assurance 8. All temptations removed and the way cleared with many sweet promises 8. To name no more I was somewhat dejected yet not so as to despond or doubt of assistance to see the most tremendous and dreadful wrath of God which is to begin within 2 or 3 yeers upon this Apostate generation to pass before me some temptation seiz'd upon me through self-diffidence and bodily distemper as at the apprehension of the inextricacie depth and incomprehensiveness of those deep Prophecies which I have to ferry over or pass thorow wherein so many more Able have sunk and faâ—len before me so at the fierce looks bellowing threats and atrocity of the Beast now up in England who will not be able to bear the Tidings of his Destruction But as the first part of the temptation was obviated and deforced by the former promises so the other by what follows For this morning being the 18 of the 10 m. to make all the way clear a full Commission was given me and Quietus est sign'd and sent to me thus First I saw in my sleep a great Dragon of large size with very large outstretched wings very lively red fire-sparkling gogling eyes and most terribly furious at his mouth and violent in his claws with long fierce talons but it was given me to believe he should not hurt me and I thought I feared him not Soon after I saw I thought a Tree full of Dragons with large wings and claws some 5 or 6 upon the tree having big rolling eyes but I did not fear them and before I awaked I thought I saw all them dead and no more able to hurt then painted ones or pictures of Dragons I speak not this to take notice of a Dream but of the effect for when I awaked my spirit was full and my break-fast very sweet and consulting as I use to do Many Objections made answered as soon as ever my eyes were opened with the Lord I was bid to be Up and doing without more delay by a sudden and strong impulse of spirit Object Yet I objected But Lord though I have a Call from circumstances and Saints c. yet what have I from the Scriptures Answ Then came into my minde tumbling abundance of Scriptures and Promises one upon another as Isai 35.3 4. and those I mentioned before so also Isai 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord tell her her warfare is accomplished her iniquity pardoned c. The voice of him that prepareth is come cry All flesh is grass all withereth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Yea that of Luk. 22.32 was flung in forcibly upon my Spirit But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not so that when thou art converted strengthen thy brother with abundance more Object But I objected further What particular Call have I who am in prison to publish to the world any thing that reflects so sharply upon the present Powers Persons Armies or the like Answ But that of Jam. 5.10 pearch'd upon me in that point immediately Take the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example c. for they feared not in or out of prison the powers or persons of Kings or the like So 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy men wrote and spake as they were inspired or moved by the Spirit and therefore begin by faith as they did and I will be with you because all true Scriptures or writings are first given by inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 Ah then said I Lord let me have this Anointing all the way both in the passive and active part of this Testimony Object But I fell upon my unfitness fewness of yeers smalness of light shallowness of judgment weakness of faith the like Answ but was presently silenced with Gods words to Moses and Jeremiah suggested unto me Exod. 4.11 Who made man's mouth and the dumb to speak the deaf to hear or the blinde to see did not I the Lord So Jer. 1.6 7. Say not I am a childe for what I command thee thou shalt speak and write abroad and be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord. Do not I the Lord take when where and whom I will and give of my Spirit power and ability to whom I will Now therefore arise and my Spirit shall be with thee the Pen of a ready writer with which word my very heart did exult and leap within me being as full as I could hold But Lord said I What is it that I must write what message shall thy poor worm have for the world When presently The Message in the bulk before I ask'd almost much fell upon me at once The day of the Lord is at hand it is his day the day of his wrath of his vengeance and of great destruction upon the inhabitants of this world upon this land upon these Apostates and adulterous generation of evil doers for they are all turn'd aside Blood cryeth unto blood and the earth shall cover her slain no more The Witnesses shall up upon their feet and the remnant of the Womans seed do wondrous things for by the spirit of Eliah they shall restore all again Magistracie and Ministery as at the first and recover the holy City from the Gentiles that have trod it under this 42 m. They shall assault the great City and climb up the wall like men of war they shall pour out the Vials upon the powers Priests and Armies of the Beast and on all his Dominion and execute the vengeance on all his Worshippers and irrefragable Supporters Subjects and Followers that have his name or mark upon their Foreheads yea the Earthquake shall rend them up by the very roots and the Little Stone strike them up by the very toes and none shall save them from the wrath of the Lamb that is come Object But ah Lord said I These men in power hast not thou owned in the field at Nazeby Dunbar Worcester and wilt thou now reject them Answ Upon which fell these Scriptures together upon me Isai 10. Shall the Ax boast it self against him that heweth therewith or the Saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it As if the Rod should shake it self against them that lift it up or as if the Staff should lift up it self as if it were no wood Therefore shall the Lord Jehovah of Armies send among his fat ones leanness and under his glory kindle a burning like the burning of a fire And the light of Israel shall be for a Fire and his holy One for a Flame which shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers all in one day Besides this that of Jer. 18.9 10. At the instant that I shall speak concerning a nation and a kingdom to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight and obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them
rejected must fal flat before the house of David the little stripling And all this Apostative interest of Councils Courts Triers Clergy Academies and Armies whom the Lord is departed from or rather who have no foundation at all in the Covenant of Grace or Kingdom which the God of Heaven hath set up over all Nations must worse then tumble but our cause cannot miscarry my Friends it cannot fail us who are Heirs of the Promise because every jota of it as we contend for it is founded in the New and everlasting Covenant blessed be the Lord the Holy one of Israel who hath already given us so many gracious and specifying prison prognosticks of the great day of Jezreel at hand 1. In that We and the CAUSE we are in are found and founded in Covenant of Grace vvhereby the Father stands ingaged to his Son by his Son to us in an inseperable union and tye Isai 53.11 Jer. 33.25 26. Acts 2.30 Gal 3.16 So that as Rom 4.16 It is of Faith that it might be by GRACE to the end the PROMISE might be sure to AL THE SEED 2 Sam 23.5 and our infirmities though many cannot hinder the most excellent glory and Resurrection of this most blessed Cause of Christ against Antichrist of the Lamb against the Beast in England Psal 89.33 34 Ezek 16.60 nor deprive us of our weight in that glory which is a coming by how much the Lord of this cause is the Lord of that covenant which is established upon so clear sweet and sure New-Testament promises Heb 86 12. Isai 43.25 yea Jer 50.20 saies the Lord In those dayes their iniquity shal be sought for but not found for I wil pardon whom I RESERVE the little REMNANT that overcome with the blood of the Lamb and the word of the Testimony Rev 12.11 O my brethren do not our heart even burn with us by a New Covenant communion with the Lord in this Cause having the pardon of sins the seale of his Love the assurance of his favour and boldness in his sight through the blood of Grace yea can we not run into the inner Court vvith the blood and the Fat of Lords Offerings and have as free and frequent an access into the Holy of holies where our High Priest is as vve vvil what should hinder us or who should let us and do not the Lords fats overflow with new Wine and Oyl unto our souls O my most precious Friends shal we or can we ever forget our prisons and Exiles so exceedingly lined warmed refreshed renewed and followed vvith such ful plentiful and ravishing mercies and let men say what they vvil it is marvelous sweet to our souls and our Consciences do witness it daily that our sufferings are New-Testament sufferings our vvitnessings New-Testament testimonies our comforts and hopes pure New-Testament hopes and consolations so are our priviledges principles and Spirits as odious as our enemies make them by their false reports New-Testament spirits and principles O that they vvere tryed yet more and more yea and our actings thereupon are New-Testament actings upon and in the Covenant of grace which the blood of Christ haâ—h sealed yea the Decree of God which to put an end of all strife Heb 6.16 17 18. God himself hath SWORN to that VVE poor prisoners of hope might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us and herein lyeth the whole controversie between us and our persecutors blessed be our most Heauenly Father for these prison companions and comforts of Christ for these fresh springs vvhich cannot fail us nor can vve fal the subjects of Gods wrath let them prison hang or head us banish or burn us for the Covenant standeth sure and is wel ordered in all things 2. The EARNEST PRESENCE of Immanuel or GOD WITH Us in our Prisons and Exiles is a most excellent PREFACE to the matter in hand yea a sure token for good unto us and a certain testimony of the Cause of Christ with us which we suffer so sweetly and satisfactorily in and for in the race of those righteous ones in all Ages that have freely parted with all to follow Christ for although a many profess him talk of him and pretend to do it very highly yet they turn it off to the affections not actions as if it were only to fix the heart upon him and not upon the vvorld or sublunary things and those have thereby condemned themselves as unworthy of him nor indeed are they the true Disciples of Jesus Christ but onely at larges as the young man vvho had great possessions Mat 19.22 and so the Martyrs and primitive Saints as I could prove have all along lookd upon them at a distance as vve shal see in the day of Christ but now I say vve see the bredth of the Land of Immanuel much more then formerly in these prison prospects and do men or Devils their vvorst vve may expect a most eminent reviving of the spirit of life upon us yea on our heads in an Oecomenical dispensation as is rested on Christ 1 Pet 4.14 the blessing shal be upon the head of Joseph whom no man remembreth in the prison Deut 33.16 yea and Joseph shal have the first lot among Davids singers 1 Chron 25.9 or Christs VVorthies that have victory over the Beast Rev 15.2 vvho have your chambers in the inner Court and a clear prospect Ezek 40.44 and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb Rev 14.2 JOSEPH being one of the free Woman that stands upon the Mount of blessing and not on the Mount of Cursing Peut 27.12 Besides as MANOAHS WIFE said if he would have killed us he would not have received our Offerings nor would he have shewed us all these things that are to come at this time Judg 13.23 and in the prison too and in a strange Land had vve been such evil doers as our enemies for their own sakes vvould make men believe us to be But O my happy Brethren in Christ doth not our God give us most remarkeable ful and frequent visits yea reveale his minde unto us and foreshew us things to come and accept of us in his dearest Son vvhat mean vve then to fear vvhat flesh can do unto us Psal 27.1 2. Psal 1â—8 Verily verily I say it and see it and by the authority vvhich the Lord hath given me I speak it that not ONE no not one soul in prison upon this pure and single account for the King of Saints but shal say it and if they persevere yet much much more injoy it that they have had such a presence of the Lord with them as is not usual no! not to Saints but I leave the further evidence of this tasted truth to TIME to declare at our next Hallelujatick triumph altogether over the beast and his Image for our God is gone up with a SHOVT and we shal sing praises together sing praises to the Lord sing praises
further of his Nimrodian tyranny and trading in this Dominion since the late Apostacy That which I have seen and felt of his fury at Lambeth for sa many months among Monsters rather than men so greedy of my blood I omit here as being mentioned in my Preface to Prison-born but that men if they will may see what an unreasonable beastlike Monster this is that rends tears and devours us so I have added this History of some passages since Lambeth which I have suffered for the sake of my deare Master Jesus Christ in this his Cause all which put together will clear it I think to any capacity reason honesty or modest of man that it is a persecution and no other which we groan under in these Coals and Exiles having no other law sentence judgement or execution but the barbarous Sword over us or Thief-law For as Tacitus said non utendum est imperio ubi legibus uti possit such power is not to be used where good laws have any great force And that men may see how dangerous yea deadly this Relapse is it spares the evill and malignant humours to fall upon the Vitals Fifth-kingdommen and animals upright Common-wealths-men in this Nation as the Papists that would imprison for eating an Egg qui autem totam dominicam diem vacat temulentiae scortis al ae audit bellut homo as Erasmus said whiles he is a brave fellow amongst them that will spend the Lords-dayes in drinking and drabbing whoring and roguing and at this day we see it especially in Carisbrook that if a man draw but near on the Lords dayes or listen to hear us pray c. he is presently sent for dealt with and threatned if not driven out of the Castle and charge given that not any one do show a kind look or word to me upon pain of casting out But they may sit the Lords dayes with the doores I would not say Whores open for all to see them in the Ale-house drinkings swilling drabbing and smoaking tobacco as they do excessively yet none dare reprove them for it Mr. S. the Chaplain being turned out for reproving chiefly I hear and my self beaten buffitted and abused for an accasional reproving of blasphemie Blessed be my God who hath given me a back and breast to bear it Yea who sees not that men of very vain and corrupt conversations flagitious and infamous for notorious sins and crimes are taken into favour yea hoised up into high-places and at least allowed to have their liberty Whiles such as unfainedly fear the Lord and dare not willingly commit any sin but make a most tender conscience of all their wayes are very wickedly and irrationally imprisoned exiled hardly handled and almost hindred to breath in the ayre Now I do declare it as before the most righteous and holy judge of heaven and earth should any one ask me why I have been that is as some say upon the civill account so long in prison hard bonds and banishment year after year which long imprisonment the Martyrs accounted worse then death I must acknowledge an absolute ignorance in my own Conscience before God Angels and Men let some Time servers say what they please for themselves without this be it that I cannot in Conscience turn with the Dog to the Vomit and in plain English lye dissemble for swear and play the Traitor to Christ the Hypocrite to God and the Knave with men as others have done but thanks be to God for it for this is a Cordial to us that wheras by a just Law others are or ought to be imprison'd for iniquity we are imprison'd banish'd against all law but the arbitrary lawless sword because we cannot we will not we dare not though we die for 't fall in with iniquity But so be it O Lord thou Lord of Righteousness for as one saâ—es has epulas semper desideravi I will not deny but my infirmities been very many which I think I could weep over the feet of any that shall reprove me for them and indeed my temptations here in close bonds in banishment would be more were it not in an inclosed garden to me in Christ being as a man dead and out of mind but what I have done worthy of imprisonment and banishment them excepted I know not This I can say from my soule that I think as I preached so I sought nothing but Christ and his Kingdome and as to the World I have formerly said it with Sohinus to D. Casimire that I am boâ—n rather for labours than for honours and so I told O. C. in my Epist of Ch. Discipline before these times p. 10. I do professe it from my heart the greatest temptations I fear are falling into honour place preferment esteem or estate to much for me being best when poorest highest when lowest most when least and when I have nothing as possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Yea if as Jerome saies that Woman is proved chaste that hath liberty and opportunities to sin and yet will not I may say it without oftentation as Heb. 11.15 16. that we might have had our opportunities to have returned to them had we not sought a far better Country and I think I may say too somewhat like Thomas Aquin. when preferment was offered him Chrysostomi in Matthaeum Commentarium mallem For I would say I had rather have one chapter I could name in the Revelation then the greatest relation I could name to any crown in Christendome so that these things I thank the Lord I think I am above in him who hath said as Jo. 16.33 Be of good cheer I have overcome the world But it may be my reproving the rank sins of these rude times have provoked the rough hands of Esau upon me and Nimrod to hunt me but if so it is no new suffering for such a Cause if we ask the Prophets and Apostles as wâ—ll as our Saviour and such have the two Witnesses been in all ages Zuinglius preached against the sins of the times and the mercenary pensions of them that served the Princes of the earth in my judgment more clearly then Luther and so did Bucer very freely but the last were never so hardly handled as we are for it besides Corolestadius went further for he reproved the very constitutions of their Government and the very colour which Luther had to oppose him was about Civill Laws saying he would have all Magistrates to rule by the Judicials of Moses as these men say of us vide Speech to Parl. Sept. 4 16. p. 16. so that it is no new Doctrine though they so menstrously misreport of us and our principles Canutus King of England in those thick times of Popery did confesse to all his Lords about him no mortal worthy the name of a King save he to whose back heaven earth and Sea by his laws eternall are obedient Hen. Huntington and shall we in these dayes after such solemn engagements for a Theocracy as I
hand Now if ever there were a time to hear the Grave-groans of the living and the dead of those who are in Prison graves and of those whose skulls and bones we left behinde us in the Field and of those under the Altar who cry How long O Lord holy and true Rev. 6.10 yea the shrill heaven heart and earth-tearing Call of Saints past present and to come from the days of Abel to this day to maintain their Cause to revenge their Blood and the Lamb's and to be VP AND DOING for the Lord Jesus the King of Saints to purpose it is NOW within a year or two as we shall shew you WO to them that are at ease Amos 6.1 yea to the very women that are Careless Isa 32.9 10 11 12. for they shall lament and if ye will be All silent the very Graves shall open the Dead shall live the dry bones shall live the stones of the street shall speak and the beam of the timber utter it the Witnesses will arise and the earthquake come to take vengeance against this Apostate generation of sowre Professors But say some seeing the Prisons are so deeply sensible and bear so heavie a burthen for us how falls it that before now your exonerating groans and sighs got not a free passage abroad in the Nation To which I must answer That for above a years Imprisonment now partly more at large Why the Prisons are so silent and partly close I have lien under pressure of Spirit as if my heart would break within me at times to see so servile and degenerate a Spirit as yet among the Saints yet with patience purposing to wait and possess my soul as unwilling to write what few if any we able to bear though most honourable Truth I kept in as long as I could not knowing but there might have been before this a kindly recurrence among some of those retrograde motions which so tremendous and fearful a Wrath as I easily foresee follows the heels of Melius est recurrere quam male currere Besides so great is the servile spirit and fear which possesses the hearts of men against this glorious Cause and Controversie of Christ for which we are imprisoned plundered exiled or persecuted that what we write to ease our hearts and consciences with the greatest sobriety and simplicity we cannot carry thorow the Press or get Printed upon any terms almost in the language life and savour of the present Anointing from the holy One which is upon us and teaches us All things That new-found Engine of the Beast the Ordinance of Treason for words and imaginations hath put them into so pannick and foolish a fear that above an hundred sheets preparing for the Press to enlighten the Deluded and Abused people of this Nation as to us and our Cause or rather Christ's while they give out we suffer not for Conscience have been either betrayed by Iscariot-kisses plundered from me or stifled before they were born and all this lest the people should have light into the sufferings of our Consciences or conscience of our Sufferings viz. the truth of the fifth Kingdom or receive a right Information of the Apostacies Hypocrisie Perjury Cheating Persecution and unheard-of Baseness of such as are gotten into Power having a form of godliness denying the power thereof from whom we are to withdraw 2 Tim. 3.5 and notwithstanding we and they declared this Tyranny in the Bishops the words are To lock up the Printing-Presses against whom they please was in the Bishops time complained of Vid. Guilford-Declar p. 10. as one of the great Oppressions Yet this is revived upon us which is the reason the good people of the Nation are so deceived and prejudiced about us and our Principles whiles we are not suffered to publish the truth and our enemies false Reports of us pass cum privilegio all over the Countries 2 The Prisonopprobries abuses and injurries especially at Lambeth 2. The marvelous Trials which I have encountered with in the flesh since Imprisonment have much impeded my appearing in Publick until now and albeit I have forborn hitherto making publike complaint of the worse then Romane tyranny upon us for the exercising of our faith and patience that in all well-doing we might suffer with joy and that our consolation in Christ might abound and that Jehovah whom we serve to whom vengeance and truth belongeth might take the matter into his hands onely Yet because of the loud Obloquies lend Lyes Invectives and ungodly reports which pass without examination from one to another upon me on purpose to reflect upon this blessed Cause and faith we contend for and for that some have greedily made such use of those loose Tales and do conclude upon it that Silence argues Guilt and gives advantage to all sorts good and bad to accumulate their most amarulent and uncharitable censures some precious friends have prevailed with me for the Truths sake the Lord knows without the least desire to justifie my self for I leave that to my Lord and Master or delight to rake into the rank and sordid excrements of mens mouthes or pleasure in their unhandsom nakedness for I take little delight to inculcate their lapses or incivilitiâ—s to us in this Cause and can be better content my conscience bears me witness to sit down in silence then to take so much as notice of the foaming and frothy agitations of some pragmatick and unquiet heads these Times But the Truth Cause and persecuted Saints do expect some Account at my hands it seems of the particular harsh usage I and my family met with under this Power in Lambeth-House and since where I was for above five and thirty weeks and then sent to Windsor-Castle the 31 of 1 mon. 1655. with two Messengers who deliver'd me up Prisoner here a little after Noon I was fetch'd out of my bed the 27 day of 4 mon. in 1654 early in the morning and at night after all day waiting I was sent to Lambeth-prison being very ill and distemper'd with a Fever yet for all that at 11 in the night did a Messenger rap at the gates call'd another of the Messengers who was going into his bed made him put on his clothes again to assist him and so they came both with Harding the under-Goaler to carry me at that time of night I knew not whither nor would they tell me but being very ill on the bed and my wife also unready I told them I was not Able prayed them to let me alone for that one night told them The righteous man was merciful to a Beast and were a Beast of theirs horse or Cow so ill or little able to stir they would be more merciful with many other Arguments I and my wife also desired them to forbear that night but they said they had Orders from Sergeant Dendy to remove me presently and I must not stay one of them speaking very high and threatning The issue was They
