Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the Error and out of the Truth let such deny their Worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confess to all the World under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their Mouthes and never profess nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and Conditions we will joyn trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the World it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers years have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the Ground of Quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful Tryal in Disputes or Writings for the Tryal and searching out of the Truth and the true Religion And were it not equal and reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to Prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to Prisons and Houses of Correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the Truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no Weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the Weapons of the Spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let Creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other Weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the Weapons of the Spirit of God which are powerful will bring down strong Holds and as for Creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose Weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and who do overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with Prisons and Whips and Houses of Correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but only the Power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their Enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry Deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be Deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the Election for no Deceivers nor the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ in the Election then if all the Deceivers upon Earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the Elect cannot be deceived and upon these terms we may engage with any people and Sect upon Earth Therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the Liberty to declare in soberness what you own and prosess you shall not be persecuted nor your Bodies nor Persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to declare in Meekness and Soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and profess and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withal and then let it appear whether we or our Enemies have a greater Testimony and more powerfull in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the trial of all things but doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by Violence and Whipping and Persecuting it shews you have not the spiritual Weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and Whippings and all Violence because the Authority of God's Spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the days of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their Enemies and so all Sects have been fighting one with another and killing Persons and Creatures and desending themselves by Prisons and Inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this hath been out of the Power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath power to kill and hath killed them by Fires and Tortures and cruel Deaths and all these have lost the spiritual Weapons and been without the Power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath been to be defended by Goals and Prisons and Whips and Stocks and violent Dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the Power and Spirit of God defends her always and not Inquisitions and Prisons and Whips these are Cains Weapons and not the Weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same Ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with whom you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the Protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now Dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be Deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindedness for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a Persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be Deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your
departed from the Faith after the Apostles time which they 〈◊〉 would come and these do seduce and their Doctrines are of the Devil who denies the Truth which the Scripture bears witness of and say Sprinkling Infants 〈◊〉 water when they are two or three dayes old is Baptism into the Faith of Christ this is the Doctrine of the Devil and Lyes they speak in great numbers and in hypocrisie and write them forth to the World in great hypocrisie with feignedness and pretence of holiness and its plain many of their Consciences are seared How do many of them cause the poor people to suffer grievous imprisonment and spoiling of their Goods to the ruin of Families almost for their maintenance as Tythes and such like which if their Consciences were not seared they could not do also some of them cried to the rude wicked People in their Idol-temples Fight Lads for the Gospel and many who have born witness to the Truth and against their deceits have been beat and abused and knocked down as for dead in their presence and their consciences are absolute seared else they would tremble at these things Also the Apostle Peter he saw false Prophets would come in 2 Pet. 2. And false Teachers who would bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and many should follow their pernicious wayes and through covetousness with feigned words they would make Merchandize of people and they would walk after the Flesh in the lust of Uncleanness and despise Government and be presumptuous and self-willed and not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and they would speak evil of things they understand not and their hearts are exercised with coveteous practises and were cursed Children and they sport themselves with their own deceivings and these had forsaken the right Way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ— who loved the Wages of Unrighteousness and these are Clouds that are carried with a Tempest and they speak great swelling words of vanity and while they promise to others liberty themselves are the Servants of corruption and such were Scoffers and Mockers which would come after the Apostles dayes and they would walk after their own lusts And now according to this Prophesie of Peter who saw false Teachers coming in he gave these Characters of them whereby it doth plainly appear that this Generation of Teachers are they and of that Stock which then came in for these bring forth the very same fruits which they did which he spoke of and we know them by their fruits as Christ hath said for these have filled the World with damnable Heresies as holding forth That sprinkling Infants with Water is Baptism into the Faith of Christ and that a Steeple-House is the Church and that singing Davids Experiences in the World among wicked People in Rime and Meeter is singing to the Praise of God and these are damnable Heresies even to the denying the Lord that bought them for they deny the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ given to every man to be the only Teacher and the only Guide of man and they that do deny the Light of Christ with which every man that comes into the World is lighted to be sufficient to lead to Christ and to the Kingdom of God as these Teachers in this Age do they deny the Lord that bought them and many even whole Nations all the World as Iohn saw in the Revelations have followed their pernicious wayes and run after their Idolatry and pernicious wayes of Superstitions and they do make Merchandise of souls through covetousness with their feigned words for where they can make their Bargain to have the most money there they will preach and no where else and if any will give them more the next year they will sell that People and go to another for very covetousness by feigned words and they do walk after the flesh in the lust of Pride and Covetousness which is uncleanness of the flesh and they despise the Saints Government and Order for they will not suffer the Saints to prophesie one by one in their Assemblies according to the Saints Government but do despise that and persecute it by the government of the Beast unto whose government they are subject and not to the Government of Christ and the Saints and thus they are presumptious and self-willed presuming to afflict and cause the Children of God to be cast into Prison and suffering them to be beat and abused by their Flock out of their wicked self-wills and they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities and do speak evil of the Wayes of God and of his Truth which they understand not and their hearts are exercised with covetous practises and are cursed Children for they make poor People that have but ten Eggs give them One and that hardly can get any Fewel for the Fire pay them a Fenny for the smoak with many such other exceeding covetous practises as suing men two hundred miles to answer for three Shilling claimed by them for Tythes And these sport themselves in their vanity in their own deceiving and wheâ— they have oppressed People for their Wages and make People pay them for whoâ— they do no work and force Wages from them that never hired them which arâ— unheard of coveteous practises they sport themselves in their pride and lustfâ—lness and they are out of the right Way and gone astray from the Wayes of God which are holy and are in the way of Balaam who went after unrighteous Wages who sought for enchantment against Israel as these do and these loâ—â— unrighteous wages by taking maintenance from People by force unto whom is nothing owing by them and these are carried with a Tempest of every Wiâ—d according as the Powers of the Earth blow these are carried sometimes under such a Government and sometimes against it and so are Clouds carried aboâ—t and are unsettled on the foundation and they speak great words of Christ God and the Scriptures which are but words stolen by them because they are not spoken by the spirit of God but by a lying spirit and they promise to others liberty that they shall receive the Kingdom of God after death and that Christ hath taken away their sins with such like Promises of liberty but themselves are the Servants of corruption living in Pride and Hatred and Coveteousness and these serve sin and are Servants of corruption and they are Scoffers and Mockers and Walkers after their own lusts as it is evident in all mens sight so that according to the Judgmenâ— of Truth we judge these Teachers of this Generation 〈◊〉 be of the same root which then sprang forth for these bring forth the same fruiâ—s as they in that time did and in the Apostacy they have over-spread the whole World And also the Apostle Iude gave a Description of them according as Peter had done he saw certain men creeping in who turned the Grace of God in to Wantonnes and they were
Apostacy then began men to study from Books and Writings what to preach and say not having the holy Ghost received in them without which none are Ministers of Christ mark that and when men had lost through ignorance the Knowledge of God dwelling in them and that their Bodies were his Temple and that he dwelled and walked in his People then began they again to build Temples without and to set up their false worships in them for having lost the sence of Gods true Worship which the Saints worshipped in in the Spirit and in the Truth then they began to worship in set Dayes and set Times and set Places and outward Observances which is not the worship of God in the Spirit and in the Truth but Superstitious and Idolatrous and when the Word of God was not received immediately from his Mouth nor the Gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ as it was in the dayes of the Apostles then darkness being come in they used their tongues when the Lord had not spoken to them as the false Prophets did before Christs time and long have they said the Letter is the Word and that the Letter is the Gospel and that it must be received by the Scriptures and by natural Learning and Arts and that none can be Ministers of Christ but such who are learned in the Languages and knows the Original of Scriptures Latine and Greek and Hebrew nor any of these have received the Gospel by revelation or the Word of God from his mouth And when singing in the Spirit and with the Understanding was ceased and not known then began People to get the Form of singing of Davids experiences in Rime and Meeter and when the pure power of Godliness was lost which was in the days of the Apostles manifested and known then in the Apostacy the deceit grew into the Form of every thing which the Saints had enjoyed in the Power and so were Shadows set up instead of Substance and Death instead of Life and the Form without the Power which in many Branches sprang forth some into one appearance and some into another but all under the power of the Beast with his many heads and horns defended and until this day since the dayes of the Apostles thus it hath been and those very Teachers and supposed Ministers which now are in this and other Nations are of that very Root which sprang forth in the dayes of the Apostles and they are under the dominion of the Beast and moveable like unto the great Whore and this may easily be proved that they are of that Generation of Teachers and false Prophets which Christ prophesied of should come which the Apostle saw was coming in in their dayes of those which Iohn saw the world to run after for Christ said That by their fruits they should be known and the Apostles they described their fruits them by their fruits and so we seeing their fruit to be the very same now which the Apostles described was the fruit of them that then were come and coming from whence we do conclude according to sound judgment that these very Teachers are of the same Generation and Branches of the same Root which sprang forth then And in Pauls Writings you may read such they were whom he saw of whom he bad people to beware and said perillous times would come and men should be Lovers of themselves Covetous Proud Blasphemers Disobedient to Parents Unthankfull Unholy without Natural Affection false Accusers Fierce Despisers of those that are good Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power and such of whom people were ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth for people were laden with sins and led away with divers lusts and these did resist the Truth as Iannes and Iambres who withstood Moses by making likenesses without Life and they were men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the Faith Now it is plain that these Teachers in this Generation are of that very Stock which Paul describes such he saw would come and such we see are come and by their fruits we know them as Christ said and Pauls words are fulfilled for these Teaâ—hers are lovers of themselves and covetous and proud this is plain to all people and Blasphemers who denies Christ to have lighted every man that comes into the World and therefore they deny Scripture and so are disobedient and unholy men and without natural affection who many of them have caused the Innocent to be imprisoned and some have died in Prison and they the chief cause of this and this is without natural affection to the Creatures and they are false Accusers and Lyars and fierce in their Books and Preaching as is manifest through all this Nation and they greatly dispise those that are good and prepares war against such as do not put into their Mouthes and they aâ—â— heady and high-minded and lovers of vanities and pleasures this is evident without proof and they have a Form of Godliness they say all should be taught 〈◊〉 God but when any comes to witness it and deny their teaching they cry agaiâ—… such as Hereticks and thus they have the words and the Form but deny thâ—… Power and they are ever teaching twenty and forty years and more but noâ—… able ever to come to the knowledge of the Truth by them but all in blindness aâ—â— darkness still and people cries out who have been learning many years froâ— them that they do not know the Truth and its plain that these Teachers are of that sort that Paul spoke of who brings none to the knowledge of the Truth people that follows them are laden with sins and led away with divers lusts 〈◊〉 these have and do resist Truth every whore they deny that Christ hath lights every man that comes into the world and so resists Truth and denies Scripture and the truth as you may read Iohn 1. 9. And they are corrupt minded ever wicked Persecutors and Suers at Law and earthly minded and covetous and oppressors and are wholly rebrobate concerning the faith and thus it is plain that the root of these Teachers was springing in the Apostles dayes and hath grown ever since in this dark night of Apostacy and hath filled the Nations Again the Apostle saw that many should depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in hypocrisie haviâ—â— their Consciences seared as with a hot Iron Now these Teachers are of the Stock which is departed from the true Faith for they are without true Faith and reprobate concerning it who are in iniquity and sin and the works of the World which are evil now Faith purifies the heart from all this but their hearts 〈◊〉 not purified but polluted with Covetousness and preaching for Hire and Persecution and Envy and therefore they had not Faith and so are of that Generation which
give in the World unto the World Fear God and give Glory to him for the hour of his Judgements is come and this is the everlasting Gospel of Salvation he that can receive it let him CHAP. XIII Concerning the Word of God and concerning the Scriptures this testimony I give unto all the World THE Word of God was in the beginning before any Creatures were made and by it all things stand and remain unto this day and the Word endures for ever and by it all things in Heaven and in Earth are brought to pass which God doth and it is from everlasting to everlasting without beginning and without end and the Word is powerful dividing and discerning all things even the secret thoughts of every mans heart it is as a two edged sword and as a fire and like a hammer to cut up to burn and to beat down the Word of the Lord reconciles man again to him and this Word is in the mouth and in the heart and the Servants of the Lord handled tasted saw and felt the Word of Life and from it spoke forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the holy Ghost through the eternal Spirit and it is an Declaration of the Word of Life which was in the beginning and endures for ever and it declares what the Saints received believed and enjoyed and none can understand it without the same Spirit that gave it forth and to such who have the same Spirit the Scripture is profitable the Word of God which was in the beginning and which endures for ever is not the Scripture which was not in the beginning neither can it endure for ever but the Scripture testifies of that Word that Word witnesses to the Scripture and they are not contrary one to the other but gives witness each of other but many hath the Scripture that hath not the Word neither knows it but they that have the Word cannot but own the Scriptures and this is the Truth as it is in Jesus Testified to all the World by us who doth deny them that hereof gives any other testimony CHAP. XIV Concerning the Devil and Damnation this Testimony I give to all People THere is a Devil which is out of the Truth who abode not in the Truth but is a Lyar from the beginning and the father of all evil doing and the author of all unrighteousness and whatsoever is contrary to God in thought word and action he is the enmity against God and against all good and by his power subverts creatures and things to another end than wherefore they were created even to the dishonour of the Creator he is the god of this World the prince of darkness and he rules King in all the childern of the first Adâ—â— who are in evil he was the cause of the first transgression and is the cause of disobedience to God to this day in all people who are led by him moving aâ—â— them to Envy Wrath Pride Whoredom Drunkenness Theft and Murther and all the works of darkness sin and death he is the Fountain and Root of 〈◊〉 these and the Leader and Ruler in the exercise of them and of every evil woâ—â— and work whatsoever which are contrary to God he abode not in the Trâ—â—â— and he hath led all mankind out of Truth into all deceit and unrighteousness and into every evil way and he dwells in darkness inhabits in thick darkness and is out of the Light and is separate from the Presence of God for ever boâ—â—â— in chains of darkness and ignorance and unbelief and he hath power in the earthly part of man and a law in the members and he possesses him that is born of the flesh his covenant is with him who is not born of the Seed of God who cannot sin such are in covenant with God renewed into his Image but such as are not hath the Divil power in to captivate and lead their minds into vanity and their affections and desires into all that which is evil by which the Spirit of God the Creator of all things is grieved and his soul vexed and all murther and deceitful works of the World and all whatsoever is contrary to God iâ— words thoughts or actions is of the Devil that wicked one and from him and all that follow his movings and worketh evil thereby they serve him aâ—â— obey him he is their god and their King and they are his people and hiâ— subjects he is their father and they are his children he is their root and they are his off-spring and brings forth fruit unto him and serves 〈◊〉 worships him and not the true God that made all things and all such 〈◊〉 be cast into utter darkness with him and shall have their portion with him in 〈◊〉 bottomless pit of darkness for ever and ever where there is no end of woe anâ— sorrow and misery for in the anger of God there the worm diâ—â— not 〈◊〉 the fire is not quenched and out of that there is on redemption for the â—â—clean and all such who are led of him who is out of the Truth and in evil are judged and condemned and damned by him who is the Truth who judgeth righteously and as he hath not ceased to work evil and to draw the children of men into evil for he continually tempteth to lead from God into Rebellion against him And they that are led by him are destroyed and he shall not cease sorrow wo and misery for ever as he hath not ceased to work evil he liveth and moveth in the anger of God his beginning was in it and all his works are in it and it shall be the reward of him and all that obey him in the separation from Gods everlasting Presence for ever and ever CHAP. XV. Concerning all creatures that God made this Testimony I give unto all the World ALL creatures that God made in their creation and beginning was very good in his sight that made them and unto man that was to use them and no Creature was evil or defiled in its Creation but mankind transgressing against his Maker he become evil and did evil in the sight of the Lord and he being possessed with evil and corrupted he makes all Creatures evil in his exercise of them corrups them and perverts them to another end than wherefore they were created and by the Creatures dishonours the Creator â—…o should have honoured him by them and they are become a curse unto man and not a blessing though in themselves are neither cursed nor evil nor defiled but is become so unto man because of his transgression and disobedience for he being in the curse and defiled all things are so unto him and in his exercise of them he is wicked abusing them upon the lust to satisfie his devillish mind and ruling over them in oppression and cruelty and hard heartedness and not in the Wisdom of God as he ought and he subverts them out from their pure vertue
