the Shambles was lawful but that which was Sacrificed to Idols ver 12. there he mentions the restriction himself and so Luk. 1.3 It seemed good to me also having perfect understanding of all things from the very first the subject matter whereof he writes and the things are exprest and the exceptions in the 2 Chapter and in Mat. 12.31 All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for given there in the same Verse Christ makes the exception and restriction and Exod. 20.10 Thou shalt do no manner of Work it 's abundantly expressed elsewhere in the Law where the Priests service on every Sabbath are appointed them and the exception of dressing what every one was to eat and was expressed and the exception of doing good and of works of Mercy in saving the Life of Man or Beast was to take place ever against the Typical Sabbath I will have mercy and not Sacrifice and that of Luk. 8.47 and the Woman that was healed by touching the border of Christ's Garment she declared unto him before all the People what saith A. S. before all the People of the World or before all the People of the Land no there is none so ignorant as to understand it for Mark. 5.21 manifest the exception before all the People only that were with him nigh unto the Sea when he returned from the County of the Gâ—darens or before all the People of his own City that came out to meet him Mat. 9.3 Mat. 8.34 many more I might add to what A. S. hath instanced that Christ uttered many Truths in general terms which must admit of exception Luk. 13.10 all the Sinners Christ spoke to about him in the general terms ye shall Perish but this was not without exception of such as should Repent but that exception was not without expression viz. except ye repent again he said unto his hearers Ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God that was not without exceptions nor these exceptions without expressions viz. except ye be converted yea in the verses immediately before this Universal prohibition Swear not at all Mat. 5.30 31. Christ sayes 't was said of old if any put away his Wife let him give her a Bill of divorce but I say whosoever shall put away his Wife causeth her to commit Adultery But this admits of an exception and that exception is thus exprest viz. saving for the cause of Fornication but though all this be granted even these and many more Universal terms admit of exceptions and restriction yet we cannot grant that these two Texts admit of any such exceptions or restrictions as A. S. would interpret them My reason is this because in this general term and Universal prohibition Swear not at all it cannot in Equity be taken and limitted in that sense which A. S. puts upon it nor with that restriction for that sense would make it short of the subject matter where all Swearing is forbidden as well as any because Swear not at all by Heaven Earth c. Because there is not only no Expression made any where after of any such Exception or Restriction but a fuller Amplification of it by such Particulars as are enumerated and are more particularly exclusive of all kinds of Oaths and of all Oaths of any kind not only of those that they used to wicked Purposes but even those they solemnly used sometime to good Purposes before the Seed Christ was revealed and the Apostle James 5.12 neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath which is a Re-inforcement and redoubling of the said universal Prohibition whereas if Christ had intended any Exception here he might as easily have exprest and would as assuredly as he did immediately above in the Cause of Divorce by except in the Cause of Fornication and have so said Swear not at all except it be solemn and sacred Oaths and by the Lord to good Purposes in Courts where ye are call'd to swear before a Magistrate so James if he had intended as A.S. will needs inforce yet without any Ground a Limitation and Restriction Above all Things my Brethren Swear not neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath except ye swear solemnly by God to good Purposes in Courts or before Magistrates but as I said instead of excepting any Exception he adds that which more strengthens and clears beyond all Exception the Universality of his Prohibition and if all vain Oaths by God were forbidden before and all Swearing by Creatures so that there was no need either for Christ or James to speak of them again as A.S. sayes then this is still matter for the Argument on our Part that some Oaths were prohibited by Christ and James which were not prohibited before and of which there was Necessity for them to speak as there was indeed not only about those Oaths and other Things which the Law before had prohibited but even of those Things that it had allowed and indulged because of the Hardness of their Hearts so we say there was a Necessity of Christ and James not only to mention those Things again which the Law had spoken of before and disallowed which we have instanced before and is manifest in that Chap. 5. which the Pharisees had perverted and loosened by their false Glosses and Traditions but even those Things which were permitted indulged and commanded under the Law and suffered to be because of the Hardness of their Hearts and Strifes Unbeliefs Insecurities and therefore Christ teacheth and informeth his Disciples as it was in the Beginning before those Things entered and in this Cause about Oaths among the rest prohibits all Swearing without Limitation not only that which was once forbidden but even that which was once permitted and commanded and indulged and therefore it hath been said of old Time thou shalt not forswear thy self