But if we are accounted no friends to the Lawyers because we desire them to be honest if that be a fault we must and shall be found guilty however we are ready to judge and conclude that the Deceit Corruption self-Interest and love of Money among the Lawyers and those divers Officers exercised about the Law is a sore Evil and a great burthen to this Nation And that when Judges are restored as at first and Councellors as at the beginning such Corruption will be swept away and such abuses will be reformed and good Government will be established first within in the Minds and Hearts of men and then without which is our hearty desire to see effected in this our Native Country And as for the cry against us that we would pull down Churches c. We are so far from it that we wish where there is one Church of Christ in a Nation that there were an hundred But as for old Mass-houses and such like which are now used as Shops for those that make a trade of Preaching to sell their Common-Prayer and Studied Sermons in which ignorant People call Churches those that believe them to be so and love and delight in them and those that drive a profitable Trade therein c. It is most right and proper forsuch to repair and build them and such have a Propriety therein So not lawful nor right that we or any should pull down impair or demollish any man's propriety being also directly contrary to the Fundamental Law of this the Land of our Nativity which all ought to observe and obey Now a Church of Christ according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures What a Church of Christ is is a Company of Believers in Christ who areledand guided by his Spirit learn of him keep his Sayings observe his Doctrine and walk according to his Precepts and Commandments and this Church may meet together in a House as they did in the primitive Times but a House cannot be a Church and though the Church of Christ be one yet there may be many of these Churches in divers Places Nations and Countries as there was in the primitive Times divers Churches in Asia Corinth Galatia 1 Cor. last Chap. Ephesus and Rome and Paul writes a Salutation to Pricilla and Aquilla and the Church in their House but never called a House a Church And the Church of Christ needs no man to build or repair it being all living Stones fitly joyned together by him Note that the Word Church throughout the New Testament ought to be rendred Congregation as in ancient Translations and primitive Times and hath no relation to a House as people falsly imagine and esteem who is the Master-builder Foundation and chief Corner-stone also and this Church edifies it self in Love and grows up an holy Habitation for God in the Spirit and this is the Substance and Anti-type of that Tabernacle and outward Temple which God once commanded to be built and was the Glory of Israel in its time and the only Place wherein God appeared and was worshipped but now he dwells not in Temples made with Hands neither is worshipped with men's Hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things c. Acts 17.25 Now it is a very foolish ridiculous and wicked thing for those called Christians to take their Neighbours and Country men by the Throat and say to them Give us Money to build and repair our Church or we will Excommunicate you and throw your Bodies into Goal where they shall rot and spoil and ruin your Trades and Families c. If you have any Precept President or Example for such kind of work in the holy Scriptures which you pretend to be your Rule for Faith and Practice let 's know the Chapter and Verse where it is written or else be ashamed and Repent of your Work and make not Christianity by your Wicked Practices a Stink in the Nostrils of Atheists and Unbelievers So whoever thou art that readst these things thou mayst in short understand that we are cryed out against in this Age and reported and presented to be such like Monsters as Paul that harmless man was said to be when he was called a Pestilent Fellow a Ring-Leader of Sects a Turner of the World up-side down not fit to live upon the Earth c. and this cry arose chiefly from the Priests Rabbies Doctors and great Professors of those times which soon influenced the common People and it ariseth from the same spirit and like persons now against us and for no other Cause then bearing witness to the Truth Therefore we would have all people take heed how they hear and receive Reports lest they judge and condemn the Innocent without fair Tryal and hedge up their own way and abide in the midst of Darkness but be ready to obey that good Advice and Exhortation Try all things and hold fast that which is good And as they come to find and hold fast that which is good it will quickly furnish them with Strength against that which is Evil and make them free from it also and deliver them from those Chains and Fetters of carnal private Opinions traditionally and superstitiously introduced into their Minds and Understandings through the Wiles of the Enemy