hope of Salvation and his Shepheard to feed him and perserve him at all times though he may be tempted yet he is not overcome for God is his strength though he may be tryed yet he is not forsaken of the Lord though he may be cast into the Fire it is not to consume him for the Lord is with him all things he receives as from the Hand of God and all Creatures he enjoyes in the Covenant with God and Peace is in all his ways for it is the Lord that works in him both to will and to do of his own Good Pleasure and this is the state of the new man brought forth in Conversion which is a turning of the Creature from the power of Satan which rules in every man before Conversion to the Power of God which is the Ruler of every man that is truly converted and this is the Truth as it is in Jesus which I have received from God he that can receive it let him and if any have an Ear let him Hear what the Spirit saith this Conversion of the Creature is wrought by the Spirit of God through the Ministry sent of him and even for this cause have we received the Ministry of God through the Holy Ghost that we might publish these things abroad that all people may come to the knowledge of them and may taste and handle and feel of the same Word of Life in themselves which will reveal the Knowledge of these things to them that they may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son And now be it known to all the World and to all people in it that the Lord hath raised up a People and brought forth a Seed to bear witness of his Name and of his Dominion and Power in all the Earth and of these Truths with many more which are but one in Christ Jesus hath God given us the perfect Knowledge of even wrought them in us and revealed them to us by the eternal Spirit and as that same Spirit doth and shall move in us do we and shall we bear witness of these Truths unto all People upon Earth whatsoever both by Doctrine and Conversation holding forth the Testimony unto others which we have received of God that Christ may be exalted and his Kingdom set up in the World And in comparison of this that we may serve God in our Generation by bearing witness of these things which we have heard and seen nothing of this World our Liberty our Life not any other thing whatsoever is dear unto us yea even for this cause that the Name of the Lord may be testified of do we give up our selves continually to suffer all manner of evil in words or works and we love not our lives unto death that Truth and Righteousness may be exalted and this is the cause wherefore we pass through many Dangers on every hand and are in perils often and we are not nor cannot be afraid of the face of any man even that the Lord alone may be exalted whose name and Honour and Truth is more dear unto us than any other thing and for it have we forsaken all and counted it as nothing in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ and his Truth herein declared and witnessed to the whole World to whom it shall come and the Light of Christ in every one shall give testimony to it unto which I do onely commend my self and these truths to be witnessed And know ye assuredly that God who is just and righteous in all his Ways it is he that setteth the Way of Life and the way of Death before every man and he hath appeared in this Generation and he hath caused his voyce to be heard in the Earth and he hath set the way of Death and the Way of Life before you and all that perish it is through unbelief and because they do despise the Way which God hath prepared who hath prepared a Way for life and Salvation unto 〈◊〉 People that all may come to Life and Salvation and may not perish and he hath not shut out any Creature before he was brought forth into the World but giveth to every one that cometh into the World a Day of Visitation and a time 〈◊〉 Repentance and Returning that healing may be received from the Lord wâ—â— is the Restorer of lost man and there is not another so that if man perish 〈◊〉 is of himself and not of God who hath so loved Mankind that he hath giveâ— his Son his own Wisdom and his Power into the World that all that doth receive him Christ Jesus may have everlasting Life and they that receive him not they perish because of unbelief whereby they are hardened for destruction and unto such our Gospel the Gospel of God is hid whose Eye iâ— blinded by the God of this World that they cannot see the things which be eternal nor believe in him from whence Life comes and such are stumbling at Chriâ—â— the Foundation and therefore shall be broken and must not inherit the Kingdom of God and unto such though they be wise in the Kingdom 〈◊〉 this World are we become Fools for Christs sake and our Testimony cannot be received by them nor approved of them even them that seek after a Sigâ— and them that seek after Wisdom to such we are not known nor can our Testimony be acceptable to them which is not with enticing words of mans wisdom 〈◊〉 in the demonstration of Gods Spirit and in simplicity of Truth which is of grâ—â—â— Price with the Lord even above knowledg and all wisdom which is of this Worâ—â— which comes to nothing but the Lord will confound that and bring it to nothing for the World by its wisdom doth not know God neither can it receiâ—â— the things of God but is Foolishness in the Sight of God and the wisdom of tâ—â— World Must be offended in him and in the Testimony which is given of him 〈◊〉 the Princes of this World and the Wise men must stumble and fall the poweâ— of the Earth must be offended at him that they may be confounded and brougâ—â— to nought all the Heathen shall rage and the People shall imagine a vain thing But what of all this the Testimony of the Lord is true which he hath given us 〈◊〉 bear of his Name of it we are not ashamed before the face of the whole World and we are armed to suffer for it and not onely to subscribe to the truth of 〈◊〉 with our hand or to declare of it with our Tongue and Pen but also if we 〈◊〉 called to it may seal it with our blood Wherefore this is sent among you all Rulers Teachers and People in all the World this is sent among you as to giâ—â— you the certain knowledge of what we hold and bear witness to which is received of us from God and born witness of to you by his Spirit even those thingâ— with many
others which we have not received from man but from God are 〈◊〉 purposed in the Lord to declare abroad and he hath put it into our hearts to 〈◊〉 his Will herein for he hath spoken who can but prophesie and he hath given 〈◊〉 word and many are they that publish it in faithfulness against the kingdom 〈◊〉 the Man of Sin which hath long been exalted in the Earth over the Seed of 〈◊〉 which the Lord is now a gathering and establishing his Covenant with and Ierusalem that hath long lain waste shall be made the praise of the whole Earth 〈◊〉 the Gentiles which hath polluted her shall be cast out and the Saints shall Rejoyâ—â— over all their Enemies And know you assuredly from us who know the Lord that God is doing greâ—â—â— things in the Earth he is begun to work and his arm shall bring it to pass he will overturn and overturn till he come to reign whose right it is who will change times and things even that which cannot be believed though a man declare it unto you is the Lord bringing to pass the Eye shall bless that sees it and the Heart shall praise that can understand and behold the Lord comes quickly and they are blessed that wait for him whose Reward is with him and his glorious Work is before him to be wrought by his own hand without the help of any other who needs not the help of man and he that doth oppose him shall be overthrown confounded and destroyed And again All ye Kings Princes Rulers and People whatsoever know ye assuredly that we are not Enemies against but Friends unto all Civil Government and to all just and righteous Orders and Decrees and wholsome Laws and Customs of any Common-wealth and no way are we destructive to or Destroyers of the Peace and Welfare and wholsome Laws which is according to God of any Nation whatsoever But are Preservers of the Peace of all people and wait in patience for the establishment of Justice and true Judgement and that Righteousness may spring forth and the Government of all Nations may be according to the Law of God Neither are we such who makes void the just Government of any Nation or City Neither are we such who through evil purposes plot or conspire or contrive Evil in our Hearts against any Governours or Government whatsoever but wish Peace and Truth and the Fear of the Lord unto all men and Nations and desire not the overthrow or evil to any people or their Government but are subject to just Government everywhere by obedience to it and subject to evil Government by suffering in patience under it so that righteousness alone we wait to see set up through the World and for that cause suffer patiently under our Enemies not seeking revenge against them nor envying the persons of any but pity our enemies and desire their Repentance rather than their Destruction Yet this we give all to know that the Lord will be avenged on all them who hate the Way of Righteousness and all that oppose the Lord and his Way and despise his Truth which he hath revealed they shall be confounded and broken to pieces and shall confess to the Lord and his Way and his Truth in the day of their Destruction Again let all the Earth know that against all unrighteousness injustice oppression whoredom murder and drunkenness and all sin whatsoever we do declare and acknowledge our selves to be Enemies against all sin and they that commit it and we cannot hide Sin and Iniquity in any but give our testimony against it and against all that live in it whatsoever without Respect to men or places and cannot flatter any man in his Transgressions but say that Lying Swearing Drunkenness Covetousness Jniustice Dissimulation Hypocrisie Murder and Envy Lust of the Flesh Pride and Wantonness and all the works of the Flesh whatsoever are contrary to God and of the Devil and they that lives in them and brings them forth are the Servants of the Devil and must not inherit the Kingdom of God who brings forth those works which grieves the Spirit of God and vexes his righteous Soul and this is that Government onely which is the Government of Sin and Death which we declare our selves Enemies to which is of the Devil and not of God and this is that Government which we testifie against and war against by the Sword of the Spirit of God and by his Power and not by the carnal weapons or subtil conspiracies or violent Insurrections for this way and by this means shall not the Government of Satan be overthrown or the Kingdom of Christ ever exalted Again let all the World know that we are not such as disanul or makes void the Covenant and bond of Relations or teach any so to do or give any example by our practice to any subjects to be rebellious to their Governors or children to be disobedient to their Parents or that servants be undutiful to their Masters But on the contrary do say and affirm it that it is the duty of Subjects to be obedient and subject in the Lord to their Rulers and Governours whether Kings Dukes or others who have rule over them and also that Children should be obedient to their Parents and Servants to be dutiful and subject to their Master in the Lord in all things and that Husbands and Wives live in all unity and peace in the Lord Provided onely where Rulers Parents or Masters or Husbands require of their Subjects Children or Servants or any other whatsoever requiring of their Relations that which is unjust and contrary to God and his righteous Law in such a case we say that Subjects Children Servants and all other whatsoever are free and we say where man requires any thing contrary to God and God requires another thing contrary to man the obedience to God is rather to be chosen and the obedience to all mâ—… is to be denyed and this is our judgement which is acording to truth and iâ— the mind of God concerning subjection and obedience and the duty of Relations one to another And lastly Know ye assuredly that we do not hold and maintain any thing by conversation or doctrine but the very same Truth in word and practice 〈◊〉 all our fore-Fathers did but bears witness of the same Salvation by the same Christ as they did and are not setters forth of strange gods for no other God is worshipped by us than he which Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the rest of the servants of the Lord in every generation worshipped served and obeyed neither are we such as do maintain Heresie Error or Idolatry or the worship of any strange god though hereof we are accused falsely yet against us cannot it be proved truly and this we give the whole world to know that no other end or purpose or design is in our hearts but onely to fulfil the will of God in all things as it is to us made manifest Even
that will not sware contrary to the Law of Christ must be counted Evil-doers and Popish Recusants and punished and this is not for any Evil in us but because we cannot transgress the righteous Law of our God and also another Decree which takes hold upon them that travell to worship God on the first day of the week whereby the Innocent doth suffer and are like to suffer and not for Evil-doing is any occasion against us but because we will not stay from the Worship of our God but are made to travel that we may meet together to Worship him with such other Decrees which sheweth unto all men that they seek occasion against us concerning the Law of God not having occasion by doctrine or conversation or any other thing so for righteousness sake are we persecuted and not for evil-doing some are persecuted because for Conscience-sake they cannot stay at their own houses but are moved by the Lord to declare the Name of the Lord abroad in the Nation many by a decree are taken and punished as for vagabonds and this is an occasion concerning the Law of our God and Christ was persecuted and put to death by an unrighteous Decree for they had an unrighteous Law as they said and by it he ought to dye and unrighteous laws and decrees were made against the Apostles whereby they were commanded to depart out of their Towns and to preach no more in the Name of Jesus and by such decrees were the Apostles persecuted So that this may shew unto all that our fore-fathers who were of the Seed of God some were persecuted unto death by unrighteous decrees and statutes and as it was then so it is now he that hath an eye to see may see the same as ever was is come to pass in the Earth the seed of the Serpent striving against the Seed of God and persecuting it where it is brought forth by unrighteous decrees how did the late Bishops of England persecute the harmless What Laws and Ordinances were then brought forth whereby violence was done against such as feared the Lord and then was the seed of the Serpent striving against the Seed of God And this is given forth to shew unto all the World the cause of persecution in its first ground to wit the irrecoverable enmity which is betwixt the two Seeds the one continually hating and persecuting the other and seeking the overthrow each of other and the enmity betwixt the two Seeds is the cause of strife the one being Innocent and the other unrighteous so it is not for the persons sake or any other thing that the Just are persecuted but it is because of the Seed of God which cannot bow nor worship the seed of the Serpent that is the first cause of persecution Again all may see what unrighteous Laws and Decrees were and are brought forth to persecute the Innocent whereby they have suffered in all Generations for Righteousness sake and not for Evil-doing also it may be seen that it was the Wise the Learned the Presidents and Chancellors and chief Priests and Scribes who were and are the very active persons by whom the Seed of God is persecuted and even such as were and are zealous in their Observances and Sabboth-keeping and such like it was not the Poor nor the Foolish only which the Devil made use of to do his work but it was the Wise and the Learned and the Chief in Authority and such like it was such in whom the seed of the Serpent ruled who were the active men against the Servants of God Also it was through the evil Counsel of such as were Teachers and Scribes and Handlers of the Law and it was through the false Accusations of the chief Priests unto the Governors and Elders of the People and so it is now at this day as I have proved and also the Righteous were persecuted upon the false Judgment of others and they were falsly adjudged to be Deceivers and Blasphemers and Evil-doers and upon this account were they persecuted and as being falsly reputed to be destructive to Government and Revenue of Kings and upon such like and that they made void the Law of God and were Movers of Sedition and upon such accounts as these was the Seed of God persecuted as it it at this day and all men that read this with moderation may come to the good Undestanding upon what account and by what Instruments and by what means the seed of the Serpent hath persecuted the Seed of God even from Cain unto this day And this is to go abroad into this Nation and into the World and it is given forth from the Suffering-Seed of God to clear it self in the sight of all men that not for Evil but for Good are these Sufferings laid upon it But behold the Lord heearth and regardeth the Cry of the Poor and of the unjust Sufferer and he will remember his Mercy and his Covenant with his own Seed and when it passes through the Fire he is with it and thought it be afflicted it cannot be forsaken though the Lord hide his Face from his people and suffers most grievous things to be done against them by the wicked yet it is but to try them and to prove them that they may be found faithfull to him and the Seed of God shall reign in the Earth and the seed of the Serpent and his head shall be bruised and is bruised already and it bruiseth its heel by following after with persecution and cruelty but the Seed of God shall arise and is arisen and praiseth the Living God for evermore It plainly appears that the Suffering of the people of God in this Age is a greater Suffering and more Unjust than in the dayes of Christ or of the Apostles or in any time since Queen Maries dayes brought not forth a Suffering more cruel and in many respects as doth appear First What was done to Christ and the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in a great part by the due execution of a Law and also the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes had more just Examination and a more Just Prosecution in Law than the people of God have now for now it is a matter of Conscience among some of the Magistrates in England to cast men into Prison and confine them and to cause their Goods to be spoiled without any Law or the due execution of a Law which is utterly contrary to the Charters of England and hereby it appearts the Suffering to be more Unjust because what the Persecutors of old did to the People of God they did by a Law and by the due execution of a Law but now many are caused to suffer deeply whom the transgression of no Law good or bad can be charged against and others suffer without the due execution of a Law Again herein it doth appear to exceed the Suffering of the Saints in former Age in that many suffer now cruel things about trivial
