it and mould it for honour or dishonor and if his Spirit blow upon you and if he smite you you perish and none can restore you Take heed to this God and have respect unto him and remember you are but as Dust before him and you now have a time for a moment which the Lord hath given you to try you what you will do and how you will walk towards him an Account unto him must you give of all your wayes Remember this now in your life-time while you have time and the day of your visitation is not quite extinguished 4 Be tender and compassionate towards all men not perverse hasty and froward thinking to bow men to your wills by rigour but rather win them by love and this is of good report to you to be humble meek and tender towards all even towards your Enemies and insult not over the Afflicted neither add to their Sufferings for the Lord can raise up and bring down whomsoever he will according to his pleasure and remember that Law to walk by it Do to others but aâ— ye would have others do unto you in the same case and be not too cruel to such who cannot conform to Times and Things and Men for what know you but some mens Consciences may be tender in things which you yet make no Conscience of meddle not to persecute any for their Conscience sake in religious matters but rule and govern well in outward Affairs according to the Law of God but afflict not nor persecute any for their Conscience sake towards God while they walk justly as men in things between man and man Take this Counsel lest you vex the Lord against you to destroy you 5. Be moderate and compassionate towards this same People that are accused before you though they are at this day a People under Afflictions and Sufferings every way yet shew not the height of Rigour and Oppression against them though you have Power to imprison them and to deal hardly with them yet be tender and meek and shew bowels of mercy and forbearance and use not the extent of your Power to seek their Destruction lest ye provoke the Lord against your selves for the God of Heaven remembreth their Cause and doth give ear to the cry of their innocent groanings under their heavy Burdens and Deliverance may he work for them whether you will or no Though it be an hour of Affliction and a day of great Tryal upon them yet Wo unto them that shall be found adding to their Afflictions by encreasing their Burdens through Injustice and Persecution Therefore as ye hope to receive Mercy from the Lord and as ye would have his Compassion shewed to you do the same to his People for Power is in your Hands to be Merciful or Cruel to relieve them or persecute them and it is your day of tryal what you 〈◊〉 do ye have your hour to do Good or evil and according to your Works will the God of Heaven reward you 6. Consider the Innocency of this People they are clear before the Lord and you of plotting or contriving or designing Evil againâ—â— you or this Government they seek not the hurt of any mans Person nor do they intend Evil towards the Government or Governours Who have found them agitating any such things of all such things they are innocent and are peaceable Subjects under the Government and are perswaded in Conscience so to â—â—ntinue And as for their Deportment in their Callings and Occasions and Tradings amongst Men ask their Neighbours Do not they deal justly truly and equally in all their Dealings and Occasions Do not they speak the Truth to their Neighbours in all Matters and are they not Persons of upright and inoffensive Lives and Conversations Do they defraud their Neighbours or are they Drunkards or vain Persons â—et the very Witness of God in their Neighbours answer And if you should fall a persecuting this People and seek to destroy them concerning whom the Witness of God in Mens Consciences giveth such an Evidence Wo wo will be unto you for you cannot hurt them but you act contrary to the Witness of God in your own Hearts which will condemn you in the Day of Judgment So let this dwell upon your spirits and be aware what you do take good Consideration lest you act out of God's Counsel to your own overthrow 7. Consider what became of all the Persecutors of old Were not they Eminently destroyed by the Hand of God who persecuted the Lord's People What became of Pharoah and what became of Hammon and what became of Herod who persecuted the Lord's Heritage Let this enter into your Hearts to be Examples to you that you persecute not the Innocent lest God overturn you by the Roots for as I have said The Cause of this People God regardeth and he will avenge himself in his season of all their Persecutors Have not your Hands dipped in their unjust Afflictions that God may bless you and spare them that you may be spared in the Day of Vengeance if you have no matter of Evil against them in things between man and man nor in the Affairs of your Government as contriving against it nor nothing but concerning the Worship of their God and the Matters of their Conscience in spiritual things Touch them not Persecute them not Afflict them not but be tender towards them as you will answer the same before the God of Heaven These are only Considerations of Warning to you and I commit the Matter to the Lord and ye have time to do Good or Evil and accordingly will God reward you A Testimony concerning Government and Authority WE are a People whom God hath raised up out of the Apastacy Darkness and Ignorance which all Christendom hath long been fallen into for since the dayes of the Apostles many have professed the Words of Christ and had a Name of Churches and the shew of Religion and have professed the Scriptures but have wanted the same Spirit and Power of Godliness which the Apostles lived in the Life and Spirit of God hath been wanting amongst the false Christians and they have been persecuting one another about Religion and the Worship of God and imposing upon one anothers Consciences in spiritual Matters and Kings and Rulers have been setting up what kind of Worship and Religion and Church Government as they pleased and they have imposed upon Kingdoms and made people subject to them to profess and conform to such a Way of Worship and Religion some in the ignorance of their Consciences and some contrary to their Consciences and all this hath been in the Apostacy since the Apostles dayes while men have been fallen from the true Faith and many have been subject to their Rulers and Governours by force and for fear and not for Conscience sake for Love Peace and Unity hath been wanting among Christians and Bitterness Frowardness and False heartedness hath been amongst them but out of all this the Lord
hath redeemed us into Peace and Comfort with God and one with another And as concerning our Principle about Magistracy and Government and obedience thereunto this I do declare 1. We do own and acknowledge Magistracy to be an Ordinance of God instituted of him for the punishing of Evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well and we acknowledge all subjection to Authority Magistracy and Government This is our Principle and hath ever been our Practice known through these Kingdoms that we are subject by doing or suffering to whatsoever Authority the Lord pleaseth to set over us without Rebellion Sedition Plotting or making War against any Government or Governors 2. That Government and Authority which is justly according unto God in all its Statutes and Ordinances we are and do engage to be subject thereunto by full Obedience to all the Commands and Injunctions of such Authority and Government whose Laws Ordinances and Commandments are grounded upon right Reason and Equity which leadeth to do to all men as we would be done unto and punish the contrary to such Government and Authority we are readily subject in all things and cases and we are for the Order and Assistance of such Government in all Righteousness 3. That Government which is contrary unto this which is Injustice commanding and requiring things contrary to the Law of God and imposing upon People in Matters and Cases contrary to Right Reason and Equity whose Commands are different to the Will of God yet to such Government we acknowledge subjection by patient suffering under all Penalties inflicted for disobedience to the Commands which we cannot perform by Obedience for Conscience sake And this is our Principle though an Authority and Government were never so Unjust in it self and in its exercise yet we may not plot nor contrive or make turbulent Insurrections to redeem our selves from such Government and Authority but we must commit our Cause to the Lord in such case of suffering under any unjust Commands of Men. 4. As concerning Church and Ministry and the Exercise of Religion We believe and acknowledge that Christ hath a Church upon Earth and a lawful Ministry and we are not Enemies to Church and Ministry and Gospel-Ordinances as we are falsly reputed by Men ignorant and slanderous but we only bear witness against the corruption and degeneration of the Church of Papists and Protestants so called wherein they are different and contrary to what the Churches of Christ were in the Apostles dayes they are different and contrary I assert to what the Churches of Christ once were in Ministry in its Call and Maintenance in Ordinances and Worship in Discipline and Government in all these things there is difference to what these things were in the true Churches in the Apostles dayes And our Principle is for the reforming of Ministry Church Government Discipline and Worship and not to destroy them 5. As concerning Imposing of Faith and Doctrine and Practices and Worship in Religion by the force of Laws and Penalties in the ignorance of mens Consciences or contrary to their Consciences We do say This Practice never was in the Apostles dayes but is an Intrusion of Antichrist and we bear Testimony against it not to be of God but contrary to him And that outward Government and Authority in Kingdoms and Nations is to be exercised over the outward man in things between man and man and not over the inward man in things between God and mans Conscience in spiritual Matters and Worship and Duty to God-wards No King nor Ruler upon Earth hath Power given him of God to exercise such Authority over the Consciences of Men in the Matters of God's Kingdom And further Religion and Church Government so set up and established by force upon Pains and Penalties can but reform a People into Hypocrisie and false Conformity and not into any real Performance of Religion or Duty to God And such Performance of Religion Church-Fellowship and Ordinances is not unto eternal Life but to the making of men two fold more the Children of the Devil 6. We do believe That it is the Convictions and Teaching of the Spirit of God that doth make men and People only truly Religious It is that only that perswades the Conscience from all Evil unto that which is Good and true Religion and the Worship of God and Duty towards him is not truly learned by Traditions of time Commandments of Men or Custom of Countries or the like but it is the Spirit of God and its Teachings in the Consciences of People that leadeth into all Truth according as Christ hath said so that the Way of forcing Religion and Duty to God upon People by force and outward Penalties this was never known among the Saints and Apostles of Christ. These things are presented to your Considerations The Lord give you a right Understanding of them and that you may walk in the way of your own Peace with God and Man E. B. Written in the 10th Moneth in Ireland 1660. SOME CONSIDERATIONS Presented unto the King of England c. Being an Answer unto a Petition and Address of the General Court of Boston in New-England presented unto the KING as is said Feb. last the Eleaventh Day 1660. Subscribed by Iohn Indicot the chief Persecutor there thinking thereby to cover themselves from the Blood of the Innocent OH King this my Occasion to present thee with these Considerations is very urgent and of great necessity even in the behalf of Innocent Blood hoping that my Work will find such Favour with thee as to induce thee to the reading and serious consideration hereof My Occasion is this Because of a Paper presented to thee called The humble Petition and Address of the General Court at Boston in New-England In which is contained divers Calumnies unjust Reproaches palpable Untruths and malicious Slanders against an innocent People whom they scornfully call Quakers whom for the Name of Christ's sake are made a Reproach through the World and by these Petitioners have been persecuted unto Banishment and Death It is hard to relate the Cruelties that have been committed against these People and acted upon them by these Petitioners they have spoyled their Goods imprisoned many of their Persons Whipped them cut off their Ears Burned them yea Banished and Murdered them and all this I aver and affirm before thee O King wholy unjustly and unrighteously and without the Breach of any just Law of God or Man but only for and because of difference in Iudgment and Practice concerning Spiritual things and without any Transgression of the Law of God or their own Laws saving that they made Laws against them on purpose to spoil their Goods imprison Persons cut off their Ears yea and kill them which Laws were made by them without any Power truly derived from the lawful Authority of England contrary to their Patent And now O King these same men have presented thee with a Petition in which is asserted very many
exercise of Faith Worship and Religion to God-wards may be allowed and maintained unto all without any imposition violence or persecution exercised about the same on the persons Estates or Consciences of any in any relation to Religion the Worship of God Church Government and Ministry But that all Christian People may be left free in all these Kingdoms in the exercise of Conscience without being restrained from or compelled to any way of worship and practise of Religion upon any pains and penalties and that every one may be admitted to worship God in that way as his spirit perswades the heart and may be defended in such their profession of Religion while they make not use of their Liberty to the detrement of any other mens persons or Estates as aforesaid And let it not seem strange to you why I appear in this manner and matter at such a season as this for your very Happiness prosperity and establishment or the contrary dependeth hereupon even in allowing and maintaining liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion or in limitting and forcing and persecuting about the same and this may appear if you justly consider these things following 1. The Lordship in and over conscience and the exercise thereof in all matters of Faith and Worship and duty to God-wards is Gods alone only and proper right and priviledge and he hath reserved this power and Authority in himself and not committed the Lordship over Conscience nor the exercise thereof in the cases of faith and worship to any upon Earth not to perscribe and impose principles and practises of Faith and worship and Religion by force and violence on the persons and Consciences of men but this belongs only to God even to work faith in the heart and to convert to holiness and to lead and teach people by his Spirit in his worship and to exercise their Consciences in all his wayes For the Apostles themselves said they had not Dominion over the Faith of the Saints 2 Cor. 1. 24. but the Lord alone And King Charles the first said in his Meditations page 91. of that Edition Printed for R. Royston I have often declared how little I desire my Laws and Scepter should intrench on God's Soveraignity which is the only King of men's Consciences c. So that to be Lord in CONSCIENCE and Exerciser thereof in all the Matters of God's Kingdom is his Only Proper Right and to him alone it appertains 2. And therefore consider If ye do not allow Free Liberty of Conscience and give unto God the Lordship and Exercise thereof in all Matters of Faith and Worship to Him-wards but do impose by Violence in forcing to and restraining from such and such Wayes of Religion than ye take Dominion over mens Faith which ye ought not to do and ye intrench on God's Soveraignity and usurpe his Authority in exercising Lordship over the Conscience in and over which Christ is only King as before recited and ye ought not to take his right from him nor to exercise that Authority over ruens Faith and Consciences which only appertains unto him as his proper priviledge for in so doing how dangerous effects may it bring forth even ye may easily provoke the Lord to wrath against you and bring upon your selves sorrow and misery if ye exercise violence upon mens Consciences in and concerning Religious matters contrary to the Scriptures and the example of Primitive Christians who were persecuted for their Conscience sake but did never persecute nor punish any for that cause nor ever used violence about their Religion as Charles the I. in his meditations pag. 82. Nothing said he violent nor injurious can be religious c. 3. Consider if ye allow not the free exercise of Conscience in Spiritual matters but do take Dommion over mens faith and impose by violence in the cases of Conscience about Religion and do not suffer the Lord to enjoy his only right to be King in the matters of his own Kingdom then ye divert the end of just rule and government among men and pervert the end of Gods great love and favour shewed unto you in restoring of you to the place of Authority and Judgement for the end of just Government upon earth by Kings and Rulers is To exercise Justice Truth and Righteousness among men and over the outward man and to be a praise to all that do wellâ— and walk uprightly and to be a terror to all transgressors and them that do evil in their outward man and to keep the outward man in good order by just Judgment in all cases between man and man This is only the extent of your Authority over the outward man and to your Jurisdiction only this belongs to judge in Truth and Righteousness to make Laws and execute them between man and man to preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another but not at all to make Laws and execute them between God and mens Consciences in the cases of his Spiritual Kingdom this power belongs to God and he hath not committed it to you to exercise and therefore let justice equity and mercy be exercised by you among men and over the outward man and in all cases between man and man but meddle not in the Cases of mens faith to God and their Consciences to him but leave that unto him alone whose right it is for it is dangerous and will bring wofull effects if ye intrench on Gods Soveraignity and if ye divert the proper end of just Government and of the Love of God in restoring you into Authority and power 4. Consider if ye allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the profession and practice of spiritual things but will compel by violence about Religion then this will inavoidably produce and bring forth cruel persecution in the Kingdoms imprisonment banishment and death and all the evil effects of persecution will fill the Nations for though never so forceable impositions be laid on the persons estates and consciences of men for the cause of difference in Judgment and practises of Religion and tocompel into Conformity yet it cannot be supposed that all will bow and conform to the denying of that way which they are perswaded in Conscience to be right and to the embracing of what they cannot in Conscience believe is of God but will rather suffer the cruelest death then conform to any thing contrary to light and knowledge and if free Liberty of Conscience be denied many such must needs be exposed to Persecution even to Death though they may be Peaceable People and profitable Inhabitants of the Kingdoms and in the things between man and man and in all matters Temporal pertaining to the King may be Just and Righteous and Unreprovable yet because of Difference in Judgment and Opinion exposed to be destroyed in person and estate and such effects will not be of honour nor saftey to these Nations if innocent and just men be destroyed and their relations ruined
though some may profess good Conscience and cry for Liberty thereof in their false Sect and Religion not taught them by the Spirit of Christ yet the Civil Magistrate ought not to punish and use Violence to such for their Religion but if they do they persecute and the Lord will lay it to their charge But yet this is safe for all first to obtain true Liberty of Conscience to God-wards and to receive the Spirit of Christ to be taught only by it in the Exercise of Conscience and Religion that they may not err in Conscience and Judgment in spiritual Matters nor suffer Wrongfully under pretence of Righteousness sake whenas it is not truly so CHAP IV. Concerning the Diversity of Iudgments in Religion TO all ye that are of divers Judgments and Opinions in and concerning Spiritual Matters who are divided about Faith Doctrine Worship and Church Government some of you holding one thing some another different and contrary to that being diversly divided in mind and heart concerning the matters that are one in themselves to which you all assent as to the things in themselves and yet are different contrary minded about the self-same things To you all I am moved to write that so ye may be informed perfectly First What the Cause is of your Divisions and why it is thus amongst you And Secondly Of the bad Effects and Fruits such Divisions have brought forth And Lastly The Meant and Way of Reconciliation that ye may come into Love and Peace and Unity with God and one with another in all things pertaining to his Kingdom First The Cause of your Divisions and of the Diversities of Judgments and Opinions that are amongst you concerning the Things and Matters of God's Kingdom is Because you want the Spirit of God to guide you and it is not the Rule of your Knowledge and Iudgment and you wanting the Spirit of God in which is Unity among Saints therefore is it you are so divided and divers and different and contrary one to another in these things it is because ye want the Spirit of God I say which only teacheth the true Knowledge of God and gives an Understanding in all his Wayes and Matters It is the Spirit of God that teacheth true Faith true Doctrine and true Worship and all things about Church Ministry and Religion and if that you had the Spirit of God in you and were taught and guided by it it would teach you into one Faith and one Truth and into the true Worship and into the true church-Church-Government and you would be in Unity and Peace And if you all had the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures and by which Spirit the Saints of God were guided in dayes past it would teach you into Unity and to be of one Mind one Heart and one Soul in all the Matters pertaining to God's Kingdom in Faith Worship Doctrine and all things else If you had the Spirit of God I say and were taught by it then you would have Unity with God and one with another in all his Wayes and there would have been no Division nor Contention amongst you about spiritual Matters but because you want that therefore you have Strife and Division amongst you even throughout all Christendom Here 's a Nation and a Kingdom holding such a Faith and Worship and there 's another People holding Faith and Worship contrary to that and here 's one Sect of People and there 's another different in Faith Judgment and Opinion and this is a Shame to whole Christendom That all should profess Christ Iesus and Faith in him and Salvation by him and his Doctrine and Worship and yet be in strife division and in great contentions concerning the same some holding and practizing one manner of Faith Worship and Doctrine and others holding contrary and different and this shews that ye are all fallen from the Life of Christianity as it was held in the Apostles dayes amongst the true Churches for they were of one heart mind soul and spirit as it is written they were of one Faith of one Worship of one Doctrine and had one way of Church-Government and this continued amongst the Churches of Christ till there were some that had Erred from the Spirit of God in their own Consciences and then they also Erred in Faith in Doctrine and in all other things relating to God and these were the Apostate Christians that had erred from the Spirit and divided themselves from the true Church and differed in Judgment amongst themselves and this was because they had erred from the Spirit of God which would have kept them in Unity with God and one with another for the Spirit is the Bond of Peace and the Seal of the Covenant of Love amongst the Saints So now All ye who are divided in your Knowledge and Iudgement and are in contention one with another about the matters pertaining to God's Kingdom you are the apostate Christians and you are without the Spirit of Christ The first apostate Christians erred from the Spirit and so became divided from the true Faith and from the true Worship and also among themselves and you never yet received the Spirit of Christ that you might come into Unity and Fellowship with God and one with another and that is the Reason of all your Divisions in Religious matters because you have not received the Spirit of Christ to teach you and to unite your Hearts to God and one to another but you having the Scriptures traditionally by discent through Ages which do describe and declare of that Faith and Doctrine and of the Worship and Church-Government which were among the Saints of old which they held and practised and from the Scriptures which declare of the things from thence you take up a Conceit and false Judgment and an Imitation and a false Conformity and then each sort of you call that your Faith and Church-Government and some after one manner of form and some after another and thus you are divided because you want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit did work true Faith in the hearts of them that gave them forth in dayes of old and it taught them Worship Faith Doctrine and all things concerning Gods Kingdom for the Spirit led them into all Truth and now you wanting the same Spirit that wrought in them and taught them and you having but their words to wit the Scriptures from thence in the Wisdom which is below and in the carnal Reason and in the first mans understanding each Nation takes up a conceit that it is so and so and takes up an Imitation of Worship and Church-Government according to their own sensual wisdom and according to the breadth and depth of their Conceits and then imitates and that severally and diversly and in a divided manner and this is amongst Kingdoms and amongst Neighbours and Brethren this Division in matters of Faith Worship and Doctrine and Church-Government
such as approve of them and hear them and partake of their labour and so the Saints will maintain their Ministers and the World may maintain theirs and every sort of people may maintain such Ministers as labour for them and none to be forced to maintain such as they do 〈◊〉 approve of nor none hindred from maintaining of such as they do approve 〈◊〉 be they true or false Ministers and this is reason and a good Conscience Thâ—â— every man be left free in such cases to maintain whom he will and to give as he will 〈◊〉 what he will and this is reason and equity that no man be compelled to give or hiâ—… from giving to whom he pleaseth and what he pleaseth and so let people make choiâ—â— of their Ministers whom they will approve and whom they will hear and of whoâ—â— labours they will receive and then let them maintain them and if any be compelled let them be compelled to pay their own Servants who minister to them and not aâ—â—thers for whom they do no work and this is just and right both for Ministers aâ—â— people that every Minister be paid by them to whom he doth Minister and who receive him as a Minister and for whom he doth work and this great injustice and oppression in England will cease if this Law of Equity and Righteousness were established and all people left free to hear approve of whom they will and then to pay theâ— and maintain them and this would try the Ministers and who converted the most 〈◊〉 God and gained the love of most people and if they wrought well they may receiâ—â— a Maintenance accordingly by the free gift of the People and the Ministers that are noâ— content with this Law are out of pure Reason and Equity and shew that the dare not trust the Lord nor the fruits of their labours but would be maintained in â—idleness by unlawful means by compelling maintenance from them to whom they do no work and such shew great covetousness who desire more then the Milk of their own Flock and the fruit of their own Vine-yard but in Equity and Justice â—et every Minister be maintained by the fruit of his own labour from the people for whom he doth labour and this will content most part of the People and till this be established in the Earth true Justice and Judgment will be wanting in this particular and this is according to Truth and to a righteous Law and by this all people may understand what Ministers and Ministry we do allow and approve of and how Ministers ought to be maintained and if any go forth to a Place and Country among a people that are not converted then the Church ought to take care to maintain such in their work till they may reap of their own labour and eat of the fruit of their own Vine-yard but all this ought to be without compelling or forcing by the Minister for every Minister of Christ doth chiefly take care of the work unto which he is called and is without care of his outward Maintenance By a Friend unto England's Common-wealth for whose sake this is written and sent abroad EDWARD BURROUGH A Standard lifted up and an Ensign held forth to all NATIONS Shewing unto the whole world and to all people to whom it shall come by open Proclamation what the Testimony of God is and of his people which they hold which they have received from him through the eternal Spirit of which they are not ashamed before men but are called to witness it forth in the Nations in the same Spirit and Power as they have received it from the Lord. Also shewing of his great work which he is about to do in the Earth and this Testimony is true and no lye for it is of God and witnessed by Thousands of his People at this day who are in scorn called Quakers The CONTENTS CHap. 1. A Testimony concerning the true God Chap. 2. A Testimony concerning the Son of God Chap. 3. A Testimony concerning the Spirit of God Chap. 4. A Testimony concerning all mankind Chap. 5. A Testimony concerning the World in general Chap. 6. A Testimony concerning mans Restoration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought Chap. 7. A Testimony concerning true Religion and the true Worship of the true God Chap. 8. A Testimony concerning Iustification and Sanctification Chap. 9. A Testimony concerning the Kingdom of Christ and how it is to be set up Chap. 10. A Testimony concerning Governors and Governments and subjection to them Chap. 11. A Testimony concerning the true Ministry of Christ and the false Ministry and the difference betwixt them Chap. 12. A Testimony concerning the Gospel of Christ. Chap. 13. A Testimony concerning the Word of God and concerning the Scriptures Chap. 14. A Testimony concerning the Devil and Damnation Chap. 15. A Testimony concerning all Creatures that God made Chap. 16. A Testimony concerning the new Covenant and how man comes to the Knowledgâ— of God Chap. 17. A Testimony concerning Faith Chap. 18. A Testimony concerning what works are accepted of God and what works are 〈◊〉 accepted brought forth by the Creature Chap. 19. A Testimony concerning mans state in the first Adam before the Conversâ—â—â— and his state after Conversion and what Conversion is Also a Testimony of the Seed of God Also a Testimony that the Way of Life and the Way of Death is set before every man Also a Testimony to all Kings and Princes and Pâ—â—â—â—â— that we are not Enemies against but Friends unto all Civil Government and wholsom 〈◊〉 and Customs of any Commonwealth which is according to God c. Also a Testimony 〈◊〉 Government we declare our selves to be Enemies against Also a Testimony that we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disannul and make void the Covenant or Bond of Relations c. Also a Testimony that 〈◊〉 do maintain and hold the very same Truth as all the Generations of the Iust did in all Ages Also a Testimony of our Government and a Testimony of Quaking and Trembling Also a Declaration of the full purpose of our hearts c. IN the Name and Power of the Eternal God that made Heaven Earth and all things therein who is the Life of all things and the Power by which they stand in his Counsell and Fear I do hereby declare my self unto the whole world and unto all people upon Earth that ye may all know the very cerâ—â—inty of those things which is reported abroad through many Nations and that â—e may be informed truly concerning us from our own mouthes of many things â—hich cometh to you by false reports and lying informations concerning a people â—ppear'd in these late years and raised up going under the name of QUAKERS â—now ye assuredly that we are of God and are raised up by him and called by his Name and his dreadfull presence goes before us and his righteousness is our â—eward We are such as do fear and worship
is contained in the Old and New Testament of the Scriptures which Oath he is bound to perform before the Lord and unto all men Now it remains to be tried and proved what the Christian Religion is and who they are in these Nations that are of the true reformed Protestant Christian Religion in the purity thereof as it is contained in the Scriptures seeing there are abundance of Sects and diversity of Judgements and many Assemblies and Gatherings of people who are divers in their Wayes in their Practices and in their Form of Religion in these Nations which do all profess the Scriptures and that their Form of Religion is according to the Scriptures but this cannot be but it will be manifest otherwise for the Scriptures which were given forth by the one Spirit of God bears not witness of many true Ways or unto many true Religions but unto one Truth and unto one true Religion and is the Declaration of one way of Life and Salvation by one Jesus Christ and there is no other Name under Heaven given for Salvation And they that believe in him and receive him those are they onely that are of the true Religion who are guided by the Spirit and changed thereby from Death to Life and such have unity with the Father and with the Son and one with another and are not of this World but Heirs of the Kingdom of God and these may own and claim a Title to be defended and preserved in their exercise and Practice of Religion Therefore come all sorts of People and let us try and prove who it is that is of the true Religion and who it is that he is bound to maintain and uphold by his Oath Come I say all Sects and sorts of people and appear to Trial Dare you joyn issue with me in this matter to try your Profession and Practise oâ— Religion whether it be according to the Scriptures in the purity thereof yea or nay for the Lord hath put it into my Heart to lay you all to the Line of true Judgement and to prove you whether you must be upholden and maintained in your Religion yea or nay Come claim your Priviledge if your Profession and Practice in Religion be according to the Scriptures then you may own your right and the benefit of the Protectors Oath but if your Profession and Practice in Religion be otherwise and not according to the Scriptures then you must stand back and defend your selves if you can for the Protector is not bound to maintain and uphold you in your Practice of Religion And with this Argument I shall try you all Whatsoever is professed and practised for Religion for which there is neither command nor president in Scripture is not aecording to the Scripture let this fall where it may this is Truth and therefore all people come to tryal and receive your judgement by this rule And first the true Religion is a walking with God in purity and holiness a performing of good to him and not doing any evil a belief in Christ and receiving of him and a living in him and through the operation of his Spirit to be changed into his Image and the Body of Sin and Death put off and a living to God in all things and not a living to this vain World in any thing but in all things to be guided by the Spirit of Christ This in short is a description of the true Religion and they that are of this Religion shall be saved in the Day of the Lord and in Equity and Righteousness should be protected according to the Oath before-mentioned or else the Oath is not performed in justice but rather broken through transgression And first of all as concerning that profession and practice in Religion which is most general in these Nations I mean such as sprinkle Infants and are sprinkled being Infants professing it to be the Baptism into the Faith of Christ and that it is a seal of the new Covenant and of remission of sins and that thereby people are made capable of union with Christ and that it is a sign of regeneration c. This is practised and professed by many for Religion but this Practice and Doctrine is not according to the Scripture therefore all ye through all these Nations that are made Christians and own your Title in Christianity and a right to fellowship with Christ and that ye are joyned to the Church and become Members of Christ because you were sprinkled when you were Infants and all ye that preach this for Doctrine and practise it for Religion you are not of the true Christian Religion in the Purity thereof as it is contain'd in the Scriptures this I do affirm Therefore stand you by for what you practise and profess there is neither Command nor President in Scripture if you could shew any you are now called and a Necessity is put upon you to make use of your Knowledge if you would be protected in this Common-Wealth in your Practice of Religion Likewise you sing and give to sing David's Psalms in Rhyme and Meeter professing it is to the Glory and Honour of God ye practise this as an Ordinance of God as a part of his Worship and as a part of your Religion but this Practice and Profession also is manifest not to be according to Scriptures because it was never commanded neither is there any President for this Practice in the Scriptures in Gospel Times therefore in this part of your Religion you cannot justly own to be pro tected and maintained because the Protector 's Oath reacheth not to uphold and maintain any such Practices in Religion which are not according to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that meet together to exercise your Religion and to worship God in Temples made with hands set a part by you for that Practice professing them to be Churches of Christ this is not according but contrary to the Scriptures which say God dwells not in Temples made with hands neither did the Saints of old constantly practice any such thing But they were the Persecutors that met in Temples made with hands who cast out and haled the Apostles out of such Temples so that in this Practice you cannot justly own to be protected as not being a Practice in Religion according to Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Ministers preach for Hire and have Hire for preaching so much a Year and so much a Sermon at a Town or a Parish in a settled Place and who take Tythes and compel People to pay Tythes by a Law such are not the Ministers of Christ and ye that uphold such for Ministers of Christ are false in Judgment and blind in Understanding and are not of that Christian Religion which is according to Scriptures in the Purity thereof neither Ministers nor People for the Ministers of Christ never acted any such thing they were the false Prophets and false Apostles that preached for Hire and for Gifts and Rewards neither did
present Rulers be looked upon as great Traytors and Tyrants in your dealing towards them and doubtless the men of that part will seek Vengeance against you even by preâ—câ—ing and 〈◊〉 and they will curse you in the Name of their God and seek continually yoâ—â— destruction as such as have taken away part of their strength and cast down their 〈◊〉 but alas all this is nothing for the Lord doth not account as men For these things must needs thus come to pass for the furtherance of the Kingdom and Government of Iesus Christ that it may arise through all and if you were but faithful to what the Lord requires of you in your proceedings what you have done â—â—to them should not be reckoned on account against you neither by God nor good Men. But and if you of the Army be alwayes Treacherous and Disoâ—edient towards him and abuse your Power and dis-regard your Price that God hath given you and trifle away your Hour about Places of Honour and such self-seeking matters and the Cause of God be neglected by you and his People continued Oppressed Sufferers under you as they have long been Even then shall you be cast aside with shameful Disgrace and the heavy Hand of the Lord shall be upon you in Iudgment and you shall be smitten more then any before yâ—â— your Estates shall not be spared from the Spoiler nor your Souls from the Pit nor yâ—… Persons from the Violence of Men no nor your Necks from the Axe for if you be unfaithful and continually Treacherous to the Cause of God then shall you be left to the Will of your Enemies and they shall charge Treachery and Treason upon you and your Persons and Estates shall be given for a Prey to your Enemies and you shall 〈◊〉 deliver your selves neither will the Lord deliver you from the Execution of Merciless Men for my Lord shall leave the Cruel-hearted to plead with you Wherefore that you may be warned I advise you to be faithful let not the Cause of God fall nor the Cause of his Enemies prosper before you for there is no other way whereby you can be preserved nor no other Defence shall you ever find from the Wrath of the Lord and from the Fury of you Devouring Enemies then your Faithfulness in God's Cause and therefore relieve the Oppressed and take off all Oppressions break down all unjust Laws and set all People free from unjust Burdens and let all Oppressions cease both in Church and Civil State and even all Oppressive Laws and Unjust Judges and Evil Men in Power let all this be removed and the Nation clean quitted and discharged even from all Men and Laws whatsoever that have held under Oppression the Persons Estates and Consciences of the Good People of this Land and let the Nation be corrected and all Orders and Places of men and Laws and Decrees be purified for this my Lord the Great King requireth and he will suddenly have it brought to pass in the Nation if not by you then contrary to you and to your utter Destruction and this is the very substâ—â—ce of my Message to you that my Master hath given me to say unto you and on his behalf I am come to claim of you my Master 's long lost Right let him have his Right from which he hath long been banished I demand it of you all ye whatsoever that seem to bear rule in the Nation I charge you in his Name let him have his Title and Prerogative let him be Lord and King wholy in his own Kingdom let him have the Exercise of his People's Consciences by his own Spirit in all things related to his Worship and Service and let him have the full Authority by his Spirit in all things pertaining to Church and Ministry and Faith and Religion and let his Spirit have the alone Authority to perswade and diswade People from or to such or such Ministry Worship and Practices of Religion and let all forced Maintenance to Ministers and Tythes be speedily taken away and let all Laws and Decrees whatsoever made and practized in the days of Antichrist upon the Bodies Estates and Consciences of the People in Oppression and Unjustness about Church and Worship and Religion be utterly repealed and made void and never more be in force in this Nation But let my Lord be sole Ruler and Governour and have the full Authority in his own Kingdom in all things whatsoever pertaining thereunto and let no man henceforth hereafter be intrusted with the Liberties of the Members of Christ's Kingdom as they are such nor to judge over them in any matters of Faith and Worship but give that Right and Priviledge wholy unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ for unto him onely it pertaineth to be whole Judge and to have full Power in his own Kingdom and until you give him the Right and deliver up unto him his own Kingdom and the Exercise of Peoples Consciences in all things about RELIGION you shall never Prosper nor none that cometh after you that shall in any measure abridge my Master of his proper RIGHT from which he hath long been Banished as I have said and till his Right be given him in the case aforesaid He will dash one man against another and none shall ever be established but Horn after Horn shall be broken and one Power after another brought into Câ—â—â—â—sion And therefore ye men Do not strive with him in this matter but yield unto 〈◊〉 the Exercise of your own Consciences by his Spirit in you and let him do 〈◊〉 â—â—to all others even as ye hope to prosper and upon the Penalty of his sore Dâ—â—â—leasure upon you in this World and in the World to come and let Jâ—â—â— Men and Righteous Men and Meek Men and Men that have the Fear and Wisdom of God in them without Exceptation of Birth or otherwise 〈◊〉 such men have the Power and Judgment committed to them to determine in things between Man and Man Down with all the false-hearted Flatterers that 〈◊〉 ruled for Man and not for God and for themselves and not for the good of the People cast all such out from among you for the Good among you is choaked by them Down with all that Judge for Rewards and away with 〈◊〉 Hireling Rulers that execute the Law for Money and will not plead 〈◊〉 Cause of the Poor without great Fees And down with all that will not 〈◊〉 places of Trust without so large Stipends away with all these things out of the Land for they are hainous Oppressions unto men and great Aboâ—…ons in the Sight of God and the Land hath long groaned under the wâ—ight and burden of these things and the Earth is weary of them and my Lord â—…iers their utter Dissolution as being Iniquities fully ripe and having the gâ—ilâ— of so much Cruelty Injustice and Oppression lying upon the Nation because hereof therefore is the Lord's season to destroy them and remove them out of
these Doctrines upon the Apostles then upon the Papists and as for joyning to your Ordinances there is many that fears God who are not Papists that for good conscience sake cannot joyn to your Ordinances nor own your Ministry neither in its Call Practise nor Maintenance and if these things were in dispute I should shew you according to Scripture that it is not lawful for the Saints of God to joyn themselves to your Ordinances nor own your Ministry but it is lawful for them both to deny your Ordinances and Ministry in their present standing and as for printing and vending so many Popist Books as you say Oh it had been your wisdom to have mentioned the Books by name that all might have known which were Popish Books but because your Charge is general I cannot answer particularly either to clear or to condemn except you had mentioned in particular which you ought to have done rather then to have slandered in the dark Your fourth reason whereby you would make your people believe that there is fear of the return of Popery is That the whole body almost of Popery is published by Sectaries especially Quakers and you say you cannot but observe a ready co-incidency with Papists in their Opinions c. Answ. As for the Quakers which you have long opposed by Prisons Goals and Persecutions and your carnal Weapons and now also charge great things upon them to make them odious to the people Alas do you not know that they are blessed of the Lord Is there never a man among you sixty one Priests so wise as Balaam was he saw there was no Inchantment against Israel nor durst he curse whom God had blessed but however they have born with patience and they do therein continue all that you have caused to be acted and all that you have spoken against them and your words and works against them shall be your own burthen in the day of the Lord and shall sink you into misery who hath made the innocent people the people of your malice and fury but God is with them I need say nothing and why have you not particularly instanced what particular part of Popery they do publish Why will you charge in secret and prove nothing in particular therefore I do charge you to mention what particular things they do publish which is Popery and not the truths of the Gospel and then you shall have a further answer Your fifth reason is Jesuitical designs and you mention the Protestant Universities and the impoverishing and disgracing and overthrowing a goodly learned Ministry c. Answ. As for the Universities thousands are satisfied concerning them that they are of Popish institution and are not the Fountains of Divinity as they have been falsly called for its possible I could give large testimonies of the wickedness of the educations which is there in those places and how little good they learn and how much evil but you have stated the Cause wrong for the plucking down the Universities would rather seem to be the removing part of Popery then to be the way to let in Popery And as for a godly Ministry that is truly godly and truly learned alas there is no fear of impoverishing disgracing and overthrowing of that for that is alwayes poor and low and contemptible to the World and so it must be and it is Antichrist's Ministers that fears to be made poor and that their Tythes and Stipends should be made less and it is they that fear to be overthrown and not the Ministers of Christ for the Ministers of Christ are out of all such fears because their standing and falling depends not upon earthly powers but are builded upon the Rock of Ages and cannot be overthrown Your sixth Ground is Tolleration for Popery is publickly pleaded for in Print c. Answ. That Popery is Idolatry and the Church of Rome a false Church that I have said and I hope shall never renounce it but shall alwayes give Testimony until death against the Church of Rome but I must tell you plainly it is not my judgment that the Papists ought to be burned for their Religion or if a Jesuite be taken in England I would have him so tollerated that he should not have his life taken away by inhumane cruelty not for Religion sake except something can be charged upon him besides matters of his Religion or Conscience This is my judgment that both the Papists and you are Antichristian in this in that you kill each other when they take one of your Ministers and you theirs to destroy each other this is not of God but of the Dragon's power in both and there ought to be more tolleration in both that lives may be spared and you ought to conquer with spiritual Weapons if that you have them and not to kill and murder persons but to judge Spirits That is contrary to Scripture and the Apostles Example to destroy mens lives for Religion sake And why may not the Papists have tolleration in matters concerning God as well as others So those that plead for their Tolleration upon this account that they may be converted from sin and not destroyed in their sin this is no Error that their lives may be spared but to plead for their tolleration as the right Religion this is sin And thus your sixth Ground wherefore you fear the return of Popery is answered Now I come to the second consideration which is The present distracted estate of Religion which you say is evidenced in divers particulars First your division in civil and spiritual things so that the wonted love and communion in holy Duties is interrupted strangeness and distances fomented censures and hard Opinions of each others entertained c. Answ. Here is your Error for true Religion is not distracted nor divided in it self but it is one in unity and peace and so are all they that are in it their hearts being united by the Spirit of the Lord in their Faith Practice and Worship and in all things pertaining to their Religion It s true there is distraction amongst all the false Sects and Churches upon the Earth and it must be so Babylon is divided and confounded in it self and one part of it against another so the distractions is amongst your selves among Papists Prelates Prefbyters and the rest tearing and rending one another about Church-Worship and Religion all like Wolves in Sheep's clothing biting one another being divided in civil and spiritual things one crying for this and another for the other way of Government in Church and State and you are out of the true love and true communion in holy Duties and interrupts one another and what one faith is right another saith is wrong and all this is in Babylon among your selves and none of it among them that are in the true Religion and in true Church-Union who are gathered by the Spirit of the Lord. Your second Evidence of the distracted estate of Religion as you say is