under the Law where in Numb 30.2 Deut. 23.21 but I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor Earth nor Jerusalem nor thy Head which is manifestly an exclusive Prohibition of all Oaths without Exception or Restriction or Limitation and still will stand good notwithstanding all A. S. and others opposing among his Disciples and true Christians in whose Hearts he hath put it to speak the Truth and confess in any Cause wherein they are concerned to the Glory of God the Father and to keep the Commands of his Christ and to glorifie him by abiding in his Doctrine Swear not at all And then A. S. concludes Here the grand Objection falls of it self which is Either all kinds of Swearing is forbidden or else Christ notwithstanding his Words But I say unto you forbad nothing which was forbidden before which is utterly improbable and the Reason is saith he because God formerly had forbidden all false and vain Oaths and all Swearing by Creatures all which I grant to be true saith he but the Pharisees had taught the
taken are binding in Respect of Creatures Relation to the Creator and Christ reckons them among sinful Oaths and teacheth them to use only bare Affirmations or Denyals in their Communication And this is the very Sum of his Judgment and the Words of Christ are only to be limitted to this Sense and no further that is not to swear at all by Creatures in their mutual Converse or Communications and this he hath repeated over and over in his Book and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto Christ's Prohibition Swear not at all and this Interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof and is the Judgment of Doctor Gauden also who hath contended as hard for some Swearing as A. S. hath and I perceive that A. S. hath read the Answer to Bishop Gauden published by that precious Servant of the Lord Samuel Fisher who finished his Life in Bonds for the Gospel-Truth against all Swearing whose Answer stands firm and his demonstrative Arguments of Force and are yet unanswered though A. S. hath a little here and there carped at and hath bitten at the Heel but hath not made void at all his Answer which will live as a living Testimony in Generations to come as consonant unto Christ's Doctrine wherein he prohibits all Oaths under the Gospel Reply Though there be some Truth in the different Authors that are alledged and also in A.S. his Words that swearing by Creatures as Heaven and Earth Jerusalem and vain Oaths is forbidden and customary Oaths and the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees and the false Interpretations yet all this comes short of Christ's mind and of the true genuine sense of the words the scope of Christ's Sermon as is manifest in the Chapter and in his Testament and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that Work he hath undertaken viz. the Justification of any or the lawfulness of any Swearing or the defence of that limited sense he would put upon the Universal terms in the 2. Texts wherein Christ and the Apostle forbids all Swearing And though A. S. often tells us Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded neither gave any new positive Law before his Death he sure hath forgot himself much what will become of the two great Ordinances still upheld as Baptism and breaking of Bread and whether was this a new Institution of Christ or was it an Institution in the Law and if it was an Institution of Christ as the Church of England doth hold and not of the Law nor of Moses as indeed it was not then A. S. his Argument is fallen to the Ground that he gave no new Commandment neither instituted any new Ordinance and then what is become of these two great Mysteries as they have been called but he hath ravelled out and spun out his Threed so long that he often runs off his Legs and though A. S. does often urge that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and therefore hath said falsly that Christ Sware before the High Priest after he had given forth this Commandment Swear not at all which if it had been true it had been no more president for Christians then eating the Passeover and though he sometimes urge that such Oaths as were commanded under the Law are not forbidden by that Text Mat. 5.38 because it was spoken sometime before his Death and the Ministration of the first Covenant was not ended till his death and therefore he concludes That all Oaths would not be forbidden by Christ in this Text for saith he Christ did not forbid what the Law commanded but though this prohibition was given out before his Death yet with reference to the Gospel-times after his Death It is evident by the Texts before it and behind it viz. of divorce and of deportment towards injurious Ones and Enemies so in this of Oaths Christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross Abuses of those things that they had a Dispensation for under the Law and that by Divine indulgency which abuses crept in by the Pharisaical false Glosses too much loosing the meaning of God's Law by Moses by their depraved examples or popular Customes but Christ condemned and prohibited those very things which in regard of the hardness of their Hearts distrust and wicked Cruelties God himself in that very Letter of the Law indulged them in and gave them both a dispensation and a precept for in the Law for the Law said of old time before the false gloss of Scribes and Pharisees came in some things so as it was not said from the beginning when Man was in Innocency and was merciful as his Heavenly Father was merciful and the Law said Deut. 24.12 whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a Bill of divorcement then she may go be another man's Wife but I say whose putteth away his Wife causeth her to commit Abultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth Adultery Mat. 5.32 So that not only the corrupt Glosses and irregular Practices of the mis-informed Jews are forbidden but even that which the Law not only permitted and allowed and dispensed with but commanded is for bidden and another thing injoyned and in cause of injury as he hath done so shall it be done unto him ye have heard it hath been said an Eye for an eye and a Tooth for a tooth this was the Law Exod. 21.44 Levit. 