the wrong c. If you walk in that wrong way wherein you miscarrie and wrong God and Men growing worse and running further therein do not the Papists the same and are not you and they therein one and so walk with them in that way whose actions proceed from one ground and Spirit though in some words and formalities you differ but in the evill and wronging God and Men c. are Joyned together and therefore may stop your mouths of condemning others for that which you are found guilty of your words as well as your actions beare witnesse against you and your bitternesse and persecuting the servants of Jesus as your Prisons and barbarous or cruel usage at Evesham and other places may witnesse for the truth and against your deceit and wrong done to men and God as you say in your agreement therefore you and the Papists goes on in one nature together the Papists you say bring all â—he people to confesse their most secret sins unto their Priests and do not you labour to bring the people to do so unto you the Parish Masters idle Shepherds and hireling Preists and then are not you and the Papists therein both one in nature and property Ezâ—k 3â— â—â— â— though differing a little in words and colourable clauses And where you tell of creeping into houses who more then you creeps into the Popes houses which you with and from them call Churches but let me aske you that run so out of them from whence you sprung wherein do you and they differ in worships and practise therein Whether in manner or matter if in manner onely you differ and not in matter then do you not agree in the maine if so then are not you and the Papists in religion and worships as well as nature and property one though differing in some words formalities c. but both in the vaine traditions and observing your fancies and braine imaginations as the Serpents seed did in all ages You resolve in your wills to set on a worke in your imaginations promising salvation upon the performance and damnation upon the refusall page 30. and so would merit Heaven by your actings in the nature from whence ariseth negligence and miscarriages page 3 4. and wrong to men and to Christ page 19. and do not the Papists hold the same thinking to merit Heaven by their own actings in that nature and spirit of deceipt which guides them to neglect the work of God and also into miscarriages and to wrong men and God like you and persecuters and seed of evill doers If so then are not you and the Papists one therein and why do you crie out against that so much in others your selves being guilty of and found in the same and doing their work onely differing here and there in words formalities some colourable glosses c. You say page 23. you have all need to joyne heart and hand to help one another safe to heaven and all little enough you say I answer yea and too little too for in that nature in will not be done which teacheth you to wrong Christ and Men for if in that nature you could do it why might not the Papist in the like nature with you do the same and are not you therein with the Papists one or if any get out of your ignorance and come from under the wrong and out of the miscarriages in obedience to the teachings of Christ the true teacher and Saviour whom you wrong that they get into Heaven before you or sit with Christ Jesus in heavenly places whilst their bodys are on the earth as the Saints at Ephesus did whil'st their bodys were there and such as are saved by grace having their souls purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit where selfe is denyed are not you through ignorance of the way that leads out of error heresie miscarriages Popery and darknesse ready to call such hereticks as are come out of that and into the glorious light and injoyments of the sons of God to worship the Father in Spirit I say are you not ready to call such hereticks who are come out of it viz the darknesse Eâ—he 1.6 Co. 1.13 1 Pet. 1.22.23 24. Reve. 21.3.23.24 Joh. 4.23.24 2 Cor. 3.16.17 Gal. 4.4 5 6 7.8 1 Cor. 4.6.7 and heresie which you live in and would rank them with the Papists under that denomination to cover and shelter your selves thinking to cast that upon them which they are freed from and you and the Papists are found in union with and guilty of being both of you out of the right way and in the wrong that are neglecters of the work of God and wronging God and men and living in the miscarriages and so in the heresies error and disobedience to the truth following your own Spirits and obeying the imagined fancy formed up in your own wills and living in the vaine traditions and customes of the Heathen as you and they do but your mist dazels the eye of none but the willfull blind and such as are in sleepy security and in sin unturned to God who are already deceived and the eye covered or blinded by which they should see both delusion and heresie in which you and they therein agree who grow worse and run yet further from God c. For the Papists believe they shall never be free from sin