if you do thus and will not allow clearly and freely Liberty of Conscience but will by force and violence limit the Spirit of the Lord and tender Consciences this shall be a Snare upon you and a Rock oâ— offence against you to break you to Pieces for in so doing the God of Heaven will be displeased with you as with others if so be that you take upon you to prescribe the Lord a way how he must be worshipped and will take upon you to rule and judge in the cases of Conscience and in the matters of Christ's spiritual Kingdom which appertains to Christ alone to be Iudge of and Ruler in and not man and to him alone you ought to give the whole Rule and Government in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that he may prescribe and teach Worship and Faith and Duty to himself in all spiritual things and this I claim of you on his behalf even that you give unto him the whole Rule and Authority in all the matters of his own Kingdom and that you allow Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Faith and Worship to all Christian people in these Nations and that no man be compelled or forced to or from by outward violence any kinde of profession of Faith or practises of worship for it is of Antichrist so to do if that you impose any Sâ—rt of Worship and Religion contrary to mens Consciences upon penalties on mens Persons or Estates if you do thus you exercise not the Power of Christ but of Autichrist and it is â—â—depriving of Christ of his Heirship and of the Government of his own Kingdom which will be reckoned against you as a fearful abomination if you â—â—lk therein And therefore let men believe in Christ and Worship him according as they are perswaded in their own Consciences for a tender Conscience in the Sight of God is a thing greatly regarded of him and if you limit it and do violence upon it the Lord will be provoked against you and these Nations will not bear it but it will beget fiery contentions in the mindes of men if any Religion and Worship contrary to their Consciences be imposed upon them and while some men are gratified others will be displeased and if you allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of spiritual things the effect of it may prove sad and Miserable to your selves and your Government and this shall you know in time to come even the good effect of Toleration in Liberty of Conscience and of woful effect upon the contrary Therefore be wise and instructed ye Rulers of the Earth and kiss the Son lest ye perish out of the way of Peace and Happiness Now you have your day and time to be made happy or to be left miserable that your Government may be blessed or otherwise deprived of all Blessedness These things have I Written to You in Love and Honour towards You That Ye may know and be informed what the Lord requireth of You if so be You may escape the Wrath that is to come And love nor Wrath to You Your prosperity nor overthrow is determined upon You or prophesied unto You by me but as You walk in Justice Truth and Righteousness or as You walk contrary and bring forth Oppression and Persecution Bristol City the 4th day of the sixth Moneth 1660. Edward Burroughs A PRESENTATION of Wholsome Informations unto the King of England c. THe Servants of the Lord and his People that feared his Name and trembled at his Word never wanted false Accusers in any Age to repute them vile and to reproach them by slanderous words and that even to the Rulers of the World and to the Kings of the Earth have the chosen People of the Lord been falsly accused and reproached by the slanderous Tongues of ungodly Men in all Generations as in many Particulars might be proved out of the Scriptures by the Example of things in the dayes of old For even in those dayes it came to pass that the Elect People were reproached and falsly reputed by the men of the World as in the Case of the Iews in their building of the Temple again when they returned out of the Captivity How were the People of God at that day accused and reproached and that by the wise men of that Kingdom even unto the King Ahasuerus Ezra 4. 15 16. That good City of Ierusalem the Habitation and Dwelling of the Iews and then only named People of God was accused of being a bad rebellious City and hurtful to Kings and that the People moved Sedition therein to the danger of the Revenue of Kings c. And Neh. 4. 2. the People of God were scorned and reproached and called feeble Iews who builded the House of God and it was said in derision of them that a Fox should go up and break down their Wall And also how were the holy Prophets and Servants of God rejected reproached and accused even to the Princes and Rulers of the Earth in Generations past as Daniel to the King how was he accused Dan. 6. 13. and the three Children were accused to the King Dan. 3. 8. and the Apostles were reproached under the slander of being movers of Sedition and such-like Acts. 24. 5. being many times accused and haled before Felix Agrippa and divers others of the Rulers of the Heathen and it was told the Apostles by Christ That all manner of evil should be spoken against them for his Name sake And throughout the whole Scriptures there is very large Testimony how that in Ages past the Servants and People of God were accused and falsly reproached before Rulers and Kings by their Enemies that sought their destruction The truth of this is so clear and full that it needs no further Testimony And as it was in this case in the days of old so is it happened in this day who more now accused and falsly reproached then the Innocent People of God Is not all evil spoken against them and that even to Rulers and Governers and Kings And this is done by their Enemies that seek to destroy them even by such as would not have the Work of the Lord to prosper and his People to be preserved and on this account the cry is great against us every where as if we were Hereticks Blasphemers Seditious and Enemies to Magistracy and Government to Church and Ministry and such like And these with such like have been and are the Accusations against us whereby we are reproached falsly before men and this hath been our portion in this World since we were a People by the Men of this Generation and the very same is come to pass upon us in this case as was upon the People of God in former Generations and as it was done unto them so it is done unto us and therefore we are in Patience under all our Afflictions and Sufferings whether we are persecuted by Actions or Words and for the Name of
to say Occasion is Wrongfully taken against us to destroy us and we are proceeded against contrary to the End of Just Government which is To preserve the Peaceable and not to destroy them and contrary to the KING 's former Promises who hath said We should not suffer for Matters of our Religion and Conscience living Peaceably in the Land And if we suffer because we cannot Swear at all such our suffering is for our Conscience sake and we are therein Persecuted Unrighteously as Innocent People and without just Cause And we must commit this our Cause to God who regardeth the Oppressions of his People and will avenge their Cause in his season And for the present this is all I have to say and present concerning this Case of Swearing and concerning the Oath of Allegiance CHAP. II. The Case Stated and Pleaded concerning our Meeting together to Worship God 1. WE do Meet together in the Name of Jesus Christ and in his Power and Spirit and we do come together in the Fear of God to wait upon him and to receive the Teachings of his Holy Spirit and his Council to direct us in all our Wayes how to walk Righteously towards God and Men and in our Meetings we practice our Hearts and Minds in Godliness and speak of the Things of the Kingdom of God in Preaching the Word of God and in Prayer to Him according as his Holy Spirit guideth us which is given us of God to lead us into all Truth according to his Promise Iohn 16. 13. and that we may edifie one another in the Wayes of Holiness and Truth for the benefit of our souls and this is according to the Scriptures For they that feared the Lord met often together and spake one to another and edified one another And this is our Principle That it is our Duty to God-wards to meet together and that he requires it of us and for the exercise of our Consciences to him it hath been alwayes and is our Practice to meet together in the Exercise of the worship of God as aforesaid and not for any other End as in Contempt of Authority or to Plot or Contrive or to Meditate Evil against the King or his Government or any of his Subjects we have no such end I say in meeting together But our alone only and absolute End in our Meeting is to worship the Lord our God and to serve him and to wait upon him in obedience to his Will and for good Conscience sake as our Duty towards him 2. And this our Practice of Meeting together for the End and Cause mentioned if it be in publick Houses or more private in Upper Chambers or in the open Fields on what day soever is Lawful and Just in the sight of God and is according to the Example of the Primitive Saints and provable by the Scriptures as in Acts 1. 13 14. And when the Disciples and Saints returned from Jerusalem they went up into an upper Chamber both Men and Women and Waited upon the Lord and continued with one accord in Prayer and in Supplication And in Acts 20. 7. 8. The first day of the â—…k the Saints met together and Paul preached unto them and continued his Sermon till Midnight holding forth the Matters of the Kingdom of God And they were met in an upper Chamber from whence Eutychus fell down And Acts 28. 30 31. And Paul remained two full Years preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in his own hired House in Rome and he exhorted the Saints Not to neglect meeting together as the manner of some was whom he reproved Heb. 10. 25. By which Testimonies with divers others that might be given it is manifest that the Saints of God in former Ages did meet together to worship God and to wait upon him in Prayer and Preaching as the Spirit of the Father taught them that dwelt in them And sometime they met publickly and sometime more private and sometime on the day time and some in the night season and they met separate from the Synagogues and wayes of publick Worship among the Iews according to the Will of God and as it was ordered amongst them And thus it is manifest That our Meeting for the Worship of GOD at this Day though they are separate from the Way of Publick Worship of the Kingdom and are in more private Houses are justifiable being after the Example of the Saints and according to the Scriptures of Truth and therefore our Meetings are according to the LAW of GOD Just and Lawful 3. And forasmuch as by Reason of the late Insurrection of some few Persons in London our Lawful Assembling of our selves together in the Worship of God is under present Restraint and Prohibition and by Proclamation forbidden under the Denomination of Seditious and Unlawful Meetings and our Friends Imprisoned and persecuted for that Cause of Assembling themselves to wait upon God Now in this Case this I plead unto the King That we are no manner of way guilty of that Insurrection upon which the Proclamation of forbidding our Meetings was grounded and therefore ought not to suffer with the guilty being Innocent from the very Occasion of that Proclamation And for the King to prohibit our Meetings for and because of the ill Use that others made of theirs this seems a Condemning of the Innocent with the Guilty which is no way just in the sight of God nor men but altogether unequal that we should suffer for other mens Fault though such did abuse their Liberty and pervert the End of their Meetings into rising up with Carnal Weapons against the King so did not we neither in Intent nor Action and therefore our Meetings ought not to be prohibited for the Cause of other mens Faults and Miscarriages in that Case And also We have the King's Promise divers times That we should not suffer for our Religion while we acted nothing against the Peace of the Kingdom and Government which yet we never have done nor made any ill use of our Meetings nor of the King's Promises nor forfeited them and therefore according to his own Promises we ought to have our Meetings and enjoy them without Restraint because we have not forfeited the benefit of his former Promises in that behalf nor ever made use of our Meetings to Plot or Conspire against the Government to its Harm or Detriment and because of our Innocency herein the Benefit of his former Promises are yet in force unto us to protect our lawful Meetings and not to prohibit them And though upon Suspition only our Meetings have been Restrained and our Friends Imprisoned by the late Proclamation yet we being proved Innocent and without Guilt of that which occasioned it the KING and Council may and ought in Justice and good Reason to Reverse and Revoke that part of the Proclamation related to us as being Innocent that we may enjoy our lawful Meetings according to the Scriptures and Example of Saints and according to
because of our Bondage and strive for Liberty and also if we were men of disposions to war and plot c. it cannot be supposed by reasonable men that any Engagement by any Sum of Money would bind us from it upon occasion seeing we might hope in such attempts to save our Sums of Money and to gain far more advantage or else we hazarded to loose all and to gain a greater advantage if we were men of strife we would not doubt to attempt to lose a less and we being not men of strife we cannot bind our selves as aforesaid in this or any case neither can any in good reason desire the same of us if they rightly consider the case 3. These things considered it is fully manifest That upon good Reason and a clear Conscience we do refuse and deny to give Bond and make such and such Engagements by Forfeitures of Sums of Money it is I say In good Reason and Conscience and not in any wilfulness or stubbornness or contempt of Authority that we do it nor as though we were guilty in such matter suspected and durst not answer the Law but we do it to keep our Innocency clear and not to betray it into real cause of doubt that we are guilty 2. That we may not lay ourselves liable to a greater Suffering by answering false Suspitions and Accusations as it often happeneth in the Proceedings in course of Law 3. That we may not come under men of evil prejudiced minds that seek more occasion against us than they have and we may not fulfil their wills and to give them occasion against us when as in the Accusations they have justly none 4. That we may not expose our selves to be intrapped and ensnared into greater Sufferings to avoid a less 5. That we may walk in the Doctrine and Command of Christ Iesus who hath commanded to let our Yea be Yea and our Nay be Nay and whatsoever Oath or Engagement out of the Counsel of God is more cometh of Evil which we may not do These with some others are the Reasons and Causes why we cannot for Conscience sake bind our selves in such kind of Formal Engagements out of the Will of God to do or not to do to answer this false Suspition or the other but we do deny it out of good Reason and Conscience And also there is no Example for it that we know among the Saints in former Ages that any of them ever bound themselves to any Kings or Rulers in any such kind of Engagements neither can we at this day but as I said If we Transgress the Law let us suffer by it if we are already or hereafter be found guilty we desire nothing but the just Execution of Iust Laws and in Patience we shall bear it but before-hand we may not bind our selves in Formal Engagements out of the Will of God to promise upon Forfeitures and Penalties what we will do or say or what we will not do or say for at the Will and Disposure of the Almighty we are in all Things and Cases and it is our Principle and Belief That we abiding in the Fear and Counsel of God can be no â—ther than Peaceable Just Righteous and Innocent in the Land So that whatsoever we may do or suffer for this Case of denying to give Bond or Engage our selves so and so as aforesaid it is for Truth 's sake and such our Sufferings are Persecution and Unequal and we must commit our Cause to God who will plead it in his season if that we are persecuted for the Cause of groundless Suspition and because we cannot Engage to answer causless Objections And thus I have sought out this matter and laid it before the King and I leave it to him to consider and to shew Justice Equity Mercy and Long-suffering and in so doing he will be blessed but if the cortrary be brought forth the Effect thereof will be more miserable CHAP. V. The Case stated and pleaded concerning Government it self and particularly of this present Authority and our Obedience to it 1. WE do acknowledg Government and Rule and Magistracy to be an Ordinance of God ordained and instituted of him to be exercised among the Children of Men For to be a Praise and a Defence to all that do well and to be a Terror and Corrector to all that do Evil. And we believe there ought to be Rule and Government and Authority exercised and executed in every Kingdom Nation City and Country for the end aforesaid to wit That Evil-doers may be made afraid and corrected limitted restrained and subdued and that Sin and Transgression may be suppressed and Truth and Righteousness promoted and them that do Well praised and strengthened And this is the very end of outward Government of Kings Princes or other amongst Men upon the Earth even that the outward Man may be kept in good order and subjection in his Conversation in the World and may be limitted and restrained from all wrong doing oâ— speaking against his Neighbours Person or Estate and if he do he is punishable by such Iust Authority This is the very end of outward Government in the Kingdoms of the World but it extends not over the Inward Man to rule govern or exercise Authority over the Consciences of any in spiritual Matters and Cases between God and Man's Conscience This Dominion and Authority only partains to the Inward Government and Rule of Jesus Christ by his Eternal Spirit but not to any Outward Government of Kings Princes Parliaments or any others They I say ought only to exercise Authority over the Persons and Estates of People in all just and lawful Things and Matters but not over the Consciences of any in the exercise of Duty towards God or in the Cases and Matters of Worship and Religion 2. The Exercise and Execution of this Iust Government over the outward Man as afore described ought to be committed into the Hands of faithful just and upright men such as fear the Lord and hate Covetousness and every evil Way in all Kingdoms of the World The Execution of the Government in all just Laws ought I say to be committed to such men and not to Drunkards Lyars Covetous or Evil-minded Persons Ambitious or Vain glorious Persons in any Nation such as these ought not to be entrusted with the Execution of the Government and the good Laws of any Kingdom for such will not be a Blessing unto the Land nor unto any People but a Curse and the cause of provoking God to Vengeance and Wrath against themselves the People and the Government if such men whom God chooseth not be chosen to make Laws and execute them and to exercise Governments in any Kingdoms of this World But Men that fear God and delight in Iustice Mercy and Truth that are humble and meek and lowly Persons ought to be called to the place of Government and only such are fit to exercise Rule and Authority and to make and
the sight of God such Commands we cannot yield Obedience unto and yet it is not out of Wilfulness Stubbornness Contempt or Rebellion against the Authority but it is for this End and Cause that we may not sin against God nor against our own Consciences by doing any thing that is contrary thereunto lest we should bring the Wrath of God upon our own Consciences so that all these things rightly considered it doth appear 1. That we acknowledge Magistracy and Authority to be the Ordinance of God to be exercised and executed in the Kingdoms of the World among men 2. That Iust and Righteous men are the only Persons fit to execute Iust Laws and Authorities in the Earth 3. That we acknowledge this present Government of King Charles and that according to the Purpâ—se of God it is now set up 4. That we are to be obedient by doing or suâ—â—eriâ—g in all things to the Authority of the King as the Supream Authority 5. That if in any case we are disobedient thereunto and cannot wholly perform every Command by doing yet it is for Conscience sake to God and that we may not sin against him and not out of Rebellion or Contempt of the King or his Power And all these things truly considered if we do suffer Tribulations Afflictions and Imprisonments under and by this present Authority for and because of our Profession and Practice of Religion without evil or wrong doing to our Neighbours Persons or Estates though we do not in the things contrary to our Consciences obey actively this present Authority yet we are persecuted for the Name of Christ and as so we receive our Sufferings and not as for Contempt or Denial of Authority or as Rebellion against it but for Conscience sake to God our Sufferings are and our unjust Persecution will be upon our Enemies in the effect and reward thereof with great Indignation and Wrath from the Lord God that rewards all according to their works Thus much about Government And now I shall shew what Persecution is in it self CHAP. VI. Concerning Persecution what it is in it self and how great an Enemy it is to the King's Person and Authority 1. PErsecution is when a Person or a People do suffer Tribulation Affliction Imprisonment Bonds or Death whether by a Law or without the Law for and because of his or their Principle and Practice in Religion As when a Person or a People are reproached falsly accused imprisoned or put to death only for and because of their Religions sake when as no evil-dealing in the things between man and man can be justly charged and proved against them but only because they are righteous and walk in the Wayes of the Lord and cannot conform to the Wayes and Vanities of this World but are separated from it in its Prophaneness and in its formal Profession also of Religion and because thereof Sufferings are imposed upon them while yet they walk justly innocently and harmlesly towards all men This is Persecution for Conscience sake and such are persecuted if so be they suffer for and because of Righteousness sake and because they will not deny their Principles nor Profession of ReÌ„ligion nor conform to Times nor Laws contrary to a good Conscience and yet suffer because hereof this is Persecution 2. Persecution is when a Person or a People is afflicted and any kind of sufferings imposed upon them whether by any Authority or without Authority and only because they are of such a Profession and Practice in Religion though yet their Profession and Practice in their Religion is not perfectly according to God nor by the Exercise of that Spirit of God ruling in their Consciences in such their Religion yet if they suffer only for their Religion sake while yet they walk uprightly as men in all outward Affairs relating to the outward Man this also is Persecution and such are persecuted for their Religions sake though not wholy for Righteousness sake and none ought to suffer as such under the Authority of any King Prince or Power but if such do suffer as I have said and that for their Religions sake only so though yet their Religion is not perfectly according to God yet they are persecuted and this is Persecution And thus I have in short described defined what Persecution is in it self and who it is that are persecuted and I shall now shew how great an Enemy Persecution for Conscience and Religions sake is unto the King's Person and Authority Persecution for Conscience sake and for Difference in Matters of Religion is a great Enemy to the Person and Government of the King it is I say a destroying and devouring Enemy and the Fruits and Effects thereof may work terrible Destruction yea this Enemy Persecution hath often wrought Overthrow in Kingdoms Let the King strive to be delivered speedily from this great Enemy which is fierce and cruel and may work woful Effects in this Kingdom also and the King may be more blessed in his Person and Government if he remove far from him this Enemy Persecution 1. It is his Enemy because its Effect is To eat out the Affections of many good and sober People from the King and may make their Love and Affections dye to the King's Government when they behold and consider the Persecution of many good and peaceable People for Righteousness and good Conscience sake whenas no Evil-doing between man and man can justly be laid to their Charge but only for the matter of their Religion and the exercise of their Consciences towards God and if such suffer cruel Imprisonment unjust Fines and grievous Vexations for such Cause it may weaken and eat out the Affections of good People and divert their Love and good Desires from the King and his Government in which such Persecution is brought forth and that which diverts the Peoples Love from the King is his great Enemy and such is Persecution 2. Persecution is the King 's great Enemy Because it may kindle Heart-burnings Envyings Strifes and Murmurings among his Subjects while some are tollerated in the Profession and Practice of their Religion and others persecuted and imprisoned for the same Cause and this kind of dealing exerciseth the King's Subjects in harsh dealing one towards another and gives great Occasion for Quarrelling Envies Debate and Malice one against another even when some execute Persecution upon others hailing them to Prison spoiling their Goods and the like And this kind of dealing I say whilst the Authority of the Land persecutes one sort of the King's Subjects by the hands of others it tendeth much to great Division and Distractions amongst the people and it is not for the King's safety but for his great Dishonour and Disadvantage every way to have the people divided into Heart-burnings and Quarrellings against one another and therefore Persecution is the King 's great Enemy because it worketh such evil Effects 3. It is his great Enemy Because it is contrary to the Trust which
the Church of ROME who are in the said Book Villified and Reproached by the Name and Term of Antient Phanaticks And this is sent forth as an Answer thereunto to Pursue it Apprehend it and Condemn it as a Pamphlet of Calumnies and Slanders against the Protestants both of former and present Dayes who are all of them Scorned in the said Book the one as Ancient the other as Modern PHANATICKS Which is sent abroad as a Warning to ENGLAND to beware of the spirit of the Church of ROME lest it Exalt it self in Cruel Persecution against the PROTESTANTS and all that differ from it HOW Great and Miserable hath been that Darkness and Ignorance which hath over-spread the Nations and Kingdoms of the World since the Apostles dayes And how manifold is that Error into which many have been fallen even as into a Snare of Destruction And how woful is that Strife Division and Contention about Religion that hath highly abounded among the Christian People so called For the whole Christendom have been divided and in Opposition one part against another about the True God and his Worship and concerning the knowledge of Salvation by Jesus Christ And divers kinds of Religion Church-Government and Practices of Ordinances of Faith Worship have been extant in the World and Nations Countries have been all in Division Strife and Contention about these Matters and have been also persecuting one another violently unto Bonds and Death for and because difference in Judgment and Practices concerning Spiritual Things Papists against Protestants and Protestants against Papists and one sort of Christians so called against another and the men of such a Judgment and Faiâ—â— and Way of Religion have been persecuting and seeking to destroy all that have been contrary minded to them And thus have been the woful Divisions and evil Effects thereof in the World among Christians about Faith and Worship and Religious matters this has come to pass because of the spirit of Error Darkness that hath possessed the minds of men since the falling away from the Truth as it was once manifest among the Apostles And thus it s come to pass because of the erring from the Spirit of God and because that hath been wanting amongst men therefore have People been divers and divided about Matters of Religion each one sort following their own Invention and Traditions of men and also persecuting one another and killing and imprisoning one another because of the same and all this because the Spirit of Truth hath not dwelt in the Hearts of Christians as it did in the Apostles not led guided and taught them in true Unity and Fellowship as it did the true Christians in the dayes of old And while the Spirit of Christ hath been wanting and is not received into the Heart to mortifie guide rule and teach in all the Wayes of God and the whole exercise of Religion and Duty towards Him and while there is any kind of imposing and forceing of Religion by Laws of men upon Penalties and Forfeitures and setting up Worship and Church Government by that means and in that way without the immâ—… Teaching of the Spirit of Christ in the Conscience I say while this hath been and is continued nothing but Division Strife Contention Persecution and Nations and Peoples destroying one another about Religion hath been is or can be in the World amongst Christians And of this same to wit of Division and Contention about Religion with the Enmity of such as are so divided one against another to the persecuting and killing one of another that are contrary minded as it hath been brought forth in the World for Generations past we have here a sufficient large Testimony lately published in a Book called Semper Iidem or A Paralel of Phanaticks c. wherein is made mention of what Strife and Contention there hath been in former dayes among the false Christians and how they have cruelly Persecuted Burned and Destroyed one another in this Cause only for and because of the difference in Maters of Judgment and Religious Things and these Persecutions and Cruelties effected contrary to the Example of Christ and his Doctrine who hath exhorted to Love and Peace and not to Kill and Destroy and that a man should love his Enemies and not Kill and Destroy them contrary to which Doctrine the false Christians of all kinds have walked and acted since the dayes of the Apoâ—… who have been Apostatized and fallen from the very Life and Power of Godliness as held amongst the primitive Saints into Forms and empty Shadows being all in strife one with another about such things and have wanted the Spirit of Christ which should have led and guided into all Truth and exercised them in the true Worship of the true and living God who is a Spirit and is only truly worshipped in Spirit and in Truth but out of this Spirit and spiritual Worship the false Christians have been erred and so all divided and in Centention aâ— aforesaid and persecuting one another because thereof each one sort justifying their own Way 〈◊〉 Right and condemning that which hath differed as the Wrong and all as Hereticks that have been otherwise minded But as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book Semper Iidem c. I would gladly animadâ—… 〈◊〉 conâ—…ing it and do intend to write a few things by way of anâ—â—er thereunto and this is the present Occasion of my present work for having met with the said Pamphlet and perusing of it I found divers Considerations on my spirit to send forth in Answer to pursue the said Semper Iidem up and down the World till it returns again unto the place from whence it came to wit Unto the bottomless Pit out of which it lately arose and in reading the same Book I have principally observed the Mischievout End and secret Evil Intents of the Nameless Author more than the Matter it self contained and though the Author be Nameless yet is his nature and spirit known by his Book and for what end he hath concealed his Name I know not except he was ashamed of his Work and durst not Authorize his Matter by his Name but however the spirit end and intent of the said Nameless Person is perceived and known as much as any Tree can be distinguished by its Fruit and he is of an Envious Disposition of Heart and of Malicious Countenance and in nature and stock of the descent of Cain for his spirit is of an evil constitution hot and fiery and enclinable to destroy all that are not like-minded with himself in the Iudgment of Religious Matters and his proceedings and the end of his work is of an Intent and Purpose wicked enough if every Effect answers the Cause appearing and be not diverted from the End proposed by the Author and this I find by Calculation of his Birth and the Temper of his spirit and of the Time wherein his Book is published and by the Cause and End and Intent of the
One to such and such kind of Persons whom they name Clergy-men as if they knew all Religion and might only Preach and all besides themselves might be in Ignorance and know nothing nor can be fit to speak of the Matters of God's Kingdom which is contrary to the Scriptures and Example of Saints in former Ages As for the 13th and 14th Doctrines about Baptism of Infants I have spoken somewhat to it in my Answer to the fourth Doctrine so here I pass them Then Semper Iidem goes on and saith Who sees not among these the principal Tenets of our Anabaptists Fifth-Monarchy-Men Levellers and Quakers c Answ. As for the Anabaptists Fifth-monarchy-men and Levellers so called I shall not now plead their Cause but shall leave it to themselves to do it against Semper Iidem neither shall I condemn them with him or justifie them against him But as for the Quakers so called I have a few word to plead for them against their Adversaries though I shall be brief at this time They are neither Rebellious Seditious Hereticks nor Phanaticks though accused at this time of these things and accounted by the Author of Semper Iidem as such though neither he nor any of their false and envious Accusers that have ever risen against them can prove any such matter nor ought against them saving That they are an Innocent and Harmless People towards all people and though Sufferers by Injustice and Cruel Imprisonments under all Authorities yet not Rebellious nor Seditions against any but Peaceable and Quiet under all this is their Practice since they were a People And as for their Principles of Faith and Worship and Doctrine and Religion they are according to the Scriptures and Example of the Saints in former Ages and not ever yet convicted by any either Protestants or Papists of Error False Iudgment or Heresie though all manner of Evil hath been spoken against them in that Case yet never to this day truly detected or reprehended concerning the same And they desire no better way to be made manifest in their Doctrines and to be approved or disproved therein through the World than to have free Egress and Regress among the Papists and Protestants and all others in the Way of sober Arguments and Disputations and Reasoning out the Truth of what they hold and profess and if they can possibly be convicted that their Way and Doctrines and Religion are not found Verities but Errors then it is time to forsake them But all the Persecution that is already or can be acted upon them will never make them change their Minds till Death nor renounce the things which the Spirit of God in their own Hearts doth bear witness to the truth of And therefore let the Church of Rome lay down her Cruel Weapons of Persecution by Burning and Destroying of such as differ from them in Religion and let her admit of Disputations and sound Arguments to uphold her self thereby if she be able and to Confute and Convince such as are contrary minded to her even the Quakers so called if she can and let her cease her Fire and Faggot and Inquisition-Disputation of Murders and Cruel Tortures against such whom she calls Hereticks and let her appear in the soundest Arguments of Reason and Scripture and Antiquity that she can adorn her self withal and the Quakers so called will not doubt nor fear to advance towards her and meet her and answer her in the same for the true and legal Tryal of both that all the World may see and understand the difference between these two and whether the Papists Religion or the Quakers Religion is of more Reason Verity and Antiquity and the Quakers are willing to try this Case with the Papists engaging upon the adventure of certain Proof or Disproof of their Religion in the view of the whole World And this is the most I shall say at present on their behalf and in the mean time till this be performed let the Church of Rome and all her Members cease to persecute and accuse such whom they know not but by the Evil Reports of others and the Tenets and Principles of the Quakers so called will be justified where the false Christians cannot stand nor appear in Judgment Then Page 7. The Author of Semper Iidem complains of some Phanaticks as he calls them that nick-name what they dislike saith he They call the Church a Steeple-House the Surplice a Rag of Popery the Organs Grumbling-Pipes c. Answ. As for the True Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. The People of God that are regenerated and sanctified wheresoever come together are the true Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as it is written So that it is the People that are the Members of Christ the true Church and not the House or Place wherein they assemble at any time And as for calling the publick Meeting Places which some call Churches Steeple-Houses this is no Error for the Form Fashion and Service of the Place prove it to be so A great House made of Wood and Stone and a Steeple with Bells in it erected at the End of the House may properly be called a Steeple-House without Error and cannot at all be called a Church but in Error And as for the Surplice which the Priests put on this is without Question an Invention of the Church of Rome because there is no such thing in the New Testament nor was there any Surplices worn by any of the Ministers of Christ in the Apostles dayes but is an Invention introduced into the World by the Church of Rome and so is and may be called A Piece or Rag if you will of Popery And as for Organs and the Practice of them as held forth for the Worship of God there was no such thing among the Apostles neither did the Saints of the Primitive Church hold forth the Worship of God by playing on the Organs but the true spiritual Gospel-Worship is more heavenly and spiritual even in the Spirit and in the Truth is God worshipped as Christ said and not by outward Musick on Organs and such like but this is also an Invention of the Church of Rome since the Apostles dayes And Organs having Pipes of different sounds may be called Grumbling-Pipes without Offence Again Page 11. It is charged as a great Error in some that held It was not lawful for a Christian to take an Oath Answ. To deny all Swearing and taking of Oaths is according to the Doctrine and Command of Christ Jesus who hath said Swear not at all so it s manifest that the false Christians accuse and condemn such for Hereticks as abide in the Doctrine of Christ and keep his Commands And thus both Papists and Protestants are found in Error and Heresie themselves and breaking the Command of Christ and walking contrary to his Doctrine in Swearing and taking Oaths and condemning such as Hereticks as cannot take an Oath for Conscience sake and so
commit too much Credit upon it even as they love their own Safety and Peace which are concerned in this Case 7. Consider Into what a great Danger the Protestants and People of England have run themselves by â—â—ecing from a less for by avoiding the Sectaâ—â—es so called they have run themselves into the very Borders of Popery and to escape a Less Danger they have exposed themselves to a far Greater For the Protestants cryed out of the Sectaries and were afraid their Church and Religion should be overthrown by them and made haste to Escape and flee from the Danger and in so doing they have as it appeareth by Semper Iidem run themselves into a Danger far greater Even to have their Religion and Persons and Estates Destroyed by Fire and Faggot if the spirit that indicted Semper Iidem hath its desired End which is grown Bold and Confident more than formerly Thus while the Protestants have sought to destroy the Sectaries an Enemy is appearing to Destroy them and they have exposed themselves if Popery prevails to an Enemy far more Cruel and Dectructive to both their Persons Estates and Religion than ever the Sectaries would have been had they prevailed And this is considerable to the Protestants that they may lament their case who have run themseles into a far greater Danger of their own Destruction to escape a less and are in present Reproach by the Papists and exposed to Destruction if they prevail 8. Consider How Favourable the Church of ROME seemeth to grow of these late dayes in these Kingdoms and what Dignity she seems to have attained to besides of Times past and what Liberty she enjoyes more than many of the good Subjects of England which may as justly have the Priviledge of Liberty in their Exercise of Faith and Worship and Religion as she can have As for instance In Ireland where the Papists have the Enjoyment of their Liberty to Meet to hear Mass very frequently and are not Restrained nor Prohibited and many of the English Inhabitants known Faithful Protestants are not admitted the like Liberty but their Meeting broken up and they sent to Prison and Cruelly Persecuted for Meeting together when the Papists are not meddled withal for the same Cause and thus their Cause seems more to be favoured than the Protestants and they more Liberty in their Worship than many of the English Protestants And also In and about London upon search you will find Meetings of the Papists large ones too consisting of very many Forreigners of other Lands which have their Liberty of Worship and Profession of Religion and divers of the Inhabitants of the City who have been and are Known Upright Honest and Just Persons and are true Protestants and faithful Subjects of the Land are not admitted to have their Meetings but are haled out of Meetings Persecuted and sent to Prison and cruel Sufferings inflicted upon them for the Exercise of their Faith and Worship whenas the Papists are admitted their Liberty without Persecution in the same Cause for which many good Protestants are Perfecuted and not suffered to have their Liberty even in the Exercise of their Faith and Worship and this is manifest to all People by which it is plain how the Papists Cause is advancing and the Protestants Cause decaying in LONDON and through ENGLAND whenas the Papists and that Forreigners have more Liberty in the Exercise of their Religion then some Protestants have that are Natives and known to be good Subjects And these things deserve true and serious Confideration by all good Protestants Alas that this day should be seen Many more Considerations might be asserted in this Case of the Papists Cause being as it were reviving but these for present are presented to the publick View of all People And blessed are they that have an Ear to hear E. B. THE CASE OF Free Liberty OF CONSCIENCE In the Exercise of FAITH and RELIGION Presented unto the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT And also Proved absolute Needful and Requisit for them to Grant and Allow in these Kingdoms by many Considerations and Reasons unfolding the Woful Effects and Ill Consequence which will infallibly follow upon the contrary to the Misery and Destruction of these Nations if the Free Exercise of Conscience to God-ward be Limitted and Violently Restrained FOrasmuch as it hath pleased the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is Mighty and Powerful and bringeth to pass whatsoever he will in the Kingdoms of this World so to suffer it to be accomplished that Power and Authority is given unto you to exercise over these Kingdoms And whereas the People of these Nations over whom your Authority is extended are divided in their Judgments in Matters Spiritual and are of different Principles and Wayes in relation to Faith and Worship and Practices of Religion and yet are all of them Free-born People and Natives of these Kingdoms and as such ought to possess and enjoy their Lives Liberties and Estates by the Just Laws of God and man And may not justly any of them be Destroyed by you nor one sort of another in their Persons and Estates by Death Banishment or other Persecutions for and because only of their Differences in Matters of Opinion and Judgment nor though they are contrary minded in Profession of Faith and Worship and Religion while they do walk Peaceably and Justly in their Conversations under the King's Authority and do not make practice of their Religion to the violating of the Government nor to the Injury of other mens Persons or Estates but ought rather to be Defended and Protected by you in all their Rights both as Men and Christians both in things Civil and Spiritual Notwithstanding their difference in matters Religious as aforesaid they giving proof of their peaceable and honest deportment towards the King and his Government and the people of these Kingdoms And therefore that due care may be had as justly it ought to be by you for the peace and Prosperity and happiness of these Kingdoms and that the just Liberties both civil and Spiritual of all people therein may be allowed and maintained in all the Kings Dominions and that unity and peace may be fully established and justice and Righteousness only brought forth in the Land and all persecution Hatred Contention and Rebellions may die and perish and never more appear And that all Christian people though different in Judgement and practises in matters of Faith and worship may be protected to live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty under this Government and that indignation and vengeance may be diverted from these Lanâ—â— which seems to threaten because of the contrary and that blessings and peace maâ— come and rest upon this people forever Therefore for these ends and causes and in the Name of the Lord I do propound unto you and lay before you on the behalf of all the divided people of these Kingdoms That free Liberty of conscience in the
only for their Conscience and Religion sake by persecution 5. Consider if ye do impose one way of worship by force and persecute all that are contrary-minded to prison and death then how shall your Names and memorial be left a reproach to Generations after you in dayes to come who shall repute you cruel men and persecutors and such as destroyed your people for difference in Matters of Religion and without just Cause and thus will your Names be a Curse and not a Blessing to your Children and their Children to all Ages if that ye make Laws and execute them to the Persecution and Destruction of People for Conscience sake and for difference in Religion for Persecution was never of God nor ever justified in succeeding Ages but Persecutors alwayes were rendred Tyrants and Cruel in the Ages succeeding them For do not you condemn the Papists as Oppressors and Cruel Persecutors in Queen Mary's dayes for the Persecuting your Fore-Fathers And K. Iames said it was usually the Condition of Christians to be persecuted but never to Persecute c. in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance page 4. And indeed they are no true Christians that persecute for Matters of Conscience and Difference in Opinion but the False Christians that have a Form of Godliness but are without the Power and out of the Doctrine of the Scriptures who say Love your Enemies and render not Evil for Evil but overcome evil with good 6. Consider If ye do impose upon the Conscience and persecute about Religion ye can never effect your End thereby as to force all into a Conformity and Uniformity to your Church and Religion but though Death and Banishment and the Loss of all be inflicted yet such a thing cannot be effected neither is it the Way of Christ to promote his Church and to convert the Contrary-minded by such means as Force and Violence exercised on mens Persons and Estates as King Iames said in his Speech in Parliament 1609. That it is a sure Rule in Divinity That God never loves to plant his Church with Violence and Blood And if ye do persecute to the heighth in the Case of Religion ye will weaken your selves and cause the Love and good Affection of the People to die towards you and the Persecuted will grow and their Cause be made Honourable and many will be encreased unto it for it is usual in Ages That the Way and Religion which hath been most persecuted hath most grown and thus it must infallibly be at this day and ye can never effect your End-by Persecution nor promote your own Church nor destroy all the Contrary-minded as a Privy-Counsellor to K. Iames the 5th of Scotland advised in Counsel about the year 1539. upon the Occasion of diversities of Opinions then in that Kingdom said he It is an Error of State in a Prince for an Opinion of Piety to condemn to Death the Adherers to new Doctrines for the Constancy and Patience of those who voluntarily suffer all Temporal Miseries for Matters of Faith stir up Numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their Faith and Doctrine not only to favour their Cause but to embrace their Opinions Pitty and Commiseration opening the Gates and thus their Faith is spread and their Number daily encreaseth c. 7. Consider If that ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience but do Impose and Persecute as aforesaid though some for your Fear and Terror and Force against their Consciences should deny their Principle and conform to your Church such ye cause to sin For whatsoever is performed by Force and not of Faith is sin as it is written and such their sin will be laid to your Charge and such who cannot deny their Principles and Conform will be destroyed and their Death will be accounted against you in the Day of the Lord And therefore if ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience many grievous Evils will infallibly follow both to your selves and your People And what Advantage of Honour will such be to God and your Church that are against their Consciences and Light forced into a Conformity for Fear and Terror of men it makes them manifold more the Children of the Devil and Time-Servers and Hypocrites and destroyes their Souls and such can be no true Members of the true Church of Christ but are Reprobates and a Dishonour to God and your Church 8. Consider if ye constrain and compel in matters of Religion and do not â—…low liberty of Conscience it is unreasonable and unequal and down-right contrary 〈◊〉 the Holy and pure Law of God which saith ye shall do into all men as ye would that men should do unto you and thou shalt love they neighbour as thy self and this is the fulfilling of the Law But to be imposed upon and persecuted for the case of Consciences and for the matters of Worship of God your selves would not willingly be against your Light and Knowledge and then it is unequal and unjust and contrary to the Law of God for ye to do the same to others which your selves would not be done unto And do not you to this day cry out against the Papists in Queen Maries dayes and at this day in other Nations and condemn them as Tyrants and Oppressors for Persecuting Killing and Destroying the Protestants for the matters of their Conscience and difference in Opinion and Judgment And will you do the same at this day as they do to others and follow their example of cruelty and Persecution and break the Law of God and walk contrary to it in doing to others what you would not be done unto And seeing you condemn the late fore-going Powers in these Kingdoms for Tyrants and Usurpers and Oppressors for prohibiting your way of Worship and commanding the contrary and disanulling so much as they could your service Book and Ministry how can you justly do the like to others as to force Wayes of RELIGION upon them and prohibit theirs and command the contrary if you do it ye condemn your selves by judging of others in the like case 9. Consider if ye do not allow liberty of Conscience but impose Church Government and Religion by pains and penalties then ye will fill the Land with Hypocrites and force people into time-serving obedience and into formal wayes of worship some against their Consciences and some in the ignorance thereof which is great abomination unto the Lord and such will neither be true and faithfull in Church nor State but will seek advantages against you if they are forced by violence in the cases of their Consciences and it will beget great contentions and hatred in the minds of men and divide theâ— into heart-burnings one against another and against you and your Government for if men become Hypocrites for your fear and terror and deny their professed Principles and conform they will be false-hearted and Envious and Malicious and attempt any thing to be freed from Bondage and Impositions
of Conscience and their Hearts will be dis-engaged in Love and Affection to you-wards and this will be infallibly the Effect of Persecution for Conscience sake as King Charles the first saith in his Meditations A charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength when rougher Opposition fortifies and puts the Dispised and Oppressed Party into such combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors c. 10. Consider if ye force Worship and Religion and cause men to conform against their Judgments how dangerous is this to destroy mens souls and to lead 〈◊〉 even to destruction For seeing ye affirm not the Infallibility of your Worship and Religion and yet will impose them and so engage mens Souls in depandancy for Salvation upon things and wayes uncertain and which GOD giveth not the Faith to believe in I say how dangerous is this to ruin souls for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which God works in the heart in the Obedience of Infallible TRUTH So ye 〈◊〉 mens souls upon a Rock and it is unreasonable as before mentioned that men should be forced into the profession and Practice of uncertain and fallible Religion and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil for which not you altogether but themselves must bear the punishment in the Day of the Lord and except ye could affirm and prove the infallibility of your Church which is impossible there is no Equity nor Right Reason for it That you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you For as King Charles the First said in his Meditation He desired not any should be further Subjects unto him then he and all of them might be subject unto God c. 11. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience but persecute about the same ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the Heathen Rulers and of the false Christians and shews that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the Church of Rome and ye follow their example who persecute unto death such as they call Hereticks and if ye do persecute for matters of Conscience then ye allow the very deeds of the Heathens who persecuted the Christians for their Religion sake and ye justifie Papists in persecuting the Protestants and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the World by your works and fruits that ye are of Antichrist if ye impose on mens Consciences by force in the matters of Religion and persecute good Conscience about the same for it was the Antichrist and the Beast that first forced all to worship and violently engaged all into a conformity and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the Image Rev. 13. as ye may read And it was not Christs way nor the practice of any of his primitive Churches to impose and force on the persons and Consciences of men concerning their Church and Religion to cause all into a conformity thereunto and destroy and persecute all that would not This was not the way of Christ and his Apostles in their daies but they left Religion free and said they were not lords over mens faith nor lords over Gods Heritage neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience much lesse compel against mens Conciences for the Apostle left the practice of doubtful things as every one was perswaded in his own mind to do or not to do without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same Therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience ye are out of the Doctrine Example of Christ and his Apostles and follows the way and example of Antichrist Heathen Rulers and cruel Papists to your great dishonour 12. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion but impose and persecute about the same It must inavoidably tend to destroy and expel Trading Husbandry and Merchandize in these Kingdoms for a great part of Trading and Husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in Religion and hates persecution and violence in that case this ye will find true on examination and if liberty of Conscience be not allowed such will be exposed to great afflictions some to imprisonment and some to poverty and some to flee into other Countries to the destruction of their Callings and Trading and the hands and industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these Kingdoms if they cannot enjoy their just liberty in temporal spiritual cases and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect even to dis-enable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades and expose these Nations to want and poverty and to enrich their enemies 13. Consider If Liberty of Conscience be deny'd and Persecution be introduc'd about the same all these and many more woful Consequences and Effects will follow infallibly to the ruin of these Kingdoms even Wars and Bloodsheds and Discontents and Murmurings and all evil things will be the Product of the aforesaid Cause viz. Of denying Liberty of Conscience in Religious Matters for in a word it will tend to and may effect the Overthrow of you and Ruin your Government and Authority for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you and his Wrath will go out like a Devouring Flame upon you if that ye limit the Holy One and will not suffer him to exercise his proper Right in being King in mens Consciences to exercise them in all the Wayes of his Worship and Matters of his Kingdom but do oppress impose and persecute about the same this I say will infallibly work the Kingdoms ruin and expose you and your Government to the Indignation of the Holy Lord God who is tender of his Honour and will not give it to another and he loveth and effecteth the Cause of such whose Consciences are truly tender towards him and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them and for a time exercise great Afflictio and â—â—â—ressions upon them for the matters of their Conscience yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season and deliver them and avenge their â—ersecuâ—ors And therefore all ye Rulers consider and lay these things to heart lest ye provoke the Lord against you by destroying the People whom he regards and that not for evil doing but for the Caâ—es of Conscience and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion and how and conform in things against their Light and Knowledge 14. Consider If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience what exceeding danger 〈◊〉 run your selves into even to destroy just men and righteous as Hereticks and erroneous and may promote Hereticks as Church-members both which are great Abominations in the Sight of God and this Danger ye bring upon your selves for ye are not infallible Judges who are Hereticks and
