of all the Ministers in England without exception and did pretend that himself together with his fellow speakers were the onely true Ministers and Messengers of Christ that we desired to know his Faith and to hear from him if we might the summe of that Doctrine of the Gospel which he came to preach I told him further that our selves and the Countrey in general did look upon him and his fellow speakers as seducers such as preached another Gospel and another Jesus then we had preached and that therefore for the clearing of himself and the satisfaction of the Countery and our selves there present it was but meet that he should give us them desiring it some account of his saith And to do that I told him I hoped he would not be unwilling seeing the Apostle Peter exhorts all Christians to be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them to every one that asketh To this he replied nothing but stood as one that had nought to say I then asked the people there present if they did not generally desire to hear something from him touching his Faith in some of the main principles of Religion To which many of them said it was their desire Whereupon I intreated Nayler to answer plainly to a few questions which I desired to propound to him The first Question I propounded was whether he believed the Holy Scripture to be the very Word of God To this he answered there was no word but Christ which he would have proved out of Iohn 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word c. I told him we did not deny Jesus Christ to be the Word but did believe him to be the Essential Word of his Father I further told him according to that distinction of the Word into Verbum Deus Verbum Dei That the Word was twofold The Word that is God which is Iesus Christ and the Word of God which is the Holy Scripture Then altering the former question a little I asked him whether he did believe the Holy Scripture to be the written Word of God To which after many words to no purpose being pressed to answer positively he said It is not the Word of God there is no written Word The next question I asked him was Whether he that speaks or teaches that which is directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Holy Scripture is to be lookt upon as one speaking from the immediate inspiration of the Spirit though he pretend to do so To this be replied The Word and the Spirit are one What said I do you understand by the Word when you say the Word and the Spirit are one He said by the Word he meant Christ. I told him we did believe Christ and the Holy Spirit to be one God and that if that was the matter of his answer That Christ and the Holy Spirit are one it was impertinent to my question I then put the case touching my self thus If I said I should pretend to preach from the immediate assistance of the Spirit and preach that which is repugnant to the Holy Scripture whether would your self believe that the Spirit of God spake by me or no To this he answered as before I say saith he The Spirit and the Word are one I told him he did not answer like a rational man and pressing him to answer plainly and not so cloudily and darkly as he did indeavour to do that those were Auditors could not understand what he meant divers of his followers that were there present said altogether almost the devil spoke in me the Serpent spoke in me I told them that was a pure Language that became a Quaker better then a Christian. His Disciples there present desired he should propound some question to my self I told them upon that condition he would answer me plainly to some questions I further desired to put to him I would answer him to any Question of his as plainely as I could He then asked me how I could prove my self to be a Minister of Jesus Christ. I told him that-I had been called and ordained to the work of the Ministery by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery and that the Lord had been pleased mercifully to furnish me with some though very mean abilities for the discharge of that work and that it had been my endeavour to preach the Gospel sincerely and that I desired and as farre as the Lord assisted laboured to walke as became that Doctrine He told me I did not live as became a Minister of Christ. I asked him wherein he could accuse me He said I preached for hire and suffered my self to be called Master contrary to the command of Christ. To the first I replied that for the terms hire or wages they were used in Scripture that our Saviour speaking of those that labour in the Gospel saith The workeman is worthy of his hire And that the Apostle scrupled not to say he received wages Accordingly I told him I tooke hire or received wages for Preaching of the Gospell But did not preach for it did not make that the end of my Ministery And for being called Master I told him that I was not ambitious of that Title That my name was T. H. and that it would please me very well to be called by that name I said further when our Saviour saith Matth. 