the Saints and Churches of Christ look upon them that acted those things to be Ministers of Christ but on the contrary declared against them to be Deceivers So that all you People and you professed Ministers that act those things that the false Prophets acted and all you People that love to have it so and give Hire to your Ministers for Preaching and consent unto it none of you are of the Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because this part of your Practice in Religion is not according but contrary to Scriptures Now substracting all these in these Nations from the whole which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for Ordinances of God and for his Worship none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because these things which you Practice for Religion is not held forth in all the Scriptures by any example or command likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these Nations and that Practice and Profession of Religion which the greatest number follow and exercise themselves in cannot be the true Christian Religion because the Scripture saith Few are in the straight way that leads to Life to wit in the pure and true Religion but many are in the Broad way that leads to destruction and such that are the greatest number who are in the broad way are not in the Religion in the purity thereof as it is held forth in the Scriptures likewise many of you who Practice those things mentioned for Religion are yet unconverted to God but live in wickedness in the Pride and Vanities and in all the evil of this World in Double-dealing in Drunkenness in Whoredom and in the Works of Darkness therefore you are not of the true Christian Religion neither do your walk with God in Purity and Holiness neither are you changed by Christ into his Image nor are guided by his Spirit neither do you live to God in any thing but to this World in all things and your Religion is manifest not to be according to the Scriptures but contrary And so let all people consider whether or no you must be maintained in your Religion Come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called Presbyterians and Independants and all others stand up and prove if you can your Practice in Religion to be according to Scriptures but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned which is practiced by you for Religion to wit Sprinkling of Infants and singing David's experiences in Rhime and Meeter and Worshipping God in set-places as Idol-Temples and preaching for and giving great sums of Money for preaching with other things practiced by you for Religion neither were these things ever commanded in Scriptures neither is there any example for the practise of these things in Scripture by any of the Lords people and therefore you cannot justly own a Title in the Protectors Oath to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of Religion for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that Religion which is according to Scriptures and not them who practiceth those things for Religion which are not according but contrary to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that are called gathered Churches who holds sorth for Doctrine that the Scriptures are the Word by which the World was made and that the Scriptures are the Foundation and that the Scriptures are the Way to Salvation and that the Letter and the Spirit are unseparable and that the Scriptures are both the Writings and the thing fignified and that except a man be Baptized with Water he cannot be saved with such like Doctrines which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the Church of Christ all you are manifest not to be of the Christian Religion because those Doctrines are not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Practice in the Exercise of Religion is but by Imitation from the Scriptures and you are not led by the Spirit of of the Father in what you speak and practice you are not of the true Christian Religion which the Scripture speaks of for the Sons of God and who are of the true Religion are led by the Spirit of God and not by their own Thoughts and Imaginations and the Traditions of men And all that are not led by the Spirit of the Father are not of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and not any that are such can justly own to be protected in their Religion because it is not according to the Scriptures Likewise All ye that do profess the things of God and Christ and that you are Members of the Church of Christ and profess Righteousness and Truth in words and yet live in Pride and the Vanities of this World and in Unrighteousness and the Customs of the Heathen which are vain and are not cleansed from Unrighteousness nor freed from the Body of sin and death neither do answer your Profession with a Conversation shewing that you are not guided with that Spirit whose words you do profess All you are Hypocrites and live in Hypocrisie none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures For the Exercise in true Religion sheweth forth in Life what is prosessed in words Come try your selves and prove your selves all sorts of people for now your Religion is to be try'd what Name soever you go under And all you that practice and profess those things for Religion for which there is neither Command nor President in Scripture your Religion is concluded not to be according to Scriptures and so no Title or Priviledge can any of you justly own of being upheld or maintain'd by the Protector 's Oath But as I have said For sprinkling of Infants and singing of David ' s Experiences in Rhyme and Meeter c. there is neither Command nor President in Scriptures and therefore you that practice those things which I have mention'd for Religion are not of the true Christian Religion which is according to the Scriptures which is to be protected Likewise all ye that persecute by Reproaches or Revilings and Cruelty or that cause the People of God to be persecuted many of you there are in these Nations which profess Religion yet are Envious Persons and Persecutors of the Innocent Hereby it is manifest that you are not of that Religion which is according to Scriptures for the Saints never persecuted any but were themselves persecuted for Righteousness sake so you are not to be protected in such Exercise because it is not according but contrary to the Scriptures for you have no Example from the Saints for professing and practizing Religion and yet persecuting such as are of the true Religion whose Consciences are truly exercised towards God and towards all men Now seeing that it is discovered in part who it is that
partake of his Works or Labours neither hath any benefit thereby but rather loss and disadvantage because of his labours which he doth for others and not for him nor by any order from him for he knows his Labour to be nothing but Vanity and a Cheat and deceiving of People and for him to be compelled to maintain such a man in such ill imployment against his Conscience this is unjust and unreasonable and what man in the World would do it or be compelled thereunto without crying out of great Oppression as to maintain a Man with great Wages as his Labourer and Servant who doth not Labour for him nor serve him but labours against him as much as is possible and this is the very cause between the Priests of England in their Maintenance in claiming of it and receiving of it and the people of the Lord who do deny to maintain them or confess any lawfull due they have to challenge any of them And also it is a very shame to the people of this Nation for whom such Ministers do labour who cannot maintain their own Ministers themselves who labours for them and of whose labours they do partake but others are compelled by injustice to maintain them who do not partake of any of their labours nor set them to labour but denies them and their labour on that account and yet are forced to pay them Wages and this is unjust and unreasonable that men should be constrained by force to pay other mens Servants which works and labours for other and not for them and what man in the World having reason in him would do it or be forced to do it without complaining of heavy injustice as to maintain another mans Servant with Wages who works for others and not for him neither was hired by him nor set on work nor receives any benefit by him but another hires him and partakes of his labours and yet he is compelled against all reason and equity to give him his Wages all will conclude this were unjust and not according to God but against him and this is the very cause between the people of God who cannot pay to maintain false Teachers and the people of the Nation who hires such Teachers and receives of their labours and teaching and yet compells others to give them Wages contrary to good reason and Justice and against the excercise of a pure Conscience And above all the Magistrates blindness and Ignorance and the unjustness and wickedness of some of them doth appear to their shame by whose authority these things are done reaching out their power in those things further than they have received power from God and abusing the Law and just government and subverting it to another end then wherefore God hath ordained it for the Magistrates power and authority is not to be laid on mens Consciences to Oppress and Imbondage the tender Consciences of the Lords people in forcing things to be done contrary to good reason and against a good Conscience and by these things is the Land filled with violence and oppression and the Innocent and Just do deeply groan till the Lord arise to plead their cause and to bring deliverance unto them through the destruction of all their Enemies and he will break down all the bonds of Cruelty and Oppression and will take away every yoak that doth burden and oppress the upright that his people may be a free people from all unjust men and the people of the Lord do claim this as their Priviledge belonging to them by the just Laws of God and men to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth and to uphold and maintain that Worship onely without being compelled by force to maintain any other whatsoever and they claim as right unto them to maintain what Ministers and uphold what ministry as they know is sent of God by which people are profited and which they have received the knowledge of God through by his Spirit and to be free to maintain how and as the Lord leads them unto without being forced by any Law or unequall authority to maintain the false Prophets and Hirelings and Deceivers who live in pride and excess through the Oppression of the poor and Innocent and such as Ministers of the Gospel of Christ the people of the Lord cannot maintain but rather give themselves to suffer heavy and cruel things by unjust and wicked men who violates the just Laws of God and man and the suffering is for a good Conscience sake and for righteousness sake and not for any wrong or Evil-doing and for a Testimony that they are of God and for a witness against their Enemies that they are of the Devil who do his works and these make war against the Saints and the Lamb and the Beast seeks to kill all that will not worship him for he hath been great in the Earth and his seat upon Nations and who have been able to make war against him for many Generations again there is another suffering great and grievous which is unjustly laid upon the people of God which suffering is not for Evil-doing but for a good Conscience sakes as is manifest as because many are moved of the Lord by his Spirit to go into the Steeple-houses and Meeting-places or other places to reprove sin and among people or to exhort them unto good and to follow Christ and to deny the wickedness of this World or such like as they are moved some are moved to reprove a Hireling Teacher who deceives the people and walks in the steps of the false Prophets and lives in Pride and Vainty and evil contrary to the Doctrine and Practise of Christ and the Apostles and this Practise of the Servants of the Lord in reproving evil and exhorting to good is called a disturbance of the Peace and an unlawfull Practice and such like it is falsly judged by unjust men who know not the Spirit of the Lord nor the moving thereof and because of this many innocent men are caused deeply to suffer contrary to a good Conscience and some are sent to the House of Correction there suffering cruel things from hard-hearted men and some are put in the Stocks and Whipped and others Fined and cast into Prison and such like Sufferings are unjustly imposed upon them and not for Evil-doing as I have said for though they reprove sin in Teachers or in People or exhort them to good whether in Steeple-houses Markets or other Places yet they do not hereby wrong any mans Person or Estate neither is this any matter of wilfull wrong or to such an intent neither doth it disturb the Peace nor is any unlawfull Practice but onely out of a good Conscience to God and man is it done and it is a matter of Conscience to the Servants of the Lord to do so and they cannot leave it undone lest they would transgress the Law of God in their own Consciences because they are commanded of God so to do that people may
all works for it is the ground from whence all works do spring and the end unto which they are brought forth that makes all mens works good or evil to be justified or to be condemned and where the Measure of the Spirit and Power of God is the Ground of and Leader in a work that work as I have said is done in the Fear of the Lord and in uprightness of heart and in love and tenderness and meekness and patience without seeking or exalting self but the Glory of the Lord is only sought by that man in all such his works But on the contrary where an evil heart and mind brings forth works to an evil end and to the wrong of others such works are maliciously and wilfully and enviously and peevishly done in forwardness and headiness and not in the Fear of God nor in uprightness of heart but with a double mind and in secret or without the Counsel of God seeking himself in his works and not the Lord and such works are wicked and wrought by wicked men who transgresseth both the Law of God and of men and must receive according to their deeds and the Law that is equal must pass upon them which the Light of Christ in their own Consciences may answer to when they are condemned for their ungodly works against which Light they act and that is the reason and cause wherefore their works are evil and to be condemned by the Law for who acteth according to the Light of Christ and is led thereby fulfilleth the Law or it is fulfilled in him and his works are wrought in God and are the testimony unto men that he is of a good conscience and for a good Conscience sake his works are done and such men and works are not to be condemned but justified And this is for Instruction to all them that bear Rule who are Magistrates and Governours and Judges of the people that they may now be wife and learn wisdom how to judge righteously and justly among people that they may fulfil the Will of God in what he hath called them unto even that they may cherish and defend and strengthen such as do well and all whose pure Consciences are purely exercised may live in peace and rest under such a Government and all Evil-Doers may be bound limitted and judged and may stand in awe and be afraid and thus Justice and true Judgment would be advanced and Equity would run down as a mighty Stream and the Nation would be blessed and yeild content and satisfaction to her Inhabitants and hereby might the Rulers and Judges gain unto themselves a good report and an honour and renown would the Lord crown them withal in Generations to come Wherefore all ye Rulers and ye that are set to judge the people be now awakened to just Judgment and to a sound discerning and put on the spirit of true Judgment even the Spirit of the Lord that you may receive it to be taught in all things how to walk with God that you may answer his call and the End of your Authority in judging justly all sorts of men rendring to every man according to his Deeds even Condemnation and Judgment to Evil-Doers and a Praise and Defence to all that do well And this is written in love to you all shewing you how to put a difference betwixt the Precious and the Vile between the Just and Unjust that you may be the more happy if this you observe not leaving your names a Reproach and a Scorn to after Ages which is the effect which doth follow all such as pervert Justice and turns true Judgment backward with Misery and Destruction upon themselves and Posterity for evermore A True and Faithful Exposition of some part of the Laws of ENGLAND ALL ye Magistrates Justices of the Peace Mayors and all other Ministers of the Law and all ye to whomsoever the Law is committed I warn you all to take heed to your selves that ye fulfil the Will of the Lord in judging Righteously and executing true Justice and Judgment and let not Envy nor false Suspitions nor Jealousies have any place in you but with a single Eye try all things and with an upright Heart judge for God and not for man and beware of causing the Innocent to suffer whose Consciences are exercised towards God though they be contrary to the World in their Wayes and Judgments for if you cause such to suffer you do not execute true Judgment but subvert the Law and the Lord will require that Suffering of his People at your hands Now consider The Law was not made for a Righteous Man but for Transgressors such whose Consciences are not exercisd towards God and such your Sword is to be laid upon to be a Terror to them and not to the Innocent for they should have Praise that do well And you must take heed lest you abuse your Power to another End then wherefore God hath ordained it for the Law was added because of Transgression to slay the Transgressor and that is the End of the Law Now you must take heed of causing any to suffer upon bare Suspition or Evil Jealousies when as no Transgression is truly charged nor justly proved against them before you And you are not to be both Accusers and Judges of any one in any Cause You have a late Act for the taking up and punishing of idle lâ—â—se and dissolute Persons such as are Vagrants and wandering Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars Now this Law is good if it be duly and justly executed upon such as are truly guilty herein and it is right that sturdy Beggars and Rogues and idle and disorderly Persons should be taken up from wandering and set on work in some good Imployment in the Creation which may maintain themselves and prevent them from worse things But now you must take heed of judging any to be such who are not really so for many of the Servants of the Lord now as it was in Generations past are moved to leave their own Country and Dwellings and Relations and go abroad in the Nations to preach the Gospel of Christ and to bear witness of his Name in the World to the turning of People from the wayes of Sin and Death to the Way of Righteousness and Truth and it may be such cannot give you an Account or sufficient Cause of their travelling abroad so as to satisfie you For that is lawful in the sight of God which you may not judge to be so for God's Wayes are not man's wayes neither are his Thoughts as man's thoughts Therefore I say unto you If you cause any such of the Servants of the Lord to suffer by that Law you abuse your power and subvert the Law for such are not Vagabonds nor idle dissolute Persons nor Rogues nor sturdy Beggars no more than Christ was who had no where to lay his head and the Prophets and Apostles were some of which had no certain dwelling place but left
