hand Now if ever there were a time to hear the Grave-groans of the living and the dead of those who are in Prison graves and of those whose skulls and bones we left behinde us in the Field and of those under the Altar who cry How long O Lord holy and true Rev. 6.10 yea the shrill heaven heart and earth-tearing Call of Saints past present and to come from the days of Abel to this day to maintain their Cause to revenge their Blood and the Lamb's and to be VP AND DOING for the Lord Jesus the King of Saints to purpose it is NOW within a year or two as we shall shew you WO to them that are at ease Amos 6.1 yea to the very women that are Careless Isa 32.9 10 11 12. for they shall lament and if ye will be All silent the very Graves shall open the Dead shall live the dry bones shall live the stones of the street shall speak and the beam of the timber utter it the Witnesses will arise and the earthquake come to take vengeance against this Apostate generation of sowre Professors But say some seeing the Prisons are so deeply sensible and bear so heavie a burthen for us how falls it that before now your exonerating groans and sighs got not a free passage abroad in the Nation To which I must answer That for above a years Imprisonment now partly more at large Why the Prisons are so silent and partly close I have lien under pressure of Spirit as if my heart would break within me at times to see so servile and degenerate a Spirit as yet among the Saints yet with patience purposing to wait and possess my soul as unwilling to write what few if any we able to bear though most honourable Truth I kept in as long as I could not knowing but there might have been before this a kindly recurrence among some of those retrograde motions which so tremendous and fearful a Wrath as I easily foresee follows the heels of Melius est recurrere quam male currere Besides so great is the servile spirit and fear which possesses the hearts of men against this glorious Cause and Controversie of Christ for which we are imprisoned plundered exiled or persecuted that what we write to ease our hearts and consciences with the greatest sobriety and simplicity we cannot carry thorow the Press or get Printed upon any terms almost in the language life and savour of the present Anointing from the holy One which is upon us and teaches us All things That new-found Engine of the Beast the Ordinance of Treason for words and imaginations hath put them into so pannick and foolish a fear that above an hundred sheets preparing for the Press to enlighten the Deluded and Abused people of this Nation as to us and our Cause or rather Christ's while they give out we suffer not for Conscience have been either betrayed by Iscariot-kisses plundered from me or stifled before they were born and all this lest the people should have light into the sufferings of our Consciences or conscience of our Sufferings viz. the truth of the fifth Kingdom or receive a right Information of the Apostacies Hypocrisie Perjury Cheating Persecution and unheard-of Baseness of such as are gotten into Power having a form of godliness denying the power thereof from whom we are to withdraw 2 Tim. 3.5 and notwithstanding we and they declared this Tyranny in the Bishops the words are To lock up the Printing-Presses against whom they please was in the Bishops time complained of Vid. Guilford-Declar p. 10. as one of the great Oppressions Yet this is revived upon us which is the reason the good people of the Nation are so deceived and prejudiced about us and our Principles whiles we are not suffered to publish the truth and our enemies false Reports of us pass cum privilegio all over the Countries 2 The Prisonopprobries abuses and injurries especially at Lambeth 2. The marvelous Trials which I have encountered with in the flesh since Imprisonment have much impeded my appearing in Publick until now and albeit I have forborn hitherto making publike complaint of the worse then Romane tyranny upon us for the exercising of our faith and patience that in all well-doing we might suffer with joy and that our consolation in Christ might abound and that Jehovah whom we serve to whom vengeance and truth belongeth might take the matter into his hands onely Yet because of the loud Obloquies lend Lyes Invectives and ungodly reports which pass without examination from one to another upon me on purpose to reflect upon this blessed Cause and faith we contend for and for that some have greedily made such use of those loose Tales and do conclude upon it that Silence argues Guilt and gives advantage to all sorts good and bad to accumulate their most amarulent and uncharitable censures some precious friends have prevailed with me for the Truths sake the Lord knows without the least desire to justifie my self for I leave that to my Lord and Master or delight to rake into the rank and sordid excrements of mens mouthes or pleasure in their unhandsom nakedness for I take little delight to inculcate their lapses or incivilitiâ—s to us in this Cause and can be better content my conscience bears me witness to sit down in silence then to take so much as notice of the foaming and frothy agitations of some pragmatick and unquiet heads these Times But the Truth Cause and persecuted Saints do expect some Account at my hands it seems of the particular harsh usage I and my family met with under this Power in Lambeth-House and since where I was for above five and thirty weeks and then sent to Windsor-Castle the 31 of 1 mon. 1655. with two Messengers who deliver'd me up Prisoner here a little after Noon I was fetch'd out of my bed the 27 day of 4 mon. in 1654 early in the morning and at night after all day waiting I was sent to Lambeth-prison being very ill and distemper'd with a Fever yet for all that at 11 in the night did a Messenger rap at the gates call'd another of the Messengers who was going into his bed made him put on his clothes again to assist him and so they came both with Harding the under-Goaler to carry me at that time of night I knew not whither nor would they tell me but being very ill on the bed and my wife also unready I told them I was not Able prayed them to let me alone for that one night told them The righteous man was merciful to a Beast and were a Beast of theirs horse or Cow so ill or little able to stir they would be more merciful with many other Arguments I and my wife also desired them to forbear that night but they said they had Orders from Sergeant Dendy to remove me presently and I must not stay one of them speaking very high and threatning The issue was They
seeing I am out at the King's the Lord Christ's charges and not at mine own 1 Cor. 9.7 For who goeth to warfare at his own charges Praefat. in 3 Serm. 4 Tom. Hieron p. 408. I have been a little tedious which I confess with Erasmus is my fault as well as others multi mei similes hoc morbo laborant ut cum scribere nesciant tamen a scribendo temperare non possint and this is a disease then they are apt to fall into that think they shall never write more to write much as once for all especially since this TREATISE will be so large and the matter of it so lively and important and seeing the opposition of our Persecutors and of those that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Cromwell fied have necessitated so much for an INTRODUCTION Now in the name of JEHOVAH-TSADEK our JEHOVAH-JIREH who will be seen in the Mount am I ready to present and publish these Apocaliptick Accounts Documents and Prophesies to all the True yet few NATHANIELS of our Times that wait with a high Faith and holy Patience in all wel-doing and wel-suffering for the approaching Day of Christ and his Kingdom work especially to the spiritually enlightned Churches and Saints those of them that are left and kept faithfull Pastors and others of the same hope with us separate from Babylon whole Babylon as well Civill Military as Ecclesiastick and so growing up together into ONE a one Body a Temple-state or the Tabernacle open'd in heaven where the Viols or Vengeance of the Lord of the Lamb of the Martyrs of his Saints and of his Temple must Issue out shortly and upon whom the Day of the Lord is come I see from Mount Pisgah it is begun yea already begun as 1 Pet. 4.17 by purging sifting trying separating discovering quickning afflicting and refining I say to those DEAR ONES or Jewels of the Lord and the Lamb with all the Love Life and Light which I received from above with the abnegation of all that I am from below and so with the grace and humility of both I most heartily offer a few yeers pains search and teachings from the Holy one unto them and lay my judgement at their feet in these weighty matters of Christ if I may but get them published in all the blessed properties principles and prophecies of the Kingdom to be revealed on earth in these last daies for which we now contend and trust shall unto the END with Triumph and Rejoycing Even so Amen Rouz up O Remnant setch a shout O Saints O Churches sing For such a Light is breaking out Will make your ears to ring O Glorious Ray ah Blessed Day Which the Anointing sheweth For thus the Saint in Covenant Shall have the Present Truth From a Friend to a Friend THe BOOKS mentioned by the Author of those publique Prophecies out of Daniel Revelation Prophets and Apostles of old and New Test the fifth Kingdom prepared in Pathmos or in Prison and Exile Teavels among â—is sweetest visits and visions of God and in the still voice are very strangely it seems miscarried without Time and Providence do recover them and so discover him or them that had a hand in hindring or stifling of them Only the Introductory part to the first Treatise or Prison-born Morning-beams are preserved and gotten together as the occasion of his falling upon so large a Systeme so some part of his suffâ—rings at Lambeth untill Winsor which therefore we have added unto his Heart-appeale having been hardly kept and collected that the view of present persecution mâ—y be the more clear and this History the more complent though to my knowledge many things are omitted passages left out fleeced and sheered round as they lifted that had them to do before we could bring it to this passe in publique besides much more which in time may be added if need be as some of us hear of severall reasonings between him and O. P. him and Souldiers him and Ministers him and many Adversaries upon the matters of our faith in the things of Christ this his betrayed cause and Kingdom-work besides what sufferings have been added since these Papers came from him to this CHAINE But in the mean time it may appear by this what the servants of the Lord do pass through at this Day by these powers of the Beast such fore trials remarkable passages and experiences of Persecution as may make them that have said it is no Persecution now very Mutes for very shame and their eares tingle to hear of such a height of tyranny profaneness and impiety among them as may awaken our Friends and favourers of Sion to their Work and Watch and as may revive once more amongst us the blessed memory of the yet bleeding MARTYRS and the Cloud of Witnesses whose examples are before as in this Cause that we also may be made FAITHFUL unto death therein His cup of Affliction hath been deep for this Day and Nation but yet sweet and if so be the report of ONES suffering do sound so what would the WHOLE do of all the suffering ones this day in England for the good Cause a good Christ a good Conscience but another a new Book of Martyrs a fair Garden full of purple Roses and pure Lillies which the Beloved is gone down to gather Cant. 6.2 But the Cain-like cruelty keeps off the report at present till the blood of Abel be heard out of the earth I mean them of whom the World is not worthy that have witnessed with such boldness to the Kingdom Work Cause and Principles of Righteousness Now upon these Papers at last produced and extraordinarily preserved out of the Catch-pole Clutches can we now be thankeful to our heavenly Lord and Father for them and for that some are yet kept constant and faithful through Christ in sufferings for to you it is given saies the Apostle every one in his place as he is called to contest against this the last Beast Rev. 13. Some tried some tempted some plundered some prisoned some barbarously used and set upon by the enemy some hurt and some maimed and many immur'd and injur'd yet others ready to succeed them and to bring up what is behind the Lord assisting supporting and sweetning all unto them Yea methinks the most High saies to each one of those Sufferers Well done thou good and faithful Servant and as Mat. 24.46 Blessed is the Servant who when his Lord cometh he shall find so doing for now I have proved thee I have tried thee I have fifted and shifted thee now I know that thou lovest me and fearest God! Wherefore I have sworn by my self that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee c. And mine oaths are not like Mens It may be these sufferings may work upon some that hear them they have on some that saw them yea even amongst the Souldiers for we hear that one of them formerly busie is now wounded and touched in
he made a scoff at what I said and turnd away in great fury then I said wel the LORD wil look down and see all these things at which he turn'd and said pish the LORD what do you tel us the LORD who is the L you are not the LORD aâ—e you and so went on raging and blaspheming and the rest scoffing for company as ful of fury as they could hold who indeed have not the patience to hear the Lords name so much as mention unless at Alehouses and in sin so sadly prophane are they and indeed how can they be otherwise when men with wicked and idle courses have spent al their meanes and cannot or wil not work they get into these Garrisons to drink and guzzle their Pay out before their pay-day comes and for other misdemeanours deserving to be chashiered can find no way to secure their places but by their brutish premeditated and barbarous cruelty to us wherein they merit most that are monstrous and these things I declare as in the sight of the God of truth to be true having read over again and again what I have written and do not know one line I have written too large the Lord knows whatever some may think but in many that I have written too little rather intending hereby to give but hints to the Saints of the continued and multiplied Series of our sufferings especially to such at London as through their ignoance and our forced silence say it is but a flea biting that we suffer and not worth speaking of but it is a sign they have not a fellow feeling for as the Lord said to Ezek 2.46 They are impudent and stiff necked but be not afraid of them though BRIARS AND THORNS be with thee and thou art among SCORPIONS and therefore it is we are so torn and stung every day and indeed in a sense it is a suffering worse then Death as slight as men make it It is true in reproach to us the Soldiers after they have beaten and abused us bid us to complain if we wil and if we do not like it help it knowing that the cure is worse then the Disease to us and that we have none to complain unto but the Lord who surely wil hear us and save us at last before they have wearied us out and broken our very heart-strings and which doubtless they designe in one kind or other before they have done with us But matters of greater moment I must refer to a fitter season and blesse Jehovah with us O ye upright ones that sympathy with us for he hath yet lined us with a good conscience within and a good cause without and we trust We shal not fear what flesh can do unto us and pray for us yet more abundantly I had thought long ere this to have been at an END and that this Persecution would have added or imposed a Quietus est to my body by death out of the continuance of their cruelty but it pleases the Father that I should yet live as one alwaies dying under their immanity and now since that of the poor Maids sufferings by their so immodest dragging her al at length in the yard before mentioned I am intreated by friends to inlarge this sad History which I write with no great delight though I hope I suffer it with joy a little further but I had rather a thousand times to set it before the Lord my God then once