23. and 10. Be not ye called Masters he doth not simply forbid them to be so called no more then in the foregoing verse he forbids children to call an earthly Parent Father but that he there forbids such proud and ambitious affectation of Titles of respect as was in the Scribes and Pharisees Away Away saith Nayler with your Expositions of Scripture The Scripture is not to be expounded and God will adde to such as Expound them all the plagues written in that Book I replyed that the Apostles knew the meaning of this Precept of Jesus Christ and were obedient unto it and yet suffered a Title superior to that of Master to be given to them Iohn 12. 21. and Acts 16. 30. and that they reproved not them that so called them which they would have done if it had been unlawful for them to have been called Master and that Iohn 20. 15. Mary Magdalen called our Saviour Sir supposing him to have been the Gardiner The Greek word translated Sir is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth properly signifie Lord and is as Linguists know a Title of greater respect then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term used Matthew 23. 10. The next question I asked him was not as he saith Whether Christ was ascended into Heaven as Man that was in another place about 5 dayes after which yet some of their speakers have denied and argued against but whether he did believe Iesus Christ to be true God and true Man also in one Person And first said I whether dost thou believe Iesus Christ to be true God The question I asked because I
in him as man as he had before affirmed Nayler replyed Christ God and Man is not divided separate God and Man and He is no more Christ Christ God and Man is every where I askt thee said Mr. Pearson Whether thou believest Christ as He is Man to be in thee I witnesse Him in me said Nayler and if I should deny him before men He would deny me before my Father which is in Heaven How do you mean said Mr. Pearson that Christ is in you Doe you not mean that He is in you Spiritually Yea Answered Nayler Spiritually By Faith saith he you mean or how else By Faith saith Nayler Why what difference is there then in this point said Mr. Pearson between the Ministers and you Nayler replyed the Ministers affirmed Christ to be in Heaven with a Carnal Body but He is with a Spiritual Body Which of the Ministers say so saith Mr. Pearson The Minister of Kirkby-Stephen being present rose up and said thus I confess I said Christ was in Heaven with a Carnal Body I was willing to own a Truth though in course Language I look upon it as an unmeet Expression and should not have used it had I not bin drawn to it upon this occasion Discoursing with Nayler at Mallerstang about the Reality of Christs humane Nature I asked him Whether he did beleive that Iesus Christ now Glorified in Heaven was a true real Man as well as true God When according to his manner he laboured to speak as ambiguously as he could and would plainly affirm or denie nothing Urging him with the same question again with some little alteration I asked him Whether he did believe that Iesus Christ was now in Heaven in a body of flesh to which when I pressed him to answer plainly Thomas Aray one of Naylers companions said to me thus Dost thou imagine that the body of Christ in Heaven is a Carnal body To which I answered presently thinking they had understood English language Thomas take the word Carnal not as it is used in the Scripture in opposition to that which is Holy or Spiritual but according to its natural and proper signification as it signifies fleshly and so I do believe the Body of Christ in Heaven to be a Carnal body that is as I said a body of flesh Naylers relation saith he perceived him to be offended because he had told of his saying And said Friend I had not accused thee had I not bin asked what was the difference between the Ministers and me for I am not come to accuse any It is true some such words he immediately spoke But that the Minister of Kirkby-Stephen was offended at him is an untruth He knew no cause he had to be offended at him but saw cause rather to pity his ignorance M. Pearson was here saying something manifesting some desire that some of the Ministers there present should discourse with Nayler about some of his erroneous opinions but in regard it was then night and they had much business to do before they rose it was thought unseasonable Coll. Briggs then asked him if he had not bin a Member of a Church about Saurby Nayler answered he was a Member of an Independent Church at Wood-Church Coll. Briggs told him that he had heard he was excommunicated out of 〈◊〉 Church for some blasphemous opinions and akt him if it was not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he knew not what they had done since he came forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not to his knowledge One that had it from Mr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is Pastor of that Congregation at Wood-Church told a friend of mine lately that it is very true that Nayler