here in this life and therein they are reprobate concerning the true Gospel soul-saving and purifying faith and you believe the same viz that you shall never be freed from sin here in this life and then must not you with the Papists have a purgatory seeing that nothing which is uncleane shall in any wise enter into the holy City Rev. 21.27 and the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God as it is said and by the Ambassadour of Christ declared 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and are not you reprobate concerning the true Gospel Gal. 5.20 21. soul-saving and purifying faith who denieth the property of it in denying purity of heart and abiding in darknesse and the nature opposite to the true light believing or saying you believe you cannot or shall not be free from sin here in this life and therefore are not you and the Papists both one and your faith and theirs in nature and property being dead and corrupt therein agreeth together but I deny the Papists and you the wrongers of Christ and Men and that faith which doth not purifie the heart witnesseth that faith and power which doth Act. 15.89 Hâ—b 2.10.11 and as the Saints did as the Scripture witnesseth and God which searcheth the hearts beareth me witnesse as he did them who giveth the holy Ghost that purifieth the heart by faith and we know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from that vaine conversation which had been received by tradition from your fore Fathers c. Who received Silver and Gold and did not the work which
against you with these words or do his messengers delight more in these words in repeating these abominations then formerly Or which of the Prophets Christ or the Apostles that could be silent in the sight of such wickednesse Mica 3.5 11. Hos 6.9 and will this excuse you to say you love not these things and yet live in them and contend for them and imprison your brethren as you have called them and spoiled their goods if you have them not are ye seeking their souled while you are casting them into Prisons Had Christ ever such a ministry and yet your hearts be filled with rage and madnesse that you cannot beare it to be told of it Joh. 15.18 19 20. Math. 6.24 25. c. John 16.1 2 3. Heb. 11.36 37.38 1 Cor. 9.16.17 18 19. 2 Cor. 1.4.5.6 2 Tim. 3.10.11 1 Pet. 3.18 19 1 Pet. 4. by such as seeke your returne and not your destruction And all the returne you make is to complaine to the magistrates that you are disturbed and that they must protect you in your peace which is not in the doctrine of Christ nor way of his Ministers but if any of you be Christs Ministers come forth in his life and power and do his worke and receive of him what is meete and not from the world and so make proofe of Christ in you by his fruits and then let him be accursed that railes against you come out of your stately houses your tithes and great parsonages and with Christ and his Ministers wander in the desolate places of the Nations and preach to the people that sit in darknesse who have souls but no parsonage leave your master-ships and come to be servants to such for Christs sake cease bearing rule by your means and rule by the spirit of the lambe seeke the souls and not the gaine cloth your selves with Christs suffering and not with the wooll cease to hale their bodies into Prison and minister to the soules in Prison to the opening that eye your Fathers have blinded with their daubing and to the quickening that which they have quenched and slaine that you may present them living to God Ephe. 5.4.5 6. 12. 1 Pet. 1.4 5 6 7 8 9. Act. 17.16 17 c. Act 17.24 25. Act. 7.47 48 49. Math. 6.25 26. spirituall men and women that you may become makers up of the breach that is made by the lying divinations of those that went before you let us see you in the streets of your Townes and Citties declaring against wickednesse who are not ashamed to act abominations before the Sun come out to witnesse against your stage plaies and curious arts which you call pastimes and recreation the Devils invention to steale away the minds of people from their God come into your markets and concourse of people and witnesse against all sweareing lyinâ— idle words and foolish jesting which to heare doth vex the soule of the righteous and all that know the condemnation that must come upon such things this was the Ministry of Christ in Prophets and Apostles which if you were called to and faithfull in you would cease to lay snares for him that doth reprove sin in the gate nor will you then counâ—â—â— breaking the peace cease casting one another out of your livings to put your freinds or some of your forme in their stead and goe forth and declare against all the Idols worship performed in the Idols Temple and all formes crept in by the man of sin since the Apostles and lead to the same forme and foundation without adding diminishing or wresting that the Saints were who were led out of the Idols Temple to cry out against them and the hirelings therein