to make mention of it to any below yet by reason of Friends importunity to whom I must not be ungrateful I shal give you a short view of this new link added to my chain since that of Joseph in his round Caines-brook-Castle or Tower too Gen 3.20 running much in my mind for the Lord was with him and although I never read of such rigor in his bonds as are in mine renewed often yet of him the Holy G saith Psal 105.18 19. Whose FEET they hurt with fetters he was laid in Iron VNTIL the time that his Word came the word of the Lord TRYED him yea not only my feet have they hurt but my back bones and whole body hath been hurt beaten bruised and are aking every day with these heavy fetters and furies Since the Maids such monstrous usage without any cause and being last out at the gate with her clothes rent and torn where besides that she lay on the ground lame like Lazarus at the gate six or seven hours the next day for admittance and at last was let in again with no little stir and threatning I had liberty to go in to my dear Co-Exiles chamber not knowing of any design they had upon me which it seems they watched for and had Orders from BULL as they say to observe when I did so being now resolved to take their rage from the lame Creature having little credit of their cruelty to her and to wreak it upon me and my poor weak Wife which they did at present thus but O Lord let the remainder of their Wrath PRAISE thee Upon a sudden after my fellow prisoner had invited me into his Chamber four or six Musketeirs with Swords Guns and light Matches were set upon me there and soon after more followed them they set also Soldiers upon my weak Wife and Family yea into the very room raging which frighted her for the suddenness of it she being as ignorant as I of the meaning of this new piece of tyranny and so keeping us asunder that we could not come at one another see or hear so as to know of each others condition or what the matter was which made it look like a bad business as bad as if forthwith they had intended to murther me at least my Wives sickness subjecting her withal to very frightful fancies feares and apprehensions wondring vvhat would become of me stil asking after me and what was become of me or what they had done with me and besides to make it a through piece of a monstrous matter to her they set within her chamber the most uncivil drunken raging wretches stamping threatning grinding their teeth calling Jade Quean Carrion with a many such obscene names bending their fists striking tearing thumping raiâ—ing with their staggering if any offered to go in the room not suffering them to stir for necessaries within the rooms offering and drawing the naked sword upon them with asseverations several times vvithout any provocation given them in Word or deed and soon after followed ten or twelve more as they inform me and filled the room vvith such rude creatures and doings vvithout any regard at all to Sex sickness or condition As they vvere at this inhumane sport persecuting my Wife and Family those armed Soldiers with me were not wanting with great violence and fury to execute their Orders as they called it for I offering to go to the door with desire to see my Wife being fearful of some mischeif to her though I knew not of this cruel usage of
have proved admit of any other King Lord Protector or Lawgiver to ravish us with their lusts God forbid Wherefore for Christs sake stand fast unmoveable and abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 and I do professe for my own part seeing the Lord hath honoured me hitherto with this Chain for this his Cause though I be a poore weake worm yet with his grace sufficient for me I will abide by it for as one of the Martyrs often used Vespasians saying Imperatorem decet stantem mori It becomes as that are Kings and Priests to God Rev. 5.10 to dye standing not stooping to the lust of any man especially now the day of Christ is come Therefore let us all fall in and on and stand to it with the Lamb and the twenty four Elders or the twenty four orders of the Levites about the throne in this Cause by which tribe of Levi are indeed to be understood the Generation Saints the first-born Heb. 12.23 first fruits Rev. 14.4 and therefore have they the precedency of other Saints as Generation Elders who like the Levites before under a curse Gen. 49.7 obtained the blessing for executing the judgment Exod. 32.27 28 29. with the sword on their brethren and spared not Now of these in Davids dayes were the twenty foure both Rulers Singers and Ministers 1 Chron. 29.25 So that such such Generation Saints the twenty foure shall joyn in one work and song with the Lamb and with all the living creatures about the Throne and with the holy Angels Rev. 4.9 10 11. and 5.11 and altogether in one Hallelujah Amen as Isa 52.7 8. which he waites for who is buried with the body of Jesus in this new Sepulchre where the souldiers seek to keep down his Resurrection and the hope of your Brother John Rogers Morning-beams OR The Vision of the Prison-Pathmos LIB I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHAP. I. Hagah The Introduction with the Cause Accidental of the following Discourse upon the present Truth and Testimony IT is none of the least part of our Prison-Threnodies in the present Tragedie which the bloody BEAST by a new Guize hath acted again upon the Stage of Great Britanny The general Introduction by Lamentation the trampling under foot the present Truth and Testimony of Jesus in this last Scene of the holy Citie 's suffering as I may say for the fourty two months so as that scarce one Interpreter of a thousand durst entertain or own it simply which at best hath but a Pasport from Many and so is whip'd away from one to another from post to pillar till it come to the place where it was born but there it hath a being blessed be Jehovah else it is hardly handled according to the Court-Law for a Vagrant with Warrants like to Pope Engenius's hoc esse verum si ipse velit sed non aliter This or that is true if he his Holiness or Highness will have it so but not otherwise Who then can finde the faith or conrage to expose his life or at least his liberty and estate to so prodigal 2 Hazard as he must do who will fetch it from under the Beast's foot and feel the acrimony or cruelty of his sharp clunch claw or horn piercing him to the very heart O this is as hard a task in a sense as to rescue the Lamb from the claw of the Lion or paw of the Bear Therefore Isa 59.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is none that passeth his word for righteousness nor is there any judgement for the Truth O sad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what not one Well may our Prisons sound and resound with exaggerated Nightgroans for the Court and Country increase in lying and transgressing and falling backwards perpetrating iniquity at so high a rate as will suddenly fill up their measure this I see evidently from my Iron bars as v. 13 14 15 16. and yet None intercede for the Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one will run after it follow it meet it or to the face of All own it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O what a Lamentation is this If one doth like Wisdom's child a little justifie it yet where is he that doth according to the Hebrew intercedere intercedens for he that doth so as it is in the text exposes himself to be spoiled plundered imprisoned made a prey to the ravenous Beast that eats bones and all Zeph. 3.2 Yea although he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that departs from the evil of the Times is sure to suffer so yet for all that it is a Wonder to me how we can hold in to see what officious servants Charles Stuart this Court or any carnal Interest have to run and ride on their Errands to venture and engage life liberty limbs estates and all for them and their Interest but the Lord Jesus ah alas as if he were the worst Master of all can finde few faithful that will venture half so far for him and his suffering Cause at this day especially perpending the point of Time the progress of the Testimony the approach of the Period of the Beast's dominion in this street of the fourty two months and of the rise of the Witnesses with the little Stone or the remnant of the Womans seed who must strike the Image-Government of England all to pieces the terrible Earthquake which shall rend them up by the very roots Also when I advert the advantages of the Saints in this street above any other of all the great City or Beasts dominion the forwardness of the Work here the height of the Controversie already between the Lamb and the Beast precious blood of Saints having seal'd thereto and the Vials so lately pour'd out upon the King Lords Prelates and corrupt Powers of this Seat also our late zeal against Common-prayer Crosses Painted Windows Rails Surplices corrupt Ministers Magistrates and the like O! my soul even bleeds within me to behold the present apostacie of Spirit Principles and Persons not onely among Mercenary Professors but the Little Remnant whose Coldness Cowardliness and Carelesness is almost incredible at this time of Day too and were it not to fulfil the Word of God Rev. 11. that this present Death and Darkness is upon us for these three yeers and an half I should be so astonished at it as not to know what to make of it But when I am venting my burthen with these like words or passions Lord where is the Spirit of old yea the Spirit and faith and courage that we our selves had some ten twelve or fourteen years ago among the good old Puritans yea the spirit of English-men and rational men among us O! what a Change is this What sheepishness what sleepiness what deadness what darkness what timorousness and what tameness is now seized upon us The Light arising in Darkness doth put an end to such Reasonings and Syllogizings giving rest to my Spirit till the time of the end which is at
that the great Promise of the Spirit must bring forth such effects and such Dreams and Visions in these later days Joelâ— 28. and so the Lord taught his Saints of old 2. The incessant expectation of the people of God 2. To second that servant of the Lord the very next day and since many days in a week have men of much wisdom grace holiness and integrity come unto me to tell me that it is the expectation of the choicest Saints in Lond. and some in the Country also the remnant of the VVoman to hear some news of the Prison-vision or voice which we have been under at Lambeth and VVindsor wondering at our so long silence yea that they have kept Praying by whole Days and whole Nights for that purpose being very high to hear from us and to have our light breaking abroad from Prison-bars for publike benefit that they who are ready to give proof of their faith in the Lamb with us in the very same Battalia and Testimony against the Beast might be provoked by us in the present VVork VVatch and VVarfare And therefore they waited with wide desires and fixed eyes upon me for somewhat to be published a fresh quickning word according to the fresh comforting Anointing that is upon me in Prison praying earnestly that their almost hourly and more then ordinary expectations may not prove barren or abortive Amen! say I Psal 9.18 For the expectation of the poor and persecuted ones shall not always perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be frustrate for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the expectation of the wicked will perish for ever Prov. 10.20 11.7 23. Isai 20.5 Zech. 1.5 At the time of the End which is now are many to run to and fro that knowledge may be increased Dan. 12.4 And such as wait for the vision shall finde it when it shall speak and not lye though it tarry its appointed time Hab. 2.2 3. So the knowledge of wisdom will be sweet to thy soul and when thou hast found it thine expectation cannot be cut off Prov. 24.13 14. This is another degree of my Call viz. the eager desires expectations and invitations of good People to publish this which like the winde puts the Ship upon motion but it is the Compass guides it And as Cicero did expect abundance of knowledge from his son because of his continual converse with Cratippus in his School so it seems the Saints at our hands who are in Prison expect Pathmos-discoveries the fruits of fresh full frequent close continual early and evening and most spiritual and alone converse with Jesus Christ in this his Free-School where our Father hath put us for a few yeers to learn hard Lessons to flesh and blood out of the Lamb's book and blessed be our most dear and gracious God it is the best School within these Iron bars that ever we were at in our lives though we be kept strictly to it Schola crucis is Schola lucis for the Lord is not a barren desert or land of darkness Jer. 2. unto us which I believe every one in Prison for this blessed though betrayed Cause with us can and will testifie una viva voce ere long But 3. The flying reports which pass and repâ—ss at pleasure upon our Principles and Practices 3. The variety of Reports and of unsatiable Reporters which have run about City and Country continually to render us and this most admirable Cause and Truth of Christ's kingdom worthy of the worst contempt that people can put upon us whiles we by a forced silence are buried alive in these Iron graves and not suffer'd to answer for our selves or the Truth so that the tongues of some men hang so much upon the hinges of the Times that like flying doors without lock or key they open or shut with the least blast of winde which blowes from the Court yea their very Preachers to make us Monsters in the eyes of the poor deluded People report strange things of us as they use to do of dogs first spread abroad they are mad and then hang them Thus are we reported and the inhumane Tyranny upon us is in the Pulpits reported to be no Persecution but an act of Justice and so have the Persecutors Powers and Priests said all along this 42 m. that the Martyrs were evil doers factious seditious Traytors as at this day the Duke of Savoy declares the poor Waldenses and Albigenses So that the bloodiest bruits that ever were would say so much for themselves that what they did was Justice But how any of the present Friars Chaplains or Parsons can prove our sufferings so or dare utter it with such boldness for Orthodox Doctrine to their poor deluded people had they not the spirit of the Beast and forehead of the Whore newly painted I profess I should have wonder'd or how the people can be willing to hear so high Pulpit-lyes at their Priest's mouth By Ministers in Pulpits and out is as much to be admir'd were they not such pitiful Slaves in soul body For can there be an act of Justice without a Trial or Trial without Crime or Crime without a Law or the like yet without all or any of these we lie in prisons year after year onely for Preaching the Truth as their own Consciences can and do tell them and all the world knows and no formal Charge against us to this day So that the Prelates and Papists who had a Law of the Land c. had more colour of Justice then these men Besides if to suffer out of pure love to the Lord Jesus in a good Cause with a good conscience and by as good a Call as men can have to preach and pray the Gospel of the Kingdom or Reigne of Christ and the downfal of the Beast's dominion yea particularly that Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Sanction of the 4 Mon. in this Nation now if to suffer for a Fundamental Principle of Faith by the meer lust will and rage of man contrary to the Word of God and Laws of the Land and if to suffer with the most evident testimony of our Consciences with us and of our Christ and of the presence of Jehovah owning us every day and with a conflux and fulness of joy in the holy Ghost flowing from the Covenant of grace New Testament promises and Principles c. and if our Cause is so clear and just before God and men that we can dare and do challenge our Adversarie the proudest of them all to bring it and us to any open lawful Trial c. if any or all and more then all these things be an argument of a good Suffering or a Persecution that is upon us and not any act of Justice as the lying spirit in the mouthes of the false Prophets reports then we are under a Persecution And I wonder with what face men can pretend to be Ministers of the Gospel that go up and down