was there Excommunicated for his blasphemous Tenets Coll. Briggs then asked him further if he did not write a letter to one in Lancashire wherein he told him that if he hoped to be saved by that Christ that died at Ierusalem he would be deceived Such a letter Nayler did write 〈◊〉 one Henry Holme containing these wicked words in it And when he was taxed for them though he could not deny it yet he would not at first confess them till Coll. Briggs askt him if he would deny his own hand To which he repliedno if he might see it Coll. Briggs told him he thought he could procure the letter Nayler desired it might be kept as a witness against him Coll. Briggs asked him what was his reason to use such a cursed txpression Nayler to season it had this grain of salt in readiness an ill shift is better then none If saith he I cannot witness Christ nearer then Iesalem I shall have no benefit by him but I own no other Christ but that who witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate which Christ I witnesse suffering in me now There were 2 Petitions presented to the Iustices subscribed by the hands of many Gentlemen Ministers and others of known integritie and honestie occasioned by the troublesome insolent behaviour of this people Especially their gross disturbance of whole Congregations in time of publick worship and because it may be some satisfaction to the Reader I shall here adjoyn the true Copy of some of them which I have by me To the Worshipfull the Justices of Peace for this Countie of Westmerland The Humble Petition of several Gentlemen Ministers of the Gospel and others friends and servants to Jesus Christ his Gospel Truths and Ordinances and the general weale of this Common-wealth and Nation SHEWETH THat in the late Wars We or most of us did expose Lives Liberties Estates and Relations with all other Personal advantages in the just defence of Religion and Liberty in concurrence with and maintenance of the just defence of Religion and Liberty After the prosperous Effects whereof we expected the settlement of the grand ends of our engagement and so much the more as being the promise of the Parliament the vows of their affection the price of our Prayer purses hazards losses banishments and the blood of many thousands our fellow servants in the work of God freely sacrificed in the Quarrel of this Nation What hath bin done in the settlement of our Rights Peace and wholesome Lawes we blesse God for and the Parliament as his Instruments nor can we but acknowledge what hath bin done by them in the Cause of God as their Acts against Adultery Fornication Swearing Drunkenness Sabboth-breaking Promoters of heretical Doctrines against Ranters or Blasphemers may the Lord increase the number of these things Yet so it is that in this County several persons Proselites of one George Fox and James Nayler do in the times of our Assemblies ordinarily in a way of contempt and scorn come in amongst us with their hats on at time of Prayer or Singing use in our Congregations some of them violent actions in the time of Sermon or Prayer or singing cry out aloud with horrible clamours slanders abuses reproaches against our Ministers to the stirring up of woefull tumults evident disturbance of the work
that the Guides of this Sect notwithstanding their faire pretensions of an immediate call and extraordinary Mission and the great Opinion their followers have conceived of them are not the servants of the Lord Jesus but in very deed the Emissaries and Ministers of Satan and that their way is not the good old way the way of God but as contrary to it as darknesse to the light I shall take some paines to acquaint my Reader 1. With the cursed Blasphemies which George Fox the Grand Master of this Faction and some others have uttered 2. With some of those Doctrines of Devils damnable Heresies and dangerous Errors which their speakers have disseminated and wherewith they have infected their unhappy Disciples 3. With the bitter and rotten fruits of their Doctrine such of their strange impious seditious suspicious insolent and Barbarous practices as have come to my knowledge some of which doe in the judgement of the most sober and intelligent Christians strongly savor of sorcery and the immediate co-operation of the Devill Of the horrid Blasphemies of the Quakers against God and his Christ. George Fox the Father of the Quakers of these parts hath avowed himselfe over and over to be equall with God being asked by Doctor Marshall in the presence of Master Sawro Colonell Tell and Colonell West Justices of the Peace in the County of Lancashire at a private Sessions in the Towne of Lancaster whether or no he was equall with God as he had before that time beene heard to affirme his answer was this I am equall with God This Blasphemy hath been attested upon Oath by the foresayd Doctor Marshall and Master Altam Schoolmaster of Lancaster before the Justices at the last Sessions held at Appleby Ianuary the 8. 1652. and before Judge Puleston at the last Assizes held at Lancaster March the 18. 