then will you cease to beate in your Synagogues and hale before rulers and partake with them that are so used then the Scriptures will justifie your practise and preaching without meanings and the life will answer the words which came from it and when the sheeps clothing is on the sheeps back and the nature of the sheepe guiding in the inward parts then such as call you wolves your practise will prove them liers and the Scriptures will to you witnesse and you to them without meanings then may you lay by your Heathenish expositers and commentators and imitaters too when with the same Spirit you are acted in the same way and so become examples to the people in somthing of selfe-deniall besides your words you have long told your hearers of your faith and beleiving God for your soules but let them see how farr you have learned to trust God for your bellies and that you have some faith at present and not all in another world for that faith which leadeth not to cast all care upon God for the body ill but do little good for the soule in time of need for the body is more then rayment and the life more then meate Math. 6.25 26 so that which will not carry above the carnall will never bring you to the eternall and little do they know of faith who take that for it and now let your faith be tried in the life before the world to whom you preach for the truth is come and tried you must be and that faith which wil not over ballance the world wil be found too light in the sealed ballance and so will that practise that will not hold with the Scriptures without wresting for the evill tree cannot bring forth the good fruit Math. 7.15.16.17 18. nor will that which was spoken by the Spirit of Christ beare witnesse to the waies worships and works of Antichrist and herewith are you tried all you Parish Masters Teachers of the Nation your doctrines your meanings your means your maintenance your preaching and profiting of the people and how the Scriptures is your standing rule to walke by and whether you be of the unchangeable Preist-hood that changeth not as the times change according to the preferment and estates politique or you be of those who have no other rule for your way of worship then people have for the forme of their habit and so you are rightly called nationall Ministers as every Nation hath its severall kinde so this also and all pretend Scripture and by wresting it can make them all lawfull in their account and count all heretiques that speaks against them so long as the eatthly powers takes their part but when they change the face of that Ministry falls and thus it is with all sorts whose Ministry the Scriptures will not own both in matter and forme and maintenance without the least adding diminishing or wâ—esting Reve. 22.18.19 for the Ministry of the Gospel changeth not and whosoever God appointeth to rule in the Nations or what lawes ever they set up the law of Christ stands in his servants who have received the law giver in Spirit so when the wicked raigne such rather suffer then change from the truth who worship and serve the Creatour more then
people by casting a mist before the eyes of their understanding seeking to insinuate into them by flatteries and garnishing your flatteries with colourable glosses to cause them to think that your reviving that which hath been used amongst them with out-side Matth. 23.27 28.30 31 c. will now from you receive life to do that which it could not do neither by the Pope or Bishops nor by you their off-springs And with the Light are you seen at your witts end and troubled that you cannot have your wills fulfilled who are the enemies of the Living truth and wrongers both of men and God as you also in your Agreement acknowledge and therefore all your Evasions and Colourable glosses must fall with your Image and Imaginary worships as in your fore-fathers before you and the Ministry that stands out of mans will which you are yet Ignorant of must through the crosse cut down and crucifie and kill that which your Ministry doth not nor your fore-fathers or the Pope or Bishops before you and that Ministry which comes forth from the Light and power of the Spirit of God is for the discovering and killing of the Error Heresie and Miscariages which yours hath and doth leave people in and so as it kills that and the Ignorance Gala. 3.4 5. Eph. 2. Iohn 8.12 1 Iohn 3.8 9. 