Deceit and crafty Devices of Men of corrupt Minds who make a Trade of Religion and the Scriptures and serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies who though they may have a Zeal for their Opinions it 's not according to Knowledge as is demonstrated by their Fruits who like Paul when he was a Pharisee in his Blind Zeal thought he did well in Persecuting the Church of Christ and in haling the Saints to Prison by Vertue of his Orders and Packet of Letters from the Priests however he did it ignorantly therefore obtained Mercy If Dr. Parr and the rest of our Persecutors have thrown us into Goal in a Blind Zeal for their Religion and Excommunicated us out of their Church because they believe us to be more wicked prophane and ungodly then others that dwell within the Parish we say if it be so their Sin is the less but if it be upon the account of Self-Interest and Enmity as is most probable their Sin will be marked as with the Point of a Diamond and it will be much if they find a Place of Repentance let those concerned consider of it before it be too late for you must be accountable to God if not to Men also for your Actions and let it not seem a light thing in your Eyes to throw Persons into Goal from their Wives Families Trades and Imployments for a thing of nought only call it Contempt to your Ecclesiastical Authority when in time it may yet appear that we attending your Courts from time to time and offering our Answers under our Hands and Seals by Proxy was sufficient to prevent you of that fained pretence of
A BRIEF NARRATIVE Of the Proceedings of Doctor Parr And some of the Parishioners of Mary Magdalen-Bermonsey in the County of SURREY Against certain People called Quakers Inhabitants of the said Parish for not Paying and Complying with an Illegal Tax laid under pretence of Repairing their Church Shewing how some of the said people did endeavour as of right belongeth to every English man to defend themselves from the Rigor and Cruelty of the Ecclesiastical Courts about the same by seeking to gain a Prohibition to stop the Proceedings in the Bishop's Court and to bring their Unreasonble Illegal Imposition of 1800 l. upon the said Parish to tryal at Common Law and by what Means they have been prevented therein Also an EXHORTORY REPREHENSION upon the whole Published to prevent a Misunderstanding concerning the said people who are and may be more presented as that they in Enmity Stubbornness and Self-willedness have refused to pay towards the said Rate and occasioned a Charge to the said Parish Whereas in Truth the Cause of their endeavour to defend themselves was to keep their Consciences void of Offence to God and Men To God in not yielding to Repair an Idols Temple for so they believe it to be To Men in that their Proceeds therein were contrary to all the known Law in being And having done their endeavour in trying the Courts of Judicature and finding Iniquity in the place of Judgment and the Cause of the Poor sleighted they are clear in their Consciences and can leave their Cause to God and lie down in Peace and Good Will to all men But the gnawing Worm that never dyes will fasten upon the Wicked in the Day of Account Eccles 5.15 And moreover I saw under the Sun the Place of Judgment and Iniquity was there and the Place of Righteousness and Wickedness was there Printed in the Year 1677. To the Reader Friend THou mayst understand we live in a Nation whose Laws and constituted Government excels most Nations in the World being very tender and careful in defence of its Inhabitants Liberties Persons Estates and Lives from the Wills and Arbitrary Power of lawless unreasonable Men and every English man hath a Birth right and Inheritance in this Law and it is the Just Interest of every honest man to endeavour to keep up this Standard and Bulwork of Property Lives and Liberties against all that would invade them or attempt to rob and spoil them of either 'T is true there is much Failure and Corruption in the Executive Part of this well framed law and government there is so much Partiality Self-interest and Iniquity got into the Place and Seat of Judgment that many times the clear Stream and Current of Justice and Equity is stopped defiled and corrupted and it 's a very hard thing for a poor man who is oppressed and abused by his Neighbour to get Relief but this is not to be attributed to the Law but to the Abusers and Corrupters of it whose Work is to pervert the End of all good Law and Government which is to be a Terror to the Evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well where-ever this just End is not answered such do not rule nor judge for God let them pretend what they will but are Contemners Despisers and Perverters of the Law of God and all good men In this Case of ours we apprehend our selves Arbitrarily contrary to Law imposed upon by a sort of rash inconsiderate men who have run themselves upon a Work more proper for a Parliament then a Parish and if they had a Reward