple for Purity to dwell in and then thy Sacrifices will be Pure which come from a Pure Heart the Lord will accept them for Abel's Sacrifices he receiveth but Cain's he denies but if thou wouldest attain to this thou must be willing to deny thy Lusts thy Vanity thy Delights or whatsoever hath been thy Life For He that will save his Life shall lose it and he that will lose his Life for my sake the same shall save it So there is no obtaining of Life but through Death nor no obtaining the Crown but through the Cross So thou must deny thy self and take up thy daily Cross and follow Christ if thou wouldest be his Disciple and give up thy Self wholly to be guided by the Will of God that all which is contrary to the Will of God may be Crucified though it be never so near and dear to thee and be forsaken Lands or Living Wife or Children Friends and Acquaintance or all the World and all Delights in the World For he that loveth any thing better then Me is not worthy of Me And all things below the Lord Vanisheth but He Endureth forever So the Lord God Almighty prosper all the Tender Desires which are raised up towards him and feed the Hungry and Thirsty Souls as he hath promised and raise up his own in all his that he alone may be Glorified Praised and Honoured who is Worthy and to whom all belongeth And this is the Desire of his Soul who is a Servant of the Lord who is Hated Reviled and Derided of the World
the Scripture the Light yet in the same it doth witness against them and witness Christ to be the Light before the Scripture was written and is able to save to the utmost all that shall come unto God by him and they that climb up any other Way the same are Thieves and Robbers John 10. 1. And therefore is not a Natural Insufficient Light as they that know not him do report of him and therefore shew themselves to be as ignorant as the Pharisees who only supposed him to the Son of Joseph yet wondred at his Power and the Works that were done by him as these do now wonder at the Prosperity of this Ministration of Light and to see how it prevails upon the Hearts of the people so that they know not what to think of it they are not able to encounter with it but that they see it strikes so much at their Diana and lies so hard at their Foundation so that it makes their Building Totter therefore the Rulers Priests aud Pharisees take Counsel together saying one to another If we let this People alone all men will go after them and they will draw away whole Nations therefore they take the same course as ever the false Prophets did joyning together with the Earthly Powers to make War with the Lamb Persecuting Stocking Whipping Imprisoning and shamefully intreating his Messengers whom the Lamb sent forth to bear Testimony of this Light in peoples Consciences where we have a Witness both in them that believe and in them that perish and also striving all the wayes they can by their Evil Incensing Lying Railings and false Accusings and Reporting to defame this Light and leaven your minds against it that if it were possible to put it out that still they might uphold their Father's kingdom of darknes and bear rule by their Means over the Blind carrying captive the minds of people But who is able to make War with the Lamb or who shall withstand the Day of his Coming Saul Saul it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet in this it witnesseth against them to be in Cain's way and Balaam's way and in the GainSaying of Core and so have not God Jude 11. 2 John 9. but are found to be the Generation who are born after the Flesh persecuting them that are born after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet they receive not Power from it to enable them to walk according to it but are altogether erring from it in any thing that crosseth Self but as many as receive the Light receive Power to follow it and come out of the corrupt sinful nature which they live in who know not the Light John 1. 12. and here the Light is above the Scripture And though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet in the same it witnesseth against them to be Lyars and bears witness of Christ to be the Judge and Tryer and Searcher of the Heart and Discerner of the Thoughts Heb. 4. 12. Rom. 1. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 5. and that whatsoever makes manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. therefore that which makes manifest false spirits is the Light and not the Letter which Light manifested and discovered false spirits before the Scripture was written And also though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet by the Scripture they cannot discern or judge of Spirits else what makes all this difference in Judgment amongst them who profess to try Spirits by the Scripture and profess it to be their Rule and ground their Judgments upon it yet are so confus'd in the same and never a one knows which is the Truth when as the Way is but One So that it follows that they have nothing but the Scripture without and are still without in Darkness and Confusion as all those appear to be who call the Scripture their Rule and Guide and Judge and Tryer of Spirits aud yet know not the Truth but are jangling and rangling and arguing and disputing and contending about the Scripture every one with a several Judgment upon it surely this Distraction is not in Scripture for it was spoken from One and all agrees in one therefore you that so profess the Scripture see if you can find it out by the Scripture and see where you are but they that are in the Light have fellowship one with another 1 John 1. 7. and are of one heart and one Soul Acts 4. 32. and all agree in one and are Epistles wrote in one anothers heart 2. Cor. 3. 2. and by the Light they try and discern false spirits and in it are able to judge them and open the Scriptures without wresting adding or diminishing and by it do know they are of God because they love one another with the same love with which Christ loved them 1 John 4. it is not such love which is to day and to morrow cross the will and it is turned into wrath and anger nay that love stands in the corrupt will but this love stands in the bond of peace which doth indure and here again the light is above the Scripture and though they say the light must be received from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture doth witness against them and bears witness of Christ to be the light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World And they that could never read letter of the book have this light which is sufficient to teach them and lead them into all Truth after they come to the knowledge of it from this light the Scripture was spoken 2 Pet. 1. 21. and without this light none can read the Scripture with understanding and here the light is before the Scripture and out of it all the Children of Darkness are shut with their busie minds and vain contending spirits and though they say they must receive life and salvation from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture witnesseth against them and testifies of Christ to be the alone Fountain of Life and Salvation and that there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved Psal. 30. 9. and 144. 10. And that the Pharisees had the Scripture yet had not the Light neither could see that he was the Christ though the Scripture bare testimony of him or either would come unto him for Life and Salvation but trusted in the Scripture thinking there to find eternal Life and therein found it not John 5. 39 40. As all you are now who are seeking the living among the dead and here again the light is above the Scripture which light is within us the hope of glory Col. 1. 26 27. and those that cannot witness this are in the reprobation though they have the Scripture without 1 Cor. 13. 5. and from it we receive life and salvation and from no other and this alone