1. Pet. 1.18 19 22 23 1 Iohn 4.16 17 Iohn 14.20 it quickeneth and raiseth the soul out of death destroying the Ignorance Error Heresie and Miscariages and all the works of the Devill and so bringeth soules out of death and from under the power of darknesse to live in the life of the Eternall truth in the Injoyment of the Fathers love and to Enjoy and walke in the liberty of the Sons of God And saith John We know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ and this is true God and life eternall 1 John 5.20 Whose Ministry without your familiar personall Instruction discovereth and killeth sin Error and Miscariages which you live in unkilled and therefore out of his Minstiry who killeth that and quickeneth the other that hath suffered under it raising that and them together with it saving them by grace and causing them as they at Ephesus did to sit with Christ Jesus in the heavenly place Ephe. 2.1 2 4 5 6. For by grace were they saved ver 8th Through faith and not of themselves nor of works lest any should boast Eph 2.8 9. As Paul the Gospel-Minister doth witnesse in his Affirmation who did not as you do in your confusion set up a form of words without Spirit and Life grounded upon the Popes practice or generall Councell held at Trent or at Trull And bid people get these to say and be catechized c. And say them over to the Pope or Arch-bishops Persons Preists Rectors and Curates upon pain of damnation neither doth his words warrant you so to do Therefore are they not your warrant from God for that work Neither did Paul go and write out a few words out of the 20. Chap. of Exodus and the 6. Chap. of Matthew and set the people to get them upon pain of damnation and salvation Which words he had before you and witnessed the life in the spirit and power of Christ for the killing of Ignorannce Sin Error and Miscarriages Eph. 5.13 Eph. 6.10 11 12 13 14. Gal 2.19 20. and to quicken the mortall body Rom. 8.10 11. as well for the purifying of the heart and the soul 1 Pet. 1.22 23. Which you have shewed your Ignorance in and to be out of And therefore Pauls words is not your warrant from God who are out of that righteous life And Paul said they were delivered from the law that being dead wherein they had been held their service stood in the newnes of the Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the Letter Rom. 7.6 But your service stands in the oldnesse of the Letter and the old Law and not in the Gospel and newnesse of spirit Rom. 1.16 16. as your fruits and Agreeement doth manifest Therefore you that serve in your wills and set people to serve in theirs and in the oldnesse of the Letter without the Gospel and power of God to salvation and the newnesse of Spirit Clo. 2.21 22 23. Eph. 2.14 15 16. Rom. 1.26 you are not by Pauls words warranted from God to do it who was himself a minister not of the Letter but of the Spirit as he hath witnessed 2 Co. 3.6 c. Therefore your garnishing your selves with his words and wanting his ministery and spirit to guide in the ministration and worship of God that spirit John 4.23 24. 2 Cor. 3.17 18. you are but as founding Brasse and tinkling Cymbals being in the envy and out of love the of the Father as the false Prophets was therefore let Pauls words rest where they are 1 Cor. 13. H s 16.9 Mic. 3.11 Iude 11. till you depart from your lusts and go make restitution for the Lord is against you and all such who are yet without warrant from God for all your stealing of words to garnish your selves as your fore-fathers did But thus saith the Lord therefore behold I am against them that steal my words from his neighbour I sent them not nor commanded them Therefore they shall not profit the people at all Ier. 23.30 c. And now that you are without warrant from the Scripture being out of the life of truth and reviving your fore-fathers works taking a ground from the sixth-Generall Councell held at Trent or at Trull in the time of the Pope or Bishopps Matth. 7.15 16 17 20 22 22 26 27. ver 2. and are you not also left without warrant from them then where are you now and what ground do you stand on are you not without ground or bottom and on the Sandy foundation ready to be washed away when the floods come c. Whose fall as Christ saith therefrom is like to be great and as may be Read Math. 7.26 27. Let the Priests minde and see If they know From whence they came BEhold and see from whence you came and minde your return was not your Original I head root and foundation the Pope or Arch-bishops and Bishops amongst which was not the Bishop of Rome called the Pope Chiefe Supreame head c. Untill the time or raign of Henry the 8. Late King of England as by the Lawes of this Nation may appeare c. And the Called Arch-Bishopps and such as received Orders from them to be Priests Ministers Deacons and Clarks c. Were they not called the body Spirituall and were and are they not called the English Church c. And after the Pope was put out of Tythes and that which he had begott by Henry the 8 the Arch-Bishopps your fathers Priests Ministers Deacons Rectors Clarks