accordingly they would receive but their desert and it being to do a Work illegal and so ‖ For the Truth of this we may appeal to the Consciences of many of the Inhabitants of Magdalen Parish whether they their Neighbours were not more sober temperate grave and wise and guilty of less sin and Transgression against God and man twenty or thirty years ago then at this time if so then wherein are people profited by the studied Sermons of Hirelings needless and unprofitable to our selves and Neighbours we were willing to stop their Ecclesiastical Proceeds otherwise we should have been passive and silently suffered the weight of the leaden Hands of unholy Church whose Mercies are very Cruelties witness the Popish Inquisitions and cruel Torture and Burnings of conscientious men and the Protestants Goals Whips Stocks Cutting off Ears and Stigmatizing and Hanging also as in New-England upon the account of Church Religion and Worship all which we testifie against as directly contrary to and inconsistent with the Pure Christian Religion and Church of Christ as is signified in short in what follows but is according to the Whore or false Church whose Weapons are carnal and not spiritual who is and hath been since the Apostacy very busie in Christendom in spoiling peoples Goods imprisoning and torturing their Bodies and sometimes killing them also and making her self drunk with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Now it 's so far from the Nature and Life of the true Church to inflict Corporal Punishments for Spiritual Offences or to hurt any man's Liberty Person and Estate in this World about the things of the World to come as Faith Conscience and Manner of Worship that it is both unnatural and unreasonable for if People do err in their minds and understand things relating to their future Estate amiss and are of an unsound Judgment in the things of God and in matters relating to his Kingdom c. Spiritual-weaponed Men and not Goalers and Executioners of corporal Punishments are to deal with such People and inform and restore them with the Spirit of Love and Meekness if they can according to the Example and Doctrine of Christ Jesus his Apostles and primitive Christians who never used outward Force and Violence or corporal Punishments to compel People to be of their Religion Christianity came not this way into the World neither is it or ever was it upheld or propagated by such means it 's a Gospel of Life and Salvation and brings Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men and the true Ministers of it being endued with Power from on High in the universal Love of God perswaded men to be reconciled to him by turning them from the Darkness within to the Light and Grace of God Within from the Power of Satan within by which their minds were captivated to the Spirit and Power of God within that they might receive Remission of their Sins and Inheritance among them that are sanctified And if people would not receive them into their Houses or build them some Houses to preach this Gospel to them in they were not to call for Fire from Heaven upon them nor send their Bodies to Goal or take away or spoil them of their Earthly Treasures because they would not receive their heavenly Treasures nor own and believe them to be Dispensers and ministers of it let all that pretend themselves
the Evil of your proceeds against us seeing it is matter of Conscience unto us and Repent thereof and decline the prosecuting that which the spirit of Enmity and Violence and not the spirit of Christ would lead you to so would you bring forth Fruits more becoming the Christian Religion which is the Desire of your Friends and Neighbours whose daily endeavour and practice is to shun the way of the wicked and to avoid the Path of evil men and to live in that Love which teacheth to desire the good of all and the fall and hurt of none and herein our sleep is sweet and our rest is pleasant even as we hate the bread of wickedness and the wine of violence and this is the Path of the Just which is as a shining Light shining more and more unto the perfect day but the way of the wicked is Darkness they know not at what they stumble And Dr. Parr know this If thou madest choice of those words in the 4th chapter of the Proverbs vers 14 15 16. for thy Text the Day thy Excommunication was read against us as is at least supposed as if they did concern us or were applicable upon us thou art greatly mistaken for we have not only talked of and professed the Light Law Grace and Spirit of Truth but received the same learn't of walked in the same and are guided thereby out of the Path and Way of the Wicked and out of the spirit of envy evil-wil mischief and violence against any man's Person Life Liberty or Estate it would be well for you if thee nor none of thy Flock were found in those steps not farther to enlarge only remember and consider this one saying written in the 5th of the Proverbs The Wayes of a Man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his