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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90391	An examination of the grounds or causes, which are said to induce the court of Boston in New-England to make that order or law of banishment upon pain of death against the Quakers; as also of the grounds and considerations by them produced to manifest the warrantableness and justness both of their making and executing the same, which they now stand deeply engaged to defend, having already thereupon put two of them to death. As also of some further grounds for justifying of the same, in an appendix to John Norton's book ... whereto he is said to be appointed by the General Court. And likewise of the arguments briefly hinted in that which is called, A true relation of the proceedings against the Quakers, &c. Whereunto somewhat is added about the authority and government which Christ excluded out of his Church ... By Isaac Penington, the younger.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1660 (1660)	Wing P1166; Thomason E1020_5; ESTC R203130	87,615	103

then they are of whips prisons cruel usage in prisons and cutting off of ears Surely it had been a sweeter a more christian and safer course to have weighed the thing in Gods fear and dread before ye had begun any of your punishments But your own late relation confesseth that ye began with them upon reports from Barbadoes and England from good hands ye say and so they of Damascus might have said if they had received the letters from the High-Priest or relations from zealous and devout Jews and I have heard related from many hands which having drunk in prejudices from reports and begun with imprisoning of them might easily follow that they were never afforded a fair hearing but at your Courts questions put to entrap them and they not suffered to plead the righteousness and innocency of their cause but endeavours used to draw them to that and a watching to catch that from them which would bring them within the compass of some of your laws Your consciences know how true these things are will one day give in a clear and true testimony although ye should be able to bribe them at present 3. That their coming thither was upon no other grounds or occasion for ought that could appear then to scatter their corrupt opinions and to draw others to their way and so to make disturbance Ans Christ saith to his disciples ye are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and they are not to lie still and keep their light under a bushel but to lighten and season the world as the Lord calleth and guideth them And if the Lord doth see that New-England notwithstanding all its profession and talk of the things of God hath need of his salt to savour it with and of his light to inlighten them and so sendeth his messengers and servants among them they have no reason to be offended with the Lord for this or with his people or with the truths they bring They have long had a form up and it may have eaten out the power and they may not be so savoury now in their ease and authority in New-England as they were under their troubles and persecutions in Old England and God may in kindnesse to them send among them a foolish people to stir them up and provoke them to jealousie Now the coming thus is not to scatter corrupt opinions but by the power of truth to scatter that which scatters from the Lord nor is it to draw to their way but to the Lord to Christ his living way which they are exhorted to try and feel and certainly to know before they receive nor doth it make any disturbance but onely to that which is at ease in the flesh and fleshly forms of worship And Israel of old was often thus disturbed by the Prophets of God though they still could not bear it but were enemies to the Prophets for it notwithstanding they had received their way of worship certainly from Gods hand how much more may the Lord take liberty by his servants and messengers to disturb these who never so received it but have formed up a way out of the Scriptures whereof many that are truly conscientious doubt whether it be the way or no even as they themselves doubt and are ready to contend against the waies that others have formed Now those that pick a quarrel with truth and seek matter against it to persecute it do not call it truth but errour corrupt opinions the way of a Sect the making of disturbance or such like And persecutors for the most part do not only say this but bring forth their strong arguments insomuch as the persecutors is commonly just in his own eyes and the persecuted is blamed as the evill doer and cause of his own sufferings Were the Bishops without their plea nay did not he that was called Dr. Burgess in his book seem to carry the cause clear against the Non-conformists And why the Bishops might not establish their way by authority or the Presbyters their way as well as these accounted Independants their way not regarding the dissenters or tender-conscienced I confesse I see not but that they have justified the Bishops by their practising the same thing and so unjustly condemned them in words But how can ye say for ought that could appear when ye were so unfit through receiving of prejudices and reports and beginning so roughly with them to consider what might be made appear also so far from giving way to them to make what they could appear as is before