your Power if that I say ye oppose his Work and will seek to bind and limit his Spirit in his People and will yet force and impose upon Conscience by outward Violence and Kill and Persecute unto Death and Banishment for matter of Conscience and because of difference in Iudgement in Spiritual Things then thus it shall be done unto you Ye shall Fall and Perish and be Troubled and Blessings and Prosperity shall not be unto you If it be not thus the Lord hath not spoken by me Well Friends even all ye that have Authority and Power in the Government of this World are nearly concerned to take special notice of these things presented unto you seeing the Effects of these two Causes are both very weighty and infallibly certain even to you-wards particularly Very weighty because Peace Prosperity and Happiness or Misery Distractions and Downfall to you is depending upon the Effects of the Causes infallibly certain because the Iustice of God Almighty is such that he must bring Reward upon all according to their Deeds and his Iustice cannot be diverted But if ye permit Free Liberty of Conscience in the Exercise of Godliness in Faith and Worship unto all People under your Power then shall Peace and Prosperity be unto you according to the Purpose of God But if ye impose upon Conscience in any wise by Force in Religious Matters and will not be instructed and advised to the contrary Then shall Misery and Destruction certainly be unto you according to the Justice of God's Vengeance These things are so as a Servant of God I present them to you and not upon Fiction or Fancy but as I have received them from the Lord God by his Spirit which signifies the Verity and Certainty of those Things in my Soul Friends Doubt not of these things for verily the Time is at hand and it must surely come to pass my Spirit shall see it and rejoyce therein if in this Body I may not behold it That imposing and forcing of Conscience by Laws and Ordinances of Men upon Penalties on Mens Persons and Estates in Religious Matters shall be expunged subdued and abandoned in these Nations and Kingdoms of the World and it shall be no more But Liberty Liberty shall be Re-planted Embraced and Renowned amongst Men and Truth and Righteousness Mercy and Peace True Liberty and Freedom Justice and True Judgment with all the Causes and Effects thereof shall flourish and grow and prosper on the Earth and the contrary shall fall and rise no more This Day is dawning nigh it s at the Door Blessed are they that are prepared for it Wherefore let all Flesh Hear and Fear Bow and Tremble and let the Hearts of the Righteous rejoyce and be exceeding glad let all the Upright in Heart put on the Garment of Praises and Deliverance For the Day is at hand that Antichrist with all his Strength and Power Force and Policy shall be a Hissing and Reproach and Shame Contempt unto the Saints of the Most High and amongst whom the Lord God Omnipotent doth and must Raign and Rule in Dominion and Glory and Power over all forever and evermore E. B. London this 12th Moneth 1661. Antichrist's Government Justly Detected c. CHAP. 1. Concerning Imposing Religion the Case stated and the Unrighteousness thereof shewed with the Danger thereof also made appear by manifest Proofs Presented unto the Rulers and People of our Age throughout the World TO Impose any Kind of Religion any Way of Worship or Form of Faith and outward Conformity in any Practices of Duty to God-wards by an External Authority of men through force of Laws commanding and requiring such Conformity in Faith and Worship upon Pains Penalties and Forfeitures on mens Persons and Estates as hath been practiced in the World since the dayes of the Apostles amongst the Nations professing Christianity This thing is not of the Lord nor according to Commands of Christ and Example of the Apostles and Primitive Christians declared of in the Scriptures but is of Antichrist and Unrighteous Unequal and Dangerous to the Destruction of the Souls and Bodies of both the Imposers and the Imposed 1. Such kind of Forcing and compelling by force of outward Laws into such outward Conformity of Religion Faith and Worship Church-Government and Ministry was never in beeing nor ever practiced in the true Christian Churches amongst the Apostles in their dayes nor ever was such a thing known among the Primitive Christians There was no such kind of Laws made nor executed amongst them nor such Force exercised on mens Persons and Estates in such Cases there was no outward Violence used in the Primitive Times to compel any to Conformity to Christian Faith Worship and Practice of Christian Religion None of the first Christians were made truly Religious and converted from the Way of Error to the Way of true Christianity by such means of outward Force and Commandments of Men put upon them They were not I say converted themselves to the Christian-Faith and Religion nor made Conformable Worshippers of God in his Spirit by that Way and Means nor did they seek to convert others into Conformity to Church-Government and Christian-Worship by force of outward Laws upon Pains and Forfeitures These things were not in the true Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes amongst the Primitive Christians 2. But the true Way of Conversion among them to the Christian-Faith and Worship and true church-Church-Government whereby people were made rightly conformable to the true Christian Religion as it was amongst the Apostles was by and through the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ Jesus preached amongst them in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit of God of such as were truly called and sent of him which did turn People to the Spirit of God and that Ministry wrought in them to receive it by which their Consciences were convinced and their Hearts perswaded in the Love of christ to believe in him and receive him and follow him and thus were they drawn and begotten and converted into the Faith and Worship and Practice of the true Christiâ—…-Religion and made conformable to the Government and Order of the true Church of Christ in all things by this Means and Way only and not at all by any outward Force and Compulsion exercised upon them they were converted to the true christian-Christian-Religion and to the true Worship of God and by the same Way did they convert and turn others to the same and this only is the Perfect Way of Christian-Conformity to the true Christian-Worship and Church-Gâ—…ment it ever was since the beginning of Christianity in the World and iâ—â—nto this day even to perswade the Heart and to convince the Conscience inwardly by the sound Doctrine of the Gospel through the Operation of the Spirit of Christ and by Love and Meekness and Patience and all the Fruits of Righteousness held forth in Doctrine and Conversation which may answer the Testimony of God in all mens Consciences
Raign in Person upon Earth p. 107. 12. To all them called Ranters p. 108. 13. To all them called Seekers and Waiters p. 109. 14. The Beast which all the World Wonders after but they whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life hath many Heads and many Horns p. 109. A Description of the State and Condition of all Mankind upon the Face of the whole Earth Sheweth from p. 115. to 123. 1. What man was in his Creation before Transgression 2. What he is in Transgression and how he became a degenerate Plant. 3. The Way of Restauration Salvation and of Life Eternal declared to the Sons and Daughters of Adam in the whole World Truth Defended or Certain Accusations answered cast upon the People called Quakers by the Teachers of the World In which is discovered 1. Who are the false Prophets 2. When they came in 3. How they may be known 4. Who they are that deny Christ and preach another Gospel 5. Who they are that deny the Scriptures Churches Ministers and Magistrates c. p. 124. to 135. The true Faith of the Gospel of Peace Contended for in the Spirit of Meekness Being an Answer to John Bunnian a professed Minister in Bedfordshire p. 136. An Answer to a Book called Stablishing against Quaking put forth by Giles Firmin a professed Minister in Essex p. 153. The Crying Sins Reproved whereof the Rulers and People of England are highly guilty Being Additions to their own Confessions held forth by them in their Declaration wherein these Three Nations were invited to a solemn Day of Fasting c. p. 168. A Measure of the Times Wherein is shewed 1. What the state of things have been in Ages past 2. What the state of things are at this present day 3. What shall be the state of things hereafter from p. 183. to 203. The Testimony of the Lord concerning London Being a Warning to all sorts of People in it what the Lord requires of them p. 214. to 222. A Just and Lawful Tryal of the Teachers and Professed Ministers of this Age Wherein is shewed That they are judged and by the Scriptures proved to be contrary to all the Ministers of Christ in former Ages 2. And are proved to agree with all the false Prophets and Deceivers in their Call Maintenance Doctrine and Practice In which Book is also a Description of the true Ministry of Christ from p. 223. to 239. A Standard lifted up and an Ensign held forth to all Nations Being a Testimony Concerning The True God p. 241. The Son of God p. 242. The Spirit of God p. 242. Man and all Mankind p. 243. The World in general p. 243. Man's Restauration Redemption and Salvation what they are and by whom they are wrought p. 245. True Religion and the true Worship of the true God p. 245. Iustification and Sanctification p. 246. The Kingdom of Christ and how it is to be set up p. 246. Governours and Government and Subjection to them p. 247. The true Ministry of Christ and the false Ministry and the Difference betwixt them p. 248. The Gospel of Christ p. 249. The Word of God and the Scriptures p. 249. The Devil and Damnation p. 250. All Creatures that God made p. 251. The New Covenant p. 252. Faith p. 253. What Works are accepted of God and what Works are not accepted p. 253. Man's State in the first Adam before Conversion and his State after Conversion and what Conversion is p. 254. The Woful Cry of Unjust Persecutions and grievous Oppressions of the People of God in England Shewing the Ground of Persecution in its first Cause and the Enmity which is betwixt the two Seeds p. 256. Truth the Strongest of all witnessed forth in the Spitit of Truth against all Deceit In a Reply to John Bunnian ' s second Book p. 275. Many Strong Reasons Confounded Being an Answer to Richard Baxter ' s Twenty four Arguments which he said Would hinder any reasonable man from being a Quaker p. 310. The true Christian Religion again Discovered after a long and dark Night of Apostacy Shewing who it is of the Sects and Forms of Religion in the Nations that are agreeable to the Scriptures p. 325. A Message for Instruction to all the Rulers Judges and Magistrates to whom the Law is committed Shewing 1. What Iust Government is 2. How far the Magistrates Power reacheth and what the Sword of Iustice is to cut down and what it is to defend 3. An Exposition of some parts of the Law for the Edification of such as desire to judge Righteously between man and man p. 343. The State of the Controversie between Richard Mayo Priest of Kingstone and Edw. Burroughs p. 375. Truth made Manifest Being an Answer to a Book called The Quakers Rounds put forth by one Philip Taverner p. 399. A Testimony concerning the Estate of the True Church Shewing 1. What she hath been 2. What she is pag. 413. The True State of Christianity truly described Shewing 1. What it was in its Beginning and Purity 2. What it now is in its Apostacy and Degeneration And also sheweth the Woful State wherein them called Christians now stand being departed and revolted from the Spirit of Christ and from his Teachings pag. 418. A Declaration to all the World of our Faith and what we believe who are called Quakers pag. 439. Some of the Principles of the Quakers scornfully so called by men Vindicated In Answer to two Printed Books put forth by Philip Taverner a supposed Minister of the Gospel in Middlesex p. 444. A Testimony against a Great Idolatry committed Being a true Mourning of the Lord's Servant upon the many Considerations of his Heart upon that Occasion of the great stir about an Image of O. Cromwell carryed about the 23th of the 9th Moneth 1658. p. 457. A Message proclaimed by Divine Authority From the Chosen Assembly of the Redeemed People in England to the Pope chief Bishop in Rome and to his Cardinals Iesuits and Priests c. being an Invitation and Challenge to them to come forth to Tryal and shew if they have the same Faith Power Spirit Authority and Government as had the Apostles and true Churches before the Apostacy p. 462. A Faithful Testimony concerning the true Worship of God Shewing 1. What it is in it self 2. And who are the true Worshippers p. 474. Some false Principles and Errors Discovered In Answer to a Book supposed to be put forth by Samuel Eaton a professed Minister of the Gospel amongst the Sect of Independents in Cheshire p. 483. A Message to all Kings and Rulers in Christendom Being a Warning from the Lord to them to take heed of Oppression and to cease to grind the Face of the Poor and from drinking the Whore's Cup and from carrying of her and from all Oppressions whatsoever lest the Lord God Almighty execute his fierce Indignation upon them p. 492. An Account of some Grounds and Reasons of the Innocent Sufferings of the People of God
weight thereof as to encourage such a Work of value and worth for many know what a great Sufferer F. H. was and how he lay many years in a bad Prison at Appleby in Westmoreland for the Testimony of Jesus and of a good Conscience for that he could not Swear so that in the same Prison under the Hands of his Persecutors he cheerfully and with much Satifaction and Peace gave up his Life and ended his Dayes in Peace Oh! the remembrance of these two Faithfull Witnesses who both died Sufferers being Prisoners for Truth is never to be forgotten And thus Dear Friends as the Salutation of our dear Brother E. B. according to his desire while in the Body I recommend unto you this Volumn of his Books with my Love in the Truth to you all being therein The Truth 's and your Servant and Friend Ellis Hookes London the 1st of the 2d Moneth 1672. THE EPISTLE TO The Reader TO all the World to whom this may come to be Read that they read with a good understanding and hereby they may come to the perfect knowledge of the ground of difference between the Priests and Professors and all Sects in these Nations and Us who are in scorn called Quakers shewing that the Controversie on our part is just and equal against them all and that we have sufficient cause to cry against them and to deny their Ministry their Church their Worship and their whole Religion as being not in the Power and by the Spirit of the Living God as commanded of him or ever practiced by his Saints But this declareth the ground and Foundation thereof to be another thing and not the same on which the true Church and Ministry and Practice and Worship and true Religion was builded in the days of the Apostles And also this is an Invitation to all Sects and Professions of People to come forth and try if what they hold and profess be according to the Scriptures of truth and to do this in tryal by evident and sound Arguments and by the best spiritual Weapons they have and to lay aside all this Persecution and unrighteous Dealing and Stocking and Whipping and Imprisoning of us for speaking against their Religion and that they come forth in fair dispute to contend in the Spirit of meekness for what they Profess and Practice and to prove according to the Scriptures their Ministry Church and whole Religion that it is in and by the Spirit and Power of God or otherwise to renounce and deny all their Religion and the Profession and Practices thereof that every man may be satisfied who it is that are in the true and right Way and of the true Worship and true Religion and who it is that are not and this is desired by us who are called Quakers and also a true Account of our first beginning and coming forth in the World and of that great Sufferings we have sustained and how we have been carried on and are preserved to this day The Lord God everlasting who is true and faithful hath fulfilled his promise in us and unto us and we are gathered from the Mouths of all dumb Shepherds and out of the mouths of all Hirelings who have made a prey upon us and fed themselves with the fat and devoured souls for dishonest gain And we are come to the Fold of Eternal Rest where Christ Jesus is the chief Shepherd and he is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls that feedeth his Flock with living Bread that nourisheth us unto Life Eternal he hath called us by his Name and put us forth and he feedeth us in green Pastures and we are fed with hidden Manna and lie down at Noon with his gathered Flock and out of Nations Kindreds Multitudes and Peoples are we redeemed to God and are come out of the World and out of great Babylon and out of spiritual Sodom and Egypt where the Lord Christ was and is crucified and lieth slain to this day and a top of the World hath the Lord set us on the Mountain of his own House and Dwelling where we behold and feel the Life and Glory and Crown of the World that hath no end and the world that hath an end is seen over and its crown and glory is his Footstool that reigns amongst us And as for all that which this perishing world brings forth which men seek after only it s reckoned our temptation though all the Sons of Adam are seeking its glory its riches its crowns its contentments but of that Birth are we which hath no crown no glory nor rest under the Sun and a Birth is brought forth amongst us which is Heir of another Kingdom and Possessor of another Crown whose glorying is in the Lord all the Day long and he is our Refuge our Rock and our Fortress against all our Enemies and what though the Wicked arm themselves and the Ungodly bend their Bow what though all sorts of People from the Prince upon his Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghil exalt themselves against the despised People of the Lord's Inheritance who for his Name 's sake are kill'd all the day long What though the Wise-men bring forth their Arguments and what though the Rulers bring forth unrighteous Judgments against the Seed that God hath blessed what though the Revilers and Scorners open their mouthes and Reproachers and Revilers cast out their bitter words as a Flood against the Remnant of the Woman's Seed that has long been fled into the Wilderness And what then if the Teachers the Prophets and the Elders and the Heads and Wise men of the World set themselves to pray and preach and print against the chosen Seed of Iacob yet notwithstanding all this though this is come to pass and Hell open her Mouth and her Floods break forth to overflow and be much more increased yet shall the King of Righteousness rule among his People and his Presence will not forsake his chosen Ones but the Lord is with us a Mighty and Terrible One and the shout of a King is amongst us and the Dread and Terror of the Almighty covereth us and it goeth before us and compasseth us about And the Lord is working a Work in the Earth mighty and wonderful he is gathering the Scattered and binding up the Broken-hearted and his People shall dwell in safety and none shall make them afraid and no Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper nor no Hand that is lifted up shall prevail for Sion shall rise out of the Dust her beautiful Garments shall be put on and Mourning and Sorrow shall flee away and her Light is risen that is everlasting and the Sun shall never godown but his day shall remain for ever and the Night shall not again cover her brightness nor the Sun set upon her habitations the City that hath long laid waste shall again be builded and the dwelling that hath long been without Inhabitant shall be replenished for the numberless seed of
how generally we were men of the strictest Sect and of the greatest Zeal in the Performance of outward righteousness and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from Mountain to Mountain and from man to man and from one Form to another as do many to this very day who yet remain ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his Wayes more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a Child even a few years old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and Treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needful to wit the Knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his Spirit from Heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his Wisdom to guide us whereby we saw all the World and the true state of all things the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his Power Wisdom and the Word by which all things were made to know and understand and see perfectly that God had given to us every one of us in particular a Light from himself shining in our hearts and consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the World had lighted every man and all Mankind withal which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discern between truth and error between every false and right way and it perfectly discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression and how he was deceived and overcome by the Devil and his estate in transgression and in disobedience and how he is drove and banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in and to undergo and also by the Light in us we perfectly came to know the way of Restauration and the means to be restored and the state of man being come out of Transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withal what man was before Transgression and what he is in Transgression and what he is being redeemed out of Transgression and also the Light which shineth in every one of us as to it our minds became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect Estate of the Church we came to know her Estate before the Apostles days and in the Apostles dayes and since the dayes of the Apostles and her present Estate we found to be as a Woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to rule the Nations but she was fled into the Wilderness and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojourning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an Ear they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertain to Salvation and Redemption and Eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made known to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withal And we found this Light to be a sufficient Teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witness him to dwell in us and through it the new Covenant we came to enter into to be made Heirs of Life and Salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were enlightened withal and all Mankind which is Christ to be alone and only sufficient to bring to Life and eternal Salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withal they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own Consciences and they received the holy Anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their Worships and their Temples and all their Baptisms and Churches and we ceased from our own Words and Professions and Practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers Forms and we become Fools for Christ's sake that we might become truely wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false Wayes and false Preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure Silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the Voice of the Lord and felt his Word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the Motions of the Lords pure Spirit and took up the Cross to all Earthly Glories Crowns and Ways and denied our selves our Relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon Earth or all our former zealous Professions and Practices in Religion without the Power and Spirit of God which the World yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in Silence as often we did for many Hours together with our minds and hearts towards him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly Motions and desires in our diligent waiting and fear of his Name and hearkning to his Word we re-received often the pouring down of the Spirit upon us and the Gift of God's holy eternal Spirit as in the dayes of old and our heart were made glad and our Tongues loosed and our Mouthes opened and we spake with new Tongues as the Lord gave us utterance and as his Spirit led us which was poured down upon us on Sons and Daughters and to us hereby was the deep things of God revealed and things unutterable were known and made manifest and the Glory of the Father was revealed and then begun we to sing Praises to the Lord God Almighty and to the Lamb for ever who had redeemed us to God and brought us out of the Captivity and Bondage of the World and put an end to Sin and Death and all this was by and through and in the Light of Christ within us and much more might be declared hereof that which
or in the day of Judgment when we and all Man-kind shall appear and come sorth to tryal and every mans work shall be tryed and all shall receive according to their deeds And so gladly would we be made manifest to all the World if that after the reading of this Book any be unsatisfied still in this matter And if any especially of the Heads and Rulers have doubts or Jealousies raised in them concerning us and the Priests and that they further would be satisfied and resolved for that end let any Wise-men propound for full satisfaction of all sorts of People that we with the consent of the chief in Authority that have power in this Nation who may preserve peace and safety among people and thereby to stop all Jealousies may freely and chearfully Four Ten Twenty Thirty more or fewer of us give as many of the wisest and ablest of the Priests and Professors a meeting for dispute at any place in England at what place time and for what continuance as they shall ascribe and consent unto and to dispute and controvert betwixt us and them any such thing and every such particular as shall or may be objected by any of the Heads and Rulers or other Grave Understanding Men wherein they are doubtful betwixt us and would thereof be satisfied that by such Dispute and opening of such causes objected full and real and toal satisfaction may be given to the whole Nation and every particular man and member therein Otherwise Let the Priests or Professors or any of them object what they can against us in our Principles Profession Faith and Practice and our whole Religion And if they shall affirm and alledge any one or more things against us that any Principle we hold or Practice we profess in any part throughout all our Religion are false Principles and false Practices and not according to Truth nor the Scriptures but shall affirm that our Religion is not the true Religion nor we of the true Church of Christ and they shall have free liberty to give their best proof and reason for what they affirm and alledge yet by the Strength of Christ and in the power and authority of God and according to the Scriptures we shall confute all their Proofs and strongest Reasons and on the contrary we shall joyn our Principles Doctrines and Practices and all our Religion and every part and particular thereof to be the very truth and agreeing with the Scriptures according to that shall maintain by lawful Arguments and plea that our Religion and Worship and all that we profess and Practice is according to the mind of the Lord and justified of him and that whatsoever is and may be spoken against us upon that account is utterly false and to be condemned and upon this we will ingage with them and with any of our Enemes of what Sect and Profession soever to the intent onely that Truth may be manifest and embraced and Deceit and Error discovered and denied And also upon such an Engagement we should agree to have the liberty freely and soberly to object against the Priests concerning their Ministry their Call their Practice their Maintenance and their Fruits and Effects and concerning their Church and Principles and Worship and whole Religion and shall hear patiently all that can be said in defence thereof by any or all of them and shall prove by the Spirit of the Lord and according to the Scriptures that their ministry is not the true Ministry of Christ nor they true and lawfull Ministers of the Gospel but shall manifest by evident Arguments that their Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects are not according nor agreeing but contrary and differing to what the true Ministry was and its Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects were in the true Apostles and among the true Churches and furthermore by the Grace of God we shall prove their Church their Worship and their whole Religion in all parts thereof to be degenerated from what the true Church was the true Worship and true Religion in the days of the Apostles and true Churches of old and these things shall we make manifest by faithful and sound Arguments according to the Scriptures that all the Earth may know and all people perceive who is in the Truth and of the true Worship and Religion and who are in the contrary and whether the Priests and that which they profess and practice for Religion or the Quakers and that which they profess and practice for Religion be of God and according to him and whether are contrary that the end of this long Travel and War and controversie may be desided and justly ended between us and all people may be resolved and satisfied concerning us and them that do oppose us And let all the Priests and Professors lay aside and give over their Houses of Correction and imprisoning people and whipping of them and stocking of us and dealing in this manner of violence and cruelty as for years by-past they have done in defence of their Religion and resisting of ours and let them lay aside their carnal Weapons and fighting against our persons and imprisoning of us about our Religion and let them come forth in sound Arguments the best they have and let us see what spiritual Weapons they have to resist us and defend themselves and let us try whether their spiritual Weapons or ours be the strongest and the most powerful and mighty and let theirs that are so prevail against the other be it ours or theirs and this is the way to try the truth and to make all things manifest and to deside and end all the whole controversies between us and them which hath been great this many years and let the Truth be set up and exalted where ever it is and all Deceit thrown down to the Ground and let us war with the Weapons of the Spirit against Errour and false Religion one in the other but le ts not hurt Creatures nor imprison Persons nor stock and whip Creatures and make them to suffer but let us thresh Deceit and whip and beat that and all false Opinions let us throw them down where they are found whether in them or in us and let us fight with the Weapons of the Spirit that are spiritual let them fight no longer with such cruel carnal Weapons and then let such as get the victory and overcome appear to be in the truth of the Church and such as falls and is overcome be manifest to be in the Error and of the false Church and Religion and let us love one anothers persons and let them act no otherwise towards our persons then we do upon theirs and towards them and let them take the liberty to deal with us and our persons as we deal with them and their persons and no otherwise And let such whether them or us that cannot prove our selves to be the true Church of Christ nor of the true Worship and true
Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the Error and out of the Truth let such deny their Worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confess to all the World under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their Mouthes and never profess nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and Conditions we will joyn trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the World it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers years have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the Ground of Quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful Tryal in Disputes or Writings for the Tryal and searching out of the Truth and the true Religion And were it not equal and reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to Prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to Prisons and Houses of Correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the Truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no Weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the Weapons of the Spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let Creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other Weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the Weapons of the Spirit of God which are powerful will bring down strong Holds and as for Creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose Weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and who do overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with Prisons and Whips and Houses of Correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but only the Power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their Enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry Deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be Deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the Election for no Deceivers nor the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ in the Election then if all the Deceivers upon Earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the Elect cannot be deceived and upon these terms we may engage with any people and Sect upon Earth Therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the Liberty to declare in soberness what you own and prosess you shall not be persecuted nor your Bodies nor Persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to declare in Meekness and Soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and profess and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withal and then let it appear whether we or our Enemies have a greater Testimony and more powerfull in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the trial of all things but doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by Violence and Whipping and Persecuting it shews you have not the spiritual Weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and Whippings and all Violence because the Authority of God's Spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the days of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their Enemies and so all Sects have been fighting one with another and killing Persons and Creatures and desending themselves by Prisons and Inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this hath been out of the Power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath power to kill and hath killed them by Fires and Tortures and cruel Deaths and all these have lost the spiritual Weapons and been without the Power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath been to be defended by Goals and Prisons and Whips and Stocks and violent Dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the Power and Spirit of God defends her always and not Inquisitions and Prisons and Whips these are Cains Weapons and not the Weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same Ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with whom you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the Protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now Dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be Deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindedness for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a Persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be Deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your
spirits the same and your works the same in nature though not in measure and in particular this work of yours to imprison people and whip them and put them in the Stocks and beat them and abuse their Persons and Bodies who do but speak against you and your Religion is not this work of the very same nature as the work of the Romish Church she to defend her Church hath Inquisitions and Banishment and many cruel Tortures and with these things her Church she defends killing and afflicting of Peoples Bodies that do oppose her Church and deny their Religion and you have Stocks and Whips and Houses of Correction and putting great Fines and Taskes upon People and Banishing People out of Townes and spoiling their Goods and casting men into Prison who do oppose your Church and deny your Religion and is not this equal and justly according in Nature to the Persecution that is in the Romish Church and what difference between the defence of the Church of Rome and your Church of Protestants they have their Inquisitions and you have your Houses of Correction they have their Slavery in the Gallies and you have Whips and Stocks they have their divers Torments and cruel Dealings towards Persons that oppose them and upon their Bodies in one manner and you have your Torments and cruel Dealing towards us in another manner though not in the same measure yet in the same nature and what difference between you and them And herein doth the Hypocrisie of the Protestant Church and their Ministers appear in that they cry against and deny the Church of Rome and their Persecution and Cruelty acted against others and yet in nature and manner do Practice the very same upon us as in England this day is witnessed And not onely in this particular may the Church and Ministers of the Protestants be condemned for Hypocrisie but also in many other things even the most of their Practices in their Worship is of the same nature and by the same spirit which the Practices of the Church of Rome is practised by and in and not onely so but it may be truely proved and made manifest that the original and institution of many of your Church-Practices proceeded from the Church of Rome and the Church and Pope of Rome did ordain and institute many of your Practices and a great part of your worship which is performed in the Church and by the Ministry of the Protestants so called and this in its time and season I may make fully appear and discover to the Nations and I may shew in the particulars what particulars of the worship and practice in the Protestants Church had their first rice and beginning and original in the Church of Rome though they are minced and degressed with diminishings and addings according as their imaginations have guided them yet still they retain the strongest taste and Savour of the Church of Rome and had their rice and original there though in the performing thereof they may be altered and changed in appearance and from but are perfectly the same in Ground and Nature as springing from the Church of Rome and she the Mother of the Protestant Church and of the Practices of the most of her performances in worship and this may be proved as God willing upon oecasion as the Lord moves I may let sorth my mind and what I know in these things and may shew though that the Church of the Protestants have disserted the Church of Rome yet their Ministry its Call and Ordination and its Practice and Maintenance hath a dependancy upon the Church of Rome as being the Original of that which is by them therein practised though in some things deviated from the perfect Form and Practice thereof and also the whole Worship of all the Particulars in relation to the Protestant Church and Ministry and Worship hath a dependance upon the Church of Rome as being the first Original thereof and though they cry against her and her Ministers and have denied her yet is she the Mother and Womb in which was bred and out of whom proceeded the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship and Practices and this may be manifest at full that the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the Church and Worship of Rome and had their original out of her And also further may be shewed that the Protestant Church and Worships and Ministry are not another in nature and being then the Romish Church Ministry Worship but is sprung out thereof as a Branch out of the same Root the Ground being one and the same though differing in appearance for in her beginning and first dissenting from the Romish Church she did not deny her in ground and being as not being at all the Church of Christ but only in some particulars dissented alwayes then and to this day retaining divers of their practices in Worship and Church-Government which doth shew that the Protestant Church is not perfectly another nor her Ministry and Government and Worship another then is the Romish Church but is the same in ground and being onely digressed and deviated in particulars and this may be fully manifest in season that the Protestant Church and Worship and Ministry is of the Romish Church sprung as a branch out of her not contrary to her and against her and all these things is the Lord discovering and laying open that Nations and Peoples may come to behold the Mother of Harlots that Mystery of Iniquity and all her Children and may see the state and turning of times and things ever since the days of the Apostles and true Churches and how that all these divers Sects and all these Churches falsely so called are risen up and sprung out one of another and coming from one Seed and Womb and though divers in Appearances and sundry in Practices and Professions yet are they all one in the Ground and Nature sprung from the Mother of Harlots all of them and being her Children and she hath corrupted the Earth with her Fornications and Whoredoms and made Nations and Kingdoms drunk with her Cup of Idolatry but the Lord God is risen and will plead with her and give her double and the holy Prophets and Apostles shall rejoyce over her and this is coming to pass and this have I seen from the Lord and received it from him and thus it come upon me to write THE Waters I have seen dry'd up the Seat of the great Where Who with the Fornication Cup of her enticing power Hath made all Nations drunk thereby and the whole Earth defil'd With her gilt Cup of Sorcery whom she hath long beguil'd But Peoples many are and shall and Multitudes all may And Nations be Converted all unto another Way And Tongues they now confounded bee and Kindreds they must mourn And when thou this shalt finish'd see then say her Seat is torn For these are all the Waters great on whom her Seat hath been And over
and their work of God and their end alone his glory such we own to be Ministers of Christ and doth not revile or deny as he falsly saith such a Church and such Ministers of Christ but this we do and without offence to God too we do deny and bear our witness against such a people who professeth themselves to a Church and yet are in the pride in the wickedness and in the evil of this World and not redeemed clensed and seperated from the works and iniquities thereof such we do reprove for their Hypocrisie even â—…ll them that owns a title to a Church because they were sprinkled when they were Infants and hath not another ground and such who professeth themselves Ministers of Christ who hath not received their Ministry by the Gift of the Holy Ghost neither are led by the Spirit of Christ but are such as Christ â—nd the Apostles declared against such we cannot own to be Ministers of Jesus Christ but doth reprove them and deny them even such who Preacheth for Hire and hath Gifts and Rewards for Preaching and set-places for so much a â—ear these we disown and yet doth not offend God herein And this in honesty 〈◊〉 do shew to all people what that professed Church and professed Ministry is which we do deny and what that Church and Ministry is which we do set up to â—e preferred which is a right Ministry and a right Church And thus his reasonless reason is overturned and confounded and is found to be no sufficient reason wherefore a man should not be a Quaker 2. His second reason is No wise man can be a Quaker saith he because their Religion is an uncertain thing and so is not the Religion that must save us c. I answer This again is utterly false and no man that hath Gods wisdom would speak it for our Religion which we profess is a certain thing and we have openly declared it once and again and this is it To believe in Christ and to receive Christ and to be lead by the Spirit of Christ and taught in all things to love God with all the Heart and a mans neighbour as himself and through the Power of Christ dwelling in man to do all good and to be kept from all evil This in very short is our Religion and it is a very certain and established Religion and this Religion we all agree in And this in short is the substance of our faith Even Christ in us believed on and received by us This is the Truth and his lyes is judged and if he say this is an uncertain Religion let him give it under his hand and subscribe to it and he shall have a further Reply 3. His third Reason is No man of Reason should be a Quaker considering that amongst those scraps of their Religion which is made known there is so much notorious falsâ—â—d and ungodliness saith he Ans. Let all Christian people mark this his Reason they are even lyes heaped one upon another What secret Slanders are these behind our Backs who never would clear himself of what is truly charged against him in answer to his Catechism his words are turned by as utter lyes for that which we profess and practice for Religion which we have made known by word and writing is uprightness godliness sincerity and truth and neither notorious falshood not ungodliness as he wickedly saith And why did not he make it appear what this notorious falshood and ungodliness had been that had been more honest then to cast his charges and prove nothing And whereas he saith The very persâ—â— of Christ Iesus many of them do blaspheme c. this is utterly false for Jesus Christ have we owned and believed in onely and for his sake we do and suffer haâ—â— things 4. His fourth Reason is saith he Because their false pernicious Doctrines tâ—… practical Religion doth much consist in most notorious wicked injustice and uncharitableness c. Ans. Here is lye upon lye uttered and wickedness joyned to wickedness and drunk up as an Oxe drinks up water and no conscience made thereof by Richard Baxter it had been just to have mentioned these pernicious Doctrines their practical Religion injustice and uncharitableness and not to have slandered in the dark but we are delivered by the Lord from all pernicious Doctrines and notorious wickedness whatsoever and we find this false Reproacher guilty himself and his people of what he accuseth the Innocent And so his words are true unto himself and upon his own head I turn them 5. His fifth Reason is The worst of all saith he is That they behave themselves like malignant Enemies to the very Church and Gospel and Servants of Iesus Christ c. Ans. This man speaks as if he had sold himself wholly to lye but my answer to his first Reason is sufficient to answer this also and doth say That the Câ—…se and the Church and the Gospel and Servants of Iesus Christ we do fully and freely 〈◊〉 and are daily exercised therein as the very Servants of Iesus and are Friends thereof iâ— our hearts and doth not behave our selves in any way as Enemies thereunto God will judge every lying tongue and shall condemn our false Accusers guilty of that which they charge the guiltless to reprove and bear witness against the wilâ—… wicked and rude conversations and against such as have gotten the Saints words and by art frame an hours discourse thereupon for so much a Sermon or so much a year to deny such to be a Church of Christ and Ministers of Christ this we do and doth not behave our selves like Enemies to the Church or Gospel or Ministers and Servants of Christ as our Adversary wickedly saith 6. His sixth Reason saith he That part of the Quakers peculiar Religion which consists not in error and malignant impudency is made up very much of it of childish and unreasonable foppery c. Ans. As I have said No part of our Religion consists in error and malignant impudency and as for that which he calls childish and unreasonable foppery we stand not to mans judgement for it is a small thing with us for to be judged of any man for we do acknowledge that we are become fools for Christs sake and herein we have cause to glory though he upbraid us with it and it was such as he who called Paul a Babler and that his Doctrine was madness as he saith ours is foppery and let him know that which is foolishness with man is wisdom with God and we know God will confound the wisest of men by that which they may judge to be foolish and unreasonable and foppery for to such who are lost our Gospel is hid where the god of this World hath blinded their Eye as it is plain he hath done this our Adversaries and that is the reason wherefore he hath sent forth such lying Scribbles from his study of wicked inventions and let him make the best
the Saints and Churches of Christ look upon them that acted those things to be Ministers of Christ but on the contrary declared against them to be Deceivers So that all you People and you professed Ministers that act those things that the false Prophets acted and all you People that love to have it so and give Hire to your Ministers for Preaching and consent unto it none of you are of the Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because this part of your Practice in Religion is not according but contrary to Scriptures Now substracting all these in these Nations from the whole which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for Ordinances of God and for his Worship none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because these things which you Practice for Religion is not held forth in all the Scriptures by any example or command likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these Nations and that Practice and Profession of Religion which the greatest number follow and exercise themselves in cannot be the true Christian Religion because the Scripture saith Few are in the straight way that leads to Life to wit in the pure and true Religion but many are in the Broad way that leads to destruction and such that are the greatest number who are in the broad way are not in the Religion in the purity thereof as it is held forth in the Scriptures likewise many of you who Practice those things mentioned for Religion are yet unconverted to God but live in wickedness in the Pride and Vanities and in all the evil of this World in Double-dealing in Drunkenness in Whoredom and in the Works of Darkness therefore you are not of the true Christian Religion neither do your walk with God in Purity and Holiness neither are you changed by Christ into his Image nor are guided by his Spirit neither do you live to God in any thing but to this World in all things and your Religion is manifest not to be according to the Scriptures but contrary And so let all people consider whether or no you must be maintained in your Religion Come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called Presbyterians and Independants and all others stand up and prove if you can your Practice in Religion to be according to Scriptures but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned which is practiced by you for Religion to wit Sprinkling of Infants and singing David's experiences in Rhime and Meeter and Worshipping God in set-places as Idol-Temples and preaching for and giving great sums of Money for preaching with other things practiced by you for Religion neither were these things ever commanded in Scriptures neither is there any example for the practise of these things in Scripture by any of the Lords people and therefore you cannot justly own a Title in the Protectors Oath to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of Religion for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that Religion which is according to Scriptures and not them who practiceth those things for Religion which are not according but contrary to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that are called gathered Churches who holds sorth for Doctrine that the Scriptures are the Word by which the World was made and that the Scriptures are the Foundation and that the Scriptures are the Way to Salvation and that the Letter and the Spirit are unseparable and that the Scriptures are both the Writings and the thing fignified and that except a man be Baptized with Water he cannot be saved with such like Doctrines which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the Church of Christ all you are manifest not to be of the Christian Religion because those Doctrines are not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Practice in the Exercise of Religion is but by Imitation from the Scriptures and you are not led by the Spirit of of the Father in what you speak and practice you are not of the true Christian Religion which the Scripture speaks of for the Sons of God and who are of the true Religion are led by the Spirit of God and not by their own Thoughts and Imaginations and the Traditions of men And all that are not led by the Spirit of the Father are not of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and not any that are such can justly own to be protected in their Religion because it is not according to the Scriptures Likewise All ye that do profess the things of God and Christ and that you are Members of the Church of Christ and profess Righteousness and Truth in words and yet live in Pride and the Vanities of this World and in Unrighteousness and the Customs of the Heathen which are vain and are not cleansed from Unrighteousness nor freed from the Body of sin and death neither do answer your Profession with a Conversation shewing that you are not guided with that Spirit whose words you do profess All you are Hypocrites and live in Hypocrisie none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures For the Exercise in true Religion sheweth forth in Life what is prosessed in words Come try your selves and prove your selves all sorts of people for now your Religion is to be try'd what Name soever you go under And all you that practice and profess those things for Religion for which there is neither Command nor President in Scripture your Religion is concluded not to be according to Scriptures and so no Title or Priviledge can any of you justly own of being upheld or maintain'd by the Protector 's Oath But as I have said For sprinkling of Infants and singing of David ' s Experiences in Rhyme and Meeter c. there is neither Command nor President in Scriptures and therefore you that practice those things which I have mention'd for Religion are not of the true Christian Religion which is according to the Scriptures which is to be protected Likewise all ye that persecute by Reproaches or Revilings and Cruelty or that cause the People of God to be persecuted many of you there are in these Nations which profess Religion yet are Envious Persons and Persecutors of the Innocent Hereby it is manifest that you are not of that Religion which is according to Scriptures for the Saints never persecuted any but were themselves persecuted for Righteousness sake so you are not to be protected in such Exercise because it is not according but contrary to the Scriptures for you have no Example from the Saints for professing and practizing Religion and yet persecuting such as are of the true Religion whose Consciences are truly exercised towards God and towards all men Now seeing that it is discovered in part who it is that