Goings if this Sctipture with that which saith Men shall give an Account of their Deeds done in the Body whether Good or Evil were truly weighed and believed by all that read them it would put a stop to the Worker of Iniquity and quench the Spirit of Violence and Cruelty Prejudice and Evil and Meekness Love and Righteousness would grow and encrease amongst our Neighbours and Country-men and Peace Quietness and good Neighbourhood would abound which is indeed the Desire of our Hearts and our daily Practice to promote according to our state and capacity and can in Truth subscribe our selves Lovers of our Neighbours and Haters of no man Signed on the behalf of the rest of our Friends by us John Otter Griffith Jones John Torletonr John Potter A BRIEF NARRATIVE Of the Proceedings of Doctor Parr c. VVE the said people being presented and cited to the Bishop's Court made our Appearance and according to the Priviledge and Right of every English man demanded a Copy of the Lybel formed against us which was granted and finding their proceeds were contrary to the known Law and that the design of the Bishop's Court was forth-with to curse or excommunicate us out of their Church and to cast our Bodies into Jayle did account it our Duty both as Men and Christians to endeavour to prevent the same and accordingly made motion by Council at the King's Bench Bar for a prohibition which was not there positively denyed but deferred and we were advised by one of the Judges To apply our selves further to the Bishop's Court presuming they would do as Right as the Case did require if not then to ‖ This commonly proveth according to the English Proverb Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire appeal to the Arches or Delegates So upon this his Presumption that the Bishop's Court would do us Right or because he was willing to please the Priests refused to grant a Prohibition Then being left to the Mercy of the Bishop's Court we again received Citations to appear and did appear accordingly divers times but finding our lawful Exceptions against the Lybel and all we could offer and plead though never so just and according to their own Law sleighted and over-ruled and our selves pronounced excommunicate by a Person who declared himself Ignorant in the Matter but willing to fulfil the Design of the Court for they refused to receive our Answers under our Hands and Seal by proxy rendered which according to Law and the Rules of their own Court they ought to have received but perceiving they had to do with a People that made Conscience of keeping that eminent Precept and Command of Christ SWEAR NOT AT ALL and seeing their other gins and traps were too weak to hold them and to stop their Passage towards Relief at Common Law seemed resolved to make this occasion of refusing to Swear the Colour and Ground to pronounce us excommunicate for contempt to their Court though we had shewed Diligence to appear time after time according to their citations and arbitrary summons in their own name and authority and had answered them in all their Proceeds so far as lawfully they might both as Men and Christians And the dishonour and contempt of their Court is on their own parts occasioned and contracted by their own evil doing in trampling upon the Law and the Legal Right of others yea and the Rules and Presidents of their own Court though called spiritual when they stand in the way of their own Interest and Design as in this particular Case is proved true by Experience So contrary to the Doctrine of Christ whose Ministers and Servants they pretend to be they would compel people to swear and so break his Command and if they refuse call it contempt to their Court pronounce them excommunicate and get their Bodies into Goal separate Husband and Wife Father and Children Master and Servants put all Relations out of a Capacity to serve one another according to the Law of Nature and Grace and all about a Matter of Conscience this is neither like Christ nor Christianity but unnatural and inhumane And you have not shewed forth the Qualifications of spiritual Men or good Christians but do clearly demonstrate your selves to be selfish carnal unjust and unreasonable and great Strangers to that Royal Law of Christ Jesus As you would have others do to you so do you unto them such Doings will never convince any that you are indeed what you have a Name to be but rather confirm them in their present Perswasions And if you by your Threats Cruelty and injustice fright any out of Tenderness of Conscience and bring them through fear of suffering into an outward conformity to your Church and Worship know this you make them two-fold more the Children of Hellthen before Outward force violence and compulsion may make hypocrites but no true Christians it may change the manners but not the mind c. It might be well if you spiritual men so called would seriously consider whether your Self-interest and not the Love and Care of Souls be not the ground of your Church and Court Proceedings seeing Money