are Satanical for all their colourable glosses being in the miscarriages charging God with an Imperfect work page 18.19 of their Agreement wrongers of him of men and of Christ his Son but they are seen and made manifest and wo will be your portion that knowingly in their deceits joynes with them doth uphold them and did not the cheif Priests or the Devill in them and in the Scribes and Pharisees preach the letter of the Scriptures Isa 9.15 16. Isa 3.11 Hos 6.9 Joh. 5.39 40. Isa 2.12 Luke 20.12.19 20 21 23 27 28 45 46 47. verses but wanted the life of them as your Priests do who are wrongers of Christ and of you as they say and made use of it to tempt Christ withall but they and such like were and are for the greater condemnation as Christ hath said Marke 12.38 39 40. And doth not the Devill now in the chief Priests Persecuters Proud Covetous Envious ones and their disciples preach the letter of the Scripture and are out of the life of them seeking honour one of another as the enemies of Christ did that had the letter but wanted the life Joh. 5.39 40 41 42 43 44 And do not they make use of the letter that are out of the life make use of it to oppose the naked truth withall Do not Proude ones preach the letter of the Scripture yet live in Pride and Coveteousnesse or in union with the life of the Devill who is the King of Pride and enemy of all unrighteousnesse c. And doth not the Devill in Proud and Covetous ones as well as Envious and persecuters c. teach them to wrest the Scriptures for their own ends and to plead for pride c under such covers which are not with the spirit of the Lord though the woe from God be against them denounced Isa 3.11 Isa 20 Isa 30. 2 Pet. 3.16 Isa 30.1 c. And doth not the Devill in Covetous ones teach them to break the command of God which forbids covetousnesse And doth not the Devill in Covetous ones and self-seekers c. 2 Tim. 3.1 2. c. now in these latter dayes teach them for their own ends to make use of and preach the letter of the Scripture when they are transgressors of the commands of God and persecuting and killing the Innocent for he that persecutes and Envies the righteous seed he is a murtherer and is out of the life of the Spirit of God as faith the Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.22 15 And so in the lust of the Devill Joh. 8.44 And in union with the Image of Pride in proud flesh and bowing to it with capp and knee as well as worship an Imaginary and false worship and transgresseth the commands of God and therefore must drink deep of his wrath Rev. 14.9 10 11. And if covetousnesse is Idolatry then both Covetous Priests and People are Idolaters and therefore are they and all false worshippers and bowers to the Image of Pride one in another who are persecuters of the righteous seed both transgressors of the commands of God and out of the new bath new nature and out of the new Covenant and life of God and in old envy Wrath Lust Self-Love pride vain glory and then are they not still in union with the life of the Devill which evill fruits floweth there from and doth not the Devil in Pope Papist as well as in prelates persecuting self-seeking Priests Pastors Vicars Rectors and Proud painted Antichristian Ministers make use of and preach the Letter of the Scripture being without the life of truth and in the nature of the Devill and are not you that are wrongers of Christ and in Miscarriages c. and they guided by an evil spirit Joh. 8.39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48.52 verses and in union with that evil nature as the Jews and cheif Priests and such was that persecuted Christ Jesus yet they preached the letter and spake of Moses and the prophets for their own ends by the Spirit of the Devill Joh. 8.39 and would not receive the truth nor forsake their Sins Pride Will-worship Self-love Covetousnesse Self-righteousnesse vain glory and honour of the world but refused to deny self take up the daily crosse and come unto the life and power of truth so that Christ complained against them Joh. 5.40 and letting their visitation slip he wept over them Joh. 5.40 41 42 43 44. and therefore that you may come to understand the truth learn to pray and preach aright minde to be obedient to the Light of Christ in your consciences which reproves in secret for evil and doth convince you of sin self righteousnesse unbeliefe Pride Covetousnesse Persecution the love and honour of the world unrighteousnesse and your Miscarriages and of the wrong you do to Christ and men and as your duty is to depart from iniquity so you are to yield unto the light and follow the same that you may come out of your miscarriages and cease doing wrong to Christ men forsake the evil of your wayes by the light discovered cease to do evil and learn of that which is good for to do well which reproves you for the evil that you may come out of the wrong way unto the right and know the power of truth manifested and Christ at work in your hearts and soules destroying the Pride Lust Covetousnesse Self-love vain glory unbeliefe and so all unrighteousnesse as it is discovered to you and also beget you obeying and following the light into righteousnesse pure unfained love and out of the Hypocrisie into the faith unfained and true patience perfecting his work that it may possesâ— your soules and dispossess impatience and distrust that your soules may come into joy and peace through the working of the power of God killing sin and quickening you by his spirit begetting and bringing forth that which is pure holy just and good to be your