that the great Promise of the Spirit must bring forth such effects and such Dreams and Visions in these later days Joelâ— 28. and so the Lord taught his Saints of old 2. The incessant expectation of the people of God 2. To second that servant of the Lord the very next day and since many days in a week have men of much wisdom grace holiness and integrity come unto me to tell me that it is the expectation of the choicest Saints in Lond. and some in the Country also the remnant of the VVoman to hear some news of the Prison-vision or voice which we have been under at Lambeth and VVindsor wondering at our so long silence yea that they have kept Praying by whole Days and whole Nights for that purpose being very high to hear from us and to have our light breaking abroad from Prison-bars for publike benefit that they who are ready to give proof of their faith in the Lamb with us in the very same Battalia and Testimony against the Beast might be provoked by us in the present VVork VVatch and VVarfare And therefore they waited with wide desires and fixed eyes upon me for somewhat to be published a fresh quickning word according to the fresh comforting Anointing that is upon me in Prison praying earnestly that their almost hourly and more then ordinary expectations may not prove barren or abortive Amen! say I Psal 9.18 For the expectation of the poor and persecuted ones shall not always perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be frustrate for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the expectation of the wicked will perish for ever Prov. 10.20 11.7 23. Isai 20.5 Zech. 1.5 At the time of the End which is now are many to run to and fro that knowledge may be increased Dan. 12.4 And such as wait for the vision shall finde it when it shall speak and not lye though it tarry its appointed time Hab. 2.2 3. So the knowledge of wisdom will be sweet to thy soul and when thou hast found it thine expectation cannot be cut off Prov. 24.13 14. This is another degree of my Call viz. the eager desires expectations and invitations of good People to publish this which like the winde puts the Ship upon motion but it is the Compass guides it And as Cicero did expect abundance of knowledge from his son because of his continual converse with Cratippus in his School so it seems the Saints at our hands who are in Prison expect Pathmos-discoveries the fruits of fresh full frequent close continual early and evening and most spiritual and alone converse with Jesus Christ in this his Free-School where our Father hath put us for a few yeers to learn hard Lessons to flesh and blood out of the Lamb's book and blessed be our most dear and gracious God it is the best School within these Iron bars that ever we were at in our lives though we be kept strictly to it Schola crucis is Schola lucis for the Lord is not a barren desert or land of darkness Jer. 2. unto us which I believe every one in Prison for this blessed though betrayed Cause with us can and will testifie una viva voce ere long But 3. The flying reports which pass and repâ—ss at pleasure upon our Principles and Practices 3. The variety of Reports and of unsatiable Reporters which have run about City and Country continually to render us and this most admirable Cause and Truth of Christ's kingdom worthy of the worst contempt that people can put upon us whiles we by a forced silence are buried alive in these Iron graves and not suffer'd to answer for our selves or the Truth so that the tongues of some men hang so much upon the hinges of the Times that like flying doors without lock or key they open or shut with the least blast of winde which blowes from the Court yea their very Preachers to make us Monsters in the eyes of the poor deluded People report strange things of us as they use to do of dogs first spread abroad they are mad and then hang them Thus are we reported and the inhumane Tyranny upon us is in the Pulpits reported to be no Persecution but an act of Justice and so have the Persecutors Powers and Priests said all along this 42 m. that the Martyrs were evil doers factious seditious Traytors as at this day the Duke of Savoy declares the poor Waldenses and Albigenses So that the bloodiest bruits that ever were would say so much for themselves that what they did was Justice But how any of the present Friars Chaplains or Parsons can prove our sufferings so or dare utter it with such boldness for Orthodox Doctrine to their poor deluded people had they not the spirit of the Beast and forehead of the Whore newly painted I profess I should have wonder'd or how the people can be willing to hear so high Pulpit-lyes at their Priest's mouth By Ministers in Pulpits and out is as much to be admir'd were they not such pitiful Slaves in soul body For can there be an act of Justice without a Trial or Trial without Crime or Crime without a Law or the like yet without all or any of these we lie in prisons year after year onely for Preaching the Truth as their own Consciences can and do tell them and all the world knows and no formal Charge against us to this day So that the Prelates and Papists who had a Law of the Land c. had more colour of Justice then these men Besides if to suffer out of pure love to the Lord Jesus in a good Cause with a good conscience and by as good a Call as men can have to preach and pray the Gospel of the Kingdom or Reigne of Christ and the downfal of the Beast's dominion yea particularly that Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Sanction of the 4 Mon. in this Nation now if to suffer for a Fundamental Principle of Faith by the meer lust will and rage of man contrary to the Word of God and Laws of the Land and if to suffer with the most evident testimony of our Consciences with us and of our Christ and of the presence of Jehovah owning us every day and with a conflux and fulness of joy in the holy Ghost flowing from the Covenant of grace New Testament promises and Principles c. and if our Cause is so clear and just before God and men that we can dare and do challenge our Adversarie the proudest of them all to bring it and us to any open lawful Trial c. if any or all and more then all these things be an argument of a good Suffering or a Persecution that is upon us and not any act of Justice as the lying spirit in the mouthes of the false Prophets reports then we are under a Persecution And I wonder with what face men can pretend to be Ministers of the Gospel that go up and down
seeing I am out at the King's the Lord Christ's charges and not at mine own 1 Cor. 9.7 For who goeth to warfare at his own charges Praefat. in 3 Serm. 4 Tom. Hieron p. 408. I have been a little tedious which I confess with Erasmus is my fault as well as others multi mei similes hoc morbo laborant ut cum scribere nesciant tamen a scribendo temperare non possint and this is a disease then they are apt to fall into that think they shall never write more to write much as once for all especially since this TREATISE will be so large and the matter of it so lively and important and seeing the opposition of our Persecutors and of those that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Cromwell fied have necessitated so much for an INTRODUCTION Now in the name of JEHOVAH-TSADEK our JEHOVAH-JIREH who will be seen in the Mount am I ready to present and publish these Apocaliptick Accounts Documents and Prophesies to all the True yet few NATHANIELS of our Times that wait with a high Faith and holy Patience in all wel-doing and wel-suffering for the approaching Day of Christ and his Kingdom work especially to the spiritually enlightned Churches and Saints those of them that are left and kept faithfull Pastors and others of the same hope with us separate from Babylon whole Babylon as well Civill Military as Ecclesiastick and so growing up together into ONE a one Body a Temple-state or the Tabernacle open'd in heaven where the Viols or Vengeance of the Lord of the Lamb of the Martyrs of his Saints and of his Temple must Issue out shortly and upon whom the Day of the Lord is come I see from Mount Pisgah it is begun yea already begun as 1 Pet. 4.17 by purging sifting trying separating discovering quickning afflicting and refining I say to those DEAR ONES or Jewels of the Lord and the Lamb with all the Love Life and Light which I received from above with the abnegation of all that I am from below and so with the grace and humility of both I most heartily offer a few yeers pains search and teachings from the Holy one unto them and lay my judgement at their feet in these weighty matters of Christ if I may but get them published in all the blessed properties principles and prophecies of the Kingdom to be revealed on earth in these last daies for which we now contend and trust shall unto the END with Triumph and Rejoycing Even so Amen Rouz up O Remnant setch a shout O Saints O Churches sing For such a Light is breaking out Will make your ears to ring O Glorious Ray ah Blessed Day Which the Anointing sheweth For thus the Saint in Covenant Shall have the Present Truth From a Friend to a Friend THe BOOKS mentioned by the Author of those publique Prophecies out of Daniel Revelation Prophets and Apostles of old and New Test the fifth Kingdom prepared in Pathmos or in Prison and Exile Teavels among â—is sweetest visits and visions of God and in the still voice are very strangely it seems miscarried without Time and Providence do recover them and so discover him or them that had a hand in hindring or stifling of them Only the Introductory part to the first Treatise or Prison-born Morning-beams are preserved and gotten together as the occasion of his falling upon so large a Systeme so some part of his suffâ—rings at Lambeth untill Winsor which therefore we have added unto his Heart-appeale having been hardly kept and collected that the view of present persecution mâ—y be the more clear and this History the more complent though to my knowledge many things are omitted passages left out fleeced and sheered round as they lifted that had them to do before we could bring it to this passe in publique besides much more which in time may be added if need be as some of us hear of severall reasonings between him and O. P. him and Souldiers him and Ministers him and many Adversaries upon the matters of our faith in the things of Christ this his betrayed cause and Kingdom-work besides what sufferings have been added since these Papers came from him to this CHAINE But in the mean time it may appear by this what the servants of the Lord do pass through at this Day by these powers of the Beast such fore trials remarkable passages and experiences of Persecution as may make them that have said it is no Persecution now very Mutes for very shame and their eares tingle to hear of such a height of tyranny profaneness and impiety among them as may awaken our Friends and favourers of Sion to their Work and Watch and as may revive once more amongst us the blessed memory of the yet bleeding MARTYRS and the Cloud of Witnesses whose examples are before as in this Cause that we also may be made FAITHFUL unto death therein His cup of Affliction hath been deep for this Day and Nation but yet sweet and if so be the report of ONES suffering do sound so what would the WHOLE do of all the suffering ones this day in England for the good Cause a good Christ a good Conscience but another a new Book of Martyrs a fair Garden full of purple Roses and pure Lillies which the Beloved is gone down to gather Cant. 6.2 But the Cain-like cruelty keeps off the report at present till the blood of Abel be heard out of the earth I mean them of whom the World is not worthy that have witnessed with such boldness to the Kingdom Work Cause and Principles of Righteousness Now upon these Papers at last produced and extraordinarily preserved out of the Catch-pole Clutches can we now be thankeful to our heavenly Lord and Father for them and for that some are yet kept constant and faithful through Christ in sufferings for to you it is given saies the Apostle every one in his place as he is called to contest against this the last Beast Rev. 13. Some tried some tempted some plundered some prisoned some barbarously used and set upon by the enemy some hurt and some maimed and many immur'd and injur'd yet others ready to succeed them and to bring up what is behind the Lord assisting supporting and sweetning all unto them Yea methinks the most High saies to each one of those Sufferers Well done thou good and faithful Servant and as Mat. 24.46 Blessed is the Servant who when his Lord cometh he shall find so doing for now I have proved thee I have tried thee I have fifted and shifted thee now I know that thou lovest me and fearest God! Wherefore I have sworn by my self that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee c. And mine oaths are not like Mens It may be these sufferings may work upon some that hear them they have on some that saw them yea even amongst the Souldiers for we hear that one of them formerly busie is now wounded and touched in
shame to put into any of your Orders or Warrants viz. for Preaching and praying whereby it appeares ye are imprisoned persecuted plundered banished and thus barbarously used upon meer will lust and arbitrary power and tyranny sic volo sic jubeo without the least colour of a Law a crime or Justice herein exceeding the arbitrary processe of their Predecessors in this practise the very Prelates Papists and Heathens so that to this Day we see they do not tell us the cause or crime nor can we have the liberties of Conscience Law Justice or Processe but yet the Lord of Righteousnesse stands by us and is with us for all that laeti simus sed non securi gaudentes in Domino sed caventes a Recidivo The Order is signed by H. Lawrence President once a Pastor of a Church I hear but one whom long since the work of God had laid aside and spewed out yea he had laid it aside as an Enemy or at least no Friend to it with some Others that were before Vomited out or could not be Digested for their Crudities but this G. for want of others hath licked them up again nor is this Council altogether unlike the Duke of Alva's bloody Council or the Counsel of Trouble in flemish Bloat-read so called in the Netherlands as to the manner of their proceedings putting down thereby the greater and the more lawful authority of the States to persecute imprison oppresse tax levie confiscate banish apprehend or put to death at the Duke of Alvas pleasure and lust being meerly arbitrary and without Law all being directed by the Duke himself whose meaning was that his Council should be but consultive and not absolute for that he left to himself alone whereof J. Vergas was the President as H. Lawrence of this of whom it was said that the Netherlands needed so sharpe a knife as Vergas was to cut away their dead flesh and so it seems by O. P's speech to his Parliament Septemb 4. p. 14 15 16. Where he stirs them up to punish that is presecute us three severall times as worthy of the Magistrates consideration most sadly abusing that Text in Jude for it so that these men look upon us as without life that they lash us wound us cut us and so cruelly and continually cut us with this their sharp knife for no other reason but for our Faith consciences and affections to the Lord Jesus and his kingdome declining and disowning their's that lies upon the skuls blood bones lives limbs liberties and tears of the most precious Saints persecution of Christ blaspheming of the name and spirit of God and infamy and reproach of pure Religion an undefiled but thus for their arbitrary order whereby I was delivered into their Den at Winsor though a delightfull garden to this mercilesse hole as from men where I now am yet blessed be the Lord With a tolerable modesty and humanity they admitted me the liberty of the Prison and accesse to my brother Feake's chamber for one moneth without interruption where we worshipped the Lord together but upon the 29. day of the second moneth being the Lords day in the absence of the Governour two of the Officers viz. Capt. Weston and one Pepper an Ensigne the latter being lately fetched out from a common Souldier and lifted up with so sudden an excessive pride conceit and ambition zealous of higher promotion and therefore striving to exceed and so to supplant his superiour in his cruelty to us falling out with the other for admitting us to meet in the worship of out God together upon the Lords dayes although privately in our prison chamber and to amend so great a mistake and fowle a crime as they took it they forthwith forced a Centinel upon the doore watching their time to hinder me going up to my fellow-prisoners chamber whiles they with drew that least their so unchristian commands in the matters of God should be reversed which when I saw I was desired by the Lords people present to begin there and so I drew out my Bible at the doore severall of our friends with my Brother Feak being by we begun in an Hymn and Prayer proceeded on with the Text but was often interrupted by the Souldiers and the hearers driven away with violence at last the aforesaid Officers admitted we should go into the chamber as before and took off the sentinels and so we continued together with much comfort a few of us in praying singing and exhorting one another untill late at night according to the Primitive practise of the persecuted Saints but the Devill did not like this and therefore against the next Lords day following he had made ready his rage the day before which the Governour himself being come home and instructed with the matter by his Ensign Pepper sent for us two Prisoners who were together to keep up a duty of Prayer in my lodge with a peremptory sword-power of coram nobis who after we had looked up to the hils from whence our help comes went readily and chearfully the governour assaulted us feircely with some other of his Officers like fell beasts indeed and as brutish as the souldiers were to Brentius Anno 1547. charging my fellow prisoner with a foule fault in his childe of three or foure years old that he should call O. C. fool at which my brother F. said that he would affirm niore viz. that he is a Tyrant which made them high in their rage against him with whom I thought I was bound to bear my witnesse modestly but the governour brake out into such bitter rage that he was meet anger without ears or reason threatning to lay me forth with into the Hole if I preached against his Master as he said at which I rejoyced Quia plura pro Christo sunt toleranda as Fulgentius said in his sufferings and said yea do Sir with all my heart I am as ready to suffer it for my Master as you are to do it for yours And I tell you Sir I fear not the worst you men can do and with the grace of my God I will preach for my Christ against Cromwell or any other that oppose Christ though I dye for it if I have but a peeping hole or a hole to breath out at I shall preach if you do not suffer us to do it in our prison lodges privately for my commission is not from man but God and my authority is greater from above than thy power in the interim be it known to thee I fear neither thee nor thy sword in these matters of our God The next day being the Lords they began to put their hell-begotten plot into practise for our friends that came to visit us from London they kept upon their guard and would not admit them to us which when my con-captive heard unknown to me he went into the Chappel and with the peoples leave he began Prayer in the Pulpit which they were attentive unto I hearing thereof