expressed And doth not this also imply that there may be a just righteous and warrantable cause of their coming in relation to God and his service though it doth not yet appear to you and in a meeker and cooler temper when another eye is opened in you ye may see and acknowledge that cause who are the Lords servants whether they come in his name or no whether they are his truths or no which they bring with them these are things God opens to the humble to the meek to such as fear before him and wait for his counsel therein but those that can determine things by intelligence before hand from other parts and imprison persons so soon as they come and so proceed on with a stiff resolution against them how are these in any capacity to seek or receive counsel from God in a case of so great concernment So that at last even when they have drunk their blood they must be forced to say for ought that could appear this was their only end work and intent but whether it was so or no they do not certainly know Thus far is in answer to the account they give by way of preface to what led them to the making of this law of banishment and death Now the grounds and considerations themselves which they hold forth to clear this to be warrantable and just follow to be scanned which are in number six 1. The doctrine of this Sect of people say they is destructive to fundamental truths of Religion Ans For the making of this argument forcible two things are necessary if either of which fails it fals to the ground 1. It is necessary to make manifest that persons for holding or propagating doctrines contrary to fundamental truths of religion are by Christs institution punishable with dismembring banishment or death For Christ is the head King and Law-giver to his Church it is he that is the foundation of religion and the giver forth of fundamental truths of religion and he is the proper Judge of what punishent is fit for such as either will not receive his fundamental truths of Religion or afterwards start back from them and broach doctrines contrary thereto Now it is required in his name and authority of such Powers as will take upon them to inflict these kinds of punishments upon such kind of offenders Christs institution for this thing Christ was as faithful in his

there is a large difference between what was lawful to be done in the kingdom or common-wealth of Israel and what is now lawful to be done The kingdome or common-wealth of Israel was a state outwardly representative of what was inwardly to be done in the state of the Gospel by Christ the King thereof He is the King and Law-giver to his people and he is their Judge concerning their receiving or rejecting them concerning their obeying or disobeying them concerning their holding the faith or their letting go the faith and maintaining things contrary thereto And he doth judge his people here in this life so far as he thinks fit Heb. 10.30 31. reserving also what he thinks fit for another time of judgment Act. 17.31 And who is he that shall take his office out of his hand and judge one of his servants in the things of his kingdome Rom. 14.4 Is not this an intruding into Christs Kingly office He gave authority to command for the doing of such things outwardly before his coming as might represent what he would do inwardly after his coming but where hath he given authority since his coming to do such things any more Doth not the typical King with his typical government cease after that king with his government which it figured out is come O Governours of New-England to take away the life of a man is a weighty thing and the Lord will not hold him guiltless who either doth it in a violent manner or who maketh an unjust law to do it by But how pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints O how will ye be able to bear the weight of their blood when the Lord maketh inquisition for it ye had need have a very clear warrant in this case O how will ye answer this thing at the judgement seat of Christ Alas such arguments as these will stand you in little stead But ye have done it and now must maintain it and it is exceeding hard for you being thus deeply ingaged in the sight of the Nations to come to a sober and serious consideration of the state of the case as it stands before the Lord. 2. The second ground or consideration which they hold forth to clear their Law of banishment and death against the Quakers to be warrantable and just is this Because they are far from giving that honor and reverence to Magistrates which the Lord requireth and good men have given to them but on the contrary shew contempt against them in their very outward gesture and behaviours and some of them at least spare not to belch railing and cursing speeches c. Answ That we do not give that honour and reverence to Magistrates which the Lord requireth deserves a weighty proof For what we do or forbear in this kind we do as in the sight of the Lord as persons who are not only liable to suffer from men but also to give an account to him at the last day Now towards Magistrates our carriage is thus as in the presence of the Lord. 1. We observe their commands in all things that are according to God We submit our selves to the government that is supream and to the Governours under the supream for the Lords sake who in their several places ought to be for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well