from the foregoing Limbs according to Dan. 7.24 being as it were patcht up and compounded of all to beging or make up the summe and period of all it is partly Spanish partly French partly Dutch partly Turkish in principles and Janizaries taking up fashions from one principles from others policy from others soveraignty from others and so indeed doth summe up all not omitting MYSTERY written on the forehead of it as Rev. 17.7 8. seeming partly of the Lamb too Rev. 13.11 to deceive with 5. It appears too by the Signes of the times which are now upon us by the clear computations and supputations of the Numbers in Daniell and Revelations and by the severall providences the variety of dispensations and the late appearances of God in the three Nations that it is a summing time notwithstanding the present Cloud and blacknesse for the Unbelief and willfull rejecting of the truth of the Kingdome at this day among us Gentile-Christians must make way for the Jews in their room who are to be rejected who are the naturall branches as their rejecting the truth and unbeleif did make way for us Gentiles Rom. 11.20 21 22 23. Bee not high minded but fear for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodnesse and severity of God to them severely to thee goodnesse if you continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt also he cut off and they also if they abide not in unbelief shall be graffed in v. 25. I would not brethren have you ignorant of this mistery that blindnesse happened to Israel untill the fullnesse of the Gentiles that is their times Luke 21.24 which begin at the end of the forty two Months the 1260. and 1690. dayes as I have proved at large in my forementioned Treat 6. And lastly it is evidently aâ—â—summing time in the rejection of and judgements that must be upon this professing Generation of men as to their Cause Government Laws Waies Works Principles Dâ—signes and daily Practices whiles they pretend so High for God but indeed do reject his Christ and Cause and so did the Jews but they rejected Jesus Mark 8 31. Luke 9.22 and 17.25 and therefore were rejected and the judgement came So was Saul rejected for his not thorough or full obedience and David taken up and so Jeh was rejected and judgement came for that his heart was not right when he executed judgement on Ahab's house and for that he got up into the same Throne and did the same things for which Ahab's house was destroyed and still he kept up the Statures of Omri and the workes of the house of Ahab Micha 6.16 yea as it was in Noah's and Lot's â—aies so shall it be in these and with this Generation of men whose cause is rejected Heb. 8.9 whiles ours is found in the Covenant of grace so that on both sides as to their rejection and our reception that is in these matters in controversie it is a summing time and a summing Spirit as of Moses Prophets Martyrs and Saints to this dâ—y do we wait for and such a one too as never was in the world before Rev. 5.6 The seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth wherefore looke about you for I tell you that all other times and judgements were but signes and figures of this as of Noah's flood Luke 17.27 28. Mat. 24. Fire and Brimstone upon Sodome Luke 17.28 29. 1 Cor. 10.11 Examples to us upon whom the end of the earth or last daies shall come and the judgements on Aegypt Rev. 11.7 8. and upon the Israelites in the Wildernesse that would not go on and upon the Cananites and Kings in Josh 10.3 and upon Babilon c. All are but signes of the jugements now at hand upon this professing Generation of Apostates with the Beast now in full Rev. 17.8 and false Prophet Rev. 19.20 and Jezabill the whore Rev. 17.16 upon this sheet too where the two Witnesses are slain as I have proved in Pris Morn Rev. 11.8 13. and upon the Kings of the earth Rev. 16 14. Yea upon all Babilon Rev. 18.4 5 8. and 19. Now the figured and typified in all respects must needs be most plenary and summary So that they are wonderfull and dreadfull Mount-Perazim dispensations that are at hand in England Isa 28.21 therefore look to it O thou that sealesi up the sum Ezek. 28.12 13. For the houre of thy judgment is come and the set time to favour Sion yea the sum of all is at hand 6. Generall Observation Lastly The motives of Christ upon his red-horse Zach. 1.8 with his Saints upon their Speckled and White which are very swift are at hand who are to over-run all the Earth of a sudden I say they are upon us though as yet they stand behind the Mirtle and Mulberry-trees Zach 1.8 with 2 Sam. 5.24 1 Chron. 14. in thea Valley of Rephaim Isa 17.5 6. or Cave of Adullam 2 Sam. 23.13 where the glory of Israel first begins Mich. 1.15 to the Heire who is Christ by Myrtles being meant Fifth King Saints and ministrations as Isa 55.13 and 41.19 For we are under the Administration of the fourth living Creature about the Throne Rev. 4.7 Ezeck 1. v. 10. the fourth Spirit Zach. 6.5 or the flying Eagle who is called in Zach. 6.3 the fourth Chariot which came from between the two Mountains of Brasse or from the mount into which the Stone falles upon the Image Dan 2.45 to that Mount into which the Stone becomes Dan. 2.35 and in that space of time I say are we especially under the administration of the flying Eagl or the fourth Chariot wherein are Christs red and speckled Horses or those for his bloody War against the Brast that are to passe through the whole Earth Zach. 6 7 in this Vintage of blood even unto the Horses Bridles by the space of 1600. furlongs Rev. 14.20 or 200. miles The contents of the Eagles ministration which hee cals come and see lo Rev. 6.7 8. being a power over the Earth to kill with the Sword with Famine and with death diverse wayes and this is the living Creature who gives out the third Woe or the seven Viols unto the Angels Rev. 15 7. the Instruments and Executors thereof So that it is very clear upon an insight into these scriptures that we are under this Eagle Administrator in the work which is to be done against the Beast and fourth Monarch and then we must grant that the motions thereof will be very swift soaring high hidden intricate and extraordinary upon quick sight but impregnable and increâ—â—ble courage delighting Eagle-like in the blood and Carcases of men that are to be slain and thus far for a hint of these few General Observations which I have a very clear pâ—ospective off from these prisons Exiles and Pilgrimages in this mine Isle of Pathmos and retired estate with God on the mount signifiâ—d to me by the spriit of the
rejected must fal flat before the house of David the little stripling And all this Apostative interest of Councils Courts Triers Clergy Academies and Armies whom the Lord is departed from or rather who have no foundation at all in the Covenant of Grace or Kingdom which the God of Heaven hath set up over all Nations must worse then tumble but our cause cannot miscarry my Friends it cannot fail us who are Heirs of the Promise because every jota of it as we contend for it is founded in the New and everlasting Covenant blessed be the Lord the Holy one of Israel who hath already given us so many gracious and specifying prison prognosticks of the great day of Jezreel at hand 1. In that We and the CAUSE we are in are found and founded in Covenant of Grace vvhereby the Father stands ingaged to his Son by his Son to us in an inseperable union and tye Isai 53.11 Jer. 33.25 26. Acts 2.30 Gal 3.16 So that as Rom 4.16 It is of Faith that it might be by GRACE to the end the PROMISE might be sure to AL THE SEED 2 Sam 23.5 and our infirmities though many cannot hinder the most excellent glory and Resurrection of this most blessed Cause of Christ against Antichrist of the Lamb against the Beast in England Psal 89.33 34 Ezek 16.60 nor deprive us of our weight in that glory which is a coming by how much the Lord of this cause is the Lord of that covenant which is established upon so clear sweet and sure New-Testament promises Heb 86 12. Isai 43.25 yea Jer 50.20 saies the Lord In those dayes their iniquity shal be sought for but not found for I wil pardon whom I RESERVE the little REMNANT that overcome with the blood of the Lamb and the word of the Testimony Rev 12.11 O my brethren do not our heart even burn with us by a New Covenant communion with the Lord in this Cause having the pardon of sins the seale of his Love the assurance of his favour and boldness in his sight through the blood of Grace yea can we not run into the inner Court vvith the blood and the Fat of Lords Offerings and have as free and frequent an access into the Holy of holies where our High Priest is as vve vvil what should hinder us or who should let us and do not the Lords fats overflow with new Wine and Oyl unto our souls O my most precious Friends shal we or can we ever forget our prisons and Exiles so exceedingly lined warmed refreshed renewed and followed vvith such ful plentiful and ravishing mercies and let men say what they vvil it is marvelous sweet to our souls and our Consciences do witness it daily that our sufferings are New-Testament sufferings our vvitnessings New-Testament testimonies our comforts and hopes pure New-Testament hopes and consolations so are our priviledges principles and Spirits as odious as our enemies make them by their false reports New-Testament spirits and principles O that they vvere tryed yet more and more yea and our actings thereupon are New-Testament actings upon and in the Covenant of grace which the blood of Christ haâ—h sealed yea the Decree of God which to put an end of all strife Heb 6.16 17 18. God himself hath SWORN to that VVE poor prisoners of hope might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us and herein lyeth the whole controversie between us and our persecutors blessed be our most Heauenly Father for these prison companions and comforts of Christ for these fresh springs vvhich cannot fail us nor can vve fal the subjects of Gods wrath let them prison hang or head us banish or burn us for the Covenant standeth sure and is wel ordered in all things 2. The EARNEST PRESENCE of Immanuel or GOD WITH Us in our Prisons and Exiles is a most excellent PREFACE to the matter in hand yea a sure token for good unto us and a certain testimony of the Cause of Christ with us which we suffer so sweetly and satisfactorily in and for in the race of those righteous ones in all Ages that have freely parted with all to follow Christ for although a many profess him talk of him and pretend to do it very highly yet they turn it off to the affections not actions as if it were only to fix the heart upon him and not upon the vvorld or sublunary things and those have thereby condemned themselves as unworthy of him nor indeed are they the true Disciples of Jesus Christ but onely at larges as the young man vvho had great possessions Mat 19.22 and so the Martyrs and primitive Saints as I could prove have all along lookd upon them at a distance as vve shal see in the day of Christ but now I say vve see the bredth of the Land of Immanuel much more then formerly in these prison prospects and do men or Devils their vvorst vve may expect a most eminent reviving of the spirit of life upon us yea on our heads in an Oecomenical dispensation as is rested on Christ 1 Pet 4.14 the blessing shal be upon the head of Joseph whom no man remembreth in the prison Deut 33.16 yea and Joseph shal have the first lot among Davids singers 1 Chron 25.9 or Christs VVorthies that have victory over the Beast Rev 15.2 vvho have your chambers in the inner Court and a clear prospect Ezek 40.44 and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb Rev 14.2 JOSEPH being one of the free Woman that stands upon the Mount of blessing and not on the Mount of Cursing Peut 27.12 Besides as MANOAHS WIFE said if he would have killed us he would not have received our Offerings nor would he have shewed us all these things that are to come at this time Judg 13.23 and in the prison too and in a strange Land had vve been such evil doers as our enemies for their own sakes vvould make men believe us to be But O my happy Brethren in Christ doth not our God give us most remarkeable ful and frequent visits yea reveale his minde unto us and foreshew us things to come and accept of us in his dearest Son vvhat mean vve then to fear vvhat flesh can do unto us Psal 27.1 2. Psal 1â—8 Verily verily I say it and see it and by the authority vvhich the Lord hath given me I speak it that not ONE no not one soul in prison upon this pure and single account for the King of Saints but shal say it and if they persevere yet much much more injoy it that they have had such a presence of the Lord with them as is not usual no! not to Saints but I leave the further evidence of this tasted truth to TIME to declare at our next Hallelujatick triumph altogether over the beast and his Image for our God is gone up with a SHOVT and we shal sing praises together sing praises to the Lord sing praises
JEGAR-SAHADVTHA AN OYLED PILLAR Set up for Posterity Against the present Wickednesses Hypocrisies Blasphemies Persecutions and Cruelties of this Serpent power now up in England the Our-Street of the Beast Or a HEART APPEALE to HEAVEN and EARTH broken out of Bonds and Banishment at last in a Relation of some part of the past and present Sufferings of JOHN ROGERS in close Prison and continued Banishment for the most blessed Cause and Testimony of JESVS the sound of the Seventh Trumpet and the Gospel of the seven Thunders or holy Oracles called rayling by them in Power sealed up to the time of the End From Carisbrook Castle in the third Year of my Captivity the Fifth-Prison and the third in Exile having been hurried about from post to pillar Quia perdere nolo substantiam propter Accidentia Gen. 31.36 37. What is my trespasse What is my sin that thou hast so hotly persued after me Set it here before my Bretheren and thy Brethren that they may judge betwixt us both Lam. 4.3 The very Sea-monster or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tannin the old Serpent drawn out the Breast they suckle their young ones or Protected ones from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gur he sojourned with or dwelt under the daughter of my people to a cruell one as the Ostritch in the Wildernesse Lam. 3.52 53 55. Mine enemies have hunted hunting me like a Sparrow without Cause or grace of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chen they have cut off my dayes in the dungeon and cast a stone upon me I called upon thy name O Jehovah out of the under dungeon Non Vindictâ sed Victoriâ The poore Prisoner Pilgrime and Exile in Caines-br-Castle from the top of Amana the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the Mountains of the Leopards To all his fellow-Citizens in Sion and fellow-separates out of Babylon and to such as are not ashamed of our Chaine especially in that Church society whereof the Holy Ghost hath made him an Overseer Christians Readers Friends and Brethren COuld the trumpet talking with mee be heard with you the distinct sound to all of us as one would be come hither but oh how few can heare it heare it or receive it If you be our fellow waiters or Witnesses of the Kingdome of Christ at hand then I may say of each of you as of Joseph Luk. 22.50 51. He was a good man and a just the same had not consented to the counsell and deed of them that persecuted Christ for he waited also for the Kingdome of God But oh how many have acted or at least consented with the sins of this Generation and how many are monstruously and most wilfully ignorant of this Kingdome which we suffer and wait for in the new world yea libenter ignorantur liberius peccant they had rather be ignorant then in the pure light thereof to loose the great things of this wicked world or their great lusts which they must do that follow the Lamb ly with the 24. Rev. 4 5. about the Throne or look to rise and reign with him on earth in the thousand years the glory of which state I have at large delineated as the most lucid florid Dogmaticall Discovery of this day in my first Treat called Prison-born Morning beams if it be in being