them and how are they led captive at his will What an influence hath the sight of a dead Image upon their dead hearts and carnal minds Was ever the like said I Is there greater Abomination at Rome What Blindness and Sencelesness is over the hearts of this people And after this manner for a good season after my spirit within me aggravated and unfolded this great Abomination tumbling it over and over in my own Breast with a secret pitty for their Souls which were ensnared and captivated through all this Wickedness But further I considered that all this Abomination and sinful Idolatry is about the Funeral of the late Oliver Cromwel then said I What for him Alas for him who was once a great Instrument in the Hand of the Lord to break down many idolatrous Images and grievous Idols and did not the Lord once stir up his heart against all such things And did not once his Children Officers and his brave Souldiers and Army pull down all the Images and Crosses and all such like Popish stuff where ever they met with it And said my spirit What grievous and abominable work is this Have they now made a costly Image of him and are such as were once his Souldiers now guarding it and watching over it and his Children and Officers following it and Multitudes of the Inhabitants of London wondering and gazing after an Image of him This is sad said I and great pitty What a change is this in so short a time Was it but a few years since that he and his Army and his Servants and his Children and Officers were so zealous to throw down Images Pictures and Iâ—â—lâ— that they could not endure the sight and worshipping of them And have they now made an Image of him which his Officers Children and Kindred are carrying from place to place and following it and Multitudes caused to wonder after it What a change is this said I Oh sad Are people runâ—…g after Images again as in the time of Popery And have they made an 〈◊〉 and deckt it with costly array and set it up for People to visit a long time and then haling it from place to place Are they doing this in London as they do at Rome amongst Papists This is Pittiful But how cometh this to pass I began to consider and said I knew the Man when he was living and 〈◊〉 the knowledge of his spirit and I was perswaded if it had been asked him in his life time If such work should be acted about him such an Image made like 〈◊〉 and laid for so long time in a 〈◊〉 place and manner and them carried by his â—…ed and Children Kindred and Army and then set up in such a place and he removed from place to place I say I believe he would have denied it and said it shall not â—e thus for me when I am dead I suppose he would not have suffered it thus to have been he was more wife I thought he would have said Nay what to maâ—… Image of me and deck it diversly from one form to another and visit it and then carry it from place to place up and down this will be a shame to 〈◊〉 Children and a disgrace to my Kindred and a reproach to my Officers and whole Army and all the Nation will mock and be offended and they may 〈◊〉 These are they that were once Enemies to all Images and dead Idols and 〈◊〉 them down and broke them down and are these now making an Image 〈◊〉 setting it up and wondering after it from place to place Nay might be have said if thus it be done they at Rome may laugh us to scorn and the Paâ—…s may say We have learned of them and put their Persons from among us and baâ—… and killed them and set up their Practices sure he would have said thus 〈◊〉 I am certain the Witness of God in his Conscience might truly have said it because it is Truth But upon another consideration I said this is come to pass after this manner though he was once zealous against all Popery yet he did too much forget that good cause and too much sought the greatness and honour of the World and loved the praise of men and took flattering titles and vain respects of deceitâ—â—l men and many great Abominations were upheld through him as Tythes and Old Mass-houses and ordaining of Ministers by mans will and the false â—…ips and Sprinkling of Infants and such like Popish stuff first invented at Rome and he suffered the Servants of the Lord to be persecuted and imprisonâ—… for denying and crying against such things as were Popish and which himself sometime seemed to deny and because of this said I this may justly be come to pass that an Idolatrous Image and Picture should be made of him â—â—en he is dead and decked and laid in a sumptuous manner and visited and then carried from place to place as was usual in the time of Popery for mulâ—…es of foolish people to gaze upon and wonder after and admire and praiseâ— that all men might see the first cause is lost and that zeal which his kindred and Army had once in their hearts against Popery is extinguished and people are turned again 〈◊〉 gaze after Images which is Popish for such practises that day between Somersett-â—ouse and Westminster were first ordained at Rome and practised by the Papists and he that suffered many to be imprisoned for denying and crying against such Worships and Practices as were in themselves Popish and which he himself once fought against it s happened now when he is dead and it s suffer'd now that they should make a Fool of him in a Popish way and manner For such Practices are no other then Foolery and Foolishness tending to the Dishonour of a good Man but in the midst of my Considerations a pitty struck through me for once noble Oliver that is now dead and his place no more found and I was grieved he should be thus abused being dead by such a stir about an Image made of him for many weeks together as hath been and I began to recal my former acquaintance with him and the former dealings of God towards him and what a gallant Instrument for the Lord he once was and how many glorious and noble Victories God once gave him and what good parts and what a gallant spirit there was in him and how once he shewed me and declared what the former dealing of the Lord had been upon his Soul and how he was troubled in conscience formerly my spirit run through many such things with a great deal of sexiousness and pitty And then said I Alas alas Is it ended all in this all his former good service for God and the Nations all his Victories and his good Actions and his beating down Superstition Is this the end of it all the making of an Image and carrying it from place to place is it ended all here what formerly he
and many more other wayes have suffered grievous things as Banishments out of Towns and Whipping and Stocking and grievous unjust Abuses and none of these for Evil-doing but for Good even because they cannot bow to the Devil but are redeemed out of the World and therefore the World hates them and some have suffered hard Cruelties because they could not respect Persons and bow with Hat or Knee and from these Cruelties canst thou not altogether be excused in the sight of God being brought forth in thy Name and under thy Power consider Friend and be awakened to true Judgement let the Lord search thy Heart and lay these things to mind that thou mayst be an Instrument to remove every Burthen and mayst at last fulfill the Will of God are they nothing to thee that such things should be brought forth under thee O be awakned be awakened and now seek the Lord's Glory and not thine own least thou perish before the Lord and Men nay if Men would give thee Honour and high Titles and princely Thrones take it not for that which would exalt and honour thee in the World would betray thee to the World and cast thee down in the sight of the World and this is God's Word to thee what shall the whole Nation be perjured Men and thou the cause of it and wilt thou transgress by building again that which thou hast destroyed Then shall the Lord and his Light in every Conscience bear witness against thee let it not be but deny thy self and thou wilt find the Lord honouring thee Give heed unto my Words and understand my Speech Be not exalted by Man lest Man betray thee the Lord give thee an Understanding in this and guide thee in his Counsel and the rather above all things let thy Heart be stirred up in thee for the Lord For now is he setting up the Dominion of his Son which never shall have an End and thy Dominion must bow under it and all the Dominions of the Earth or else be confounded and broken to Pieces the Glory of the Lord is revealing and thine shall be vailed before it and the Glory of all Flesh shall fall Therefore strive not openly nor secretly against his Way for it shall prosper there is no Enchantment against us nor any formed Weapon that can prosper knowest thou not that the King of Righteousness might command thousands of his Saints to avenge him of his Adversaries and to plead his Cause against the Rebellious All Power is in his Hand yea and the Authority and Dominion shall be in the Hands of his Saints and every one that exalts himself against them shall be brought down not by an outward Sowrd or might of Man but by his out-stretched Arm and all Crowns that are Mortal shall be troden down by him whose Crown is Immortal and never fades away Therefore be wise and learned this is thy day as thou dealest or sufferest to be done with the Lord's People so to thee it shall be done in that day when their Government shall out-reach thine and be set atop of it as thou hopest for Mercy from the Lord when his Kingdom conqueres thee and thine now deal favourably and relieve the Oppressed boast not thy self though the Lord hath used thee in his Hand but know that when he will he can cast thee a Rod out of his Hand into the Fire for in his Hand thou art if thou wilt honour him he will honour thee otherwise he can yea and will confound thee and break thee and make thee weak as Water before him his Love through my Heart breaths unto thee he would thy happiness if thou wilfully contemn it not by exalting thy self and seeking thine own glory and hardning thy Heart against the Cry of the Poor and this I was moved in bowels of pittiy to lay before thee who am thy Friend not in Flattery but in an upright Heart who wisheth well unto thee in the Lord. A Friend to the Kingdom of Christ and not of this World but an Heir of Immortality with the Son of God called E. B. The Original of this was given to the Hands of Oliver Cromwell then Protector in the third moneth of the Year 1657. For the Hands of Oliver Cromwell called Protector FRIEND I am moved to write to thee from the occasion of being with thee yesterday and I take liberty from the true love and pitty stirred up in my Heart towards thee who am thy Friend and wisheth well unto thee in the Lord even that Salvation thou mayest receive and that thy way may be blessed upon Earth and the Fruits of the Knowledge of God might more abound in thee and the Fruits of Ignorance less which doth appear which I wish might be cut off before they wholly over-grow thee and remove the Blessing far from thee in this life and in the life to come and bring upon thee Destruction for the Fruits of all Unrighteousness brings Death Sorrow and Misery and the Light of Christ in thee shall answer in all things to the justness of the Judgments of the Lord. Thou sayest in effect that thou wouldest not or thou desirest not our Persecution or that we should be persecuted by Cruelty or unjust Imprisonment now consider what the cause is that what thou desirest not to be done yet is done thou having power in thy hand onely to prevent what thou wouldest not have done is it not thine own unfaithfulness to the Principle of God in thee which beareth witness against the Persecution of the Innocent Or is it that thou mayest please men and therefore rather suffer Wickedness to abound Injustice and Oppression to be acted against the Poor making it appear thou art willing to do the false Teachers of this Nation and wicked men a pleasure then to own the People of God in relieving them and â—â—sing them of their cruel Burthens and Oppressions laid upon them by unjust men for a word of thy mouth or the shew of thy Countenance in dislike of these cruel and unjust Persecutions would bind the Hands of many blood-thirsty Men and stop the Mouthes of many Devourers and therefore because of thine own unfaithfulness doth that come to pass which thou desirest not And so I must needs say This appears to be evil in thee to say In effect thou approvest not or thou desirest not out Persecution and yet it is done when the Power is in thy Hand to remove it and this in much love and great pitty I declare unto thee in the Fear and Counsel of God Further thou sayest Thâ—n art not guilty of these Persecutions acted unjustly upon us Again consider I say Thou canst not be cleared in the Sight of the Lord God from them being acted under thee and in thy Name in the Day of the Lord the Light in thy Conscience shall answer this for there seems to be rather a favouring of them in thee and by for bearance of the Actors of Cruelty by which their
the Land which if you he the Instruments in such a Work it will be your greatest Crown and your perpetual Honour for the Lord's Purpose is 〈◊〉 â—â—y or other to cleanse the Land of all these and other Oppression whatsoever that the People of this Land may be a free People from all the heavy Yâ—… of Antichrist which have long sorely pressed them down and the Purpose of the Lord is to break the Yoaks of Oppression and Tyranny from off the Necks of this People and therefore it is that he overturneth yea and will overturn all Men and Authorities that shall oppose his Work and none shall be 〈◊〉 to stand before him for the Presence of my Lord is more dreadful to a Nation when he shews himself in Wrath then any Multitude of Armed Men and Wo is unto you if you be found opposing of him and if you seek to stop his Work you shall not cumber the Earth very long nor oppress the Nations maâ—◠〈◊〉 Wherefore consider Cursed will you be if you be unfaithful in what 〈◊〉 have to do on the Lord's behalf for your Hour passeth ever that is alotted you and will be suddenly expired never to be recalled and then you cannot work And whereas there is a great Cry about Ministry For sending forth and Mainâ—…ng and Encouraging a Godly Ministry as you say Now to this I do answer on my Lord's behalf and I must tell you plainly As for a true Godly Ministry truly called and sâ—nt of God such a Ministry and such Miâ—isters you can never be able to hinder but the Lord will send them out â—â—â—â—taining them and preserving them whether you will or no and while you are â—â—â—â—bling your selves about such a matter you are but meddling with things above your Line and out of your Jurisdiction while you act in such a case 〈◊〉 it belongs to his Goverment to send out Ministers whom and as he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maintain them and defend them according to his own Pleasure and all this without you for such Ministers truly called thereunto and sent of the Lord will not seek to you to be sent forth or maintained by you they will not be beholding to you in such a case but even without you and contrary to you must they be sent out and maintained So that the Lord will have a Ministry in this Nation purely of his own and not of Man nor by Man and such a Ministry you shall not be able to hinder And I must tell you plainly As for these men called Ministers in this Nation the way of their setting up and sending forth and the way of their Maintenance and the way of their standing and Defence and in every particular of their being such they are the greatest and most woful Oppression in the Nation even the most Abominable and unjust Cruelties and Tyrannies is acted through them as any other thing in the Nation and they are as such aforesaid the woful Cause of the Nations Groaning under Merciless Dealing and there is upon their account the Guilt of Blood Injustice and Oppression lying upon this Nation their Inqiuities their Iniquities cry for Vengeance upon their own heads for they are full they are full and the measure thereof is near finished and God's Eternal Vengeance is their next Reward from the Eternal God What shall I say of them but this The Earth is oppressed by them the Inhabitants groan under them and the Righteous God is vexed through them and they are the very men of high Indignation and fierce Wrath and all their Practices as such are the Fewel of his Anger to be consumed by the Fire of his Jealousie the Nation is weary and its Inhabitants and the Lord is weary because of these men And is this the Ministry cryed up by you as Godly and Piâ—â—â— c Are these the men that the Nation must be forced to maintain in their Pride and Idolatry Is this the Ministry that must be Encouraged Well if these be the men and this the Ministry which must be established and encouraged by you in so doing you shall never prosper but thereby gain the Displeasure of the Almighty unto you to bring a Curse upon all your doings even because hereof for I must tell you the Hand of my Lord is against them and whosoever shall seek to defend them shall not prosper in their doings because their Oppressions Cruelties Deceit and Abominations are nigh finished and fulfilled wherefore take â—â—ed unto your selves for this is my Master's Advice unto you Let this Ministry alone and joyn not your selves to Baal lest you perish neither take part with Antichrist any longer neither be ye Fighters against the Lamb and his Kingdom but free the Nation and let all its Inhabitants be freed from the cruel Tasks and Yoaks of such Men and such a Ministry as aforesaid uphold it not against the Lord for if you do you shall never be established and this is from the Mouth of my Lord unto you And last of all My Master hath a People in this Nation even a suffering People that have born the Burden of the Cruelty and Injustice and Wickedness both of Rulers and Teachers who have as it were trodden them down and made them a very Prey to their Devouring Mouthes the very Cry of their Sufferings have reached unto Heaven and the very sound thereof your Ears have heard And this People are greatly beloved and my Lord will assuredly honour them and his Hand shall be continued to preserve them and defend them against all their Enemies whatsoever and he doth reserve them to himself and for a glorious Work that he hath to do by them and he hath formed them for himself and they cannot joyn with any of the Horns of the great Beast neither can a Place of Honour pervert them from their perfect Way but my Lord he compasseth them about on every side and hath kept them in the midst of Tryals Reproaches and Sufferings and covered them in the Heat and in the Storm till his Pleasure is to make further use of them they are His and not their Own and they must fulfil His Will and none besides and they lie at Rest in Him while Mountains are overturned and while one Potsherd of the Earth breaks another and this must be even till the appointed Time And to say no more of them though much more might be said They are had in Remembrance before the Lord to do with them even for his own Glory and for this Nation 's perpetual Good and to the Authority of the Most High through them shall Kings of the Earth and Nations of the World bow and tremble wherefore ye men touch them not neither do ye afflict them even as you hope to prosper remember their Cause and suffer it not alwayes to be rejected as it hath long been but keep your selves free from the Injustice and Cruelty of them that have gone before you who have been Merciless and Oppressors
that lodgeth in thy own Bowels Though thou hast had Kings over thee and chosen thee Parliaments and set up Protectors and Committees and Councils have been created in thee to have been as a Defence upon thee and to have born the Scepter of thy Government but alas all these have left thee and thou art now as alone and left comfortless even as a Widow unto this day and the Staff of thy hand hath pierced thee and thy strength and confidence hath betrayed thee and them whom thou hast chosen have wrought no deliverance at all in thee even the men that thou thoughtest should have healed thee they have made thy wound more incurable and they in whom thou hast reposed trust they have been deceitfull and treacherous in thee for many have sought themselves and who should be the greatest and they have trisfled away many precious hours in vain contentions about Government what it should be and who should govern while as no good thing hath been effected by them but in the mean time of their delayes and while they have been making themselves rich with the Nations Treasure and loved this worlds perishing honor and vain titles the Nation hath starved for want of mercy and just judgment and the cause of its necessity hath been forgotten and mercy and truth and the freedom of the people neglected and the Cause of the Fatherless Widow and Stranger and the Cause of the afflicted people have they not respected Oh Nation the men that have sitten on thy Throne they have left thee groaning under great Oppressions wounded with the Spirit of Tyranny yet un-cast out and thy people are yet unhealed but the breach hath been made wider even by that Spirit which hath possessed thy Parliaments thy Protectors thy Councils thy Committees who hath proved Physitians of no value but have bin the increasers of thy grief and even because of their iniquities and the sin of their Ambition and Oppression hath the Lord dealt thus with them and suffered them to dash one another in pieces and through Judgment unto themselves and thee Oh Nation are they at present ceased from thee and thou art left alone and without a Deliverer in the Earth full of Troubles and Distractions Oh that thou wouldst now look unto the Lord and seek him in Righteousness that he may heal thee for there is none of all them that do pretend to rule thee that do rightly proceed in the way of thy Deliverance they do not apply healing Balm unto thy Wound they rather add unto the cause of thy Sorrow then remove it from thee their hearts are not aright before the Lord and how then should they prosper in their doings All these things have we viewed and pittied the condition of our Nation and thus we do declare the very cause of these things that are come to pass in thee is in that oh Nation thou hast sinned thou hast sinned and the cry of thy Iniquities is come up before the Lord even the sins of thy Rulers and thy People is the Cause of God's Displeasure against thee and he is provoked through their Transgressions in thee is found the Blood of the Innocent in thee is found the Murder of Souls in thee is found Treachery against God and Hypocrisie Dissimulation with God and men in thee is found Pride Oppression Whoredom and Drunkenness Stealing and Murder in thee is found the very burden of Iniquity the full measure of Transgression even the transgression of God's whole Law deceit is found in thee unsoundness of heart unconstancy in all good things multitude of hypocritical Fastings Prayers and Services in thee is found even destroying Sins of all sorts do abound and thou hast provoked the Lord God by thy Abominations thy Rulers have been Oppressors thy Teachers Deceivers of Souls and thy People are froward and perverse against the Lord in thee is found the men that judge for Rewards and the Priests that preach for Hire and the Prophets that divine for Money thy Sins are like Israel's of old for number and greatness and thou hast lost God's Favour and gained his Fury by thy own doings and thou art the very cause of this Misery and hast brought it upon thy self and because thou art departed from the Living God by thy Transgression therefore hath he confounded thee and turned thy Wisdom into Folly and he is departed from thee and out of thy Councils and men are left to the counsels of their own hearts and as it were ready to destroy one another Ruler against Ruler and Neighbour and Friend full of strife one against another and this is happened unto thee as a Judgment for thy Iniquities who hast also nelected a gloririous Day of Visitation thy Rulers and Inhabitants have been warned and the Cry of Repentance hath been sounded towards them all by a despised people but warning hath not been regarded but the word of the Lord rejected by thy Rulers and People and lo what wisdom is there in them not so much wisdom from God as can preserve them but it may be just with the Lord to suffer them to drink the blood one of another even because they have sinned against God and rejected his counsel therefore is this come to pass in the Nation for hadst thou oâ— Nation walked in the Light of the Lord it had been better with thee had every one obeyed the Light in his own Conscience and had every one sought the Lord and not himself had thy Rulers ruled for God and had thy people been ruled of God then this day had not been a day of Trouble but it had been a day of Joy and Sorrow and Anguish had been removed far from thee and blessings had filled thy Habitations And now whereas many wise men have been advising and consulting the peace of this our Nation and they have given in their counsel for removing these Troubles yet Peace and Unity seems to be far away and though they have sought Peace for this Nation yet they have not walked in the perfect way thereof for innocency truth and simplicity have bin wanting which God only will bless and by flatteries and deceits and the pollicy and wisdom of this World have they thought to make up thy breach but it cannot be for in the way of that proceeding will not the Lord be found in a needful time and his presence hath been wanting in their counsels and therefore the fruit of peace is not yet grown up this we have seen and therefore thus we do declare O Nation the inward cause of thy destractions must be removed even thy iniquities must be forsaken and thy transgressions repented of thou must forsake thy former wayes and doings that are not right thou must leave off thy hypocrisies and flatteries with God and men thou must repent thee of thy profaneness and of thy profession also thy sin and thy righteousness must thou put away which are both Abominations unto God thou