1652. This Fox in a Booke intituled Sauls Errand to Damascus endeavours to purge himselfe of this and other such cursed speeches layd to his charge but he doth it so woodenly and ambiguously that if there wanted sufficient witnesses his owne bungling answers would to a rationall man declare him guilty And well may he affirme himselfe to be equall with God when he in the foresayd Booke Page eight Line nine and ten layes downe this blasphemous Proposition indefinitely Hee that hath the same Spirit that raised up Iesus Christ from the dead is equall with God The said Fox hath also avowed himselfe to be the Christ yea to be the way the Truth the life George Bickett Isaac Bourne witnesseth At the last Assises above-mentioned at Lancaster Mr. Sawro a Justice of the Peace in that County and an honest Gentleman told Judge Puleston in the open Court that he could produce many would witnesse that Fox had affirmed himselfe to be the Christ. The same also he said in the hearing of an honest Minister in Westmerland who will be ready to attest it when called to it This Fox hath also professed himselfe to be the Judge of the World George Bickett Adam Sands Nathaniel Atkinson witnesseth Yea the Eternall Judge of the World George Bickett witnesseth Iames Nailer another of Satans Nuntioes and principall spokesman in these parts affirmeth that he was as holy just and good as God himself This was I heare attested at Kendall by two witnesses There is a man of good Repute an Inhabitant of Underbarrow in the Barony of Kendall who sayeth many heard this Blasphemy besides himselfe but he thinks being all followers of this Nailer and Fox they will be unwilling to testifie it Iames Milner one of Foxes Disciples in the County of Lancashire professed himselfe to be God and Christ. Thomas Shaw Gerard Shaw George Inman witnesses This mans Advocate I mean that Pamphleteer that took the pains to put forth and procure the printing of that Book called Sauls Errant to Damascus or he that undertook to answer in his behalfe to Salve this his execrable Blasphemy and some wretched Prophesies which are already turned into lyes hath minted this miserable Excuse As for Iames Milner saith he though his mind did run out from his condition and from minding that Light of God which is in him whereby the world takes occasion to speak against the Truth and many Friends stumble at it yet there is a pure Seed in him It seems if a man be of their way though a Blasphemer and false Prophet by their own confession yet with them he is excusable One Williamsons Wife a Disciple of Milners when she came to see him at Appleby said in the hearing of divers there whose names might be here inserted if it was needfull that she was the Eternall Son of God And when the men that heard her told her that she was a woman and therefore could not be the Son of God She said no you are women but I am a man These last words I insert that the Reader may see how strongly the Spirits of some of these people are transported and how ready they are to affirm any thing how ever impious or absurd Of the Erroneous Opinions of the QUAKERS HItherto of their Blasphemies Now for the Doctrines which the Leaders of this Sect have avouched and taught and the Principles they have instilled into their credulous Adhaerents They are some of them Errours of the first Magnitude Fundamentall Errours Others of them though of a lesser size in their own nature yet the understanding Reader will censure them to be such as tend to the disturbance of the Civill Peace as well as that of the Church Others of them again are such light stuff as shewes them to be meer triflers in Religion I shall heare mention such of their Errours onely as I can bring sufficient proofe for either from those that have been Ear-witnesses and are well acquainted with their way or from their own printed Books which are owned and admired by their Disciples 1. They hold that the holy Scripture the Writings of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles are not the word of God and that there is no written word of God But they say using a foolish distinction of their own coining that they are a declaration of the word onely in those that gave the faith 2. They hold their own speakings are a declaration of the word Christ in them thereby making them though they be for the most part full of impiety and non-sense to be of equall Authority with the holy Scriptures 3. They hold that no Exposition ought to be given of the holy Scripture and that all expounding of Scripture is an adding to it and that God will add to such a one all the plagues written in that Book Opening and applying the Scripture is one thing they mainly declaim against where ever they come 4. They teach poor people that whosoever takes a text of Scripture and makes a Sermon of or from it is a Conjurer and that his preaching is Conjuration Fox in his printed answer to this Sauls Errant Page 7. saith thus