Christ his Word his Gospell and holy Spirit and â—s the poor prisoners exiles and wiâ—nesses of Jesus as our most righteous as God the elect Angells Churches Ministers Sâ—â—nts and other men yea the Word and Spirit of God the three thâ—â— bear record in heaven with our owâ— consciences do dâ—ly bear us witnesse what ever our enemies have the face to say to deceive themselves and others with Wherefore upon the 21. or 22. day of the 11. Moneth the Popes Bull began to roar and goaâ— again more fiercely than formerly without any cause shown why kept us up close prisoners with incredible cruelty and I think among Christians a most unheard of usage in baniâ—hment suffering none man woman nor child to come at us nor our victuals or necessaries to come to us or any of our families to fetch it in for us nor any letters to come freely in unto us or go from us but we were in our close prisons as ignorant of the thing as of the Cause till we tried it not imagining it had been in men at this day so far to exceed the very Pagan-powers in their persecutions in banishment and yet to pretend there is no persecution is thâ—y do in their extraordinary Hypocrisie the Lord pitty us but â—hen we would have sent out for provisions the servants was stayed by â—he Capâ—ain of the Guard and told none should go which he had Orders for nor any provision come to us but by ther hands which when we heard and knowing already the declar'd principles of the present Soldiers whom he had packed out and moddeled by this time for his very purpole to do what ever he bid them do those which had any remorse or touch in conscience being cast out or kept out we perceiv'd clearly their design began now to destroy us starve us murther or massacre us for to make us comply with their lusts thus they laid siege against us to conquer us to their side i. e. to play the Hypocrites Apostates perjured wretches and Beasts with them But we â—ought the Lord our dear Father of heaven and earth according to whose Word Spirit and example of all holy men we resolved with his grace to dy or be starved with a good conscience rather than to live without yet we sent a servant to Bull to demand a coppy of his Order for this his unheard of tyranny in an exile which he refused and bid complain if we would but alas we had none to complain unto which he knew but unto Jehovah tâ—e righteous Judge our only refuge and helpor Yet at length he said he had Orders from his Superiours at White-hall but would not shew then in this time it pleased God my poore wife was forely ill for whom we could not have what she needed nor any one be suffered to fetch them for money yea if any woman came but to see her the Sentinel Soldiers would not suffer it and when one Sentinel was desired but to let one poore woman come in to see her he said O! what good will it do you to see mee killed before your eyes I shall be hanged Presently if I should for I am charged upon pain of death not to let any one come near you or in unto you yea some friends at times coming long tedious and chargeable journeys of 20 30 40 60 or 100. miles some out of the Island and some out of our native land but to see us and to minister to our necessities were not suffered but turned back again at their outward gate after so great and chargeable journeys with tears and some of them before even we knew of it yea some that we know not of to this day pretending 'tis like they would comfort us and the Maj. Generals man being sent from his own house dear relations and Family in England to visit him and so at Newport to buy victuals to bring in unto us it need were was carried before Bull to whom he said he was sent to see his Master but Bull said he was 〈◊〉 but without he would signe an ingagement which by this time â—â—ll had drawn up he said he might be gone again for he should not so much as see him and so turned the poore man back again but tâ—at he had a key to let him in whether he will or no which till then this Bull did not know of and thus in an unexpected way he got in to see his Master But to return to an aliquid amplius which iâ— an aliquid altius their sword-Law and orders against us so strait was this siege they said against us that one Mrs. C. getting in but to a pair of staira near our lodge was forced away least she should see my wife and threatened if ever she came but into the Castle again they would be her death and break her neck and now behold what a providence of our Father who taketh care for the Sparrows and Worms cloatheth the Lillies and feedeth the Birds did minister unto us in this great strait there was sent in to the Maj. Gen. by a knight of their own party not of their make nor of the post peradventure in pitty it being the first and last of that kinde a little Lamb and to my poore wise bound up in brown papers and so undiscovered a neck of veal from New port which was most seasonable provision from our gratious good God yet after all this was gone and we in wants as before we prevailed with a little girle of one of the Soldiers for a piece of money to fetch us a little bread we being without but upon her return they took her carried her into Bull 's hall and there examin'd frighted roughly handl d and threatned her and would have forced her to say she had earried out a letter too but the girle knowing that she had nothing but a bit of silver to feâ—ch us a loaf of brown bread said she had nothing else but they yet like rude Soldiers said she had bid her confesse or else that she and her friends should suffer for it but when they could not compell her to ly they left her and kept her from coming into the Castle any more to bring us so much as bread But that there might be some better colour for this cruelty this Bull with two or three of his fâ—ll Creatures and Serviteurs had drawn up in Ingagement to bind us or at least our servants in a kinde of recoguizance and an owning of them and their wayes and then they should after they had subscribed have the liberty to go out for victuals thinking it may be by this time that we either were or that we saw we should be starved into these conditionâ— but when we found how insuff'rably barbarous tyranical they were that they would impose this upon our consciences for the very bread we should eat or provision we should buy for our money or else that we must suffer the utmost they could
high against me threatning my removal and as his Warrant intimates restless and unquiet till he had done somewhat or other against me and all that he can speak to his Masters at White-hall being sure to be taken for granted till which he could not be quiet as he saies seeming so much offended too for that his Orders were not executed as before to tear away the Bed when the child was dying and now also when the other weak Child was dying which wanted Romane ingenuity and reason after I had made my complaints known to my Heavenly Father I put Pen to Paper and wrote him these ensuing lines Couzen DENDY I have received several Messages from you which have been very harsh unexpected and indeed I think undeserv'd I had wrote unto you long before had not my Wife desired to come to you as she did late last night and had done it long before had not my Children been so ill one of whom is dead and another very weak and having but two left alive I did hope for more Mercy I beseech you Couzen be not too ready to receive false and unworthy reports which some I perceive now of malice invent and vent against me The only cause as I know of is I cannot I dare not approve or joyn with the Drinking Swearing Cursing Roaring and Ranting day and night here in Prison which I know you your self would be ashamed of Preaching Praying and reproving of Sin being the ground of all that malice which the Devil forgeth so many lies upon against me As for Civility it is sufficiently known whether I am so or no yea let mine Adversaries judge For I have not till last night Harding gave me your two Notes so much as spoke to him or any of them I think this six weeks nor been below the Stairs this three weeks purposely to avoid tâ—em and their malice I told Harding I have but the same Room for my Family that are here which Mr. Brown the Prisoner for Plotting had before me and if they please to let me I would have the use of my own Goods and Beds but I never refused to pay for them as your Letter mentions Sir I could wish I were not so exploded but that I might have liberty once in my dayes to speak with you face to face or else to let me hear all Informations against me that I might answer to their Les which I am sure are very many and God will one day judge But if they be received as men infallible and none be heard but them none believed but them none worthy of Favor but them I can Appeal to the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth who I am sure will Hear and none can hinder It is a comfort to a Sea-man in a Storm that he hath a Haven to put in at and I bless my God I have This is a time for me and mine to be trampled upon and abused but the Lord who Bottles up our Tears will hear our Sighs and Groans at last Therefore good Couzen as Christians that wait for one Redemption let us walk by Rule And put not thine hand with the wicked saith the Lord to an unrighteous Witness Exod. 23. Time was you had I believe other manner of Thoughts of me Yet if nothing will do I will rest quietly and patiently in the Dispensation of God for his Rod and his Staff do both comfort me and there is no sending me from him who will anoint my head with fresh Oyl Sure I am of this that the Comforter doth and shall abide with me and therefore I fear not what Flesh can do unto me With our real and true respects to my Couzen your Wife and All our Friends with you I wish you all the same Glory and Happiness at the Day of Christ's Appearance as my own Soul which I await for These troubles of ours being bâ—â—â—he praeludia triumphi in these blessed Chains fit only for Christs Nobility for our Royal Master the Lord Jesus with whom I hope to come or to meet in the clouds and to sit with him on the Throne I am Your unfeignedly loving though afflicted and oppressed Kinsman Jo. Rogers Lamb i th' Prison viz. Christ in this Mount with me Octob. 21. Postscript Here Harding denies that ever I or any of us Domineer'd or said any thing of the Prisoners about other rooms or Lodgings Dear Couzen there be many untruths as ever were spoken I hear you have received of me by some or other now all I desire is That they may but appear Truths or as they are or else that I be not so abused by them as I am You remember Christ's Golden Rule As you would have others do to you so c. Mr. Mesey also denies that ever he told you I said Mr. Feak paid nothing I confess I wrote brokenly my minde being so distracted but not so as might minister any just occasion to use me and my poor Family as they did afterward insulting over us and adding afflictions to our bonds daily but we leave that to the Lord the righteous Judge Many Tales the Under-Goaler and Keepers carried they would deny again and sometimes say as if their Master made them being themselves asham'd to own them And when any untruths were found and proved to their faces their only evasion was this That they had Orders to bring to White-hall whatever they heard any say of me and they were not to regard whether it were true or false but saith Harding I must tell what I hear to Mesey and saith old Mesey If Harding tells me thus I must tell it whether it be true or no to the Sergeant and I am here for the same purpose So that he sometimes went twice or thrice a day to White-hall to carry Tales which were received forthwith whereby Truth so anticipated could have no entrance nor entertainment nor would Serg. Dendy so much as put them to the proof or see me speak â—o me or come at me when he came to see the Prisoners of Complement the Cavaleers A while after this Letter which I heard nothing of old Mesey came again for Money who had 5 l. of us being all that we could then get him which bought our quiet for a few dayes but then finding us unable to lay down the whole price for it as other Prisoners perhaps did we lost the Mansion And besides we bought our Provision and had our Drink at the best hand from abroad which made our Goalers upper and under more enemies to us than before it seems for the gain which Harding had and which it is said he paies out of every Barrel of Beer to his Master is great from Prisoners putting off what is bad at the highest and unreasonable rates so that now nothing but evaporating wrath Cursing and Swearing to be reveng'd we heard of setting all the wicked Prisoners upon us who put their wits upon the tenter-hooks to that purpose inventing and coyning new wayes
were near the which he did and Six yea Six were forced to ly in my room for want of room all that night and some 4. or 5. the next day and night when we came to Porch-mouth so ill were we accommodated in lodging the Troopers not providing any room for me The next day being the fifth day of the Eighth Moneth 1655. we were in the morning call'd away with the tide to transport out of our native Country into Exile which was some trial to the flesh not knowing their further designe therein but whiles I was committing it unto my heavenly Father I was call'd away and the friends that were with us so we went to the water side and upon the Sea-shore I put my B. F. in minde of our Lord and Master's practise upon the Sea-shoâ—e Mar. 4.1 Mat. 13.1 to the people and of Paul's practice at such times to preach whereupon he agreed and began speaking untill the tide came up very near us than I assayed to exhort the people which were gathered about and did affectonaâ—ly hear out of Acts 28.20 showing what the hope of Israel was for which we were thus bound and banished but the Cornet forbad me and interrupted me often with the tides rising upon us and the peoples increasing so I was broken off abruptly in the midst of the Application at which the people shewed abundance of affection by tears abundance prayers and earnest cries to the Lord for us some laying hold on my hands some on my garments and so we parted with this lesson left unto them that for Christ and his Kingdome only for this their and our hope was were thus banish'd and barbarously handled how much soever our enemies did falsly report of us in all places the people looking after us upon the shore a long time and so we were carried away to Ride tossing but a little on the Seas and there horsed away and conveyed to Sandham-fort a mile before we came at it the Ensign who was the keeper being at Brading and knowing who we were rode galloping and over took us but gave no respect at all he kept on before us prisoners very full and fell it seems against us at a venture speaking such bitter enraged words as made us wonder the Goal being as black as the Goaler and as threatening an Earth-hole without shelter tree or house about it upon the Sea and boggs it look'd already as if it were the end of the world unto us in so much as the very Troopers were troubled and wept some of them to see it a little description of the place I gave in my Post-scirpt of the Prison born Treat so I shall forbear here but when we came to it we were carried into the Fort or rather Dungeon lately made out of the Earth so bad as the worst prisoner or Cavaleer that ever they had they never cast into it though M. Bull speaks of one C. Kern put there nor was ever any prisoner as the Ensign himselfe said it often put there before and for many nights 6. nights together after our weary journey they made us ly in our cloaths notwithstanding they had bedding locked up in a room allowing us neither beds nor straw thus turning us into the Hole like Beasts but little regarding to provide for us this continued untill the noise thereof about the Island stired up some honest people in Newprrt to send us beds which was a great refreshment unto us blessed be the Lord yet we was sweetly affected all that time with the sense of Primitive Saints sufferings and such as lay in Dungeons and Yrons for righteousnesse-sake in Caves and Dens Heb. 11.38 yea of Nebemiah his Brethren and his Servants ch 4.22.23 that lay in their cloaths so long and I considered withall how we were by faith prayer and patience laying fiege to Babylon which would require hard duty So that our Deâ—â— God made these trialls a delight unto us and indeed as Vincentius the Martyr said of his sufferings I have alwayes desired these Dainties For other things also we were sorely put to it the Bâ—ead we could get for money which was not easie was very bad of bad savour of worse tast but good enough for poore prisoners nay not bad enough in a sense if we went ad Carceres as ad Epulas et Nuptias as the Martyr used to do with great joy And the Water we drank was of a very filthy ditch with out we catch'd some rain now and then brackish black and very unwhosome if not venemous much more I might say but I shall forbear seeing this is nothing to what the Holy Seed whom we succeed of the Woman have suffered and been glad to drink their own water in former ages though this is almost incredible at this time of day in this nation and from such men too as the present Ophitae for so I may call the Persecutors in this matter that serve the Serpent Rev. 12.14 seem and pretend to be during this Siege sore triall of faith upon us we fed much upon the Martyrs meat drink when they were without meat drink or sustinance for nature since the yet higher sufferings in this Castle where I now am I have heartily fallen upon John's fare methinks of ' Locusts wilde hony as men esteem it for ut tanquam medicamenta sic alimenta sumpturus sum that of R. Samuel Minister martyr in Q. Maries daies coming much to minde kept in Clole-prison chained standing on tipto so with out meat and drink for many daies that he would have often drunk his own Water but his body was dried up and he could not make one drop and I would thus as much as may be extenuate in my own mind our sufferings as nothing for my Lord and Masters sake and as much as our enemies do or can yet I must say this hath been the more triall to the flesh yet the more subtilly men have carried it and the lesse noise it hath made Now to obviate this report of our hard usage which brake a broad about the Ears of the Court they cunningly caused an Order to be printed which was cryed about London streets and the report thereof spread about the Nation to stop the other report of their inhumane Tyranny and bad usage of us that we were remov'd to a private house for better accommodation the contents are as followeth of the two Orders Fryday the 28. of September 1655. At the Council at White-hall ORDERED By his Highnesse the Lord Protector and the Council that Mr. Feake Mr. Rogers now prisoners in Windsor-Castle be forâ—h with remov'd to Sandham Castle under the command of Cap. Boreman in the Isle of Wight there to be secur'd in safe Custody till further Orders to which purpose warrants are to be iessued and it is referred to Com. Gen. Whaley to take order for appointing a Guard to convey them accordingly Upon this Order and other Warrants
as if were we Fellons or fearfull Villains and Miscreants we were carried into this Banishment but that saying of our Saviour hath sweetly refreshed mee Luke 22.52 Bee yee come out as against a Thief with swords and staves When I was dally with you teaching yee streched forth no hands against mee but this is your Houre and the Power of darknesse The other Order followes At the Council at White hall Tuesday the 9. of October 1655. Whereas his Highnesse and the Council are inform'd that Sandham Castle in the Isie oâ— Wight where Mr. Feake and Mr. Rogers are at present Secured doth not afford them Convenient Accommodations Ordered by his Highnesse and the Council that the said Mr. F. and Mr. R. be removed from the said Castle to such part of the West of the Isle of Wight as Maj. Boreman shall judge meet for accommodation of their health and with respect to their security and privacy The pretence of this Order they also printed and spread about that the Cornet Str. who brought us thither upon his return made report of the badnesse of the place and of the want of fitting Conveniencies as if they knew it not before and thereupon they printed it Octob. 12. 1655. that Order was immediatly sent for our removal into some private house where we might be lodged and have aire and things fitting for our health Now this Counter-report pretending love and pitty almost quash'd the former of their Cruelty to us but for all this High noise there was no such matter really effected for such a removal but the people were deluded and gulled and lulled with a good opinion of these Persecutors for this pretence of their Charity to us and then the enemy could take a better blow in Cruelty at us and with lesse noise than before as he did indeed at mee as fully as fowlly in my removal to this Monstrous Theater of Tyranny where I now am under the roge of wilde Beasts rather then rational Creatures looking when to be torne a pieces trampled under foot yea murthred by them should the Lord whom I serve suffer them to be let loose For if ever there were such a people as Philastrius tells us of in Lib. de Haeres called Cajiani from Cain whom they honoured for his Fradricide saying he had the greatest power but his Brother Abell the least and they would serve the greatest Power Sure these I am now amongst of all men that I ever saw are such and their Castle may be called not Carisbrook so much as Cains-brook Castle for they serve his Power and Principle nor could they pretend Accommodation in the least to remove me hither but all on the contrary being worse here then ever in any Goal for that matter but for all their pretences there we continued in that worse then Bonners cole house untill the 31. day of the eighth Moneth and notwithstanding the Lord visited me like a Father with a sore and fearce feavour in this hole I was with that on my back carried a way through sad stormes ways and weather by Order from the Court with Soldiers and the Ensign from this Fort further into banishment to Arten-house of Freshwater Island an Isle within an Isle an exile within exile c. ubi latares duplicantur about this time did some of the Sisters of the Church-Society go to White-hall with a demand of mee refusing to petition or send in a parer but after long tarrying and with much difficulty word was brought them from O. C. with a great asseveration that Orders were sent down to open the Prison doors for mee let mee out but if I would not then to accommodate mee with all conveniencies in the Prison but Pectus Satanâ— mendaciis foe cundissimum est there was never any such matter that ever I heard off but this policy was invented to pack them away by those that have made lies their refuge They asked why the Brethren came not and why my wife came not but I had indeed sent letters to her to keep off least parlying with the Serpent she should be insnared With mee I carried about my papers in my Cloaths and other wayes as the Martyr Tyndall did his which doubled both his and my labours hiding them at Arten house inholes and walls and potts and panns to preserve them from the enemy and so Mr. Fox carried his about and it may be these my poor prison-labours may minister to the publick one day as theirs have done But in this prison also being neere the Sea I had Nazianzen's sight of sad shipw racks as they have done with their Faith and Consciences that banish us and of the Sea working like the wicked enemies who foam nothing but siâ—h mire and dirt and and as in a storm it cast up light and empty things but not things solid heavie so as he appli's it to afflictions tryals in persecution light empty spirits are soon turn'd over and tossed up and down by the present foaming enemies and keep not their constancy but solid spirits like the Rock stand firm endure their rage out and will not stir an inch for them in Bâ—nnishment or Bonds but as Mr. Burroughs saies in his Moses Choice chap. 6. Men know not their own hearts they finde them otherwise then they thought for when the tryalls come they never thought they had so much pride impatience unbelief coveteousnesse and selfe as they may see they have then But in this House was I guarded with a fierce company of Herodians Soldiers for as they who handled my Lord Christ so cruelly would fancy Herod to be the Messias Epiph. Haer. 20. from Jacobs prophecy that the Scepter should not depart from Judah till Shiloh came wherefore Herod a stranger possessing the Scepter they took him for Shiloh so these who handle us so hardly some of the best fancy their Lord Protectour C. to be the man on whose shoulders the Government of Christ lies accerding to Isa 9.6 and Blasphemous speech to his Parliament Jan. 22.1654 pag. 31 32. But these sat up day and night to watch me and yet indeed it was a much better Prison than the other for air and other accommodations for diet lodging c. Thither came my poore wife with 2. Children unto mee Upon the Lords-daies because I preached were 4. Soldiers or sore biting Leopards set a fresh upon my bones but upon other daies but two who were renewed upon mee day by day and followed me so close with their Herodian rudenesse that some of them would force within my Room at unseemly seasons that with very irrational bruitishness indeed yea dogg me much immodestly when I eased nature added withall very often words and threats if I stayed any thing long and that without any provocation Two or three Genâ—lemen and my dear friends from London who came to see mee were there assaulted after they were suffer'd to see me one of them two coming purposely from London to