rule and guide as in such it is where the birth is known that is of the spirit of Gods then might you call him Father by divine right and so in truth and righteousnesse with the spirit and true spirituall understanding might you pray with such a right as of Christ are taught and are guided by the Spirit of God c. to say Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name and then would you hallow and so Sanctify the name of the Lord God in your hearts and be ready thereby without your Miscarrying priests to give an answer to every man that shall aske you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknes and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 having a good conscience as the Saints and Children of God the Father hath and aforetime had 1 Pet. 3.16 in which the mystery of faith is held 1 Tim. 3.9 and not in your Miscarrying nature or a piece of paper from your untaught teachers that know not God nor his eternall Living word but are wrongers
yet taught or have not submitted to the teachings of Christ your selves and your bare sayings that you are Ministers of Christ is not sufficient to prove you to be so when your fruits witnesse the contrary against you as well as your words and self-accusations who sayes you are wrongers of Christ and are growing worse and running further from God and as you run further from God you run further from grace and goodnesse into persecution wickednesse and your Miscarriages which is by your fruits daily made and will be more and more Manifest There was no necessity that you should have told us of it for we knew it before and the tree on which that evill fruit growes but seeing you have done so and also accused and confuted as well as contradicted your selves your words will serve to witnesse to succeeding ages against you with your fruits as they are left upon record c And in your tenth answer of your Catechisme you tell of secret duties of holinesse but you make it manifest that you are out of them and so are sayers and not doers and therefore hypocrits and they serve you to talk of but still lives and goes on in your miscarriages as well as in hardnesse of heart Pride worldly mindednesse flesh-pleaseing and hypocrisie which you speak of in that answer and so have laid open some of your fruits therein arising from that evill nature in which you grow worse who are the flesh-pleases will-worshippers and time servers And where you tell of watching against temptations instead thereof do you not for the love of money fall into temptation and so watch for large augmentations and how to ensnare and imprison such as are sent to tell you of your miscarriages which you now have confessed but are running yet further on in them and thosâ— private duties you say is in your 11 Ans that Masters Parents must teach their Children Servants the word and feare of God hinder them from sin the which if they could do I say it were well but before they do that they must know another spirit guiding to teacth and hinder them from sin who are yet without the feare of God that are yet asleepe in security and in sin unturned to God and untaught as you are who lives in miscarriages therein growing worse c. And how should they teach that to wit the word and feare of God to others whil'st they are untaught yet themselves as well as you their untaught teachers And in your last answer you tell of the necessarie duties of righteousnesse but it appeares that you are out of them that are in miscarriages growing worse and therefore are servants of sin and unrighteousnesse 1 Tim. 6.9.10 ver Rom. 13.3 4. Isa 56.9 10 11. ver But you say superiors must rule for God so say I and then they will feare God and hate covetousnesse as saith the Scripture Exod. 18.20 21 22. and also be ready to relieve the oppressed and punish evil doers and then how should you escape the punnishment that are in the miscarriages and doing wrong to others and you say it is your duty to love your neighbour as your selves but I say such as are wrongers of them are not lovers of them no more then for their own ends but you are wrongers of them according to your sayings as well as your doings and therefore it is manifest that instead of loving them you are wronging their soul's and from your quarters are seeking your own ends and earthly gaines as your brethren the false Prophets the blind watch-men and greedy dumb doggs as well as both the beasts of the field and the forest that came to devour did and do wrong to others then in their times as you do now in yours that are in the miscarriages wronging Christ and men who neglects that necessary duty you speak of and therefore be conviced that you leave undone that which you say is your duty as well as necessary and needfull and ought for to be done and so according to your own sayings you leave that undone which you ought to do and so you say it is your necessary duty to do as you would be done by then I say if you did your duty which you say is needfull to be done