have left the Truth and the good waies of the Lord which are alwaies like themselves and as unalterable as the courses of the Stars of Heaven And now they fluctuate like the Waves of the Sea they have unbottomed themselves and now they know not where to fix they are removed from that Religion that is true to another Gospell and now they have both the Credenda Facienenda the Doctrinall and Practicall parts of their Irreligion they have taken up to seek and settle It is not to be expected that they will be a yeare or two hence what they are now new Visions new Revelations they daily look for Unstable Soules whither will your Fancies go whither will he drive you that sets you on work One in Kerbylonsdale Parish that had been of their Society a while fell sick of an Ague and was by it detain'd at home a Month after recovery going to their Assemblies again he professed that he found them so altered from their Principles in that Months time that he could onely know them by their faces to be the same men not by the constitution of their mindes Divers others that were a while agon of their way perceiving the instability of their Opinions and Impiety of their walkings are now fallen off from them and frequent the publike Assemblies as before The Profession of some of the tallest of this Sect that afford shadow to the rest hath had almost as many faces as the Moon before they turned Promoters of Quakers The world hath seen them zealous for Episcopall Policy and Ceremonies hot for Presbytery all for Independency and after all for Antinomianisme Anabaptisme and now beyond all onely for Foxes new Irreligion which is above all Formes and Ordinances Most of them that steer their course according to the direction of these wandring Stars were heretofore noted men for their Singularity and unsoundnesse of their Tenets such as ever affected to put on the newest Fashion of Religion A Taylor at Grayrigge that while there was no Minister there used to speak publikely every Lords day delivered them openly many dangerous and Hereticall Doctrines and what ever his Doctrine was true or false he was wont daily as his Hearers said to pawn his Soule on the truth of his Assertions and bid if they were not such to take him for ever for a false Prophet Yet this man after Fox and Nayler came into these parts having been their Auditor a little while was perverted by them and became a Quaker left his former Principles and came to Grayrigge where he had taught long before and told the people he had formerly deluded them and taught lyes and false Doctrine among them but he had now found the right way indeed with other words to that effect The Builders of this Babell of the Quakers which they as impiously as vain-gloriously call the Temple of the Lord will have no Tooles taken out of the Shops of humane Learning to work withall and indeed I think they have not except what the Learning of Winstanley and Collier have afforded them If any of their way of of the Countenancers of them be learned indeed as some of them are held to be I look upon their owning and admiring at it and those empty Clouds their Speakers as a very sad Judgment of God upon them sending them strong delusions to believe a lye They hate a Library Cane pejus Angue all Expositors of holy Scripture they call Heatheninsh Commentators the Reliques of those pious Learned men that were great Lights in the Churches of Christ in their Ages such Books I mean as Students in Theology use as good helps to attain to that excellent Knowledge of the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures they tearm heathenish Books and the Compilers of them heathenish Authors Languages and Arts and such like Ornamentall Qualifications are ulcerous Deformities in these mens eyes A methodicall discourse is an Odium all distinctions they say are the Seed of the Serpent they savour too much of solid Knowledge They deny it to be needfull to bring up Children in any Learning and some of them have taken their Children from Schoole Their Books and Papers which they disperse abroad the Country with these or such like absurd frothy Sefle-contradicting Quaeries Whether the Lord made use of any as Ministers of his minde unto the people that were bred idle at Sdhooles and Universities all the daies of their lives without a calling as the Priests of England but rather the contrary as Moses a Shepheard Amos a Heardsman Christ himselfe a Carpenter Paul a Tent-maker Peter a Fisherman Whether ever Universities or Schooles of Learning were in holy Scripture called the Well-heads of Divinity Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did make use of those great Bugbeares so common in use with the Priests of England to prevent the Saints from preaching the Gospell and the world from hearing them As first the Approbation and Ordination of the men of the Earth Secondly humane Learning and the Language of the Beast without which men are in their account altogether unmeet to meddle in the things of God Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did confirm the Truths they delivered by the