the second Priesthood that took No Tythes and which thou dost deny seeing thou takest Tythes Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest Melchizedeck whose Priesthood was the First Priesthood took Tythes and the Levitical Priesthood which was the second and not the first took Tythes also so that thou sayest there is no Priesthood mentioned in the Scripture that took no Tythes Then thou queriest How thou or any dost deny either of those Priesthoods by taking Tythes which to prove thou quotest Gen. 14. 20. Hebr. 7. 2 3 4 5 c. Rep. Hear thou Serpent Although thou thus twinest about to cover and shelter thy Deceit under other Wings it will not at all serve to prove that thereby thou dost not deny Jesus Christ come in the Flesh who is the Everlasting High Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedeck which is the Unchangeable Priesthood the End of the Changeable which took Tythes and so the End of Tythes as is proved by that Scripture which thou hast quoted Hebr. 7. and chap. 8. 1. wherein the Apostle speaks how Abraham paid Tythes to Melchizedeck of the Spoils which he got in the War which was a Free Gift without either Law or Compulsion neither did stand for a Law or Rule to the Generations following until the Law was given to Israel after the Flesh and the Changeable Priesthood established which I say was the First Priesthood to which Tythes were due for it was so the Command of God that the Tythes should be paid unto the Changeable Priesthood and they were to have a Store-house wherein the Tythes were to be put and the Widdows and the Fatherless and the Strangers were to come and be filled within their Gates that there should not be a Beggar in Israel Which Statute is now rejected by you who now so gape for Tythes for ye instead of doing this do Grind the Faces of the Poor and Oppress the Widdows the Fatherless and the Strangers if they do come within your Bounds and so make Beggars rather then otherwise So that if you profess Tythes by this Law it will witness against you and also in so doing you deny Christ Jesus come in the Flesh who when he was offered up was the Everlasting Offering and the Everlasting High Priest over the Houshold of God and so the Fulfilling and the End of the Changeable who took Tythes by a Command And so saith the Apostle the Priesthood being Changed there must of Necessity be a Change of the Law and so the Command was disannulled and Tythes ended for saith the Apostle Hebr. 8. 1. Now of the things that we have been speaking this is the sum We have such an High Priest that is set on the Right Hand of the Throne c. Now Tythes were one thing and the Priesthood was another thing and the Law by which they both were upheld was another thing of which the Apostle had been speaking of which he saith This is the Sum Christ Jesus the High Priest that is set on the Right Hand of the Throne and so the Fulfilling and the End of these things before-mentioned of which Tythes is one so by this New Covenant he hath made the First Old now that which decayeth or waxeth old is ready to vanish away Now mark then which Priesthood the Apostle here accounts first because thou accusest me that I know not which was the first and which was the last But by this it is proved that you that now so gape for Tythes under the Profession of the Gospel are razed out from Melchizedeck who once took Tythes only of the Spoil which was taken in the War which was a Free Gift unto him which now you have not and also are raized from the Changeable Priesthood which was the first to which Tythes were due by a Command for its time and also do deny Christ come in the Flesh who is the End and Fulfilling of those things which without Command for Lucre sake you now uphold and cry up and so are found only the Ministers of Antichrist who Oppose the True Christ where he is witnessed and heldforth yet under a Profession of his Name therefore he will profess unto you Workers of Iniquity that he knows you not when you knock and are not able to enter Qu. 10. Where is thy Rule in the Scripture for the Ministers of the Gospel to take Tythes Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou much endeavourest to shelter and cover thy self by the Scripture but it will not hide thee nor stand for thee to prove that the Ministers of the Gospel ever took TYTHES or that unto them Tythes belonged as any who readeth thy Answer with Understanding may see and also see thy Shufflings who runn'st into the Old Covenant to maintain Tythes due to the Ministers of the New Covenant which is the End of the Old as in my last Reply is plainly proved and thou out of both to be shut and therefore thou say'st It is sufficient for thee and other Ministers of the Gospel that there is no Commandment in the Gospel against the taking of Tythes which thou say'st we must produce ere we can make the thing unlawful Rep. Now all People may consider how they have been blinded and deceived by you professed Ministers of the Gospel in this Nation wâ—o upon such slender Grounds as these have and do take the Tenth of the Increase of the Fruits of the Peoples Labours who many of them themselves do rent and hire what they have whereby you have and do live at Ease in Pride Idleness and Fulness sporting in the Day time and living in Pleasures and Wantonness upon the Earth contrary to any Rule or Example in the Scripture from the Ministers of the Gospel and therefore this your Ground and Foundation which thou hast here laid besides the Scripture to uphold Tythes contrary to the Scripture will not stand and therefore your Building must fall for although there were no Command in the Gospel against the taking of Tythes yet it doth not prove that the Ministers of the Gospel are to take Tythes being it was never allotted them but that by the Gospel Tythes are disannulled and the Priesthood changed and the Law by which they both were established is fulfilled and done away is clear by the Scripture and therefore unlawful now for any to practise without a Command from God as before is proved in my last Reply and thou to be a Lyar who say'st I could not prove it by clear Scripture that Christ or his Apostles have taken away that Maintenance and therefore that Scripture which thou hast quoted in Mâ—t. 23. 23. shall stand and witness against thee for when Christ spoak that was before he was offered up and then the Law of Tythes was not yet fulfilled and therefore not disanull'd and therefore strictly to be observed until Christ the Everlasting Sacrifice was offered up and then the Apostles said The Priesthood being changed there must of Necessity be a Change