according to 1 Pet. 2.13 14. This is Gods ordinance and here Magistracy is in its right place namely in punishing the evil doer for his evil deeds but not make a man an offender for a word or for a gesture which is neither good nor evil in it self but as it is done He that pulleth off his hat or boweth in flattery or to please man in him it is evil he that forbeareth to do it in obedience to God and in the fear of his name in him it is good 2. When any Magistrates punish us for wel-doing for our obedience to the Lords spirit though we know God never gave power to any Magistracy to punish therefore yet we patiently suffer under them referring our cause to him that judgeth righteously and waiting on him for strength to carry us through our sufferings for his names sake 3. When we appear before them we appear as in the Lords presence desiring his guidance that we may give due honour and respect to all that is of him in them and may be kept from honouring or pleasing that which is not of him and which he would not have us honour This is the temper of our Spirits and accordingly is our carriage as in the sight of the Lord what ever men deem of us But the great matter is because we do not pull off our hats and bow to them or that we use plain language to them as thou and thee to a particular person which some of them will needs interpret to be contempt though others of them who are more sober and considerate can clearly discern that it is not at all in contempt either to their authority or their persons but in meer single-hearted obedience to God Now to drive this a little towards a fair trial consider in meekness and in Gods fear 1. What kind of honour this is which is thus much stood upon Is it the honour which is from above or the honour which is from below What part springs it from in man from the new-birth or from the earthly nature what doth it please in man doth it please that which is begotten of God doth it please the meekness the humility the lowliness the new nature or doth it please help to keep up the old nature the lofty spirit even that part which is prone in every man to be exalted out of the fear of God For this I may freely say that whatsoever is of the earth hath an aptness in it to feed the earthly part and particularly this of outward bowing to the creature is apt to hurt him that doth it and is likewise apt to hurt him that reciveth it In mans giving and receiving honour God hath been forgotten They have forgotten God who have been giving honour to one another and they have forgotten God who have been receiving honour from one another And what if the Lord who hath made us sensible of the evil herein hath laid a restraint upon us can any forbid the Lord from laying such a thing upon us or is it lawful for any to go about to hinder us from obeying the Lord therein Thou who art thus eager in contending for honour Art thou sure it is not the evil part in thee which doth so desire it If it be the good part in thee thou wilt desire it in meekness and gentleness yea and will be able to bear the want of it with joy where it is denyed thee upon such an account that it may run more purely towards the Lord. Now if it be earthly honour it is of a perishing nature it is not

c. saith the Apostle least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.12 13. and persecution most hardens of any sin How cruel how bloody doth it make it even unmans men Prisons Whips cutting off of ears Banishment Death all is little enough if not too little And what reviling doth it fill mens pens and tongues with making them so hot and passionate that they cannot equally consider the cause but misunderstand it misrepresent it strive to make it appear another thing both to themselves and others than indeed in truth and plainness it is Look over your writings consider the cause again in a more meek and upright Spirit and ye your selves will easily see how in your heat ye have mistaken and dealt more injuriously with others than ye your selves were ever dealt with There is a time of righteous judgment wherein the most inward covers shall be ripped off and the sinner appear what he is and then the persecutor shall bear that shame that burthen that misery which is the portion of that Spirit It is but a small advantage to it to cover its iniquity for a little moment If ye could make all the world believe that ye are not persecutors what would this profit you if in the day of the Lord ye should be found such But having proceeded thus far it is hard for you to consider and retreat That Spirit hath great advantage over you to make you accept of any cover it can now offer you to hide your selves under Oh that ye could see how ye have wrested Scriptures and what strange kind of rguments ye have formed to make that which ye have done pass with your own hearts and to make it appear somewhat plausible to others Yet all this will not do the eye of the Lord sees through you and that light which ye reproach makes you manifest to be at present in subjection under the bloody dark power who will hold you as long as he can and furnish you with such weapons as he has against the Lamb and his followers But ye come forth to the battel in a bad day for the light is arisen to conquer and is not now to be overcome with the darkness And though ye meet the Woman and her seed with a floud of reproaches and persecutions