24.20 Deut. 19.20 and this was commanded But Christ saith I say unto you that ye resist not Evil whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other also and if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain Mat. 5.39 40 41. So here is not only a further thing but even another thing commanded by Christ. Further the Law said Exod. 20.14 thou shalt not commit Adultery but Christ the wisdom of God saith Mat. 5.28 whosoever looketh upon a Woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart again ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy though A. S. sayes That is not found in the Law but a corrupt Gloss of the Pharisees I say that is found which amounts to as much as hath been shewed for the Jews that were of the Law might and did spoyle their Enemies the Gentiles and Canaanites and Egyptians and Amalekites and had a command so to do and kill them and Root them out and yet to help his Enemies Oxe or Asse under a burthen if he were belonging to a Jew that personally hated him and not an Amalekite one of that cursed race but this is a ridle to many But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and
ye high Cedars and mighty men put on your Strength and gather together all your Forces which you have trusted in call upon your Gods and all your Southsayers and Diviners together for now he is come and the Daughter of Sion now laughs you to scorn and Jerusalem the free Citizens do wagg their Heads at you for he will now plead the Cause of the Poor against you who have been too strong for them and now all that hear this shall tremble For he will make Jerusalem a Praise in the Earth and from it do the Law and the Prophets come forth Awake Oh Arm of the Lord and put on Strength as in the dayes of old to redeem thine own Inheritance which hath long been by the Heathen laid waste and hath been trampled upon by the Uncircumcised art not thou he which was and is and is to come who wilt not give thy Glory to another Arise and shine forth in thy Brightness thou Star of Jacob and Sun of Righteousness and let the Earth be filled with thy Light and Glory that Generations to come may call thee blessed Dry up the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea confound the Wisdom of this World which never knew thee neither would own nor receive thee make the Diviners and Sorcerers mad who have scattered thy Sheep from the everlasting Fold and have healed the Hurts of thy People deceitfully and have caused them to err in telling them thy Power nor thy Arm was not to be looked for now as in the Dayes of old nor thy immediate voice nor word was to be looked or waited for now in the Earth and so have deceived the People with their lying Divinations which they have spoken from the Imaginations of their own Hearts and have laid a stumbling-block in the Way as the Son of Nebat did who made Israel to sin But Oh Lord thou seest how thy own Seed lyeth scattered and ravenous Beasts make a Prey upon it and the Devourers swallow it up therefore hast thou appeared in thy Love and Power for thine own Name 's sake and wilt not suffer thy Seed to be trodden upon any longer by the Prince of Darkness nor his Children whom he hath begotten in his own Image Arise shine forth thou everlasting Covenant of Light and Peace by which and in which all our Fathers believed and so obtained a good Report and were redeemed out of Captivity to serve the Lord forever with one Heart and Mind and worshipped in one Spirit in which Faith they laid hold upon the Perfect Righteousness of Christ made manifest in them and were justified but hath been hid for many Generations in the time of Anti-christ's Reign and all the world hath wondered after the Beast and hath received his Mark but now is the Night far spent and the Day is at hand wherein all that hath been hid shall be made manifest and the Number of the Beast is read and known by all that are redeemed from under his Power and now the Beast and the False Prophet is seen and the Man of sin is made manifest in this the day of his everlasting Power and the brightness of the Sun of Righteousness who is the Light of the world hath made him manifest who is come and coming Glory unto him for evermore who alone is worthy to take the Kingdom Wherefore all honest-hearted in and under all Forms of Professions who have travailed and are weary and all you that have kindled a Fire and have warmed your selves at the Sparks thereof and yet still you lye in Sorrow Oh all ye that have panted and thirsted after Righteousness who have wearied your selves in seeking among the dead Graves and Tombs for a Saviour but have found no Rest and who have followed Lo here and there in this Grave and the other Sepulchre builded on this and that Sand and still swept away your State I know you have no Peace in the eternal Rest I say unto you while you look without you your Eyes may consume in your Holes and your Expectation fail and you will be still complaining For your sakes who are weary and have found none to direct your