demonstrating the truth as all the Orthognomones orthodox professors and Preachers maintained it in primitive times the Woman or true Church travelling with this Male-childe leaping in the womb of her till she brought it forth spight of the Dragon power that persecuted it Rev. 12.2 3 5. Who was to rule all Nations but the Beast hindred and he was caught up unto God and the poore Woman fled into the wildernesse for 1260. dayes or the 42. monthes the period of which is upon us It seems this Doctrine of the reigne of Christ on Earth had at the birth thereof a most noble reception both of the Christians or few excepted Valentinian Jovinian and others as I have proved in that Treatise being Chronicled or Millenaâ—ieâ— or the reign of Christ on Earth and this continued indubitable till Pope Damaâ—us by the means of Jerome Gaius and others got it anotomatized Now we do expect this Man-childe to come down again and to take his great power and reigne and the Woman with her seed to come out of their Caves for which prophesie according to the comments of the little Book Rev. 10.11 Is it that I am bound with these bonds and banishment where I have been hitherto these two years beholding the terrible things that are a comming upon the World and heaing the contents of the seven thunders which John in Pathmos was bid to seal up as also was declared to Daniel cap. 12.4 9. should be sealed and shut up tiâ—l these times and notwithstanding I understand but little for mulâ—ò plura nescio quam scio as Aug. sayes yet so much I understand and will assert it in the Lord and his truth with mee that as some are wilfully ignorant of this great Gospel-Mystery of the Kingly Office of Christ which we contend for so others are most brutishly ignorant thereof for want of a thorough search into the Prophesies and Scriptures especially the common and carnall Clergy ond Rulers and so they persecute and speak evill of they know not what and that most impudently too and with very uncivill courtship inventing and deposing principles for us which our soules abhor and then rendring us odious to the poor people upon conclusions and deductions of their own making and composing But this I professe before the Lord that as I desire nothing more than a Christian conuiction out of the word of God in the spirit power and authority of the Lord where ever it shall light so I see plainly that our enemies are as much afraid of that weapon as ever were the Papists or Prelates and therefore with them do fly to the force fury and violence sword and fire persecuting oppressing plundering imprisoning and banishing as you see and then behinde our backs fall to lying rayling and slandering of us and our principles But as Tully in another case said of some Mihi quidem nulli satis eruditi videntur quibus nostra sunt ignota so say I I cannot take them for learned at this time of day I mean sanctè magis quam scirè 2 Pet. 3.16 who partake not the learning of the Fifth-Kingdome this hope of Israel for which we are bound with this Chain And because the cruelty of this Serpent in England whom our effeminate lusting Eve-like professors have faln in and faln off and down with from whose face we fly till the time times and a divident Rev. 12.14 is hardly heard of known or believed abroad his horns looking so like a Lamb but that ye may hear a little how he speaks and persecutes like a Dragon I have held it a duty for further discovery of him and his spirit to publish thus much
further of his Nimrodian tyranny and trading in this Dominion since the late Apostacy That which I have seen and felt of his fury at Lambeth for sa many months among Monsters rather than men so greedy of my blood I omit here as being mentioned in my Preface to Prison-born but that men if they will may see what an unreasonable beastlike Monster this is that rends tears and devours us so I have added this History of some passages since Lambeth which I have suffered for the sake of my deare Master Jesus Christ in this his Cause all which put together will clear it I think to any capacity reason honesty or modest of man that it is a persecution and no other which we groan under in these Coals and Exiles having no other law sentence judgement or execution but the barbarous Sword over us or Thief-law For as Tacitus said non utendum est imperio ubi legibus uti possit such power is not to be used where good laws have any great force And that men may see how dangerous yea deadly this Relapse is it spares the evill and malignant humours to fall upon the Vitals Fifth-kingdommen and animals upright Common-wealths-men in this Nation as the Papists that would imprison for eating an Egg qui autem totam dominicam diem vacat temulentiae scortis al ae audit bellut homo as Erasmus said whiles he is a brave fellow amongst them that will spend the Lords-dayes in drinking and drabbing whoring and roguing and at this day we see it especially in Carisbrook that if a man draw but near on the Lords dayes or listen to hear us pray c. he is presently sent for dealt with and threatned if not driven out of the Castle and charge given that not any one do show a kind look or word to me upon pain of casting out But they may sit the Lords dayes with the doores I would not say Whores open for all to see them in the Ale-house drinkings swilling drabbing and smoaking tobacco as they do excessively yet none dare reprove them for it Mr. S. the Chaplain being turned out for reproving chiefly I hear and my self beaten buffitted and abused for an accasional reproving of blasphemie Blessed be my God who hath given me a back and breast to bear it Yea who sees not that men of very vain and corrupt conversations flagitious and infamous for notorious sins and crimes are taken into favour yea hoised up into high-places and at least allowed to have their liberty Whiles such as unfainedly fear the Lord and dare not willingly commit any sin but make a most tender conscience of all their wayes are very wickedly and irrationally imprisoned exiled hardly handled and almost hindred to breath in the ayre Now I do declare it as before the most righteous and holy judge of heaven and earth should any one ask me why I have been that is as some say upon the civill account so long in prison hard bonds and banishment year after year which long imprisonment the Martyrs accounted worse then death I must acknowledge an absolute ignorance in my own Conscience before God Angels and Men let some Time servers say what they please for themselves without this be it that I cannot in Conscience turn with the Dog to the Vomit and in plain English lye dissemble for swear and play the Traitor to Christ the Hypocrite to God and the Knave with men as others have done but thanks be to God for it for this is a Cordial to us that wheras by a just Law others are or ought to be imprison'd for iniquity we are imprison'd banish'd against all law but the arbitrary lawless sword because we cannot we will not we dare not though we die for 't fall in with iniquity But so be it O Lord thou Lord of Righteousness for as one saâ—es has epulas semper desideravi I will not deny but my infirmities been very many which I think I could weep over the feet of any that shall reprove me for them and indeed my temptations here in close bonds in banishment would be more were it not in an inclosed garden to me in Christ being as a man dead and out of mind but what I have done worthy of imprisonment and banishment them excepted I know not This I can say from my soule that I think as I preached so I sought nothing but Christ and his Kingdome and as to the World I have formerly said it with Sohinus to D. Casimire that I am boâ—n rather for labours than for honours and so I told O. C. in my Epist of Ch. Discipline before these times p. 10. I do professe it from my heart the greatest temptations I fear are falling into honour place preferment esteem or estate to much for me being best when poorest highest when lowest most when least and when I have nothing as possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Yea if as Jerome saies that Woman is proved chaste that hath liberty and opportunities to sin and yet will not I may say it without oftentation as Heb. 11.15 16. that we might have had our opportunities to have returned to them had we not sought a far better Country and I think I may say too somewhat like Thomas Aquin. when preferment was offered him Chrysostomi in Matthaeum Commentarium mallem For I would say I had rather have one chapter I could name in the Revelation then the greatest relation I could name to any crown in Christendome so that these things I thank the Lord I think I am above in him who hath said as Jo. 16.33 Be of good cheer I have overcome the world But it may be my reproving the rank sins of these rude times have provoked the rough hands of Esau upon me and Nimrod to hunt me but if so it is no new suffering for such a Cause if we ask the Prophets and Apostles as wâ—ll as our Saviour and such have the two Witnesses been in all ages Zuinglius preached against the sins of the times and the mercenary pensions of them that served the Princes of the earth in my judgment more clearly then Luther and so did Bucer very freely but the last were never so hardly handled as we are for it besides Corolestadius went further for he reproved the very constitutions of their Government and the very colour which Luther had to oppose him was about Civill Laws saying he would have all Magistrates to rule by the Judicials of Moses as these men say of us vide Speech to Parl. Sept. 4 16. p. 16. so that it is no new Doctrine though they so menstrously misreport of us and our principles Canutus King of England in those thick times of Popery did confesse to all his Lords about him no mortal worthy the name of a King save he to whose back heaven earth and Sea by his laws eternall are obedient Hen. Huntington and shall we in these dayes after such solemn engagements for a Theocracy as I
shame to put into any of your Orders or Warrants viz. for Preaching and praying whereby it appeares ye are imprisoned persecuted plundered banished and thus barbarously used upon meer will lust and arbitrary power and tyranny sic volo sic jubeo without the least colour of a Law a crime or Justice herein exceeding the arbitrary processe of their Predecessors in this practise the very Prelates Papists and Heathens so that to this Day we see they do not tell us the cause or crime nor can we have the liberties of Conscience Law Justice or Processe but yet the Lord of Righteousnesse stands by us and is with us for all that laeti simus sed non securi gaudentes in Domino sed caventes a Recidivo The Order is signed by H. Lawrence President once a Pastor of a Church I hear but one whom long since the work of God had laid aside and spewed out yea he had laid it aside as an Enemy or at least no Friend to it with some Others that were before Vomited out or could not be Digested for their Crudities but this G. for want of others hath licked them up again nor is this Council altogether unlike the Duke of Alva's bloody Council or the Counsel of Trouble in flemish Bloat-read so called in the Netherlands as to the manner of their proceedings putting down thereby the greater and the more lawful authority of the States to persecute imprison oppresse tax levie confiscate banish apprehend or put to death at the Duke of Alvas pleasure and lust being meerly arbitrary and without Law all being directed by the Duke himself whose meaning was that his Council should be but consultive and not absolute for that he left to himself alone whereof J. Vergas was the President as H. Lawrence of this of whom it was said that the Netherlands needed so sharpe a knife as Vergas was to cut away their dead flesh and so it seems by O. P's speech to his Parliament Septemb 4. p. 14 15 16. Where he stirs them up to punish that is presecute us three severall times as worthy of the Magistrates consideration most sadly abusing that Text in Jude for it so that these men look upon us as without life that they lash us wound us cut us and so cruelly and continually cut us with this their sharp knife for no other reason but for our Faith consciences and affections to the Lord Jesus and his kingdome declining and disowning their's that lies upon the skuls blood bones lives limbs liberties and tears of the most precious Saints persecution of Christ blaspheming of the name and spirit of God and infamy and reproach of pure Religion an undefiled but thus for their arbitrary order whereby I was delivered into their Den at Winsor though a delightfull garden to this mercilesse hole as from men where I now am yet blessed be the Lord With a tolerable modesty and humanity they admitted me the liberty of the Prison and accesse to my brother Feake's chamber for one moneth without interruption where we worshipped the Lord together but upon the 29. day of the second moneth being the Lords day in the absence of the Governour two of the Officers viz. Capt. Weston and one Pepper an Ensigne the latter being lately fetched out from a common Souldier and lifted up with so sudden an excessive pride conceit and ambition zealous of higher promotion and therefore striving to exceed and so to supplant his superiour in his cruelty to us falling out with the other for admitting us to meet in the worship of out God together upon the Lords dayes although privately in our prison chamber and to amend so great a mistake and fowle a crime as they took it they forthwith forced a Centinel upon the doore watching their time to hinder me going up to my fellow-prisoners chamber whiles they with drew that least their so unchristian commands in the matters of God should be reversed which when I saw I was desired by the Lords people present to begin there and so I drew out my Bible at the doore severall of our friends with my Brother Feak being by we begun in an Hymn and Prayer proceeded on with the Text but was often interrupted by the Souldiers and the hearers driven away with violence at last the aforesaid Officers admitted we should go into the chamber as before and took off the sentinels and so we continued together with much comfort a few of us in praying singing and exhorting one another untill late at night according to the Primitive practise of the persecuted Saints but the Devill did not like this and therefore against the next Lords day following he had made ready his rage the day before which the Governour himself being come home and instructed with the matter by his Ensign Pepper sent for us two Prisoners who were together to keep up a duty of Prayer in my lodge with a peremptory sword-power of coram nobis who after we had looked up to the hils from whence our help comes went readily and chearfully the governour assaulted us feircely with some other of his Officers like fell beasts indeed and as brutish as the souldiers were to Brentius Anno 1547. charging my fellow prisoner with a foule fault in his childe of three or foure years old that he should call O. C. fool at which my brother F. said that he would affirm niore viz. that he is a Tyrant which made them high in their rage against him with whom I thought I was bound to bear my witnesse modestly but the governour brake out into such bitter rage that he was meet anger without ears or reason threatning to lay me forth with into the Hole if I preached against his Master as he said at which I rejoyced Quia plura pro Christo sunt toleranda as Fulgentius said in his sufferings and said yea do Sir with all my heart I am as ready to suffer it for my Master as you are to do it for yours And I tell you Sir I fear not the worst you men can do and with the grace of my God I will preach for my Christ against Cromwell or any other that oppose Christ though I dye for it if I have but a peeping hole or a hole to breath out at I shall preach if you do not suffer us to do it in our prison lodges privately for my commission is not from man but God and my authority is greater from above than thy power in the interim be it known to thee I fear neither thee nor thy sword in these matters of our God The next day being the Lords they began to put their hell-begotten plot into practise for our friends that came to visit us from London they kept upon their guard and would not admit them to us which when my con-captive heard unknown to me he went into the Chappel and with the peoples leave he began Prayer in the Pulpit which they were attentive unto I hearing thereof