they were evill let their Officers look to that for it would be their Officers sin and not theirs and what they commanded them to do they must and would do what ever it were we told them that this was a dangerous and indeed a Soule-damning principle for so the Soldiers that nailed Christ to the Crosse obeyed Orders too and so do the Turkish Janizaries at this day and so did all those Soldiers and Executioners that murthered masâ—â—â—râ—d and martyâ—ed the Saints in all Ages besides we prayed them to consider the case of Iudas when his conâ—cience smitt him he thought to have said the sinn too as they say upon the Captains and Priests that set him a worke and gave him his pay for it Mat. 27.4 But they said what is that to us see you to that and so he fell desperate and hanged himselfe Lord then saies a Serjeant would you not have us obey Orders we answered not all orders of men and prayed them first to advise with the Word of God for such as were against Gods Word they ought not to obey for that Christs death hath freed them from such a servitude of men 1. Cor. 7.23 Gal. 5.1 1.10 And Ephrahim was broken for this Hos 5.11 And now as they were Christians they had but one Lord the Lord Jesus who was to be their Lord Acts. 10.36 Rom. 14.9 Law giver for else what were the difference between them and Turks Infidels or Heathens But in things honest good and lawfull they must obey their superiours as an Ordinance of God But then said the Soldiers if their Orders be against Gods word let the higher Officers look to that for that they would obey them and so fell upon the poor people very roughly being farr more bruitish irrational and disingenuous if not irreligious then many of the Papists Pharises Priests Heathens and Turks and in the very Massacre of France we have it upon Record Fox voll 3. of Queen Elizabeth page 64. Anno 1572. That the common Executioner of Troys whose name was Charles being commanded by Bellin and the Magistrates of the Town and that in the Kings name too and by his Commission answered that it was contrary to his office to execute any man before sentence of death had been first pronounced by the Magistrate if they had such sentence of death to shew against the Hugonites prisoners he was ready otherwise he would not presume with out a warrant of Law and Justice to bereave any man of his life So that this bloody Popish wretch who was used to shed blood would not obey all Orders no not of the King or Magistrates without due processe of Law or sentence of death upon the prisoners yea Perennot also their Goaler as bloody or worse than he answered the same men in the same case that he could not undertake to obey their Orders fearing least in time to come justice might be doâ—e against him by the Parents or allies of the poor prisoners after they was dead or made a way with and yet he was commanded by the Kings Commissioners Magistrates and in the Kings name Now would one believe men professing godlinesse too in England should be of worse or more wicked principles to obey all Orders the Lord then have mercy upon us for the plague encreases then But we bad the Serjeant consider these things seriously how that the Jews blinde obedience to their Leaders brought the curse upon them but Lord saies he I never heard of such men what should we not obey Orders we told them as before not in things unlawfull but this it seems that we said was a great offence to them and made Bull report and probably send to his Masters for he is a fitt servant to such men blessed be God therefore that we have such a Goaler of so sharp but short horns affirming that we would draw the Soldiers from their obedience only for our instructing them in that obedience which they ow to God and which to man But some poor soules having got into hear this discourse did occasion a desire from them to hear me preach either in the yard out of the window or any where but for this once but the rude Leopards began to rave and roar at that motion saying they would not suffer it and when any reason was asked they said they was not bound to give us any reason but this that they would not suffer it nor could we have any other reason but this that they had Orders and must obey them But we told them we hoped man would not forbid what Christ our King and Lord had commanded then we opened some Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament unâ—o them wherein we were commanded by God to assemble together to pray profit and edifie one another in the most holy faith and asked of them if at any time they had heard any thing delivered which was not profitable and teaching to the Soules of men or dissonant in their own judgment with the Word of truth for they all knew and confessed I had not the honest people so desiring it medled with their Government or the like that this liberty in the Ordinances might have been continued us and no offence or occasion be offered them they all said they could not say I had delivered any thing but what was good and sweet profitable and to edification and wished they might hear such men and said the Serjeant I had rather here him then any man alive and did hear him as long as I durst but now we have Orders against it and we must obey them But then we prayed them to remember the blood of Jesus Christ which hath bought us these blessed priviledges and no man ought to take them from us Gal. 5.1 And therefore hoped they would not offer to fight against that which they confessed was the pure true word wà y of God but they said they must obey Orders be they what they would that their superiours put them upon or else they must be hang'd this Doctrine tended to have them hang'd so that they were sorely incensed uttring as we say Decem pedalia sesqui pedolia verba or Vperolcha But I Maj. Gen. Mr. C. withdrew with words of Consolation to the poore weeping people about us into my lodge and after a little space I began in prayer and fell a little to preaching out at the window to the poore people who desired it and some came under the window the whiles they had sent word to their Governour Bull who was feasting not far off with his wife and others sufficiently trampling over us and insulting over us the prisoners among their cups and repasts as we heard by them present and because some few of the Soldiers were touched in Conscience and could not exercise their commanded Cruelty they took as Acts 17.5 Certain Iude fellows of the baser sort and so sett upon us and the poor people hearing under the windows who
open and known sins as of Drunkennesse c. which the godly people in this Island have informed me He now as fowly fals upon the pittifull poore miserably inslaved people of this Island as well as upon us but for hearing of me and yet could not finde a colour for it but onely his own pure or rather impure invention and fancy of a danger which might accrew thereupon in time and surmising or pretending so at least a signe which the Devil told him off that we had in preaching Christ to the poore soules and when he desired to see his Orders he denyed to shew us any but his absolute Will and sword soveraignty over these poore slaves and us exiles and prisoners falling into most fool irritating unsavoury provoking language with his wonted impudence and open faculty of lying slandering bearding and abusing for which he is so notoriously famous in this Isle that we went for shame from him surdis auribus sed oculis intentis in Christum and so left him to that spirit that possessed him but after that the soldiers were examined such as were well-given whether they would hear me if so then to lay down arms forthwith and be gone there must be no disputing it onely one or two I think had liberty given to consider upon it one day Soon after this Bull made or procured a muster and provided a Barrell of Beer for such of his souldiers which they say he never did before as would readily obey his Orders but others he required to lay down their Arms forthwith and so read an Engagement to them for their present government Thus like the Priests as Jo. 12 9 10. they endeavoured to put Lazarus also to death because that Jesus had raised him up to life least the report hereof should offuscate and obscure them Upon the Lords day after some men of the â—sland came into the Castle to hear on that day but the centinels at the doore drove them off again and turned them into their own Chappel the poore people of this Island being such absolute pure slaves under the long sword that they durst not hear the Word but where they will Yet I preaching near the window and my voice heard thorow some poor people would steal under the wall and in holes to hear but were soon discovered and driven away yea Bull himself when he came out of the Chappel did bestir him and lay about him and because some of his souldiers would stand behind the guard doore or make as if they walked about businesse in the yard to hear as they did at Winsor often make as if they lay on the grasse and slept he drives his souldiers into the guard and there keeps them in himself till I had done as the Bishop of L. used tell K. James a tale in the Sermon time when any good man preach'd against the Hierarchy or Ceremonies of their Church least the King should over-hear them and so receive the truth preached talking to them of Cocks and Buls as we say least any should over hear a word of the Sermon In the middle of the week he came to me and threatened to deal with me and remove me out of these rooms c. if I let my voice be so loud as to be heard out at the window more to their disturbance as he said but I told him as Chrysostome the Empresse Eudoxia when she threatened him Nil nisi peccatum timeo I should obey God and not man in that matter nor was he but Christ to mee the Lord of the Sabbath Luke 6.5 Christ only is my master in preaching bidding him do his worst then he bid the bed I had to lyon be taken away which was done at which I demanded of him straw to lyon but the good people especially Mr. B. a well affected honest man at whose house the godly people meet at New port kept mee from lying on the boards or any such hardship as they would have brought me or mine unto in this Goal but it seems to their sufferings for this Bull does bellow out with most bitter mallice rage against them also especially against Mr. B. whom he highly persecutes to this day I hear sometimes sending up armed souldiers with swords and muâ—kets to bring him away priâ—oner out of his own house to him in the Town Corporation threatning and troubling him breaking open his letters that came from London to his great hinderance Bull himself being a trader and going up and down in person to hear what one or another can say against Mr. B. and what not that is arbitrary and tyrannical So that by this we may see 1. Their horrible dissembling lying and undoubted Hypocâ—isie whiles they manifest such monstrous hatred to us they pretend to imprison us out of love to us and yet I think it is more out then in 2. How we suffer at this day for the word of God Gospell of Christ and power of Godlinesse purely whiles they most falsly possesse the poore ignorant people in the Nation that now there is no persecution for conscience for preaching the Word or for Religion but only for other matters and that a man may be as holy as he will which are lies in Hypocrisiâ— 3. That they are such a greedy sort of persecutors as our persons lives bodies liberties blood will not serve their turns but they persecute our very souls also for hearing praying and worshipping of the Lord yea on the Lords dayes nor suffering us to have so much aâ— upon the Lords daies any communion with the Saints or people or worship of God as much as in them lies 4. And they are the most impudent â—ould faced Persecutors I think that ever the earth bore for they justifie and dourish the foulest evils with the fairest Colours that can be yea pretend so highly for the Lord in all they do saying let God be glorified Isa 66.5 yea as Zach. 11.4 5. ' Whose Possessors Keepers of Goâ—lers slâ—y â—â—eâ— and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them for nice pay places or preferment ' say blessed be the Lord for we are rich by it Such a pack of Apostates sure were never heard of for craft and cruelty policy and lying pretences and indeed it is no â—ore in my judgment then the face of the Serpent from wâ—â—â— we must and do fly for â—â—ree dayes and an half Rev. 12.14 Bâ—â— the Bal's bitter â—age is out begun here he must now make a â—â—â—â—â—tive of his faithfull service and most noble or rather ignoble feats â—ad atenâ—â—vements to his Masters at Court by frigating them with a â—raught report and â—n invented story of us as dangerous persons 〈◊〉 of deâ—gâ—es and according to â—is armed fancies and obsequiousnesâ— to them his Masters to â—all on us wâ—en their commands shall come requicing with all an Orâ—eâ— or at least a â—icence to prosecute his â—ell-begotten graceless victory further to the full by powring more contempt on our dear
do against us we were of the Lord and his holy Spirit perswaded every one of 〈◊〉 to mantain our ground in Christ with his principles of grace without yielding in the least to such dish nourable tearms of capitulation by a lively faith expecting to be relieved from above or him that sitteth on the Throne Isa 6.1 2. and so their conditions imposed were refused though we starved rather than eat their swines flesh possessed of the Devill as we should have done by so unworthy a treaty or composition nor are we besides the testimony of our own consciences without witnesses and examples before us in this case as in Q. Maries dayes we do finde the Persecutors imposing such termes upon conscience for the lives and liberties of the Martyrs but never so high as to their meat and drink they eat before they have it as these new sort of persecutors do at this day and yet they would be reputed no persecutors forsooth but friends O semper fallaces Millites millies Mendaces Mr. Bradford Martyr writes to L. Saunders Fox voll 3. foll 321. Ah! good Brother pray for mee I think we shall be shortly call'd forth for now legem habent secundum legem c. otherwise will they not reason with us and I think their shoot-anchor will be to have us subscribe the which if we do though with this condition so farr aâ— the thing subscribed to repugneth not Gods word yet this will be offensive therefore let us vadere plane and so sane I mean let us confesse that we are no changelings but reipsa and therefore cannot subscribe except we will dissemble both with God our selves and the world Thus hee and yet this Wretch would have us Changelings in these matters of our faith and conscience to sudscribe before we shall haue a servant go out for bread for us or before any friend shall see us c. and that without any such condition or clause as good Bradford speaks of viz. so far as repugneth not the word of God and yet they have the face to print publish pulpit it that this is no persecution but by this as prescious Bradford also said Fox voll 30. p. 320. so may we see evidently if we will not adorare Bestiam we shall nevre be delivered it is to be feared but against their will nay we shall not so much as eat or write to any of our sad condition in the flesh but fides famem non formidat faith fetches bread from heaven Joh. 6.51 58. which the Sonne of man gives ver 27. for him hath God the Father sealed Even so Amen O my hearts this makes John leap in my wombe and grace in my heart under so great tryals but sweet teaching Fatherly providences and dispensations as Basil said of Barlaam he delighted in his close prison as in a pleasaut green meddow and he took pleasure in the several inventions of cruelty as in several fragrant and redolant flowers But the tryals which my poore wife was pinched with made it much the greater to mee in this lone condition and yet am not left comfortlesse for the Lord is with mee sends his ministring Spirit unto to mee and keeps mee hitherto above all in him who is listed up to draw all men after him Job 12.32 and therefore as my dear Lord Jesus said I hope I may say in my little measure and capacity Joh. 8.29 ' He that sent mee hither is with mee the Father hath not left mee alone ' for I do I trust through his grace those things that please him So Job 16.32 ' And yet I am not alone because the Father is with mee and the cup which my Father hath given mee should I not drink yes surely with a hearty draught Upon the 25. day of this 11. moneth our wants encreasing with their cruelty I had much comfort in my Spirit with patience and joy bearing this Crosse of Christ and indeed in wardly glorying therein for as Cyprian saies Ep. 5. Gloriosa voce Deum confessi qui in Carcere c. The most glorious voice is in prison but this it seems was to fit mee for an encounter with these cruel Leopards â—aging Herodians and Beasts of Ephesus thorough whose hands or whose handlings and leavings we must eat and be dieted or not at all by their wills but this was good physick to our soules blessed be our God This day did a godly Minister Mr. S. of New-port get in to a lodg of C. F. with exceeding desire to see us â— friend of the said town had sent us a cold Pye but the honest man which brought it was carried before Bull with his Pye with whom he had for a long time pleaded near an houre for liberty to come in to my lodge and bring the pye but at last and with much difficulty he obtained leave for a quarter of an houre with a Corporall at his elbow to peep into our prison upon us who poore man with tears and troubles did deliver it and left this with us before the Corporals face that these cruell persecutors so far exceeding them in this matter that we read of in the Book of Martyrs had by all he could perceive some bloody design against us and that this present tyranny upon us was but in order to it but he prayed us to be â—hâ—arfull in the Lord for they could but kill the body I hearing of the minister of Christ steped to the lodge where he was the Soldier at my heeds but they put him out again at the gate presently and would not suffer us so much as at the gaâ—e to see one another though at a distance and with Souldiers between us so I was returning in again to my own prison full of comfort in my Spirit at all this and presently I heard several at once the Serjeant Corporal Soldiers falling upon the honest man who had brought the Pye with very vile and blasphemous language for that it seems he as he was going out at the gate with tears did exhort them to take heed of what they did and to beware of persecuting and offending of Christ little ones c. but they brake out many at once what what preaching we will have no preaching no sermonizing none of the Spirit begon abouty our business what you turn preacher too all preachers now with much more of such ungracious and unsavoury stuffe at which I confesse my heart aked and by a mear providence hearing God and his ordinances so blasphemed and mocked at I could not but turne mee contrary to my intention or purpose to them and particularly spake to one King saying O Sirs O I am sory to hear such word from you indeed I did hope better things then so to scoff and mocke at preaching at the Word and Spirit indeed I have scarce heard the like or worse from the worst Cavaleres and will you immitate them in this also O alas Sire consider what you do