are not of the true Christian Religion according to the Scriptures it remains to be proved if there be any who they be that are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and who they be that are to be protected in their Practice and Exercise of Religion And as concerning the dispised and rejected People called Quakers herein I shall speak for them as a Friend to them and a Lover of their Wayes who is nor ashamed of their Practices in Religion and shall measure and try their Practices in Religion whether they be according to Scripture and if it prove so to be that what they practice for Religion and hold forth for Doctrine be according to the Scriptures then why should not they own their Right and Priviledge to be upholden and maintained by the Protector 's Oath who hath sworn to uphold and maintain them and their Religion whose Exercise in Religion is according to Scriptures being that same People are and have been faithful Subjects of this Common-Wealth And first of all They dare not own themselves to be Christians nor to be Members of Christ nor to have any Right or Title to the Kingdom of God but as they witness converting by the Spirit of the Lord and are changed from Death to Life and from Darkness to Light and from Satan's power unto the Power of God through the Operation of the same Spirit and as in all their Works and Wayes and Exercises in Religion they are guided by the same Spirit who leadeth them out of the World and out of the Vanities and Evil-Works thereof and this is according to the Scriptures And their Religion herein is justify'd by the Scriptures who witness That Christ is in them and that they have receiv'd him through Faith and thereby are cleansed from all Unrighteousness and have put off and are putting off the Body of sin and death and walk with God in Purity and Holiness being led by the Spirit of God therein and with God they have Peace being reconciled by Jesus Christ who is their Salvation and they have no other And this is according to the Scriptures And again As concerning their Meetings and the manner thereof They are not contrary but according to the Scriptures for though they meet in many Parts of these Nations by great Numbers some in the open Fields and some on the Mountains in some Places and sometimes without Doors and sometimes in Houses all this Practice is according to Scriptures For we read Mat. 5. 1. in the dayes of Christ That there were great Multitudes of People that follow'd him and he went up into a Mountain and preached and taught them upon the Mountain And in Mat. 14. 14. we read That there were great Multitudes that came out of the Cities unto Iesus into the Deserts and he had compassion towards them and did good unto them And at that time there were many Thousands met together as you may read and it seems stay'd many whole dayes together for they sate down on the Grass and eat together and then Iesus sent the Multitudes away And in Mark 6. you may read how that Multitudes came to Iesus out of the Cities into a desert Place and Iesus began to teach them many things in that desert Place for he had compassion on the Multitude And in Luke 9. how the people again follow'd Jesus into a desert Place and he preached unto them the Kingdom of God Such Meetings then were counted strange as such Meetings are now when the People of God meet together by great Numbers to preach and to hear the Kingdom of God preached But their Meetings are according to the Scriptures for the People of God in Generations past met in the same manner as the People of God called Quakers meet now For sometimes Christ preached out of a Ship unto the People that stood on the Sea Shore And Paul kneeled down and prayed among the Saints near the Sea Shore at his passing into the Ship And we read Acts 2. that there was Three Thousand converted at one Sermon then there must needs be a great Meeting and a great deal of People met together Such Meetings now are wondred at but such Meetings are but according to Scripture so that this part of their Practice in Religion is agreeable to the Scriptures and the same as the Saints Practice was in Ages past And as for the People of God meeting together sometimes in the Night-season to wait upon the Lord and sometimes sitting in Silence and waiting upon the Lord and no words utter'd amongst them but every one sitting silent before the Lord having receiv'd nothing from the Lord to speak one to another at which the people of the World do wonder and falsly judge it not to be a Christian Exercise But we read in the Scripture Iob 2. that Iob who was a Christian for he was a just and perfect man he and his Friends sate upon the Ground seven dayes and seven nights and spake not a word one to another this would be a strange thing at this day to see practised And in Ier. 8. 14. you may read where the Prophet Ieremiah exhorted the people to assemble themselves and said Let us enter into defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to Silence But such a Practice now is thought strange by the people of the World who are not acquainted with the Wayes of God who are wise in their own Eyes and know not what it is to wait upon the Lord in silence who never yet were put to silence in themselves by the Lord. And you may read Ezek. 3. where the Prophet sate down among the People of the Captivity and they were astonish'd seven dayes and at the end of seven dayes and not before the Word of the Lord came to the Prophet So that you see it was the Practice of the Servants of the Lord oft-times to sit and wait upon the Lord in Silence though people wonder at such Meetings now And we do not read That there was alwayes speaking among the Saints in the Churches when they were met together But Acts 2. we read That the Church was met together in a Place and the Holy Ghost fell upon them and then they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance then it seems they had not spoken before though they had met together in a House and then they spoke the wonderful things of God and some that heard mocked and others said they were full of New Wine even as the people of the World do at this day when any of the People of the Lord are moved to speak as the Spirit gives utterance So that sometimes to sit in Silence being met together to wait upon the Lord as many of the Servants of the Lord do in this Nation is a Practice of Religion and not contrary but according to the Scriptures for many of the Servants
was a God and they feared him and served him and worshipped him and his Name was precious amongst them who were his chosen People and with whom he dwelt and his Power and Presence was amongst his People that did walk with him under what Name soever they went in the World But the first time that ever the People of the Lord were called Christians or known by that Name from other people it was at Antioch in the time of the Apostles who were Followers of Christ as you may read Acts 11. 26. And the Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch and before that time the People of the Lord were never called Christians and this Name was given to them by the Heathen because they were for Christ and of his part and did follow him and preach him to be follow'd and in all things exalted his Name and did and suffer'd all things for the Name of Christ therefore were they named Christians and that Name was true unto them for they had upon them the express Image and Character of Christ and follow'd his Spirit and preached him unto all people for Life and Salvation and that all people might come to Christ and become Followers of him and therefore they were rightly named Christians to be known by that Name from all other people upon Earth who were not Followers of Christ who could not rightly be call'd Christians because they were not of his part and from thence forth unto this day all people whatsoever that believed in Christ and became Followers of him and that professed him were called Christians from that Original and Foundation of the Name which then was laid Also you may read Acts 26. 28. And Agrippa said unto Paul Almost thou persâ—adest me to be a Christian Here again Paul followed Christ and preached him and was on his part altogether and highly extolled his Name therefore King Agrippa called him Christian and was almost perswaded to be a Christian to wit A Man for Christ to take part with him and to be on his side and the Name interpreted this is the signification and all that have this Character do truly deserve the Name of Christians for they are anointed People and this was the beginning of the Christian Name And before that time as I have said were the People of God never called Christians in any Generation and ever since that time through all Ages all that professed Christ and believ'd in him throughout the whole World were called by the Name of Christians and the Name and Religion of Christians were honourable and greatly beloved of God for that People was the peculiar People a chosen Generation as you may read 1 Pet. 2. 19. and whilst the Life of Christ was manifest and the Spirit of Christ did lead them and teach them in all their Wayes and Practices of Religion And whilst I say they retained the Power and Life of that of which they had the Name the Power and Presence of the Lord was amongst them and above all the people of the Earth were they blessed and more then all people upon the Earth besides had they the Countenance of God shining amongst them and upon them and pure unity with God and one with another had they in his â—ife whereby they were made a terror and a fear to all Nations while they stood in the Counsel of God and were Christians in life and power and practice as well as in name and the Lord greatly encreased them in number for as you may read through the Acts of the Apostles through all the World many believed in Christ and became Followers of him and received the Knowledge of him and became anointed People and received the name of Christians sometimes Thousands at one Sermon were converted to the Faith of Christ and became subject to his Spirit and had his Mark upon them and all such were called Christians and the Apostles went through many Nations and of the Iews and Greeks and of the Heathen and all other people some of each were converted from that way in which they had walked to follow Christ and they became Christians and here was the encrease of Christianity and through many parts of the World they planted Churches and Assemblies of Christians And as I said while they stood in the Counsel of God the Name and Religion was of him greatly beloved But now the Christians are Apostatized and degenerated from the Spirit of Christ and from that which gave them the true Name of Christians and the name is retained only and the Life and Power lost and now many have a name to live but are dead and that is departed from which gave the true interest and title in the Name Hear this all ye Christians That Life Light and Power of God which was amongst the Apostles and Christians once you are departed from and have lost the sence and knowledge of and have the Name and not the thing which was the Reason and Ground of the Name Wherefore all ye through the World that are called Christians look back to your Original look unto the Apostles who were the first that were called Christians from whom you had the Name and see how you are degenerated and fallen from the Life that they were in and though you retain the Name of Christians yet you are not Followers of Christ nor taâ—ght by his Spirit and none in the dayes of the Apostles were truly counted or called Christians but who follow'd the Spirit of Christ and were first converted to him and changed by his Power from Sin to Righteousness and from Death to Life and such as were so were truly called Christians But now all such as are called by that Name and are not followers of the Spirit of Christ nor converted to him neither changed by his Power from Death to Life and from Sin to Righteousness such are in the Degeneration from the Life of Christianity and have a Name without the Life and Power thereof And now it remains to be shewed how and when the Degeneration came upon the Christians and wherein they are apostatized and degenerated from that â—ife and Spirit and Practice which was amongst the Apostles that were first called Christians The Spirit of the Lord spoke through the Apostles and foretold of a falling away from the Truth and from the true Christian-life and Paul said Acts 20. 29 30. said he Grievous Wolves shall arise and enter in who would not spare the Flock and from among themselves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them And he also said 1 Tim. 4. 1. That some should depart from the Faith and give heed to seducing spirits And he also said That it should come to pass the people should become wicked departing from the Truth having the Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof and such were led away with divers Lusts and men of corrupt Minds and reprobate concerning the Faith And the Apostle Peter also foretold That
all Nations since the dayes of the true Churches and holy Apostles And know ye That we are none of all the many Sects nor of the divers Wayes and formal Worshippers that are but in the Imitations fiegned of what the Saints of old spoke and performed in the Power and Spirit of God which hath been spoken and practized by all the divers Sects and false Churches without the Spirit Power and Life that was in the Apostles so that all Religion hath been and the Profession and Practice thereof for many Ages but as the floating of a broken Vessel upon the Waters driven with the several Winds wanting Anchor and skilful Marriners which have not carried to perfect Rest the Hope of Eternal Life But know ye that now at last through our long and wearied Travels and after all our tedious Seekings and our zealous Practises and Profession in Christianity performed by us while Darkness covered us and the Earth hath the Lord set us safe upon the Rock Christ Jesus upon whom the Church of Christ firmly standeth and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and he hath made our Habitation sure upon the Mountain of his House which is established upon the top of the Mountains whereunto we now are gathered and rest in a certain hope and tried confidence and doth view the whole World and the state of all Mankind and measureth the times and seasons thoroughout Generations and the state of the Church we perfectly know by the inspiration of the Almighty her estate before the Apostles dayes and in the Apostles dayes and since the Apostles dayes and her increase and decrease and estate since the beginning of the World till now and at this present time to us is certainly known by the Spirit of Jesus and the Light of the Lamb which now is risen upon our Mountain and shines in our Habitations And first we certifie you as for the many false Sects and Churches so called and many of the divers worshippers and separated forms of Churches risen up since the Apostles dayes from the least of them to the greatest we have searched and examined and are not fully satisfied but rather the contrary that they are perfectly sound in the Faith but rather degenerated from the Power Spirit and Life that was in the Apostles and among the true Churches before the Apostacy and we have sought out their first original and root and we find they fall short of the true Church and the Apostles first in respect of time many Generations and also in respect of life and power and purity and they want the spirit and dominion and Government that the true Churches and Apostles possessed and we certainly believe they are many of them come up and risen in a dark Night long since the dayes of the Apostles while the Sun was yet unrisen and while the Mountains of Ignorance Blindness and Wickedness covered the face of the Earth and the Clouds of Darkness remained upon the face of the whole Heavens and while yet the Man-child remains in God being caught up to him and the Woman lodged in the desolate Wilderness being thither fled because of the great red Dragon And we believe not that any of them are the Lambs Wife lawfully joyned to him neither are they the Virgin in which there is no spot nor the Spouse truly in election to Christ the Bridegroom for we have had controversie with them this divers years and weighed them and measured them in the ballance of equity and they appear to us not to be of a true descent from that Vine into which true Church was planted but their original may be of a latter race And to say no more of them we certainly know they are foully spotted and have not the favour nor parts nor garments of a Virgin and Christ the Bridegroom they have deeply wronged for many false Sects have risen out of the great Whore the mother of Harlots who hath been in open and secret Fornication ever since the days of the Apostles and such are her off-spring and not of the true Seed elect which is heir by right of the inheritance of Life eternal the Kingdom which hath no end And for as much as the Church of Rome hath openly pleaded as we have heard and some of your Members also to our faces that she is indeed the true Church and she alone and none besides and that you can fetch your original by line truly from the Apostles and Church of the Saints and are not degenerated in any particular of Faith Doctrine nor Practise from the Life and Power and Government and Spirit which was among the true Church and in the Apostles These things with others the like have we heard of you and concerning you by many And now because the Lord hath put it into our hearts to have controversie with you and to seek out perfectly your original and to justifie you or condemn you accordingly and having the certain infallible Spirit of the Lord God to try all things we are purposed in the Lord to visit you and to examine to the Foundation your rise and first beginning from whence you come by descent and what you truly are in your present Estate and whether you be indeed the true Church and have the true Spirit or whether you are otherwise that all the World may be satisfied and more perfectly know the full Truth concerning the Church of Rome and your Seed and Root we will examine and your Birth and Original we will search out and your Faith and Worship and whole Religion we will lay to the Line of true Judgement to justifie you or condemn you eternally for the Saints shall judge the World and your Garments shall be stripped off and your Secrets discovered and your whole Body and Members made fully manifest that the very truth of all things may appear and be embraced and the Whoredoms of the whole Earth may be laid open that the Just and the Innocent that hath long lain groaning in great Captivity may be delivered from under all Bonds of Oppressions Whoredoms and Iniquities and this will the Eternal God by us speedily bring to pass amongst you Wherefore thou Pope greatly admired and highly exalted and to all thy Cardinals Friers Iesuits and Priests and all other Officers under thee I am moved of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is the only Holiness and highest of all by this Message to visit you requiring you and charging you in the Name and Authority of the Dreadfull and Mighty God before whom all men and Nations are as nothing in comparison but may be turned at his pleasure and dashed to pieces by his Mighty Hand and unto whom all the Sons of Adam in the World must give an Account and as you will answer it to him iâ— his dreadful Day of Judgment and Vengeance and as you love and will obey your God and Christ whom you profess and serve and as you would honour your God and
bring People to your Way and Worship and Religion upon these Ingagements and by the Authority of the Almighty I lay it upon you to answer and for you to return your knowledge and opinions to the Particulars following which I am moved by the Lord to query and demand of you that your Doctrines Practises and Worships and whole Religion in every part thereof may be viewed and examined and measured according to the Saints and Apostles writings and may thereby be cleared or otherwise reproved and condemned And if your Profession and Practises in Religion be sprung from the true Grounds and true Spirit and your Church be indeed the true Church that can prove her pedigree truly descended from the Church of Christ before the Apostacy and clear her self from all degeneration in every degree and that she is perfect in the faith and worship and practises of the holy Church and Apostles of old then shall all that love God and fear him and hopes for life eternal separate themselves from all Sects and Apostates separated from you and come in and return again to you as to a faithful Mother and joyn with you in all things and add themselves to your Church only and renounce and deny all the contrary that is not of you and so shall your names and honour be increased through all the Earth But and if after lawful trial and just examination and searching out the matter it be proved against you that you are degenerated from what the true Church and Apostles were and are not builded upon Christ the true Rock and Foundation but diverted from the Power Life and Spirit and true Religion which the Apostles were in and that your Church is not the true Church but a false Sect and your original cannot be fetch'd from the Apostles but is of a latter and more corrupted Race then shall you deny all your Religion and Church and renounce your Profession and Practises and come to them and joyn with them that can prove their Church to be the true Church and can fetch their original from the Spirit of the Apostles and that is builded upon Christ the everlasting Foundation whoever this shall be proved to be wherefore appear and come forth to trial upon this condition joyn issue with us and answer these things in plainness and let us know your Judgements that a return you may reâ—â—ive First Whether you are indeed the only true Church of Christ his Body of 〈◊〉 Fleâ—â— and of his Bones called and gathered and united by the eterâ—… Spirit of Jesus perfect in the Faith of Christ perfect in Doctrine and perfect is â—…ip as were the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and 〈◊〉 the Eternal Spirit dwell in every particular Member of your Church and doth lead each one of you into all Truth insomuch that you need now no 〈…〉 teach any one of you but as that same Spirit that dwells in you answer 〈◊〉 â—…inly yea oâ— nay 2. â—…ther are you not in any particular of your Faith Doctrines Praâ—… Worships in any degree degenerated nor deviated from what the 〈◊〉 â—…ne Practice and Worship were that the true Church was in in 〈…〉 the Apostles And whether will you admit of tryal in all things you pâ—… and practice by the Scriptures the Writings of the Saints yea or â—y 3. Wâ—…ther your Church of Rome doth receive the pouring-down of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters immediately and every Member receive the Holy â—…st and is â—â—lled therewith and baptized therewith as in the true Câ—… Acts z. Anâ— whether you have received the Holy Ghost and Eveâ—… Comforter immediately as did the true Church iâ— the dayes of the Apostâ—… Answer me these things in the Truth of your Hearts that you may be own'â—… 〈◊〉 denyed 4. Wâ—…er the Faith you profess hath perfectly purified your hearts from all 〈◊〉 and hath given you Victory over the World that now the body of sin is 〈◊〉 and you are free from sin and do not commit sin but are every Memâ—… 〈◊〉 you without Spot and Wrinkle and cleansed from all Unrighteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Servants of Righteousness and not of Sin and whether you believe 〈◊〉 Condition to be attainable in this life upon Earth and to be enjoyed and â—…d for yea or nay 5. What is your ground of sprinkling Infants with Water and whether he thâ—â—â—…st instituted it had the Gift of the Eternal Spirit and was led thereby for we know it was first ordain'd at Rome in your Church and all the Protestants received it from you who are not able to give us a sufficient Reason thereof but we are not satisfied therein therefore tell us Whether are people thereby made Meâ—…rs of the Body of Christ and baptized into his true Church and is it a perfect Seal and Sign of the new Birth and Regeneration as is professed and doth that give all Children that are sprinkled a Right to the Kingdom of God and to be Members of the Church of Christ and satisfie us plainly Is the sprinkling of an Infant never having heard the Gospel but while unconverted and â—â—thanged in Nature the true Baptism into the true Faith of Christ as it is professed answer me plainly yea or nay 6. Whether the Body and Blood of Christ that is Meat indeed and Drink indeed be carnal and visible things to be seen felt and known visibly and carnally and whether Bread and Wine that is Mortal and will corrupt be the very Body and the very Blood of Christ Jesus and whether Christ hath any other Body and Blood to be known in any other way or manner then what is professed to be visibly and carnally known by you and is that Bread after Consecration the very Express Image of the Father and was with the Fatheâ— before the World began else it is not the Body of Christ answer me plainly 7. Again We are not satisfied concerning your Burning and Torturing and Imprisoning in cruel Inquisitions and Goals such as dissent from you and cannot believe in your Church which ye call Hereticks whether is not this done by your Church or any Member thereof and do you justifie the doing of it by the Authority of your Church and we demand of you to give us Example for such Practices in Scripture ever Practised by the Apostles or true Church or any Member thereof to Burn or Kill or Imprisâ—â— such as would not own them or were Hereticks otherwise we must coâ—… it and judge you eternally for it And whether such Practices done a◠〈◊〉 and in her Dominions be not Murder and Cruelty and Tyranny 〈◊〉 shedding of Innocent Blood and of the Devil the Wicked One 〈◊〉 me plainly and satisfie us herein that we may know how to deal with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 controversie 8. Again We are not satisfied concerning the abundance of 〈◊〉 of the Saints set up and bowed to amongst you and your praying 〈◊〉 them and to the Saints and by Beads and in Set-Forms such thâ—…
you do not or cannot satisfie all people in these particulars by the â—…es then forsake your Religion and renounce your Church and 〈◊〉 your selves to be Deceivers of the World and to be deceived for 〈◊〉 will tear your Garments and marr your Beauty and stain your 〈◊〉 and uncoâ—â—r your Nakedness and subdue your Power and sâ—ay 〈◊〉 Strength and pull down your strong Hold and the Dread of the Alâ—…y will come over you And come Friends answer me is the Light by which you walk everâ—… ing and is the Day dawned and the Sun risen that never goeth down 〈◊〉 have you seen the signs of the coming of the Son of Man and what are 〈…〉 signs of his coming and what is that Sun that must be turned into Dâ—… and what is that Moon that must be turned into Blood and what are the 〈◊〉 ers of the House that must tremble and do you own quaking and trembling at the Word of the Lord and did you ever quake and tremble or is 〈◊〉 such a thing in your Church and what is that Part in Man that must 〈…〉 is it not that Part in Man that the Devil enters into answer these 〈◊〉 and what is that Mother of Harlots and where is She that hath been 〈◊〉 with the Blood of the Saints and what is the Mystery of her declare 〈…〉 you can and what are her Garments and who are her Children 〈…〉 what nature are they and how may they be known and come Friends answer us have you seen God face to face as did Iacob and Abraham and have you seen his shape perfectly give us a Discription of him if you have and do not all those that be of the seed of Abraham hear God's Voice and 〈…〉 shape and are any of Abraham but who are come out of the World 〈◊〉 have denied it and bear the daily Cross of Christ which mortifies to the World and doth your Wooden Crosses and Stone Crosses in your Tâ—… and high-Wayes and in your Houses and Crucifixes in your Breasts 〈◊〉 you to the World and mortifie you or are you not such as have 〈…〉 of a Cross of Christ but want the Power and what is the difference 〈…〉 all your Images and the Images the Prophets declared against and what life is there in the Image of Christ or Mary painted or graven in Wood or Stoneâ— are your souls refreshed thereby and is not that all the Unity you have with Christ and is that Unity and Fellowship you have with Chriâ—… 〈◊〉 same that they had that had Unity and Fellowship with the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son and have you Unity with the Son and with the Father 〈…〉 Church had tell us plainly and what is Antichrist and where â—…ing at this day and what is his Marks and Signs and what is the Marks of the Beast that every one received in their Foreheads and in their Hands and 〈◊〉 is his power by which he caused every one to worship him and is the Church of Rome wholy free from that from causing and compelling people to be of 〈◊〉 Religion and come to your Worship by your Fire and Fagots and Inâ—… make it us plain that this is not the Beasts power for we have a jealâ—… least it is not the power of God that was among the Apostles And why do 〈◊〉 Creatures did Christ or the Apostles kill Creatures that were not of their Religion doth not this shew that you want the Power and Spirit of God among you and the spiritual Weapon that beats down the strong Holdâ— â—e cannot believe that you have the spiritual Weapons which the Apostles had except you make it appear to us and can any be converted to the true Church but by the immediate Work and Spirit of God and they that have that â—â—ed not be ashamed but then why are some of your Ministers creeping up and down the Nations in Holes and dare not be seen but lies many years together undiscovered not daring to preach their Gospel and discover their minds did ever the Apostles thus and is not this a sign that they have not the Power of God to carry them through but runs into Holes and Corners for fear of their lives is this the way of the true Ministers of Christ and what is the Lamb's Wife and what is her Adorning and her Beauty and are you the Lamb's Wife and are married to him for ever hath every Member of your Church the Witness thereof and answer us doth natural Learning 〈◊〉 Minister of Christ or were the Apostles made Ministers thereby and can man learn the Ministry as he learns a Trade and is the Preaching of the Gospel a Trade or is it not the Gift of God and can iâ—… bought and sold and what is Eternal Life and how is it received and have any that hope but them whose Hearts are purified And must not every ones Heart be purified before they see God who is Pure And how comes man to be a Reprobate and 〈◊〉 comes man to be a Son of God agaiâ— And what is the Way and Mâ—… of Life Eternal Is it Carnal and visible Things and Ordinances Is it the â—â—ing and performing of something by the Creature or by the revelation 〈◊〉 â—…thing in the Creature And most not Christ be revealed in every partic and is not that the true Bread of Life And is there any other Bread that is Eternal but Christ which the mortal Eye cannot see And we are very 〈…〉 that Bread and Wine after Consedration is not the very Body and 〈◊〉 of Christ and except you can prove to us by plain Scripture and giâ—… sound Reasons to demonstrate things we must judge you and shew your Fâ—lly to the whole World And why do you pray for the Dead is that avâ—…ble shall not they receive according to their works that they have done Gâ—… 〈◊〉 Example that ever the Apostles did so or else we will say You are bâ—… 〈◊〉 â—n the Dark And tell us plainly what Error is and what Schism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the Eye that the godd of the World hath blinded And what is the 〈◊〉 that sees God is it Mortal or Eternal Answer us these things 〈…〉 that we may know how to return in Controversie with you for the Lord God is risen that will break iâ— pieces and confound all the Wâ—… 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Friends give us your Answer Are you of Abrâ—…'s Seed that 〈…〉 of God that had not a foot of Ground but for sâ—â—k his Place and 〈…〉 Are you of that Birth that hath no Father upon Earth And are you Heirs of God's Promise And have you made your Calling and Eleâ—… And is the Seed come out of Egypt's bonds And are all Egypt's bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what is the â—ondage of Egypt And was not Transgression the Reason of it And what is Pharoaâ— out of what Root did he spring and 〈…〉 is he and is not the hard heart of Pharoah Killers and Murderers 〈…〉 such of Pharoah And
tell us plainly Are you Redeem'd from Pâ—… 〈◊〉 are you such as oppress the Seed as Pharoah did And tell us who was the Inâ—… of â—…our Images and who was the Former of all your graven Images 〈◊〉 not they all invented and come up since the Apostles dayes which ye have 〈…〉 and what is Purgatory and from what had it its rise and original 〈◊〉 what ground have you out of Scripture for such a doctrine And what is the 〈◊〉 of Faith and what 's Faith and what doth it give victory over and what 〈…〉 it over come and what is the â—aiâ— that hath bin spread over all Nations and 〈◊〉 is the Mountain of the House of God and what are those Mountains the 〈…〉 shall seek to cover themselves under and what are those Mountains that people expect Salvation from in vain and did not Iohn come to throw down the â—…ins and what are the Mountains that he came to throw down and what is the Valley he came to raise up answer us And what is the Sword of the Spirit and whether have ye the Sword of the spirit and the Spiritual Armour and what is youâ— Church defended and upâ—…d by Spiritual Weapons or Carnal are not your Goals carnal Weapons 〈◊〉 your Inquisitions and your killing people aboue Religion are not all these 〈◊〉 Weapons and had ever the Church of Christ such Weapons answer 〈…〉 plainly And do you not expect the Lord will suddenly plead with you and are not 〈◊〉 them that put off the Day of the Lord and cause the Seat of Violence to come near and are not ye them that have Eyes but see not Earâ— but hear 〈◊〉 Hearts and understand not and is not your Eye blind that should see God's Presence and your Ears stopped that should hear his Voice â—nd have 〈◊〉 heard his Voice and seen his Shape if you have what is he like answer 〈◊〉 And what is his Word and where doth it dwell in your hearts or is it without you and can any thing without you purifie you and take away sin 〈◊〉 of your Hearts and must not Christ be within and what are the Fruits and Signs and Marks of a Saint and why do you go Pilgrims to visit 〈◊〉 Bones what is the reason of it and who was the first that â—â—tuted it 〈◊〉 what is the meaning of your holy Water give us Scripture for all these 〈…〉 ces or else the Power of the Lord will tear you to pieces and lay open 〈◊〉 Foundation and none that love God can joyn unto you And can any o◠〈…〉 pardon Sin truly that it shall never more be remembred and are not 〈…〉 sins remembred with the Light in your Consciences sometimes and is there 〈◊〉 a Light in your Consciences that doth convince you tell me plainly And whether do you own That Christ hath lightened every one that coâ—… into the World and what is the Light and do you know Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Abraham and have you seen his Day as Abraham did and what 〈…〉 Day of Christ doth the Carnal Eye see it give us your Knowledge and 〈◊〉 Judgment in all these things and lay down your Principles at full and 〈…〉 by the Scriptures what you hold and profess if you would have any to 〈…〉 your Religion otherwise renounce your Church and come out of â—… What is Babylon and the Mother of Harlots and what is spirituâ—◠〈…〉 and Sâ—dom where Christ is crucified and what is the Whore and what 〈…〉 flesh that has stain'd the Earth and what is the Fire that must consume her 〈…〉 Many are jealous concerning you that you are not the true Church 〈…〉 you have drunk of the Whore's Cup who hath made all Nations drunk 〈…〉 if that time be come that she hath made all Nations drunk then how 〈…〉 clear your selves being Nations and Multitudes of People To 〈◊〉 these 〈…〉 I expect your speedy Answer And what is the Death that hath raigned over all and how is Man recâ—… out of it and when and what are the Gates of Hell and what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they cannot prevail against and whether your Church may never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vailed against and whether they be not your Inquisitions Stakes and â—… and killing people that do principally defend your Church and if yâ—◠〈…〉 cease your Inquisitions and killing those you call Hereticks whether 〈…〉 not you be prevail'd against by many other Sects Lay away yoâ—… perâ—… of People that you call Hereticks and do not deaf with them after the 〈…〉 which you have done by Inquisitions and such like and only by sound 〈…〉 guments and the Power of the Spirit defend your Religion And dare you suffer a certain number of us to come among you and pâ—…ch what we hold and a certain number of you shall freely come among us 〈◊〉 freely preach what you hold without Persecution or any Violence as we would expect and have the same from you engage man for man with us and 〈◊〉 no otherwise deal with ours then we deal with yours and take the free liberty to deal with our men as we deal with your men but no otherwise and 〈◊〉 each of the Messengers preach and hold forth what they would have and whâ—â— they really hold and believe and convert the most either of them can to theiâ— own Religion and then let all the World see which have the Power and Spirit of God with them and whether your Ministers or our Ministers do turn the more people from you to us or from us to you and send your Answer whether you will agree to the Premises and if you do send your Messengers when you pleaâ—â— and we will engage in the Lord their Persons shall not be harmed but if they were then take Man for Man Life for Life of our Men sent to you and let that God be the true God that appeareth in most Power and Authority and let him be worshipped forever whose Power converts the most to the knowledge of him out of Wickedness and let that Church be the tâ—… Church which cannot be overcome And as you are willing to be made manifest joyn issue with us in this business and propound your own time when the men shall return and whether the continuance of the Matter be for Dayes Moneths or Years and let each of the men return without harm of Person and this will be a way truly to try and make manifest all things to all the World and whether you or we be in the right Way and of the right Church and use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weapon against us but the foundest Arguments you can by words according to the Scriptures and the same Weapons we will use against you 〈…〉 other but the Authority of the Spirit of God and Arguments thereby 〈◊〉 shall be according to the Scriptures the Apostles Writings and the â—…ony of the true Church And hereby in the sight of the whole World let your Church and Faith 〈◊〉 Principles and Practices
exercised with as great Zeal towards God if not with as good Sincerity as you practice yours at this day And are there not the very Signs and Symptoms of the Romish Idolatry yet upon these Houses being full of Images on the Walls and on the Pillars and on the Glass-Windows and Crosses about them and many other things which were Popish Inventions as also the Names given unto them and consecrated Bells in them and such like stuff And was it not a little while since there were the Altars and the Rails and the Font and other such like things which lately were broken down But however though something there may be altered and changed and converted to another use and something taken away and other Inventions brought in instead thereof yet still they are the same Houses which you worship your Godd in which Houses were set up by the Authority of the Pope and there remaineth yet the Pope's Sign and Symptom of the Romish Church upon them and these Houses you call your Churches and Thousand of Thousands of blind ignorant people esteeming and respecting in their minds of these Places more then of any other supposing them to be more holy and that other Places are not so good to worship in Alas poor blind ignorant people that deceive your own Souls in the Traditions and Inventions of man which you live in the practice of supposing it to be the very Worship of God which is no other in it self but Idolatry and you Idolaters for do not all Unconverted People and Unrighteous People such who are not taught of the Lord nor led by his Spirit but daily rush into Iniquity and into evil are not such found Worshippers here in Steeple-Houses conforming themselves to these things and these practices And can such worship God Or is God worshipped by such I tell you nay the Lord God is pure and they that worship him must be sanctified and led by his Spirit which leadeth into all Truth But now as concerning your present Practices which your Worship consisteth of they are not such as ever the Lord instituted but such as men have set up in their own wills and wisdom and not in the Lord's As for your sprinkling of Infants which is a chief Practice of your Worship was not this first ordained at Rome read the Records And was it not a Popish Invention which you are thus zealously reforming as if it were indeed required of the Lord Can the Unconverted and Unregenerated be truly baptized into the Faith of Christ No But the Unconverted and Unregenerated are Partakers of your Baptism into the Faith which you profess There was no such practice in the Christian Church before the Apostacy but when the Apostacy came in then came up these Inventions Immitations which you practice as the Worship of God when as he never required it neither did his Saints and his Apostles ever give you Example for it and by it nor in it God is not worhsipped neither is in it self nor as practized by you any part of the Worship of God but stands in the Inventions of man and is after their Traditions and not after the Commandments of the Lord. And as for your singing of David's Experiences in the form and manner as you do practizing it as another main part of your Worship This is the same with the former neither ever commanded of the Lord nor in the course and manner as you do it was it ever practized by the Saints of old and is it any better then a Popish Invention For was the Nation in any better state then Popery when that practice was first instituted and begun to be performed you your selves will confess that it was in the time of Darkness and through the Ordination of the Bishops and Prelates whom you your selves say were little better then Papists in their Worship and Practice and yet this you practice at this day as a part of your Worship which hath no better beginning then as I have said and from them you have received it to wit From the Bishops and Prelates Yea the chief part of your Worship consisteth of the performances of such things as you have received Traditionally from them and from Rome for all these things they instituted And as concerning your Ministry Is it any other with that then with these particulars as I have mentioned Is it not the same Ministry in substance though in some particulars altered as was in the dayes of Popery and Prelacy Have not your Ministers the same Call to their Ministry Practice in their Ministry Maintenance at this day as was in Generations past when this Nation was under the cloud of darkness Ignorance as your selves will confess are not they made Ministers now by natural Learning receiving Ordination from man through the attainments of such Arts and Sciences and Degrees through natural Learning and humane Policy not having their Ministry by the Gift of the Holy Ghost no more then the Papists and Prelates had before them who were made Ministers by the same Power and after the same manner as these are And it was the Church of Rome and by the Popish Authority that Colledges and Schools to make Ministers by them were first ordained and set up and as that Ministry was sent forth in the time of Popery by the same way and means generally are as to substance are your Ministers now sent forth though in some particulars differing in matters of Form yet the same for substance But Christ's Ministers in the time of the true Church were not thus sent forth but had received Power from on High and the Gift of the Holy Ghost whereby they were made able Ministers and not by any other thing nor by any such means or way as your Ministers now are set up and established and this Ministry is differing from the true Ministry which Christ sent forth and is not according but contrary in all things and it is not the Ministry of God neither brings people to God for by this Ministry people are not converted but are such as they that the true Prophet cryed against saying They have run saith the Lord and I have not sent them therefore they shall not profit the People at all And as for this Maintenance of the Ministry of the Church of England is it not the same as was in the dayes of Popery and Prelacy was it not by the Pope's Authority that Tythes were first established and set up to be the Maintenance of his Ministry And did not the Romish Church first ordain that the people should give the tenth to the use of Religion and to maintain their Ministry if you search the Records you will find it so And was it not the very practice of the Papists and Prelates Ministers to have Hire and great sums of Money by the Year and Stipends and large Benefits for preaching and the same things are practised by these Ministers which they have borrowed from the
him but all are holy and pure and good and when 〈…〉 ctification of any thing is put to an end as thou sayst the sanctification 〈…〉 Seventh Day is then the thing is no more good nor holy but becoâ—… and unclean if it be no more sanctified nor holy and in this Princiâ—… hast erred also As for the Seventh Day it was commanded of God to the Iews to be 〈…〉 and observed holy to the Lord and all manner of Labour to all Creatures 〈…〉 forbidden which thing was a Sign and a Shaddow of a good Thing to coâ—… the End of which Ordinance was Christ the Substance of all things and 〈…〉 End of Dayes and that there was any disanulling of that Command 〈…〉 Iews and a Command to keep and observe the First Day of the Week iâ—… of the other by any outward Command this we read not in all the Scripâ—… and what ground hast thou more then thy Imaginations I know not to aâ—… the changing of dayes and to teach the observation of the First Day 〈…〉 Sabboth instead of the Seventh Day seeing thou hast nothing in the Scripâ—… to raise such a Principle from and so would make exception of Dayes and respâ—ct of Times which the Apostles did not after the Holy Spirit was coâ—… for Dayes and Times all are alike to God and who are come to Christ 〈…〉 true Rest of the Immortal Soul are in the end of Dayes and out of the 〈…〉 spect of Times in the Substance which endures forever And in the Gosâ—… Ministrâ—tion there is no Command or Injunction by Christ or by his Apostâ—… given to 〈◊〉 for the observing any one day more then another And thou sayst when it is sâ—â—d Sâ—… not at all The Meaning is not Vainly 〈…〉 Unnecessarily and it is a Seal and Sign that 〈…〉 is of the Whore of Rome and not of the true Church of Christ for 〈…〉 nor true Church of Christ never ordain'd not practised such a thing â—… and in the true Church as sprinkling of Infants and calling it 〈◊〉 in the Faith of Christ and the Seal of the Covenant there was no such 〈◊〉 and Doctrine amongst them but it is come up since the true Church 〈…〉 Wilderness and since the 〈◊〉 received power over Kindreds and 〈…〉 it is an Institution of the great Whore that hath 〈◊〉 upon the 〈…〉 Generations and she has made Nations drink her Cup of Fornications 〈◊〉 original of this Practice and Principle was received 〈◊〉 of the Whore's 〈◊〉 and not by any Commandment of Christ or Example of his Church and 〈◊〉 And I cannot but charge thee That thou teachest for Doctrine the Tru 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and holdst forth for Principles of Religion to be believed and 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 of the great Whore of whose Cup thou hast drâ—nk and 〈◊〉 also give 〈…〉 they may drink it also And to accomplish which Evil End thou 〈…〉 the Scripture Asts 2.39 for the Scripture hath no such thing intende◠〈◊〉 the baptizing of Infants for which end thou hast fâ—â—sly cited it for 〈◊〉 Promise is to as many as the Lord our God shall call yet what is this 〈◊〉 â—prinkling of Infants which thou assertest as a Principle of Religion and 〈◊〉 seem to enforce it by vertue of the Scripture mention'd But 〈…〉 Scripture and shew'd thy self to be disagreeing to the holy Ministers 〈…〉 of Christ and to be agreeing with the false church of Rome 〈…〉 sufficient to thee 〈◊〉 thou sayst The outward Covenant of God is conditional and the 〈…〉 entitles both such as make it and their Infants unto it to wit the Coveâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 The Covenant of God is not outward but spiritual aâ— I have said 〈◊〉 also free even the free Gift of God and the Promise and Covenant 〈…〉 â—â—nifested without the perfoming any thing by the 〈…〉 God for it stands not upon condition but upon free 〈…〉 make a Profession of Faith which have not right nor 〈…〉 Salvation not to God's fore Covenant neither can any upon 〈…〉 infants void of Understanding have any assurance or Title in 〈…〉 of Life eternal but who are regenerated and born of the 〈…〉 and degenerâ—â—â—â— in that state have no title nor right in the 〈…〉 Seed which is Heir of the Promise which is born of God and not 〈…〉 that is the Covenant so thou hast spoken things thou knowest not 〈◊〉 hast manifested thy false Principles which thou walkest in and wouldst 〈◊〉 others to receive them also Then thou speakest of Bread and Wine Which sayst â—â—ou are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lord's Supper and are a Seal of the Coveâ—… alsâ— c. Answ. The Supper of the Lord is the Bread of eternal Life the Body and 〈◊〉 of Christ and who â—â—ts thereof shall 〈…〉 dye nor Hâ—…ger and Thirst any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for Bread and Wine visible and carnal that is not the real Supper of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and even the purest institution Practice thereof is but a Representation of â—… and not the very thing and the End and Substance being come the 〈…〉 may be neglected But as for the manner and institution of that Practice i◠〈◊〉 Church of England and the Practice it self we deny to be either a Sign of 〈◊〉 past or to come but in an idolatrous way it is held forth and not in 〈…〉 Honour to God for he is thereby dishonoured for the false church has 〈…〉 the form of that Practice as well as of many others which the true Church 〈◊〉 practiâ—'d without the Power and now doth practice many things in meer Iâ—… tion and vain Idolatry and in Form and Tradition and without the Teâ—… the Spirit which sometime the true Church and the Apostles practized in the 〈◊〉 and by the leading of the Spirit of God and what the Command of God was â—… So that though you may in some things practice the very same which the 〈…〉 did yet having not the same Spirit to lead you nor being guided thereby as 〈◊〉 Saints and the Apostles were your works are but Idolatry and formal 〈◊〉 not accepted of the Lord but stink in his Nostrils And your Covenant is 〈◊〉 ward and your Seals outward your Baptism and Supper outward and 〈◊〉 and while you are with Zeal prosecuting your outward Performances and â—…lowing them you neglect the inward and the Substance which is Christ 〈…〉 you the Hope of Glory which if he be in you then the body of sin is put off and the vail is done away and the Representations are done away and the Substance and 〈◊〉 is come and if Christ be not in you you are Reprobates notwithstanding all your Profession and Practices of outward Duties unto God without his Spirit And whereas thou hast quoted Col. 4. 10. Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 23. to 〈◊〉 That the New Man the Spirit or Law of the Mind is called The imperfect Sanctification Answ. Hereby openly thou hast shewed thy self to be a Perverter of the Scriptures and a Wrester of them to thy own Destruction for