of the Beâ—st as at this day exercised in any part of the world and as miserable a servitude as among the Turks for in all places they will use their Prisoners civilly and not multiply afflictions upon them every day as these men do and study to much lesse so monstrously and murtherously hack and hew men for making conscience in their unreasonable commands but to make us yet in a more Turk-like slavery and that what is now our cause may quickly be the case of others and of all if need be behold the Bashaws and Begler-begs sent down to settle there Dâ—vans and Miliâ—iâ— in to every country with the Timariots also and Zaniachs or Debuty-Bashaws under them besides the Janizaries Gemoglanies and Spahies or Guards about their Grand S. at White-Hall and in the Army there are also their Aâ—hingies Hindes of the Country or new Militia Troops too to forrage up and down for prey and to keep the Lords Lambs from me ting and feeding together upon Christs Commons now next I expect these Janizaries like them at Constantinople under the Aga will be imployed in the roome of Constables Serjants Clerks of the Markets Warders of the Gates and Officers of that kind and in case of injury no publique justice may be ministred upon them is not this a new Turkie then let them palliate all with as good words as they will yet as their proverb is Soltanâ—n bila adalin kanahrin bila maâ—a their Soltan with out justice will befound but like a Brook without water and neither his Souldiers nor multitudes can save him when the time of his judgement is come Islahho rraiati abphao min kitsrati-l chonoudi Fisthly It is certaine too these red Esaus must have red meat I mean blood to feed on and I easily foresee with what greedinesse and designe they do provoke poor simple plain Jacobs honest hearts by ex ggerating and accumulating violencies and iusolencies upon them to somme rising or untimely action of defence for them to have a full blow at them their belly-fulls of the Saints blood which they so much threaten thiâ—st after that their Shebna himself said he could freely have his armes up to his elbowes in their blood but thus is this horne to make war with the saints his time times in the duall and a divident yea he hath done it and is at it as I have largely proved in my Treat of the two Witnesses and two Beasts c. Whose Sword as yet prevailes over us and as Balaak by hireing Balaam but to Curse Israel Num. 22. was said to make warr against Israel by so doing Josh 24.9 thus have these Warred against the Saints but their divination shall not prosper Nor their offerings be accepted and Balaam their Prophet shall fall by the Sword Josh 13.22 Sixthly It is our comfort that all they can do unto us is but to drive us to our God and Father with our perfumes unto his altar of incense within the vail from this Altar of slaughter without the vail and so from one Altar unto another Psal 66.13 I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings Psal 45.12 ubat tzor be miuchah the daughter of izor Strates and afflictions with an offering yea a meat offering a most excellent priviledge and provision wherein we have the provision of the things we wait for in the light of the seven Lamps that burne before the Throre Rev. 4.5 and 5.6 thus whiles others are as Psal 2.2 Rulers are called Rozenim leane ones and leanenesse is in their Soules Psal 106.15 we are fatt as Sons of oyle Isa 55.2 and flourish in the truth Cause and Covenant of Christ like Arons Rod Num. 17.8 ' which brought forth buds bloomed and yeilded Almons whiles all the other rods were dry and Seare and therefore v. 10 was it laid up before the testimony Indeed since I am driven thus close to my burnt-offering and with Moses and Aaron at every fresh provocation from them to y unto the Lord Num. 11.2.11 and 14.5 and 16.4.22 with my complaints I have also found such food and meat-offerings as I would not part with for all the world which makes my heart as Psal 45.1 Rachash boyle up within me in the matters of the King and my tongue as the pen of Sopher Mahir a quick Accomptant or Numberer of the times for a testimony whereof I must refer to that beam of light which lead me into a most lucid and facile supputation proved and illustrated in my foresaid Treatise having found very excellent food from the roots of the Hebrew Chaldy Samaritan Syriack Arabick Persian and Ethiopick tongus which I dialy converse with and reading the Scriptures by thorough the teaching of the Anointing I find a hidden Manna wraped up in the Dewes of Heaver and can say it is Angels food Seventhly We are now in the School ef Patience Rev. 14.12 wherein besides our dearest Lord Jesus his Prophets Apostles and Martyrs saies John Rev. 1.9 ' I also am your Brother and companion in tribulation ' and in the Kingdome and Patience of Jesus Christ was in the Isle of Patmos and in such company we must needs run this race of ours with sweet Contentment Serenity Calmenesse of Spirit what ever our enemies maliciously report of us Heb. 12 1. and our experiences teach us that Arabick Adage Assabro miftaho-l pharahi va-l a-chalato miphtaho-unidamati that patience is the Clavis Gaudij whiles a murmuring and impatience is the Key of sorrow and repentance so the Key of David which shall open unto us all the treasures Isay 22.22 and sealed truthes of heaven Rev. 5.6 and 10.4 7 and none shall shutt and which shall shut our enemies our that shutt us in and none shall open to them this Key is given to us as promised in this state of patience Rev. 3.7.10 blessed be the Lord. Zammeru Elohim zammeru Zammeru lemalkenu zammeru Eightly And because the ' Prince of the Kings of the earth hath loved ' us and washed us with his own blood and made us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1.5.6 we do and yet will rejoyce in our blessed portion which is the waved the lifted up or offered up Beast and the Right-shoulder Numb 18.18 Levit. 7.32.33 whereby to bear all that men can lay upon us with a heart lifted up to the Lord this is not the strangers portion Lev. 22 25. but the portion of the Anointing Levit. 7.35 and thus am powered out as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Psal 92.10 with fresh oyle or beshemen Ragâ—auan green and fatnesse before the Lord and v 11. mine eyes shall see what I look for upon mine enemies or observers of my wayes that strictly watch for me of Shur and our joy shall be like them that divide the spoile Isay 9.3 4. when Jehovah shall turne again our captivity as the streames of the South Psal 126.4 or parched dry wildernesse where the Aphikim or strong Currents and Torents of waters as
rather in Arten-house because of the incredible cruelty tiranny of this castle that I was brought hither So that the Lord my God saw it meet to bring my body under harder discipline for as Tertullian saies Nimis delicatus es Christiane c. Christian thou art too delicate for mee who must have thine ease thy peace thy pleasure and delight in this world and so in an other place de fugea in persec speaking against them that will shrink comply or fly for fear of harder persecution saies he ' non potest qui pati timet ejus esse qui passus est He that is afraid or runs away from sufferings can be none of his who hath suffered so much and indeed is hath been very teaching to me to set Christ upon his crosse before me Heb. 12.2.2.10 The Captain of our Salvation being made perfect through sufferings And can we think to be perfect without sufferiâ—gs for Christ No surely But to proceed In this pittifully distempered estate of Body I was sent for from thaâ— poore house 〈◊〉 the Commissary and some others being ready to convey mee with the foresaid Serjeant Corporal and Soldiers into the Castle and for my encouragement they told us the Moon was up but perceiving their resolution and importunity I desired liberty to prayer after which we were carried up into the Castle as I came in at the first Gate I made a stand resigning my selfe Soul and body into the hands of my most dear God and Father through Jesus Christ not knowing that ever I should come out alive I said aloud to them all in the name of the Lord do I enter here and for the sake of Jesus which they all witnessed unto as well enemies as others I was guarded thorough the Musketteres standing on both sides with Muskets peeces and matches light I was with my wife and two children put up into a very little poor smoaking cold Garret upon the top of all which was a common Soldiers room and although it was a little triall to my wife not having a Chair to sit on and so little that we could not readily turn or stir about businesse in it the bed-stead which was borrowed taking up the most part and the smoak of the chimney turning all into the Room at some times so as we could scarce see one another yet did much rejoice to be so pent up for the Son of man had not where to lay his head and in an upper Room too from the consideraton of our dear Lord Jesus his chusing an upper room to eat the passeover wich his Disciples in when his time was at hand that night I was so Exceedingly distemper'd and ill that I was forced to betake me to some rest in such lodging as we could get the next morning came my dear con-captives for this most noble and excellent Cause of the King of Saints to see mee Maj. Gen. Harrison and Mr. Courtney who were a long time kept up in this close Goal where now I was brought to be their companion some part of our time which was spent together was in praying instructing praising our God not omitting this his mercifull over-ruling sweet providence which had brought us together into one Goal as well as one Exile for one and the same Master the Lord Jesus and in one and the same Cause Testimony and Truth and this too by those very men that not long before would not let mee come near this Castle least I should once have seen these servants of the Lord but upon the walls Upon the Lords-days I preach'd in my room as I used to do and who of the Soldiers would had liberty to hear mee for two or three daies yea Bull himselfe the grand keeper hereof which did indeed refresh the hearts of some pâ—o â— soules who got in also to hear me but this liberty at first was to finde out matter against mee for a collour of their preintended future Trâ—gedy tyranny and intrenchment I was also soon after removed into better rooms which Mr. Bull now braggs of where I now am but the be doing we had in the Garret was taken from us and we forced to some want therein untill some at Newport sent some in unto us for which with what we hire we blesse the Lord notwithstanding I told Bull that I was well contented to ly on straw or else if they would not allow me straw on the bare boards only I pittied my wife being not well but for all their cruelty to us our kinde Father provided for us Some honest people of the Country did desire me to minister to them some light of the kingdome of Christ of his Second coming so that we kept every fifth day in the after-noons for that purpose and poore people came in a pacâ— many miles about to hear mee who with tears prayers and blessings of God expressed great affection refreshing and rejoycing thereat saying O Sir O not you not you but we are the Prisoners c. yea some Prestbiterians who came out of novelty or with no good will when they once came brought others with them the next day so that the noise was great round the Island and the Priests raged it is reported least their Offices should be left unto them desolate Mat. 23.16 John 7.33 34. Many of the people believed in Christ and his Doctrine and his good report began to ring in their ears the chiefe Priests sent Officers to take him so these it seems could not rest to see the people to flock after and believe this doctrine of the Reign of Christ and therefore some Officers came to hear with a purpose to catch matter of accusation against mee but went away with approbation as ver 46. blessed be the Lord therefore for thus was the Sonne glorified in their eyes by his Spirit which spake and shewed them of the things to come John 16.13 14. Yet the enemy could not rest thus but finding nothing which they could six upon against mee and the people encreasing upon the twenty seventh day of the tenth moneth Bull went forth of feasting and left men of most bruitsh spirits to mannage his new plot and orders in his absence setting Centinels upon my doore driving away the people who came to hear the Gospell though the enemy had nothing to say why so no not one word so much as against their Government but even what they say they allow as the pure Gospell of Christ in us and of the power of godlinesse though they could not â—ow bear it I preaching such points as the godly people and their Teacher Mr. S. proposed for satisfaction in and light upon some poore people got in and stood under my prison-window the Herodian-Soldiers not suffering them to come into the room saying they had orders to keep all from comming to mee and they must obey orders but we asked them if they meant all Orders of men good or bad they said yeaâ— for if
Christ his Word his Gospell and holy Spirit and â—s the poor prisoners exiles and wiâ—nesses of Jesus as our most righteous as God the elect Angells Churches Ministers Sâ—â—nts and other men yea the Word and Spirit of God the three thâ—â— bear record in heaven with our owâ— consciences do dâ—ly bear us witnesse what ever our enemies have the face to say to deceive themselves and others with Wherefore upon the 21. or 22. day of the 11. Moneth the Popes Bull began to roar and goaâ— again more fiercely than formerly without any cause shown why kept us up close prisoners with incredible cruelty and I think among Christians a most unheard of usage in baniâ—hment suffering none man woman nor child to come at us nor our victuals or necessaries to come to us or any of our families to fetch it in for us nor any letters to come freely in unto us or go from us but we were in our close prisons as ignorant of the thing as of the Cause till we tried it not imagining it had been in men at this day so far to exceed the very Pagan-powers in their persecutions in banishment and yet to pretend there is no persecution is thâ—y do in their extraordinary Hypocrisie the Lord pitty us but â—hen we would have sent out for provisions the servants was stayed by â—he Capâ—ain of the Guard and told none should go which he had Orders for nor any provision come to us but by ther hands which when we heard and knowing already the declar'd principles of the present Soldiers whom he had packed out and moddeled by this time for his very purpole to do what ever he bid them do those which had any remorse or touch in conscience being cast out or kept out we perceiv'd clearly their design began now to destroy us starve us murther or massacre us for to make us comply with their lusts thus they laid siege against us to conquer us to their side i. e. to play the Hypocrites Apostates perjured wretches and Beasts with them But we â—ought the Lord our dear Father of heaven and earth according to whose Word Spirit and example of all holy men we resolved with his grace to dy or be starved with a good conscience rather than to live without yet we sent a servant to Bull to demand a coppy of his Order for this his unheard of tyranny in an exile which he refused and bid complain if we would but alas we had none to complain unto which he knew but unto Jehovah tâ—e righteous Judge our only refuge and helpor Yet at length he said he had Orders from his Superiours at White-hall but would not shew then in this time it pleased God my poore wife was forely ill for whom we could not have what she needed nor any one be suffered to fetch them for money yea if any woman came but to see her the Sentinel Soldiers would not suffer it and when one Sentinel was desired but to let one poore woman come in to see her he said O! what good will it do you to see mee killed before your eyes I shall be hanged Presently if I should for I am charged upon pain of death not to let any one come near you or in unto you yea