as Acts 21.36 and John 19.15 Away with him away with him Ah said I So did the Souldiers deal with my Lord Jesus and the servant is not greater than his Lord. But O thou Hypocrite doest thou professe the Word or read it and yet contrary to the word of God Law or Reason biâ—st thy men to abuse mee thus without any cause the Lord will judge the for thy Hypocrisie and contempt doth not the Word say to Souldiers do violence to no man Luke 3.14 c. but this renewed their rage and roughnesse and then this Serjeant King as if he had been at Cuffs for his life fell on a fresh with his fists doubled his blows about my head neck and shoulders so unreasonably that some of their Creatures cryed to him hold your hand stay your hands hold your hands but I said Ah! Lord my God look thou downe but do you strike on Sirs strike strike strike for my Lord Jesus Christ takes these blows for his sake well at my hands though I am sure not at yours O it is sweet to be buffeted for Christ c. But as they had often done before they mocked at Jesus pish Christ saies the Captain Haddyway what talk you of Christ O said I that you would talke of him and walk in him more too yea and yet I will talk of him who is my most sweet Jesus and this is Christianity thus to suffer for him But they some hawling some thumping and some beating had gotten mee up a wrong pair of stairs and when they knew that they never staid to let mee come down nor offer'd it but some at my back thrusting some at each side and S. King at my hands pull'd me out at length with the Corporall all at once pulled mee down at one pluck the stairs as if they had rent mine arm from my shoulders but falling upon other Souldiers by the gracious providence of my most dear Father I was preserved my poor wife beeing by and the maid schreching and crying and then they hawled mee almost spent out of breath the other pair of stairs and at the doore of the room wherein they with such cruelty carri'd me where I now am They renewd their violence with such redoubl'd strength atrocity that several of them laying hold on mee some at my back some on shoulders and some at sides cast mee headlong who not knowing their design could not prevent it with such an united force fiercenesse fury and wrath as if they meant no longer to dally but dash mee in pieces so that the least they could have conceived thereon was to have broken my bones or put them out of joint imitating those Savage Spirits filled with wrath which carried my most blessed Saviour to the brow of the hill Luke 4.28 29. That they might cast him down headlong but the same God that delivered him delivered also me a poore wretch not worthy to be named much lesse honoured thus and that by a very marvellous appearance for in the fall my head and face were preserved from the battery of the ground by lighting upon the armes and shoulders of the maid and one of my children the blow of which threw both them also to the ground but my face was so-preserved though my body bruised with the fall which fall I perceived rejoyced the bloody spectators at their hearts and if otherwise it was I think that I was not quiet killed with the fall as Tully saies Quia totum telum in corpore non recepisset to whom I turned with these words passing thorough tears unto them Well Sirs now you have done thus O that I could entreat you but to search into the Scriptures and see if you finde any warrant there for this practise if you do then the Lord give you the blessing of it but it not then the most righteous God convince you of it or judge you for it and this was all I said to them knowing they were heardened and at these few wordes and tears they fell a scoffing and there left mee where I now am at the writing of this with very great consolation and joy thorough believing for as much as these verbera were ubera full duggs for my soule to suck out of And 1. Methinks I now may say I begin to be the Minister of Christ who is indeed a Theologus Crucis and the Servant of Christ Jesus and companion with Christ in the world as Ignatins when he came to the Wilde Beasts to be devoured his bones broken his blood sucked and his whole body crushed with them Now saies he now I begin to be a Christian It is nothing to be accounted and go for currant Christians as all are almost in England with ease pleasure delights estates and worldly enjoyments so to become Ministers of Christ with out the Crosse or Tryalls but for all that they will not stand for such before the Lord who fall not in with the Crosse of Christ in the Generation-suffering for the witnesse of Jesus your dainty mincing Professors who are afraid of sufferings at this day shall be shut out in that day when the Bridegroom comes for Christianus is Crucianus and Lucianus saith Luther Obj. But we live not under such Persecutors as the former Saints did who were headed hanged burned fleaed braten broken on racks tossed on Bulls horns rent and torne of Wild-Beasts broyled on Gridyrons starved stoned c. Answ 1. No! if you did I do wonder where we should finde a Christian then or them that would come running to the tortures as those Martyrs wearying the Tyrants with their faith courage and constancy to their teeth as they did when indeed ye are afraid of and faint at a little plundering prisonment banishment soft beatings and easy deaths for the Testimony of our dear Jesus who now suffers 2. Yet we have such persecutors of Christ and his cause at this day as would not spare us were we as high as resolute and of as noble a spirit for Christ as the former Martyrs who had not learned the State-policy of Professors now adays to spare themselves and comply a little and not to run themselves into sufferings for so they call it but they rather can to them accounting it their glory challenged and provoked in a manner the Tyrants Now it is not so much because our present Nimrods and Oppressors are better than the former Tyrants as because we poore low Spirited Christians and white liverd milgsops are worser and indeed a shame to the Saints and Martyrs of former dayes that we suffer so little for Christ our Lord Ah a las we love indulge ease and pamper the flesh more than the former Saints ever did or durst 3. To answer this objection with Mr. Burroughs out of Salvian I must say to them then the lesse they have to show of passive obedience the more they are to show of active plus ei fides devotio nostra debet quia minora a
persecution or no! for as the enemies report it men will not believe it though the Cavaliers nay Newgate Thieves and Whores are not so cruely handled at this day and they pretend a power too and do easily forgive Adultry and such wickednesse onely we ô Lord the Sheep of thy passure the Flock of thine inheritance are thus rudely handled every day and thâ—y do never think they have done enough unto us but so be it for thy sake Amen! Amen! It was deemed ridiculous aswell as most rigorous in the hottest of the Warrs upon the worst of enemies to have imposed what they do daily upon us and yet they have the face to justifie it as if it were nothing Wherein we observe 1. the exceeding horrible height of their impudence and Hypocrifie of whom may be said as Jer. 3.3 Thou hadst a Whorâ—â— forehead thou refusest to be ashamed And secondly Their cruel subtilty whiles they are whipping and beating us they bid us be quiet and patient like the tyrannicall Step-dame that knocks beats and makes the poor childe to cry and then whips him without mercy for crying and saies he may thank himself they call for patience and bid us be patient in our sufferings whiles they are laying on upon us till they make us cry out and then they say it is our impatience such an unreasonable generation of men are our Goalers Persecutors and Murderers yea they pretend Plots and do this least there should be any â—â—sings when indeed by their unsupportable oppressions persecutions and provocations they do all they can to stir us up whether we will or no unto it for the necessary preservation of our lives liberties relations Religion and consciences from their so monstruous inhumanity and persecution in hypocrisie Thirdly that they put us into the worst Prisons and hardest persecutions yea bait us with the wickedest and worst persons they can finde out men of the most notorious debauched principles practises scandall impudence and Atheisme and all this too in pretence of love to us as appears in their Orders for removal from Sandham Fort and so they said in my last removall from Arten House it was for my better accommodation but indeed it was for my more bitter affliction in the flesh and worse usage except my dear companions company though my most dear God makes the worst the best the greatest the least the bitterest the sweetest the hardest the easiest the most afflicting the most refreshing unto us in Christ and herein do I rejoyce yea and will rejoyce more abundantly yet no thank to them who speak lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences feared with an hot iron 1 Tim. 4.2 although indeed all my sufferings in the Prisons in England were nothing to be compared to these in this most barbarous wildernesse and Kennell of wilde Beasts Fourthly we see by this what it is to be ruled by the sword and it is evident by what Law their Cause and Government stands and what a miserable sad servitude those people are in who are ruled by the sword which hath neither eyes nor ears but pro ratione voluntas For as the Dragon Heathens Turks and Papists do support their Governments by such force tyranny and imprisoning so do these which stand no longer than violence keeps them up and which are as sure to be destroyed when the house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame and the house of Esau for stuble Obed. 18. Wherefore if any upright hearts among the Souldiers do yet remaine they may remember the story of Marinus who in a time of great Apostacy for his faithfulnesse to Christ had like to loose his preferment which fell to him in the Army at which he began to stagger being desirous yet to hold his place till Theodistus met him in the Temple and in the Name of the Lord laid before him a Sword and the New-Testament bidding him choose which he would have for he could hold but one and the other must go at which his heart was smit so he blessed God left the Sword and chose the Gospell So Souldier do I set before thee thy choise for thou canst not hold both hower'e thou deceivest thy self or serve the Beast and the Lamb both at once 5. The impudent practice of the lying slandrous reports of us breaks out either immediately before an intended mischief to us or assoon as they have done it to colour over their tyranny with as monstruous untruths as the Papists who reported that Junius had cloven-feet like a Beast Sometimes they report us mad and frantick as Persecutors have done And so doth Bull and his Masters make as if we wanted senses when we are fullest of the Holy Ghost witnessing 〈◊〉 our dear Christ against their rotten interest and hypocrisie but as 〈◊〉 said when the Praefect told him he was mad sed optome in aeternum sic delirare I wish I may be ever madd then and sometimes as we finde before of Bull like Morgan to Philpot Fox vol. 3.572 they fall a raving and blaspheming of God and his tabernacle and abusing us as if we were not sober So said Morgan I ween it to be the spirit of the Butterie which your fellowes have had that have bee burned before you who were drunck the night before they went to be burnt and I ween went drunken to it But it appeareth saith Philpot you are better acquainted with the spirit of the Buttery than with the Spirit of God Wherefore I must now tell thee saies he and so say I to thee thou raging Bull with the very same spirit and authority of the great Judge of Heaven and Earth thou painted Wall and Hypocrite in the Name of the living Lord whose truth I have told thee that God shall rain fire and brimstone upon such scorners of his Word and blasphemers of his people as thou art Thy foolish blasphemies have compelled the Spirit of God which is in me to say thus unto hee O thou enemy of all Righteousnesse and I tell thee thou Hypocrite I passe not this for thy fire and faggots or what thy bloudy heart can do unto me neither I thank God my Lord stand I in fear of the same my faith in Christ shall over-come them But hell fire is thy portion and is prepared for thee except thou speedily repent yea the hottest of hell for such Hypocrites as thou art according to that old Proverb which Math. Paris mentions in Hist An. Dom. 1072. Pavimentum inferni rasis sacrificulorum verticibus Magnatum galeis stratum esse that Hell is paved as the very bottome with the Skulls of the Priests and the Head-pieces of their Protectors or the great ones and I leave thee in thine Hypocricy till the judgement come At other times we are reported fooles and that is a vepy pleasant reproach too but as Lactantius saies Lib. 5. c. 12. Contemnite ridete si libet nobis enim stultitia nostra prodest non in
videmus sapientiae vestrae hane stultitiam malumus hanc amplectimur c. go on scorn deride and flout us as long as you list for this our foolishnesse profits us and we envy not your wisedome or principles of policy but had rather have this foolishnesse still and so for all your other reproaches which are chiefest riches Heb. 11.26 wherein we rejoyce and make a jest of them and of all they can do unto us and if so be I should give no offence to a more serious spirit in so good and serious a Cause as ours is me thinks I might put this Bull who is so busie in lying railing and slandering of us in mind of the Majors answer to the people who complained of the ugly looks of the Rood Fox vol. 3. p. 107. Go you home saies he look on it and if it will not serve for a God make no more ado but clap a pair of Horns on his Head and so he will make an excellent Divill for I am perswaded if the Divil be truly called Accuser Slanderer Calumniator a little matter more will make him one I would not have used this liberty now had not Grynaeus an Orthodox as we say said true and seriously that Pontifici Romano Erasmum plus nocuisse jocando quam Lutherum stomachando Erasmus did the enemy more mischief by jesting than Luther did by his angry stomachfull and yet more solid resisting of him 6. It appeareth a plain designe to starve us or reduce us to such extremity as might make us to stoop and so to betray our consciences and our Christ in this Cause as appeared by their imposing of conditions upon us and the servants for the meat we must eat if they went out to fetch us in any besides as to my own particular I confesse their conditions were most hard to me and my Family in the passive part though my gracious Father made them easie and sweet to be born but they knowing I lived by providence having no means Land house or estate to live upon kept back not onely all people but all letters from coming or ministring unto me notwithstanding our Lord Jesus was ministred unto Luke 8.3 Joanna the wife of Chuza Herods Steward and Susanua and many others ministred unto him of their substance and so we finde the Heathens suffered this in Acts 24.23 He commanded a Centurian to keep Paul and to let him have liberty and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him But yet this was and is a sweet time unto me for me thinks I am fasting and sometimes filling and eating many a time with my Lord Jesus of his broiled fish and barley bread blessed be his Name who for our sakes became poor 2 Cor. 8 9. that through his poverty we might be made rich I also was made the more sensible of the primitive sufferings as I said before and was as one with them in my spirit insomuch as I chose rather to be in such a condition even unto death and to want bread all my dayes I have sometimes thought than to have been out of it so sweet the Lord hath made unto me by his teaching presence as I cannot expresse and besides what eminent Servants of the Lord have been forgotten by their Brethren as our blessed Jesus his own Disciples all left him at the Crosse yea aad were brought to poverty as buried alive almost so Musculus his poverty was such as drove him to day labour and to lye in straw but I had neither and Pareus begged in his way as he went to the Palatinate but what was this to thousands of the Saints of old besides of late Hooper Cranmer c. all this upon me being onely because I would not perdere substantiam propter accidentia loose my Christ for a Crown nor Conscience for Coin which doubtlesse I might have had enough in my own Countrey if I had sought or accepted of a desire to O. C. for his grace to remove me near to my Acquaintance and Friends at Londan which my poverty in the world might call for more than any others who would not have suffered me to want which notwithstanding the Lord of his mercy prevented by the help of my honoured Con-captivated Co-exiles and other waies and of his great grace gave unto me in this dispensation least I should seek a carnall Kingdome or have such things in mine eyes whiles the Kingdome of Christ yea none but Christ is our continuall cry I remember Lots wife lyes at the entry of such temptations 5. In that he that bids us câ—st our care upon him 1 Pet. 5.7 and take no thought for our life what we should eat or what we should drink or what we should put on Mat. 6.25 hath done it for no by such speciall providences in our greatest emergencies and extremities yea and over and above ministred so much inward comfort unto us from himself the whole Creation that for want of other outward company he makes the very flyes that swarm in the ayre and are an offence to others and as in Aegypt so now in Jamica such a plague unto them poor hearts a refreshing unto us which I am glad to see I confesse and to have the company in this close prison-exile but besides these there be some other particular experiences as teaching to me 1. In that I am all along so clearly and constantly under the Beasts rage as if I were I think more than others particularly aimed at for their goaring gushing horning worrying and grievous persecuting from one Prison to an other both in my Native Countrey and in Exile especially since I have been hurried about in this Island and put to Bulls and Boremans who obey the Orders of the Beast but especially in the first 's very bruitish and indeed barbarous unreasonablâ— pushing sharp horns so that it is evident I am thus used by the Beasts Dominion spirit I have indeed declared to the Court-creatures more mercy to be in any Dungeon in England I remember that Purchase in his Pilg. ch 10. tells us of one that did write of the first Creation of the Chaos and first confusion before the world was created in which lived monstrous creatures having two or more formes like Centaures some Bulls too that were headed like men and doggs with divers bodies but I leave such fancies to the Adamites onely I dare affirm in this Chaos and confusion which precedes the new-creation of new heaven and earth men are very monstrous in their principles and actions and wild Bulls do bear the faces of men to flatter with in this serpent-estate of the old world whose hired men are like Bullocks Jer. 46.21 but as Jer. 50.27 Slay all her Bulls let them go down to the slaughter wo unto them for their day is come the time of their visitation O Lord rebuke the company of spear-men the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the people till
turpia nullâ spe invitabitur 8. For that the enemies are very empty dry and withered whiles we are geâ—en sappy and growing blessed be our God as Psal 104.16 The trees of the Lord are full of sapp for we find our Spirits full our hearts full and hopes full and our faith full in a sense for this cause of our Lord Jesus full of comfort of life and of courage and of peace thorough believing which come amain upon us whiles our enemies are like the Hypocrites Isa 33. surprised with fearfullnesse yea Mager-mysabib is written about them as Mâ—stery is upon them Rev. 17.5 a sure signe to us and a token for good 9. In that on both sides the main body seems to be marching up because the forlorne hope is already so hotly ingaged with downright blowes as on our side with the truth and testimony they or their side with down-right point blank blasphemy and persecution so that not onely the heads Rev. 13.1 but the whole body of the Beast Rev. 17.3 is full of blasphemy and both sides are fallen on so that the next news I am like to hear after this forlorn is a fight and fight of the main bodies on both sidâ—â— or the â—ife of the holy Camp the holy City trod on these 42. months Rev. 11.2 and the pitching of Maher-shalabhashbaz's great Tent Esa 8.1 For the 3. great things which I wait to see and hear are the great Tent and Trumpet Esa 27.13 Deut. 23.10 the great Bone-fire and flame Rev. 19 20. and 17.16 and the great Sun or light of seaven dayes with seaven eyes and by the seaven spirits Esa 30.26 ch 60.19 Rev. 21.23 10. In that our new Covenant propriety in God our Father continues unto us sure and well ordered in all things in all conditions in Prisons Exiles Plunderings Reproaches Dungeons Wants Death and judgements in seperable c. still we can say our God though a consuming Fire Heb. 12.29 though Eli Eli Lamasabachthani yet Eli Eli that is we cannot fall the subjects of Gods wrath though of mans no not when the Violls come to be poured out for none are the in execution of them but who are above them but all and those onely that are under them shall fall as the subjects of his wrath or the third Wo which is at hand now this is no little comfort to us to whom God is Love yea all Love and all together Love in our Prisons But Lastly in that Sion is in travell of a male-child which makes the paines the greater and the more difficult for a man-child must be borne Isa 9.6 the Sonne of God and heir of althings in heaven and earth Heb. 12. yea the Sonne of Abraham and heir of the Promise and Covenant yea the Sonne of David or heir of the Kingdomes and Crownes of the world the Sonne of Mary and heir of all mankind yea the Sonne of Sion and only heir of the Generation-Work that of this male-child is Sion now in travell with according to Isa 26.17 18 Like as a woman with child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain and crâ—eth out in her pangs so are we in thy sight O Lord We have been with child we have been in pain but it is a male-Spirit not a female low Fourth Monarchy-Spirit but a most noble high couragious invincible heaven-borne Spirit that must be brought forth by all these pains persecutions and travells for in the primitive times when the woman was in her travell of this male-Child the Dragon Government did so persecute her that he stood ready to devoure him as soon as he was borne or brought forth into the world and this man-child of Government Christ in the ministration of the Fifth Kingdome Isa 9.6 7. was then caught up unto God and to his throne Rev. 12.5 6.4.2 3.5.6 13. and the Woman or Spiritual Church who after long travell and pain brought forth this blessed truth of the Reign of Christ on earth or the Fifth Kingdome who was forced into the Wildernesse for the 1260. dayes so that now at the end of the 42. moneths or 1260. dayes is the Woman to come out of the Wildernesse and this malechild of Government to come down from God again and to rule all Nations with his rod of iron it is true that he was travelled with in the Heathen Emperours dayes with great perils and pains as appears by the Apologies of Justin Martyr to Antoninus Pius which I read at Winfor and afterwards of Tertullian and some others but he was not born untill the Christian Emperours dayes especially when Jovinian Valentinian c. were Emperours who themselves were Fanters and Professors of the Reign of Christ and are chronicled for Millenaries c. as I have proved in Prison b. Treat but almost as soon as he was thus born he was caught up to God to be forth comming again at the end of the 1260. dayes and therefore Rev. 12.5 She brought forth a man child as mellei poimainein who was about to rule all Nations with a rod of iron not who did it as some say it of Constantine but he was borne ready as if he should rule all but the Lord took him up till the period of the Beasts dominion or the 1260. dayes suffering were over which declares evidently that this male-Spirit will up again speedily for the Reign of Christ with his rod of iron sword and Lawes over all Nations and the overcomming Saints Rev. 2.26 27. or those that have victory over the Bâ—est c. Rev. 15.2 3. shall take the Kingdomes for ever Dan 7.18.22 and thus the man-child must come down from heaven from the throne and from god only in that the God of heaven alone shall set up this kingdome which shall never be destroyed but break all others in pieces Dan. 2.44 and in that ver 45. the Stone is cut out with out hands onely fitted and brought forth from Mount Sion by the Spirit of the Lord the Mount out of which it falls Dan. 2.45 being Sion and the Mount into which it becomes being Moriah Dan. 2.35 or the two Mountains of Brasse mentoned Zach. 6.1 Now the Spirit of the Lord and of the Lamb who hath the seaven Spirits sent forth into all the earth Rev. 5.6.4.5 brings it down unto us so that the man-child must thus come down from God and his throne who was till this time taken up to God and his throne but as I have had a little share I blesse the Lord for his grace in these fresh travells pains of Sion to bring forth this man-child Isa 66.7 Jer. 30.6 7. Isa 51. So have I been abundantly in my bonds taught of the Lord the truth of these thingâ— which I have not time nor utterance for at present nay so good hath my God been to me in this Pathmos School that I think I could almost say it without the least Ostentation and only to the glory of Gods rich grace unto mee