you would not perfecute and cause the innocent causelessy to be cast into Prisons and Dungeons nor to suffer such hard usage by your meanes as they do for you would not be so done unto your selves and not doing to them and others as you would be done unto your selves you both transgresse the royall law and also neglects and leaves undone that necessary duty you speak of but it serves you to talk of hypocrit-like though you leave it undone and regard not at all to performe the same as by your fruits is now largely made mâ—nifest and you say it is your duty to behave your selves towards all men in lowlinesse then I say you must forsake your miscarriages and lay aside envy pride and haughtinesse if you intend to performe your sâ—yings who also saith It is your duty soberly to behave your selves in meeknesse and harmelesly not wronging any in their bodies c. Then I say you must come out of your suttlety if you come into harmelessenesse and you must come out of your wrath and passion before you learne meeknesse and if it be your duty not to wrong any in their bodies then you leave it undone by filling of your Prisons who instead of being lowly and meeke are proâ—de covetous and haughty filled with envy and cruelty as your fruits doth demonstrate who instead of being harmelesse are wrongfull and growing worse in the miscarriages and instead of not wronging any in their bodies you both wrong their bodies that without cause by your meanes are made to suffer in Holes Prisons and Dungeons as well as to be beaten stoned and abused in your streets that in obedience to the Lord are sent to witnesse against your deceipts and as you cause wrong to be done to the Saints bodies according to your sayings in your Agreement and as you do wrong to them in their bodies so likewise do you wrong to the soules you deceive under your unprofitable ministry that saies you are not wrongers of them only but of Christ himselfe also Therefore you leave undone that necessary duty who leaveth that undone which you say you should do and instead of doing that necessary duty you make it your businesse to wrong Christ and men so doing that which you ought not to do according to your own sayings and therefore do you act against the Scripture as well as neglect your necessary duty you tell of makeing it your work to live in flatteries and miscarriages growing worse therein as well as to run further from God and do wrong to Christ and men as your fruits with your words against you do witnesse and also in a large measure doth shew forth the same Take notice
the Creature and these were never ordained by the world but by their own Master Christ Jesus by whom the world was made who agrees with his servants about what he sees meete but never made use of the hireling who takes his wages from the world for it is not like that the world who loves their evill deeds should uphold that Ministry which brings them to light so with the light you are seene and what you have been doing these many yeares and what you are now doing and your works and your fruits are come to light you Parish masters who have given your servants which attend you your liveries who serve and worship and bow to you and they are Joh. 8.3.4 2 Pet. 3.3 Act. 17.5.6 worne in your streets and by them it is knowne whose servants they are they are your servants who are now found scoffing and scorning and dirting the simple innocent harmelesse Lambes of Christ punnishing beating and haling in your synagogues and haling before rulers and swearing against and false accusing to add to the afflictions of the afflicted strengthen their bonds whereby the Scriptures is fulfilled upon you and them the sweareing lying filthy communications drunkennesse that is seen in your streets Rom. 1.28 29. c. the stage playes and foolish sports invented for no other end but to fulfil the lust draw the minds of people from their God which you have invented fine names for calling them pastimes and recreations which the Saints never did nor lived in the vanity pride and oppression that abounds in your Townes couzening fighting and suing and all abominations is found in your servants and you are their Masters which they who have no master but Christ abhors to live in so your livery is worne and your marke is received and known you are in the light and read your names and the number of them your servants and service with the worke they are found in which you must own though you rage when you are told of it yet all these belong to some of you Reve. 13.18 Reve. 12.7 Reve. 12.7.8 9 12 13. and by this thus gotten are you maintained and you own them and their Prophets their service and worship and the servants of Christ they are seene who cannot worship any but him and so they suffer with him all those things to be done unto them as was done unto him and in the light they are known and the enmity is begun and is great between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Dragon and there is no more hiding place for the