but they also neglected to serve God and the Nations to serve themselves and because of the Ambition and Pride of some of them the Lord suffered them to make this last Interruption upon you which was great Treachery in mans account that thereby their measure might be filled up and that he might give you occasion against them and suffer you to be filled with Indignation towards them to break them to pieces And what you do to some of them in casting them out and afflicting them you are but God's Executioners therein you are the Executioners of his Anger in what you do to them and who shall prevent you or forbid you to go on for they have long enough dissembled with the Nation in professing more then others and doing less and their Downfall is now come And God hath looked upon you to be hard-hearted and cruel enough and very fit Executioners of Vengeance upon such men as I have mentioned But now concerning you and your present state as you are in present Place and Power I have something to say to you Though they are fallen and you yet stand and you have a little time after them but this I say do not glory over their Fall neither glory as though you should stand forever for they were not greater Sinners then you are neither are you one whit more Righteous then some of them but you are as sure to fall as they are fallen with no less measure of Dishonour and Affliction then is come upon them and you are in your last Hour and I dare not say that God expects much more from you then for the End aforesaid viz. To be the Executioners of Iustice upon men as sinful as your selves So do not glory over them that are fallen but know that your time also is but short and your Fall may prove to your Destruction and theirs may prove to make them better and refine them And if God hath chosen you to execute some part of his Wrath upon them for their Wickedness he will doubtless find Instruments to execute his Wrath upon you else he will do it with his own Hand for he purposeth not to spare you for your Sins cry as loud as any other People and the Oppressions are as great under you as under them whom you condemn And I desire if there be any good men amongst you that such who are wise may consider and mind the Hand of the Lord in and through all these things that are come to pass for God is working as well as you he is seeking to set up a Kingdom as well as you and his Government and yours cannot stand together and he will make you know that he is stronger and his Government of more force and your kingdom cannot stand in place with his Therefore oh that you would take heed oh that you would be wise if so be some of you may be spared and be not too zealous in your way nor too furious in your proceedings do but to others as you intend to receive from others and from the Lord and go not beyond your Commision for a Permission at least you have from God even to scourge Hypocrites and to be a Judgment upon that Hypocritical seeming Religious Generation of men aforesaid which have many a time as it were mocked God pretended love to him with their Lips when their Hearts have yearned after Self-honour and Treasures of this world I say your present hour and permission is for this end but not to persecute the people of the Lord nor to destroy God's Heritage but if you shall extend your Power unto such a work and if you do persecute the Innocent without cause and make war against the Lamb his Followers and make Laws and execute them to the oppression of the Saints of the Most High then you go beyond your Commission for God hath not called you unto this but to be Instrument in another Cause And the Children of Zion they trust in the Living God fear not the terror of mighty men neither can they be afraid at the roaring of the Sea nor at the present threatning of the Heathen for God is with them And I say to you The Servant of the Lord hath pondered and considered all these proceedings and viewed the present state of things at this day and there is no Vision from God unto you of Peace and Comfort nor of a happy and lasting Government as you now stand If any Prophet shall divine this unto you he speaks what he hath not from the Lord but the Vision of his own Heart and he deceives you and himself for you are not established upon a right Foundation neither are you acted by a right Spirit which can truly Govern for God but the Spirit of Wrath and Fury is put into you for the work which you are called And I know not how to warn you that you do not persecute the People of God For why It may be you must fill up your measure of Wickedness thereby that God may break you perpetually yet the less will be your Judgment if you do it not but and if you do it the Lord will take occasion against you to wound you and you shall never be healed and as you do afflict others so and much more shall it be done unto you from the Lord. Wherefore consider what I have said for this is the Vision of the Almighty unto you that shall not go unfulfilled And what you do you must do it quickly for your time is short and your Power will God subdue and his Kingdom and Power will he speedily exalt over your heads and make you and the Nations know that he is God and that all Power is with him and that he can do whatsoever he will and it is his Right alone to reign and his Childrens Portion to possess the Kingdom with him Let the whole Earth and all the Powers thereof Bow and Tremble before him let not your Hearts be stout and rebellious against him for he can grind you to Powder and sink you into Confusion and Misery as a Stone into the Sea This was directed for the hands of the Speaker in Parliament and accordingly was given to William Lenthel being inclosed to him with these Line following Friend THE inclosed I do commend unto thee for to present unto the House and to endeavour sincerely the reading of it in your Assembly for it is of special Concernment to you all and in the Name of the Lord and by his Spirit I do charge thee not to be negligent in this matter as though it were not of worth to you and I do lay it upon thee as a Work of Righteousness and Truth to be done by thee as thou wilt answer the contrary in the dreadful Day of God when the King of Righteousness shall judge thee and all Mankind Edw. Buroughs The 24th of the 11th Moneth 1659. AN ANSWER TO A DECLARATION Of the People called Anabaptists In
of Answer for the end that People may be satisfied concerning things doubtfull which are in controversie this day among many for it is well known the Controversie hath been long and is grown very high between us and you concerning Church Ministry and Religion and divers things in your Exhortation are doubtfull unto many and that all doubts may be removed if possible therefore I do return what follows as an answer unto you Whereas you say You are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions wherewith the carnal World is leavened concerning you Calling Office and Doctrines and what Clamors and fiery Contentions abound for them every where that pleads Christ's Cause in the Gates c. Answ. As for your Calling Office and Doctrine there is much to be said against them in and by the Spirit of the Lord for your Calling and Office is not according to the Example of Scriptures though the Calling and Office of Ministers of the Gospel hath Example in the Scripture yet as you are called into your Office that is not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures And as for your Doctrine it is in some things unsound also Now as for Seasonable Exhortations of Ministers to People I do acknowledge that it is a Duty which ought to be done but how seasonable and sound your Exhortations are that remains to be tried and it is not onely the carnal World as you speak that are doubtfull concerning your Calling and Office but it the best of the people whose eyes the Lord is opening to see and behold the false immitations of the Calling and Office of Ministers as you have stood for many Generations and it is true them that pleads Christs Cause they are cryed out upon and contended with but this fully belongs not to you though you apply it to your selves but it pertains more to others for the World speaks well of you as it use to do of false Prophets And you say We the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London do with earâ—…ess exhort the people of this City to awaken as out of Sleep and to lay to heart the great dangers that threatens you which you represent under a threefold consideration 1 The fear of the return of Popery 2 The distracted estate of Religion amongst us 3 Other symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your Heads Answ. That you are Ministers of the Gospel this is doubtful unto many and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary then can be given for it But this is not the present debate and therefore no more of it And what is the people of your Congregations yet asleep Have not you awakened them in so many years time Have you been preaching over them and taking their Money so long and are they yet to awaken as out of Sleep Will not the blame of this and the condemnation of it fall upon you their Watch-men who hath not yet awakened them And may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them who are left as asleep under all your preaching and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them Oh Friends will you consider and your people with you what you have been preaching and what they have been hearing for so long a time seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep and unawakened Now as to the first of your considerations The fear of the return of Popery for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it First The union of foreign Popish-Powers Secondly The vast numbers say you of Popish Emissaries and Jesuites that swarms amongst you Thirdly The vending and printing of so many Popish Books every year c. Answ. As for Popery I know it is Idolatry and their Church and Worship and every part thereof abomination to the Lord and the spirit that leads them is not the Spirit of Jesus and as for Popery it was never yet truly cleansed out of the Nation but there hath been and are great remainders yet standing which may indeed easily recover its former strength For is not the most part of the worship of the Church of England made up of such things as was first instituted and practised amongst the Papists witness the making Ministers by natural learning at Schools and Colledges and their maintenance by Tythes and yearly Stipends and their way of Parochial settlements are not all these things Papistical and witness sprinkling Infants calling it the Baptism into the Visible Church and witness the singing of Davids Psalms as now they are sung among you these things for the most part are of Popish institution and many other things also pertaining to your Church Religion and Ministry so that Popery was never clean cast out of the Nation though the Lord hath wounded it yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force so that while Tythes are pleaded for by you and those things practised by you it may indeed be feared the return of Popery seeing you stick so fast in those Practises which were of Popish institution and the cause of fear lies at your Door and upon your selves principally and if there be vast numbers of Popish Priests and Jesuites swarming amongst you if you be Ministers of Christ why do you not discover Wolves in Sheeps cloathing and fright them away Why do you not lift yp your Spiritual Weapons if you have them as the Apostles did whose Weapons were powerful and mighty through God and who shall bear the blame but you if Wolves in Sheeps cloathing tear your Flocks that is a sign you are lazy idle Shepherds and that your want the Power and Authority of God and when the Powers of the Earth fails you and your carnal Weapons are all broken then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of Popish Priests and Jesuites if there be any such among you look you to it for I know not any and if you know any by name and where they are you ought by your Law to discover them Now you say they are acting under the disguise of Sectaries and subtilly insinuating many of their Doctrines as teaching Iustification by Inherent Righteousness Perfection 〈◊〉 lawfulness in joyning in your Ordinances and nullity of your Ministry c. Answ. Now these that you call Sectaries may truly plead against you against your Church Worship Ministry Practises upon good grounds as for Justification by Inherent Righteousness it is a Doctrine of the Church of Christ that the Saints witnessed Christ and his Righteousness within them and that none are justified by any righteousness without them but who witness Christ revealed in them for all are Reprobate that do not witness Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. And as for Perfection that is the Doctrine of the Gospel and of Christ for the Apostles spake wisdom to them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. and Christ commanded them to be perfect Mat. 5. who never commanded impossibilities You might better have charged
may stand and never be moved from the hope of Eternal Life and feel the renewing of your inward man even the increase and growth of the Immortal Life in you that you may live in that unto the Lord God and Covenant with him may be preserved whereby you may be a praise and a glory to him in your Generation in the sight of the whole World even all you who have tasted of the Presence and Power of the Lord and who have known his Mercies and Judgements and been acquainted with him that you may be kept faithful unto the end and not be subverted by the wicked one nor drawn from the Obedience to the Truth nor loose your Crown of Immortality neither by the flattery nor terrour of the ungodly but that you live in the Dominion of Immortal Life which keeps above all Mortal Temptations and Mortal Terrour and gives Authority over all And this Life is blessed where the Glory and Peace of this World and the Troubles and Sorrows of it also are seen over and felt beyond and nothing of it can move the Heart nor disquiet the Spirit nor work any Separation from the Fathers Love and in the Seed of God where it lives above mortal is this enioyed by us and all the Faithful But if the mans part live above the Seed of God that will be drawn aside by the love or by the terrour of this World for that is changable and the evil one hath a part in it so that part is to be kept in subjection in you under the Seed of God it must bear the Crosâ— of Christ always else you will be overcome of the wicked for in that part the mâ—… part which is of this World the Devil hath somthing a place to receive â—im pâ—â—t to obey him but in the Seed of God he hath nothing neither place nor part And so Friends live in the Seed of God for in that is your Victory and heavenly Dominion and also your Election and Assurance for ever even in the second Birth begotten of the Father for that is the Heir of God and thereiâ— doth man inherit Eternal Life and Rest and Peace to his Soul and therein is Bleâ—â—â—â—gs and Peace and Life inwardly and outwardly and all fulness is enjoyed where the Lord is the Teacher the Father the Shepherd the Master the King and Judge and is become to us the all in all and the Kingdom deliveâ—â—◠〈◊〉 him and all subjected under him even God with us the Substance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—d of all and all the contrary put under even the Lion and the Lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together and man lives in Peace according to the Promise and the Mountain of the Lords House is established on the top of all in which nothing can destroy or hurt the pure Life but Life is in Dominion over all and 〈◊〉 is swallowed up of it Oh Friends this is the mark that is before you press on towards it that you may obtain the final end of all your Travel and Waiting of your Obediâ—â—ce and Suffering and the end of your Hope and Patience and the very end of the Messâ—ge sent of God and delivered to you by us The end of all is this Thâ—â— you may dwell in God and he in you and be gathered up to him to be ever with 〈◊〉 and that he may be your all in all and you may be to him an honour and praise â—â—â—â—ghout the World in your Generation even he your onely God and you his onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friends certain it is that the Way of Life and Peace and of Salvation is mâ—de manifest unto you and you know wherein everlasting Peace and Reconciliation with God standeth and you also know what the cause is of all troâ—â—le and sorrow and condemnation the Lord hath opened many Hearts and given unto many a good Understanding And seeing you know this live in the Way of Peace and escape the other that you may not come into condemnation for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the Condemnation and Wrath of the Almighty And for this cause That men should be saved from Wrath and have Peacâ— with God the Message of Life and Salvation hath the Lord sent abroad plentifully in this Nation and you have received it and believed the Report though many have rejected it to their Destruction whose Judgment will be upon them but you have tasted handled and fâ—lt of the Word of eternal Life by which the Lord hath wounded you and healed you again and many hath he slain and made them alive even through his Word and Power which hath entred into many hearts which killeth the Enmity and quickenâ—th the Seed and which breaketh off from all the World's followship both in Transgressions and Righteousness and makes all void all Covenants with Death and Hell and marrieth unto the Lamb and the Marriage of the Lamb is câ—me unto many even unto all in whom his innocent and heavenly Naâ—â—re is begotten and brought forth for this is of his Flesh and of his Bone 〈◊〉 here is his Wife that hath made her self ready and is prepared for the Bridegroom and blessed are ye if ye know thesâ— things and are Witnesses of thâ—â— even the Marriage of the Lamb and the making ready of his Elected in you 〈◊〉 the receiving and quickening of his Flesh and of his Bone for this is the 〈◊〉 unto whom he is joyned that hath put away all other Lovers and loveth the Lord with all the Heart and with all the Soul who is clothed with perfect Beaâ—ty and Innocency and covered with divine Righteousness in which there is no Spot being delivered out of the Wilderness and freed from her mournâ—â—g state and is no more separated from her Husband but she again quickâ—â—t into Life and adorned with Beauty and married to the Lamb to live with him â—or evermore Oh Friends wait upon the Lord that ye may possess these things for to kâ—ow thâ—â— and be in them is everlasting Treasure and Riches the Possession of them are Riches to the Poor Bread to the Hungry and Clothing to the Naked and Life to the Dead And if ye know these things lay them up in your hearts as your most precious Treasure and let none spoil you of it And if ye are married unto the Lamb then are you the True and onely Church even his Body and living Members of it for such onely are the True Church that are married to Christ and United to him in his own nature and all such are false Churches and are even of the great Whore that hath taken upon them the name of Churches of Christ but were never lawfully married unto him and such are deceived and Deceivers of others with the very Name of Christ calling themselves by the Name of his Church while they are in the nature contrary to him nor they ever lawfully married unto him and this is the great Whore who commits lewdness though Nations in all false