some friends at times coming long tedious and chargeable journeys of 20 30 40 60 or 100. miles some out of the Island and some out of our native land but to see us and to minister to our necessities were not suffered but turned back again at their outward gate after so great and chargeable journeys with tears and some of them before even we knew of it yea some that we know not of to this day pretending 'tis like they would comfort us and the Maj. Generals man being sent from his own house dear relations and Family in England to visit him and so at Newport to buy victuals to bring in unto us it need were was carried before Bull to whom he said he was sent to see his Master but Bull said he was 〈◊〉 but without he would signe an ingagement which by this time â—â—ll had drawn up he said he might be gone again for he should not so much as see him and so turned the poore man back again but tâ—at he had a key to let him in whether he will or no which till then this Bull did not know of and thus in an unexpected way he got in to see his Master But to return to an aliquid amplius which iâ— an aliquid altius their sword-Law and orders against us so strait was this siege they said against us that one Mrs. C. getting in but to a pair of staira near our lodge was forced away least she should see my wife and threatened if ever she came but into the Castle again they would be her death and break her neck and now behold what a providence of our Father who taketh care for the Sparrows and Worms cloatheth the Lillies and feedeth the Birds did minister unto us in this great strait there was sent in to the Maj. Gen. by a knight of their own party not of their make nor of the post peradventure in pitty it being the first and last of that kinde a little Lamb and to my poore wise bound up in brown papers and so undiscovered a neck of veal from New port which was most seasonable provision from our gratious good God yet after all this was gone and we in wants as before we prevailed with a little girle of one of the Soldiers for a piece of money to fetch us a little bread we being without but upon her return they took her carried her into Bull 's hall and there examin'd frighted roughly handl d and threatned her and would have forced her to say she had earried out a letter too but the girle knowing that she had nothing but a bit of silver to feâ—ch us a loaf of brown bread said she had nothing else but they yet like rude Soldiers said she had bid her confesse or else that she and her friends should suffer for it but when they could not compell her to ly they left her and kept her from coming into the Castle any more to bring us so much as bread But that there might be some better colour for this cruelty this Bull with two or three of his fâ—ll Creatures and Serviteurs had drawn up in Ingagement to bind us or at least our servants in a kinde of recoguizance and an owning of them and their wayes and then they should after they had subscribed have the liberty to go out for victuals thinking it may be by this time that we either were or that we saw we should be starved into these conditionâ— but when we found how insuff'rably barbarous tyranical they were that they would impose this upon our consciences for the very bread we should eat or provision we should buy for our money or else that we must suffer the utmost they could
nobis exigit c. and the greater faithfullnesse constancy and courage in the present tryalls for as there was such a magnimity and Spirit in the suffering Saints as made the whole world wonder amazed and think them mad desperate and besides themselves so is there to be in the acting Saints at these dayes who are to make it a sporte play and pleasure to them to run upon Cannon-mouthes Sword-points and on thousands for one in the service of Christ therefore let us looke to it that we make amends that way and that the world may say of us also for the active part such men were never heard off 2. I had my singuler consolation too that the Lord hath made it my lot to fall into this fierce Bulls hands of any because he hath not his fellow in this dominion that I can hear of for all manner of bruitish and barbarous tyranny unreasonable insatiable cruelty so that Bonner I believe had not a more apt Goaler for his turn in those times if Cluny or Alexander came near him Wherefore let not my words be thought the complaints of a squeamish Spirit for I assure you I do heartily digest all he can do against thee and if it were said of Luther that pascitur conviciis I may say it with no little soul solace that pascor conviviis in verberibus And with Vincentius to one of his Persecutors never any man served me better then you have served the Lord be praised for as Bâ—enham said when the fire was kindled as his feet Me thinks you strew roses at my feet I may bless the Lord for thee Bull who bidst them fall on mee for me thinks every blow is a bâ—â—ast of milke to mee whom thou and thy masters would starve and will be a Crown of glory Sic credo edo propter te domine propter te This is an honour so high to suffer thus at the holy Angells are not capable of but those whom God will advance above the very Angells wherefore sing and shout and leap for joy O my Soul and all within mee What that such a poore sinfull worme and pittifull shrub as I am should be call'd to so high and holy a calling Lord make mee thankfull and fruitfull and faithfull Amen 4. For that it is so teaching a dispensation O it is good it is good to be beaten into more good rather than be with out it for these blows do make my head ring with the musicks of heaven as my heart and reins do beat after thy will O God for Ioe in the vollume of thy book a volvendo rowled up in my heart Heb. 10. it is written I come to do thy will O God Therefore I say as I am perswaded Zegedine's blowes who was beaten so bitterly by the Kings treasurers could not be so sweet as these It is said that Dominicus his mother when she was with child of him dreamed that she had a wolfe in her flaming with fire out of his mouth Such a flame came out of thy mouth O fierce Bull as shall be sure to burn the up like Samsons Foxes in the field which thou thy selfe hast set on fire for thy wickednesse burneth as fiâ—e Isa 9.18 In the mean time it is a most teaching dispensation to be beaten and buffeted for Christ which hath made this prison so precious a School to me that I think I may say Mihi idem qui solem fecit majus in Carcere lumen fuit He that made the Sun hath been a greater light to mee than the Sun in this prison 5. Nor is it fit we should loose such fruit as this is by our sinfull silence for as Solomon saies Eccles 3.7 There is a time to speak and a time to be silent and Isa 62.6 Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence to be silent in such a day of rebuke and blasphemy as this is is a crying sin wherefore saies Luther to Staupitius When Christ suffers is condemned and blasphemed it is not a time to be afraid but to cry out aloud yea saies he let men call mee what they will Inveniar sane superâ—us avarus Adulter Homicida Antipapa omnium vitiorum rens modo impii silentii non arguar dum Dominus patitur Proud Covetous Adulterous or as monstrous a Miscreant as ever lived rather then I be found silent when the Lord his name his Cause or Christ suffers But I say I have the Seal of the Lords acceptance and Jehovah-Shammah is my company in this close bonds and banishment to whom I say as Psal 69.19 Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonour mine adversaries are all before thee But to proceed In this condition thus beaten and bruised I was laid down and fear being that my bruises were most inward which as yet I but little felt means was used to have liberty but to send out for a little Parmy-Citterne and Snow water to drink for an inward bruise which they refused to suffer with more barbarous tyranny than the very enemies in warre show to wounded prisoners and nothing nere to the compassion of that Goaler in Acts 16. who washed Pauls and Silas wounds nor to the kindnesse of the Barbarians to Paul at Melita Acts 28. the greater will be their judgement When I began to be cold and stiff I bâ—gan to feel their blows sore indeed but by a good providence of the Lords the Maj. Generall had a precious ointment and salve for such purposes as to outwards bruises which I used this horrible Tyranny of theirs took report round the Island and into England our own Land quickly notwithstanding their close restraint of us and open reports against us and this begun by the means of a poor Barber then in the Castle who carried the said news of this sad Tragedy to Newport where the next day being Market It abounded and so spread of a sudden but this poor Barber was brought before Bull for it and hardly escaped yet the Truth which is alwayes best to stand to set him free from them Then their work was to lay their heads together to kill this report by spreading it otherwise and denying that ever they abused beat or bruised me whiles they kept us with our mouthes stopt by close imprisonment notwithstanding some dayes after when I stirred forth again I offered to shew them the marks they had given me both my self Wife and the Maid being black and blew in divers places divers dayes after on the one and thirtieth of the eleventh Month. After this Bull sent word with an engagement to them we might send out for things which was the first time they offered so much to me but I could not compound with them in a Cause which was none of my own to compound in and in these straits we had another seasonable experience from our Father for with the compassions which Christians about the Island and in Newport had to hear of our sufferings and
want of provisions they sent a man and we desired him to come to the Prison gates with some provisions as bread and meat c. every seaventh day and a woman once a week with Butter 〈◊〉 us to buy and although they were threatened for coming yet they made Conscience thereof and continued it to the praise of our dear God in this our extremity so that we had some provision brought to us for our money at last notwithstanding the vexation of the enemieâ— for so they have declared they are thereat searching handling tossing and tumbling our provisions in their hands up and down yea throwing the very Butter in the dirt after we have bought it and examining the very bones of the meat for Letters as they pretended or some other secret designes such are the dreads of the Lord upon them this hath already continued upon us above twelve weeks and how long it may we know not but this we know not too long so long as our heavenly Father hath the disposall thereof Some may think us somewhat of stinate not to engage or subscribe unto them rather than be starved or so used as we are to this day but indeed it is a comfortable obstinacy then and for my Christ onely may I say for my self whose Cause I cannot with a good conscience betray upon a composition with his enemies notwithstanding why saies Bull cannot you say it was forct and so not be bound to it such is his Art and besides the fore-named Presidents before me it is a memorable and wothy testimony of that godly Martyr Shetterden Fox vol. 3. Page 375. to his Persecutors when they asked him if he would but promise to submit and he should de delivered saies he I am not so much bound to you to grant any such promise and again you shall well knew that I would not promise to go crosse the street for you but if I did offend the Law let me have the punishment I ask no favour And altough this was accounted obstinacy in him yet he chose to be burnt first and so was rather than accept of his liberty upon a promise So Strigelius would not promise not to preach of one point about the Sacrament which his Persecutors desired for his Professorship How many more might I name and what is this obstinacy if they call it so but the same with the primitive Saints who would not cast one grain into the fire to save their lives and shall we God forbid but as Nich. Shetterden said He that kept off the bandogâ— at staves end not as thinking to escape them but that I would see saies he those Foxes leap above ground for my bloud if they have it And shall not I for my most dear Lord make these gaping Leopards get it then saliendo saliendo by sweat and leaping for it too that all men may see they are greedy of it whiles they give out they desire it not yea surely Notwithstanding all this their cruelty was yet the greater to me in that they knew I had no estate nothing to live upon nor would they suffer one to minister unto me or mine nor one to come in and such as have sent in have hitherto miscarried I have heard of some Letters with tokens sent to me and at one time of five or six together but I never received more than one with six shillings and two Cheeses to this day being above this twelve weeks now the tokens not onely causing the Letters to miscarry whether through the hands of these Souldiers or no I am not sure but Bull himself keeping some of them from me and then they report about we are bloudy men bloudy men laying Athaliah like thereon guilt upon the Lords poor innocent ones saying they intercepted Letters which shew it The Maid went to this upper-Goaler for so me of my Letters after he had done with them read and shewn them to many with much scoffing but he said they were not fit for such a fellow as I but bid her tell me when I was sober out of my frantick fits I should have them she saying why Sr. you have never seen him distempered yet he threatened to kick her down stairs if she held not her tongue calling her mis-names and afterwards bid her pack up and begone forth with that day for that none should live with us but of his chusing my Wife all this while being very ill onely our gracious God and Father in Christ bears up her spirit through their cruelty which is so great that a very Letter sent to her for a Diet-drink he kept from her a long time till much ado was made for it and so in his malice doth he keep me either from sending or receiving one Letter though not a word be mentioned of the Government or matters which they accompt offensive and the Carriers of this Island are strictly warned we hear not to bring or receive our Letters for us but shall bring them all to him A Letter which the Maj. Generalls man wrote to send out after it had passed his approbation was returned back again writ upon in the sides and after so sent out with a most ungracious unsavoury spirit mocking and flouting me therein by name saying I was in one of those fits which I was in when I was tyed to my bed by which he meant my condition in the way which the Lord took to my conversion which he had read in my Book of Church Discipline among the Experiences of the Work of grace therein recorded which he made so much mocking and scoffing at to such of the Clergy and others of the Souldiers that came to him as argues clearly the little Experiences which he hath of the grace of God in him or of any soul-deliverance but this so prophane a foul-mouthed Ismalite this so irreligious a rayling Rabshekah may be so miserable in soul and body for want of such experiencâ—s and deliverances that he one day may and shall if he make not hast for paenitentia sera rare est vera seek them with tears and find no place of repentance to which judgement I must leave him accompting these reproaches greater riches to me than the treasures of Aegypt But for all this and an incomparable abundance more from day to day of our sufferings which I might write we are accompted no sufferers nor this any persecution by the present Apostates and Time-servers yea and notwithstanding all this tyranny and cruelty to us my Wife and Children and all the Family kept close prisoners with such heavy and unreasonable provocations every day two Officers of the Aâ—my did professe to us that in their hearing Bull is much blamed at White Hall for not being more strict and riggid unto us and suffering us so much as he does which is but the very ayre to breath in and he doth what he can to discontinue us in that therefore ô Lord God of righteousnesse do thou declare whether this be a