Serpent nor in Heaven have they any place so to the earth they are cast and there they are rageing disquieting the inhabitants thereof and stirring up the powers thereof against the lambe to battel and many are gathered and gathering and the numberlesse number is making up to goe out against a scorned and contemptible weake and foolish people with envy and in great rage with all manner of lying divinations that they may beset them round and smite them on every side and the masters and their servants are all at worke some they are laying snares and setting gins for the innocent who is set by the Lord to reprove sin openly in the gate and they are ready to sweare against them that they are peace-breakers and turbulent pestilent fellows when they have almost murdered them in the streets all blood and bruised dirted and stoned yet they to prison must for offenders for the words they have spoken and if any be moved to goe to the Idols Temple amongst them you call the Churches to speak a word or if they speak not a word Act. 17.5 6 7 8. Act. 21.28.30.31 ver Act 24.5.6 Joh. 15.18 19 20. Joh. 16.1 2 3. if they be but known to be of that seed which will not bow in the house of rimmon there they are haled and beat and teared and pulled by the haire and beat with their Bibles and struck downe so that your Churches are more cruâ—ll then your markets as they are further from God so they are further from mercy justice and Judgment not one of you once to consider that for this very thing it was that the servants of God Prophets and Apostles did formerly suffer beating whipping imprisonment bonds and death but as though all this was nothing to you who are the Masters of this worke you still cry out like men stark drunk with blood to the rulers for greater punnishment to be infflicted upon those who have none on earth to plead their cause So that having prevailed to the filling of most of the Prisons in the Nation more then ever your fore-Fathers the Bishops did so that such a list may be given of your inprisoning stocking beating whipping and blooding in these three last yeares since the Nation had outward peace as will not be produced in three score yeares of your Fore-fathers and further to blood you are hasting as fast as you can prevaile with the Magistrates to fulfill your thirst how many petitions have beene formed by you Parish masters to the Magistrates against the despised people under the names of heresies and errors and blasphemies and as envious names as your envy cold invent to incense people and powers against them but never yet could convince us to our faces thereof by the Scriptures and the Saints lives without wrestings neither did you ever deale so Christian like as to desire that your practise and ours may be brought face to face before the magistrates and the Scriptures to stand as judge betwixt us and you as it is a declaration against heresies error and blasphemy but if you may not be our Judges and your own and the Scriptures too you cry out of heresie and fall a rageing and false accuseing shewing your selves to be of the generation of backbitters who will not come to the light to convince nor be convinced but cry out to the Magistrates that they must prepare greater punnishments against us shewing to all that you seeke more to destroy the bodies then save the soules crying out to men to Judge us and censure us but will not bring us to be tried by the Saints lives and practice how many of us have beene censured by drunkards and swearers and carnall men by your meanes but did you ever bring the Scriptures to lay before us and out and of that censure and Judge us as it is without your meaning added to it but this you know would fall upon your own backs and condemne your own practice if we be such heretiques as you call us why are we not convinced before authority by the Saints practice and judgment can any law judge of heresie but the law of God and is that which we do now more heresie then formerly being the same both in pure life and judgment you use to accuse us falsly saying we deny the Scriptures yet are we denied the benefit to be proved and judged thereby and because you say we are so that is sufficient in your account whereon to passe sentence and upon this account hath Christ suffered all along by your generation and doth at this day who have erred after the error of Balaam for gists and rewards and goe after the way of Caine in envy and murther and both these are one Spirit the covetous the murtherer seducer are one against the light which shews your evil deeds and the ground of your envy is the same wherefore did Cain hate Ids brother because his deeds were evill and his brothers good so for declareing freely the way of truth for reproving sin in Preists and people high and low as we are moved now we beare the envy of all whose deeds are evill and cannot endure reproofe For them whom the world reproacheth under the name of Quakers who are hated and persecuted for the Testimony of Jesus