Way a few Lines I am moved in Compassion to write unto you and if you will not receive it you will not believe if one should rise from the dead for I have obtained Mercy from Christ through his free Grace who is risen from the Dead and saw no Corruption by which Grace I am saved from Sin and cleansed from Unrighteousness after long and sore Labour and Travail under Pharaoh the Oppressour from under whose Dominion I am brought to worship the living God in Spirit and Truth in his Temple where he dwells in Righteousness forever And for the simples sake who have erred for Lack of true Knowledge as I did in Times past I shall declare unto you a little in short of my Travails in Egypt's Land where Darkness is so thick that â—f ye wait but diligently to see your selves you will fell it also From twelve Years old I set my Heart to know that God which the World professed and which I did read of in the Scripture which Abraham Noah Moses and the Prophets and the rest of the Fathers worshipped and I did fall into the strictest Worship that was in that Part wherein I lived and often I desired to be alone and attended much to reading and Meditation and then as I was sober and serious alone I began to see that all the Sports and Pastimes and such as Youth delight in naturally were Vanity and they lasted but for a Moment and while I was in Folly and Wantonness doing of them the Nature which was run into Transgression had Pleasure in them but as soon as I was come from among them I was judged in my self for what I had done and often made me weep then I resolved in my Will that I would never do so again and for some time did restrain from the common Practice of those things that I had walked in but as soon as I came amongst those again I acted those things again which before I did see to be Vanity but long before that I was checked for many things and so I walked often condemned in my self when I was serious and had no Peace and then not knowing what to do in much Sorrow when I was alone I had a Desire to be alone where I might not hear nor see any Folly acted and did not go to the former Exercises although something in me hankered after it but when I yielded not unto it I was glad and had Peace and then I began to oppose my Fellows with whom I had walked in Wantonness and then they began to revile me and hate me and scorn me yet notwithstanding I mattered not then I read much and prayed in Words often three or four times a day but I knew not where God was but in my Imagination imagined a God at a Distance and so went on and then
The Scripture was given by divine Inspiration 't is freely granted and â—s of no private Interpretation and is able to make wise unto Salvation â—â—rough Faith in Christ Jesus for without Faith in him it hath no Power in 〈◊〉 to make wise unto Salvation witness the Pharisees and the Jews outward â—ow for they had the Scripture-Promises as thou callest them which thou callest the Gospel and the VVord yet they were not turned changed nor sanctified nor knew not the new Birth as many do not now who have the scriptures or writings or words written and so thine is a private Interpretation who callest that the Power of God and the Word of God and the Gospel which one may have and not have the Gospel or the Word or the Power of God for Proof Joh. 5.37 38. And it 's no Argument against the Scripture to say the Gospel was preached to Abraham or as thou sayest to Adam but it is an Argument to prove that there was a Gospel and that the Gospel was preached before that which you Parish-Teachers use generally to call the Gospel which is Matthew Mark Luke and John and the Epistles written to the Churches which you raise Doctrines from and Arguments from and sell to People for money and call it preaching of the Word and preaching of the Gospel what dost thou think we are not come past Midnight Is not the Night over and the Morning sprung forth in Brightness without Clouds wherein we now discover betwixt the Husk and the Kernel the Husk will feed Swine but Men must have Bread and a sound without will not serve to administer Life to the Soul and now no longer Talkers of the Gospel will be received or can feed the hungry but it 's he that eats of the Flesh of Christ that hath eternal Life in him Thou sayest Thou wilt remove a gross Mistake from us who think that you cry up the Letter of the Scripture and separate the Word from the Spirit for we own the Spirit going along with the VVord for the VVord and the Spirit are united as the instrumental Cause and Christ and his Spirit in the Gospel is the principal Cause The gross Mistake is not upon our Parts but yours in that you think that the Scriptures or the VVritings are not separated from the Spirit we know the VVord and the spirit is one and cannot be separated but here lyeth the Mistake in putting the sentences or scripture or VVords of Declaration for the word and then say they cannot be separated from the spirit that is another Mistake on your Part for if you so judge then this must needs follow that they that have the words or scripture have the spirit if they be inseparable and why makest thou such Distinctions between the word Christ and his spirit they are one and that which is the principal Cause of every good thing brought forth useth what Instrument he will to effect it we know the Word and the Spirit doth convert and convince and bring to Christ and Salvation through him that we know but doth the Scripture convince without the Spirit And is not the Spirit and Power of God often wanting Doth the Scripture convince then or convert or bring any to salvation And we know there is union