power of the Magistracy Authors and Fathers Whether the Spirits teaching be not sufficient in the things of God Whether it be not the work of Christ and that which is to be expected in the latter daies to overturn overturn overturn all these waies so contrary to his own minde What do they mean in the last Quaere what Spirit is this they speak from but let these Quaeries go as they are for me Of their Idlenesse Savage Incivilities and their Irreligious bloody barbarous and turbulent practises TO what hath been hitherto related of their Impieties and disorderly walkings it may be added that they are many of them notorious for Idlenesse in their Callings working not at all sometimes for whole weeks and months together Some of them leave their Wives Children Families Vocations and turn all Journy-men Speakers Others regardlesse of all at home wander after them compassing the Country from place to place and live upon those of their Fraternity where they light to their Excessive charge They are degenerated also to such Incivilities as are in few places of the World to be found among the Heathens having departed from the Doctrine of Christ and practise of Civility both together Reader I have been an Eye-witnesse of more courteous behaviour in the Indians of the West and Natives of the East Indies and Moores of Africa then these men will afford to their neerest Relations or those they ought most to honour A Son if turned a Quaker will not use the usuall Civility of the world that is christian in putting off his hat to his Father or Mother will give them no civill Salutations to bid him Goodmorrow that begat him or her Good night or farewell that brought him forth is with them accounted a wickednesse None of the
not heard heard of their open revilings which they principally fasten on them in whom most of God and sound Religion appears A man that professeth godlinesse especially a Minister that endeavors to be faithfull to Jesus Christ in the discharge of the duties incumbent on him cannot passe by them without their scorns Against such they grin and point at them with their fingers These and such like practises of this licentious people have filled the hearts of Gods People in these parts with exceeding fears to be driven after all their hopes to serve God in Corners and that they may die tho in the faith of the promise of Jerusalems peace yet without receiving it whilest the enemies of God roare in the midst of the Congregations So fast did their insolencies grow and their Numbers increase for a while that had they not been a little curbed by the imprisonment of Nayler and sending forth a warrant for the Apprehension of Fox for his blasphemies it is verily believed by many sober understanding men among us there would have been in a short time no peace or almost safety for any real Christian in Westmerland and some adjacent parts This was as some of the Justices expressed themselves at the Sessions Ianuary last one main reason of Naylers confinement namely that they were necessitated to it for the preservation of the publique peace and prevention of civil dissentions and such evils as might have ensued upon further connivance at these turbulene Impostors I shall conclude with the Judgements of two known learned and judicious men one of which is yet living and able to plead for the Truth and himself Master OWEN in his Discourse of Toleration hath this Passage Page 32. THere are saith he a sort of persons termed in Scripture disorderly vagabond wandring irregular persons 1. Thes. 5. 14. Acts 17. 5. 2 Thess. 3. 2. 1. Tim. 1. 9. Fixed to no Calling abiding in no place taking no care of their Families that under a pretence of teaching the Truth without Mission without Call without Warrant uncommanded undesired do goe up and down from place to place creeping into houses c. Now that such wayes as these and Persons in these wayes may judicially be inquired into I no way doubt The Storie is famous of Sesostris King of Egypt who made a Law that all the Subjects of his Kingdome should once a yeare give an account of their way and manner of living and if any was found to spend his time idly he was certainly punished And the Lawes of most Nations have provided that their people shall not be wanderers and whosoever hath not a place of abode and imployment is by them a punishable vagabond And in this by experience of the wayes walking and converse of such persons I am exceedingly confirmed I did as yet never observe any other issue upon such undertakers but scandal to Religion and trouble to men in their Civil relations when men by the practise of any vice or sin draw others to a pretended Religion or by pretence of Religion draw men to any vice or sinne let them be twice punished for their reall vices and pretended Religion Thus far Master Owen Master COTTON of New England touching the controversie of Libertie of Conscience in matters of Religion Page 7. layeth down this Position for Truth IF a man hold forth saith he or professe any Errour or false way with