will satisfie for all sins and trangressions against you and your Church as in your Mother Church of Rome Whenas indeed all the bodily Exercise together with all the Gold and Silver in the World is not able nor sufficient to expiate or satisfie for one sin committed against God Christ and the true Church neither did the true Church in any Age since Christianity was in the World ever absolve or acquit sins and transgression against her for Money It 's time to consider your way and amend and cease to exercise deceit and violence over the People for selfish ends and if you have no better Way Means and Arguments to inform perswade and convince people that you are of the True Church because you have Power and Compulsive Laws on your side and can destroy their Liberty Estate and Lives through streight Imprisonment in nasty Goals this being the Way and Means of the False Church whose Weapons are and were alwayes Carnal there are a People whom God hath raised up in this Age and instructed in the pure Christian Religion whose goods you may spoyl whose bodies you may torture and imprison and whose blood you may drink also sooner then force and compel them by your unchristian means to become conformable Members to your Church Now we seeing our selves thus abused and that they over-run the Rules of their own Court to hasten us into Goal we again moved for a Prohibition at the Exchequer-Bar and the chief Banon shewed himself just and moderate and was ready to grant the same their Council refusing to plead further in their behalf their own Lybel saying that the greater part or some part of the Parish made the Rate dissatisfied their Council and would then plead no further only prayed time till the first day of the next Term which was the second instant betwixt which time as the sequel plainly proves Doctor Parr with other had made way so far in the matter by devised untrue Allegations and other wayes that our Request of a Prohibition might not be answered for when our Council pleaded they were very much discountenanced by some of the Judges with Words Nods and Frowns and though they pleaded Law in the case it was not regarded only the chief Baron shewed himself very just and impartial and declared his Opinion That a Prohibition did property lie in the case but seeing his Brethren were of another Opinion he should leave it Now it is to be observed that the Court could not without man fest partiality deny a Prohibition until false Allegations were devised and pleaded in open Court to overturn our Suggestion therefore Doctor Parr with the rest had by Untrue Information and Large Fee or to use some of their own words Large Grezing fitted and prepared their Council to plead very grand Lyes or Untruths and produced an Oath in Court together with the Witness and Testimony of Doctor Parr to affirm to the same The particular Lyes were as followeth First That there was a Necessity to pull down the said Church the Pillars being Wood bowed and rotten the Roof and South Wall ready to fall many being hurt and wounded with the fall of part of the same Secondly That Dr. Parr and some others did contract with the Workmen for 120 l. to build the Chancel South-Porch new Enlangments and he and others paid distinctly for those parts and that it was not included in the Parish-Rate himself giving Fifty pound part of the Hundred and Twenty pound agreed for the Building the same Thirdly That all the Parishioners yea every man were satisfied and had all paid their Money only Twenty Four Quakers and that the whole Assesment upon them was not above Forty pound the greatest amongst them being not above Fifty shillings These with other things to the same effect being affirmed as with a Face of Brass in open Court though great Untruths yet great Credit we judge by reason of the Presence and Testimony of Doctor Parr was by three of the four Judges given to them and all that could be urged to the contrary rejected and sleighted and though by our Council we much pressed to go to Tryal if we did not prove our Suggestion we would give them Cost yet nothing that could be said on our parts would prevail the burthen of the Plea against us being NONE BUT QVAKERS MY LORD NONE BUT TWENTY FOUR QVAKERS MY LORD As if when people have the Nick-Name of a Quaker put upon them they then lose all their Right and forfeit all their Priviledges as Men and the Benefit of the Law of their Native Country as if to have the Frowns of the Church were sufficient to turn them out of the Protection of the King Law and Government and to have their Liberties Estates and Lives exposed to Ruin and that Dr. Parr is of this Opinion appears by his own words speaking that day being the second of the third Moneth called May to one in this manner and words THAT THE QVAKERS WERE NONE OF THE KING's SUBJECTS This Saying doth not become a man of his Profession it shews plainly what spirit rules in his Heart under all his Talk of Religion and