it would win his Enemies or be a good means towards it if he do forgive all Enemies and it will be a good beginning of his Government to remit Offences though yet in his heart he may be perswaded that he and his Father have been much injured yet I say justly he 〈◊〉 forgive all in the sight of God and also in the sight of men as many wayes may appear even in asmuch as his Father and he did flee to the Sword to determine their Controversie in this Nation and the Sword went against them and did determine the controversie even against them and that whereby they thought to stand they did fall and that which they chused for their defence did destroy them and who then shall they blame for that which befel them seeing the Sword destroyed them which themselves did chuse and thought thereby to stand but it determined the Controversie against them and if you cannot own it as that the Hand of the Lord went against you in Battel yet you must confess that the fortune of War as some call it went against you and must such now suffer because hereof nay they ought not but may rather be spared by the King and inasmuch as he is restored again without blood or loss of lives it may be very just for him not to take away any mens lives but it will be more just to pass by all old things and if he have a deliverance let him turn it into the praise of the Lâ—â—d in holiness not into the shedding of blood in the way of a fierce revenge and let him leave it to the Lord to avenge himself upon such as have been his Enemies and upon such as â—â—ve cast out King and Kingly Government and pretended to a better Government 〈◊〉 to Govern more Righteously and yet have been Oppressors and not answered their pretences pretences and engagements but broken them and acted contrary by their Unfaithfulness and Hypocrisie and in that doth lie the justness of punishment if it come upon them and if they be punished with death or otherwise if they suffer on that account I say because they destroyed Kingly Goverment in Name and Title and pretended better things and to Govern better and did not make Reformation but were Oppressors as I hav◠〈◊〉 Suffering for that cause cannot be called Persecution nor is it for good Conscience nor Righteousness sake that such do Suffer But none of us can Suffer for that cause as not being guilty thereof as in the Answer to the next Query I shall have full occasion to shew you but and if we Suffer in your Government it is for the Name of Christ and we shall have Peace with God in it because nothing can be charged against us in this Capacity as we now stand and in this State into which we are now gathered and changed not in any matter of Action or Rebellion against him nor his Father nor any thing but concerning the Law and Worship of our God and the matters of his Kingdom and our pure Consciences and if upon this account we are made to suffer by him and for this cause the reward will be Sad and Heavy upon him in the day of the Lord And if any that are now amongst us were any way engaged in the Parliament Service in the Wars it was not in Rebellion against him or his Father as that we sought their destruction as men but upon Sober and Reasonable Principles and not for corrupted ends nor to get Honour and Riches to our selves as some others might do who went in the War for self-ends and continued in action after the cause which was once engaged for was utterly lost as we have long seen it and that principle which some time led some in action to oppose Oppression and seek after Reformation we never have nor shall deny but that Principle is still justified though we are now better informed than once we were for though we do now more than ever oppose Oppression and seek after Reformation yet we do it not in that way of outward Waring and Fighting with Carnal Weapons and Swords and YOU and the KING ought to put a difference both in their guilt and suffering between such as some time acted in the Wars against you in and upon Sober and Reasonable Principles and that did not make themselves Rich and High in this World through your Sufferings and between such as have acted against you for self ends and have insulted over you and have made themselves Great and Rich in this World thorow your Afflictions and Sufferings for they who have walked in that way and are hereof guilty they have not acted Righteously nor walked in good Conscience and if such Suffer by you for that cause it cannot be called Persecution nor is it for the Name of Christ nor can such have Peace with God But we being clear from the sin of such we cannot suffer as such but if we suffer by you it is Persecution and our sufferings will be upon you Quer. 5. Whether the great Afflictions and Sufferings sustained by him these divers years from the Subjects of his own Nation and the guilt thereof do lie upon all the Subjects in general Or whether upon any or some particular Sects and Sorts of People many which now are arisen and if upon any particular Sect and Sort who are such more then others distinguish them from others and clear your selves if you can from thâ— guilt of his Sufferings Answ. As for the Afflictions and Sufferings sustained by him so far as they were just and righteous Judgments from God because of Iniquity can no man be charged with but that is on God's account who was pleased to chastize with Afflictions and Sufferings and no man can be blamed with Injustice for that Affliction which cometh from the Hand of God upon whom Injustice may not be charged by any one whatsoever and so far as his Sufferings were unjust the guilt thereof doth not lie upon all the Subjects in general nor upon every particular sort of People alike but upon some more then others and such are easie to be distinguished from others if it be considered who they are that first raised the War in this Nation against the King and who was it that first preached and prayed up the War and prosecuted it against his Father And who is it that cast out the Bishops and Prelates from their Places and took their Revenues and Benefices and are become men as corrupted as covetous and self-seeking as proud and ambitious as unjust Persecutors as ever the men were which they cast out and the guilt is partly upon such who cast out others in pretence of Reformation but did it noâ— Aâ—â— who is it that hath gotten great Estates in this Nation and Worldly Honour and raised themselves from nothing by the Wars and by your Suffering and became ambitious and insulting over others though they first began the War in
and Ungodliness and Oppression and Cruelty whether may not you thereby destroy your Cause and lose it and provoke the Lord to Anger against you and your Cause to confound you and destroy you and whether you do seriously consider of this And is it not your Duty so to do and ought you not to endeavour to stop this Flood of Wickedness that is broken out which if it be not stopped may provoke God against you to overthrow your proceedings Quer. 7. What is the very End of Rule and Government outward in this World And for what Cause did God at the first ordain it whether upon this or not really consider Was it not that Evil-doers might be punished and them that did Well might be praised And was not the outward Law added because of Transgression and to punish Transgressors but for the preserving the Peaceable and Meek who walked in the Law of God and when the People had forgotten God and his Law in their Hearts and his Power that executed Judgment and Mercy Was it not then that the Law outward was added and committed into the Hands of Men to execute upon such as regarded not the Law of God in their Hearts And is not this the very End of Rule and Government and Magistracy at this very day Whether ought it to be extended further than only over and concerning the Affairs of the outward Man to keep that in good order not to be a Load and Burden and Vexation and Bondage upon a Nation and People but to suppress that which would load and burden and oppress the Creation and People that all men may be preserved in their just Right and not vex and oppress one anothers Persons and Estates And if your Government be not from this Ground and this very end shall it ever be blessed and happy either to the Governours or Governed Quer. 8. What do you believe of and concerning LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE in all Matters appertaining to the Kingdom of God Whether ought not you to give the LIBERTY in your Government that every Man and all sorts of People may believe in God and Worship God according as he or they shall suppose and be perswaded in his or their Consciences provided still that he and they annoy not or oppress his or their Neighbours Person or Estate for if he or they do that then he and they go out of the true Faith and breaks the Law of God and the outward Law is to take hold of him and them But whether it is not a just Right and may justly be allowed from you to all the People of this Nation to live under what Ministry and under what Worship and to go to what Assemblies as they shall suppose or be perswaded in their Consciences is the best and rightest And whether or no it be not GOD's proper Right alone to be Ruler and Lord over mens Consciences and that he alone should Prescribe Instruct and Teach Faith Worship and Duty in all things in the matters of his own Kingdom And whether God hath committed that Power and Authority ever since the days of Christ to any Emperor King or other Ruler whatsoever to be Lord and to exercise Lord-ship in and over Mens Consciences in the Matters appertaining to God's Kingdom And whether it is not God's only and alone peculiar Priviledge to be Lord there and not any Man to impose one upon another in Spiritual Matters And whether you your selves would be imposed upon in such case that is Whether you would have such a Church Government and Ministry imposed upon you upon such or such a Penalty which you know or believe or suppose is not right nor according to God nor suiting with your own Consciences And then how can you with good Conscience in the sight of God Impose upon others whenas your selves would not be Imposed upon in such a Case Quer. 9. Whether or no If that you cause any to suffer Loss or to be Afflicted in Person or Estate for and because of their Conscience-sake that is because they are of such a Faith and of such a Worship and of such a Principle in Religious Matters though different from others and from you yet if they walk Honestly and Soberly and Peaceably as Men and not Plotting and Contriving any Mischief in the Nation I say if you cause any such to suffer upon that account while you can charge nothing against them but Matters of Faith and Iudgment and Opinion in Spiritual things Again I say Whether or no such Suffering is not absolute Persecution and Innocent on his or their part that so suffereth any Injustice Cruelty Tyranny and Oppression on your part that do Inflict and will not the Lord require it of you if you bring Innocent blood and Cruel Sufferings upon your selves And is not that Innocent blood which is spilt and Unjust and Cruel Sufferings which are Inflicted upon a Man or a People for his and their Conscience and Religions-sake when no matter of wrong or evil dealing amongst Men and in that Relation is or can be charged upon them And whether do you not believe that God will avenge such a Suffering which is for Conscience-sake upon the Heads of the Cursers and Inflictors of it in his Day and Season Quer. 10. Whether or no you have not so much Reason and Conscience in you as will give you to discern and cause you to put a difference between such who have acted and been zealous against you from corrupt Principles of Self-seeking and have raised themselves into worldly Honour and great Estates through your Sufferings and Losses and have lorded it over you in Ambition though now such may bow under you and fawn upon you I say Whether will you not or whether ought you not to put a difference both in respect of guiltiness in your Cause of Suffering and in respect of your dealing towards them in Reward and between such as have formerly acted against you upon sober reasonable Principles and have not raised themselves to Honour and great Riches not by your Afflictions but ceased to act against you when they perceived the Wickedness and Injustice and evil Proceedings of your Enemies and many such there are and whether or no you have not so much Reason and Equity in your Consciences as to put a difference between such in your proceedings towards them Quer. 11. What is the truest Honour that can be given to the King and his Government and wherein and in what kind of Words and Actions and Practises doth true Honour consist And whether or no you do believe in your Consciences that these kind of Practises as drinking Healths and Bonfires and this exceeding Lewdness and Wickedness brought forth in the Nation by way of Rejoycing for the King and his Government be true Honour and rightly honourable Proceedings and Practises to him and his Government Or whether these things and ways be not wofully dishonourable unto you and him and this whole Nation and
if the same things come to pass which they declare 〈◊〉 you deny them in this Age and â—ry against such as Hereticks who witâ—… the fulfilling of them which shews you are of Antichrist and that you quench the Spirit in the Sons and Daughters which God hath promised in the New Covenant that he would give and pour forth upon Sons and Daughters and they shall prophesie And are not we to look for these things now What must not God's Promises be fulfilled must not an Heards-man now preach if the Word of the Lord come unto him and must not Plow-men now speak of the things of God if they have experience of them and must not Fisher-men and Tent-makers bear witness to the Name of Christ if they have received of his Spirit and will you deny the Scriptures which saith As every one hath received the Spirit and the Gift so let him administer the same one to another 1. Pet. 4. or do you say None must have the Gift of the Spirit but such as are brought up at Schools and Colledges or will you limit the holy One to such and such Men and Wayes Oh you are blind and ignorant who would quench the Spirit of God that it should not speak in these dayes and thus you are denyers of the Scriptures but God hath given of his Spirit and spoken in our Hearts and we must prophesie and speak as the Spirit of God giveth utterance as the Saints of old did Act. 2. 4. Now for your way of making Ministers at Schools and Colledges and so quallifying them with knowledge in the seven Sciences as it is said and ordaining them in that manner and way as among Papists and Protestants hath been practised for Ages this way of making Ministers and sending of them forth was never known among the Apostles for they were not thus made and ordained and sent to preach nor was this way of making and sending forth Ministers till the Spirit and Power of God was lost and forsaken by the Apostate Christians and the Scriptures make no mention of such ways nor give no Example for such things and we cannot own any Religion nor any Practice thereof but what we have Example for from the Saints of old before us and we believe that it is generally of Antichrist to invent and introduce such and such Practices for Religion towards God and for the Worship of him for which there is no Example in all the Christian Churches in the Apostles dayes and we believe that way of making Ministers and sending of them forth which is not approveable by the Scripture nor according to them is of Antichrist and not of God neither can we own such Ministers nor their Ministry who are not ordained of God and according to the Scriptures nor can we deuy private Preachers nor their Ministry as you call them if they have received the Spirit of Christ though they be not so learned outwardly nor ordained according to what some may call the right way but who are Ministers made and sent of God and have the Authority of his Spirit such we own and cannot deny and such the Lord will bless with his Presence to the confounding of all their Enemies Concerning Settlement in a happy Government Object There hath been great Divisions and Distractions in these Nations for many years and in the midst of them the great cry hath been by many for Settlement and Peace and for a quiet and happy Government Answ. These things hath the Lord suffered to come to pass in the World even great Contentions Divisions and distractions and much Changes of Government in these Kingdoms And the appearing Cause of these things hath been from the Lust that hath warred in the Members for from thence doth Wars and Strife arise and many have been Ambitious Vain-glorious Self-seeking and Covetous of the Honours and Pleasures of this World the lust and desire of these things hath possessed the minds of Men and induced them to Envy and Wrath one against another and hath filled them with Heart-burnings and cruelty of mind to the killing and destroying of one another by Wars and Blood-sheds and by Plots and Contrivances have sought how to extinguish one another from the Earth that themselves might be exalted and thus from the desires that have warred in mens minds have Wars arisen against the Persons of Men and among them and this is the appearing Cause of the Wars and Distractions that have been in these Nation though the hidden cause which hath not so appeared hath been in God and because of the wickedness of Men both high and low and because of their Oppressions and Abominations which have been many and great in the World therefore hath the God of Heaven been provoked in just Judgement towards Rulers and People to suffer Men to destroy one another and to execute Bloodshed and Destructions one upon another and he hath brought it to pass in giving up men to the fulfilling of their cruel intents which have been hatched in their evil Minds every Man against his Neighbour and even because they have been departed out of his Counsel and followed their own wicked Wayes and Justice and Mercy and Truth have been wanting amongst Men in these Nations so that this is the principal cause wherefore the Lord God hath brought about and suffered these Wars Distractions Confusions and Discord in these latter dayes and out of the justness of God's Judgments because of the wickedness of men have these things been And now these Distractions and confusions and Discords amongst Men can never wholly and truly cease to be till Iniquity and Transgression be repented of and turned from which is the very cause wherefore God hath done and suffered these things as I have said and so Men must cease from Oppression from Cruelty and from all Unrighteousness and must turn to the Lord and become cleansed from their Sins ere ever the Judgements of the Lord be removed and these Distractions Wars and Confusions cease to be in these Lands and till Men become Meek and Humble and till they cease to seek revenge one of another and till they cease all Oppression and Covetousness Injustice and Unmercifulness and till they forsake their worldly Honour and high Titles which puff them up in Arrogancy and Ambition and even till every Man forsakes his particular Iniquity till all these things be Distractions will not cease nor shall Settlement and Peace and happy Government ever be This is certainly so for except the Cause be removed the Effect can never cease and there appears to be at this day as great if not far more Dissatisfactions in the Minds of some People than hath been heretofore and it appears to be as far from Settlement and true Peace in an happy Union in Government as for many years though it hath been expected by many that we should have Peace and Settlement in Government yet behold it cannot be for there are Discontents and Murmurings in the