that diom non pâ—rdidi I have not loft a day in the Prison nor hardly a day wherein I had health or was not hurried about without an improvement of my search into these blessed and big-bellied mysteries by writing treasuring up and preparing for the publique as Ap. said Nulla dies sine lined for since my imprisonment I have prepared I think above 300. sheets upon severall subjects to be printed however it be that I am so betrayed or that they stick in the birth and the trutheâ— ly buried yet the Lord knowes to whom I am thankfull that I have not been idle in the prison seeing Crux pendentis is such a Cathedra docentis to my soul I have sent to the presse upon Daniell Apocalips and the Prophets concerning the Kingdome of the man-child and upon the Vialls the two Witnesses the two Beasts the time the worke and the truth of the Generation the 1000. years the supputation of times the personall Reign the first Resurrection and the day of Judgement with an obvious prospect into the 45. years that are next coming but how they miscarry I know not only this I know that my judgement is with my Lord and my work with my God Isa 49.4 5. who will reckon with them that keep back the truth from being published when Babylon comes up in remembrance before him and though this Crosse of Christ be to them that perish foolishnesse yet unto us which are saved it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.17 18. and here it is that I have had the clearest freest fullest sweetest universalest spirituallest and profitable teachings that ever I had or thought that this poore earthen vessell of mine could have ever received Hallelujah Before I leave of I must acquaint you with a few more of my general observations from the chief of this Rock and so I conclude this Introduction 1. Generall Observation There hath alwayes been in the world since the fall of man two distinct seeds and enmity set between them viz. The seed of the Serpent and the seed of Woman Gen. 3.17 called in the Old Testament the bond-woman free-woman So the house of Saul of David the one rejected the other received and established in the Covenant Heb. 8.9 and so in the New-Testament the flâ—sh and spirit Sinai and Sion the Dragon and the Woman and the Serpent the Remnant Rev. 12 the Beast and the Lamb ch 17. the first were alwaies the persecuting and the last the persecuted whereby we know we are on the right and blessed side under sufferings and persecution for the Witnesse of Jesus and work of the day but our enemies are on the cursed and Persecutors side and because they continued not in my Covenant I regarded them not saith the Lord Heb. 8.9 2. Gen. Obs That the Governments of the world have been of the Serpent and not of the Woman to this day and that all along from Nimrod hitherto they have been in Oppression Tyranny Persecution c. the fruit of Adams fall and of Sin but that Government which we look for in the world which will judge Nimrod and the Mount of Esau Obed. 21. is a part of our Redemption and a fruit which growes onely in the Covenant of grace Dan. 7.22 without which our Redemption cannot be compleated Rev. 5.9 10. So that it is part of our Redemption by the bloud of Christ which we contend for in the fall of the fourth Monarchy and suffer for so long and so sore an imprisonment and banishment for whatever our enemies say this we are iure of that this present Government of great Brittany is Nimrodian and not to be doubted by discerning men to be a fruit of Sin and of a fearfull Apostacy and as Purchas in 's Pilgrim ch 10. tells us out of Philo how Nimrod was such a hunter of men by compelling men with a bruitish force as beasts are compelled by meer force to fall in with him his way worship and Element whereby Babell was built what force can be more bruitish or compulsive for the interest of Babilon than the long Sword without the Laws of God Reason Nation or Nature as it is this day in England 3. Gen. Obs There is a sure and a summing time to period the Nimrodian Dominions of the world and all the Dominions of the Beast so red and dyed deep with the bloud of the blessed Witnesses and Saints when they shaâ—l endure no longer to persecute oppresse or afflict the Saints but the Saints be set free from all oppression tyranny and injustice and this is granted by all men therefore I come to the Fourth 4. Gen. Obs That all the Creation visible and invisible in heaven and earth do groan with us after this blessed time of Restitution of all things or of full Redemption actually into the Liberty of the Sons of God Rom 8.21 22. from this yoak of bondage and corruption except onely such vermin as rise out of corruption and are self-created according to that Rule Ex corruptione generatio fit which must be destroy'd amongst which is this present Governmt now up in England 5. Gen. Obser That this Age and Generation wherein we live or are entring yea this very Nation of great Brittain is a summing Age and Generation and Nation wherein begins the totall of all before as is evident 1. For crying sins like the sins of Sodom Gen. 18.20 Isa 3.9 and 13.19 all the summing sins of any Age in the world if not of every Age this is guilty of and most summarily in England is the muttering in the Wildernesse and provocation of the Lord their turning back to Aegypt so of the Apostacy of the ten Tribes their breaking Covenant and Engagement after they had engaged to be the Lords and after so many appearances of God too yea their Idolatrous worship after the manner of the Nations to be destroyed their slighting of the pure waies Laws worship of God yea their Cain-like building Gen. 4 17. and their violence and persecution too as before the destruction of the old world so of the resting and relying upon their own strength as the strength of Aegypt so also of the Hypocricy and yet Formality of the Jewes Scribes and Pharises Priests and Rulers that Crucified Christ by the hands of the Souldiers and of their Pharoah-like height and hardnesse of heart after many signes and tokens and so of the serpent-like policy specious pretences reason of State and subtilties in them which are to period the 42. Months or Beasts Dominion Rev. 12.14 And indeed as the Devill did not use a Lyon-like force at first in Paradise to over-come Eve with which had then been bootlesse saith Purchase ch 5. but a serpentine-sleight of insinuation as the meetest for his present projects it is so now knowing he hath to deal with a Generation that professe to be the Lords own people plain force and fury had not so prevailed for him as subtilty art and sophistry
most high amongst many other things that are shortly to come to passe upon the whole Earth from Jesus Christ the faithfull Witnesse the Amen of all these things and the Author and Finisher of my Faith even so Amen Lord Jesus come quickly But before I finish we find a fresh assault of Sathan upon us in this close Prison perpetrated to make our bonds the more heavy I mean anoâ—her Link of Yron added to the concatenation of their cruelty constantly exercised in this Exile upon the 20 of the 1 moneth 1656 came Captain Floyd and Major Strange with an ORDER from White-Hall to remove M Gen Harrison from us to High-gate to his own house a prisoner under pretence of the very desperate danger of death his Father the Collonel was in as also his dear Yoak-fellow so near the time of her Travel but our pretious Concaptive thus surprized was in great fears of the Serpents snares in this Order and would not give them any resolve what to do until he had acquainted us therewith assur'd us of his jealousies lest his further Liberty company and outward comforts should be any intanglement unto him or let to his inward joyes and prison-experiences knowing as Luther said that Vna guttula malae Conscientiae totum mare mundari gaudii absorbet the least drop of a troubled spirit swallows up the whole Ocean of al outward comforts or delights so that he did earnestly desire us to set it before the Throne for a Resolution which we agreed unto and at the end of that day came in the two again who were to take him into custody who after we had given him our apprehensions dealt very roundly and plainly with them that he could not thank them for their pretended Love nor did he think his Father or Wife would be worse by his continuance in this prison but rather the better for he was perswaded they should do wel and for a Goal he had rather have this then any for the cruelty thereof and of BULL who made so little conscience of what he said or did and who had indeed played the very beast with us so that for suffering it was the best prison we could be in nor would he make his house a prison to this effect he spake and told them that he could not declare his readiness to go with them but if they would carry him away he could not help it They said they did desire to serve him with al civility and respect and vvere loath to use any violence but could not go without him and they were now to take custody of him and so desired him to prepare himself the next day and to give directions which way he would go but he told them he would have nothing to do in it but he was a Sufferer nor would he direct nor bear any of the charges for he was a Prisoner and so for that night they parted and we prayed as we used to do together every night In the night I was much troubled about his going but the consideration of the Work at hand with that Word in Dan 2.18 That DANIEL and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon gave a truce the next morning BULL delivered him up two the other two who took possession of him we had much discourse and indeed the Lord gave him a very noble spirit though broken in himself to deal plainly both with Bull and them expressing his unwillingness to leave us behind or rather his desire to partake and carry with us stil in so sore bonds but when we saw he must be gone we parted as the Sun through a watry cloud with no little heaviness for a season and I said to C. Fl. Sir Tel your masters or any that ask after us that it were a little more MERCY if they had it to put us into any DUNGEON in London our own Land then to leave us here in the hands of such BLASPHEMERS and BRUITS so skilful to distroy but stil we bless the Lord for our Father makes it sweet and best to us We got upon a WALL and looked after them til they came neer to Newport and then my dear fellow prisoner Mr. Courtney who is left here and I kept the rest of the day in prayer easing our hearts and emptying our tears into the bosome of Heaven being a little troubled for our loss of so pretious a help so choise a companion as he was to us another Vetius Epigathus who was called the noble Advocate of Christians amongst the Martyrs to the teeth of their Tyrants but yet we had very blessed and fruitful experiences of a presence from the most high every day almost since which hath made his servants absence the more easie unto us Et bonus es Domine saies Bernard animae querenti quid invenienti O Lord what art thou then to them that find thee who art so gratious to us that SEEK thee in bonds After this we being like men out of mind in this Yron grave their cruelty increased yet more upon us to tire us out and Bulls brutish modesty was to have imposed upon the Maid-servants Father that his Daughter must tel him all the Tales that she could if she heard us at Table bed or board but speak a word of O. C. or any of their cruelty that she must betray her Master and bring him word of it and would have bound her Father to it in a bond To me particularly was their malice monstrous they put another Soldier and his Wife and sour Children into our other room where Bul himself had put us threw our wood and things out of doors brake open the locks and naild up the door from us with reproachful words to boot and this by Bulls command but we let them patiently in our own matters use any tyranny without taking notice and me thinks as Guy de Brez said The more SAVAGE they are the more sweetly hath my soul obtained WINGS to sore ALOFT above THEM all into the blessed Rest O blessed be the Lamb that was slain and is worthy for as Cruciger said GOD is so near us that he may be almost FELT Strict Orders were given that no one dare to shew familiarity unto us and the Woman with her four Children put into our room was charged when she came in to beware of us for if any of them were found to be familiar that is respectful or civil to any of us they should be turn'd out of the Caâ—tle without remedy or if any should but listen or stand to hear me at prayâ—r or in duty to God except it be such as were or laâ—e sent to listen under the windows and into holes for that purpose to catch and fetch some matter to make a crime of which above these two years they have been raking for so good is my God who blinds them that they see not vvhere my infirmities lye most but where the Almighty hath armed me
by this time gathered to hear me and almost all poor Women they did no more then but threaten them and send soldiers to oversee and look what Women there were that they might be troubled for it and whither any were Soldiers Wives that either their Husbands might correct them for that is an allowed practise with Soldiers here to beat their Wives or else their Husbands be turn'd out upon it such a severe sentence had this occasional speaking to the Churches Messengers besides Soldiers passed under the wal up and down all the while looking up and yawling contradicting and blaspheming to disturb us but blessed be the LORD who teacheth me to preach in Tumults his presence was with us overpower'd the enemies and we went to prayer together with the power of the Lord after which the people desired to hear me again and praying me to it we appointed that day senight being the 1 of the 3 month and so my dear Co-exile and I took leave of our two brethren blessing the Lord that we had seen their faces and they ours and spake to one another though the enemy had set Pastor and people at such a distance since which to the writing hereof hath not one come to visit me but only from Heâ—ven whence our visits are very sweet and raising yea ravishing so that I think I may say through the grace of my dear Father in Jesus Christ that Mihi maxime prosunt qui mei pessime meminerunt Luth ad Spal They profit me most who mind me least in a sense for they send me the more to him who minds I may say the veriest Dogg of his Family and so I shal not want for The Lord is my Shepheard I wil not fear Psal 23.1 2 But before the day appointed BULL and his men had laid their plot deep as wel how to hinder the Word preached though they had not a Word that we can hear of to object against it nor indeed did they so much as listen for matter to pretend for their violence or displeasure but fel pelmel upon it at a venture with the vilest rage as bruit beasts sensual Jude 10. not having their senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb â— 14 as how to fall upon our persons if we attempted it and withal to keep the poor people from coming into the high-way and to make the more terror in the matter the poor man yâ— stood centinel at the outward gate they said listened to hear me or at least was proclive unto it him they for the present sent packing with big words of hanging and punishing him with whipping at the least which made a great noise at Newport his poor Wife being frighted at it with high and mighty threats of Bull and his Soldiers several dayes together so that I hear to this houre the poor wretch is put into fears and looks every moment to be thrown over-board such is their tyranny to us and the Word of God in this CAINES-BROOK-CASTLE 1 Joh 3.12 As CAIN that wicked one who slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own Works were EVIL and his brothers RIGHTEOUS All this while we being close prisoners the plot was kept from us only we saw they meant us no good for the hole we went out at they stopped up but pretended other reasons for it nor did Bul or any forbid us or send word to us that they were offended or would not have us come upon the wall which we had the liberty of for a little ayre none forbidding it but they left us as they thought very secure and so as we should easily fal into their hands to wreak their Cain-like and designed wrath upon our bodies and bones if not our blood but by a providence we were warned unknown to them for one of their Wives having more pitty then the bloody crew could not in conscience rest til she had hinted it to one in my Family and besides one of the Serjeants was heard to say with great joy what brave sport they should have on Thursday meaning on our bodies that day if I offerd preach we being by Bul delivered up to their merciless jaws ponyards and Swords I think almost as Cassianus was to the bodkins and penknives of his inraged Schollars and for ought I say I know the like effect or were it we might have found had not the Lord delivered us The day being come to act their cruelty upon us and the Word of God BUL road abroad leaving his pleni-potentiary orders with his bloody crew behind him that he might have I believe an excuse for himself had any sore mischief been done the Soldiers were ready armed and very jocund only three or four or some few of them hrunk away and would not be at it for which they must look to suffer in the morning about 9 or 10. my dear brother in these bonds Mr. Courtney to be a little retired at prayer and reading went into a little boarded place as he used to do upon the back wall none hindring or questioning him but after a short space he was interrupted by a soldier sent to keep the little narrow passage upon the wall over which he came into his little house that he might not come back again that way so greedy were they to be at their Work My brother C. came forth seeing who it was to be gone back again to his lodge the way that he came but the soldier kept the pass said he must not bid him go another way which they had designed but he refused so to do whereupon the soldier said he should 〈…〉 but he seeing no remedy gave the Soldier a sudden wrest and by the Lords providence got by the Wall but the Soldier laid hold upon him furiously puld his coat which he rent but Mr. C. unbutten'd it and slipping out of it left it with the fellow aâ—d 〈…〉 and escaped to his own lodg all this while was I within in my chamber and knew not of it 3 or 4 soldiers more were coming to the assistance of the first but my brother escaped them also the Serjeant and Corporal stood below in the yard looking on but this sudden alarum to us which was too soon for them breaking out before they intended it made all that they hatched to our bodies prove abortive for that day which I do hear hath vexed them sorely for this news soon flew out of the Castle up and down to New-port and the poor frighted people hearing before of their preparations and now of their assaults upon this Gentleman did faint and came not into the High-way to hear whither through fear or force or both I know not but this I know they are in miserable servitude the wals and stairs were now guarded with soldiers armed with swords guns and light match to keep me from going up if they had came and to execute their wils upon me for reproving their blasphemy drunkenness and daily yet allowed
sins and that day I was told they had intended to taste of my blood but we sought the Lord about it and for al the danger did conclude we had a call and it was my duty to preach though I dyed for it if any of those that desired it or any others had but come to hear but because not one came it was also concluded our duty not to hazard our lives limbs blood or bodies for nothing to such as waited and are greedy to this day of them it may be some may think I stretch my line to speak thus of them but indeed in my own conscience I am perswaded I do not but write less then I might in many things for as Luther ad Nich Hansm said Propositum est mihi neque vitam neque mores tueri sed SOLAM CAVSAM CHRISTI lacerent mores meos quicunque velint c. My purpose is not to defend my own life and manner but only my Christ and his cause which they persecute and who wil let them rend and teare me and my name to peices for as the Apostle saith 1 Cor 15.30 31. Why stand we in JEOPARDY every hour I protest by your rejoycing which I have in CHRIST JESUS our LORD I DYE DAYLY and it is for Christs sake We are accounted the OFF-SCOWRING 1 Cor 4. Thus with this day wherein I welcom'd my honoured brother into this blessed School of Christs buffets and marks after the order of our dearest Saviour Apostles Martyrs and most ex cellent Saints though we be both of us as yet but young striplings and the lowermost of this Forme wherein we are learning and pressing forward I might break off this History of our sufferings at the present for we hope the Winter is past and the rain is over and gone I mean for storms though it may be we have some April showers yet to bring forth May-flowers or better fruits from us Cant 2.11 yea the singing of birds is begun it is heard in our Land Yet I might say much more of their present Tyranny upon us to tear us and wear us out since the M Gen. was taken from us My Wife being very il to this day cannot have liberty to go out for the meanes if it were to save her life not so much as to Newport to a Doctor of Physick and so to return in again and as for our diet you heard before how hardly we are used nay they wil not suffer a poor Woman so much as to come up to sel us a little butter or the like and yet they constantly upbraid us with the abuse of our liberty if we have it by preaching c. but the Cavaleeres and themselves may sit swear and swil from morning to night and yet no abridgement or abuse of Liberty with them yea I am certainly informed by a godly Gentleman that of late they sat drinking in Wine hot waters and other Liquors to the rate of eighteen quarts to a Man at one bout yea on the Lords day all day long drinking smoaking tipling and swelling it which I never heard they were forbidden only to hear me is forbidden with great vehemency yea many of them at once have I seen staggering and reeling at the Alehouse while their poor Wives come scolding for bread and yet this is so far from being adjudged an abuse of Liberty that what these kind of Vermine would have done to us is done whiles they are complemented courted and made much of and indeed next to Lambeth I never saw the like and so openly I say upon the Lords daies too without any thing of Gods Worship som times which is accounted no crime but to hear me Preach or pray or in any of the Worship of God they wil have that an unpardonable sin and indispensable though as the Apostle saies 1 Cor 4.13 Being defamed we intreat and as Alexander Hales could say a Soul patient when wronged is like a man with a SWORD in one hand and SALVE in the other he could wound but he would heal Besides all this I shal add but a little more and so I shal finish for this present in this prison where it is much if every day do not produce some new Tyranny and Tragedy upon our bodies The 16 day of the 3d. moneth two friends one from London another from Berkshire came to see us and by a good providence got into the Castle yard but refused to subscribe and so were to be turned away again and not to come up to our prison chambers I seeing them and at first doubtful who they were at my window yet soon guess'd at one of them so that I vvent into the yard spake vvith them and with joy took them by the hand desired they might come into my chamber though with Soldiers but that would not be suffered because I had a few dayes before told their Lieutenant for al their tyranny to tire us out I fear'd them not nor al their masters because I was above them al in this matter and they were al under our feet were they 10000 more for one so that this was pretended against it the Lieut saying but I should not have the Castle yet for al that and til I could behave my self better none should come to me and the like but my Wife also came down into the yard and my dear Co-exile Q G. C. so that we had some little time to speak together though vvith great interruptions and abusive speeches the very common soldiers before their Offices faces tossing stones or brick-bats at us and calling aloud to my Wife Mrs. Mrs. vvhere is your Gentleman Vsher to hold up your tail meaning I suppose me because I use to lead her being weak lame but we let them alone to abuse us before the Soldiers faces who have sufficiently scoff'd and upraided me saying we lye in prison to get mony as Bull and al the rest do say daily they gave me Tokens of their Love and so left us nor were they suffered to come any more into the yard which they tryed and intreated Within these few dayes it vvas reported as if there would be some stirs in England at which they rage against the Indenpendent and Anabaptist Rogues as they cal them and then particularly threaten what they vvil do with us upon it Captain HAD saying to his other Soldiers that if he knew but one of themselves that were any waies familiar meaning civil in respect with Courtney or Rogers he vvould run his Sword into his guts presently vvith his own hands Their daily breathing seems to be after our bloud and their words wil break out at their lips do what they can sorto name no more the last 2d day Serj. King vvith some others took my little Child in coats examined him about us and vvith flatteries tempted the Child to tel vvhat we said and did and eat or any thing that he could get out and then they gathered together a crew of