Christianity he is a great way off the Mind and Spirit of Christ Jesus whose Minister or Servant he pretends to be It may truly be said of him as Christ said to his Disciples Luke 9.54 who desired to have Liberty to command Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy those that would not receive him it 's said He turned and rebuked them and said they knew not what spirit they were of for the Son of Man came not to destroy men's Lives but to save them and his Disciples and Ministers indeed are of the same Mind and Spirit now But what would this Spirit and Opinion do with the Quakers and such as do not comply with his Mind and Understanding in and about Matters of Church and Worship Let him seriously consider the extent thereof this unnatural bloody Conceit of his viz. That if people please not the Priests or transgress against their Church then they cease to be the King's Subjects and lose their Birth-right as men and the Benefit of the Law of their Native Country Would not this Notion Judgment of his lead him into that Ravenous Appetite which some Priests had in the Prophets dayes which he compared to Dogs yea greedy dumb Dogs that could never have enough bear the Roughness of the Speech being they are the Prophet's words read vers 10 and 11. of the 56th chapter of Isaiah and see if England doth not abound with such blind ignorant ravenous Watchmen there spoken against who when people put not into their Mouthes they prepare War against them such there were in the Prophet Micah's time and such there are now in England that preach for Hire and divine for Money c. read the third chapter of Micah's Prophecy against the Cruelty of Princes and the Falshood of Prophets and Priests
that cause people to err and that bite with their Teeth and cry peace so long as people feed them Indeed Dr. Parr's Moderation and peaceable Behaviour hath hitherto been noted and commended in that he hath not thrown so many into Goal for Tythes as he might nor persecuted Dissenters that dwell within his Parishes for not Worshipping in the same Manner Form and Way as he doth But now one of his Parishes has more in it presented for not coming to Church and as is said to be proceeded against by the Statute of 20 l. a Moneth and Excommunicated for not Repairing their Church then all the Parishes in and about London so that if he gives farther place to this unnatural Opinion of his That people cease to be Subjects to the King when they are called Quakers it will quickly lead him out of all his Moderation and seeming Tenderness and his Mouth will open wide enough to swollow down their Bodies Liberties Lives and Estates and if his Church's Curse was powerful enough would send their Souls to Hell also This would be the Work of a sad Pastour who is found in it cannot be a Watcher for the good of Souls nor a good Shepherd that careth naturally for the Sheep but are found Watchers for Gain from their Quarter and for the Fleece And it is an infallible Mark Sign and Demonstration of a Minister of Antichrist False Prophet and Deceiver to declare That people ought not to live in peace and enjoy their Liberty and property and benefit of the Law of their native Country as Subjects of the King except they will be his Disciples or members of his Church repair the same and put into his mouth also these are such as serve their own Bellies and not the Lord Jesus Christ but are a Scandal and Reproach to the Christian-Religion while they profess themselves Ministers of it But the nakedness greediness covetousness enviousness deceitfulness and cruelty of the priesthood appears more and more daily and is obvious to Thousands and Ten Thousands of people in this our native Country of England who make a trade of Religion and learn to be Preachers of the Gospel as they say as a Man learns to make Shoes they learn and buy their Skill of Preaching of Man and they not only sell it again to their free Customers that willingly buy but they impose the sale and exact the price of others that dwell within their Quarter though they like them not nor will have none of their Ware this is a sore Evil in the Priesthood and a great Burden upon the people So much by the way But to proceed to shew the truth of our Plea and the groseness of our Adversaries lyes First there was not a necessity to pull down so much as was pulled down neither was a danger of its sudden fall as was pretended the wooden Pillars were mostly Sound and the Roof and Walls might have been Repaired and Amended according to our sugestion for Three or Four Hundred Pound Only you would have it Fine and Beautiful and honourable Vaults for when some urged to have it Repaired and not pulled down it is said D. P. answered What did they think he would Preach in a patched Church or have a place propt up with Prongs and Forks So that if we could have had Liberty we could have answered the chief Baron's Question very fully which Question was Whether there were any thing done more out of Curiossity then of