present help unto us in the time of our trouble for the plotting of the Wicked and the purpose of ungodly Men hath often been broken for our sakes even many a time have we been delivered out of the Snare that hath been laid for us and we have seen our Enemies fall before us on the right Hand and on the Left even the Wise in their worldly wisdom and the Foolish in their brutishness both Professors and Prophane hath our God often cut short in their desires and endeavours of our destruction and we have been wonderfully preserved unto this day and all this I attribute to the infinite Love and Power of the Lord God who is blessed for evermore And through all these things we are yet alive and the Lord doth not fail us unto this hour but he lives and walks in us and with us and his Testimony is with us even the Seal of his good Spirit in our Hearts that we are his Sons and Servants and we are confirmed by many tokens that he is our God and we are his People and that great Oppression which we have met withal hath not restrained us but thorough it all have we grown and prospered unto this day and concerning the things whereof we have testified these divers years I am no way doubtful but our God will fulfil them neither can my confidence be shaken by what is or can come to pass for Antichrist must fall false Ministry and Worship false Ways and Doctrines God will confound false Power and false Church the Lord will lay low and Truth and Righteousness must raign and God will gather his People more and more and glorious dayes will appear God will exalt his Kingdom upon Earth and throw down the kingdom of the man of sin all Oppression must cease and the Oppressors shall no more be and God will free his People and they shall be happy in this World and forever These things have we prophesied from day to day and my faith is constant and unmovable that God will effect these things in his season for the Lord never yet deceived me but what he hath said will surely come to pass And therefore Brethren let us be in Hope and Patience and live in the Word of Patience and not be faint-hearted as though the Lord had forgotten us or was unmindful of us or as though he would not perform what he had testified of by us for he is not a Man that he should lye nor as a Man that is given to change But lift up your Heads for the Lord is with us even in our greatest Tribulations and Afflictions and he will accomplish his Purpose for he is mighty to save his People and to destroy his Enemies It is true the Gates of Hell at this time seem to be open against us and we are a People like to be swallowed up of our Enemies and floods of wickedness seem to over-flow and the waves of the great Sea seem to be void of mercy and the hope of our Adversaries is to extinguish us from being a People and to destroy us from the face of the Earth and the Hands of our Persecutors are highly exalted at this day as though all that we have done for the Lord by our Labours and Travels should now be made of none effect Well dear Brethren though it be thus yet our God can deliver us and confound our Adversaries and we can appeal unto our God and can spread our Cause before him and he knows that our Sufferings and Afflictions are altogether Unjust and Unequal and Unrighteous and that our Persecutors do afflict us out of their Envy and without any just cause administred unto them by us our God knows it Angels and Saints know it that we are at this day a Persecuted People for Religions sake and this our present Affliction is not any just Punishment either from the Justice of God or from the justice of men For God hath given us the Witness of his eternal Spirit that Wrath is not in him towards us his Wrath be to his Enemies but unto us is Joy and Peace for evermore and the Lord clears us and he justifies us who then shall condemn us he chargeth no guilt upon us as if we were unto our selves the cause by our evil deeds of this our present sufferings and as if this were come to pass upon us as punishment from the Hand of God I say it is not so these our present Sufferings are not out of God's Anger towards us for his Love is to us let his Wrath be to his Enemies and as I said neither is this suffering in the justice of men for unto all the World we can say and God himself shall plead our Cause whom have we wronged or done evil to What evil have we done to any Mans Person Whose Goods have we falsly taken or coveted Against whom have we designed Mischief even the Lord himself be Judge between us and our Persecutors in this matter for unto him we are known that we do desire the good of all and not the hurt of any and yet we are dealt with as Evil doers whenas the God of Heaven is Witness in our Consciences that we neither plot nor contrive nor agitate in thought or word the hurt of any mans Person but we walk justly towards all being our Principle to do to others as we would be done unto and we can plead our cause unto our God and he shall plead our cause with our Enemies and this is the present state of our case what we suffer at this time it is singly in the Cause of God and for Righteousness sake and for the Testimony of Jesus which we hold therefore freely let us commit our Cause unto the God of Heaven and if we dye it is for him and if we live it is to him and we seek not vengeance against our Enemies but leave it to the Lord to plead with them And dearly Beloved I hope I need not exhort you to be patient and faithful in this day of our tryal knowing that the Cause is so excellent in which we are tryed it is God's Cause and not our own and I hope you all have the Testimony of his Spirit in your Consciences verifying the truth of the Cause for which we suffer and having that Evidence we need not to be doubtful as towards God not ashamed before-Men if so be that every one feels the Evidence of the Spirit of God bearing witness that we suffer for Righteousness sake and for the Name of Christ Jesus And so dear Brethren lift up your Heads and be asâ—…d that we are the Lord's and in his Cause we are tryed and he will judge and avenge our Persecutors in his season and we shall be a People when the Egyptians lie dead upon the Sea-Shore and when the raging Sea is dryed up this saâ—e People shall be safe for hath the Lord done so excellent things for us hath he led us forth and
that we had a reserve against the King's Person and Government and our living Peaceably might be the more doubted of but being our known Principle and Practice alwayes Not to Swear at all in any Case whatsoever this removeth all Ground of Jealousie or Cause of Suspition of us in this Case And also we being ready to confess all just Authority and Power to the King to declare Obedience thereunto solemnly and sincerely and that we shall live Peaceably and quietly under his Government and not to Plot or Rebel against him and this to confirm by Yea and Nay our Testimony of this kind may as justly be taken and stand as effectual and be as faithfully performed as the Oaths of any others for we make Conscience to perform what we say in Yea and Nay as much as any do to perform what they Swear and this is known of us in the Consciences of our Enemies So that in Good Conscience and Just Reason and Equal Justice we are excusable from all Penalties and Forfeitures in that behalf of denying the OATH of ALLEGIANCE 4. And the King and his Government is not the less safe and secure though we refuse to swear Obedience to them nor could they be any safer or securer if we contrary to our Principles and Consciences were forced by Penalties to swear Allegiance for by the same Principle which keeps us from Swearing and by which we deny it we must be preserved to live Peaceably and not to Plot nor Rebel against the King and if we renounce our Principle and our good Conscience and be induced to swear against our Consciences what likelyhood is there to perform such a forced Oath taken contrary to our Consciences and Principles For if we swear to the King and his Government because of the Fear of Men and to save our Estates c. and this contrary to our Consciences it might well be suspected of us that at Opportunity we would break such Oaths for fear of Men or some Self-end On the other hand If we had already renounced our good Consciences so that it more appears we shall perform good Obedience to the King and his Government acknowledgâ—d by Yea without an Oath and in good Conscience then by Swearing forced on us contrary to our Consciences therefore our Yea may better be accepted in this Case then Swearing can be demanded of us And also If we should Change with the Times and Renounce our Principles and Consciences and Swear we should make our selves Ridiculous and a Scorn to all men and bring our selves into a capacity not ever to be trusted in any Case if we should bow and bend to Times and Powers and for Terror of â—en deny our Religion as other Hypocrites and I very well believe the King would not trust us in our Allegiance any whit the better but rather the worse though we did swear and fawn and flatter with him contrary to our Principles neither could he reasonably judge himself the safer nor more happy nor that we would be truly subject the more to his Authority if we swore and conformed in things by Force contrary to our Consciences and Principles for himself knoweth that Oaths and Engagements made and taken by Force and for Fear in Straits are seldom or never truly performed but alwayes broken And of the like Case there are large Testimonies in the Kingdom of many that have sworn promised and engaged and sometimes by Force and Fear to this kind of Government and another and yet at Oportunities and for their own Self-ends have broken all Oaths and Engagements and Rebelled against the very Persons and Authorities to which they have sworn and engaged Fidelity and Allegiance so that many are not the more to be trusted though they swear Allegiance For the Proverb saith He that will Swear will Lâ—e and he that is forced to swear against his Conscience will hardly perform his Oath And we are no less to be trusted though we Swear not for we never yet engaged our selves by Oath to any Governours or Government and yet we never Rebelled or Plotted against any but have lived Peaceably and in a Patient Suffering Condition under all that have sitten on the Throne since we were a People And therefore our living Peaceably under the King's Government cannot justly be doubted of though we cannot engage the same by swearing But yet if we do not live quietly and in good Obedience as Peaceable People but do Rebel Plot c. then we refuse not to suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as such that swear and do not perform their Oaths I say If we do not live Peaceably but Plot and Rebel against the King and his Government then let us suffer the same in every particular as if we had sworn and not performed our Oath 5. All these things rightly considered it doth fully appear 1. That we are not Enemies neither in present Action nor future Intent to the King's Person or Authority 2. Nor that we refuse to acknowledge Just Authority to King Charles the Second as supream Magistrate over these Kingdoms 3. Nor doth it appear that we are otherwise than Peaceable and Quiet People under the King's Government 4. Nor is it manifest but that we are ready to acknowledge so to continue in all Good Conscience and Righteousness And therefore we do appeal to the God of Heaven and to King Charles and to all people whatsoever That our present Sufferings by Imprisonment and whatsoever else we may suffer in this Case for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance it is not for Plotting against the King nor for refusing to acknowledge Just Authority to the King nor for denying just Obedience to him and the good Laws of the Land nor for denying to live peaceably in the Kingdom under the King's Authority because to all this we acknowledge solemnly in Yea and Nay Neither are our Sufferings in this Case for any Evil-doing towards God or Men but our Sufferings are for keeping the Command of Christ which to us is Matter of Conscience to perform more than to save our own Lives and Estates and our Sufferings are because we cannot Swear at all and not because we are Rebellious or that we deny just Allegiance to the King and such our Sufferings are not as Evil-doers nor Justly and Righteously as Offenders because we are not guilty of Evil in this Case towards God nor Man and our Sufferings are Cruel Persecution for our Tender Conscience sake and for the Name of Christ Jesus And we call God and just Men to witness between us and our Prosecutors that as Saints and Servants of God we suffer in this Case and for our Faithfulness and Obedience to the King of Heaven and not for Evil-doing or Disobedience to King Charles and his Authority And if any be persecuted on this Case for Refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Ruin of Persons Wives and Families in this World then we shall have Cause
execute Laws in these Kingdoms and in all the Kingdoms of the World and such would be a Blessing in the Earth and the Governments under such and in the Execution of their Hands would be Blessed and Prosperous and all good Men would have cause to rejoyce therein and all Evil-doers and Transgressors would be limitted and made afraid if so be the Laws be Just Holy and Righteous and according to Equity and the Holy Law of God in all things and the due Execution of such Laws committed to Just and Righteous and Meek Men that love Judgment Mercy and Truth and would execute them in the Earth Then the happy and blessed Government will be exalted and Truth and Righteousness would reign as Judge on the Throne and in this shall all Nations and Kingdoms be prosperous and blessed when it cometh to pass 3. And as for this present Authority and Government now in being under the Name of King Charles the Second we do believe and acknowledge That according to the Purpose and Will of God and of his bringing to pass this present Government and Authority is set up and into its present being established The Lord I say hath suffered it to be effected for the Cause and End and Time and Purpose known to himself and not to mortal man And thus this Government and Authority is of God being brought in and set up in opposition to and for the reproof and correction of such as went before who had neglected Mercy Truth Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth till it was time for the Lord to cast them out and reprove them and make them a Desolation before their Enemies and this Authority was judged of the Lord fit for that use and end and reserved to be brought in as a Rod of God in his Hand to correct and smite many People And it is right in the sight of the Lord that this Authority should have this time and season to be exercised in these Kingdoms to try and prove both it self and all under it if so be that Truth Justice and Righteousness Mercy and Peace may be brought forth it these Kingdoms through it that God may establish it for long continuance and it is now a trying and proving to make it self happy and blessed or otherwise to bring it self into contempt and dishonour and accordingly as Truth Justice Mercy Judgment and Peace is brought forth by it or the contrary brought forth by it so must the Just and Equal Effects and Reward of it be from the Hand of God and it is only just Judgment Mercy and Truth Righteousness Relieving the Oppressed and the doing thereof that can alone make the Person and Government of the King Happy Blessed and Honourable in this World and hereafter and the contrary if it be brought forth must needs bring Confusion Discontents and all miserable Judgments and to say no more of it this is my present Judgement of the King and his Authority both in respect of their coming in and the Cause thereof and the Fruits and Effects that must follow which is not otherwise Determined of God but according to Desert and Merit of walking in Truth Justice and Righteousness or in walking otherwise 4. Our Obedience to this Authority must be according as before declared in the Plea of the first Case concerning Allegiance to wit For Conscience sake to God we are bound by his Iust Law in our Hearts to yeild Obedience to it in all Matters and Cases actively or passively that is to say in all just and good Commands of the King and the good Laws of the Land relating to our outward Man we must be obedient by doing and not withhold our Just Obedience but in the Cases of Conscience to wit in the Matters of Duty to God and of Worship Faith and Religion towards him we must only be obedient to God for it is he that teacheth and requireth Obedience in all those things and if any thing be commanded of us by the present Authority which is not according to Equity Iustice and a good Conscience towards God to be done by us we must in such Cases obey God only and deny active Obedience for Conscience sake and patiently suffer what is inflicted upon us for such our Disobedience to Men and we must choose Obedience to God rather than man though we suffer because thereof And this is our Principle and hath ever been our Practice to obey Authority by doing or suffering not disputing whether the Authority in it self be absolute of God or not yet being an Authority over us we are to obey it either by doing or suffering because it is an Authority and not to plot rebel or rise up with carnal Weapons against it and thus must our Obedience be to the King and his Government And if that in any thing of the Commands of the King we cannot be obedient for Conscience sake in the Cases of Conscience and when ought is required different or contrary to the Law of God we have Example hereof in the Scriptures of many of the Servants of God that could not in all things yield Obedience to the Laws of Nations and Commands of Kings when they required ought to be obeyed contrary to their pure Consciences as in the Case of the three Children Dan. 3. they could not obey the Law and Command of the King though it was absolute but refused Obedience and suffered for it and Daniel also himself disobeyed the King's Law and Commands Dan. 6. and the Apostles the same when they were commanded by the Authority of that City and County To preach no more in the Name of IESUS Act. 4. 17 18. They did not obey the Command of the Rulers in that Case but went on and preached Iesus in disobedience and contrary to the Command of the Rulers And by these and many other Examples it is apparent that it is justifiable in the sight of God and that it was practised by the Servants of God in former Ages even Disobedience to Kings and Authority in the Matters and Cases commanded contrary to the Law of God and a good Conscience and their Example may justifie such now in the same Practice in the same Case if they walk therein by the same Principle 5. And thus it is manifest That if we at any time be found not in full obedience by doing in all Cases and Things to the Laws and Authority of this Kingdom it is not out of contempt unto or Rebellion against the King's Person or Government it is not I say on that account but for good Conscience sake and because we must obey God rather than man when and where their Com mands stand in opposition the one to the other and this is that we may keep our Consciences clear in the sight of God from disobedience against him which is our care and endeavour by all means and when any thing is required of us to be done which we cannot do with a clear Conscience in
it be for hiâ—… hâ—…g the Sâ—… of â—â—is Good Spirit in uâ— That whether we Live or Dye we are the Lord E. B. Antichrists Government JUSTLY DETECTED OF Unrighteousness Injustice Unreasonableness Oppression and Cruelty throughout the Kingdoms of this WORLD Wherein Antichrist hath had his Seat and great Authority for many Generations in the Apostacy from the Spirit and Life of True Christianity Shewed and Declared First In the Case of Imposing upon Conscience in Matters Religious by Force of outward Violence or Pains and Penalties on the Persons and Estates of Men which is proved Unrighteous and Dangerous and of Antichrist c. Secondly In the Case of Heresie shewing what it is in it self who a Herteick is who are the true Iudges of it and what Punishment pertaineth to such as are truly convicted thereof and that To Kill Burn Bannish or to punish Hereticks as such corporally is of Antichrist c. Thirdly Concerning Antichrist and his Mystery of Deceivableness what he is in himself and how he appears in the World what his Works are and what his Government is and where it is and who are the Subjects of his Kingdom The EPISTLE Dedicated to all the Rulers of what degree soever in the so called Christian World O Friends in the perfect Love of God Almighty towards your Souls and Bodies and towards all Mankind which Love is as a Fountain opened in my Heart and kindly issueth forth in Soul-breathing-desires of Good unto the whole Creation In this Love joyned with an Humble Meek and Lowly Temper of Spirit do I present this little quantity of Substance unto you not so much for your approof of my Work as if I craved your Licence and Approbation for this small Piece to pass under your Iustification as is usually the manner of such Epistles thus directed but much more for your serious and weighty Considerations of the Cases though Briefly yet Truly unfolded which are things of very great moment to you and wherein all of you from the Least to the Greatest are less or more concerned And I do present this Work unto you as Wholsome Advice and Good Councel for you which ye ought verily to read and receive as such rather then to Flatter you by begging a Pass-port from you that this may be read and received where it shall come for the Truth and Verity of it the Weight of the Matter contained and the Soundness and Substance demonstrated shall plead its own Worth for acceptation in the Hearts and Consciences of all sincere Men. The Truth and Verity Weight and Substance of Matter I say these Termes I may justly present this small piece under the denomination of unto you and all the World True it is I do not study pleasing Stile nor have I endeavoured to clothe and trim the Matter with Flattery Curious Termes Words of Man's Wisdom or some Rare Method that it might appear more in Shew than in real Substance as the way of too many Writers have been in such Cases Nor do I promise to please the Wordly Wisdom in Men by a Delightful Sound so much as to answer the sincere Consciences of Men by Sound Truths declared more in Homely broken Terms of Speech than in the rarity of Phrase or well-compacted Rhetorick For I have alwayes desired to be known and approved of God and those that fear him in Sincerity Humility and down-right Truth and for this I study daily and labour alwayes even to have Praise Peace and Comfort of God rather than men in what I am and in what I do And therefore it is my desire that ye would look beyond the Method containing to the Matter contained and that your Eye may be fixed on the Substance intended which is verily and in Truth That ye may be informed the Way of your Peace and Happiness in this World and in that which is to come and may never hereafter Impose by Force and Violence in the Matters of Faith and the Worship of God upon the Consciences of any through Penalties and Punishments upon Men's Persons and Estates but that ye may allow and tollerate freely Liberty of Conscience in all Religious Matters and may not by Cruelty Destroy Men in their Persons or Estates upon the account of their being supposed to be or if really Hereticks and because of difference in Iudgment and Practice in Spiritual Matters These are the Particulars for substance held forth unto you and all the World and I have judged it most proper to direct these Cases to your View and Consideration as being the Persons most chiefly though not wholy concerned Therefore blame me not but rather receive my Love though but little in Quantity yet real in Quality and that ye will find one day when ye have truly tryed the Effects of the two Cases plainly laid before you which are Imposition upon Conscience and Free Liberty of Conscience These are the two Causes which will have their different and contrary Effects upon all the Rulers in the World Peace Blessings Prosperity and Happiness are the Effects of the one Cause and Wars Tribulations Contentions Misery Sorrow and the Curse are the Effects which have and will unavoidably follow the other Cause and this ye will all find in the Experience of Time and Transactions coming to pass in the World And therefore I cannot but in homely plain words as my manner is assert the Causes and the Effects of the Causes unto you again and again for the very End to Inform you Advise you and Warn you to follow the Good and to forsake the Evil to do the Right and hate the Wrong that the Effects of Righteousness and Liberty of Conscience even Peace Love Mercy and Prosperity may ever be with you and the Effects of Cruelty and Oppression and Imposition upon Conscience which will be your Misery Downfal and Destruction if ye continue in the Cause which works this Effect may be turned away and ye delivered Wherefore O ye Men Be Advised be Warned this is the Day of the Lord's Dawnings we have seen his Power and Glory he hath wounded us and healed us he hath killed and made alive he hath Proclaimed Liberty in eur Squls and Consciences from Death and Darkness from the Grave and Hell and he hath set his People free from Bondage to serve Him with a pure and perfect Heart And if ye Mortal Men made of the Dust of the Ground whose little measure of Breath is in your Nostrils will not approve of and joyn with this Blessed Work of the Lord but shall gain-say his Doings and set your Power against his Power and will not let the People go free in the Exercise of their Consciences in Holy Performances whose Consciences God hath made free then shall the Most High reward your Opposition with his Cup of Vengeance and he will make you know He is the Lord against whom ye thus raise Contention and he will dissolve your Substance and bring down your Glory and subdue