betwixt the Word and the Spirit for they are one and that which is attributed to the one is to the other the Word sanctifieth and the Spirit sanctifieth but the Question is still unanswered and the Charge stands still good against you Whether the scripture sanctifies without the Spirit or whether is the Spirit and the Scripture so united together as that when a Hâ—â—â—ling or a Deceiver or a false Prophet speaks the Words of Scripture that the Spirit must needs go along with it and cannot be separated from it And thou sayest The Scriptures are the Word of God as it is a Declaration of what God would have us do and therefore God hath declared his mind Heb. 1.1 God who spoke in times past by the Prophets hath in these dayes spoken by his Son And thou bringst Isaiah 38. The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah saying c. Were it not a gross Absurdity to say that this word of the Lord was Christ in the New Testament The Word of the Lord endures forever and by it the Heavens and the Earth were framed and the things that are therein and without him was nothing made that was made and we can and do distinguish betwixt the word and the Declaration and what a declaration is that which consisteth but of one word a Declaration consists of many words and it s an improper Speech to call that which consists of many words one word and that in Heb. 1. was spoken after the Ascension of Christ and the Voice from Heaven by his Son I question whether thou hast heard or read and we can distinguish betwixt the words of Isaiah and the Word of God and betwixt the words of Jeremiah and the Word of God Jer. 1.2 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah unto whom the Word of the Lord came and there see if thou canst distinguish betwixt the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the word of God and how many words can properly be called one word and why is it an absurdity to say that the word of the Lord or the Power of the Lord came upon Isaiah or the Father through the Power or through the word did speak unto Isaiah and is not the Power of God Christ and Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God in the New Testament Now see thy own absurdity and Glory not when thou puts on thy Armour but when thou puttest it off As for John 12.4 8. He that rejecteth me and rejecteth my words c. where the VVords of Christ and Himself are distinguished thou sayest I say Yes and therefore thou hast brought this Scripture against thy self and likewise this the word that I have spoken shall judge you at the last Day and thou sayest this must make us Tremble nay why should we Tremble at this we are one with his words and his words are not against us And thou hast brought all these Scriptures against thy self and fightest with thy own shadow for all the words which God and Christ and the Apostles have spoken we own and now learn thou to distinguish betwixt words and Word for all that thou hast said to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God amount to just nothing but that it is the word as it 's a Declaration and what a Declaration that is the wise will judge which is but one word And now when thou hast Vindicated thy self as thou judgest thou goest to make War abroad to see if thou canst get any into the Pit of Darkness with thy self and now thou fallst upon the stumbling Stone and the Rock of Offence which will break thee to Pieces the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the
People loved to have it so and the End thereof was Misery for God raised up another Thing and overthrew the Judges Prophets Priests and People the Ancient and Honourable that were the Head and the false Prophets which were the Tail V. Is not the same Blindness happened to England When will her Rulers Judges Prophets Priests see their Error Is it ever like to be a free Nation till all act freely for God without imposing heavy Burdens and giving as much to one Officer imployed in the publick Service as would serve twenty and make so many of them too When will these Things be done away that every one may be approved manifest how he loves his Nation or how he seeks the Good thereof by laying out himself freely and acting freely without so much Chargeableness to the Nation I do not mean the Souldiery but Men employed in civil Affairs and the Ministry who would be counted godly and painful to publish freely or else be silent VI. So now many are so doting on the Name of a Parliament as though it were essential or the Name to be the Foundation of Government and cry up the Priviledge of Parliament as some have done Prerogative and would fight about a Name in their Heat and Passion and loose the thing intended though they be the Representative of the People to do Good to the people and not Hurt thy are accounted as good Servants to God and to them that elected them but if they would so soon as got together set up a particular Interest which serves to the imbondaging of the whole and then cry up their Priviledge to do what they list then it is no Rebellion in God's Account neither in the Account of Just Men to call them away when they do not perform the thing intended but if they will not hearken to the Cry of their Masters the People but it may be call them Rebels or Traytors if they should be turned out because they have clothed themselves with the Name of HIGHER POWER when alas they are gone from that in which their Power Priviledge and Authority stood VII And this I have to say to that Part of the Army who stand so much on the Name of Parliament and would seem to oppose all the rest whether Army or the People from whence their