and persecuting of the Persons and Consciences of People about Worship Church and Miniâ—â—ry for in these things and by these Weapons you have defended the Whore 〈◊〉 through the force of your violent Laws and cruel Impositions unjustly laid 〈◊〉 people hath the Whore the false church been carried by you and deâ—…ded by you But lay aside all your cruel Weapons and not persecute nor 〈◊〉 nor shed the Blood of the Servants of the Lord by unjust Laws nor limit not the Spirit of God from crying against Babylon and reproving her Iniquities for these things have you done in defence of the Whore for you â—â—ve been the Carriers of her the Defenders and Preservers of her by your â—…ighteous Laws and through you hath she sate as a Queen thinking she 〈◊〉 never see sorrow because ye have defended her and taken part with her and caused Nations to drink her Cup for you have been the Executors of her pleasure to compel the Nations to commit Idolatry and to partake of 〈◊〉 Fornications and you give her authority to drink the Blood of all that would not drink her Cup and it is now time for you to forsake these your wayes and to learn Wisdom from the Lord that you may rule in Righteousâ—… amongst men as men but not to be Rulers in Christ's Throne nor his Kingdom by imposing such a Worship and such a Religion upon people's Consciences and to destroy and kill all that will not thus worship to your Image and bow according to your Prescription this you ought not to do 〈◊〉 the Lord never intrusted you with this power nor made you Rulers in his Kingdom nor to sit in his Throne of Conscience for while you have done 〈◊〉 your Authority has been from the Dragon and not from the Lamb. And now this the Lord required of you Let Conscience go free and rule not over the 〈◊〉 Man for while you do take that upon you to force such a Worship and such a Religion upon people contrary to the Spirit of God you are but Serâ—… to the great Whore Wherefore be warned for this is an invitation of Love Righteousness Truth and just Judgment Mercy and Peace unto you that you may know what the Mind of the Lord is unto you and may do it and rule for God and not for man upon which dependeth the happiness and well-being of a Natiâ—â— and Nations and their Rulers and on the contrary dependeth their overthrow and destruction and this will speedily be brought to pass 〈…〉 fore come out of Babylon and deliver your selves from that bondage 〈…〉 with the false Church hath bound you she hath caused you to drink hee 〈…〉 and you have been made drunk with her false Faith and Doctrines and Prâ—… and ye have compelled Nations to Drink the same Cup of Abominatioâ—… ye have executed cruelty and injustice upon all that would not and yâ—◠〈…〉 been Servants to the great Whore and being in Bondage your selâ—… 〈…〉 have brought all in bondage under you but now the Lord is 〈…〉 Times and Things and Powers and happy are you if you dâ—liver your 〈…〉 and let the Oppressed go free in so doing if ye fulfil this my Râ—… and do the Will of the Lord herein then Blessings and Peace Eternal 〈…〉 if ye be disobedient and take part continually with the Whore y◠〈…〉 partake of her Judgments And this hath the Lord spoken to you 〈…〉 the Day of Vengeance ye shall confess that you are warned By a Friend to the whole Creation that waits for the Redemption thereof Edward Burroughs AN ACCOUNT Of some Grounds and Reasons OF THE INNOCENT SUFFERINGS Of the People of God called QUAKERS And why they Testifie against the Vain Customs and Practices of the World Presented to the PARLIAMENT in the Year 1659. Also concerning a Great Cry up and down the Nation That the Quakers Meetings must be Broken and Suppressed and that this present Parliament intends to do it With a CRY of Great Judgment and Vengeance upon the Wicked near to be Executed as it was received from the Lord into his Servant FRIENDS IT may seem strange unto you as it doth unto others to hear that so many of our Friends should be cast into Prisons there being few Goals or Houses of Correction in England to which some of them have not been â—ommitted and you partly know how many of them are this day in Bonds â—nd it is no less strange to us that such frequent and heavy Sufferings for matâ—ers of Conscience should come upon us and our Brethren who for the â—ost part have been Instruments with you and others for casting off that Yoke 〈◊〉 Oppression which at the beginning of the late Wars lay upoâ— the Hoâ—…est People of this Land which made many flee into strange Nations and to â—…eek Habitations in the Deserts but we wonder the more that they should come â—rom those we accounted our Friends that so much have pretended the Liberty of Conscience and many of themselves practized the same things for which we now suffer May we not ask What hath been done by our Friends What Laws are these which they have broken Whose Persons or Possessions have they wronged What Force or Violence have they used to any man Have you found them in Plots or guilty of Sedition or making Resistance against Authority Have they not patiently born the greatest Sufferings that any People of this Nation ever lay under since Queen Mary's dayes without Murmurings and Discontents And when have they fought to revenge themselves or troubled you or others to be repaired for those many Injuries and false Imprisonments which they have endured How have they been counted as Sheep for the Slaughter persecuted and despised beaten stoned wounded stocked whipped haled out of the Synagogues and cast into Dungeons and noysom Vaults where many of them have dyed in Bonds shut up from their Friends denyed needful Sustenance for several days together not suffered to have Pen Ink or Paper and when they have lain there many Moneths and some of them Years denyed a Legal Tryal continued from Sessions to Assizes and from one Assize to another and no Equity to be found from judge or Justice If it be answered to us They are common Disturbers of Ministers they will not pay Tythes they will not Swear they will not put off their Hats they travel up and down from one Country to another without a Magistrate's Pass and on the First dayes to Meetings at great distance they will not pay Fee when they are brought â—â—to Câ—…ts nor plead in the Forms there used nor give Security to keep the Peace or to be of the Good Behaviour when the Iustices require it And we have Laws or Customs that require these things should be done It is forgotten what was one of the great Causes of our late Wars the Sufferings that then were imposed and lay upon many for matters of Conscience And was it not a chief Pretence of the
that they have ran and not been sent but left Peoples and Nations unsetled as the Waters notwithstanding all their preaching and ministry for so many years yet it seems there wants still a settlement in Religion and seeing their preaching hath had no effect to do it but their Ministry hath been all in vain and people are not learned in Religion not yet established therein whereby their Ministry is proved not to be Christ's Ministry for the Apostles did settle people and the Churches in Religion which theirs have done no such thing and therefore it is that the Powers of the Earth are called to that they may force by Violence and by violent Laws that by that means a Worship and Religion may be settled as they say and their Ministry hath not drawn people by Love and therefore would they have people forced and compelled to be of such or such Religion but this is not Christ's Way nor the Way that his Apostles and true Churches were in for the Spirit of the Father led each one of them to be religious and that same Spirit settled and established them in it and not external Laws nor Powers of the Earth but that was Antichrist's Way and the Beast's and the false Prophets Way for when they had killed the Saints and slain true Religion then the Beast and false Prophets they established a Religion or Worship by outward Laws and it s written That he caused and compelled all both small and great bond and free to worship the Beast and his Image and here was a settled People in a Religion and Worship by an outward compelling Power And thus it was then and is now the same false Churches and false Religions are settled by an outward Authority and it was Nebuchadnezar and his wicked Princes that settled a Religion or Worship by an outward Power and by an earthly Authority but that was not the Worship of true Religion but was the Worship of Antichrist and so it hath been for Ages that Worship that is settled and that Religion which is established by an outward external Power and the Laws of men is but the Worship of Antichrist and not the true Religion nor the Worship of the Living God which is in Spirit and in Truth but it must all be overthrown and brought to nought both that Religion and Worship that is out of the Spirit and that Power that upholds it and now the Lord God is risen to confound the thoughts of mens hearts and he alone will settle and establish Religion by his own Power and by his own Law and through his own Ministry and as people come to that of God in them to feel the Spirit and Power of the Lord God to change them hereby will every one particularly be settled in Religion and by no other way nor means and this I know from the Lord. But how should people be settled in Religion for Peoples and Nations have been and are as Waters which have been driven with the Winds this way or the other way and the great Whore sits upon the Waters and the Beast hath carried her and born her up false Worships and Churches and an outward Power and she hath ruled and made all Nations drunk with her Cup of Fornication and the true Religion hath been lost for many Ages and the Sects and false Churches have been set up and established upon the Waters and as for true Religion it cannot be established while Nations are Waters under the Whore's Dominion and so the many Sects which have been the many Horns upon the Beast and one hath risen after another and one diverse from another and they have been striving one with another and persecuting one another and one subduing another and each one of them hath cryed for help from the Beast and from the Powers of the Earth to be defended from the Power Malice one of another least one should prevail against another get the better one of another and so that Sect that could get Authority from the Powers of the Earrh and have them of its side that Sect hath thriven and hath been settled more then another which hath not gotten the Powers of the Earth to defend it and so as the Powers of the Earth have been changeable so hath Religion been changable and what Sect the Rulers have been on that have they highest tollerated and most defended against all other but all this hath not been the true establishment of true Religion But now some may suppose and query whether I speak this as if I would have Religion not at all settled and as if I were against the establishing of Religion and so thereby may be accused as if I were an Enemy to all Religion and would not have Religion be established c. To all this I answer I am a Friend to true Religion and seeks the establishing of it in the right way and by the Ministry of Righteousness by turning peoples minds to the Spirit and to receive the Anointing that they may be all taught of God and true Worshippers of him in Spirit and Truth and may be settled in the true Religion and this true Religion would I have established in the World and in the Nations and would have all people therein established by the Ministry of Righteousness thereunto ordained But I am against the establishing of Sects and the settling of one Sect above another by the Powers of the Earth and I would not have one set up and an other thrown down by the Laws of men for that brings forth nothing but Tyranny and Oppression and Strife and wickedness in a Nation and amongst People though thus it hath been for many Ages false Sects and false Churches have been established by the Earth and external Laws and that Sect which the King or Queen or Ruler hath been of that hath been set up and tollerated above the rest and the rest despised and persecuted and set at nought for when and where a Prince or a Ruler is of the Papists Religion then that Religion is the most established and settled in that Government and if at any time a Ruler change to be of the Protestant Sect or one come to govern that is of that Religion then that Sect was the most established and upheld thus it is through Nations and in England particularly within these late years when King Henry the eighth turned from the Papists to be a Protestant then that Sect was established and all other thrown down and persecuted and when Queen Mary rose to govern which was a Papist then she established that Sect and false Church by Laws and the rest were limitted and thrown down then when the next Queen arose being a Protestant she established that Sect again by outward Laws and cast all others down and thus it hath been for many Ages throughout all Nations of what Sect and Religion the Governor and Ruler hath been that Sect was onely established and all the rest persecuted as I
have said and so the saying is fulfilled Nations have been Waters and Peoples and Multitudes Waters And as a King and Governor hath changed his Religion and of what Sect as he hath been so hath the Religion of the whole Nation or Country changed and such a Sect onely established against all others but this I cannot call the settlement of true Religion nor are the Nations and Peoples hereby established in true Religion but onely false Sects and false Religions have risen and been established by the Beast's Power who hath carried the Whore yea and though many other Sects have risen and many other Horns appeared divers one from another out of the many Heads of the Beast for his Heads have been many and his Horns divided and divers one from another and each Head exalting his self above another and each Horn pushing one at anther and each Sect and Horn crying to the Beast for Power to be established and to have others thrown down and limited through the Powers of the Earth And thus hath it been for Generations and in this Nation in particular and many Sects have risen besides the Papists and the Protestants and all these Sects have risen one out of another and appeared divers one from the otherâ— and each one of them have sought to the Powers of the Earth for settlement and defence and that the other that were contrary to them and of another appearance might be stopt and limited and this hath been done by these Teachers and Professors under the account of establishment of Religion and they have begged to Parliaments and to Rulers for the establishment of Religion and for the stopping of Heresie that is to say for tollerating and defending of their own Sect which they call Religion and for the stopping and subduing of all others which they call Heresie but confusion hath come upon all this and will upon the like for ever and true Religion never gets established by it but as every new Sect hath appeared that onely hath sought establishment against all the rest But yet I say I am not against establishing of true Religion though thus I speak but would have true Religion settled and established but doth not seek to the Powers of the Earth to have true Religion established by earthly Laws for that cannot establish true Religion neither is it at all committed of the Lord to the Powers of the Earth or to outward Authorities to establish Religion or to make men religious for that belongs to the Lord to rule over and in mens Consciences and to exercise them in the true Religion no Ruler by any Law whatsoever ought to exercise Lordship over the Consciences of any people either to exalt or throw down any Sect or Worship of Religion for they are with their Laws but to rule the outward man to settle their Persons and Estates in security from the wrong and unrighteous dealing of wicked men and to limit all evil men and evil doers from wronging and doing violence to mens Persons and Estates this is the work and the place of Kings and Rulers of the Earth their Power is onely committed to them of the Lord to extend over the outward man to defend and preserve that and be a praise to all that do well and live Righteously and to be a terror and limit and punishers of the unrighteous evil and violent Doers this is the Magistrates place and the length and breadth and height of his Authority whether it reside in King Queen or any other Person or Persons But for the exercise of Conscience that is out of their Power and over and beyond it it is not committed of the Lord to them to compel and cause people from or to such a Worship and Religion it is not the Magistrates work but the Ministers that are sent of Christ to teach Religion but let all Sects have their course and every Religion its liberty in a Nation or Country so that they do no Violence to one anothers Persons and Estates and if they do then they fall under the Magistrates Power and then let them be punished and let every Sect strive to exalt it self and to overthrow others by what authority it hath in Doctrine and forceable Arguments and let them use what Spiritual Weapons they have and defend themselves thereby and let them that have the Spirit of God overcome and let them alone to be established and let all the rest be subdued before that and let that alone to be settled onely by the Power and Authority of the Spirit of God which overcomes all the contrary and let all men and all of man's Power and Authority be silent and quiet and have no hand in this matter and this is the way to establish Religion in a Nation and a Xingdom let the Spirit of the Lord have its liberty and let no man whatsoever limit it in them in whom it dwells but let it have its course and its operation and its â—ull authority by them in whom it dwells in whomsoever it 〈◊〉 and let all Sects whatsoever have their liberty in their Arguments and their Practices and their Worship and then let it be manifest who it is that overcomes and who it is that is overcome and such as overcometh by the same Spirit and Power that gives them Victory by that alone let true Religion be established and the rest of all Sects bow under that true Religion that overcometh all others by the Power and Authority of the Spirit of God and is established thereby all other under that shall bow and whilst this is in tryal and debate let the Powers of the Earth and the Rulers of the World be all quiet and look on in patience and let their Authority herein be exercised not to limit one or tollerate one more then another onely let them keep mens Persons and Estates in peace and defence from the Injury and Malice and wrong dealing one of another as I have said and here is the way the true and perfect way for the establishing of Religion in a Nation among people and if this were brought to pass and had been in Generations past then would not the Papists have been prevailed against by the Protestants they being at the first dissenting from the Church and Sect of the Papist more sincere towards God and more upright to him and in some things more true in Doctrine and Worship then the other which they dissented from though still in the main but a false Sect and of a false Religion though they hated the Whore in some things and they would have prevailed against her through that sincerity towards God that was in them but they gave their Power to the Beast and would not many other Sects have prevailed against them which have risen out of this and dissented from her who was more in the Sincerity and Uprightness towards God than she for God blessed that and loved that in what measure soever and whatsoever it be
was come to search them and try them and would hew down their Idolatrous wayes and worships and works c. And in order to a fair proceeding with them the next day I was moved to write this following Paper to them by way of Queries as to lay some ground of Opposition hoping to have received their Answer that I might have joyned tryal with them for it was in my heart to search and oppose their Wayes and Practices and their whole Religion And these Queries were delivered to them in Latine though from them I have received no Answer to this day but the Queries stand upon them and my Charge they lie under charged upon them in the Name of the Lord. To all ye that profess your selves Devoted to the Service of God and Separation from the World and Mortification in your lives who are called by the the name of Fryars and Nunns in and about Dunkirk THe Mighty Day of the Lord God is come and coming upon you and all the World Awake awake ye that sleep in the Earth for the Dreadful God is arising to plead with you and to give unto all the World the Cup of his fierce Indignation because of your Idolatries and Hypocrisies and Abominations which have corrupted the Earth and are come up before him and have provoked him and the Cry of the Just who hath been smitten and laid slain is entred into the Ears of the Most High and his Sword which is the word of his Mouth is awakened to wound and slay all his Enemies And the Day of your Visitation is now come wherein the Lord is searching you and trying you that he may recompence you and this is the Word of the Lord to you Wherefore I am moved of the Lord to propound some few Queries to you for the tryal of your spirits and wayes to which I demand your Answer that all things may be brought to Light and true Judgement and that you may be judged justly and by the Spirit of the Lord cleered or condemned accorto your Deeds 1. Whether there were such order of Men and Women in the true Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes and where did Christ give Institution for such Worships Practices and manner of Life slouthful idleness and unprofitableness to God and Men as ye hold forth And whether any are bound to believe you and follow your Religion and Practices except you can prove by the Scriptures the Words of Christ or Example of his Saints and Apostles your Religion and Lives and Practices and Worships and whether you do admit of tryal in all your whole Religion by and according to the Scriptures and Writings of the Apostles yea or nay 2. Whether the World in your Hearts and the World's nature even the root of Lust the root of Pride Covetousness and the love of this World and its Vanities and the root of Idolatry is subdued in you to the Light in your Consciences I do speak and what is the root of all these things and what is it that subdues it Is it an outward abstinence by the force of Locks and Doors and Bolts or self-separation and secret Places that subdues the World's nature in Men and Women and is it by such means that Christ gives Victory over Sin and overcomes it in his People or is it not by the Power of God in the Heart onely and whether is it not damnable Hypocrisie in you to appear outwardly Holy and free from these things while yet the Nature and Root of all these things are alive in you and boyling up in the motions of them and is any outward thing the Cross of Christ and Christ crucified which mortifies to the World which the Apostles preached and rejoyced in 3. Whether is it a true denial of the World in you to deny it in one manner and place and to run into it and imbrace it in another way and place it doth not appear to me that you have denyed the World as the Apostles did For answer me where had they any such Seats in the finest and fattest Places of the Cities and Towns as ye have such great fine Houses and Gardens and such Revenues by the year as ye have staying all their dayes in a great House and spending their time in slouth and idleness as ye do they went up and down the World preaching the Gospel and had no certain dwelling Place but followed the Lamb of God in the Spirit and did not settle themselves in fat Places of the Earth continuing all their dayes as ye do therefore we judge that you are out of the Life and not in the spirit as the Apostles were in but are in the Form of Righteousness and Holiness without the Power So I demand an Answer to clear your selves if you can and to prove that you are of the true Church and that your Wayes and Practices are in and by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures 4. What is that Death that hath passed over all and reigned from Adam to Moses and whether it doth not reign yet in and over you and what is Moses's Ministration and whether ever through it you yet truely came and whether that part be subdued in you which the Law of God was added upon and whether are you come to Christ and know him as he was before Abraham and before Mary and how was he David's Lord and how his Son and is Christ within you born and revealed to you by whom the World was made and do you expect to be perfectly freed from Sin that ye shall not commit Sin in this Life upon Earth yea or nay 5. What is the Soul and what was its state and condition before Transgression and what is its state and condition in Transgression and whether may man come to be restored by the second Adam into the same estate while upon Earth as he lost in the first Adam yea or nay Friends I demand of you in the Name and Power of the Lord God to answer me these things in writing some of you and to subscribe your names that I may return you an Answer and query further of you for we are sent of God to visit you and to try you and if you be in the perfect Truth and would convert others to your Religion be plain with us and use your best Spiritual Weapons in your Zeal towards us and defend your Cause and appear for your God and if you doubt of your own Wayes and Practices and be not able to defend your Religion then let your Mouthes be stopped then turn from Idolatry for now is the Lord God risen that will judge ye and all the Earth righteously I am a lover of Souls but a Witness against all false Idolatrous Wayes of Antichrist and the Whore that hath reigned in the World and I am the Lord's Servant E. B. By the Scorners of the World called a Quaker These queries were sent to the Fryars in Latine ANd we were with
which hath been of the false Woman and not of the Elect Spouse that is married to the Lamb. 6. That forcing and compelling of Persons by any outward Law and Authority to be of such or such a Religion and to conform to such a Way of Worship is the Worship of the Beast and of the Whore and not the Worship of God and to kill and persecute Persons for the exercise of Conscience and because they will not be of such a Religion and cannot conform to such Worship is of the Devil and the Dragon and not of God nor according to him and that your Church herein is not Successor of the Apostles and the true Church of Christ but is of the Beast and the Whore which Iohn saw was to come in his time and which we see are come in our dayes and have ruled for Generations and I affirm that Persons so made conformable by force and violent Laws to such a Religion and Worship are but two-fold more the Children of the Devil and are not at all converted to God thereby but becomes Idolaters whom God will judge 7. That none upon Earth are true Members of the true Church of Christ having a portion in the Inheritance of Eternal Life but such who are gathered out of the World by the preaching of the Gospel and are changed and renewed by the Power of the Lord God in the Heart and are led by his Spirit within them into all Truth and are joyned unto Christ the Head and gathered into the Eternal Unity of the Infinite Body by the same Spirit and Aâ—ointing dwelling in them and of such onely doth the true Church of Christ consist now in this present time as it did in the Apostles dayes but of such Members doth not your Church consist in this present Age neither is it in the Order and Government of the Spirit of Truth but in the Form without the Power therein was its beginning and its standing at this day 8. That the time is at hand and the Day of the Lord draws near and the fulâ—ess of time is approaching wherein great Babylon shall be thrown down and fall to the Ground and the Lord will be avenged on her and will render Judgâ—ents unto her and the Beast and Whore and false Prophets unto whom the Kingdoms of the World have been subject shall be taken and cast alive into the Lake and the Devil and Satan shall deceive the Nations no more but the Kingdoms of this World shall be changed and become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ whose Kingdom shall be revealed in Power and great Glory in the hearts of his Chosen And the Church of Rome and all the false Sects and Churches upon the Earth will the Lord God overthrow and his true Church shall be gathered out of the Wilderness and the Beauty of new Ierusalem of the holy Church the Lamb's Wife shall be as Glorious aâ— before she fled thither and before she was troden down of the Gentiles and the Lord God Almighty shall be known and his Tabernacle shall be with men These things I assert to you in the Name of the Lord and the truth thereof is certain and should be ready to argue and dispute these things with any sober Person amongst you upon equal tearms and to prove the Infalibility hereof by the Spirit of the Lord and according to the Scriptures wherefore consider of them in Patience and Meekness and believe in the Light of Christ which is in your Consciences which Christ hath lightened every man that cometh into the World withall that you may come to the knowledge of the Truth and out of all false Wayes and if any of you will return an Answer hereunto in behalf of your whole Body and can be able to clear your selves in Writing from what is charged upon you it shall be gladly received by me and a Reply iâ— Meekness returned to you for the further mâ—nifestation of Truth that Truth and Righteousness may clearly appear and be embraced and all Deceit and and false wayes of Antichrist may be confounded and denyed and who are in the Truth shall be confirmed and who are in the Error may have Warning now in the Day of the World's Visitation The Lord is coming to Judgment who will judge the Secrets of all Hearts and the whole World in Equity Dunkirk the 20th of the 3d Moneth 1659. By a Friend unto Righteousness and a Lover of all Souls E. B. These Propositions were sent to them in Latine This was sent to the chief Rector of the Jesuits Colledge in Dunkirk in Latine FRiend thy wisdom and thy knowledge is earthly and sensual and thereby canst thou not know the Things of the Kingdom of God thou canst neither learn them thy self nor teach them to others for thou art but a blind Leader of the Blind And thus saith the Lord God unto thee The Fruitless Tree is standing in thee that brings forth no Fruit unto God and the Head of the Serpent is not broken in thee that deceives the Soul nor the Body of Sin put off that burdens the Just and the Sword shall cut thee to pieces even the Sword of the Lord it shall slay thee And Friend The time is at hand that the Lord will make thee know that thou art and hast been in thy Life time a Dishonour to him and that thou hast not served him but thy self and the Devil and thy Heart is not right in his sight but is corrupt and deceitful for thou art tryed and measured and thou art found wanting in all things and God will judge thee and the Witness in thy Conscience shall answer his Judgments and all thy Idolatrous Practices and Profession of Religion and Church and Ministry thy many Prayers and thy Works of Righteousness all this shall not hide thee from the Wrath of the Lamb though now thou art hardened â—nd utterly unsensible yet the Stone shall fall upon thee that will grind thee to Powder and thou shalt not escape but the burden of thy own Iniquities shall weigh thee down into Perdition except thou speedily repentest Therefore fear and tremble before the Lord God and remember thou art warned by one that seeks the Peace of Souls but makes War by the Sword of the Spirit against the Kingdom of the Devil and Antichrist in whomsoever it stands And Friend answer me this one Query What is that Whore that hath sate upon Multitudes and Peoples and what is that Golden Cup in her Hand and what are the Abominations and Fornication of which her Cup is full which she hath caused the Kings and People to drink and with which she hath deceived the World Answer me this and subscribe thy Name E. B. ANd now this I have to say concerning the Church of Rome to them and to all the World as having been in a measure an eye and an ear Witness of their Idolatrous and false Wayes Practices and Doctrines never having in all my dayes
till this time and at this opertunity of going to Dunkirk not having any knowledge outwardly what their Wayes and Practices were not having any knowledge I say by my sight and particular hearing concerning them without me otherwise then what the Spirit of the Lord within me did make manifest Though from a Child the Spirit of the Lord in me hath abhorred Popery and all that which savours of it But now having been an eye and ear Witness in a little measure of their Practices and Doctrines this I have to say to them and all men Blindness and Ignorance covers them as with a Mantle and they are wrapped up in the body of Darkness and gross Darkness they do dwell in and all their Wayes and Worships are but the Works of Darkness which they are led on in by the false feigned spirit of Imagination from one Generation to another being exercised therein And the sense of the Spirit of Life they have not but have wholly lost it and they know nothing at all of the Leading of it nor of its Teaching This they hiss at as a thing of nought when it is spoken of to them They have even sold themselves into the Land of Ignorance and Blindness and they hate to be reformed they are settled upon a false Foundation even the Traditions of men which the Lord will break down and their whole Building will fall And when I consider how thousands and ten thousands lie in the Captivity of Blindness and Darkness under them my Heart is rent for them upon the consideration how they are led in Darkness and Blindness and how they rest in a false confidence which will destroy their Souls and the Blood of many rests upon the heads of them that leadeth them for they that lead them cause them to err and the Blood of Souls will be required at their hands And as for the Poor and common Sort of them there is a pitâ—y in me for them because they are led by the Blind and are out of the Way but as for the Priests and Iesuites and Clergy men they are to be cut off with the edge of the Sword of the Lord God and the Wo is unto them and no Pitty because they cause the People to err and keep the People in Ignorance and Blindness under their false and unrighteous Wayes and Worships And this I know The Word of the Lord is gone forth against the whole Body of the Romish-Church from the Head to the Tail of them will God plead with them the time is at hand and his Eye shall not pitty neither shall his Hand spare to punish them The Decree of the Lord is sealed and he will take Vengeance upon their Unrighteous Laws which binds the Consciences of People and limits the Spirit of the holy One their Unrighteous Ecclesiastical Laws I mean under which is defended all manner of Idolatry and they compel people to be Idolaters by a Law and whereby they drink the Blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs But the Lord will take Vengeance upon them and disanul their Covenants and Decrees and his Spirit shall not be limitted but shall rend them to pieces even their Laws and Cruelties and Inquisitions by which they are defended and their Religion upheld in the World and whereby they kill the Just and murder the Innocent that are better then they for the fulness of time is come and all these shall be tumbled down for their unjust Laws and Inquisitions are the main strength and Pillars of their Church whereby their Church and Worship doth stand and if they had not these cruel Laws and Inquisitions to defend themselves by in their Religion they would be soon prevailed against for they have nothing of the Spirit and Authority of God to stand in nor to fight with against such as do oppose them but their Weapons are Carnal and Devilish and by Murders Oppressions and Tyrannies they do defend themselves and when these things are broken down then their Church cannot stand long And as sure as the Lord lives so shall it come to pass a Generation shall accomplish it and in the Generation of the Righteous Seed it shall be finished their Laws shall be broken down and Murders avenged and their weakness shall then appear and their Whoredoms and Idolatries and all their Abominations shall be made naked and uncovered and judged by the Lamb and them that follow him whom he will gather to fight his Battel And if the People were but sensible hereof as in measure I am through the Zeal of the Lord it would raise up the Spirit of zeal in them all to seek vengeance and the overthrow of all their unrighteous Laws and Inquisitions and Murders which keeps people in Darkness and Ignorance and kills the Just that the Creatures may be saved and Tyranny condemned And when once the Lord doth but reach forth his Arm then shall People be awakened to mind what I now say Who would spare their own lives for the accomplishing of such a Work that the Spirit of the Lord may have liberty and that which limits it may be dashed to pieces and that the Earth may be set at liberty and all Europe made free from the Cruelties and Tyrannies of Antichrist and of the Whore And to all you Papists I say and to all the Body of the Church of Rome prepare prepare for the Lord God is coming up against you in his dreadful Power his Word of eternal Judgemnt is gone forth and his Vials are full of Wrath to be poured forth and he will be avenged upon your Tyrannies and Murders and unequal Laws and subdue them before him And his Dread shall fall upon your Consciences ye that are Idolaters Hypocrites Ignorant wretches wilful Persons and Bond-slaves of Satan the Plagues of God and the Wrath of the Lamb shall reach unto your high Throne Repent repent for the Lord's Wrath is kindled against you and if there be any among you that feareth the Lord let him deliver his own Soul by turning from your Abominations least the Lord come upon you and destroy you altogether Give up your Inquisitions give up your unjust Laws and cease to murther the Innocent and torment the Righteous I demand this of you on the Lord's behalf Vex not the Lord any longer for his Patience is turned into Anger against you and his Long-suffering will become Fury to devour you And no little service we had in Dunkirk among our English Army divers Meetings we had in the Town and declared the Message of Salvation And I must commend the spirit of our English men for moderation more then the men of any other Nation and I did many times clear my Conscience among them both as they were men Sons of Adam and in relation to an eternal State did direct them to the Way of Happiness out of Sin and Wickedness that they might come to God preaching the everlasting Gospel that as they were Sons of Adam in
charged against them whereby the Lord hath been offended But all things and places of men must be new moulded and corrected and purged and regenerated that true Judgment may flourish and Righteousness and Truth prosper as in the Beginning and this will the Lord suddenly bring to pass by his own Power and if thou opposest it thou shalt not prosper but be cut off and taken out of the way For the Spirit of the Lord hath been provoked to Wrath because of these things and his Anger is kindled against the Nations and he hath overthrown and yet will once more overthrow till he comes whose Right it is to Rule whose shall be the Government and Kingdom and all his Enemies shall be slain And as for the publick Ministry as now it is in its present estate we certainly know and testifie from the Lord unto thee and to the whole Nations that it is not the same Ministry of Christ which the Apostles had nor by the same Power and Spirit but is wholy degenerated in Call in Practice and in Maintenance and in all things from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the true Churches before the Apostacy and it is as now it stands in degeneration not of God nor in the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus nor hath it the same End and Effects as the Ministry of Christ once had but it s tasted and tainted with the Spirit of Antichist which long hath ruled in the World and it s become a grievous Oppression in the Nations and people are not converted nor turned to God from their evil wayes but remain unprofited and to say no more of it though much I might say what I affirm of it I may prove by the Scriptures against the wisest of them before thee if thou pleasest viz. That as now the Ministry stands it is not perfectly the same Ministry the Apostles had but is degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches before the Apostacy and if ever God toucheth thy heart thou wilt see it so when the Spirit of Christ is chief Judge in thee thou wilt witness this to be true and then may not thy Power uphold any thing which is contrary to God when Government is purged and made pure from all its present Degeneration Again There are many and divers sort of Sects and Gatherings of People and Professions in Reliigion of several contrary Judgments and Opinions Worships in these Nations and these People over whom thou art set to rule are divers and divided in their Wayes and Minds and Professions of Religion some looking for and seeking after Christ in such a manner and others after another manner all crying Loe here is Christ and thus he will come and loe he is there and so will he appear and some are inventing and supposing such a Government to be best and others contrary to that and many are as distracted in their thoughts not knowing what to seek or what to look after some are for such a Government and Religion and others for another and peradventure each one of these may seek to thee for Protection against such as oppose them commending and justifying their own Way and Sect and Form and Religion against all others and craving Laws to maintain themselves and their Sect and to stop and limit all other Ways as Heresie because differing from them and they will each of them turn and rest the Scriptures from the mind of the Spirit that gave them forth to prove their own Opinions and Professions to be right against all others but now thou mayst know that the Scriptures were given forth by the one Spirit of God and is the Testimony of one Truth of one Saviour of one true Worship and one only true Religion and not many and diverse Wayes and them that are of divers Judgments and Worships and Religions and yet all plead Proof from the Scriptures for what they profess and practice all such pervert the Scriptures and wrest them who are thus divided and unsettled in Religion and they shew that none of them have the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit leads into all Truth and in it is the true Worship of God and the true Profession and Practice of true Religion and that Spirit only understands its own words in Scripture but all these divers Sects and Heaps of People that are divided in Worship and about Religion have not the Spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures to lead them into all Truth and guide them in the perfect Way and pure Religion which the Apostles and Churches of Christ were in in their dayes but all these many Sects that are thus divided are risen up since the days of the Apostles and are of another spirit and of a false Religion And as for such called Ministers they will be hurrying about thee and flattering thee with fair and crafty words and smooth Petitions and Requests for Protection and Establishment from thee and for large Maintenance and Stipends and Tythes and possibly they may complain to thee against such as cannot give them Hâ—re and Tythes but may reprove their Evil and Covetousness and Wickedness begging for Laws against such and crying out against Error Herisie because some may be mov'd to cry against their Deceits Oppressions and for the like causes they will run about thee and seek their own Advantage and this we know their nature and spirit is such and hath been for many Ages But now Friend Do thou stand in God's Authority out of and over all such Teachers and Sects and come not under any of them that have the Form of Godliness but want the Power who are in the Apostacy from the Life and pure Religion that the Apostles were in nor believe them not that shall say Lo Christ is â—â—rt or Lo he is there or Who shall ascend to fetch him from without or When shall be come from far to save his People Go not thou after any of these but he arken to the Word of God in thy heart and know that Christ is within thee else thou art reprobate neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these Sects or some of them above others neither defend maintain any of them against others of them nor tollerate not one of them above another for if thou dost it will betray thee and the Nations Peace and set all spirits on Fire about thee and while one is pleased and may pray for thee others will be vexed against thee and curse thee wherefore be not troubled about these things nor cumber not thy self about Religion how to establish it for it is God's Hand only to establish his Worship and Religion it belongs to him as he will and not as man by his Policy and Wisdom but stand free from them all and neither establish any nor persâ—â—ute any Sect whatsoever but let them all have their couâ—se and
is insufficient to maintain his own Cause and to uphold the Rights and Priviledges of his own Kingdom Do you think that he hath need of you or a Multitude of wild and heady Men and Youth to fight in his Cause to uphold his Gospel and Ministry and Ministers Alas no you are deceived in this matter for his own Arm shall do all this and he will do it without you and not be beholding to you in this matter His Gospel nor the Priviledges of it shall not fall the true Ministry the Preaching and Dispensing of God's Word and Ordinances shall not perish though you be silent for the Lord by his own Power will maintain and carry on these things and all others belonging to his Kingdom without the help of Mortal Men or without the help of the Arm of Flesh so that you may put up your Swords and be still in this matter and leave it to God who is sufficient for these things without a multitude of men or without the Arm of Flesh For I must tell you that the faithful Teachers of God's Word and the faithful Ministry desire not your help to prosecute their Cause and the Cause of the Gospel but they trust to the Lord to be maintained countenanced and encouraged by him alone who is sufficient in that cause though its true the false Ministers and the antichristian Teachers through all Christendom for many Generations they have sought unto the Arm of flesh to set them up to maintain and defend them and their Gospel and false Church thus it is through the Popes Dominion and among some Protestants also they cry unto the Magistrates unto the Kings and Parliaments for the making cruel Laws to defend them and to the rude world they cry Help us and save us and defend us by fighting with Carnal Weapons for Heresies and Errors and such like and they stand in their Ministry in their Call to it and Maintenance of it and defence in it by the Arm of flesh and their Church is upheld thereby also but this is but Antichrists way and these are Antichrists Ministers and his false Church hereby is defended in the World and this shews that the Weapon of the Spirit of God is wanted by them which the Apostles had and it s very doubtful O ye Apprentices of London that your Ministers have prayed you and preached you into such a work as that you should stand up to maintain them and fight for them and their church against such that do oppose them but I must tell you if their Defence be not in another hand then in yours they are like to come to perpetual ruin and their Gospel and their Teaching and their Sacraments their Church cannot stand if they have not the Lord's Help more then yours And as for the Universities which you contend for alas many of you are ignorant concerning them and what Abomination is committed among them oh if you knew but the Prophaneness and Ungodliness and Ill-education that is among them it would turn your zeal for them backwards and it s not from humane Studies that the faithful Ministers of Christ come but who are so indeed are made so by the Gift of God's Eternal Spirit both in this Age and in Ages past So that O ye Apprentices Be still be still and do not ruin your selves and your City by Rage and Fury and Disorders upon such a Proceeding for your ground of Quarrel is not perfectly good nor your Endeavour in the Cause aforesaid well accepted with the Lord. But if your Quarrel be upon the account or about the matter of Church and Ministry leave that to the Lord and to your Ministers that they may defend themselves their Church and Ordinances and Worship by the Spirit of God if they have it for that is the Weapon of Ministry Church and Gospel-Warfare and not Carnal Weapons nor the multitude of an Host of Men Let your Ministers come forth in the best authority of spirit that they have and plead the cause of their Worship and Gospel and Ministry like Christians and not like Iews and Heathens for they use Carnal Weapons killing and murdering about Church and Religion that is the Papists Practice and not the Practice of the Saints So that ye Apprentices seeing you state your Quarrel against the Army upon the account of Church and Ministry my Advice is to you Proceed no further upon that ground but give your Trust to the Lord for the maintaining of all things related to his own Kingdom But the Cry is Those Sectaries those Sectaries away with them Your Trouble seems to be concerning them lest they prevail but wherefore are you troubled in this matter like as if you knew not that what the Lord purposeth must come to pass who are of God will stand this you need not doubt and who are not will come to nought and its vain for Mortal Man to oppose the Lord's Purpose but this was the Cry in dayes past How did the Bishops and Prelates in their dayes cry against the Non-conformists as Hereticks and such like even as the Ministers now cry against Sectaries But consider how did the Bishops proceed but in being the chief Cause themselves of raising War against the then Non-conformists thinking thereby to have smitten them all but you know it proved otherwise and as they thought to do unto others so was it done unto them which thing may be an Example to you For as they thought to have destroyed the then called Puritans in like manner were themselves destroyed and this may possibly fall upon you Therefore consider for I tell you as an equal man between you and them that there is more Sincerity towards God and Fear of his Name in some of them called Sectarians then there is amongst you and your Ministers though I do not here justifie the Sectarians so called in all things neither do I in every thing condemn your Ministers but this I say and do know If that you and your Ministers raise a War against those called Sectarians the effect thereof will prove your own Sorrow and their Advantage So this is my Advice to you rest and be still and that will prove your own Peace and Happiness Therefore take heed and beware lest ye oppose and gain-say the Work and Power of God which his purpose is to bring to pass in this his Day who is setting up his Kingdom in the midst of Tribulations that comes upon men The second Particular humbly desired by you is The Freedom and Priviledges of Parliaments as being the Great Charter of the People which you account very dear unto you and by which you hope to see you say a Settlement in Church and State and you humbly conceive that to be the probable means to establish the true Protestant Religion reform the Laws secure the Liberties promote Learning c. Answ. Now Friends do but truly consider and with a humble Mind what the Work of the Lord hath
been in these Nations for divers years and how he hath proceeded to overthrow and overturn Powers and Authorities Princes and Rulers and made them of no account before him and though the Instruments which God hath used in that matter in plucking down Men and Powers have been as much corrupted as those that have been overturned and whenas the measure of Iniquity in one was filled up the Lord threw that Power down even as it were by the Iniquity of another and because of the Oppressions of Rulers amongst us the Nation hath groaned and been left without a Comforter from any man and could not repose Confidence in its Princes and Rulers and this was that the Nation might look unto the Lord and that through him they might be saved and expect healing from him alone and in all these Overturnings you need not fear but the Hand of the Lord hath been in them and his Arm hath suffered and even brought these things to pass and therefore why should you murmer against God be unsatisfied in what he hath done for it s he alone and not another that must settle a happy and lasting Peace both in Church and State and he that must establish true Religion and reform the Laws and secure our Liberties and preserve our Lives and encourage all Vertue it is the Lord that will do all these things for this Nation and it s not any other in whose Hand the Salvation of a Person or a Nation is and how he shall do this and by what means leave that to the Lord limit him not to or from any thing for if the Nation can be but patient and still he will bring to pass these things in his day and season Wherefore O Nation and City Be still be still and be patient under the Hand of God which is upon you combine not Mischief one against another nor desire the overthrow one of another but be still be still this is the Word of the Lord to you be at quiet in your spirits and wait upon the Lord to receive what he brings forth For O ye Apprentices and Young-Men of London your rude proceedings in these causes will but destroy your selves and your City if you proceed any further for what is a multitude of men but as Bryers and Thornes in battel before the Lord if he purpose a Work you cannot prevent it and if he prevent a Work its vain for you to endeavour it these things are in the Hand of the Lord and Nations are unto him as Clay in the hand of a Potter but now I do not speak as your Enemy for I love your City wish it well Alack neither will I justifie the Army nor the men that you oppose in opposition to you for their ways are corrupted I know and their own Ends they seek and they are for Condemnation some of them and their Iniquities are fully ripe and God will bring them down but yet let you them alone the Lord will deal with them and he can execute his Judgement with his own Hand without you and if you can be but quiet for a little season it will make for your Peace hereafter but if your spirits rage and swell you may work Misery unto your selves and to your City but you cannot redeem it from Misery So do no talk of the Church as if you would Fight to uphold it leave that to the Lord for Christ will look to that to Govern it and Preserve it out of all and from all its Enemies and it belongs not unto you but that which the Lord requires of you is Patience and Submission to his Will and to be still till he appears with Salvation and Deliverance to this City and Nation to deliver them from all Oppression and Oppressors whose Coming is at hand and blessed are all they who are found in Patience at his Coming London the 10th Moneth 1659. TO THE Present Assembly MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER The Consideration of a Servant of the Lord upon the Present State of Affairs presented unto you for to read and consider as Informations unto you concerning present Proceedings in this Nation FRIENDS ALL these Overturnings and almost wonderful Changings that do come to pass in this Nation they are all effected through the Justice of the Lord's Hand and his Hand and Power is in and over all these things and it all Particulars which have happened since your first appearing on the Throne were accompted what hath come to pass but hath been accomplished and suffered to be by the hand of the Lord But particularly of the present state of things and this last Interruption which happened unto you Was it not a just Reproof upon you from the Lord though effected in Ambition and by corrupted Instruments For have you not promised great things unto this Nation in matters of Freedom and Liberty But what have you done Even left this Nation travelling under great and sore Vexations and undelivered from the Bondage of Oppressions though you have had time oftentimes put into your hands wherein you might have done good things for the Lord and for this Nation and Righteousness might have been established amongst you and in the Nation but you neglected many precious dayes and effected not many good things It would be large to instance the particular Oppressions that yet remain almost upon all sorts of people in this Land which might have been removed long ere this day had you bin faithful to God But because from day to day you have been rather careless and served your selves more then the Lord therefore hath he suffered you to be interrupted once and again and reproved by a Generation of men as unfaithful as your selves Well But to pass all this though much may be said you are now again at the stern of Government and on the Throne and I dare not but say it is of and by the Lord and that he hath done it contrary to the expectations of many and what his End is in it remains with him but I am sure one Cause is that you may execute part of his Wrath upon that Treacherous Generation of Hypocritical and Deceitful men some of the Army I mean some of whom have been deceitful to God and treacherous to the Nation and who have been fearful Hypocrites by a shew of Religion more then others and have mocked God as it were and his People I need not say to you how that many of them were raised up from a low Estate and instead of servnig the Nation became their Lords and Oppressors they have abused the Lord's Mercy to them and exalted themselves and became as great Oppressors and as grievous to the Nation as ever they were that went before them and some of them took the very Titles and Estates of their Enemies and followed their evil spirit also though the Lord was Long-suffering to them and gave them a day and put opportunity into their hands wherein they might have done good