every one submit himself 2. In that my most gracious over-ruling Father hath made the enemy to imprison and persecute me not onely is the same way and spirit but in the very same places where the Martyrs of old were imprisoned and persecuted which did refresh me indeed as at Lambeth that old Butchers shop and shambles of the Saints where so many even Wickliff himself and all along since have suffered their rings whereto they were chained remaining in the walls to this day which did affect me much to see And after that at Winsor where the eminent Martyrs Cranmer Ridley and Latimer were put in their way to Oxford in bloudy Queen Maries dayes 3. In that I am also instructed how to want as well as to abound and so in all conditions as the Apostle saith to be therewith content Phil. 4.11 1 Tim. 6.8 having passed through prisons reproaches tumults beatings bufferings often throwings headlong banishment spitting upon yea spoyling of my goods which hath been much one Letter hath signified to me the losse of an hundred pounds at one time and in plundrings often and in perills of life sicknesse Feavours storms cold snow tempests without bed without bread in sore travells and severall other tryalls yet all this which is the life of all for my most dear Christ against Cromwell and the whole Earth blessed be Jehovah therefore I wait but for Whitehall or the Pretorium-hall 4. In that the enemy though he hath sought it greedily yet to this day hath not found any just cause or colour for my imprisonment and exile nor so much as signified why in their Orders of commitment which is my great comfort and advantage for as Paul said in his fourth defence Acts 25.7 8. and they utter many and grievous complaints which they cannot prove for neither against the Law of Christians nor against the Temple nor against the faith have I offended at all So Acts 24.12 13. neither found they me in the Temple disputing with any man neither raising up the people neither in the Synagogue nor in the City 5. In that the Persecution upon me hath been above many others so sweet though sharpe a primitive-like diogmos or chasing Persecution from one place to another not letting me rest in our own Countrey nor in Exile but hunting me about like a Partridge from place to place with Nimrâ—dian Tyranny like them of whom the Worlâ— was not worthy although I am not worthy of the happy number or race Heb. 11.38 who confessed v. 13 14. they were strangers and pilgrims on earth declaring plainly that they sought a far beâ—â—â—r Countrey 6. For that this their spreading and hurrying Persecution did so primitive-like sow and advantage the Gospell of the Kingdome in all places where I was carried round about this Island the report of this Doctrine running and inclining the poor people to enquiry reading and search and so was the Gospell at first spread and sowâ—n in all Asiae Cyprus Cappadocia Macedonia and indeed over all Nations by such a chasing Persecution which I praise the Lord for that it fell out to be my lot in this Island to sow this seed Paul plants Apollo waters but the Lord must give the encrease And indeed I dare not deny but our God hath given a very great encrease hereby insomuch as the very women who have enquired into the very truth as at Newport do professe openly this is the way of God that we are imprisoned for and that they will part with all they have in this heavenly Cause and Quarrell between the Prisoners and the Powers which is very much considering in what exceeding slavery people in this Island are kept by the sword So that as the Gentleman in Scotland told the Bishop Bettoun upon the burning of that Martyr Mr. Patrick Hamilton My Lord if you burn any more of them you will ruine your selves if you burn them let them be burnt in hollow Cellars for the smoak of Mr. Patrick Hamilton hath infected as many as it blew upon it may be is the policy that our Persecutors have taken to imprison plunder and banish and make no noise no mention in news-Books of it least it should be known yea to coop us up so closse Prisoners in Banishment and Cellar us up from all noise of their cruelty to us least it may be our breathing or as Bull saies seducing which is the old note of Persecutors and Goalers over the imprisoned Martyrs But as we know Beggars by their chanting so do we Bull and his Masters by their language with the same spirit lying traducing and opprobriously abusing as those base Monsters both Heathenish and Popish Goalers and Tyrants did that were their Predecessors but for all these Atopos absurd men 2 Thess 3.1 2. Shall the Word of the Lord have free course and be glorified Amen Hallelujah 7. In that the Lord hath in this School instructed me to Preach in tumults and uproars as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.4 5 6. in all things to approve my self the Minister of my God In much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings by purenesse by knowledge by long-suffering by the holy Ghost by love unfained by the Word of truth by the power of God by the Armour of Righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by evill report and good report as a deceiver and yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and yet behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycdng as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things O blessâ—d be that bondlesse love and grace of God unto me herein yea I tell you he hath been teaching me a strange way of Preaching as if I were a pouring ouâ— of my bloud with my words at once to seal the truth and in expectation of leaving my life with my Light of the dashing my brains about my Exhortations O this this is me thinks to bear about in my body the dying of our Lord Jesus indeed who did preach thus and so did the Apostles and thus am I become dead to the Laws yea to my own life by the life of Jesus and body of Christ I think I can say sometimes most sweetly Tossanus in Anâ—olia had such a time of it too among the Barbarous Souldiers for he preached every Sermon not looking to come out alive and in a Barn too where the Church met Ah Lord let me thy poor worm be such a Preacher all my dayes to speak in every Sermon as my last words to poor Souls yea as if I were sealing them on a Scaffold with my bloud Amen so be it Amen He had that honest saying of Seneca it seems often over Vir bonus quod honesâ—è se facturum putaverit faciet etiamsi periculosum sit ab honesto nullâ re deterribitur ad
by lying dissembling evading and breaking all obligations for as in Gen. 4.8 thus hath Cain killd Abell with pretences of love thus hath the Devill disposed the Serpents tongue to tempt which the Women or weaker vessells and more effeminate carnall spirits do listen unto at this day and by entertaining discourse are suddenly ensnared beginning as Eve first to doubt of Gods truth and promise the first sin of man and then to mince mix and extenuate in their mindes the threatening Commandment of God whiles they seem outwardly to observe it and plead it as Eve did and then to hear Satan by carnall policy propounding worldly advantages that they shall be as Gods and so inducing them to Apostacy through disobedience unthankfulnesse pride ambition covetousnesse and unbelief which brings forth persecution and contempt of Gods truth yea a wanton lust and an usurpation of what God hath reserved to himself All these are summing sins of which with many others this Age the present Generation in England is guilty yea highly guilty if not damnably guilty before God Angells and men 2. But secondly besides this it is a Summing Witnesse and Testimony now up in England too or the finishing Testament of the Kingdome Rev. 11.7 Matth. 24.14 which comprehends the summe of all the Prophets and Prophesies from Moses to this day Acts 3.24 Luke 24.27 about the Kingdome of Christ especially of Isaiah Ezekiell Zachariah Daniell the Revelation c. all seem to scope in and aim at this Witnesse for which we are imprisoned with one concentricity harmony and consent both for time and purpose and now we are to expect that dispensation of the fullnesse of times wherein all thing both in heaven and earth shall be gathered in one even in Christ Ephes 1.10 So that as for the sinnes so for the Witnesse now up against them was never such a time Age or Nation as this is 3. It is also a summing up of the suffereings and persecutions of the Saints and Free-born Children by the Nimrods of the world the Rear-persecution that is for the Rear-witnesse is now upon us and he will make an utter end affliction shall not rise up the second time Nahum 1 9. we are entring the haven of the 42. Months voiage yea reaping the harvest of all the bloud faith tears prayers lives losses and liberties of the million of Martyrs from the dayes of Abell to this day Math 23. for Rev. 18.24 in her was found the bloud of Prophets of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth So that to avenge their bloud and Deaths to answer their cryes groans and prayers out of their graves dungeons rackings flames stocks rivers caves fields urns and most exquisite torments of all sorts the Fifth Monarchy Saints are now concerned in to bring up the rear well wisely couragiously constantly and victoriously after Christ their Captain and the primitive Martyrs in the Van for it was said to them Rev. 6.11 That they should rest for a little season untill their fellow servants also should be fulfilled or untill we who were to bring up the rear that is in the Gospell of the Kingdome for a witnesse were fulfilled therefore as the eyes of the whole Creation Angells and men so especially of the Martyrs and Saints Abell Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Jews and Gentilts of all Tribes and Nations Prophets and Apostles are upon us at this day in this Cause and Testimony for the Kingdome to see how we behave our selves herein which they all bore witness unto believed in longed after waited for in their measures and generations as the sum-totall of all their sufferings that the Saints should reign on earth which as I have at large proved in my 2. Treat and Travells since my Bonds these two years viz. Prison born and Banish-born Morning beams if they be not both stifled to be the faith hope and joy of the primitive Martyrs for some hundreds of years after Christ so of late as we finde in The Plow mans Complaint in King Edward the thirds dayes and since in that precious Martyr Mr. Bradfords Letters at large that they had their expectations full of this Kingdome thus in his Letter to Queen Mary and her Councill he saies It behoveth them in Authority to know they are not Kings but plain Tyrants that rule not for God and all those Potentates with their Principalities and Dominions cannot long prosper but perish indeed if they and their Kingdomes be not ruled by the Scepter of God that is with his Word the people also perishing with Princes where the Word of Prophesie is wanting much more is suppress'd as is now in England Wherefore he exâ—â—orts them to be no longer Slaves Hangmen to Anti-christ to let Barabas lose hang up Christ saying the Doctrine they then suffered for stood invincibly above all power being not our Doctrine but the Doctrine of the ever living God and of his Christ whom the Father hath ordained King to have Dominion from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the world so will he Reign that he will shake the whole earth with his iron Brazen power according to that which the Prophets do write of the Magnificence of his Kingdome c. Was not this Fifth Monarchy-language then among the Martyrs and did not these meddle as much as we do with the worldly Powers and declare their downfall with the uprising of Christs Kingdome on earth Yes verily and thus saith Mr. Bradford in many other Letters as to Doctor Hill to Mrs. Hall and to his Wife wherein he saith That God the Father hath vouch safed to choose us amongst many to witnesse and testifie that Christ his Sonne is King and that his Word is true Christ our Saviour will have us bear record that he is no Vsurper nor Deceiver but Gods Ambassador Prophet and Messias so that of all dignities on earth this is the greatest thus to witnesse as wee now do Thus then the bloud of all the Martyrs Prophets Apostles and Saints are with us in the Witnesse of this day which is the summe of all that Christ alone may be lifted up and exaltd King and the onely absolute single Person in all over all and above all 4. It is a summing time too in this Nation with respect to their present Government for all the Characters of Anti-christ 2 Thess 2. of the second Beast Rev. 13.11 12. and of the little Horn Dan 7.8 21.22.25.26 and of the Myery-Clay-Government where the Stone first strikes the Image Dan. 2.43 is upon it yea as the fourth Beast Dan. 7.7 was diverse from all the others before is as being a compound of all and so to summe up all the other Rev. 13.2 being partly a Leopard partly a Beare partly a Lion and so far of the three fore-going Monsters and the rest of himself and the Dragon So this present Limb of the Beast this Bastard of Ashdod differs or is diverse
teeth of the proudest Tyrants on earth that we are above them and their rage do their worst because greater is he that is in us then HE that is in the world 1 Joh 4.4 and in our prison is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power of the Witnesses a coming upon us through the strength of Christ to do marvelous things yea as Hag 2.7 8. According to the WORD that I have COVENATTED with you So my SPIRIT remaineth among you FEAR YE NOT for thus saith JEHOVAH yet a little while and I wil shake c. I will make the earth to tremble before you Joel 2.10 yea this pittiful pâ—dlie filthy mieryclay-Government that is gotten up in Great Brittany which is the first that must be struck through by the Stone Dan 2. Wherefore O my Friends we must and wil rejoyce yet more abundantly in this so blessed sweet temporate New-Testament Zone which we are under in prisons and Exiles for all the fierceness of this last Beast who hath made the torrid Zone of his tyranny inhabitable and insupportable and in truth if I know my heart in this matter I would say for one like Jerome of Prague when the flames were kindling behind him saith he with courage to the Executioner Come come Kindle me the fire before my face for if I had been afraid I had never come hither nor are we such lively members of Christs body if we cannot when called to it sweat a bloody sweat â—â—fr his sake Wherefore as the Dutch Martyr said Christo submittemus sexcenta si nobis essent Colla c. had we six hundred heads for one they should all off for Christ in this most blessed cause for Quas non oportet mortes praeeligere c What Deaths had we not better choose yea what Hels not endure then to decline one step so blessed so certain and so glorious a Cause as this is for which we are in bonds Wherefore O my most honorably beloved hearts the spirit of life rest upon you and of the two Witnesses to make you as stable and as able as Mount Sion Psal 125.1 yea as those Mountains of Brass from whence the Chariots of King Jesuâ— come they are a coming Zach 6.1 so that all the Devils of Hell may not be able to remove you then one inch of ground but that those who have gone before us from the dayes of Abel to this day and vvho have led up the VAN with valour with all the Elect Angels our fellow-servants in this Cause may exceedingly rejoyce to see our Faith and Faithfulness vigor constancy and courage in carrying up this finishing Rev 11 7. this Rear-testimony Mat 24.14 Rev 17.14 according to the Spirit of the Fifth Kingdom against the BEAST like the children of the captivity now to be returned like the children of the promise and of the Free-woman Gal 4. yea like the children of the Kingdom Mat. 13. that good seed that must sow the whole earth and the children of the Resurrection Luke 20. which are to have their lot in the next world upon the Earth and to reign with Christ a thousand years as I have proved at large in prison-born morning beams Lib 3. and 4. For Jehovah onely is the Lord Patron of al our preferments and whiles we are in the prison as I said we are not fishing for Gudgeons for We pre-possess several sweet tenures both free and copy-hold which we cannot part with no more then Nabaoth could with his Vineyard though we loose our lives for it and