them to vent their lusts and malice sometimes threatning sometimes raging sometimes scoffing c. it seems they understood vve had a joynt of meat together to a dinner and vvhich vvas but but one dish for us al at vvhich they raged that their prisoners should live like Lords as they tearmed it and that they themselves liv'd more like the prisoners and therefore they would have their major not to suffer us to eat a bit but vvhwat vve buy of their Suckler that is one of their Soldiers nor should we dress it our selves but their Suckler so that though vve pay for it dearly yet vve shal not eat but vvhat they allow us to eat and live upon vvhich I believe should not be a bisket a day might they have their wils but the Lord restraines their rage even so O Lord O let the Remainder of their vvrath praise thee This S. King is such another ambitious covertous pragmatical youth as was Pepper at Winsor vvho soars high by his impudence and cruelty to us in company of our Friends he denies that he did buffet beat and bruise me as is before mention'd but amongst themselves he brags and boasts of it as the last second day he said ROGERS cannot abide him never since he paid him so and boxd him so bravely at which they scoff and laugh but said he as if nothing else troubled him I might have cut off a band or an arm off him as wel as can be for if I had cut off his right arm no Sizes nor Sessions saies he would meddle with me for it and this they conclude on as Times now are which they al assented to but stil our trust is in then ost high Jehovah The Title this King gives to me is Faggot maker and so reports I hear that I was a faggot maker up and down but indeed I may live to make faggots by the King of Heavens appointment to bind up such stubble as they are for the day of wrath if they repent not He dos also rage exceedingly that Qr Mr. Gen. and I have our distinct rooms and saies he wil have Courtney to Rogers or Rogers to Courtney that he may have the rooms for they shal not live so like Gentlemen and thus they are every day insulting over us at their pleasure when we speak not one word unto them that they may not have the least colour of any provocations from us which is indeed our comfort for vve let them alone without taking notice of their tongues or actions against us which indeed doth vex them the more poor creatures for if they do but see us their hearts so rise against us that as Acts 7.54 57. they even gnash some of them as I have seen it with their teeth and look as if they were ready to â—un upon as with one accord Notwithstanding we do endeavour when they do fal fouly upon us to convince them with soft and sound words when â—hey go by us as big as they can hold with civil respect ministring as â—e are able to their Wives whom they keep poor enough either in moâ—ey clothes or food though they dare not be to know it and so returning â—ood for evil and if one of them be seen by another to shew any kind of â—espect to us to do any thing for us or stir his hat kindly he is as I said beâ—ore under a publick check and upbraiding if not in danger to be turnd â—ut BULL asks him if he be our Pensioners or if he wil do more for us then â—or him with a many more such frivilous captious and quarrelsome â—uestions and then threatens him These are I confess but trifles to what â—ight be mention and to what we see and suffer every day blessed be the â—ord for vvhose sake vve suffer al things gladly and thankfully yea to â—ention but yesterday because it was the last day of al for every day afâ—â—ds new matter and so I conclude with this Tragical History at present 〈◊〉 Time do bring forth the Truth of all things and their hidden tyranny 〈◊〉 to open light which I trust wil be shortly The MAID that serves us had â—â—erty to go out for this once she never stirring out of the prison before to see her Friends and yesterday having travelled al nigt very weary she returned again they let her into the gate brought her into the Guard and kept her there above an hour but would not let her come in unto us yet carried it fair to her until they had prepared their plot upon the poor lame Creature and for all it was the Lords Day wherein they had no other Sermon they sent for Serjeant King twice to come away in hast who had sorely threatned her before as wel as Bull to be revenged for affirmming she saw them beat and buffet me when they would deny it to any of our friends when they came So this King came greedly of his Prey and by his order he himself assisting two or three of the fiercest and most merciless of them fel upon her vvith great violence without any occasion colour or provocation in word or deed which they themselves deny not only because she belonged to us nor had she as she told them Letter or paper nor did she carry out any which they believed also yet for al that they fel to a venting of their malice to us and of their Spirit against us upon the poor creature tore her upon the ground and dragged her in a most shameful impudent and uncivil manner al at length in the open yard and about the dust and abusing her so unseemly that some of their own Wives ran out pittying and crying aloud but were sharply rebuked by their Husbands and bid to hold their tongue these Savages were now in their own Element and very warm at their Work their Sabbath work and so continued it I called out at a window and cryed to them to forbear for that she was already a poor lame Maid and they had already wreakd their Malice I though upon her and with too much immodesty but they the more for my speaking dragd puld and abused her about the ground which when I saw I was silent and lookd up unto the Lord until they had so draggd her and thrown her out of the gate and then they got up her clothes and threw them after her where the poor Creature is even now like Lazarus and hath been many hours lying with her lame limbs and bundle at the gate for admittance if it may be but there she may lye yet many a day they that go by her many of them scoffing and abusing her bitterly knowing al my Family is il Wife and Children and not a servant that they suffer to live with us and help us in this need I askd indeed King by what rule he did this and that on the Lords day saying if he were a Christian the Rule was Luke 3. Soldiers do violence to none but
he made a scoff at what I said and turnd away in great fury then I said wel the LORD wil look down and see all these things at which he turn'd and said pish the LORD what do you tel us the LORD who is the L you are not the LORD aâ—e you and so went on raging and blaspheming and the rest scoffing for company as ful of fury as they could hold who indeed have not the patience to hear the Lords name so much as mention unless at Alehouses and in sin so sadly prophane are they and indeed how can they be otherwise when men with wicked and idle courses have spent al their meanes and cannot or wil not work they get into these Garrisons to drink and guzzle their Pay out before their pay-day comes and for other misdemeanours deserving to be chashiered can find no way to secure their places but by their brutish premeditated and barbarous cruelty to us wherein they merit most that are monstrous and these things I declare as in the sight of the God of truth to be true having read over again and again what I have written and do not know one line I have written too large the Lord knows whatever some may think but in many that I have written too little rather intending hereby to give but hints to the Saints of the continued and multiplied Series of our sufferings especially to such at London as through their ignoance and our forced silence say it is but a flea biting that we suffer and not worth speaking of but it is a sign they have not a fellow feeling for as the Lord said to Ezek 2.46 They are impudent and stiff necked but be not afraid of them though BRIARS AND THORNS be with thee and thou art among SCORPIONS and therefore it is we are so torn and stung every day and indeed in a sense it is a suffering worse then Death as slight as men make it It is true in reproach to us the Soldiers after they have beaten and abused us bid us to complain if we wil and if we do not like it help it knowing that the cure is worse then the Disease to us and that we have none to complain unto but the Lord who surely wil hear us and save us at last before they have wearied us out and broken our very heart-strings and which doubtless they designe in one kind or other before they have done with us But matters of greater moment I must refer to a fitter season and blesse Jehovah with us O ye upright ones that sympathy with us for he hath yet lined us with a good conscience within and a good cause without and we trust We shal not fear what flesh can do unto us and pray for us yet more abundantly I had thought long ere this to have been at an END and that this Persecution would have added or imposed a Quietus est to my body by death out of the continuance of their cruelty but it pleases the Father that I should yet live as one alwaies dying under their immanity and now since that of the poor Maids sufferings by their so immodest dragging her al at length in the yard before mentioned I am intreated by friends to inlarge this sad History which I write with no great delight though I hope I suffer it with joy a little further but I had rather a thousand times to set it before the Lord my God then once to make mention of it to any below yet by reason of Friends importunity to whom I must not be ungrateful I shal give you a short view of this new link added to my chain since that of Joseph in his round Caines-brook-Castle or Tower too Gen 3.20 running much in my mind for the Lord was with him and although I never read of such rigor in his bonds as are in mine renewed often yet of him the Holy G saith Psal 105.18 19. Whose FEET they hurt with fetters he was laid in Iron VNTIL the time that his Word came the word of the Lord TRYED him yea not only my feet have they hurt but my back bones and whole body hath been hurt beaten bruised and are aking every day with these heavy fetters and furies Since the Maids such monstrous usage without any cause and being last out at the gate with her clothes rent and torn where besides that she lay on the ground lame like Lazarus at the gate six or seven hours the next day for admittance and at last was let in again with no little stir and threatning I had liberty to go in to my dear Co-Exiles chamber not knowing of any design they had upon me which it seems they watched for and had Orders from BULL as they say to observe when I did so being now resolved to take their rage from the lame Creature having little credit of their cruelty to her and to wreak it upon me and my poor weak Wife which they did at present thus but O Lord let the remainder of their Wrath PRAISE thee Upon a sudden after my fellow prisoner had invited me into his Chamber four or six Musketeirs with Swords Guns and light Matches were set upon me there and soon after more followed them they set also Soldiers upon my weak Wife and Family yea into the very room raging which frighted her for the suddenness of it she being as ignorant as I of the meaning of this new piece of tyranny and so keeping us asunder that we could not come at one another see or hear so as to know of each others condition or what the matter was which made it look like a bad business as bad as if forthwith they had intended to murther me at least my Wives sickness subjecting her withal to very frightful fancies feares and apprehensions wondring vvhat would become of me stil asking after me and what was become of me or what they had done with me and besides to make it a through piece of a monstrous matter to her they set within her chamber the most uncivil drunken raging wretches stamping threatning grinding their teeth calling Jade Quean Carrion with a many such obscene names bending their fists striking tearing thumping raiâ—ing with their staggering if any offered to go in the room not suffering them to stir for necessaries within the rooms offering and drawing the naked sword upon them with asseverations several times vvithout any provocation given them in Word or deed and soon after followed ten or twelve more as they inform me and filled the room vvith such rude creatures and doings vvithout any regard at all to Sex sickness or condition As they vvere at this inhumane sport persecuting my Wife and Family those armed Soldiers with me were not wanting with great violence and fury to execute their Orders as they called it for I offering to go to the door with desire to see my Wife being fearful of some mischeif to her though I knew not of this cruel usage of
say with sweet Joseph in his prison Gen 40.15 And HERE ALSO have I done nothing that they should put me into this DVNGEON and that it is a Dungeon yea not only beyond Josephs but far exceeding some fellons in England I shal a little describe it to you it is some three steps long and three steps broad not so long as one of the little garrets they put us into first when they brought me into this Castle with a promise of two rooms two beds and better accomodation til they have gotten me in but now they gripe me and not perform a title of their promise but t is no wonder from men of such principles who make no more bones of breaking an Oath then a soldier dos of cracking a louse nor is it so large as any one of the rooms we had at Windsor Underneath it is a deep low vault from whence arises into the room day and night unwholsom vapours winds and filthy damp mists very dangerous the boards being broken and rotten the chimney is a little low thing casting smoak so unreasonably in such a little close room that it is uncomfortable and better to be bitten with cold then smotherd with smoak all the light that comes in is a little dark window which for many hundred years I suppose never saw the sun unless a little at nights upon the long dayes of summer so that it looks at noone in the room for the most part as if it were night Before the window is a great Hill which keeps off light and ayre so that the ayr that comes in to us is either out the Vault or deep damp hollow cave underneath us exceeding unwholsome as we find by Woful experience to the flesh day and night or else in at the door and what that is let any judg for at the very door within three steps is the filthy common Sewer stench and common house of Office and at the side of the common Dunghil so that what delight can be in this ayr which the room is so strong and ful of let any but Beasts judge in this it exceedeth Sandam for t as the Soldiers do for cruelty and I think when it is best and sweetest it is when there is less of the house of Office aire and more of the other that is when it smels but fusty and foggy like a Well Cave or low Sellar under ground with raw cold and aguish humors Now if in these and other respects it be not a Dungeon and far exceeding many yea in many respects the very Dungeon of this Castle which they threaten me so much with I am much mistaken But now for some few fruits too of their tyranny that we may tel you how it tasts as from them ever since hath my poor Wife been weak and sick yea so by fits and through frights as I feared her dissolution before this and that which made her yet the more dejected and down as at deaths door was the want of Meanes they not suffering help to come when sent for but rather upbraiding and saying pish We could be sick and wel when we would the sense whereof made her complain deeply and look upon her self as a lost Woman for some dayes Besides the lame Maid was now taken ill also she feeling their cruel usage lying and complaining ful of paine and torment for six or seven dayes together but they would not suffer so much as a Woman sent for to help her keeping her bed which one in pitty lent her to lye on but we sought the Lord for help for compassion for remedy we not being suffered neither to send out a Letter to signifie a word of our condition or cruel usage some seven or eight Letters we have reckoned they have kept of late though not a word in them for the most of them that medled with these matters or their Government only of my Wives sickness sending for meanes as also for a little money which one had of ours but they neither let those Letters go the right way nor told us of their stay and so al lost it is like Al I hear they can say is that I dated one of them from Carisbrook-Castle a Den of Cruelty which they pretend a high capital Crime so afraid are they the least truth of their tyranny should come to light But the Lord our God heard us graciously and gave us some hope of their recovery insomuch as my Wife began to grow a little chearful lively and in hope to out-grow her frights and fits but ah behold their barbarous wickedness O thou God of Righteousness O how envious are they at thy goodness for this time they take BULL and a company of them being feasting ranting gaming making merry and bowling in a green they have for that purpose and from this sport he orders his cruelty commands a violent party of soldiers without so much bowels as a Man or mercy as some beasts have not once regarding my Wives long weakness or the Maids lameness to set upon us a fresh and so tear away this bed also that my Wife now lay upon from under us but it pleased God to give a foresight of it by several signes I had of a new trouble coming upon us BULL with the souldiers being so exceeding crank merry laughing and like them in Amos 5. at ease and trusting in the mountain of Samaria putting far away the evil day that stretch thâ—mselves upon their Couches eat the Lambs of the flock chant and drink Wine in bowls but they are not GRIEVED for the AFFLICTIONS of Joseph nay they are so far from a sence of Josephs sorrows in the midst of their mirth and jollity hat indeed as v 3. They cause the SEAT OF VIOLENCE to come near even then when they are at this voluptuousness whereat besides seeing them cast their eye so at my Dung-hole lodge I did resolve they had a new designe so communicated my thoughts to my Wife wishing her to be of good chear and so going into my co-Exiles chamber which is the help we have for aire we lockd up our own chamber door and a while after came in these soldiers like greedy Leopards for the bed we lay on and perceiving our door lockd according to Orders with hatchet swords c. broke open the door lock and all notwithstanding I pleaded with them my Wives weak condition how they had already almost kild her and for my own part I should be content to lye in straw if they would allow it but my Wife being so weak and ill had need to have a bed and this was hard usage and unchristian besides before they got me in to the Castle both Bul and they promised I should have two beds and so after I was in and it was allowed at first and I was taken from a prison where I had al these under pretence of better accomodation and would they not allow us now one bed to lye on we did desire but