them The third Particular consisteth about the Magistrates Power in matters of Faith and Worship and the Authors say Though they greatly prize Christian Liberty yet they profess utter dislike and abhorrency of an Universal tolleration as being contrary to the mind of God in his Word Answ. It appears the Authors are lovers of themselves and prizers of their own Liberty but not of the Liberty of others but do utterly dislike and â—â—ber the tolleration of others which may indeed be more righteous then themselves and this is no less then the very Principle of the Whore of Rome which Promotes her own Liberty and makes others Slaves and ahhorâ— tolleration to any but themselves and they plead Scriptures as well as you for proof of their Religion and they will say all that differs from them are contrary to the Scriptures even as you say when as there is very little better foundation in the Scriptures for your Religion then there is for theirs and it is doubtful to many what Religion this day extant is perfectly according to the Scriptures but yet thus much may be said That Church and that Religion which are not in the same Spirit as gave forth the Scriptures are not according unto the Scriptures and he that can distinguish of this and who it is that hath the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures is only able to judge what Religion is according to the Scriptures But can the Authors shew plainly out of the Scriptures that their Religion is only according thereunto and all others the contrary and until they prove this why may not the Rulers that are of may be in this Nation give Tolleration unto other sorts of People as well as to the Independants the supposed Authors of this Paper The fourth Particular consisteth concerning Tythes and say they The taking away of Tythes for Maintenance of Ministers until as full a Maintenance be as equally secured and as equally settled tends very much to the Destruction of the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel in these Nations Answ. Alas for you poor ignorant Creatures ye foolish men that seems to have no understanding of the Ministry and Gospel of Christ Do you indeed think that the true Ministry of Christ and the Preaching of the Gospel depends upon Maintenance by Tythes Oh ye Robbers of God who have secretly dishonoured him in your hearts and publickly disgraced him as much as in you lyes to the Nation as if he were not able to save his Ministry and the Preaching of his Gospel from destruction if Tithes be taken away Surely you err in your Judgements and have no acquaintance with God nor with his Ministry nor Gospel who have thus dishonoured him in setting up that Maintenance by the forcible and unjust oppression of Tythes to be the preserving of Ministry and Gospel and as if Tythes were the uphold ing of Ministry and Gospel and you have thus falsly and wickedly measured God his Ministry and Gospel by the wickedness of your own hearts who seem to be indeed of those Hirelings that cheat Souls for money and run for the gift like Balaam and for the lucre like the evil Beasts and Slow-bellies and so I do believe that your false Ministry indeed and your feigned pretence of preaching the Gospel do depend upon great sums of money and upon large Maintenances and we believe that indeed is the chief Reason of your Preaching and of your Ministry and it is very possible that your Ministry and Preaching may fall which is Antichristian when Tythes and Hire is taken away which Ministry dependeth thereupon but the true Ministry and preaching of the Gospel will God maintain and uphold though the oppression of Tythes be vanquished and I hope some of the Rulers of this Nation and Officers of the Army will not believe your advice but yet you seem to be willing to renounce Tythes if you could have as full a Maintenance setled another way so that however great maintenance comes you regard not so you can have that whether by this way of Oppression or the other it s your Maintenance you love and follow after and seek unto the Powers of the Earth for that end and how equally and legally Tythes have been setled which you seem to affirm let all good People judge given they were and setled first in our Nation by the Popes Authority to be the Maintenance of that Whore's Ministers and the Laws that gave them and setled them have been Antichristian and Oppression in the Nation and there is the guilt of Blood and of cruel unjust sufferings lying upon this Nation in that very cause of Tythes and the Hand of the Lord is gone out against it and against all Contenders for it and God will redeem the Nation from â—â—der it though you be putting your strength to uphold it through your hypocritical Prayers and Preaching and Flatteries with God and man The fifth particular is these Authors desire that countenance be not given unto nor trust reposed in the hands of Quakers being persons of such Principles that are distructive to the Gospel and inconsistent with peace and civil society Answ. Here your wickedness and the malice of your hearts is let forth against the dispised People for their righteousness sake and this spirit of yours would not only discountenance them but destroy them from the face of the Earth if it were in your Hands and you are worse then Baalam ever was and far more blind then he for you are as it were seeking inchantments against the People of God for Money and you see not the goodly tents of Iacob as he did nor the People that are altogether blessed Oh! ye envious persons that are even a preparing as much as in you is the destruction of a peaceable People and that would keep them in slavery under you and you would have the countenance of the powers of the Earth but they must not and you would Monopolize all the places of trust for advantage to your selves and you would hardly allow the People of God a place on the Ground Oh! ye sinful Hypocrites and Flatterers and Slanderers of the just but what need you have made such preparation against them do they seek places of honour among you do they delight in great places among men do they love to be great in this World nay their Kingdom is from above and they reject the countenanance of the Beâ—â—â— Authority and they reject any confidence that the Dragon and unjust poâ—… can repose in them and you need not have been afraid in this matter and thereupon slandered us and have back-bited us to the powers of the Earth what do you fear even the thing which you fear will God in a judgement bring upon you and there is a Government to be set up in this Nation even that which is of the Lamb and your Antichristian Monarchy the Beast with all his Heads and Horns shall fall to the Ground and the Lord may
of Answer for the end that People may be satisfied concerning things doubtfull which are in controversie this day among many for it is well known the Controversie hath been long and is grown very high between us and you concerning Church Ministry and Religion and divers things in your Exhortation are doubtfull unto many and that all doubts may be removed if possible therefore I do return what follows as an answer unto you Whereas you say You are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions wherewith the carnal World is leavened concerning you Calling Office and Doctrines and what Clamors and fiery Contentions abound for them every where that pleads Christ's Cause in the Gates c. Answ. As for your Calling Office and Doctrine there is much to be said against them in and by the Spirit of the Lord for your Calling and Office is not according to the Example of Scriptures though the Calling and Office of Ministers of the Gospel hath Example in the Scripture yet as you are called into your Office that is not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures And as for your Doctrine it is in some things unsound also Now as for Seasonable Exhortations of Ministers to People I do acknowledge that it is a Duty which ought to be done but how seasonable and sound your Exhortations are that remains to be tried and it is not onely the carnal World as you speak that are doubtfull concerning your Calling and Office but it the best of the people whose eyes the Lord is opening to see and behold the false immitations of the Calling and Office of Ministers as you have stood for many Generations and it is true them that pleads Christs Cause they are cryed out upon and contended with but this fully belongs not to you though you apply it to your selves but it pertains more to others for the World speaks well of you as it use to do of false Prophets And you say We the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London do with earâ—…ess exhort the people of this City to awaken as out of Sleep and to lay to heart the great dangers that threatens you which you represent under a threefold consideration 1 The fear of the return of Popery 2 The distracted estate of Religion amongst us 3 Other symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your Heads Answ. That you are Ministers of the Gospel this is doubtful unto many and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary then can be given for it But this is not the present debate and therefore no more of it And what is the people of your Congregations yet asleep Have not you awakened them in so many years time Have you been preaching over them and taking their Money so long and are they yet to awaken as out of Sleep Will not the blame of this and the condemnation of it fall upon you their Watch-men who hath not yet awakened them And may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them who are left as asleep under all your preaching and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them Oh Friends will you consider and your people with you what you have been preaching and what they have been hearing for so long a time seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep and unawakened Now as to the first of your considerations The fear of the return of Popery for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it First The union of foreign Popish-Powers Secondly The vast numbers say you of Popish Emissaries and Jesuites that swarms amongst you Thirdly The vending and printing of so many Popish Books every year c. Answ. As for Popery I know it is Idolatry and their Church and Worship and every part thereof abomination to the Lord and the spirit that leads them is not the Spirit of Jesus and as for Popery it was never yet truly cleansed out of the Nation but there hath been and are great remainders yet standing which may indeed easily recover its former strength For is not the most part of the worship of the Church of England made up of such things as was first instituted and practised amongst the Papists witness the making Ministers by natural learning at Schools and Colledges and their maintenance by Tythes and yearly Stipends and their way of Parochial settlements are not all these things Papistical and witness sprinkling Infants calling it the Baptism into the Visible Church and witness the singing of Davids Psalms as now they are sung among you these things for the most part are of Popish institution and many other things also pertaining to your Church Religion and Ministry so that Popery was never clean cast out of the Nation though the Lord hath wounded it yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force so that while Tythes are pleaded for by you and those things practised by you it may indeed be feared the return of Popery seeing you stick so fast in those Practises which were of Popish institution and the cause of fear lies at your Door and upon your selves principally and if there be vast numbers of Popish Priests and Jesuites swarming amongst you if you be Ministers of Christ why do you not discover Wolves in Sheeps cloathing and fright them away Why do you not lift yp your Spiritual Weapons if you have them as the Apostles did whose Weapons were powerful and mighty through God and who shall bear the blame but you if Wolves in Sheeps cloathing tear your Flocks that is a sign you are lazy idle Shepherds and that your want the Power and Authority of God and when the Powers of the Earth fails you and your carnal Weapons are all broken then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of Popish Priests and Jesuites if there be any such among you look you to it for I know not any and if you know any by name and where they are you ought by your Law to discover them Now you say they are acting under the disguise of Sectaries and subtilly insinuating many of their Doctrines as teaching Iustification by Inherent Righteousness Perfection 〈◊〉 lawfulness in joyning in your Ordinances and nullity of your Ministry c. Answ. Now these that you call Sectaries may truly plead against you against your Church Worship Ministry Practises upon good grounds as for Justification by Inherent Righteousness it is a Doctrine of the Church of Christ that the Saints witnessed Christ and his Righteousness within them and that none are justified by any righteousness without them but who witness Christ revealed in them for all are Reprobate that do not witness Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. And as for Perfection that is the Doctrine of the Gospel and of Christ for the Apostles spake wisdom to them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. and Christ commanded them to be perfect Mat. 5. who never commanded impossibilities You might better have charged
the many horrid and hideous Errors which for some years past have abounded amongst us against the Authority of Scriptures the Deity of Christ the holy Ghost Trinity of Persons Immortallity of Souls Doctrines of Repentance Humiliation Sanctification Resurrection from the Dead the Eternal recompence of Heaven and Hell yea divers Sects encreasing every day in numbers power and malice and under the name of Quakers Ranters Seekers c. oppâ—gning the received Doctrine and unquestionable interest of Christ Iesus amongst us Answ. That many horrid Errors have abounded amongst you that is very true as in many particulars might be instanced But why do you maliciously charge the Quakers with opposing the Interest of Christ Jesus The Lord shall judge you in his Day when he makes it appear to all the World that those whom you charge with the contrary are the very Friends of Christ's Interest and have been patient Sufferrers for his Name sake under the wickedness of your Generation and as for the Ranters Seekers and others whom you have reckoned up together with the Quakers it is well known that we are in opposition in spirit unto all these and have given large testimony in the Fear of God against them though it is certain that there is many as upright and sincere men towards God among these Sects you have mentioned as any of your Congregations and though in some things they are condemnable yet in some things they are as justifiable as you are before the Lord And what the Seekers Ranters Familists and the rest mentioned by you do hold as in these things you have charged them with I will leave that for I am not now pleading their cause but the Cause of God and his People whom you in scorn call Quakers and though you have joyned them in Accusation with others yet I must separate them from others in my Answer and must tell you in the fear of the Lord that you have belyed them and falsly accused them out of your malicious hearts for they do not deny the Authority of the Scriptures but gives that authority to them which the Spirit of God that gave them forth hath formerly given neither do they deny the Deity of Christ but do say In him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead neither do they deny the holy Spirit nor the Father Son and Spirit but say there are three and these three are one but as for your Trinity of Persons that is language beside the the Scriptures and we do affirm the Soul is Immortal and as for the Doctrines of Repentance Humiliation Sanctification Resurrection from the Dead the eternal Recompence of Heaven and Hell these Doctrines are publickly held forth by them in words and also in practice more then by your selves therefore with what face you could charge them with the denial of these things it is almost wonderfull and there are thousands of your Congregations that are and have been sometimes hearing in your City that shall bear witness against your Accusations and give Evidence that they have heard them whom you call Quakers give faithfull witness of and for all these things which you charge them with denial of Do you think that your Congregations are all so blind as to receive for truth what you have herein spoken nay I must tell you some of them are offended with you because hereof First in that you have reckoned the Quakers with Ranters and others between whom there is absolute opposition and not agreement neither in Doctrine nor Practice Secondly That you should charge the Quakers with such things as they are altogether clear of and known to be so by many but this is that your folly and weakness might appear and as you speak of encreasing every day in number power and malice some part of this is true for the Lord doth encrease his People daily in number and power by his Spirit but not in Malice and that is your torment the encrease of the Quakers which as they have begun to encrease so the Lord will continue them and you nor mortal men shall not be able to hinder neither the Magistrates Persecution nor the Ministers Instigation thereunto though you have joyned hand in hand against them for the Lord is with his People and his Authority and Power is theiâ— Defence and they are not in empty Forms as you say but in the Power of Godliness and as for your Ordinances and Ministry of which you speak something I have said to it already and more I shall say to it hereafter Your third Evidence is The odious Scandals of those that profess themselves to be the People of God as their self-seeking their unparallell'd breach of all civil and sacred Oathes whereby the Mouth of Iniquity is opened and the reverence of Religion abated so that to us say you there appears no visible way of repairing the credit of strict profession but by a severe punishment of Professors c. Answ. It is true many that do profess themselves the people of God but are not but by their lives and practices gives odious Scandals and are Self-seeking as you say but upon whom the guilt of this may be truly charged that remains to be sought out doubtless it lies as near your doors as any others for is not your pride and oppression by taking Tythes suing people at Law for Wages and casting them in Prison because for good Conscience sake they cannot pay you your seeking for your gain from your Quarter and your taking great sums of Money and preaching for hire taking so much yearly are not these odious scandals and very self-seeking practices which you are guilty of while you pretend publick good as for Breaches of Oaths and Covenants I wish you to search your own hearts for that Iniquity doth lie as near your Generation as any others witness that you and your Brethren have from time to time engaged to such and such things As first Did not you engage for the Government to be without King and House of Lords And did not you then cry up the Protector contrary to your Engagements and now cry up another And thus it is very evident that the guilt of breach of Oathes and Covenants lies near unto your selves which indeed opens the Mouth of Iniquity for the very Cavaliers and Prelates say you were once strict in your Way but now you have struck hands with them and are now your selves doing that which you cried out against in them And thousands in this Nation is abated in their affections from your Church and Ministry as knowing them to be upon a false Foundation and to be of Babylon and not of the Heavenly Ierusalem And what do you mean by severe punishment of Professors Do you mean to set up Ecclesiastical Laws again and that all must be forced to your Church Way and Religion Is it in your hearts to drive the Nation by force and if they will not to punish them with Fire and Fagot and Prisons If
especially in this day wherein there are so many Ways and Professions of Church-Ministry and Worship and yet all professing the Scriptures are their Rule of Faith Worship and Practice and seeing that all Sects do profess Proof from Scripture for what they hold forth what Ground have the people to believe you more than others or others more than you for where people receive Doctrine or Religion by Report from others without the Evidence of the Spirit of God in their own Hearts this is not receiving of the Truth unto Eternal Life wherefore I exhort your Congregations That every one amongst them may wait upon the Lord to have a feeling and discerning in their own hearts and that each one may be led and taught oâ— the Spirit of God which leads into all Truth that they may deny all false Ministers and false Worships and may worship God in Spirit and Truth though the ministration of his own Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences and thereby will they discern between Truth and Error and will love the one and hate the other Thirdly You exhort That they keep themselves unspotted from the prevailing Corruptions of these back-sliding Times c. Answ. Concerning the Times many are ignorant but this is certain at the present Time wherein we are is the Lord disquieting of men and its the latter dayes of Antichist's Raign and Government that hath been in full Power and Authority for many Generations and Babylon that great City her Ruin is threatned because of her Abominations that have been many and great for the whole Earth hath been corrupted as it s written and now the Call of the Lord is That every man come out of Babylon and deliver himself that he may not partake of their Plagues and happy are they that are made clean unspotted from their Sins that they may not be found covered with her Garments for the Day of the Lord is come and coming upon Babylon and all Back-sliders from God and his Wayes Now Babylon is that great City which hath ruled over the Kings of the Earth and in her hath the Blood of Souls and of all just Men been found Fourthly You exhort To endeavour a Healing of those sad Breaches and Divisions which have been amongst you c. Answ. Now the sad Breaches and Divisions which are indeed at present in this Nation cannot be healed but as the Cause and Ground thereof be removed which is the Sins of Rulers Teachers and People and this is the Cause wherefore the Lord hath brought Distraction amongst them Oh what Ambition and Self-seeking hath been among the Rulers What judging for Gifts and Rewards What neglect of Mercy and Judgment amongst them And oh how have they oppressed the Poor and trodden down the needy and because hereof is the Righteous God vexed And oh what Covetousness and Greediness of Gain â—re the Teachers guilty of How do they Preach for Hire and Divine for Money How have they unreasonably caused men to be imprisoned and their Goods to be spoiled for Wages and Tythes and Hire Oh how hath Covetousness and Idolatry and Superstition abounded amongst the Teachers in this Nation Oh abominable have been their Sins their Oppressions and Self-seekings and because of these things hath the Lord brought Distractions amongst People and the Sins of Rulers and People cry for Vengeance from the Lord and till these Iniquities be removed by Repentance and forsaken the Fruit and Effect thereof shall never cease but Breach upon Breach will the Lord make till the Rulers and Priests repent them of their Iniquities God's Hand will be upon them both in Judgment and for their sakes that divine for Money and preach for Hire and judge for Rewards will the Lord make the Nation as Heaps and as a Ploughed Field Therefore let all people Repent of their Iniquities and return to the Light of Christ in their own Consciences and become Followers of the Lamb and this is the perfect Way of healing of all Breaches inwardly and outwardly Fifthly You exhort To be diligent in the Spiritual and Conscientious Performances of Family-Duties c. Answ. Men must first be awakened and enlivened unto God before they can act for God in Holy Duties and as for Duties performed in pretence unto God traditionally and without the Teachings of the Spirit of God is but Idolatry and the Nation is weary of such a Religion which they have received and held traditionally for thereby the Soul Immortal cannot be nourished unto Eternal Life and while you teach Duties towards God by that Rule while you teach Praying Singing Repeating Catechizing by Tradition and Immitation without the Leadings of the Spirit of Christ in them you do but teach Idolatry as long hath been taught in the Christian Nations the doing and performing such and such things as Christian-Duties and Practices and the Forcing and Compelling of doing such things upon People in the unregenerate state and unconverted nature this Religion and such Performances of Duties have been of Babylon and of Antichrist and a Cheat upon Peoples Souls whereby many have been murdered and slain in that great City and the Form of Godliness without the Power hath been practiced while Duties have been performed unto God without the Teachings of the Spirit of God and such their Consciences are blinded and the Lord abhors their Sacrifices And people must first come to feel the Word of God in their Hearts to regenerate them before they can perform any acceptable thing to God and therefore do not teach People to be Hypocrites do not teach them such and such Performances in the corrupt Nature without the Teachings of the Spirit of God in their own particulars for if you do you make them but two fold more the Children of the Devil and such Duties performed in that nature shall not cover nor hide from the Wrath of the Lord which is coming upon all Hypocrites Sixthly You exhort That they would cause their Children and Servants to submit to Catechizings and train them up in the reverence of Godly Ministry c. Answ. It may be enquired into what you mean by cause them to submit how cause them by Force and Imposition upon their Consciences by outward external personal Punishments or Threats Is this your Meaning Will you set up Religion by Violence And must Children and Servants be compell'd by Restraint and Force This is not the right Way to promote Religion and the Worship of God nor to make Children and Servants truly Religious it was the Beast that received power from the Dragon that caused all to worship both Small and Great Children and Servants and this causing to worship was in the time of the Apostacy when the true Church was fled into the Wilderness and all the time ever since have Nations been caused and compelled to such and such performances and practices of Religion and Worship and such causing I am jealous your Meaning is whereby you would force and compel such manner
well Oh that such would consider and not be hasty in any thing to perform or profess Religion in their degenerate estate but that they would come to know the Regeneration and the renewing of their minds by the holy spirit and that the Immortal Birth might be born in them even the Birth of the Spirit which is Heir of God Oh that that might live and rule in them then should they be Heirs of God and Citizens of the New-Ierusalem And oh ye People of London lay it to heart you must be born again or else you can never enter into Gods Kingdom you must be changed in nature and must be crucified to this world that you may live unto God this must you come unto or else you have no part nor portion in Eternal Life and your Duties and Performances in your Forms of Religion they cannot save you not justifie you all your Preaching Praying Singing and all your Duties whatsoever they are all nothing till you come to know changing and renewing inwardly and do witness the Seed of God raised up in you and the head of the Serpent bruised in you by the Seed of the Woman this must you come to witness that your Souls may live Oh that you would consider be not so zealous against that which you may call Heresie and Schism for while you err in judgment you may soon speak evil of Truth and persecute it under the name of Error many have wofully faln into that Snare and brought sorrow upon themselves thereby The wise Iews even the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees they were as confident in their Way as you can be and yet they erred in judgment and would not receive Christ but persecuted him under the very name of a Deceiver and thus it is possible for many to do in this Age What though you have Christ's words and the Apostles words yet if you have not the Spirit of Christ that was in the Apostles you know nothing rightly of the Scriptures neither can you understand them nor have Salvation by them for you must know Christ in you your hope of glory else you are Reprobates and shut out of the Kingdom of God And search the Scriptures and see if they do not witness this Do not they say Christ is in you except you be Reprobates and do not they say The Law of God is written in the heart and the Spirit of God is put in the inward part And do not they say That Christ hath lightned every man that comes into the World with the true Light And do not they say that the Apostle exhorts people to hearken to the Word of God in their hearts and to be followers of the Spirit of God that was in their hearts And do not the Scriptures say That it was the Light that shined in the heart that gave the knowledge of God unto the Saints Search the Scriptures and see whether these things be so and must not men be born again of the Immortal Seed Oh consider and let not these Doctrines seem new unto you neither reject them though they come unto you in weak appearance not with words of mens wisdom but in Simplicity and in sincerity and in the Power of God And search the Scriptures whether these things be so were not they false Prophets That preached for hire and divined for money and sought for their gain from their Quarter were not such Deceivers in the true Prophets time and them that preached for filthy lucre and for money and for gifts and rewards were not such false Brethren and false Apostles search the Scriptures whether these things be so for the day of trial is now come wherein all must be searched and that Religion and Worship and Ministry which is not according to the Scriptures which was given forth by the Spirit of God let that Religion Worship Church and Ministry be utterly condemned of the Lord and all his People and let such Ministers as cannot prove their Call their Maintenances and Practices to be according to Scriptures let such Ministers be confounded and silenced for ever and come to try this matter when you will For whereas you cry out against us as if we were Deniers of Scriptures as if we were Enemies to Church and godly Ministry and Religion and as if we were Deceivers Hereticks Papists c. But I say unto you these things have you never yet justly proved against us but rather accused us behind our backs to make us odious among people and though for divers years together we have been publick yet when did ever any of you Ministers seek by lawfull means to convert us or shew us our Errors if we were as you say of us oh it had been your time to have sought our conversion and not to have Persecuted to have sent to Prisons Houses of Correction and by such Weapons of any outward force and cruelty have you dealt with us and not in meekness and by the Spirit of the Lord as Ministers of Christ ought to do but have cried to the Magistrates to defend you and your your Church and Worship being unable as it were by the Authority of God's Spirit to defend your selves Therefore I say unto you now lay down your Carnal Weapons and come out in the Spirit of Meekness and come out in the Authority of God's Spirit if you have it convince us thereby if we be in an evil way as you say let us hear your soundest Arguments by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures to prove those things which you say of us prove it by evident Arguments that we deny Scriptures and that we are Hereticks and that we are Papists I challenge you all in the Name of the Lord even all you Ministers of London let us hear your sound Reasons openly in the spirit of Meekness and do not back-bite nor slander in the dark and let us not be bawled against by your rude Members as often we have been even in the spirit of wickedness but come out you Ministers we are willing to be tried according to the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in our Religion and in every part of it and if you be the same then come forth in the spirit of Meekness like Ministers of Christ and lay down your Carnal Weapons and let us have fair dealing openly that Truth may be manifested publickly and Error may be discovered and let us not envy one anothers persons and seek to destroy one anothers lives but let us seek to destroy the evil in one another that men might be saved and this would be a Christian-like way we would hear what you have to charge against our Religion by sound Arguments in Meekness that we may answer it and then we will charge something upon your Ministry Church Religion and Worship and we will prove what we say against you according to the Scriptures and we will not impose our Religion upon you by the force of outward Powers
them The truth of these things being proved and rightly considered by the King 〈◊〉 all others no just occasion will be found for this our Adversaries Charge nor 〈◊〉 place can rightly be found in the heart of the King for the reception of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tion but may upon just tryal condemn both Accuser and Accusatiâ—â— I mean not destroy the man but reprove the Accuser and his lyes â—…er And now I shall proceed to the Accusation it self and shall lay open the folly 〈◊〉 â—â—norance of the matter of his Accusation as well as I have done the wickedâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the manner of it 〈◊〉 the true Protestant Religion hath been in danger to be rooted out by the Quakers 〈◊〉 This is the Charge it self â—â—sw If by true Protestant Religion the Accuser mean true Christan Reliâ—â—â—â— then I deny his Accusation utterly and do charge him to be a Slanderâ—… Lyer and False Accuser and must desire of the King that such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken notice of who hath abused and dishonoured him and that very 〈◊〉 in presenting him with Lyes and Falshoods for Welcomes which is inâ—… lesâ— then disgrace to both the Person and Office of a King What a 〈◊〉 â—â—tending so much to Love and Loyalty and so much rejoycing on his beâ—â—â—â—â—nd as if he were one of his choice Subjects and gave such reverence and 〈◊〉 to him and attempted so high as to be the Kings Informer and Instructer 〈◊〉 to be found a Presenter of Falshoods and Slanders against as good Subâ—… 〈◊〉 the Nation as himself O how abominable is this both to God and the 〈◊〉 and the whole Kingdom that these things should be much more that 〈◊〉 should pass unreproved for we are of the true Christian Religion as beâ—… 〈◊〉 have said even in the same way and of the same Spirit as were the holy 〈◊〉 and for that Religion we stand to do and suffer all things for that cause 〈◊〉 for the true Christian Religions sake But if this our Accuser by Protestant Religion mean the Sects of Lutheâ—…â—r â—r of the Sect of Calvinists so called or whomsoever else which I do 〈◊〉 heartily that I had the full intent of his mind of whom he means by the true Protestants for his words admit of divers acceptations and so a sound Answer can hardly be given while I do answer onely what I suppose to be his meaning by true Protestant Religion for there are divers sorts of Protestants Lutherans Calvinists and many others which are all Protestants and have protested against the Pope each one sort of them saying They are the true Christians and true Protestants yet are very much divided among themselves even to the killing and persecuting one of another so that which sort this man means and who of them are of the true Protestant Religion which we would root out c. this is doubtful I would I knew his meaning that I might give him a true Answer and sound for we may deny and oppose Protestant Religion or some part of it that is some Sects or divers sorts that have protested against the Church of Rome and yet be no Transgressors in the sight of God not many men for divers of the Protestants themselves are denying others of the Protestants and their Religion and it is my belief in this case that some have deserted the Pope and the Papists Religion upon bad grounds and have taken up a Religion as bad and no better then Popery not that I justifie Popâ—ry in all things but have a large Witness to give against it and men ought to protest against it yet I say some called Protestants in their Religion are as corrupt as any of the Church of Rome so on some account I may as lawfully deny Protestant Religion or some sort of them that do profess it as the Church of Rome for it is as corrupted some part of it and no more acceptable to God in the Profession and Practise of it This is spoken in general of it because his Accusation is general Now if I had his full intent whether he means Lutherans or Calvinists or what others if not them that are of the true Protestant Religion that we would root out then I should insist upon that particular sort and give my exception against them for I have many things to object at least and some things wholly to except against in the Protestant Religion or some sort of it not that I condemn or judge every individual man of the Protestant Religion for I believe there are many that are sincere and zealous towards GOD though with some Error in Judgement yet as to the Form of Worship and Constitution of Church and Ministry and Ordinances in the Protestant Religion it is much if not wholly differing and contrary to the Church Ministry Worship and Ordinances of the Apostles and true Christians in their dayes and more then this I now may not say a more full Answer I cannot give to this Charge except that I did know what sort of Protestant he intended which if I did I should utter my mind more large as to the Matter according as the Spirit of God gave me utterance And now that I have spoken of the manner and also of the matter of his Charge I shall hint partly of the end and purpose of his thus accusing as to the King His end intent and purpose of his thus charging us must needs be and it will appear to be out of Malice Wrath and Enmity for to incense and move the Heart of the King against us to destroy us as I have before mentioned And in answer to this some things most especially are considerable to the King and all his Friends 1. If he should upon the Report of this Man or any others let his Heart be moved into Rigour and Enmity against us and thereby seek intend or work Evil against us to destroy us he did but fill the Land with Violence Cruelty and Persecution and Innocent Blood and fill his Government with Oppression and Tyranny and provoke the God of Heaven against him to destroy him and overthrow his Kingdom and Power and Government and this would doubtless be the effect of receiving such a Mans Counsel and of his so proceeding if that he seek to pluck up what the Lord hath planted and if he dip hiâ— Hand in innocent suffering of God's People unjustly and if he reach forth his Hand to touch God's Anointed and hurt the Peaceable in his Land thâ—â— shall the Lord take him from his Authority and give his Dominion to another more worthy then he And this is for him to consider in the coolness of his 〈◊〉 2. â—f he did proceed to do any thing against us or be moved in his heart â—…unto barely upon the report of this or such other men without hearing Face to Face and lawful tryal in the matter and hearing our Answer and â—â—fence as well as our enemies Charge against us then all the Nations of
yet notwithstanding Hypocrisie False-heartedness Covetousness Double-mindedness and the spirit of Pride Ambition and Vain-glory have possessed the Hearts of both Teachers and People in all the false Sects and divers kinds of Religion though they have had a shew as if they were the Lord's People and a Pretence of Worship and Conformity of Church-Fellowship c. yet their Hearts have not been right before the Lord but of these it may be said Even they have professed God with their Mouthes and with their Lips honoured him and in the very time their Hearts have gone after Covetousness and been far departed from the Lord and though they have cryed The Temple of the Lord and we are the Church of Christ and Members of him and have Gospel and Ministry and Ordinances yet these People have walked in Pride and Arrogancy and Covetousness and their Hearts have been Corrupted in the sight of the Most High and all their Religion hath been but as the Fig-leaves by which they have sought to cover themselves but it cannot be For Behold ye Professors and People of Ireland God hath beheld your Hypocrisies and the Deceitfulness of your Hearts and your Nakedness doth appear for though you have professed much of the Spirit and Spiritual Things yet you have walked in the Flesh and brought forth the Fruits thereof and your Garments of feigned Prayers and Practices and your Profession of Church and Ordinances will not cover nor hide you from the Wrath of the Lamb. Oh People of Ireland many of you have been corrupted in your Hearts and polluted in your Minds and from the highest of you to the lowest you are found Transgressors against God even from the Professor to the Prophane the Lord hath found no good Fruit amongst you well-pleasing to him but four Grapes and bitter Fruit have you brought forth even Fruit of a bad Taste and loathsom Smell unto the Lord and now the Lord hath found you out in your Wickedness and the Cry of your Iniquities call for Vengeance for of you it may be said Ah Nation laden with Iniquity ab sinful People a seed of Evil doers corrupted from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot These things are so and they cannot be hid But now the Lord's Purpose is to deal with thee because of thy sins seeing he is provoked against this People by their Iniquities who have been disobedient to the Living God therefore will he renew his Judgments of old and with-draw his Mercies and he will plead with this People in his Justice his Judgments are at the door and he will punish the Stout-hearted and Proud and Arrogant till they learn Meekness and Humility He will correct the Transgressors with his Rod of heavy Wrath till they turn to him by Repentance and all that will not how and kiss the Son and cease from Evil and learn to do well they shall be broken and cut off and perish in his Anger and he will never heal them even the Feller will come upon thy People O Nation who will hew down thy Cedars and cut up thy strong Oaks the Fanner is coming upon thee to sift thee to preserve the good Grain and to separate the Chaff into the Fire thy Strength will be made weak and thy Crown will be trodden down and thy Beauty shall be marred and all thy Glory and Might shall fade like a Flower in that Day when the Lord of Hosts pleads with thee and when he rewards thee for thy Wickedness then Wo unto thee and unto all the Wicked and Workers of Iniquity and he will cause them to remember what they have done Thy Sins O Nation shall be set in order before thee and thy Persecution of the Lords Servants shall be charged to thy â—â—â—ount and the Rod of Affliction shall reach close unto thee because thereof And as thy Rulers have done to others so shall it be done to them into Captivity shall they go and the Spoiler shall come upon the Land for just is the Lord and his Iudgment altogether equal and though he be Long-suffering and of great Forbearance yet he forgets not to plead with his Enemies and to Plague the Ungodly nor to shew Mercy to them that trust in him And doubtless there is a Cup of Wrath prepared for the Wicked to drink and it seemeth to be near even a Day of great Wrath and Tribulation upon Sinners and Transgressors who have rejected the Lord and despised his Reproofs and would not receive the Message of the Light of the World that they might be healed Wherefore Repent Repent all sorts of People all Sinners and Transgressors Tremble before the Lord ye Stout-hearted and Rebellious Children Wo unto ye unjust Rulers and Judges that have exercised unjust Judgment in the Land that have judged for Gifts and Rewards and that have turned aside just Judgment Mercy and Truth and that have persecuted the Innocent without just Cause Wo unto you that have been Oppressors of the Poor and Needy ye that have not judged for the Lord as ye ought to have done but have been Ambitious and Vain-glorious and puffed up in the Flesh by high Titles and Places of Honour Ye that have exalted your selves above your Brethren and sought Honour of Men and loved the Honour of this World morâ— than the Honour of God Wo unto you for the Day of the Lord's Judgment is at hand and an Account of your Stewardship must you give Ye that should have judged in Mercy and Truth and Equity but have perverted just Judgment and made the Innocent Offenders and have not been a Praise to them that do well nor a Terror to Evil-doers as ye ought to have been Wo unto you and to the Oppressing and Flashearted Lawyers and that Train who have been greedy of Gain and served your own Ends and sought Riches to your selves and the Cause of the Poor hath not been freely pleaded by you Wo unto all ye that have made a Trade of doing Judgment and Justice and have been exercised in the Law for your own Ends and not singly for the Lord. Tremble ye Sons of Wickedness ye that have exercised the Power of Antichrist and the Beast for the Judgments of the Lord are at hand to be executed upon you Wo unto you Great and Rich Men ye Covetous and Earthly Worldlings â—e that have made your selves Rich by Oppression and Grinding the Faces of the Poor that have got Gain by Hard-dealing and added Land to Land and Field to Field and that have over-reached the Ignorant and oppressed the Widdows and Fatherless and that have exercised Cruelty and Hard-dealing to your Tenants and Servants and have laid heavy Yoaks upon such with whom you have dealt and that have made your selves Great and Rich in the Earth by such means Wo unto you Misery is coming upon you Weep and Howlye Earthly Greedy Covetous Wretches of this World who have sought Riches more than the Lord and gotten Gain by Oppression
are not changed in your Hearts but the old Nature is alive and the old Birth lives in you and ye are unlike unto God in Nature ye walk in the â—iesh and not in the Spirit and ye take Christ's words and the Apostles words and use your Tongues when God never spoke to you O ye Hypocrites ye have a Name to live but are dead and ye think ye are rich wâ—… as you are Poor Miserable Blind and Naked and your souls are leâ—â— and want the Bread of Life and ye have not put off the body of sin nor have you overcome your souls Enemiâ—â— but the burden of sin lies upon your â—onsciences and Temptations overcome you daily and though you say ye have Faith in Christ yet your Hearts are not purified but the old Man with his Deeds is yet alive and the new Creature is not brought forth in you nor is Christ living in you and speaking in you the Day of the Lord will come upon you you false-hearted men ye Apostate Christians that â—old the Profession of Truth and Church and Gospel and Ministry in your â—â—righteous Minds your Sacrifices are not acceptable to God nor your Offerings well-pleasing to him for your Hearts are not aright bâ—fore him and your Hypocrisie will God judge and his Wrath will go out like â—ire to consâ—me your glory and God will cloath himself with Zeal as with a Cloak and with a Garment of Vengeance and he will slay you with his Sword and wound your Consciences with the Words of his Mouth and your Religion will not sâ—ve you â—or your Garment cover you from the Wrath of the Almighty Wo unto you the mighty Day of the Lord is at hand upon you ye earthly Professors who would be Heirs of two Kingdoms who would enjoy God and this World too and love its Vanities and Profits and Pleasures and Honours and live in Strife and Contention one with another aboâ—t â—â—â—thly things and about your Religion too and are not of one Heart and Miâ—â— and Soul but are Strangers to the new Covenant of God though you hear Sermons and say a Form of Prayer and keep Sabbaths and Lecture-dayes and perform Ordinances and Duties and yet your Hearts are hard and the body of Sin and Death liâ—â— upon your Consciences and you are not changed into the Divine Nature this Reliâ—â—â—â— will not save you away with it all it s of Antichrist and his spirit leads you while you walk in the Form of godliness without the Power the Lord will come upon you suddenly therefore repent ye of your Hypocrisies and turn to the Spirit of God within you hear its Reproofs and obey it and walk in the Spirit and be ye changed or else you can never be saved Wo Wo unto all ye false Teachers and blind Leaders of the People ye Diviners and false Prophets the Day of the Lord is at hand upon you ye have deceived souls for dishonest Gain ye have run and never were sent of God and ye have not profited the People at all and ye have taken the Name upon you of Ministers of Christ when he never sent you forth and you have kept a prating and preaching up and down and run for Gifts and Reward and Hire ye have deceived the World and the Blood of Souls rests upon you O ye Generation of Serpents Poyson hath lodged under your Tongues your Hearâ—â—s have been rotten and your Tongues feigned and full of Flattery and you have been as Canker-worms in the Earth that have corrupted the whole World whom have not ye deceived by your Lyes and false Divinations Whom have not you cryed Peace unto if they would but give you Gifts Money and Hire What Form of Religion would not you take up for advantage to your selves how often have you turned from one Way to another Oh ye false-hearted men the God of Heaven will shew you no Mercy ye are the men that have made the Earth drunk with false Faith and false Doctrines and with Contention and Dissention sometime preaching up one Government sometime another and sometime being for one way of Worship and sometime for another Treachery hath lodged in your Hearts above all others ye have eaten up the sin of the People and cryed Peace unto the Ungodly Wo unto ye that have gone in Cain's way that have bred Contention Persecution Strife and Emulation amongst People and that have gone in Balaam's way for Gifts and Rewards and would do any great man a Pleasure and even curse the People for Money ye have been such as all the holy Prophets cryed against your Fruits and Works declare it ye have sought for your Gain from your Quarter and could never have enough such as Isaiah cryed against Chap. 56. and such as Micah cryed against Micah 3. That preached for Hire and divined for Money and leaned upon the Lord and cryed Peace to them that would give Money and prepared War against them that would not and these things have you done some of ye Teachers and Priests and ye have been blind Watch-men and ye have been idle and lazy Shepherds such as Ezekiel cryed against Chap. 34. that ruled over People with Force and Cruelty and killed them that were fed and did not heal the Diseased nor strengthen the Weak but pusht with the Horn at such as went astray from you and idle and lazy Shepherds have you been who have not fed the Flock with living Food but you have caused them to drink of the foul Waters and theiâ— Souls are lean and barren under your preaching Oh look into your Flocks and see what Fruit is brought forth by them and what may be gathered from them Oh the abundance of Pride and Wickedness of Ambition and Vain-glory and Covetousness and the love of this World Lying and Double-dealing and all the Fruits of the Flesh How do they abound amongst the Flocks of your Fold who are in their fruits and by their works not the Sheep of Christ's Pasture but are like Goats and Wolves under your teachings can ye behold this and consider of it and not be ashamed of the fruit of your Wayes What have ye brought forth these many years Or what profit have the People received from you who are yet in their sins unturned from them and not converted to God whereby it appears you have run and never were sent because the People are not profited at all and it grieves the Heart of the Righteous to look into your Vine-yards and to sâ—â— such bad fruit growing you have been sloathful Tillers and have not sown the good Seed in the Hearts of the People but the seed of corruption brings forth fruit in them and your Vine-yards are like barren and untilled Ground that is unplowed and undigged and unplanted with Trees of Righteousness Oh ye have been unprofitable Vineyard-Dressers and ye have laboured for your selves and not for the Lord as is manifest and ye have been idle and lazy and the God of