Power did at first arise when they accomplish not the End that they meet for neither intended so to do but to set up some and make the rest alwayes Sufferers if you should take part herein and manage your VVeapons for a Sound or a Name or for something that may sute you though damnifie many Thousands it will not go well with you for God looketh not as man neither judgeth he according to man's VVisdom therefore be not rash nor hâ—sty â—o shed Blood upon this Account but take Counsâ—l in time lest an out-stretched Arm stop you in your way to your Detriment and Hurt you may repent too late it is not your declaring in words for the Good Old Cause neither your Proclamations nor Declarations in good words neither taking God to witness that will satisfie the People who have been and are present Sufferers we have had enough of that from all the former Asserters of Liberty in words but the thing is not done so be less in words and more in Action and Deeds for Righteousness and though you may seemingly retort the Sayings of this Army in England upon them how they received Commissions from the Parliament and promised to be faithful to them and did that they repented of that such things should get up to rule and have Dominion as were acted by the two late Protectors whom the Parliament and you judged Usurpers and so you take Advantage at this to spread forth this to their Reproach in the Nation this is not brotherly done neither is that Spirit that will forgive and suffer long but is heady Though they did receive Commissions and promise to be faithful yet the End I believe was still Premised by them as to be Servants to them for the foresaid End the Good Old Cause 1 st Freed as men from Oppression 2 dly As Christians from being imposed upon either by ancient Laws or Laws which hereafter might be made which hindred the aforesaid Cause and End of all the travail expence and suffering in the Nation which they would never have done therefore the Army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that End aforesaid in God's Sight and in the Sight of illuminated men is no Rebellion no Treachery IX And as for the long Parliament by whom God did Good Things Great Things in the overthrowing that power which was deviated from the aforesaid End yet the Ax must not boast it self against him that hewed only with it for a time to accomplish his End and when he pleaseth take up another Instrument and let the first lie still VVhat they did they had the Approbation of God and good men yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended and though they were called together in a time of Straits when that which had obstructed through Flattery and Ambition was taken away yet still you who were the members of the Old Parliament remaining were called together for to help to accomplish the aforesaid End and to carry on the Good Old Cause but truly you sticked in the Mire and did not run cheerfully but had your Ears open to them that could complement and flatter and their Business you would hear and return them thanks but them who had been your dearest Friends in your former Straits coming in all Love and Humility and represented their sad suffering unto you of their long Imprisonment and how above twenty dear precious men suffered till Death in prison for that Grand Oppression of Tythes these could not be heard And again when a Representation came unto you from many Thousands who were faithful Men to the Common-Wealth and had alwayes been it was laid by as waste Paper or as a thing of no validity and worth when others received thanks from you in Words and a seeming Approbation of things of far less Importance Furthermore certain who had been Officers in the Army in the Nation and in Ireland this fourteen or fifteen Years came to you to present the Sufferings and Grievances of that Nation unto you and in seven or eight Weeks Time you would neither hear nor regard their Suit unto you neither take notice of it neither return an Answer but when a Company of greedy hireling Priests came from Leicester-shire to sound their trumpet in the House and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their Brethren in Cheshire and Lancashire with George Booth they were immediately called in and thanks returned as though they had done some great Service for the Nation but them who were your real Friends called Quakers when diverse of them represented the sad sufferings of the People
reigned but three years The next Emperor was Gordianus in the year two hundred and forty who was more moderate towards the christians so that the sixth Persecution ceased but after he had reigned the space of six years he was slain by Philip the succeeding Emperor Philippus who slew Gordianus who was called the first christian Emperor who slew Gordianus and began with blood he with his Son Philip governed the Empire seven years about the year 246. it is said this Philip with his Son and Family was converted by Fabianus and Origen it is said that both he his Son were slain by Decius one of his own Captains and though being the first that brought in Christianity into the Imperial seat but the name of Christianity would not save him being out of the Nature beginning with blood it was required at his Hands and Anthetius Bishop of Rome after Pontanius Damasus saith that this Bishop was put to death because he recorded the deaths of the sufferers and here was the Beginning of that which they call the Legend of Martyrs in the Chucrh of Rome The seventh Persecution began by Decius who succeeded Philippus in the Year 250. by whom was moved a terrible Persecution against the Christians which is