Necessity Secondly there was no Contract made nor so much as propounded to be made with the Master Work-man for the new Foundation work south Porth Chancel nor Vaults distinct and separate from the rest of the Work before the rate was made and your Lybel formed against us but all was Included together in one Bargain And the Rate mentioned in your Lybel is sufficient to pay for all if Collected And that this your Plea and invented Lye took beginning since you saw that you had out gone the Bishop's-order any President or Law either And that what hath been done through Curiossity hath occasioned great part of the Charge And your pleading an agreement with the Work-man for One Hundred and Twenty Pound for the said work was a late forged device to baffle and prevent the Course of Justice Thirdly every Man in the Parish were not satisfied nor Consenting to what was done Neither had every one paid their Money but Twenty Four Quakers Neither is Fifty Shillings the greatest Sum Rated upon any Quaker nor Forty Pound the whole Sum laid upon them some being above Six Pound and the Sum rated upon them about One Hundred Pound And more then a Hundred that pay to the Poor besides Quakers did not consent to the same So this is a four-fold Lye And seeing you have by corrupt Interest and Lyes stopped the Currant of Justice you have no cause to rejoyce nor ring Bells for Joy the consideration how you have come by and accomplished your designs truly weighed in a serious Spirit and Measured by the rule of Christianity of which you have a Profession is really a great cause of Sorrow and when you come to give an Account of your Deeds done in the Body you shall be sensible thereof The Primitive Christians practice was to rejoyce in the Truth and not in Iniquity and to speak the Truth every man to his Neighbour and to bear false witness against none and despise dishonest Gain or the gain of Oppression and to do as they would be done by Never so much as attempting to Compel such as did not believe nor receive their Doctrine nor own them as true Ministers or a true Church to Contribute to their Maintenance or to Build or Repair their Meeting-places Neither Law nor Gospel doth afford you any President or Example for such a practice you are faine to make use of such Laws and Cnanos as were made in the dark Night of Popery to Authorize you in such kind of work You deny the Pope and Papists in Words but imitate them in Practice and make use of all their Laws and Customs in being as you have occasion to serve your Interest and defend you in your Trade of preaching for Money praying and Singing for Money Christening Churching and Burying for Money Selling Absolutions and Licences for Money and for Money a Man may get into your Church again after he is Cursed out or Excommunicate and for Money a Man may purchase any part of your Religion yea for Money a Man may have Prayers and Sermon made for him after he is Dead but without Money it 's hard to get any thing of the Priesthood not a Child Christened nor a Corpes buried without Money by many Priests though the persons concerned have scarce enough to buy them Bread these and such like covetous Practices of the Priesthood together with the Unchristian-like Conversation of their people makes the Christian Religion stink among Jews Turks and Infidels Now that Religion and
Religious practices that is or can be bought or sold for Money is an Abomination in the sight of the Lord and Relected by all tender-hearted Conscientious People And it is a grief to many to observe and behold how those called protestants do follow the Example and Imitate that dark Superstitious Sect of the papists who sell their Masses Pardons Absolutions and Dispensations c. for Money so the protestants Pray Sing Preach Absolve and sell Licences for Money who are only changed in Name Manner Form and Ceremony and some outside Practices but not in Nature and Life the same Spirit of Cain Core False Prophet Idol Shepherd Hireling Money Diviner Pilate chief Priest Judas and the rest of that Generation mentioned and testified against in the holy Scriptures Rules and Reigns in the Hearts of the formal protestants as in the papists and it is to the Heart the inside that God looks And all true Reformation begins within in the Heart if that be and continue Corrupted Deceitful and Deseparately wicked Unpurged Uncleansed and Unsanctified by the precious Blood and Life of Jesus all Names and outside Reformations Worships and Sacrifices c. are of no worth nor acceptable in the sight of God according to Christ's teaching in the Sixth Chapter of Luke 43.44 45. vers A good Tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit neither doth a corrupt Tree bring forth good fruit every Tree is known by his fruit for of Thorns men do not gather figgs nor of a Bramble-bush gather they Grapes A good man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is good an Evil man out of the Evil Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is