to conclude I woul'd leave tâ— is one word with you that the same Lord of Hosts and Captain of the Hoasts of Israel that went before them in the Van is now with us in the Rear where the enemy hath fallen on for that is now the Captains place so that we may confidently and undoubtedly expect as much of his prowess power wonderful appearances and presence with us in this Reare as ever any of the Saints or Martyrs among Jews or Christians found in the Van or in former dayes when the enemies fel upon them for this is clear in Isai 52.12 For ye shal not go out with hast nor go by flight for JEHOVAH wil go before you yea the God of Israel wil be your RERE-WARD Isai 58.8 Thy righteousness shal go before thee the glory of the Lord shall be thy RERE WARD then shalt thou cal and the Lord shal answer thou shalt cry and he shal say HERE I AM if you take away from the midst of thee the yoak c. I am prevented in my Word to the little Remnant I mean the Lambs faithful followers of the Womans seed that keep the Commandements of God and testimony of Jesus but in my Banish-born-Treatise lib last I write at large to them and of their Work if it ever come to light though I confess my Bucer-like hand which writes but bad may be some let or at least delay therein yet at present I am to bid them BEWARE and PREPARE beware of running before Orders come from Jehovah of Armies and prepare for them when they come yea to make all their Arrows ready against Babylon for the time to visit her is now come the set time to thresh her the Harvest is come Jer 50.51 Rev 4. and to favour Sion Psal 102.15 16. yea the set time is come and it is easie to see the SIGNS of Times come upon us yea the signes compleat them this little born this last B this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the learned read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this last limb of the Beasts Government and the man that maketh up his number six thousand six hundred six as we have proved in Prison Morn He is now come O up and be ready then like Roaring Lions against the end of the time times divident with your Ahud Chereb not Pe Chereb two mouthed swords like Christs men of War Pe Chareb or sword with one mouth only as hath been but Joel 2.2.7 9 11. to run climb the wal like mighty men and JEHOVAH shal utter his voice before you his Dread shal be upon your enemies who have insulted over you but shal fal before you Josh 2.9 Rev 11.11 yea they shal tremble and fear and wax feeble as Women Jer 51.30 Nahum 3.13 and become bread for your swords to eat as in Jeremy Acheleh Cherbechem Ne biechem because their defence is departed from them Numb 14.9 nor are the most godly amongst them that have Apostatized these times any more to be reckoned amongst the Lambs number then Dan and Ephraim because of their Apostacy Judg 17 18. were reckoned among the sealed ones of the 144000 Rev 7 5 6 7 8. Wherefore up O my dear â—arts who are of that number that stand before the Throne Rev 7.9 or with the Lamb in Mount Sion Rev 14.1 up and be ready with your Ahod weapon awake arise O English Shearjashub for out of JUDAH Christ with us Gentiles of Lea comes
the word is are very welcom yea the captivity of the captiety is already deforced and turned back by the force of these refreshing streames Psal 46.4 which the Lord is unto us and broad rivers Isay 33.21 So that v. 16. our waters will be sure Teballel jah Hallelujah But to proceed Upon the 16. day of the 3. Moneth 1655. were Commissioners sent from White-hall in a colour of justice to be done for our diversified injuries which by this had made aloud noise in the eares of men so as the Courtiers was put to this policy for a shift and in pretence of wrongs done unto us and to enquire after the matter of fact we found the integrall of their negotiation to be against us that all the informations they could squeeze out of any sortes of people Souldiers or enemies might be modeled and formed up together against us and so presented to their Lord Protector The Commissioners that fat upon us were Mr. H. Mr. Wood Mr Cresset Mr. Carier Mr. Woodard Mr. B. Mr. Oxenbridge and Angelo The first day they sat I was interrupted in the duty of expounding and praying in the morning and from my sweat out of that exercise taken away by the Marshall in the company of my Broth. F. to be cooled in the other When we came before them in the Governours lodgings they told us their errand by the mouth of Mr. Holland we desired to see their Commission and to hear it read which their Cleaâ—k did and as on the one side it signifiâ—d some wrongs we had received of the Souldiers so on the other side and which was the main body of the businesse Upon complaint against Mr. Christopher Feake and Mr. John Rogers that they stirred up the Souldiers to Sâ—dition and Mutiny against their Officers and the Government Those whose names were under written by the foresaid Commission were authorized to examine and make report to him given under his Seal Manual and in the head of it O. P. When we heard it read the designe was obvious unto us under the colour of hearing a little of what we should say to hear all they could possibly scrape up or that any could forge or find out against us for indeed to this day what ever they say they want sufficient matter to bear out this abominable and bruitish handling of us these years together Brother F. first spake and I Seconded him we both told them we were in the capacity of prisoners and that close but if they had power to right us we required our doe liberty at least to be in Statu quo and to have the liberty of the Castle as the Cavaleers and all Prisoners but our selves had to breath in but that denyed we demanded a copy of their Commission that we might be the better directed when we rightly understood their Rules and Instructions we were bid to withdraw and after a long debate called in again with his recusation that we did not own the Government and therefore they could not allow us a copy of their Commission without we would own the power that sent them We told them that was not the point nor was it now the matter in hand yet we could assure them we should not own them as they are Commissionners for so our lives would be in jeopardy and our liberties betrayed and as much as in us lies the liberties of our Country and brethren for that what they were to do was as Justices of the Quorum to hear examine and prepare matters for the Oyer and Terminer in order to a definitive sentence and future issue and therefore they were to make it more concise to give their prepared papers and examinations to their Lord Protector whereby he may pretend we have had a trial depositions taken and nothing rests to do but to hang or head us therefore we did not intend to be involved into such a snare nor to be thus treated with or tryed in a hole Answer was made us they had no such designe but we told them they had not the intentions of their Lord Protector in their hands however and thorough our simplicity it may be theirs too he might make his game but although as Commissioners we would not meddle with them yet as Brethren or Friends in an amicable way we were ready to give them or any other an account of our faith hopes and sufferings Answer was made us they were our Friends and Brethren too in which capacity we told them we could discourse freely with them but they said they were sent for our good and satt to hear what injuries we received we told them whether for our good or hurt we excepted against the matter the forme the rule and the end of their Commission and could take no cognizance of in the capacity of Commissioners for matter I said in that some men as Mr. Oxenbridge c. were parties concerned and therefore not fit to sit as Judges or Justices in this case as to forme they were an illegall court nor ought they to take the prisons for informations against poor prisoners to palliate their past proceedings with new pretences and colours put upon them But first they were to try us for the offence if they had any perpetrated upon which we had lay so long in prisons and either to acquitt or adjudge us for that and then they might proceed and enquire for new but to immure us so long and barbarously and now to stirr every stinking puddle to find matter for it is not fair but like the Tyrant that did first hang the man and then hear his Cause or the Constable as the P. calls himselfe that fiâ—st knocks the man down and then bids him stand besides as they were incompetent Justices and no authentick Court so the end for which they satt let them shape it as well as they can was wicked and unchristian to rake up informations and depositions against us in the matters of our faith and consciences They told us they were to take report of matters of fact which we desired them to extricate according to their Commission but they refusing so to by the ill successe of our request reaching but to the Superficies of an obtuse Nerve we saw it encumbent to deal plainly with them and to tell them the utmost our enemies had to impeach us was but for wordes in preaching praying or Christian conference with us which we knew to be wordes of Sobriety and truth though our enemies call them dangerous and seditious Mr. Oxenb answer'd that words were matters of fact with that we knew their meaning and Mr. H. said he must needs confesse the Charge against us was very high yea said we in your Calendar or Law you make it Treason to do such things as in your Commission seems charged upon us but we vallued not that yet insisting upon a copy of their Commission Mr. Oxenbridge answered they could not for that we had denied the efficient cause thereof we
told them he did us wrong for that we had not once entered upon a debate of the efficient viz. O. P. or his Seal but yet for further satisfaction I desired of them the extent of their Commission as to time whether for two dayes or tenn they answered for the whole space of time since our imprisonment by which it became so evident that themselves were beaten by it under a shew of doing us right they must do us wrong and so we told them that at first they said and pretended it was grounded up on the complaints our friends made of wrongs done unto us for the space of two weeks before to enquire after that matter of fact and yet now confesse it intended the whole space of our imprisonment for many monthes to find out matter against us and that as in the Commission grounded upon the complaints of our foes that are our Goalers and seek our blood and therefore possitively refused to take notice of them in that capacity there was much more to this effect and in propinquity tossed to and fro of transitive matter not worth mentioning nor were they more propitious at other times as in the afternoon the day after wherein we were quiescents as before without altering or sounding after them yet as to brethren or friends not in Authority we were free to tell them a story of our sufferings and unhandsome usage whereof there was so clear witnasse but said we freely forgave them not desiring they should be punished which they never intended doubtlesse but to fortify their hands rather to such ugly circumstances and abuses as appeared for the next day these Loco motive Commissioners adjourned to Frogmore the Governors house beyond the town and there satt to hear receive and examine all that would come in with any accusation against us which we in close prison were kept ignorant of yea the Officers took great pains not onely by Clandestine meetings to compare their mindes and prepare their matters together but with coincident endeavours suborned the Souldiers who must obey Orders to that unworthy service so base that as some of the poore creatures rejected it so some of them were threatened by Pepper as one of them told mee because they would not go in and testify against us things they never heard spoken and which they told him they never heard yet because they would not assert and depose to what he said they were not only menaced but upon easie mâ—tters and other pretences afterwards suffered The next day early Mr. Br. came to mee who had preached the day before a little too reflecting upon us but being my worthy friend I am tender of him and entirely respect him he desired mee to forbear my exercise which I did that morning and we were hastened again before these Gentlemen with a friend or two then with us they offered then to read the accusations and informations they had taken up against us if we would consent they should report them to O. P. but we said as before our mindes were the same and they were the same so that as Commissioners we would not so much as here them read to us or reply a word to them with which they were offended but we renewed our exceptions against them both gray and black Mâ—ssionariâ—s the Ministers having no such rule from Christ left them to fitt in Commission thus against their brethren nor had the other either Law or conscience to commend them to this imployment and particularly in that som there present were constituted members of the High Court of justice for the punishing them with death that should declare Ch. St. or any other person chiefe Magistrate in the three Nations c. and this they had solemnly sworne to so I drew out the Act of Parliament to read it to them and offered reasons why we could not in conscience take cogniscance of them but they were deaf and obtuse of hearing yea two or three of them viz Mr. Wood and Oxenbridge rent away from the rest in discontent and so after a little discourse with some of the other about the Fifth Kingdome they dissolved and left us in our close prisons and cruell hands where they found us they went home with a Flea in their ear it seems but well frought with informations against us to their Master who hath doubâ—lesse laid them up with the râ—st for a timous and more terrible treatment and whiles with Joab 2 Sam. 20. they say Brother with the one hand they stabb us with the other hand under the fi th ribb and shedd out our bowells in the dust but the Lord will raise the dust of Sion Psal 102. And in generall we may note First That Apostates are the worst and subtellest sort of persecutors and of all people the most brutishly bent to their own waies in spending the Aegyptian spoyles Exod. 32. setting up false worships with a carnal noise Exod. 32.18 quite loosing the Lords presence with the former signes Exod. 33. and lying open to enemies Exod. 32.25 Yea notwithstanding all professions they are found against God Num. 14.35 and are disinherrited of all the promises of the good I and by God Numb 14 12. Secondly That more justice is to be had from a down-right Heathen Government than from an Apostate interest which lies in deceit and Hypocrisy whether that Heathen Government be Millitary or Philosophical and for the proofe of this all History is redundant in the Persian after Cyrus Cambyses was so strict that he caused a Judge to be flayed and set up his skinn for a monument because he was corrupted and executed wrong judgement yea of late the King of Persia centensed the Governor of Casbin for his wrongs done to men that all his goods and lands should be sold for satisfaction to them that he had wronged and if that would not do the King condemned himselfe to fatisfie the rest or that in his Office he did the wrongs and that this Governor for his cruelty should all his daies during his life wear a yoak like a hoggs yoak about his neck and have his ears so ready to hear tales cut off and he get his living with his own hands that he might feel the want he had made others to feel yea among Turks at this moment is much more justice to be had than is now in England where any cause is heard tried and determined in three daies but here we may lie three years in prisons rotting without a tryal or face of justice or know for what as is our case Yea in China that Philosophicall Government the Choli and Zauli men of moral principles of Philosophy will at this day as is well known admonish and reprove the King or Emperor sharply if any thing be done contrary to the Law and will not spare to do it by publique libells not dissembling his faults nor the greatest Magistrates in their Nations which they continue to the astonishment of other Nations