a boysterous and arrogant Spirit to the disturbance of civil Peace he may justly he punished according to the qualitie and measure of his disturbance caused by him and page 8. He saith the Scripture forbids not to drive ravenous Wolves from the sheep-fold and to restrain them from devouring the sheep of Christ and Page 9. He saith we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his Conscience though misinformed unlesse his Errour be fundamental and seditiously and turbulently promoted and further we acknowledge none ought to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in judgement of the Truth of it but yet restrained he may be from blaspheming the truth and from seducing any into pernicious Errors The End A BRIEF REPLY To some part Of a very scurrilous and lying Pamphlet CALLED Sauls errand TO DAMASCUS SHEWING The vanitie of the praises there attributed to the Sect of the Quakers and Falsitie of their Relations which are nought else but the breathings of a spirit of Malice Psal. 35. 20. They speak not Peace but devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the Land LONDON Printed by T. R. for H. R. at the signe of the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard 1653. To the Reader THere is an unlicensed Pamphlet called Sauls errand to Damascus lately procured to be Printed wherein diverse Ministers of Westmerland and Lancashire are falsly aspersed and maliciously belied and traduced Had it not been for the clearing of their Innocency and the discovery of the falsities contained in that Book too apt in this credulous age to be believed as whatsoever is spoken against a Minister there had not been one word written in answer to it And for the rest of that Book that concerns us not I should be loath to betray my indiscretion so far as to attempt a full answer to such a heap of words or to trouble any judicious Reader with such fruitless contests Good Readers you have that Book by you or can think it worth your buying or perusal let me intreat you to read it with some observation of the Contents And if you be men whose inner man hath been indeed illuminated by the good spirit of the Lord and the knowledge of the Truth or whose reason hath been at all refined or polisht by learning or good education you will easily perceive by what they have to say for themselves that they are men whose knowledge is science falsly so called that these men are blind Leaders that while they pretend to be full of the Spirit full of Light and Revelations they are led a captive prey to the spirit of lies that spirit that workes in the children of disobedience that they walk in thick darkness that they go they know not whither and speak they know not what Something they would say to clear themselves of those blasphemies and cursed speeches they have been overheard to utter and have bin deposed upon oath against them both in Westmerland and Lancashire if they could tell how Flatly deny them they cannot they do not you wil even wonder to see how they bungle out an answer You wil admire at their impertinencies inconsistencies irrational insensate misty expressions as ambiguous sometimes as the devils oracles and stand amazed to see their impudence and how magistically they can revile censure to the pit of hel how boldly they dare avouch an error and offer a rape upon the holy Text wrest and misapply it and father their heretical absurd tenets assertions on it that in Print even
the advantage he waited for he cried out unto the people not to receive him into their houses and alledged that in the second Epistle of 〈◊〉 verse 10. Now how suitable that place was for his purpose all people may see who have eyes for there they are forbidden to receive any into their houses but such who abide in the Doctrine of Christ and confess themselves that they had both the Father and the Son and preach that Doctrine but the Priests say that is blasphemy Then the Priest turned away from him upon which the armed multitude began to be violent against divers friends that were there James hearing friends cry out said to the Justice You will surely set us peaceably into the house again But seeing him to go away and leave them in the hands of the rude multitude he gave himself up saying The Will of the LORD be done Upon which the Justice turned again saying We will see him in the house again and going towards the house many friends kept close about James exposing their own bodies to the danger of their weapons to save him harmlesse and so with much ado we got into the house not receiving much harm Which being done and as James was praising the Lord for his wondrous deliverance from their malicious intents some heard them say If we let him go thus all people will run after him Whereupon they agreed that he should be brought before the Justice again and came with violence and haled him out again Then the Justice and the Priest getting a horsback they caused him to run after them to an Alehouse on the other side the water where they went in not suffering