and bad experience of and so that you may speak what you have heard and seen and handled and tasted of the Word of Life All that will be saved must come to this and witness it IX Again Whosoever will be saved must believe in Jesus Christ and receive him and they must take up his daily cross and follow him and must know him to mortifie and crucifie them to the World and he must work the same things in you by his Spirit spiritually as he wrought without you in his Person or else you have no part in him nor salvation by him For it is not enough unto eternal life only to believe that there was such a one as a Christ and that he did and spoke such and such things at a distance without you for many may make a belief and a profession of this and yet perish but Him that was of whom you read without you must you receive and witness within you and you must know Him as he was before Abraham was and before the World was and He himself by his Spirit in you must give you the knowledge of Himself what He was before the beginning what he is now and what he shall for ever be X. Again Every one that will be saved must come up out of the Apostacy into which all Christendom hath been fallen and must come into the same Spirit Life and Power as the Apostles were in from which Life Spirit and Power all Christendom have been Apostates and they have held the words and practices of the Apostles without the same Life and Power and made Sects Churches and Ministers but out of the same Life and Spirit as the holy men of God were in and all that will be saved must be restored and received into the same Spirit and Life in their Churches Ministry and Ordinances as the Apostles of Christ Jesus were in and this is Restoration when People come again into the same Life and Spirit of God which the Apostate Christians have all wanted and been in the Form of Ministry Churches Religion and Godliness without the Power And unto this is the Lord God restoring People his Day is dawned and his everlasting Light is risen and his Name will be known in the Earth and none can be saved with the Salvation of God but who believe receive and understand these things A General Objection answered â—…ject 1. And whereas there is a great cry by some People of late That there must be no private Meetings but all People must come to Church as they say â—â—d that there must be no more Conventicles c. Answ. As for Conventicles I understand you mean Meetings out of publick Steeple-houses and that there must be no private Meetings for preaching and Praying but all People must be forced to come to publick Places of Worship Now I say If the Authority that is now set up and hath the Power doth exercise it self in this way then the God of Heaven will be provoked against it to overthrow it and confound it if it proceed contrary to the End of just Rule and Authority ordained of God which is for the punishment of them that do evil things between man and man but not to impose upon mens Consciences in things relating to the Worship and Service of God But the Lord God 〈◊〉 wholly Judge in such Matters and not any Man and if any Men 〈◊〉 erâ— in their Minds concerning Faith and Doctrine and the Worship of God that belongs to the Lord to punish and not to any Earthly Authority And what must not the People of God come together to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth Must not People conveen together in this Age as the People of God did in Ages past Did not Christ many times preach in the Dâ—sert and sometimes in a Ship by the Sea-side and sometiâ—es on a Mountain as you may read in the Scriptures And did not he often preach unto the Pharisies and sometimes to his Disciples out of the publick Synagogues And might not the Iews have called those Meetings Conventicles because they were not in their publick Synagogues And also did not the Apostles and Saints after the Resurrection of Christ when they returned from Ierusalem meet together privately for they went into an upper Room and waited upon the Lord anâ— continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication And again at aâ—…er time they were about an hundred and twenty in number that were in one Place to wait upon the Lord and Peter preached unto them and were these Meetings Conventicles because they were not in a publick Synagogue but in 〈◊〉 upper Chamber and in a private Place And thus the Saints of old met together as ye may read Act. 1. and worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth and preached and prayed and must not the People of God now meet together to pray and wait upon the Lord but they must be reproached with th◠〈◊〉 of Conventicles and threatned and punished for so doing Oh how blind iâ— this Generation and how contrary to the true Christian-Spirit in their Practices And did not Philip preach Jesus unto the Eunuch in a Chariot as 〈◊〉 â—ent on the way and this was not in a publick Synagogue as in Act. 8. 〈◊〉 â—id not Peter preach to Cornelius with many others in Cornelius his house 〈◊〉 â—is was a Meeting and not in a Synagogue Acts 10. And did not the â—…les and Saints meet together in an Upper Chamber where Paul preached until midnight amongst the Saints Act. 20. and was this a Conventicle and aâ— unlawful Meeting Might not the Iews have said this was an Unlawful Assembly being in a Chamber and not in a Publick Synagogue And again Did not Paul preach in his own Hired House for two whole years together and received all that came in unto him Act 28. And here were Privatâ— Meetings out of Publick Synagogues But did the Iews threaten them and inflict sufferings upon them because they met in private houses and would not come to their Synagogues and Publick Worship or did they reproach them with the name of Sectaries and Conventiolers when they met together to wait upon the Lord sometime in praying and sometime in preaching And thus you may see by many Examples that the Saints and true Christian Churches in the dayes of old met together sometime on Mountains and sometimes in Deserts and sometime in Upper Chambers their own hired houses and not in the publick Synagogues but they were gathered from the Temple and first Priesthood and from the Worship which God had once commanded which stood in outward things and Ordinances and when they had received the substance they denyed the shadows types and figures and did not uphold them any longer And they were gathered by the preaching of the Gospel into the second and new Covenant and they met together in private Houses and upper Chambers and by the Sea-side to preach and pray and to worship the Lord and we do
not read that the Iews persecuted them for so doing And will you that have the name of Christians persecute the People of God though they meet together in private houses and their own hired houses and cannot come to your Temples and Steeple-houses And will not you suffer such to meet together out of your Publick Places but you will persecute them and call them Hereticks and such like Is not this worse than ever the Iews did to the Apostles And so you are out of the Example of the true Christians who met together and preached and prayed often and not in a Synagogue or Publick Place but you cry against them that do so and threaten to persecute for it and thus you shew your selves out of the true Christian Example and in this you are worse than the Iews and more cruel if you should persecute People for meeting to wait upon the Lord in their own houses or in what place or time as the Lord should move their hearts but if you proceed in this way and will not permit the People of God to meet together in their own houâ—â— and not in your Idol-Temples then the Power of the Lord will confound you and God will break you to peices and you will feel his heavy Wrath upon your Consciences and God will smite you with his Judgements inwardly and outwardly Now for your restraining of people from one way of Worship and forcing them to another and compelling them about Religion by cruel Laws and Commandments of men this is of Antichrist for you to do and of the Devil for all forcing of People to this kind of Worship and from another 〈◊〉 posing upon their Consciences in matters of Gods Kingdom this is also of â—…tichrist and contrary to Christ and his Way for he won People by sound Doctrine and by Love and by a good Conversation and so did his Disciples for they never forced any by outward violence to their Worship nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church-Government and Ordinances but it was the practice of the Beast and the Dragon that first forced People and compelled them 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ship since the dayes of the Apostles Rev. 13. It was Antichrist that first 〈◊〉 upon People in the Ignorance of their Consciances and contrary to their â—…ences by the Commandments of men false Faith false Worship false Ministry false Doctrine and false Religions so that now if you should force any contrary to their Consciences to your Steeple-houses to 〈◊〉 and say your Form of Prayers we shall say then you are Antichrist 〈◊〉 of the Devil if so be you should endeavour to compel any either against 〈◊〉 Consciences or in the Ignorance of their Consciences to your way of Worship or Religion Therefore take heed how you meddle in these things lest God confound you And as for us we are the People of God we fear his Name and worship him and cannot bow to the Devil and we need not be forced to worship the Lord for his Spirit leads us into all Truth and we need none of your outward Prescriptions or Form of Prayers for the Spirit of God teacheth us in all these things when and where and how we should worship the Lord God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth which is free and not by outward force and all the Worship that is otherwise and not in the free Spirit of Christ is of great Babylon whom the Lord will confound and destroy Another general Objection answered Object 2. Again whereas it is said by some Now there must be no more private Preachers unlearned men and men not ordained must not now preach anymore Lay-Persons must not be Preachers that are not so qualified nor so and so ordained and this is the present talk among some People Answ. To this I also answer and say Wo to them that would stop or quench or limit the Spirit of God in Sons or Daughters for such are Denyers of the Scriptures and the Power of God and such bring guilt upon their own Consciences and work fearful Abomination against God And what must not the Spirit of the Lord speak now where it is in this Age as it did in the dayes of old as you may read in the Scriptures for was not Elisha a Plow-man and was not he called from the Plow 1 King 19. and became a Prophet of the Lord unto the House of Israel and had the spirit of Elijah poured upon him and would not you have said he was a Lay-man a Plow-man unordained not fitting to preach if you had lived in his dayes And was not Aâ—â—â— called from following the Flock who had been no Prophet nor no Prophets Son but an Herds-man Amos 7. 14 15. and it was lawful for him to preach the Word of the Lord though he was but an Herds-man and had been no Prophet nor Prophets Son which if he had lived in your dayes you would have called him a Lay-man an unfit Person unlearned and one not ordained for the Ministry and you like Amaziah the wicked Priest of Bethel would now quench the Spirit as he would have done in Amos who was a Trades-man and such a one as you call Lay-men who are not as you say fitting to preach And did not Christ Jesus himself chuse Fisher-men and sent them forth to preach the Gospel and such as were men of Trades and unlearned in Books as it is written Act. 4. 13. When the Ruâ—â—â—s saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were Unlearned they â—â—velled and these were Ministers of Christ and preached the everlasting Gospel whom you would have called Lay-men and men unfit to preach 〈◊〉 you lived in their dayes And Paul himself by Occupation was a Tent-â—…er it is said and he laboured with his Hands and yet was a Preacher of the Gospel and there are multitudes of Witnesses in the Scriptures of these things how that men of Trades and unlearned in Letters and Books and never were brought up at Schools and Colledges but followed the Plough and were keepers of Cattel and some followed Fishing such as these in old 〈◊〉 had the Spirit of God given them and they preached the Gospel And what if the Lord at this day give his Spirit to such as these and send them 〈◊〉 to preach the Gospel even to such as were brought up and educated 〈◊〉 â—ay be at Handy-craft Trades and are labouring men and are not 〈◊〉 at Schools and Colledges will you limit the Lord and quench his 〈◊〉 and reproach his Wayes and Servants and now call them Lay-perâ—… and say they are not fitting to preach for they are not Learned nor â—…ed say you and calling them Mechannicks and private Preachers and 〈◊〉 they must not now be admitted to preach the Gospel and in this you 〈◊〉 the Scriptures and the Example of the Saints in former Ages and so neither 〈◊〉 the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave them forth though you say 〈◊〉 own the Scriptures yet
Minds of Men and Unsettlement in their spirits and the Foundation of a happy Government is not yet discovered unto many nor do the People walk in the way of Peace but Iniquity is abounding Oppression and Cruelty yet lives Hard-heartedness and Envy Pride and Ambition are not yet cut down neither in all the Governours nor in the Governed and this is not the way of Peace and true Settlement but it is the way of Troubles and Distractions and the very Foundation of great Distractions and Wars rather than of Settlement and happy Government These things are so and therefore true Peace and settlement in good Agreement who can expect because the ground of Distractions and unsettlement is continued and increased rather than abated and removed amongst 〈◊〉 and the true Foundation of Peace and settlement in happy Government is not yet raised up amongst men but because Injustice and Oppressiâ—â— are continued therefore will God be provoked to bring Distractions Wars and Tribulations upon the Kingdoms of all the World and God will â—â—â—found and dash in pieces Powers Authorities Rulers Nations and Peoples and he will break one Potsherd against another and overthrow one Mountain against another and the Hands of cruel Men will God suffer to devour one another and ambitious and malicious Hearts shall be suffered to finish one anothers ends because of their own wickedness and therefore be not deceived Blessedness in the Kingdoms of this World can never be except Iniquity and Transgression be departed from except Oppession and Hard-heartedness dye and except the Foundation of War and Strife be removed and the Foundation of Peace and happy Government be raised up amongâ—â— Men. Again True Peace and settlement in good Government can never be except the Lord alone be owned as Judge and Law-giver and his righteous Laws to be executed in the Earth that Justice and true Judgement may flow down and all the contrary may be stopped and limtted by the just Laws of God and all unjust and unequal Laws made and established in the Ignorancâ— of Men which have not been justly according to the Law of God nor depended thereupon such Laws must also be made void judged and cast out and the Law of God must enter This must be accomplished if ever true settlement in a pappy Peace be amongst us the Laws must be changed the unjust and unequal cast out and just and equal Laws brought in for because hereof while unjust and unequal Laws have been executed in Judgement therefore have we wanted settlement and peace in a happy Government and the cortrary hath been and will continue till all unjust unequal and oppressive Laws be discontinued Again If ever true peace and settlement in a happy Government be amongst men Governours Rulers and Executioners of the Law must be just Persons and righteous Men Men that fear God and hate Covetousness and that depart from every evil way and all ambitious self-seeking and unjust Men must be cast out even all they that have sought themselves and not the Lord in their places of Trust such as have perverted Justice and true Judgement for their own corrupted Ends and such as have been cruel and hard-hearted Oppressors all such as these must be cast out and the Law must not be committed to such to execute neither must such sit in judgement over the People for because hereof and while such men have ruled and governed and executed the Laws no true settlement in a just Government but the contrary hath been even Destractions anâ— Tribulations and while such men do continue to rule and judge and execute the Laws in any part of the World we shall never have a happy Government nor settlement in it in this World nor till just men that have the Spirit of God and sound judgement that are humble and meek patient and merciful and such as fear the Lord and walk in his Wayes be called to rule and judge and execute the Laws and the Laws must be just and holy and the Executioners of them equal and upright men Till these things be accomplished a happy settlement in this Worlds Kingdoms can never be but God will dash one Mountain against another and throw one Hill upon another and he will give no Peace among the Kings of the Earth but stain the glory of all the Worlds Governments till Truth and Righteousness come to reign and till just Laws be executed by just Men and till Mâ—rcy and Justice Truth and Equity flow forth abundantly Therefore all Nations you have been deceived while you have turned up and down from one way and manner and kind of Government to another and from one sort of Governmten to others sometimes you have been for a Parliament sometime for a Protector and sometime for neither from each of these to others you have changed thinking to have peace and settlement in a happy Government but it could not be for there are continuâ—l Distractions untill this day in the minds of Mâ—n and they are yet unsettled in their spirits and there are Heart-burnings and â—nvyings and seeking of Revenge and while these things are nothing but Distractions and Tribulâ—tions not Peace but Troubles even till these things be removed And till â—e have just and equal Laws according to the Law of God established over 〈◊〉 and just and holy and Righteous Men to execute them in Judgement â—pon us and till we have Truth and Righteousness sit on the Throne until this be no true Settlement in a happy Government but Distractions and Contentions and woful Tribulations in the Kingdoms of the World and amongst men and this is certain and according unto the Will of the Loâ—d and in the justness of his Judgement these things come to pass for it is Injustice and Oppressions and want of Mercy and Truth which is the Foundation of Contentions and Distractions and it is Justice and Equity Truth and Righteousness that is the only Foundation of Peace and Settlement and a happy Government for a Perpetual continuance To all False Christians THere are many false wayes in the World and many false kinds of Religions and People are in much disagreement about their Church Worship and Ministry Papists are opposing the Protestants and the Protestants the â—â—pists and there is a great contention in the World But the Papists are in a wrong way and so are the Protestants too and their Religions are both false in many things for whilst they profess Christ and Christianity and make a shew of Righteousness in outward appearance yet many of them live in sinful wayes and bring forth the fruits of Iniquity against the living God and Pride Cheating and Double-dealing Covetousness and Envy Drunkenness and Whoredom and all Wickedness is abounding and brought forth both by the Apostate Christians though they cry up the Name of Christ and the Profession of Godliness yet are they wicked in the sight of God and they are not changed in heart and mind nor do they know the
suppose impossible things to manifest the truth of our Principle our Principle is not to be insolent tyrannical nor to be Usurpers over God's People to enslave but far the contrary even that Justice Mercy and Truth may sit in the Throne and that Peace and freedom may be held forth unto all that no Usurpers nor Tyrants but Iust Men and men that fear God and hate Covetousness and every evil Way that such alone may sit in Judgment whom God calleth to that Place who will rule in Righteousness and Justice and regard the Cause of the Poor and Needy we would that such onely ruled who were ruled by the Lord who would be a Blessing in the World and to all People not desiring more Liberty to our selves than what we would give unto all others in all just Ways This is our Principle as to matters of outward Authority among men and not as this false Accuser hath suggested out of his evil Heart 6. As to the matter of your suppressing us which your Applauder saith you have been instrumental to do This is as false as the rest for we are no more suppressed than before you exercised your present Authority but are every way in as much liberty of Persons and otherwise as in their dayes before yours and are no way suppressed nor fearful of it So the Author of such Lyes hath but flattered you and fawned upon you in telling you ye have suppressed us whenas its nothing so but and if it had been in your hearts or be at this day to suppress us and to hinder us of our Liberties and to persecute us the Lord shall plead our Cause against you and give no success unto your Work but it shall be turned to our Renown and to your Overthrow and the secret hand of God shall confound you and break your Purposes and deliver his People out of your Mouthes Thus it shall come to pass ifthat your Hand sshould be stretched forth to hurt us who are Gods Heritage and the Sheep of his Fold And thus much in answer to his Epistle Now I come to a second Accusâ—tion of his stated in his first page in these words We may see from whence Anabaptists Quakers Ranters and Levellers all had their Original namely from the Papists c. Answ. 1. As for the Anabaptists Ranters and Levellers I leave them to plead their own Cause and though we are accused with such yet there is much difference in Iudgment and Practice between us and them though I believe they are all further from Popery both in Iudgment and Practice than is this Accuser of them but yet they shall answer for themselves and I shall onely mind the matter I have in hand which is to clear the People of God called Quakers from the Accusations charged falsly against them whom I know to be innocent from these false Accusations 2. That we did arise from the Papists or that they are our Original in Dâ—ctrine Faith or Practice this is utterly false for between us and them is perfect separation and we are of another spirit and divided from them as appears every way even by their persecuting of us for our Testimony bearing against them and their Religion and they have written against us and we against them divers Controversies and they have imprisoned divers of our Friends in their Dominions for giving Testimony against their Wayes by all which it doth appear that we are not of the Papists line nor arisen from them for if we were of Them they would love Us and not persecute Us and that herein we are falsly accused as in other Things And this is an old out-dated Accusation and is of no Account for now we are otherwise known through these Kingdoms and we are manifest to the Consciences of men in the sight of God to be such as fear the Lord and walk in his ways 3. And as for our Original It is the Lord God alone that hath raised us up and planted us a People that were not a People in times past and not from the Apostate Christians neither of Papists nor Protestants so called are we sprung but are of the Apostles Line and of the Stock and Race of the true Christians that believe in Christ and follow him and in every part of our Religion both in Faith and Practice and in Conversation we are agreeing with the holy Apostles being witnessed unto by the Scriptures in all that we profess and Practice and the Lord hath raised us up out of the Apostacy into which all Christendom hath been fallen since the Apostles dayes whilest Antichrist hath reigned over the World and we are as the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb since the fâ—lling away from the true Faith and Truth and Righteousness is our Original and Christ Jesus it our Foundation on whom we are builded and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against us and this Testinony the Spirit of God giveth for us and in us in contradiction of the false Accusations of all our Enemies 4. And if it be an offence to be risen from the Papists and if all that be evil which they are the Original of then the Protestants so called are in the Offence and their Ministry and the chief part of their Church-Government Worship and Ordinances are evil for did not the Protestants spring from the Papists and did not the Papists institute the Way by which the Protestants Ministers at Schools and Colledges And was it not they that first Instiuted sprinkling of Infants and calling it Baptism into the Faith and into the Church And was it not the Papists that first taught the Protestants to keep holy dayes as Christmass and Candlemass so called and many other particular things relating to the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship were originally ordained and first practiced by the Church of Rome and Papists and so while this false Accuser is charging others himself and the men of his Way are found guilty of the same things and the Papists may justly say to the Protestants that they are false hearted to them in denying of them and their Church when as their Fathers were the Instituters of the principal parts of the Protestants Worship and Ordinances and so they like unnatural Children have denyed their Mother that bred them up and ordained them a way of making Ministers and maintaining them and many other parts of their Religion But because she hath not been the National Interest for these many years therefore the Church of the Protestants have denyed the Church of Rome though originally they rose out from them The next thing in his Book I take notice of is where he seemeth to charge us with boasting that we talk with God and God with us and have Revelations and as if God commanded them to kill all the Wicked and to make a new World a Sect in Saxony saith the Accuser arose that held this and the Quakers now are like them which is as much as
charging all this upon us Answ. 1 That we do boast of talking with God or of Revelation This is another of his false Accusations for we boast not nor do we glory in any thing saving in the Lord and this is no Error but that which we must acknowledge unto or else deny the Truth to talk with God and God with us in and by his own Spirit for all the Saints have converss with God and union and fellowship with him in his own Spirit as the Scriptures do declare and as for Revelations we do acknowledge according to Christ's Words that we had never known the Father nor the Son but by Revelation For none known the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him as it is written and all such as have not converss with God and that have not Revelation are not in the Way of Eternal life but are ignorant and without God in the World and neither know him nor have fellowship with him 2. As for killing all the Wicked this is another false Charge for it is not our Principle to war against the Persons of any Men and kill them with carnal Weapons about Church and Ministry and Religion as the Papists and Protestants do one against another but it is our Principle to war against the evil spirit in men and to smite that with the spiritual Sword of God's Word and we would have mens wickedness killed and their Persons saved and their Souls delivered and this is the War we make even till men be changed by the Power of God and all things made new even a new World and a new Earth we do expect according to the Lord's Promise so that it is no error to expect a new Earth and a new World for there is a new Creation which the Saints do witness created anew in Christ Jesus to bring forth good fruits unto the living God and all that do not witness this are in the transgression of the old Creation which brings the Wrath of God Again The Accuser tells a story of one that professed the Gift of discerning spirits and to know the Elect from Reprobates and that made holiness consist in speaking little and living homely and sordidly as our Quakers do saith he Answ. 1. As for discerning of Spirits that is a Gift which the Saints of God do receive in all Ages for the Apostles said to some was given the discerning of spirits by the manifestation of the Spirit of God So to profess discerning of spirits is no error in us though it be stated as a great error before you by an ignorant man who knows not what he saith nor whereof he affirms And its possible to know the Elect from Reprobates by their fruits and works for the Children of God who are the Elect are known by their holy and Righteous works and fruits and the Children of the Devil who are the Reprobates are known also by their works and fruits of unrighteousness which they bring forth and this the Scriptures bear witness of 2. As for speaking little and living homely and sordidly If he means by homely and sordidly plainly and without superfluity this is also works and fruits of holiness and its better to speak little than to utter multitude of vain words and its more justifiable to God and just Men to be plain and homely as he saith in Apparrel than superfluity of naughtiness in vain Attire and more holy for true holiness consists in the Power of God which crucifies all idle words and all superfluity in Apparrel and whatsoever is not like God And was but this Accuser as wise as he is envious he would never be seen to scorn the Quakers scornfully so called with speaking little and wearing plain and sober Apparrel but Fools love to be medling to manifest their own folly as it is written Again The Accuser telleth another Story of Muntzer how he did exhort some that were on his part viz. Anabaptists to kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice to the Lord and saith he by this we may gâ—ess if Anabaptists and Quakers should get the upper hand what they would do c. Answ. 1. As for the Quakers getting the upper hand we strive not for it by carnal Weapons to have victory over mens Persons though we know the Lord will give us victory and dominion over the Beast and over the false Prophets for the Lamb shall get the victory and they that are with him who are called and faithful and chosen but this victory is spiritual and obtained spiritually and thus we believe the Lord will give us the upper hand even victory over â—ll our Enemies 2. But what a wicked envious siâ—rmise and suggestion is here coutched under as if the Quakers if they had victory would kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice and that they would make War c. The Lord rebuke his slanderous Tongue who hatched Mischief in his mind against the Innocent and presented you with forged Lyes and Surmises and imagined guessed cruel and evil things against us who are far otherwise Principled than as he suggesseth but all this his own doings doth but manifest the folly of his own Heart and 〈◊〉 own wickedness for we are of the Spirit of Mercy and Peace and not of Murder and War not to kill mens Persons but to war with the Spirit of God against spiritual Enemies that mens Iniquities may be slain and their Persons and Souls saved Again The Accuser pag. 4. tells a long story of Micher Hopman and others with him what things they held As they condemned the Baptism of Children they would not take an Oath they pulled down Magistrates they undertook to kill all Princes they taught that in their Churches all were holy and that it was lawful to have many Wives that all Learning is prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Sâ—riptures and there must be no ordinary calling in the Church but every man must speak as he is inspired And thus it is saith the Accuser with the Quakers and Popish Agents who are their Ring-leaders have been endeavouring in these three Nations these eight or nine years by-past c. Answ. 1. It is to be considered that all these things are fully charged upon us as being guilty thereof and so to every particular I shall answer As to that of the Baptism of Children we do say there is neither Command nor Example for it in all the Scripture God never commanded it nor did the Apostle ever practise it in their dayes but it is a Tradition of the Church of Rome introduced into the World long since the Apostles dayes and except better ground can be shewed for the Practice of it than bare Tradition it is lawful to deny it as being no Ordinance of God in his true Church except I say that it can be proved that God ever commanded it or the Apostles and Saints practised it till which be done it is no error to deny the
God hath reposed in him in promoting him to be King over these People for God hath not committed Power to him to judge in the Cases of mens Consciences and to persecute any because of the Exercise thereof whether they be of this Profession and Practicé in Religion or the other yet living peaceably and uprightly as men he ought not to persecute us nor to suffer them to be persecuted by nor under his Authority but he ought to defend and preserve all mens Persons and Estates in their Just Rights from the Violence each of others without respect to what their Profession and Practice of Religion is but if the contrary be brought forth it is contrary and not answerable to the End of God's Restauring him to these Kingdoms and if he doth not what God hath justly called him unto but otherwise this is his Enemy and such is Persecution for Conscience sake it is contrary to the End of Just Government and wherefore God hath restored him and therefore this Persecution is an utter Enemy both to the King's Person and Authority 4. It is his Enemy Because it provokes the God of Heaven and Earth over all to be offended with him for he is provoked and vexed because of the Persecution of his People in this Age as ever he was in all Ages and if the King be guilty thereof it incurreth God's great Displeasure against him For God was ever offended with Kings Rulers and whomsoever that were Persecutors and he is the same at this day and whatsoever it is that provokes God to Anger against the King that is his Enemy And such is Persecution of People for the Profession and Practice of their Religion whenas no Evil can be charged upon them in things between man and man and therefore let the KING beware of this Woful ENEMY that waits to wound him for if the God of Heaven be provoked against him how great is that Enemy which brings it to pass 5. It is the King's Enemy Because it not only provokes the Lord to Anger but to Judgment Persecution is the Cause wherefore God bringeth grievous Iudgments and Vengeance upon whomsoever are guilty thereof and the Effect of Persecution is Plagues and Misery and it incenseth God to Anger and also to Destroy and therefore let the King beware of such a deadly Enemy as should Cause God to destroy him And such an Enemy is Persecution of God's People for Conscience sake it draweth down the Wrath of God upon Kings and Kingdoms upon Rich and Poor upon High and Low that are guilty of it for it is the fulfilling of all other Sins and it hasteneth to bring Destruction upon all that are guilty and this Effect it will work upon the King even this his Enemy Persecution if he turn not from it and overcome it and Banish it from him for it is the Cause of both Inward and Outward Internal and External Plagues and Iudgments of God 6. Persecution it is an Enemy to the King Because it will work to weaken the Hands of Iust and Sober and Righteous Men it will weaken their Love and Affections and it makes their Hearts sad And Wo is unto them that make sad their Hearts whom God doth not make sad and this doth Persecution And it doth not only weaken the Hearts and Hands of the Righteous and Sober Persons but it strengthens the Hands of the Rude Ungodly and Prophane through the Land and that which strengthens the Wicked and the Rude Multitude in Wantonness Scorning and Prophanness that is the King's Enemy but such is Persecution for a good Conscience sake And because it weakens the Righteous in their Good and Upright Wayes and strengthens the Wicked in their Evil Wayes therefore it is an Enemy unto the King 7. Persecution is an Enemy unto him Because it tends to render him dishonourable both in the sight of God and all good men through the World for it will shew that he is cruel and bitter and perverse and that he wanteth Humility Meekness Forbearance and Patience if he be guilty and this is dishonourable to have and profess Evil Qualities and Properties and to be without the Good and by persecution this will be made manifest to all the World and ever was in all Ages that the Persecutors of good Conscience gained unto themselves Dishonour and Reproach of all good men in all Ages after them for they were men full of Rage and Malice and Passionateness and wanted Patience and Humility and this made them Dishonourable And the Case will be the same with the King if he be a Persecutor for Conscience sake and he will be Dishonourable both in this present Time and in Ages to come and this by Persecution and therefore it is his Enemy that will work many Mischiefs and Evils upon him if he be not wholy delivered from it 8. Persecution is an Enemy to the King's Person and Authority because Persecution for Conscience sake is of the Devil it is of his spirit and not of the Spirit of God to Persecute Imprison Kill and Destroy mens Persons and Estates because of their Religions sake whenas no unjust Dealing nor Unrighteous Conversation can be justly laid to their charge but only for and because of such Profession and Practice in Religion to persecute any because hereof this is of the Devil and that which is of the Devil is the King's Enemy and an Enemy to all Mankind and such is Persecution and therefore it is a deadly mortal Enemy which wounds Kings Princes and Rulers that ever have had friendship with it and therefore let the King avoid this great Enemy lest its Effects prove miserable 9. It is the King's Enemy Because it is according to the Example of all the wicked King's and Rulers that ever have been through Ages and Generations as of Pharaoh Ahab Herod Nero and many more who were Persecutors of People for Conscience sake who gained unto themselves thereby Reproach Infamy and Misery from God and men and to follow their Example is the King's Enemy and such is Persecution If he should persecute for Conscience sake and about Religion and the Worship of God then he follows the Example of wicked Kings and this will be his Enemy and will work woful effects if so be he walk in the steps of the Persecutors of old love that which is his Enemy 10. Persecution is the King's Enemy Because the End and Effects thereof is Misery and Destruction upon all that persecute the Heritage of God What was Pharaoh's end and Herod's end and Nero's end was not their end woful and miserable to God and shameful to men And Persecution for Conscience sake will bring the same Effects at this day The End of all Persecutors will be Misery and Shame even in the day of the Lord when he comes with Iudgment and Vengeance and to reward every man according to his deeds then will He reward Persecution and Persecutors with his fierce Wrath and they shall
the rest but the Presbyterians and Episcopals and all of that way and these Professions stand in Reputation and are accounted Phanaticks and Hereticks even William Pryn himself and this is manifest by the Author of Semper Iidem who hath reviled and reproached all the People of England publickly and openly For seeing the Antient Martyrs the Fathers so accounted of the Church of England are villified as Phanaticks Then must needs follow that the Church of England even in the way of Episcopacy as being in their own account the Successors of the Martyrs in some things at least are also Phanaticks and such as Semper Iidem saith the Old Phanaticks were for the men being reputed Phanaticks who were as the Fathers then needs must the Children be the same and this deserves serious Consideration by the Protestants of England 3. Consider how the very Cause it self of Protestants in this their long Contest for these many years with and against the Church of Rome is now weakened and even as it seems in a way of losse and decay being now reproached and held under publick scorn in England by Semper Iidem I say the very Cause of the Protestants is new struck at and beat against and sought to be destroyed being already defamed and reviled as appears by the discourse of the nameless Author who hath rendred the Antient Martyrs that promoted as much as they could the Protestants Cause against the Church of Rome and dyed for it many of them sealing the Cause with their Blood as Hereticks Erroneous Rebels and Phanaticks and hath also rendred Fox and his Acts and Monuments who hath hitherto in England been counted a true Reporter and Historian of the PROTESTANTS Sufferings as invalid as possible even that he is a Lyar and his Chronology Untruths and hath justified Queen Mary and the Papists who put the Martyrs to Death And these things considered duly and justly how is the Protestants Cause it self struck at and weakened and as it were the very Victory given to the Papists against the Protestants in this long Quarrel between them ever since Henry the Eighth's dayes and long before 4. Consider How the Papists Cause seems to be reviving in England and how bold the Members of the Church of ROME are of late dayes growing as to appear so publickly in Print justifying their own Cause as good as Queen Mary and the Papists in her dayes in Martyring and Burning the Protestants and condemning the Martyrs of the Protestants as Hereticks and Phanaticks This I say is great Boldness in the Papists more than hath been for this Hundred of Years and a Sign of a Reviving and Recovering of their Cause more than hath been for many Years who durst not any of them appear so publick as the Author of Semper Iidem hath done with that Boldness and Courage to justifie the Papists Cause and condemn the Protestants For if such a Discouse as Semper Iidem had been brought forth and published in the dayes of Queen ELIZABETH which were Darker Dayes then these are it is possible it would not have been suffered to be cryed up and down LONDON but Restrained and Condemned for the Fire But now the Papists have taken Confidence to themselves and are of better Hopes than formerly even that they shall have Fire and Faggot again and to Burn and Destroy such as differ and dissent from them whom they may call Hereticks and Phanaticks And this I observe from the spirit of Semper Iidem 3. Consider The Nature and Constitution and Disposition of the spirit of the Church of ROME how that it is not Changed but the self-same that ever it was viz. A spirit of Murder and Cruelty that hath Killed and Martyred such as have Differed from them and been Contrary-Minded in Religious Matters and it would work and bring to pass the same still if it had its Power without Limitation in ENGLAND The Papists I say would Burn Kill and Torture such as they judge Hereticks and all that cannot Bow and Bend and Conform to their Wayes and Injunctions and Religion this they would be at again in England if it were in their Power as it was heretofore I say This ought to be considered even the Cruelty of that spirit and what Danger there is in it to give way to the Exaltation of that spirit and to embrace it in the least whereby to give it occasion to get into the Power and Judgment-Seat for if it doth then Fire and Faggot and Killing and Burning about Religion will openly appear again and this seems to be manifest by the Constitution of the spirit of Semper Iidem which may give Good and Wholsome Cautions that the spirit of the Papists is still a Cruel Spirit and would Destroy all that Differ from their Way if they had Power and that that spirit is not to be Hugged and Embraced nor set highest lest the Effect of it proves Woful to England by bringing forth again what it once did in Renewing Fire and Faggot for this is the Disposition of the spirit of the Romish Church as is apparent by Semper Iidem 6. Consider how Careful and Vigilant the People of England ought to be to wait and attend the Motions of the Spirit of the Church of Rome lest it insinuate it self into Authority and get its intended Advantage and Purpose against the Protestants and their Cause and advance it self against them and promote its own Interest and Destroy and overturn theirs For without all Controversie that same spirit is now at work to agitate its Desires and according to its old course its Hatching and Contriving how to promote it self and destroy all that 's contrary it is Undermining and secretly Surmizing its Opponents Overthrow that it self may be exalted For that spirit is diligent in its way to take the least Occasion for its Self-advantage as is manifest by Semper Iidem and therefore the People of England ought also to be Careful and Diligent in their Cause to Preserve themselves and their Interest from the defeat of the Church of ROME and they ought to watch against that spirit to keep it in subjection under Authority and Command and not to exalt it into Command over them lest they be subjected to the Idolatries and Oppressions and Persecutions of that spirit to their own Destruction both of Persons Estates and Religion for that spirit will attempt alwayes to Rule and if it Rule then will follow consequently An Utter Overthrow of the Protestants PERSONS and CAUSE that will be the Effect of the Authority of it though it bear hand in hand in seeming Love and good Agreement with the Protestants till it hath gained its desired end over them which is To promote it self and subdue by Burning and Cruel Tortures all that which is contrary to it Let the People of ENGLAND consider this Matter now while it is time and be Watchful over the Motions of that spirit and not put Confidence in it too far nor to
who are not and therefore may easily proceed in that way to punish such as Hereticks that are not truly so and except ye could affirm and Prove your possession of the infallible spirit ye can no way proceed justly reasonably to deny Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion nor punish and persecute any in that case but if ye do ye do it in ignorance and know not what ye do and may as soon destroy true Christians and Saints as Hereticks for want of infallible judgment to discern who are and who are not and this is a danger ye ought to avoid by allowing the free exercise of Conscience as the Lord perswades every mans heart 15. And lastly also consider what a reproach you are under If such whom ye call Heretick and yet doth not infallibly know that they are such be punished and persecuted and destroyed for their Religion sake who are just and upright men in their Conversing between man and man and unreprovable in their dealings among men whether they err in judgment in spiritual knowledge or not err and such as are Drunkards prophaâ—e persons go at liberty in their stage-playing and gaming and the like even tolerated and unpunished and not prohibited whom all do know and can distinguish who such are when they appear this will render your Government to evil reputation both in this present time and in ages to come and therefore consider it if Drunkards Gamesters and prophane persons have more toleration and liberty in their wayes of open vanity then sober temperate persons in the exercise of their Consciences in Religion which if any such do err in principle which is not infallibly known to you it is only to their own hurt in the sight of God and he onely and not you ought to punish them in that case but prophane persons as a fore-mentioned are easily judged by all to be such and their error inpractise is hurtful to the whole Kingdoms and pertains to you to punish as Dr. Taylor now a Bishop in Ireland hath said his words in this â—ase are worth observing why are we so zealous saith he against those we call Hereticks and yet great friends with Dâ—unkards and Swearers and Fornicators and intemperate and idle persons I am certain a Drunkard is as contrâ—oy to God and lives as contrary to the Laws of Christianity as a Heretick and I am also sure that I Know what Drunkennesse is but I am not sure that such an opinion is heresie c. And these things I do in all meeknesse and due respect both to your places and persons present to your serious considerations that ye may prevent these evil effects that are so destructive unto you and these Kingdoms which absolutely must follow upon not allowing free Liberty of Conscience in the Exercise of Religion if any shall object That to tolerate and allow Liberty of Conscience in Religion is inconsistent with the safety and peace of the King and these Kingdoms I shall be desirous to hear from wise men what such objections are stated by them and wherein they say it is not Congruous with the Happiness and Peace of these Nations to grant and allow the Premises And on such Occasion I should make clearly to appeaâ— the contrary and that it is only consistant with the Peace and Prosperity of these Kingdoms considering them in their present Estate To grant and allow Free Liberty of Conscience as aforesaid in the Exercise of Religion unto all Christian People O! Remember ye Mighty Men of the Kingdom That the Great and Mighty GOD takes notice of all your Doings and accordingly will he reward you in his Dreadful Day which is near to come upon all the World and Wo unto the Wicked in that Day O! Remember that ye your selves not long since were a Suffering People and now you are raised up again and therefore be not too zealous to afflict others especially for the Cases of their Consciences in reference to their Faith and Perswasions about Religion but be Gentle Meek and Long-suffering towards all for that is the way to make Peace and preserve it with all men that will gain the Affections of the Contrary-minded but Force and Rigour will exasperate the more and never truly reconcile differences among men And make no Laws contrary or different to the pure Law of God but let pure Consciences go free without Force or Restraint in the Exercises of Religion and let God have his Prerogative and Lordship in the Exercise of Conscience but let your Authority be extended over the outward man in the matters between man and man to preserve Peace and Right in all outward relation And be Wise and Learned ye Rulers of the Earth and kiss the Son lest he be Angry and ye perish and if his Wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him This is your Time and Day happy are ye if it be given to you to do the Work that God requires of you only The 26th of the third Moneth 1661. By a Lover of Truth and Just Government E. B. A DISCOVERY OF Divine Mysteries VVherein is Unfolded Secret THINGS of the KINGDOM of GOD Being a TESTIMONY 1. Concerning Life and Death with their several Fruits and â—…cts Distinguished 2. Concerning the Mystery of God and Godliness and concerning the Mystery of the Devil and Iniquity 3. Concerning True Liberty of Conscience what it is in it self and how obtained And what the True Guide and Rule is of the Exercise of Conscience 4. Concerning the Diversity of Judgments in Religion the Cause and Effect thereof and the Means to bring to Unity All which are Published for the Edification of such as desire to know the TRUTH The PREFACE THE Light of the Day of GOD Almighty is arisen upon us in our Day and the Shinings-forth thereof is with great Clearness and Force even as the Sun at Noon-day and many are come to the Glorious Appearance thereof and to walk in its Light with much Ioyfulness for as the Wise-Man said The Light is Sweet and a Pleasant Thing it is for the Eye to behold the Son And so fully is our Morning-Son now appeared that the Upright in Heart may Walk and not stumble and the Poor in Spirit may Run in the Path of Life and not fall For indeed we may say The NIGHT is spent and the DAY is come therefore let us Walk in the Day and put on the Armour of Light as many as are made the Children thereof And where the Light of this Son is arisen and in whose Hearts it shineth it cannot but give some Testimony through such an one of its own Glory Vertues and Excellency to them that sit yet in Darkness and in the 〈◊〉 of Corruption that they also may 〈◊〉 the same Light and Glory arise on their Tabernacles For 't is the Property of this Spiritual Heavenly Light to shine forth out of Darkness and to give Light to such as have