Evil for out of the abundance of the Heart his mouth speaketh the Tree must be good the Heart purged ere the fruit can be good or well-pleasing to God So it is not a changing from one Opinion to another or from the Form of the Romish Prelacy to that of Episcopacy or from that to Presbytery or from any one Sect to another is of any worth or acceptable to God 't is the turning from Darkness to Light from Sin to Righteousness from the Power of Satan to the Power of God it is the Greation of a clean Heart and the renewing of a right Spirit it is to know the inside cleansed and then the outside will be clean also These are the things that are of an absolute necessity and of great Worth and this to know and witness will stand People in stead in the Day of the Lord when all Formallity and outside Worship among all the Sects in Christendom will vanish away like Smoak this will stand and abide And these are the true Worshippers of God in the Spirit and in the Truth who Experimentally know the Power Vertue and Opperation of the Spirit of Truth in their own Hearts Minds and Consciences making them free from that which did defile corrupt and darken them These are Christians indeed Jews inward indeed all others are but Christians in Name let their Profession and Form of Religion be what it will But to proceed we being denyed a prohibition at the Exchequer Court through corrupt Interest and the false Allegations before mentioned we moved by two Councels at the Common-pleas Bar who pleaded and urged their own Law to shew that of Right A Prohibition ought to be granted like men of honesty but the same untruth as was urged at the Exchequer Court being pleaded again and that Sentence NONE BUT QVAKERS MY LORD NONE BUT TWENTY FOUR QVAKERS MY LORD being often repeated that Sentence seemed enough to turn all against us so no Prohibition could be obtained though offer was made to go to Tryal in few dayes yea the Council desired but two dayes to prove our suggestion or give them Cost but all in vain nothing could prevail whether because we were Quakers or because they were not willing to offend the Ecclesiastical Authority is not certain in the Priests Hands they found us and there they seemed resolved to leave us till they had wrought their Wills upon us and sitted us for a Jayle and because they were greedy to effect the same and not willing to loose any time they proceeded the very next day to publish their Excommunication in their Meeting-place commonly called a Tabernacle but by some of their own Church a Smock-House because Built by a Collection among Women in some time they found they had committed an Errour in their haste in reading their Excommunication in this new Erection and that it must be read in a place called a Church and they having not any fit and Consecrated in their own Parish lest their Fathers work of Violence and Persecution should loose time they procured their Curse to be published in another old Mass-house hard by standing in the same County And now the next thing they wait for is the end of the mercy of the Statute Law which allows Forty Dayes at least in favour of every Excommunicated person ere the Priests can get a Writ to throw their Bodies into Jayle It is much to be questioned whether the Mercy of Ecclesistical Courts would extend to forty hours did not the Statute Law put a check upon them yet these Courts are made up of the Principal Members of their Church and called Spiritual Men such as have entred into holy Orders but what Spirit Church and Order they are of their Fruits sufficiciently declare to all that are not wilfully blind And all People may Pray From the Bishops Courts and unreasonable men Good Lord deliver us And now let all concerned in the Parish of Mary Magdalen's who have given out such unchristian Words and cruel Threats against the Quakers as that they would send them to the Devil and that they should lie in Jayle and Rot and that they would Ride many miles to see them Hanged and that they should be prosecuted for Twenty pound a Moneth for not coming to Church and to Ruin their Estates and Trades and not leave them a Bed to lie upon and to prove them no Subjects to the King Let such Evil-minded men know that the God whom they fear and serve is able to deliver out of their Hands but if he will not know this they are not careful to answer your Unrighteous Demands nor bow to your corrupt Wills nor Worship the Image you set up And if the Lord should deliver them into your Hands as he did Job into the hand of the Devil they are assured of this that he will furnish them with strength and patience to undergo all you shall be suffered to do against them And as they abide with the Lord and live in his Fear his refreshing Consolating presence will accompany them and fill their Hearts with Joy Peace Content and Satisfaction though without the pale of your Church though in a nasty Prison upon Straw and out of the King's protection and counted as the Off-scouring of all things not fit