yet that will not stop her from coming forth out of the Wilderness to shew her beauty and innocency again in the earth Consider these things and come out of this hard Spirit into tenderness if it be possible that the still meek gentle Spirit of life may be your leader from under all false covers into the truth it self where there is a gentle lying down with all that is of God and not so much as an offence because of any difference much less heart-burnings and persecutions but a sweet waiting on the Lord for every ones growth in their several ranks and stations Since my waiting on the Lord for the presence and guidance of his Spirit in the examining the foregoing Grounds and Considerations there came forth an Appendix to John Norton's Book wherein are laid down some further Grounds by way of justifying of their proceedings which for their sakes and likewise on the behalf of the truth and people of God I may also say somewhat to 1. FIrst they insinuate an argument concerning the not suffering of evil which they say is common to all that fear God with themselves Answ Evil is to be resisted but in Gods way according to Gods will and not according to the will of the flesh Spiritual evils are to be resisted by and in the faith with spiritual weapons which God hath appointed and sanctified thereto Earthly evils outward evils transgressions of the just law of the Magistrate are to be resisted by the sword of the Magistrate Here are the bounds which God hath set which he that transgresseth sinneth against the Lord and his own soul But the believer is not to step out of Gods way to resist the Magistrates evil nor the Magistrate to step out of Gods way to resist spiritual evil but both are to wait on the Lord for his blessing on the means he hath appointed and it is better for each of them not to resist evil but let it grow upon them till the Lord please to appear against it than to overcome it by an unrighteous weapon Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help and stay on horses and trust in Chariots Isa 31.1 2. A second argument is taken from the sole cause of their transplanting which they say was to enjoy liberty to walk peaceably in the faith of the Gospel according to the order of the Gospel Answ That there was an honest intent in many of them in transplanting into New-England I do not doubt though whether they had a sufficient warrant from God to transplant was doubted and objected against them by many of their conscientious fellow sufferers here in old England who testifie them that they did believe it to be their duty not to fly but stay and bear their testimony for God and his truth by suffering and this had been a better way of resisting that which was manifestly evil than of resisting by the sword that for evil which in due time they themselves may see and acknowledge not to have been so But if they did truly desire liberly did not the enemy tempt them to be selfish to seek it so far as might comprise themselves excluding such as might differ from them upon as just grounds as they themselves differed from others Did not they set bounds to the truth and bounds to the spirit of God that thus far it should appear and no further Whereas God hath degrees of discovering and leading out of the Antichristian darkness and he that opposeth the next discovery of truth the next step out of Babylon is as real an enemy and persecutor as he that opposed the fore going In that they testified against the Bishops they did well but if they will now set up a stand either to themselves or others and not follow the leadings of the Lamb their life may be withered and they may perish in the Wilderness while others are following the guide which they left when they set up their stand towards Canaan And as for walking peaceably That they might be free from the fear of outward powers having liberty to try what ever pretends to be of God and if it appear error be out of danger of having their consciences forced this is a great mercy But if they would live so peaceably as that no discovery of God further should ever start up among them nor the Lord himself be suffered to send any of his servants with any further discovery of light unto them this is not a peace which God allowes to any man nor which his people desire but only the carnal part which loves to be at ease and not to be at the pains of tryal in the fear

imagining mind which first builds up with apprehensions about Church Religion and worship without the spirit and then is offended with that which cannot bow to those images But be it known unto you O Nations and Powers of the Earth that the Lord hath raised up a people whose knees can alone bow at the name of Jesus and whose tongues can alone confess to him And if Nebuchadnezzars spirit should heat a furnace of affliction seven times hotter then it hath yet been heated all this d●y of the cruel sufferings of Gods dear people and threaten all with it that will not bow to the image or form of worship which he sets up yet this we know assuredly that the Lord hath begotten a seed which he can deliver and which we do not doubt but he will deliver let Antichrists Sea Waves roare never so loud against them But however bow to any image they cannot for they have tasted of the living truth it self which hath made them free from such images and idols wherein they were before intangled and the spirit