noted to be the seventh Persecution Fabianus being a married man and had a Wife was chosen Bishop of Rome this Doctrine of Devils forbidding to marry was not yet brought in which the Apostle to Timothy prophesied of no not in the Church of Rome nor for two hundred and fifty Years after Christ so the Emperor Decius put him to death and gave forth a Proclamation that all that professed the Name of Christ should be put to death Origen suffered many bonds wrackings torments for Religion yet afterwards it is said he sacrificed to Idols and was excoâ—municated yet afterwards repented And Nicephorus saith of this Persecution under the Emperor Decius that it was easie to number the Sancs of the Sea as them that suffered under him Cheremon a married Bishop fled with his Wife into the Mountain of Arabia and never was seen more the prohibition of Ecclesiastical men or Ministers marrying was not yet begun no not in the Church of Rome although they plead Antiquity for their Institutions and Practices the Emperor reigned but two Years and was slain by the Barbarians about this time divers Bishops suffered and others were condemned to mettal mines Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was banished these had no Power yet to give forth Laws or Inquisitions nor to force things upon People for they had not the outward Authority then though divers things which were unsound crept in by little and little even among them About the year two hundred and fifty five Valerianus together with his Son Gallienus came to be Emperors who reigned together at first they were moderate to the Christians for about two or three years insomuch that in the Emperors Court there were many Christians but afterwards being moved by an Egyptian was stirred up to persecution which was about the year two hundred fifty nine this Emperor was stirred up to persecute the Christians which was the eighth persecution being instigated by the Egyptian who was great in his court telling the Emperor that the Christians were the cause of all the Evils of Famine â—nd Plague upon the Empire divers Bishops and many hundreds were put to death besides Stephanus suffered with six more that were leading men also Lawrence suffered who was pinched with Fire-Tongs and laid upon an Iron Grate or Grid-iron red hot and so broyled to death In the sixth year of the Reign of Valerianus Gallianus having lâ—id for the space of three years in prison which Claudianus and Bossa his Wife were pâ—t to Death for being Christians likewise Fructuosus Bishop of Tarraconia with two Deacons were burned the same year for being Christians this Valerian the Emperor reigned seven years and was taken in the War by the King of Persia who made him his block to take horse on to his dying day and though the Christians in this time were much darkned yet they were much more justified in the Sight of God then the Heathen Emperors who came all or most of them to a woful End of their Cruelty and Tyranny and Murder for the Hand of the Lord who distributes Justice equally to every man according to his Works found them out and Gallianus the Son of Valerianus who joyned with his Father in persecution had many earthquakes and thirty Rebellions and Insurrections raised in his time in the Empire in nine years time and this stopt their persecuting of the Christians somewhat and after Gallianus the Emperor succeeded Claudius who reigned two years and after him Quintilianus the Brother of Claudius who continued only seventeen Dayes about the year two hundred seventy four in this time the Christians had some rest from Persecution The nineth Persecution began under Aurelianus who began his Reign mildly but soon after moves the nineth Persecution about this time many Christians suffered and some of the Bishops of Rome and Sixtus and Dionysius and many others in the middle of his Reign there was a Council of the Christians at Antioch the Emperor seeming not to be against it nor them but afterward he was about to seal an Edict for further Persecution of the Christians but he was so terrified with thundring and lightning that it stopt his Tyranny in the sixth year of his Reign he was slain about the year 276. After him succeeded Tacitus who reigned but six Moneths and Florianus reigned next who reigned but sixty Dayes and after him reigned Marcus Aurelius Probus who reigned six years and four moneths in this time there was no Persecution but the Christians had rest as in matters of Religion but he was slain by his Souldiers in the year two hundred eighty five Carus with his two Sons Carinus and Numerianus succeeded Probus in the Empire the Reign of which Emperors continued in all but three years Carus was slain with lightning and Numerianus was also slain Carinus the other Son reigned alone in Italy with much Wickedness who afterwards was slain by the hands of the Tribune at Rome so that from the latter end of the Reign of Valerianus unto the Reign of Dioclesian there seeming to be about forty four years in which there was little Persecution of the Christians but they had rest and enjoyed their Worship in quiet and they were kept under Sufferings and the Law and did not exercise Authority over the Consciences of the rest as afterwards they did when they came to have Power in their hands although as I said before divers things were brought in by the Bishops of Rome in this time which were much disagreeing with the Apostles Dayes yet they held part of the true Worship and bore a Testimony against the open prophaneness and cursed Idolatry and pride of the Heathen Emperors who killed one another for the Imperial Seat and in this Testimony that