one friend to go in with Iames. And when he came before the Justice he told him if he would not put off his hat he would send him to prison and also because he Thoued him for the Justice said My Commission runs Ye To which Iames answered I do it not in contempt for I own Authoritie and honour it according to the Scriptures But I find none such honour commanded in Scripture but forbidden Then they concluded to commit him for that and also as a wandring person and said none knew there from whence he came for those who knew him were kept out Then said he to Arthur Scaife Thou knowest me I was in the Army with thee eight or nine yeares It is no matter said the Justice thou art no Souldier now Then they writ a Mittimus to send him to prison and carried him to Kirkby-Steven that night shut him up in a Chamber and set a guard upon him but divers of our friends following into the Town where a great multitude was gathered together for meeting then did the people come from the Steeple-house where another had been preaching for divers of the Priests were gathered together that day some preaching some plotting and some persecuting 〈◊〉 fast was a preparation for Naboths death But friends not being suffered to go into the house where Iames was they abode in the streets and some of them being moved to speak to the people the Priests perceiving the people to give audience to what was spoken made complaint Whereupon some were sent forth and with violence fetched in one Francis Hâ—â—gill a friend who was speaking to the people and brought him into the High-Priests hall where were five Priests assembled with many other of their partie but not one friend And bringing him before the Justice he was commanded to put off his hat He answered I know no such law The Priest said He will tread both Ministery and Magistracy under his feet He said Thou art a false Accuser prove wherein But one that stood by took off his hat and cast it into the fire Then said the Justice What is this thou speakest against the Ministers He answered What hast thou to accuse me of Whereupon one affirmed that he said All the Ministers that taught for hire and in Steeple-houses were enemies and liars against Iesus Christ and no Ministers of Iesus Christ. Vpon that the Justice said Thou speakest against the Law for the Law gives them their maintenance He said I meddle not of the Law but of their practice Then said Francis to the Priest Didst thou ever know a Minister of Jesus Christ that was a persecutor or did labour to imprison any And after some more discourse he said to the Priest I have seen a great deal of tyranny and persecution in this dayes actions Then said the Justice to the people Take notice he saith the Law I act by is Tyrannie and persecution To which the people assented Then said Francis Thou maist give out to the people what thou wilt but I speak not of the Law but of your Actions Upon that he was sent to prison a guard of 8 men was set over them who spent the night in drinking swearing and filthy and unclean talking and the more they were desired by the people to take heed of sin the more filthy they did appear but these are the fittest instruments for acting the Priests intentions being Members of the Churches The next day they were guarded to Appleby but some friends following could not be suffered to passe on the streets that way so great was their envie against all that set their face that way And the prisoners being brought thither much means was used that none should come at them but such as were sent to tempt them There they were kept until the Sessions in which time they sent up and down the Country to seek for any that would witness any thing against them and improved their utmost interest for their advantage A Jury was chosen divers of them were resolved on the business so that it was told the Prisoners what would become of them before the day of examination came and it was accordingly For the day came and judgement passed but the Prisoners never saw their Accusers nor know who they are but against that day the Priests had prepared 3 large Petitions stuft with most filthy untruths and slanders raised out of the bottomless pit but not one of them proved though one of the Justices said to them It is fit they should be proved neither was there any thing in them which they could charge upon the prisoners save onely the Power of the Lord had manifested at their meetings in shaking proud flesh and pouring out his Spirit among many especially as they said upon little children which the Priests concluded was Sorcery and Witchery and of the Devil hereby declaring themselves to be of that generation who called the good man of the house Beelzebub and if they should not doe the same to them of his houshold the words of Christ could not be fulfilled Likewise they had gathered up all reports true or fals of things done by many that the Prisoners had not seen the faces of nor ever knew thinking thereby to make them odious to the people They also brought two Priests out of