your Power if that I say ye oppose his Work and will seek to bind and limit his Spirit in his People and will yet force and impose upon Conscience by outward Violence and Kill and Persecute unto Death and Banishment for matter of Conscience and because of difference in Iudgement in Spiritual Things then thus it shall be done unto you Ye shall Fall and Perish and be Troubled and Blessings and Prosperity shall not be unto you If it be not thus the Lord hath not spoken by me Well Friends even all ye that have Authority and Power in the Government of this World are nearly concerned to take special notice of these things presented unto you seeing the Effects of these two Causes are both very weighty and infallibly certain even to you-wards particularly Very weighty because Peace Prosperity and Happiness or Misery Distractions and Downfall to you is depending upon the Effects of the Causes infallibly certain because the Iustice of God Almighty is such that he must bring Reward upon all according to their Deeds and his Iustice cannot be diverted But if ye permit Free Liberty of Conscience in the Exercise of Godliness in Faith and Worship unto all People under your Power then shall Peace and Prosperity be unto you according to the Purpose of God But if ye impose upon Conscience in any wise by Force in Religious Matters and will not be instructed and advised to the contrary Then shall Misery and Destruction certainly be unto you according to the Justice of God's Vengeance These things are so as a Servant of God I present them to you and not upon Fiction or Fancy but as I have received them from the Lord God by his Spirit which signifies the Verity and Certainty of those Things in my Soul Friends Doubt not of these things for verily the Time is at hand and it must surely come to pass my Spirit shall see it and rejoyce therein if in this Body I may not behold it That imposing and forcing of Conscience by Laws and Ordinances of Men upon Penalties on Mens Persons and Estates in Religious Matters shall be expunged subdued and abandoned in these Nations and Kingdoms of the World and it shall be no more But Liberty Liberty shall be Re-planted Embraced and Renowned amongst Men and Truth and Righteousness Mercy and Peace True Liberty and Freedom Justice and True Judgment with all the Causes and Effects thereof shall flourish and grow and prosper on the Earth and the contrary shall fall and rise no more This Day is dawning nigh it s at the Door Blessed are they that are prepared for it Wherefore let all Flesh Hear and Fear Bow and Tremble and let the Hearts of the Righteous rejoyce and be exceeding glad let all the Upright in Heart put on the Garment of Praises and Deliverance For the Day is at hand that Antichrist with all his Strength and Power Force and Policy shall be a Hissing and Reproach and Shame Contempt unto the Saints of the Most High and amongst whom the Lord God Omnipotent doth and must Raign and Rule in Dominion and Glory and Power over all forever and evermore E. B. London this 12th Moneth 1661. Antichrist's Government Justly Detected c. CHAP. 1. Concerning Imposing Religion the Case stated and the Unrighteousness thereof shewed with the Danger thereof also made appear by manifest Proofs Presented unto the Rulers and People of our Age throughout the World TO Impose any Kind of Religion any Way of Worship or Form of Faith and outward Conformity in any Practices of Duty to God-wards by an External Authority of men through force of Laws commanding and requiring such Conformity in Faith and Worship upon Pains Penalties and Forfeitures on mens Persons and Estates as hath been practiced in the World since the dayes of the Apostles amongst the Nations professing Christianity This thing is not of the Lord nor according to Commands of Christ and Example of the Apostles and Primitive Christians declared of in the Scriptures but is of Antichrist and Unrighteous Unequal and Dangerous to the Destruction of the Souls and Bodies of both the Imposers and the Imposed 1. Such kind of Forcing and compelling by force of outward Laws into such outward Conformity of Religion Faith and Worship Church-Government and Ministry was never in beeing nor ever practiced in the true Christian Churches amongst the Apostles in their dayes nor ever was such a thing known among the Primitive Christians There was no such kind of Laws made nor executed amongst them nor such Force exercised on mens Persons and Estates in such Cases there was no outward Violence used in the Primitive Times to compel any to Conformity to Christian Faith Worship and Practice of Christian Religion None of the first Christians were made truly Religious and converted from the Way of Error to the Way of true Christianity by such means of outward Force and Commandments of Men put upon them They were not I say converted themselves to the Christian-Faith and Religion nor made Conformable Worshippers of God in his Spirit by that Way and Means nor did they seek to convert others into Conformity to Church-Government and Christian-Worship by force of outward Laws upon Pains and Forfeitures These things were not in the true Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes amongst the Primitive Christians 2. But the true Way of Conversion among them to the Christian-Faith and Worship and true Church-Government whereby people were made rightly conformable to the true Christian Religion as it was amongst the Apostles was by and through the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ Jesus preached amongst them in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit of God of such as were truly called and sent of him which did turn People to the Spirit of God and that Ministry wrought in them to receive it by which their Consciences were convinced and their Hearts perswaded in the Love of christ to believe in him and receive him and follow him and thus were they drawn and begotten and converted into the Faith and Worship and Practice of the true Christiâ—…-Religion and made conformable to the Government and Order of the true Church of Christ in all things by this Means and Way only and not at all by any outward Force and Compulsion exercised upon them they were converted to the true Christian-Religion and to the true Worship of God and by the same Way did they convert and turn others to the same and this only is the Perfect Way of Christian-Conformity to the true Christian-Worship and Church-Gâ—…ment it ever was since the beginning of Christianity in the World and iâ—â—nto this day even to perswade the Heart and to convince the Conscience inwardly by the sound Doctrine of the Gospel through the Operation of the Spirit of Christ and by Love and Meekness and Patience and all the Fruits of Righteousness held forth in Doctrine and Conversation which may answer the Testimony of God in all mens Consciences
Imposers which is to make people true Worshippers of God is utterly frustrate and void and none are made true Worshippers of God by such Imposition and Force but many are made Hypocrites thereby and sinners against God for what any performs to God-wards by Force and not of Faith given into the heart by God it is sin For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin as saith the Scriptures and that which is the occasion of hypocrisie and sin is unrighteous and temptation but such is imposing on Conscience by force in religious Matters 7. It is Unrighteous and Unreasonable to Impose by Force upon Conscience because it is the Occasion of absolute Eâ—…remity put upon many that are Dear and Precious to the Lord even such aâ— Extremity as may force unavoidably the ruin of either Soul or Body or both in this World and hereafter For suppose such Laws be made for the forcing of Conforâ—ity to commâ—… men to Worship upon the Forfeiture of whole Estate Banishment oâ— Death which is contrary to the Spirit of Christ and good Conscience And if such Laws be not obeyed and such Conformity made but the Conscience kept clear to God then the outward Man in his Person Estate and Family is ruined in this World and if such Laws be obeyed and such Conformity yielded contrary to good Conscience then the Inward Man is ruined and the Soul and Conscience wounded and grieved because God is Offended and Christ is Denyed and the Law of Men obeyed rather then the Law of God and this is by an Extremity occasion'd through imposed force in the Cases of Conscience by Authority and Laws of Men. And that which is the Occasion of such Ruin and Destruction to the Souls and Bodies of such as fear the Lord is an Unrighteous Thing which administers that woful Extremity To deny God and so to be liable to his Wrath and Judgments or to deny the Authority of Men and so to be liable to Destruction of Person and Estate in this World and such is Imposing of Worship 8. It is Unrighteous and Unreasonable because it may destroy the Faith of some even of such upon whom Imposition is laid against their pure Consciences For Suppose a Person or People being truly perswaded by the Spirit of Christ in the true Way of Religion and Worship of God having therein true Peace with God in a clean Conscience and by force of Law and through cruel Imposition should be forced from that Way of Worship which they have had Peace with God in and which the Spirit of Christ perswaded them of the truth of unto such a Way of Worship which they could not have Peace with God in nor the Comfort of his Presence in such Conformity forced upon them this were certainly Unrighteous and Unreasonable that a People or a Person should be forced by Laws from that way wherein they have Peace and Blessings with God to that Way wherein their Souls are famished for want of the Presence of the Lord Like as if a Person of such a Calling following the same in a certain City or Town whereby he maintained himself in all good things and wanted nothing and yet the chief Magistrate of the said City or Town should forcibly compel by Violence the said Person of so good a Calling from that his Calling whereby he so well maintained himself in the World and should force upon him to follow another Calling of which he could not live in the World but by it he might Perish and Starve Would not all reasonable men conclude the same Imposition of the said Magistrate upon the said poor Man were Oppression Cruelty Unrighteous and Unreasonable And the case of imposing Religion as aforesaid is the greater Oppression and Cruelty inasmuch as it respects the Immortal Soul which is more worth then the Body and the other respects but the Body which is of less worth with all that concerns it then is the Soul which is Immortal Lastly 'T is Unrighteous inasmuch as it is contrary to the Scriptures of the New Testament in the Dispensation of the Gospel which are before cited and contrary to Christ and his Apostles Example in the Primitive Churches of Christians And thus it is manifest That Imposing by Force upon Conscience in Religious Matters is Unrighteous and Unreasonable and is not of Christ but of Antichrist as is by plain Reasons demonstrated And now I shall in a few words shew The Danger of Imposing Worship 〈◊〉 aforesaid and how Dangerous it is to any King Prince or outward Authority that are or may be the Imposers on the Consciences of Men by Force in the Case of Worship and Religion 1. It is Dangerous to cause the People to sin to cause them to conform in Appearance when the Heart is not devout to God and this makes them Hypocrites Dangerous to cause People to perform Duty to God-wards without Faith in God and this makes them Sinners against him For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Dangerous to cause some to deny Christ before men for the Fear of this World and Terrors of Violent Men and to forsake that Way which they know is of the Lord and to follow that Way which they know is not of him and this denying the Lord of Life and a great Abomination against him And the Cause of that cause is Imposing by Force upon Conscience in Matters Religious and the Reason of all this is The Imposers such as make and Execute such Force and this Danger all such are involved in even the Danger of causing People to sin against God of Denying Christ of making Hypocrites and so even in the Danger of Destroying Souls which is a desperate Danger Oh! that all the Imposers of Religion by Force would consider it and look upon the Danger which they are deeply fallen into and involved in by reason of such their Imposing upon Conscience Alas they are in the Danger of destroying Souls of causing a Nation and People to sin against God and to deny the Lord of Life And how great is such a Danger even to be avoided of all if they love their own Souls and not to be the Occasions and Cause of destroying Souls by causing People to sin and this Danger all the Imposers upon Conscience are captivated in And 2. It is Dangerous to be a Means to destroy that Kingdom City or Country and the Rulers thereof by begetting and nourishing Discontents Heart-burnings and Envying among the People one against another and against their Rulers because of such Unrighteous Force and Violence exercised by Imposition upon their Consciences Dangerous I say to raise into Contentions Strifes Broyles and Blood-shed it self in a Kingdom amongst People And this is a Danger violently impending upon such Rulers or do impose as aforesaid even a Danger to ruin their own Power and Authority and to ruin the People under their Dominion by raising the People into Discontents and Broyles through the Cruelty of the Oppression of
Imposing Religion and the Example hereof may be read in Nations and Countries at this day what Discontents and Contentions have arisen dangerously among people one towards another and towards their Rulers upon this Cause and Occasion of Imposing Religion by Force Unrighteously and 't is a Danger this day that all the Rulers of the World are exposed unto and deeply involved in where this Cause of Imposing Religion is extâ—nt in Force 3. It is Dangerous to Impose Religion by Force because it must needs produce Oppression Persecution Violence and Hatred in the prosecution thereof and this is dangerous to any Kings Rulers or Governours to be reputed Oppressors Persecutors and Violent Men this is Infamous and of bad Report amongst men and Abomination and Wickedness in the sight of God for any Rulers upon Earth to be Oppressors Persecutors and Cruel Men and such consequently must they be that are Imposers upon mens Consciences in Matters Religious And this Danger all the Rulers of the World are in that do Impose Religion by Force even to render themselves Infamous by Oppression in the sight of men and to render themselves Sinners against God and this Danger falls upon the Imposers of Religion because of such their Impositions by Force upon the Consciences of men Lastly 'T is Dangerous because 't is of Antichrist and not of Christ as before proved and all that do Impose by Violence on the Consciences of Men in Religious Cases are of Antichrist in so doing and because thereof liable to God's Indignation and Heavy Wrath in this World and hereafter and 't is Dangerous to bring the Wrath and Judgments of God upon Men that are guilty thereof for God will be avenged upon such his Enemies that exercise Violence and Persecution upon Men for their Conscience sake And this is a Danger unavoidable which all that impose Religion are liable unto even to be Cut Off in the Wrath of the Lord and to undergo his Indignation for all the Reasons before shewed These with many other Dangers are they involved in that are Imposers in Religious Matters Therefore Oh that the Rulers of this World would be Wise now in their last day and would consider the Unjustness and Unreasonableness of their Imposing Religion and the many Dangers that attend the same Oh that they would learn God's Counsel and Rule only for him in Justice Mercy Truth Equity and true Judgment exercising the same in the Meek and Lowly Spirit of Jesus among men and over whom they are set to Rule in this World and would give to God Almighty his Due and Right and Priviledge in exercising the Consciences of Men by his Spirit in all Cases of Christ's Kingdom for it only belongs to him to be Ruler in the Inward Man Oh! that the Rulers of this World would give this Power and Dominion unto God and would from henceforth never more exercise Lordship over Conscience by Imposing Religion through Force but would only Rule well over the Outward Man in the things pertaining to Man and would leave to God the Rule and Exercise of Conscience Oh! then would it go well with them and Happy and Blessed should they be in such their Authority and Peace should be unto them if that they only took the Government as appointed of God over the outward Man and did not impose upon the inward man by Force in Religious Matters but committed that Authority to God Then I say should Peace and Blessings be unto them But while it is otherwise even while they exercise Dominion and Lordship over Conscience as aforesaid they do unjustly and Unreasonably and bring upon themselves many Dangers and are liable to Contentions Oppositions Wars and many Mischiefs in this World and to the Anger and Wrath of God in the World that is to come CHAP. II. Concerning Heresie the Case Stated What it is in it self and who a Heretick is and who are the absolute true Iudges of it and what Punishment pertains to such as are truly convicted of Heresie 1. THere is such a thing as Heresie in it self even many Heresies and Errors abounding amongst the Sons of Men in the World at this day and there was Heresie in the dayes of the Aposties and amongst them brought in by such as erred from the Truth after they had once known the Truth and received it as ye may read the Iews they cryed out of Heresie in their time which caused the Apostle to say to them Acts 24. 14. After that Way which ye call Heresie do we worship the God of our Fathers And the Apostle said 1 Cor. 11. to the Church There must be also Heresies amongst you that they that are approved of God may be made manifest And 2 Pet. 2. 1. it is spoken of some who should privily bring in Damnable Heresies into the Church By all which it is manifest there was in the Apostles dayes Heresie and Heresies as there is at this day even many Heresies and Errors in the World held professed and maintained by the Apostate Christians that are gone into the Form of Godliness without the Power and are turned from the Spirit of Christ and the soundness of his Doctrine into the formal Profession of Religion and of the words of Christ and his Apostles and among such are the Heresies and Errors 2. Heresie is somewhat believed and professed in Practice of Worship and in Point of Faith and Doctrine that is either contrary to or different from the perfect Truth of the Gospel of Christ something I say held and practiced in Point of Worship Faith and Doctrine which is not justly according to the pure Truth of Jesus but either in whole or in part different from and contrary thereunto and whatsoever Practice of Worship or Point of Doctrine as is so held professed believed or practiced is Heresie and Error because it is different from and contrary to in whole or in part the perfect Truth of the Gospel of Christ Jesus and because thereof it is Heresie and such is Heresie in it self different from and contrary unto the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ though as for the particular Parts and Points of Heresie in Worship Doctrine and Practice which are at this day held professed and believed among Apostate Christians are so very many that they would be too large here to ennumerate but my present Intention is only this To shew at large what Heresie is in it self and who is a Heretick 3. A Heretick one that is properly so is such a Person as hath sometime believed in the Truth and made Profession and Acknowledgment of the Way of true Christianity and hath received and held the true Faith of the Gospel of Christ and been in some measure united to Christ and a Member of his Church but is fallen and degenerated in whole or in part from the said Faith and Acknowledgment of Christ Jesus and the Way of Christianity and hath erred from the Truth of the Gospel once believed and