one bed and if nothing else would move them my Wives present illness and sickness should importune a littâ—e a little compassion of them if they were men but they would not hear in they went tore al the things off the bed and carried away to the very bolster and pillow where they now lye in the aforesaid Lieutenants chamber And I was answered that in no prisons were Fellons or Murtherers allowed a bed to lye on ranking us with them yea they had taken away the very sheets My poor Wife was this while ready to faint very il and falling into her fits again through frights which for present vvere prevented by meanes my fellow prisoner also using a I endeavours to comfort her but afterwards she fel il again as she used to be before this last cruelty renewing her sickness so as al her flesh would fal a trembling her whole body be as in an agony but especially her head which doth swel and the humors settle in her face c. so that for want of the meanes here and because they seem resolved to give no rest as we think until they have murthered her or been her death she must now be forced to leave me in their clutches and if the Lord make her able to get to London for the preservation of her life which the Lord in mercy grant me Amen! But I shal abruptly break off here by reason my poor weak Wife is now leaving me and creeping out of this Castle-Goal yet Rehoboth where is room for me and my soul is left at a fresh spring O blessed be my God! but I must confess it is grievous to the flesh to be left in the hands of such as have threatned and seem to thirst for my blood as greedily as the Dogg for the sheeps but yet by Gods grace they shal leap above ground for it and not get it by gaping that I think Psal 37.32 33 34. The wicked WATCHETH the Righteeous and seeketh to slay him But the Lord wil not leave him in his hand WAITON THE LORD and keep his WAY and he shal exalt thee to inherit the Land this is a sure Word and in season here where I hope to wait and wait in hope that wil never make me ashamed notwithstanding the violence done to my flesh the afflictions of my body and relations and the danger of death in this Dungeon-like-hole which I hope in Christ we dare sometimes look ful-face upon and meet though many times I must needs say with Bishop Ridley Martyr I think I could creep into a mouse-hole and that is when through these late out-ragious exercises I have fits of sudden fear and am so subject to frightings But O pray pray pray for us incessantly with Faith Al ye that shal hear these tidings that he may alwaies stand by us who stood by Paul against the beasts of Ephesus and before Nero not knowing which way our most dear Deliverer wil come whether by life or death to free us from fierce and unreasonable creatures though for my own part I rather expect the latter in this place ere long desiring to be found faithful unto Death in this most glorious Cause of Christ Jesus my Lord King and Master nor do I think if I dye that you wil hear the perioding passages of their Tyranny or this Tragedy upon my body or that I shal write more to get it out my papers lying hid under-ground where I fear they wil rot but the Lord wil raise up the truth from the dead I do know assuredly By these things you may learn thus much more 1 That the persecution is at principles of truth let them say what they wil for they sal upon us for Christ the Words and Spirits and Saints sake we see nor can they so much as pretend a danger to their Castle as they had formerly done by a few feeble Women to stand in the High-way and not so much as in the out-works of the Castle but meer malice to the word of truth 2. That they would not end with out persons or lives if they had them but what they do unto us they would fain be doing to al the Saints and Churches who wait or call for the Kingdome of Christ and so they have said that they could have our Arms up to the elboes in their bloudâ— as appears by their fowl falling upon the Messengers of the Churches with blows without any occasion glving them but standing stil and hearing me so that therein they also fel upon them that sent them so also upon their dragging the poor lame MAID about the yard 3. That this hindring the Word with sword-violence is a high robbery to poor Souls in a scripture-sence yea and to God whom they openly scoff and mock at to hear him named Mal 3.8 Joh. 10.8 and God wil deal with them accordingly yea were Dr. Taylor now alive and going to be burnt for this cause he would burst out with his words in Fox vol p 179. against these Brtites and much more in these dayes of Apostacy ah horsen Theeves whoresen Theeves rob God of his honour rob God of his honour for as Mat 23.13 Wo to them for they neither go in themselves nor suffer them that are entring but blessed be the Lord for that promise in Isai 18.7 The PRESENT shal be brought to the Lord of a people scattered and PEELED with ch 42.22 This is the people robbed and spoiled they are all of them suared in holes and hid in prison-houses 4. This swordsilencing of the Ministers of Christ is a far more cruel and cutting way of silencing then the Bishops High-Commission-Courts or the Star-chamber Amos 5.13 Theresore is it the prudent shal keep silence in that time for it is an evil time not that the Lord approves the practise but reproves their prudence 5. The Sword-preaching or such preaching as the Sword only allows is the worlds the Devils and Antichrists 1 Joh 4.5 and such a way of converting as the Turks use and the Saracens and so the Spaniards have it in the Indies under pain of confiscation of Lands liberties life c. to acknowledg God and the Spanish King of whom the Indians had never heard So is the Sword-preaching in these dayes in this Isle as Bul confessed to keep them in subjection that is in slavery to his Lord Protector whom they never saw but to preach up the Lord Protector of Heaven and Earth or the Lord Jesus Christ our King this is crushed by the Sword for sedition and dangerous Doctrine so that ELIAH is persecuted Micaiah mured up in close prison and kept with bread and water of affliction whiles al the States Priests or Kings Clergy who say Go up and prosper yea 400 false Prophets feed every day at Jezabels Table but yet we are upon Charmel-Mount and our enemies shal know that we are not here a fishing for Gudgeons Much more I have to say of their tyranny and cruelty and in many
nos filii sumus Regni c. Pish Let al the Harries Bishops Turks and Devils do their worst as long as Christ is ours and so we are the children of the Kingdom we care not we spare not we fear not though they kil us spit upon us beat bruise imprison or crucifie us to death for our Christ for that al shal be wel with us yea better then wel when we be the Stones of his CROWN lifted up Zach 8.16 Therefore O you the Lords Prisoners and royal Persecuted ones in Pathmos-Isle-Exiles and in Palmon-prisons my most dâ—ar and honoured Brethren indeed and now more then ever M G Harrison and Mr Courtney M Carew Col Rich M G Overton C Day B Feak c. and al the rest whom I salute in the Lords name and look towards from this top of Amana for it is a Nurse as the word signifies in the Truth this top of Shenir where is the prosperous teacher as the word signifies and this Hil of Hermon Cant 4.8 ful of Dews dedicated to God! yea from these Lions Dens and mountains of the Leopards where I am now cast for a prey by men to be devoured in Carisbrook-Castle a close prison and kennel of nuclean creatures from hence I say do I cry aloud and cal upon you who have accounted the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures and pleasures of the present court having no other way to speak unto you but this I am BIDDEN of the Lord to mind you al with my own Soul of the day-break we have so long waited and prayed for that DAY BREAK of the Vision which we may easily discern through little streams the morning is breathing but of such a day as wil be neither dark nor clear yea the years of Wonders are entring upon us and as I take it it is now the EVE-YEAR of terrible Times and things of the strange MOVNT PERAZIM-dspensations Isai 28.21 which I have I hope evidently demonstrated and proved even in the eyes of the adversaries by scripture arguments both in my Prison-born Treatise ready which are both of a MALE-SPIRIT were there any MIDWIFE so hardly to do their Office without fearing Pharaohs cruel commâ—nd of killing them who is contented to let the female carnal and low spirited things to pass the Press every day surely the Lord would deal wel with such Midwives but instead of such we find them Murtherers Traytors and very Monsters to the choisest Truths of the Day insomuch as I may say they have â—ript up the WOMEN WITH CHILD of GILEAD or of the Witnesses and choisest Saints Cant 4.1 that they might enlarge their own BORDERS Amos 1.13 but the BLOOD and judgement be upon them that have stifled and destroyed the Male-truths and discoveries which we have been so big or with child with in the Holy Ghost neither suffering us one way nor other to be delivered of them neither by printing preaching nor otherwise publishing O! O! worse then pagan popish or Prelactical tyranny over us over our very souls and consciences much more then over our bodies estates but for al this that men may know we have the blessing the Lord hath given us the blessing of the VVomb and ful breasts whiles our enemies have the miscarrying Womb and dry breasts Hos 9.14 whose fruit is stil-born and so shal every one of them be like the untimely birth of a Woman that seeth not the SVN Psal 58.8 9. when the Whirl-wind comes and now my brethren in bonds banishment where you be in the world as men almost forgotten by some and as dead men out of mind Psal 31.12 how rest you in your Arimathean Sepulchres are you not sweetly embalmed in your sufferings and do not the affectionate Maries find you out with their spices or is it a Resurrection-time with you first before they can do that wil the Whales-belly vomit you out and up again amongst your brethren at liberty after you have layen like dead Carkasses your part of the three dayes for surely the Lord wil revive his Work in the midst of the years and in the midst of the years make it known saies the Song of Seginoth Hab 3.2 Hos 6. â— 2. And in wrath remember mercy what say you O you honourable ones of the Earth that is to come to al these things do you not lye easie and sweet in your prisons and Exiles are not your beds blessed and green for your beloved and you to lye down in together O that I were with you O that I could visit you that I could hear what you would tel me how chear you how live you how feed you how lodge you what find you what feel you what see you what satisfies you what enioy you of the DAY-SPRING from on high at hand Ah my dearest hearts do you not startle sometimes to feel the babe spring up in the Womb is he not quick how say you doth not the comforter abide with you in your bonds dip your feet in oyl for you O how often doth the Angel of the Covenant visit you and come leaping over the Castles and Wals unto you and doth not the most high Jehovah Shammah stand by you as he ever he did by his poor Worms his prisoners of Faith and hope of old saying be of good chear Harrison Rich Carew Courtney Overton c and to turn you unto your strong hold for even to DAY do Ideclare that I wil render double unto thee when I have bent JVDAH for me filled the bow with Ephraim and raised up thy Sons O Greece and made thee as the SWORD of a mighty man I am with you I have oyled your bonds and made them easie and sweet unto you yea I have muzled of this mishapen Court-Monster this ugly creature this bastard of Ashdod this seed of the Dragon begotten in darkness brought forth in weakness and nourished with unreasonabless growing up in wickedness to continue with shortness and to be confounded with the fierceness of the wrath of GOD which is at hand Rev 14.10 20. Wherefore up up O concaptives and Co-Exiles if ever now with courage Sirs be ready and look about you for I tel you truly after our 42 monthed voyage we may see the Land which so many precious preceding Saints the Martyrs our predecessors have so longed to see Let us sing and shout for joy Laeto clamore canentes caventes for that our suils are filled our tackling is good our motion is swift our compass is true and we are near the Haven come then tack about Sirs and to our business to our Work with might and main make hast keep ground prepare the Gable and cast out Anchor yea awake awake al you that be aboard for the time is come to visit the Coasts and set ashoar yea my beloved the sun of persecution grows now low and wil set soon O therefore let us stand to it like Heart of Oak without warping in the least O
forth the CORNER out of HIM the Nail out of HIM the Battle-bow and they shal be as mighty men which tread down their enemies as mire in the streets in the battle and they shal fight because the Kord is with them Zach 10.5 Wherefore I be sure ye begin-your Muster or to mount your horses Zach 1.8 upon a Mount Sion ground or in a New-Covenant principle that is purely for or rather with Christ and his Kingdom and for no earthly Persons things or Interests of Men whatsoever such a War was never yet in the four Monarchieâ—s And 2. Be sure that you be fully seperate from the Beasts dominion in all things and in every ministration as wel civil and Military as Ecclesiastick for the BLESSING shal be upon the head of him that is SEPERATED from his brethren Deut 33.16 and it is an Ordinance yea obedience to an indispensable command Rev 18.4 Jer 50.28 The voice of them that FLEE and ESCAPE out of the Land of Babylon to DECLAE IN SYON the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his Temple for such only are to come out of the Tabernacle of the Testimony and to pour out the Viols in pure linnen and not at all in defiled Garments Rev 15. But furthermore 3. Be sure you loose not the least opportunity or nick of time put into your hands to do the Work when the END comes And 4. Be sure you set not upon it with your own spirits nor pour out in it your own wrath or revenge but Gods only and upon such subjects too as the VVord reveals Yea 5 Lastly Be sure that you in your actings executings and sufferings be upon no other bottom being or foundation but the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 3.11 whereon if you overcome you are sure to walk with him in VVhite Rev 3.4 Rev 7.9 14. amongst his WORTHIES yea and be as pillars in the Temple Rev 3.12 Rulers over the Nations Rev 2.26 27. and Heirs of the New Jerusalem glory the tree of Life the new name and the Throne Rev 2 7 17 and 3.12 21. Therefore up O ye Saints to take the Kingdom Dan. 7 â—8 and to possess it for ever for the GENTILES Christiani qui gentiliter vivunt have posses'd the outward Court this 42 moneths but We singers have the inner Court Ezek 40.44 and 't is now time to arise yea high time to deliver thy self O Syon Isai 52.1 2. and shake off thy dust to lay wast the land of Nimrod with the Sword Mica 5.6 7. And the Remnant of Jacob the VVorm shal be in the midst of many people as a DEW from the Lord as the showers upon the grass that TARRIETH not for MAN yea among the GENTILES as a Lion who if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver Numb 23.24 the Holy City is the holy Camp in the outward Court of the Tabernacle that is to arise with the Two VVitnesses and root the Beast that trod it under foot Therefore for the Lords sake Sirs be valiant like Davids worthies yea King Sclomons men Cant 3 7 8. Who all hold swords being expert in VVar. It is said of Sadeel that with Gener a Citizen he fought so furiously for the then cause of God that he himself put a thousand Spaniards to flight and shal we fear Non de vita sed de scuto solliciti estoti regard not your lives for the work of Christ when called to it It is said that Sceva at the siege of Dyrrachium so long alone resisted Pompeys Army that he had two hundred twenty darts sticking in his shield and lost one of his eyes and yet gave not over til Caesar came into his Rescue is it possible my Brethren that this could be for the carnal interest of a man in a fourth Kingdom spirit and shal not as noble a spirit and as high a love be found in a Fifth Kingdom man for the most excellent cause anâ— King that ever was on earth viz Jesus Christ and him onely Blessed Lord when wilt thou raise us up with thy spirit of life or how long shal all lye dead O what cowards are we now to run into holes and corners for fear of sufferings surely Lord Jesus had al thy Disciples dealt thus with thee in their Generations there would have been but few Martyrs or followers of the Lamb O I blush for shame when I behold them that are gone before with these that now follow IGNATIVS said he had rather be a Martir then a Monarch but now men had rather be Monsters then Martirs when the Dragon Emperors gave Orders to put al to death that would confess themselves christians they came in of themselves by whole flocks confessing themselves christians and defying the Heathens as in Arrius Antoninus's dayes they ran in voluntarily to dye and to be tormented as did Romanus Gerdius Menas and a many others in Dioclesians dayes but ah where be they that run in flocks to White Hal now saying we are Fift Monarchy men or for the Kingdom of Christ and wil live and dye with our brethren together see 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to LAY DOWN our lives sor the BRETHREN But ah how iniquity abounds and the love of many waxeth cold as Gui de Brez Martir in Flanders so Mr Burroughs tels us of the Woman we heard of before who ran for Martirdom with the Saints for fear she should loose it and do we sit stil for fear of sufferings which were such Jocularia ludicra as Vincentius called them to the Saints in primitive times Rejoyce and leap for joy as the word is to suffer for Christ or be found doing for him when he comes Now I beseech the Lord awaken you if you be of that race and rouze you up and set you all awork as upon life and death with all speed to overceme the beast and his followers with as lively a spirit as high a zeal and readiness to dye in the service of Christ and this his most comprehensive Cause at this day as they were in theirs through the are greatest strife and so to overcome with the Word of the Testimonie and blood of the Lamb not loving your lives Rev 12.11 Bate me nothing of my sufferings saies Gordius to the Tormentors for it is to my loss then Majora certamina majora sequuntur praemia VVherefore because I must break off with these few words to you as to OVERCOMMERS for so I trust you are or wil be in CHRIST Jesus and close Followers of he Lamb I shal leave you with that blessed man Mr Hollands Legacy bequeathed to his Friends at his death against Popery Commendo vos dilectioni Dei odio Papatus c. So against this Apostate-Generation I commend you my Brethren to the dearest lovo of God and to the deadtiest hatred of these Hipocrites and Apostates AMEN for Heb 10
have proved admit of any other King Lord Protector or Lawgiver to ravish us with their lusts God forbid Wherefore for Christs sake stand fast unmoveable and abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 and I do professe for my own part seeing the Lord hath honoured me hitherto with this Chain for this his Cause though I be a poore weake worm yet with his grace sufficient for me I will abide by it for as one of the Martyrs often used Vespasians saying Imperatorem decet stantem mori It becomes as that are Kings and Priests to God Rev. 5.10 to dye standing not stooping to the lust of any man especially now the day of Christ is come Therefore let us all fall in and on and stand to it with the Lamb and the twenty four Elders or the twenty four orders of the Levites about the throne in this Cause by which tribe of Levi are indeed to be understood the Generation Saints the first-born Heb. 12.23 first fruits Rev. 14.4 and therefore have they the precedency of other Saints as Generation Elders who like the Levites before under a curse Gen. 49.7 obtained the blessing for executing the judgment Exod. 32.27 28 29. with the sword on their brethren and spared not Now of these in Davids dayes were the twenty foure both Rulers Singers and Ministers 1 Chron. 29.25 So that such such Generation Saints the twenty foure shall joyn in one work and song with the Lamb and with all the living creatures about the Throne and with the holy Angels Rev. 4.9 10 11. and 5.11 and altogether in one Hallelujah Amen as Isa 52.7 8. which he waites for who is buried with the body of Jesus in this new Sepulchre where the souldiers seek to keep down his Resurrection and the hope of your Brother John Rogers Morning-beams OR The Vision of the Prison-Pathmos LIB I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. I. Hagah The Introduction with the Cause Accidental of the following Discourse upon the present Truth and Testimony IT is none of the least part of our Prison-Threnodies in the present Tragedie which the bloody BEAST by a new Guize hath acted again upon the Stage of Great Britanny The general Introduction by Lamentation the trampling under foot the present Truth and Testimony of Jesus in this last Scene of the holy Citie 's suffering as I may say for the fourty two months so as that scarce one Interpreter of a thousand durst entertain or own it simply which at best hath but a Pasport from Many and so is whip'd away from one to another from post to pillar till it come to the place where it was born but there it hath a being blessed be Jehovah else it is hardly handled according to the Court-Law for a Vagrant with Warrants like to Pope Engenius's hoc esse verum si ipse velit sed non aliter This or that is true if he his Holiness or Highness will have it so but not otherwise Who then can finde the faith or conrage to expose his life or at least his liberty and estate to so prodigal 2 Hazard as he must do who will fetch it from under the Beast's foot and feel the acrimony or cruelty of his sharp clunch claw or horn piercing him to the very heart O this is as hard a task in a sense as to rescue the Lamb from the claw of the Lion or paw of the Bear Therefore Isa 59.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is none that passeth his word for righteousness nor is there any judgement for the Truth O sad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what not one Well may our Prisons sound and resound with exaggerated Nightgroans for the Court and Country increase in lying and transgressing and falling backwards perpetrating iniquity at so high a rate as will suddenly fill up their measure this I see evidently from my Iron bars as v. 13 14 15 16. and yet None intercede for the Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one will run after it follow it meet it or to the face of All own it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O what a Lamentation is this If one doth like Wisdom's child a little justifie it yet where is he that doth according to the Hebrew intercedere intercedens for he that doth so as it is in the text exposes himself to be spoiled plundered imprisoned made a prey to the ravenous Beast that eats bones and all Zeph. 3.2 Yea although he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that departs from the evil of the Times is sure to suffer so yet for all that it is a Wonder to me how we can hold in to see what officious servants Charles Stuart this Court or any carnal Interest have to run and ride on their Errands to venture and engage life liberty limbs estates and all for them and their Interest but the Lord Jesus ah alas as if he were the worst Master of all can finde few faithful that will venture half so far for him and his suffering Cause at this day especially perpending the point of Time the progress of the Testimony the approach of the Period of the Beast's dominion in this street of the fourty two months and of the rise of the Witnesses with the little Stone or the remnant of the Womans seed who must strike the Image-Government of England all to pieces the terrible Earthquake which shall rend them up by the very roots Also when I advert the advantages of the Saints in this street above any other of all the great City or Beasts dominion the forwardness of the Work here the height of the Controversie already between the Lamb and the Beast precious blood of Saints having seal'd thereto and the Vials so lately pour'd out upon the King Lords Prelates and corrupt Powers of this Seat also our late zeal against Common-prayer Crosses Painted Windows Rails Surplices corrupt Ministers Magistrates and the like O! my soul even bleeds within me to behold the present apostacie of Spirit Principles and Persons not onely among Mercenary Professors but the Little Remnant whose Coldness Cowardliness and Carelesness is almost incredible at this time of Day too and were it not to fulfil the Word of God Rev. 11. that this present Death and Darkness is upon us for these three yeers and an half I should be so astonished at it as not to know what to make of it But when I am venting my burthen with these like words or passions Lord where is the Spirit of old yea the Spirit and faith and courage that we our selves had some ten twelve or fourteen years ago among the good old Puritans yea the spirit of English-men and rational men among us O! what a Change is this What sheepishness what sleepiness what deadness what darkness what timorousness and what tameness is now seized upon us The Light arising in Darkness doth put an end to such Reasonings and Syllogizings giving rest to my Spirit till the time of the end which is at