of the Lord calleth aloud to them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set them free and not to receive any more the yoke of bondage upon their necks but to draw under the sweet gentle yoak of his Spirit O England England how sad is thy state how great mighty things hath the Lord done in thee but thou still overlookest his hand and art offended with the work of his Spirit because it sutes not with thy fleshly desires and interests O England England what will become of thee the Lord hath kindled his sire and thou addest fewel daily The Lord is arisen to make inquisition for the sufferings and blood of his people and thou instead of repenting of what thou hast done art greedy of more Thou hast deeply drunk of the whores cup of fornication and that makes thee thus thirsty after the Saints blood Thou cryest out against those that put the Martyrs to death as the professing Jews did against those that put the Prophets to death and yet persecutest their Spirit wherever it appears in further prosecution of the work of reformation at this day even as the Jews did persecute the Spirit of the Prophets in Christ and his Apostles O mourn to the Lord to open thine eyes that thou maist not thus stand any longer in his way Let him bring forth his Church let him set up his truth let him advance his people and do not thou go about to limit the spirit of the holy one in them There 's none of these will harm thee but bring blessings upon thee Let thy Governors keep within their bounds and be a defence upon all people in their just rights and liberties and see if from that day he do not bless thee But if there be one thing in the Lords heart concerning his people and another thing in thine if he resolve to bring them forth to his praise and to give them their liberty in their obedience to his Spirit thou resolve they shall come under thy yoaks and bonds how can ye agree your wrath by this means must needs be kindled against each other and he that hath most strength will carry it For as the day of your wrath is come to see the people of God so increase and grow bold in his truth and power so the day of his wrath is come to see his people so reproached hated hunted and persecuted for his names sake Revel 11.18 And take heed lest upon that spirit which in this generation still continues persecuting the sufferings persecutions and blood of all the Saints and Martyrs shed all the time of Antichrists raign be not required The blood of all the Prophets from Abel to Zacharias was required of that great professing generation of the Jews who spake such great words of Moses and the Prophets but persecuted Christ and his Apostles Mat. 23.35 And the blood of all the souls that lie under the Altar crying how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth They were bid to rest a little season and then the blood of all that ever was slain since the Apostles dayes is to be required on that generation of professors who are found even to the very last in the persecuting spirit Revel 6.10 11. I do not write this to reproach any sort of professors but in true love and bowels of compassion that such among them as ever had any tast of God and of his sweet meek spirit but are now grown hard and found smiting their fellow servants may if it be possible hear the Lords voyce which yet tenderly calls after them that they may not be cut in pieces and receive their portion of wrath with Babylon Mat. 24.49 50 51. Revel 18.4 As for me I am poor and weak a worm and no man one who hath been a mourner and wanderer in a strange land all my dayes yea I have been that fool who though I have often been very neer yet still knew not the way to the city of my God Eccles 10.15 and at present I am very unworthy and unfit to be an instrument in the Lords hand for the reclaiming of any man from his wanderings Yet this I can in truth and uprightness say concerning the Lords gracious dealings with me that in the bowels of his mercy he hath visited me and turned my face towards his Zion and in his life and Spirit as he pleaseth to keep me fresh and open I know both my way and my leader and also that which is mine enemy which continually endeavoureth to betray and devour me And I speak the truth in Christ I lie not I know also what I have felt wrath and misery upon and that what the Lord hath so long and so severely smitten in me he will not spare in others O that men could hear and avoid my bed of torment where I suffered a most dreadful and terrible hell for many years bear with me for I cannot call it less though without either guilt upon my Spirit or fear of wrath being justified before God in my own conscience till afterwards under long continuance of misery and thick darkness some guilt was contracted and having a secret root of hope concerning good from God if once I might appear in his presence to plead my cause there Who can possibly believe the misery I endured if it were related and yet it had not the least mixture of either of these in it for a long time But after this through the ignorance and thick darkness wherewith I had been long overwhelmed not knowing what had been and still was present with me the tempter by his subtilty got in and led out my mind from what had visited and sought after me all my dayes to wait and hope for some great appearance to set me to rights and here my loss was very great my soul being hereby