Hereby and in this Way is true Conversion wrought in the heart to the turning men from all Error unto the Truth and from all false Worships and Heresies and Evil Wayâ—s unto the true Christian-Worship and Conformity to holy Church and Religion This I say was the Way among the primitive Christians â—…d Apostles of old and is the same among the true Christians in this Age and they that would conform others and are conformed themselves otherwise in this Case of Religion and Worship to God-wards are not in the Example of Christ and his Saints but out of the Life and contrary to the first Christians and President of the Holy Scriptures as hereafter is manifested The Way and Practice of Imposing Religion and Conformity in Worship and Church-Government by Force as aforesaid is so far from being according to the Practice and Example of the Apostles and the primitive Churches of Christians that they are even contrary to the Commands and Exhortations of CHRIST and his Apostles and Example of the Scriptures 1. As in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Mat. 13. when it was desired of the Servants that they might go and gather out the Tares that the Enemy had sown from among the Wheat it was commanded to the contrary by the Husbandman even that they should suffer the Tares to grow among the Wheat till the Harvest and not pluck them up lest they hurt the Wheat thereby Now though there be an invisible Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven secretly signified in this Parable more then may here be said yet 't is also clearly signified That Christ would have no Imposition nor Violence used upon thâ— Tares nor that they should pluck them up by Force but that the good Corn and the bad 〈◊〉 grow together in one Field till the Harvest And thus much this Parable bears the Proof of Suppose there be Heresies and Hereticks and Prophane Persons that are not in the Truth but in Errors who are bad Corn even as the Tares to the Wheat in that Kingdom City or Family where there is also converted Saints and holy Persons and true Members of Christ who are as the Wheat to the Tares yet such Hereticks and Prophane Persons that are in Error ought not to be plucked up violently to wit Imprisoned Bannished and put to Death Burned and Destroyed from amongst the Righteous though they grow amongst them even in the sâ—… Field The converted Saints ought not I say to destroy by â—â—nnishment or Death the Hereticks and Unconverted and Unconformable Persons from amongst them but they are to let them live even grow amongst them in the same Field in the same Kingdom City or Family till Harvest And thus much the Parable may truly signifie Even a Liberty to live for the Tares the bad Corn the evil Persons among the Wheat the Righteous Persâ—… without being imposed upon by Cruel Force and Outward Violence to compel into Conformity 2. As in the Case among the Saints and true Believers where some believed 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 others did 〈◊〉 Hâ—…s and some esteemed one day above 〈◊〉 â—nd otheâ—â— esteemed every day alike Rom 14. Here was some difference in Judgment and Practices amongst the Believers about Mâ—â—ts and Dâ—â—es abouâ—â— which thiâ—… there hath been much Imposition and Force used in the World since the Apostle dayes Well But what doth the Apostle Paul 〈◊〉 and advise in this Case Doth 〈◊〉 threaten Violence towards any of them or signifie any forcible Commands or Impositions to be used to bring them into Conformity and Unity in the things and Matters about which they were divided No no but this is his advice to the Church of Christ of which he was a true and able Minister Iudge not one another about such things nor do not impose any Practice upon thy Brother for to Christ Iesus â—…is Master every Believer stands or falls And saith the Apostle Lâ—â— every Man be fully perswaded in his own Mind vers 5. And hereby it is manifestly proved That in the Churches of Primitive Christians the Saints and true Christians were not imposed upon by Commandments of Mâ—n or outward Laws in the matters of their Religion and Practice of Conscience there was no signification of force to be used for Conformity but whâ—â—y contrary even every Believeâ— had the Liberty of the Spirit of Christ and as he was by that perswaded in his own mind to do or leave undone in such cases and every one was to mind the Teachings of the Spirit of Christ in himself for to that he was to stand or fall and not to impose upon another no not so much as to judge his Brother in any case of difference in Judgment or Practice but they were to leave one another to the Perswasions of the Spirit of Christ in their own minds 3. As in the Case where the Apostle exhorted the Saints to be Like-minded â—â—il 3. But saith he If any 〈◊〉 Otherwise-minded God shall reveal even this unto you By which Saying it is mâ—nifest That the Unity and Conformity of Saints in Mind and Practice was not by Imposition or any outward Force threatned or exercised upon their Persons or Estates but contrary-wise if there was any Difference in Mind and Practice amongst any of them that was to be amended and Unity made up when God revealed the same Truth in all as he had done in some if any were not so minded in any thing as others were they were not to be imposed upon but let God reveal the same and bring into Conformity this was the Apostle's Counsel And vers 16. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule that is to â—â—y so far as the Rule of the Spirit of Christ is made manifest or in whâ—â— measure the perfection thereof is attained unto let every one walk in the same measure and by the same Rule and if any have not the self-same measure of the Spirit and know the self-same things let such alone without imposing upon them leave them to walk in the measure of Light and knowledge that they have received though it be not the self-same measure that others have received and if they want any Knowledge or be in any thing otherwise-minded God shall reveal the same unto them even the same thing as they grow in the same measure of Grace and Knowledge And here is the perfect Way of Unity and Conformity as the Primitive Christians were exercised in the true Faith and Worship and true Christian Religion in their dayes And so to impose by Force upon Paint and Forfeitures in Religious Matters is clearly contrary to all these Scriptures and to many more in the New Testament 4. In that Case 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. where the Apostle exhorts the Elders To take â—â—e Overâ—â—ght of God's Flock not by Constraint or Force but Willingly not for 〈◊〉 by Lucâ—â— but of a ready Mind neither 〈◊〉 being Lords â—ver God's Heritage which câ—…ly signifies against
That there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew Signs and Wonders if it were possible to deceive the very Elect Mat. 24. 24 which doth signifie that the Antichrists and false Prophets should come into the World after his Prophecy which are already come since that time They should pretend to be Christs and should shew Signs and should deceive many with the Profession of Christ and Signs of Godliness and they should have upon them and be covered with Sheep's-Clothing that is with the Saints words and practices in outward appearance but inwardly that is in their own proper Nature Fruits and Works should be ravening Wolves that is Destroyers of the Flock Mat. 7. 15. and the Antichrists which Iohn speaks 1 Iohn 2. 19. they were such as went from the Saints that were in the Power of Godliness they went out of the true Church and carried with them the Form of Righteousness and Truth and the Profession of Christianity but without the Power and had lost it and were departed from the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Antichrist had possessed them and now led them and ruled them and they were Antichrists to wit against him and contrary to him And these were the false Prophets and Deceivers that went out into the World and deceived it and led many aside into Error and many followed their pernitious and hurtful wayes as Peter saith 2 Pet. 2. 2 3. And Paul speaks of such as had the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power and in Words professed God but in Works denyed him Such were the Antichrists and Deceivers in the Apostles dayes and such they are this day in the World whereby it is manifest that Antichrist often appears in the World as a Saint as a Righteous one and the many Antichrists they have gotten the Form and Appearance of Church Ministry Worship and Ordinances and thus they appear deceiving the World and them that dwell therein with the Appearance and Vain-shew of Faith Worship and Religion without the Power of Godliness for unto that Antichrist is an Enemy even a Destroyer a Persecutor and Gainsayer of Christ and his Works and the Power of Godliness and true Faith brought forth by the Spirit of Christ though to deceive the World he can transform himself into and appear as an Angel of Light 6. Again So Deceivable and Mysterious is and hath the Appearance and Working of Antichrist been in the World that he hath not alwayes dwelt in one kind of Form and Profession of Religion and Righteousness but he hath dwelt in many Appearances and removed out of one false Form into another according to his Oportunity and Advantage whereby he could deceive and sometimes dwelling in one Form with pretence of Zeal and performance of Duty to God he hath envyed Persecuted and destroyed many others in other Wayes of Profession more Zealous Upright and Sincere to God than themselves have been in the other Form and by the colour of Zeal and Performance of Duty hath Antichrist clothed himself in his Envies Persecutions and Murders of others as if he did not persecute nor impose upon the Conscience of any nor exercise that Rigour or Justice as he hath named his Proceedings though never so Cruel and Unjust towards any upon any terms or account of Wrath Bitterness Envy or Cruelty but Zeal Duty and Love to Religion and to entinguish Heresie c. This hath been the Pretence and Cloak of Antichrist in his cruel and hard Dealing with many men that have differed in Principle and Practice of Religion he hath often shewed himself in his present Form of Godliness so zealous and dutiful for the truth of his Way though never so Idolatrous against all that have opposed it and gainsayed his Form and Vain Shew that he hath killed slain and exercised Cruelty towards all that have been contrary or different-minded and though this hath been brought forth by Antichrist as he is the Devil in himself and in down-right Envy Malice Persecution and Wickedness yet it hath been acted and effected under the Cloak of Zeal Duty and Sincerity and out of Pretence of Love to Christ and his Church and out of Pretence of Hatred against the contrary Thus hath Antichrist though the Devil that Wicked One as he is in himself in his own Nature Kind and proper Sphear appeared in the World as a Zealous Church-Member as a Saint as a Promoter of Righteousness and a Destroyer of the contrary With these false Covers hath Antichrist been cloathed and hidden from men and appeared to be in his Works and Transactions as a Good Man as a Lover of God and Hater of Iniquity while in the mean time he hath been deceiving Men and destroying the Innocent and leading the World to perpetual Misery and Destruction 7. Again So Deceivable hath the spirit of Antichrist been in the World that he hath alwayes put the Name of Christ and the Name of his Church and the Pretence of Duty to God and the Name of Gospel Doctrine Ordinances Ministry and Worship upon whatsoever False Way Feigned Worship and Deceitful Profession that he hath gone about to set up and promote in the World among men I say Upon the Worst and most Idolatrous Wayes of Superstition and the most false Feigned Formal Worship that ever hath been in the World Antichrist hath put the Name of Christ his Church and Worship upon them and Imposed and forced the Belief and Practice of much false Worship false Doctrine and formal Wayes under the Name and Title of the true Christ his Doctrine and Worship and upon Pains and Penalties hath enjoyned and commanded the Belief and Practice of such things not as if they were of Antichrist Superstitious Evil False or Feigned but as if they were of Christ altogether and must be believed and practiced as by his Name and under his Authority Thus hath been the working of the Mystery of Iniquity of that Man of Sin the Antichrist all the Evil Wayes he hath conceived and brought forth in the World all the Idolatrous Worship and false Faith and Doctrine and all the Cruelties Murders and Unjust Dealing to the very destroying of the Saints and all the Unrighteousness and Deceivableness exercised by Antichrist in the World hath put all this on the Name of Christ and pretended Christ for it as if it were indeed and in Truth of him and from him when indeed and in Truth it hath been contrary to the true Christ and tended to kill and destroy him Thus hath Antichrist the Devil been cloaked with false Covers and deceitful Pretences in his working among men that wicked spirit hath falsly called the greatest of Pride and Ambition Decency and true Honour Covetousness and Deceitful Dealing hath he stiled Good Husbandry and Prudent-Walking and the most Cruel and Unjust Iudgment the Oppression of the Poor and the Grinding of the Face of the Innocent hath that spirit falsly titled Equal Proceedings Iustice and according to Law
the World at this day and through all Christian Nations there is a great Cry concerning False Prophets and Deceivers each one Sort and Sect of People accusing and charging the Teachers and Ministers that are of others and not of their Way to be Deceivers and false Prophets Thus the Papists cry against the Protestant Ministers and the Protestant Ministers do the like by the Papists each one sort of people cryes the like against the Ministers of the others And without all controversie there are in the Christian-World so called and in these Kingdoms many false Prophets and Deceivers even at this day and hath been for many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles And the World and Nations and Multitudes have been deceived into the way of Error through the means of the Deceivers who have done much Hurt in the World by their Divinations and Antichristian-wayes that they have walked in But though it is acknowledged by all sorts of Christians That there are and have been many Deceivers and false Prophets yet the great Controversie is at this day Who are the Deceivers and false Prophets seeing as I have said that every sort of Men are accusing others to be such But now it remains to be sought out and that carefully by all who are the Deceivers and false Prophets whether Papists Ministers or Protestant Ministers or whether any others and who such are in this day Now therefore for this very End that it may be made manifest unto all who the Deceivers are and that they may be turned from and their Wayes eschewed by all People thus I try them and bring them to right and true Judgment and shall not charge the Papists the Protestants or any others by their Name or because of their Name that therefore they are Deceivers But seeing that all sorts of Christians do profess the Scriptures and that they own them Therefore according to the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God I shall lay both Papists and Protestants and all others to the Line of Judgment by the Rule of Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them and if Papists Protestants or whose Ministers soever come under the Judgment of that Rule they shall be concluded by the Rule of the Spirit of God and the Scriptures to be false Prophets and Deceivers Therefore come out Papists Protestants Anabaptists Quakers and all others come forth and hear your Tryal and receive your Judgment First of all It is concluded and that I hope by all reasonable men That whosoever they are at this day through the World whether Papists or Protestants so called or whoever that shall be found walking by the same spirit and in the same Wayes and doing the same things that the false Prophets of Israel did in the dayes of old and that the false Brethren and false Teachers among the Churches of the Christians in the Apostles dayes walked in and followed such may at this day be adjudged deemed and taken to be false Prophets and false Teachers Deceivers and Seducers and this without respect to any Name or Title whatsoever that they bear in their Religion And this is the Rule of Tryal and Judgment in which I may Justly and Righteously proceed 1. They were false Prophets and Deceivers in the dayes of the true Prophets Isa. 56. 11. That were Greedy Dumb Dogs which could never have enough and that sought every one of them for their Gain from their Quarter and that Preached for Hire and Divined for Money Mic. 3. 11. The Priests that Taught for Hire and the Prophets that Divined for Money against such as these Isaiah and Micah cryed and that by the Spirit of the Lord being commanded of him so to do Now whosoever whether Papists or Protestants of any sort Independents Presbyterians Quakers or any other that have a Quarter from whence they seek their Gain for Preaching and Teach for Hire and have Hire for Teaching viz. Tythes or Sums of Money and Divine for Money such whatsoever they be without respect of their Names or Professions walk by the same spirit and in the same way and do the same things as the false Prophets did and are false Prophets and Deceivers And therefore all People it is left to the Witness of God in your Consciences and that you may give Witness in this Case who are they now and where they are that can never have enough but are greedy after Gain and Covetous and that seek for Gain from their Quarters or Portions of a Country or City and where are they now and who is it that Preach for Hire and Divine for Money that take so much Money or Gifts by the Year or Moneth for Preaching who is it or who are they now that walk in these Wayes such whoever they be whether Papists Protestants Sectaries so called are false Prophets and Deceivers 2. They were false Prophets and Deceivers That stood not in the Counsel of the Lord and that did not turn People from their Iniquities and Evil Wayes but spake a Vision of their own Hearts and not from the Mouth of the Lord And that cryed Peace to them that walked Wickedly and Prophesied Lyes and used their Tongues and said The Lord saith it whenas the Lord had not spoken to them and that seduced the People by crying Peace when there was no Peace and saw Vanity and spokâ— Vanity and Lyes in the dayes of the true Prophets I say such were false Prophets and Deceivers Now whosoever whether Papists or Protestants or any others that do not stand in the Counsel of God and that do not turn People from their Iniquities and their Evil Wayes but speak a Vision of their own Hearts and not from the Mouth of the Lord and that cry Peace to them that walk wickedly that prophecy Lyes and use their Tongues when the Lord hath not spoken to them and that seduce People by crying Peace when there is no Peace and that builds the Wall and daubs it with untempered Mortar and that do not Profit the People at all but cause them to err Such are false Prophets and Deceivers at this day wheresoever and whosoever without respect of Name or Title in their Profession Such now walk by the spirit of the false Prophets and are in the way of the Deceivers which the Lord sent true Prophets to cry against And now to all People of what Name soever it is left to the Witness of God in you all to give witness who they are now and where they are that are guilty hereof Who is it now that stand not in the Counsel of God and that do not turn People from their Iniquities that do not convert them to God by their preaching But speak what they have studied for even a Divination of their own Brain and not what they have received from God and that use their tongues and take other mens words the Words of Christ the Prophets and Apostles when as they have not the same Spirit of Christ and his
could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular Operations and Manifestations of the everlasting Spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum Life and Immortality was brought to light Power from on High and Wisdom was made manifest the Day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy Anointing the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of Glory was born and the Heir of the Promise brought forth to Reign over the Earth and over Hell and Death whereby we entered into everlasting Union and Fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose Mercies are sure and infinite and his Promise never fails and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from Death to Life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren Mountains into the Fold of eternal Peace and Rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own out-stretched Arm. And thus we became Followers of the Lamb whithersoever he goes and he hath called us to make war in righteousness for his Name sake against Hell and Death and all the Powers of Darkness and against the Beast and false Prophet which have deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal Seed Elect Chosen and Faithful and we war in Truth and just Judgment not with Weapons that are carnal but by the Sword that goes out of his Mouth which shall slay the Wicked and cut them to pieces and after this manner was our Birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the Wicked do fear and tremble and our Standard is Truth Justice Righteousness Equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that Banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquer'd by Hell or Death or by the Powers of Darkness but the Lord shall be their Armour Weapon and Defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the Victory over the Beast and over the Dragon and over the Gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with Power Strength and Wisdom and Dominion according to his Mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his Work and put his Sword into our hands and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the Word from his Mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to preach to the Inhabitants of the Earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his Work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we preacht not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the World behold it was altogether Darkness and even as a Wilderness and desolate and barren of good Fruit and Death reigned over men and no good Fruit was brought forth to God but Leaves we beheld upon every Soul and all men and people were made drunk with the Wine of Whoredoms and the Whores Cup they had drunk and was committing Fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the Earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his Power and set up his Government over all for many Ages even since the days of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reign'd while the Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness and the Man-Child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the Sheeps cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Woolf and Iohn saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the World and deceived the World and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the Sheeps Cloathing but inwardly a Ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we behold Nations as a Wilderness untilled and mens Hearts as the fallow Ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good Seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the Light of the Spirit of God which had Anointed us we behold it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the days of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Ministry of Christ in the days of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and Maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and Deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the Spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publick Ministry as now it stands generally is wholy degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differs and is contrary in all things to what Christ's Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false Prophets and Deceivers were thoughout all Ages and this I charge upon it in the face and view of all men to whom this may come for this we saw concerning it in the beginning and our first assurance And as for other Places and Orders of men and Callings we saw them also corrupted and degenerated and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people and blindness and darkness covered the face of the Earth and of the World and all people were in their Transgressions and making void the Law of God and that it was time for the Lord to work and to arise to ease himself of his Adversaries and as for all Churches so called and Professions and Gatherings of people we beheld you as all in the Apostacy and degeneration from the true Church not being gathered by the Spirit of the Lord nor anointed thereby as the true Members of Christ ever were but to be in a
Form and in Forms of Righteousness without the Power and in Immitations without Life and perfect Knowledge so that all the Practices of Religion we beheld without Power and Life though some had a sincerity in them and a zeal and a desire towards the Lord yet all people erred in Judgment and none were guided in Judgment by the Eternal Spirit and because of the error in Judgment that made their zeal blind and their performances of Righteousness not accepted though acted in some sincerity and zeal because they were not guided in Practice and led in Judgment by the Spirit of the Lord which only leads into all Truth and none are in the Truth but who are led thereby so that we behold all Profession but as Coverings with Figg-leaves while the nature of Transgression stood uncondemned and not crucified and then we saw not only the Performance and Practice in Church state and in religious Orders were corrupted but also Government and Magistracy and all things in civil state were not aright in the sight of the Lord nor as the Lord required neither as he had ordained in the beginning for Government we know as ordained of God is to punish and limit and terrifie all Evil-Doers and to preserve and defend all that do well and that mens Consciences are to be left free and to be ruled by the Lord alone and guided by his Spirit and that outward Power and civil Magistrates and Laws so called ought not to be Lord or Ruler in mens Consciences nor over them but we beheld how Unrighteousness and Iniquity and Sin and Wickedness was strengthened and encouraged in the Government and by such as were in Authority and how the Fear of God and the exercise of a good Conscience was abused so that it was turned backward from what it ought to be them that did well were punished and limitted as Trausgressors and the Evil-Doers were set free and not made afraid so that we could truly cry Truth was faln in the Street and Justice and true Judgment turned backward and Equity had no place to enter and the Innocent were devoured through want of true and just Judgment and the Needy were spoiled and made a prey and thus it was framed for no sooner had we opened our Mouthes but the Magistrates began to put us in Prison and execute great injustice upon us and became Oppressors of the Innocent and laid grievous unjust burdens upon us grievous to be born and true justice and judgment was neglected and wrong judgement brought forth and good Government abused and men in Authority not ruled by the Lord neither ruling for the Lord among men and thus it came to pass upon us through the corruption and Degeneration in Goverment and Magistrates which we saw to be as it was fulfilled by them to wit not as the Lord required nor as he in the beginning ordained it but quite the contrary and this we saw in the beginning when the Spirit of the Lord was poured down upon us and power from on high was revealed to declare against all the Abominations of the Earth and to make War against all Corruption in all Orders and Places and Men. Then being prepared of the Lord and having received Power from on high we went forth as commanded of the Lord leaving all Relations and all things of the World behind us that we might fufill the work of the Lord into which he called us and with Flesh and Blood nor any Creature we consulted not nor took counsel of men but of the Lord alone who lifted up our heads above the World and all fears and doubtings and was with us in Power and Domininion over all that which opposed us which was great and mighty and gave us power over it all and to bind Kings in Chains and Nobles in Fetters of Iron and this is the Saints honour and the Word of the Lord we sounded and did not spare and caused the Deaf to hear the Blind to see and the heart that was hardned to be awakened and the Dread of the Lord went before us and behind us and teror took hold upon our Enemies And first of all our Mouthes were opened and our spirit filled with indignation against the Priests and Teachers and with them and against them first we began to war as being the Causers of the people to err and the Blind-leaders that carried the Blind into the Ditch and against them as the Fountain of all wickedness abounding in the Nations and as being the issue of Prophaness for from them hath Prophaness gone forth in all Nations and against them we cryed aloud as being redeemed from their Mouthes who had made a prey upon us as they do upon all that follow their ways and in Steeple-houses we did visit them often and in Markets and other Places as the Lord moved and made way for us shewing unto all them and all their people that they were not Lawful Ministers of Christ sent of him but were Deceivers and Antichrists and such whom the Lord never sent and we spared not publikely and at all seasons to utter forth the Judgments of the Lord against them and their wayes and against their Churches and Worships and Practices as not being of God nor commanded by him by which they deceived the World and this was our first work which we entred upon to thresh down the Deceivers and lay them open that all people might see their shame and come to turn from them and receive the Knowledg of the Truth that they might be saved and this we did with no small Opposition nor danger yea oftentimes we were in danger of our lives through bearing abusing Punishing Haling casting over Walls striking with Staves and Cudgels and Knocking down to the Ground besides Reproaching Scorning Revilings and Houtings at and Scoffings and Slanderings and all abuses that could be thought or acted by evil hands and Tongues and often carried before Magistrates with grievous Threats and sometimes put in the Stocks and Whipped and often Imprisoned and many hard Dealings against us the worst of Tongues or hands could execute sparing Life of this all the North-countries may witness and all these things are sustained and suffered from people and Rulers because of our faithfulness to the Lord and for declaring against the false Deceivers for nothing save onely the Hand of the Lord and his Power could have preserved us and carryed us through all this neither for any reward outward whatsoever or advantage to our selves would we have exposed our selves to that sufferings and violence and dangers which befell us daily but the Lord was our exceeding great reward through all these things and kept us in the Hollow of his Hand and under the Shadow of his Wings and gave us Dominion in Spirit over all our Enemies and subdued them before us and though Rulers and People were combined against us and executed their injustice and violence upon us yet the Lord made us to Prosper and
〈◊〉 practice and also your keeping and setting apart the Saints dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy-dayes and eating with respect to dayes denying of Flesh such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dayes and observing of Dayes and Meats and Drinks and Fasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own wills and your Nunneries and keeping Men and Women one frâ—â—â—…ther in secret Houses whether are these things commanded and required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord from you and we charge you to give us some Example that 〈◊〉 true Church practized such things otherwise if you do not not caâ—â—◠〈◊〉 these your practices from the Scriptures and Example of the Apoâ—… 〈◊〉 you we must deny you and condemn your practiâ—es forever and 〈◊〉 â—…lieve that your Church is the true Church nor you lawful Successors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ly Apostles 9. What you believe concerning the Reign and Government of Câ—… and his coming is He his Reign and Government visible and of this World or invisible and from Heaven and whether Lyars Whoremongers â—…terers Drunkards Man-slayers and contentious Men or any that 〈◊〉 in any Sin or Transgression in the first Nature be of the Kingdâ—◠〈◊〉 Government of Jesus or have any part or portion therein in time to 〈◊〉 â—…ever and how may such ever have part therein and give us yoâ—…â—…ge in these things And also what you hold and profess concerning Eâ—… 〈◊〉 Reprobation that we may know whether your Knowledge and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and perfect in these things and to be embraced or condemned and 〈◊〉 10. What is the Man-child that hath been caught up to God and 〈◊〉 the reason of his being caught up and what is the Woman that fled into the Wilderness and what is the reason of her so fleeing and when is the tâ—… is it come or to come that the Man-child hath been caught up aâ—◠〈◊〉 Woman fled and that the Man-child shall come down again and the Wâ—… again return and what is that Beast the first and the second and is â—…s kingdom come or yet to come who reigned over the Kings of the Earth and caused all both small and great to worship him and killed the Saints and overcame them that would not worship him and made war against the Lâ—… and persecuted the Woman's Seed and when is it that the World wondred â—â—ter the Beast is it come or to come Answer these things in plainness 〈◊〉 â—â—mand of you 11. What and who is that great Whore that sits upon many waters with 〈◊〉 the Kings of the Earth commits Fornications and who hath made Nations dâ—… with the Wine of her Fornications and who hath reigned over the 〈◊〉 and Dominions of the Earth and is that Whore come or yet to come 〈◊〉 whether is your Church every whit free from the Fornications of that Whâ—… and will you admit of lawfull trial by your fruits and works and suffer 〈◊〉 men accordingly and whether the whole Church of Rome or any part of 〈◊〉 Dominions be the Multitudes Peoples and Nations and Tongues the Wâ—… on which the Whore sits and whether your Church be wholly free from 〈◊〉 Woman which hath drunk the Blood of Saints and of the Martyrs of Iâ—… and shew us plainly who that Whore is if you can and what is her Flesh and the Fire that must burnt it 12. Whether are the false Prophets and Deceivers come or to come which 〈◊〉 said should come if you say they are come when did they come and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they and how may they be known and what was their first original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of what doth all false Prophets and false Prophecies come is the Church 〈…〉 clear of all the false Prophets and whether is your Ministry in the very 〈◊〉 Power Spirit and Authority which the Apostles were in is its Call and â—…tion the very same is its Maintenance and Practice the very same and is iâ—â— Fruits Effects and End the very same or some other let us know from you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may â—ay you to the Line of true Judgment for all People and Nations â—… â—…ome Friends let us reason a little with you further We are not satisâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Râ—…e is true and lawful Successor of the Apostle Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tripple Crown and did Kings Bow and Kneel to him and had 〈…〉 â—â—â—enues and Money out of the Nations as the Pope hath 〈…〉 Pardon 's for Money 〈◊〉 or did any buy Religion of him and did 〈…〉 over mens Consciences and was Peter named Holiness We 〈…〉 you to prove rightly and truly That the Pope doth succeed Peter 〈…〉 Spirit in the same Power and in the same Conversation and that 〈…〉 â—…er-see the Church be justly the same as Peter's was and that he exeâ—…â—…ctly as Peter did 〈…〉 â—…wer us plainly What is the Seed of the Woman and what is the 〈◊〉 the Serpent and is his Head bruised yea or nay And what is the 〈…〉 what is his beginning and what is the kingdom that he is Ruler 〈◊〉 and how is his kingdom to be destroy'd And what is the Flesh of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blood which was before Abraham and how is Christ made under the 〈◊〉 answer me these things 〈◊〉 what is the Death that hath reigned over all and what is the power 〈◊〉 and what is the fruits of that death and when must that death be 〈◊〉 and is it destroyed among you and what was man in his Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the ground and what was he that was the very Image of God 〈◊〉 and Female before Adâ—… was formed of the Dust of the Ground or â—…en out of him declare these things plainly if you can and what is 〈◊〉 Transgression and the Curse and whether any can be made free from 〈◊〉 Curse upon the Earth yea or nay and what is the Kingdom of Heaven 〈◊〉 is like a little Leaven and that is like a Net cast into the Sea and what 〈◊〉 which must be leavened and what is that good Fish that must be gatherâ—… into the Vessels and that bad that must be cast away and how doth the 〈◊〉 of Heaven bring the bad out of the Waters to the Shore and why is 〈◊〉 and wherefore and what is the reason that none can enter the Kingdom 〈◊〉 Goâ— nor see it but such as are born again and how is a man born again 〈◊〉 what is that Mothers womb that Iob and all mankind came out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must return thither again naked and what are the Fig-leaves that â—…vered in Transgression and what is the Covering of the Spirit and 〈◊〉 must be covered and what not and why is it and how comes it to pass 〈◊〉 one and the same thing is sin and wickedness acted by one and the same 〈◊〉 good and just acted by another These things answer to us plainly and 〈◊〉 â—…ve all your Practises and Profession by plain Scripture and give us Exâ—… from Peter and the true Churches that he and they practiced the same 〈◊〉 which the Pope and you do if you would have any to own you otherâ—… 〈◊〉
them again at other times in discourse with the chief of all the Fryars of the Company called Recolects also and did in the Power of the Lord declare Truth unto them and against their Idolatry until such time as some of them were so offended with us not having much wherewith to an swer in Truth to defend themselves they of the Company called Capuchins grew light and scornful and very wicked and did in a manner deny us the liberty any more to come unto them And we were with each Company of Fryars two several times and as for the Iesuites we had much upon us to visit them in their Colledges but we perceived that the chief Rector of the Colledge of Iesuiâ—â—s had heard of our being in the Town he did refuse to discourse with us and we went once into the Colledge and could not be admitted to speak with him And about a Week after we came into the Town the chief Governor Lockhart coming home he sent as he said to the Iesuites Colledge that they should admit us to come to speak with them and as we found it from the Lord upon us at a convenient season we went again to the Colledge and were for some hours in discourse with the chief Rector of the Colledge who appeared at the first very high and subtile and crafty and did in his heart reject us and the simplicity of the Gospel but Truth and the Word of the Lord had dominion over him and before the Truth he and they all are as weak as Water many things were disputed upon which the particulars now cannot be related but in about three hours time he grew weary pretending other business and would stay no longer with us and so we parted demanding of him whether he would admit some more discourse at some other time which he did refuse so we were not admitted to come to him any more whereupon these following Propositions I was moved to give forth and send among them as a Charge upon them in the Name and Power of the Lord and they were given and delivered in Latine up and down among the Iesuites and Fryars in the Town unto which to this day I never could receive an Answer therefore my charge lies upon them to this day as a Testimony from the mouth of the Lord against them of which they can never clear themselves And we were moved to visit the Nunns and went to their Place and before many words were spoken to them through a Grate for we might not see them and to speak to them both at once they asked If we were of the order of those called Quakers and they perceiving we were such said They might not hear us because we were such and presently passed away and refused to suffer us to speak to them and therefore we had very small time with them onely gave our Witness against them and passed away To all ye Iesuits Priests and Friars and to all you in general of the Romish Church in and about Dunkirk FRiends in dear love to all your Immortal Souls I am moved to lay these things before you that you may read and consider them in the Fear of the Lord God for as much as for some dayes I have been in this Town according to the Will of God and having rightly observed your Religion in its Original and in its present standing and in its practises and having truely examined some part of your Faith and Doctrines and the manner of your Worships and your Ordinances and the Orders and Discipline and Government of your whole Church and in the Spirit of the Lord having laid all things to the Line of true Judgement and equally measured them hereupon I do from the Lord and by his Spirit propound and assert these things unto you First That your Church is not the true Church of Christ the Lamb's Wife and Elected Spouse but is degenerated in her Faith and in her Doctrines and in her Worships and Ordinances in her Orders Discipline and Government from what the true Church of Christ was in the Apostles dayes before the Apostacy 2. That the Constitution of your Church and the chief part of your Worship and Ordinances and the way and manner of your Discipline and Government are of Man and set up and standeth by the will of Man and are not after God nor according to him but are after the Traditions of Man learned and practised therein which is Idolatry and are not in the Commandments of Christ nor in the Example of his Apostles non according to the Scriptures but without the Spirit of God being set up since the dayes of the Apostles and since the Apostacy came in which hath overshadowed the whole World 3. That there hath been over the World for Generations and many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches a general declination and falling away from the true Faith and Doctrines and from the Worship and Ordinances and from the Discipline and Government that was amongst the Apostles and practised in the true Churches of Christ in their dayes and your Church is in that declination and falling away 4. That Antichrist the Beast and the Whore and false Prophets have reigned over the World for Generations the Antichrist that hath opposed Christ and been exalted in the Temple of God and been worshipped as God the Beast that hath killed the Saints and warred against them and had power over Kindreds and Tongues and the World hath wondred after him the Whore whom the Beast hath carried she hath sate upon Peoples Multitudes and Nations and drunk the Blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs and she hath corrupted the Earth and caused all to drink her Cup of Fornications And the false Prophets have overspred the Nations and deceived them and you and your Church are the Peoples the Multitudes and the Kindreds that the Beast hath received Power over and the Whore hath sate upon and the false Prophets deceived 5. That the true Church of Christ the Lamb's Wife the elected Spouse and the beloved City who brought forth him that was to rule the Nations hath been fled into the Wilderness and been fled into the Place of Mourning and Desolation for a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes and the Gentiles Feet have troden down the holy City the Lamb's Wife and had power over her for forty and two moneths and though she hath not been prevailed against nor overcome so as to be extinguished from having a Being yet her Being hath been in the Wilderness in Mourning and Desolation and she hath not appeared in the Glory and Excellency which once she had but hath lost her Garments and her Attire and her Heir and Husband separated from her and caught up to God and to his Throne and in this time of the Desolation and treading down of the holy City the Lamb's Wife and the reigning of the Beast and the Whore hath your Church been extant in her glory and power
and thou of the Divel Seeing they that abide not in the Doctrine of Christ have not God hence I query of thee XII Whether by this rule thou art not proved to be without Christ and without God who abides not in Christ's Doctrine but are called of men Master and stand Praying in the Synagogue and hast the chief Seat in the Assembly and contrary to Christ's Command Answer these Queries with the Spirit of Soberness if thou hast it and shew thy self a man if thou hast the Heart of a man and Repent of thy Wickedness and own thy Condemnation upon thy Former Words and Works I am a Friend unto thy Soul but a witness against thy Deceits E. B. And after which time for the space of two years I had no Communication with Christopher Fowler till this last nineth Moneth at a place called East-Hâ—â—sted where a Meeting of Dispute was appointed and challenged by some of his Brethren at which place again I met with this my Adversary where we had some hours Discourse and many particulars of False Doctrine fell from Fowler 's mouth some few of which hereafter follow First one of his brethren in his prayer before the dispute prayed to God to forgive them the Atheism that were in their hearts of him and his Brethrens Answer now an Atheist is one that denies God and Atheism is denying of God according to common reputation Atheism is so taken so that how shall such a Generation of men bring people to the Knowledge of God by their Ministry or how should they ever convert people to profit them who yet in their own Hearts denyed God as the man acknowledged in his prayer before the Lord and many witnesses the Poor People of England had thought that the Spirit of God had been in your Hearts but now we know that you deny God in your Hearts and you have confessed it to your own shame are you Ministers of Christ and yet denies God in your hearts and in whose hearts lodges Atheism Oh! let not people be deceived by you but repent ye that know not God but with your Mouthes confess him and with your hearts do deny him Christopher Fowler also affirmed that day That the Scriptures are the Glorious everlasing Foundation of Foundations Answ. And hereby it is made manifest that he hath totally denyed Christ and so proved with his brother confest in his prayer that indeed Atheism is in their Hearts and so he hath denyed Christ whom the Scriptures say is the Foundation and no other Foundation can any man lay and upon him were the Saints builded in their Faith and all their Practices of Religion for he is the corner Stone as it is Written and thus he hath dishonoured Christ in setting the Scriptures above him and taking the Honour from him and giving it to the Scriptures and I shall leave this his Doctrine to be considered with a query to these people of his Church in Reading whether he is worth hearing or giving Money to for preaching that holds forth such Doctrine and whether it is possible he should bring them to Christ who hath in effect denied him to be the Foundation and held forth that the Scriptures are the glorious everlasting Foundation of Foundations Much I need not say to uncover the error of sucâ— a Doctrine Again he affirmed That a man at one and the same time might be a Minister of Christ and a Deceiver Answ. And here all may see the weakness and Ignorance of this strange Paradox and indeed which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith No man can serve two Masters and it s very certain that he that serves the Devil doth â—ot serve Christ at the same time and he that serves Christ doth not serve the Devil and so his Doctrine is Antichristian which would make People believe that though they serve the Devil yet they are the Servants of God and this is as much as he hath said that one may be a Minister of Christ and yet a Deceiver now a Deceiver is one that follows the Spirit of the Devil and a Minister of Christ is one that followes the Spirit of Christ and these two Spirits are contrary and not both ruling in one man at one time But then to help the matter he said a man might serve Christ in Office but not in Love to which my answer was let him say whether he and the Priests of England did serve Christ by way of Office or Love both or either and I should prove the contrary but that we prosecuted no further Some other things were affirmed by him that day not now remembred He said That Christ was a Sinner from this Argument laid down by him all that dies â—â—e Sinners Christ died therefore c. These and such things he held forth all that day besides the unsoberness of his words and carriages towards me who called me a Dog divers times and did use very ridiculous jestures and words towards me even to his own shame in the sight of many people and the people of that County do yet well remember his unchristian-like proceedings and were ashamed of him but at last went his way and all his brethen and I was left among the people and I need not now mention for many even themselves know it what loss and disadvantage they sustained that day and Gods loving Truth was advanced and the advantage of it that was obtained on the Lords behalf but I being not yet as it were wholly satisfied but would endeavour further to the laying open deceit and to invade Antichrists kingdom the next morning after the dispute it was upon me to write forth and to send him this paper of Propositions following whereunto is annexed his Answer C. Fowler FRiend seeing thou art so high in thy spirit against us and against the truth which we profess and from time to time dost open thy Mouth so wide in Justification of thy self and thy Practices and in false charges against us and though we have had divers Meetings and the differences between us alwayes appeared greater and greater therefore this I propound unto thee Whether thou wilt give another Meeting of open dispute for the tryal of thee and thy wayes and of us and the truths which we hold forth for the satisfaction of the people and these things following I propound as the subject matter worthy to be handled which may discover thee and us to the satisfaction of all that desires in that case First What be the evident signes and tokens of a Wolf in sheeps clothing and whether thou or we in the sight of the people and of the Lord God can clear our selves to be clear and free from the marks and signs of such aforesaid Secondly Whether wilt thou stand to be tried in thy Ministry in thy Call to it Practice in it and Maintenance of it by and according to the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and wilt thou admit of tryal of thy Church and
Worship and Ministry thereby and this being done we do engage to suffer the like tryal in any part and every part of our Religion Thirdly Whether there be any other Foundation of Faith c. for the people of God at this day then Jesus Christ onely and alone and whether he was not the Foundation to the Fathers before the Scriptures were written and whether he that layes or preaches any other Foundation doth not dishonor Christ and speak contrary to the Scriptures These things with some others which we may have occasion to speak of are we willing to discourse with thee for the further clearing of the truth and laying open deceâ—… for yesterday I had much more to have spoken to thee hadst thou not goâ—…â—…o hastily away so if thou art willing to joyn in discourse wâ—â—h me again â—…int place and hour either this day or to morow for my occasions wâ—ll admit of either of these two days always provided that we may have all modeâ—â—tion and may proceed in meekness like men and not like Raylers as thou appearedst yesterday to thy own shame An answer hereof we do expect with speed and we are Friends to all that love Righteousness E. B. Thomas Câ—… THe original of this was delivered to the hands of C. Fowler in Reading the next morning after the dispute at East-Hamsted and being given to him at his Steeple-house-door when he was comming out from his worship he would have given them again to the Messenger after he had it in his hand and opened it but not being taken he said he would burn it and thus people may see that though he cryed against us as Deceivers behind our backs yet he is one of them dumb Dogs that cannot bark nor fright us away if we were such as he saith of us And here all sober people may understand the temper of this my Adversary and I shall leave them to judge of the proceedings between him and me but yet though he denies to meet me yet when I was passed out of the Country becaused the following paper to be fixed upon the Steeple-house-door at East-Hâ—â—sted where the dispute was drawn up by him and set there as a hidious vapour to enchant the minds of people it may be not supposing that ever it should have come to publique view as now it is like to do to his shame A true Charge in ten particulars against the people called QUAKERS 1. THey that pernitiously deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God are Hereticks and Blasphemers But those called Quakers do thus deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God therefore they are Hereticks and Blasphemers 2. They that deny the Scriptures to be the Foundation of Faith and Rule of Life they are Hereticks and Blasphemers But the Quakers do this therefore they are Hereticks and Blasphemers 3. They that do not own the Lord Iesus Christ to be God by Nature are horrible Blasphemers But those called Quakers do not own the Lord Iesus Christ to be God by Naâ—â—re therefore they are Blasphemers 4. They that say the good works of the Saints are meritorious of Eternal Life are Hereticks and Papists of the worst sort But the Quakers say so therefore they are Hereticks and Papists 5. They that deny the Ordinance of Water-Baptism and the Administration of the Lord's-Supper they are Antichristian Hereticks But the Quakers do this therefore the Quakers are Antichristian Heretick 6. They that deny the sin of Infants are Pelagian Hereticks But the Quakers deny the Sin of Infants therefore they are Pelagian Hereticks 7. They that deny the Resurrection of this Body are Hereticks But the Quakers deny this therefore they are Hereticks 8. They that deny the Christian Sabbath are very erroneous But the Quakers do this therefore they are very erroneous 9. They that quarrel at and deride the singing of David's Psalms theâ—…de â—…de of Hopkins and Sternhold the Kings Fidlers they are fooâ—… ignorant and Pâ—…ne in that But the Quakers do this therefore they are fooliâ—â— ignorant and Prâ—phane in this 10. They that publikely charge the Office and Call of Ministers with Lyes and Calumâ—… they are Railers and Slanderers But the people called Quakers do this therefore the people called Quakers are Railers and Slanderers These things through the Lord I am able to justifie and if I do not I shall be contented to be called a Deceiver Let them chuse their own time as soon as they please in witness whereof I have set to my hand this twenty sixth of November 1659. Christopher Fowler And according to providence this paper coming to my hands though it s believed without any purpose in him to which I did return my Answer as to answer his Challenge and neither time nor place being mentioned by him but both left to us to appoint I did appoint Reading for the plate and nominated a certain day â—â—r the time and he had â—â—gh a week notice from me and the time appointed I went to Râ—â—ding to attend the Service but when I came there I understood that be would not meet me according to his own Proposals and Agreement but nominated another place and another time which was supposed by me and others â—o â—e but a present evacting of the â—…er whereupon his denial to meet me at the time and placâ— appointed by me this following Letter I sent unto him C Foâ—… WHereas a Challenge of â—hine to us called Quakers for a Dispute upon ten Particulars was set upon the Steeple-house door at East Hamsted and leaving it to us to appoint time and place I did appoint Reading for the place and the fourth day of this week called Wednesday the 21th of this moneth for the time and in order to proceed upon the Particulars in dispute with thee the place and â—â—me aboveâ—â—id I ordered my occasions so as to attend upon the Service the said time but I being come into the Town this night do perceive that thou art not content with the place and time though they were left to our appointing in thy Challenge but hast appointed another place and time upon some feeble Reasons which thou givest which I might shew the weakness of and might upon many better reasons say that Reading is the only place seasonable to dispute at â—or if thou be indeed a true Minister of Christ the people of this Town best deserve to know it by hearing it to be so and if thou art a Deceiver the people of this Town had the most need of any others to know it by hearing thee disproved So upon this place I have pitched and cannot now change my resolution nor alter neither time nor place by me before-mentioned my occasion will not admit me to it Therefore I thought good to write to thee to know for certain under thy hand whether you will give a meeting or not in this Town the fourth day next as aforesaid if not this matter must yet remain as it stands between us till a