of Meekness This we may fear that Love is wanting or else the number of the Faithful is but few And may it not be said concerning those unparallel'd Proceedings of these Persons as it was in the beginning concerning the Woman She takes of the Serpent and the man received of the Woman and so it spread over all man-kind so now the Woman takes from the surmising Spirit which is of the Serpent and she delivers to the man he spreads it abroad to the Churches and this was the Original of their proceeding against their Pastor but we have a Proverb in England which is true in this case That Conceit without receit is plain deceit We would leave with you in the Love and Fear of the Lord an Exhortation to Love that great duty that is so little exercised among the People of God Did we live in Love it would unite the hearts of the Faithful together Love would cause God's Ministers to stop the mouth of back-biters reproachers and scandalous persons which take up reports from report without the knowledge of any thing that is reported Oh let it be enough that the Adversary is smiting without let not God's People smite within it s a symptom of the nearness of Christs approach when fellow Servants shall smite one another consider the judgement due to such for it is too grievous to be born for if we bite and devour one another we shall be devoured one of another for God hath said That if he kindle a fire in Gilgal there shall be none found to quench it in the House of Bethel now therefore live in Love then will the divisions of Ruben cease that the Glory promised to the Churches and Members of Christ may be given to them which must not be looked for without a Reformation therefore shake off the Raggs of Reproaching and the Garments of Backbiting and put on the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and come forth in the purity of the Spirit which shall be the Prayers of them which are willing to suffer affliction for the Truth Interest and Kingdom of Jesus Christ and have love to all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity We whose names are hereunto subscribed are for the most part eye and ear witnesses to what is here exprest and therefore commend them to all wise-hearted people to determine and remain the Assertors of Truth Henry Tabor Nicholas Clark Thomas Rose The first day of the 7th month 1664. A COPY of the Pretended CHARGE against SAMUEL BRADLEY To the Churches and faithful Brethren in Christ Jesus greeting Beloved and longed for VVE have at last as the Result which we hope the Lord hath brought upon our Spirits resolved to acquaint you with our Proceedings with Samuel Bradley and the Reason of our so doing First We do judge he still lieth under the guilt of those great and horrid crimes for which he was dealt with by his People Secondly As if all that were too little he hath added by several late and new Miscarriages 1. A high disorder and therein a manifest breach of Truth as he was an Overseer in the Church of God in bringing a Disorderly Person without the knowledge and against the Principle of the Church and of the Truth it self to preach to them and pray with them and this is a compleate evil especially in him so to run upon the Rule of Christ so to hazard the Churches stability which might have been invaded by dropping some Doctrine as might have shaken the faith of some and so manifestly to hazard the Churches Peace and Communion especially to bring in such a person as he contrary to the Advice given in the 20th of the Acts where the Elders are exhorted to feed the Church and not to ruine it 2. We have great cause to suspect him very guilty of pernicious designs against the Saints forasmuch as he knew this Person he so brought in to be a very dangerous wicked Person and saying of him he would never come into his company more and now without publick satisfaction given by him or taken from him to bring him into the Church and more then all this to call out one Brother by Name whom he knew zealous for the work of the Day to pray in his presence as if he did on purpose lay in wait to catch what he could to answer him and others this deeply and effectually perswades us he could not be without great purposes to deal very treacherously with us 3. He is guilty of a very sinful confederacy with this Enemie of the Lords whom he hath singled out for his company hugging and embracing of him as a Brother a friend that saw it when he brought him into the Congregation and since is a great frequenter of his House and Company as if it were a small thing to wrap himself up in all his Iniquities and so to draw upon himself the Vengeance due to such vile transgressions contrary expresly to the Lords Commands Say not a confederacy and Have no fellowship saith our Apostle with unfruitful Works nor Workers of Darkness When thou sawest a Thief thou consentest with him Psal 50. and that which is more considerable one of his present Abettors and Adherents told us he did so to save his own self and hath hereby stained the Glory of Christ and reproached the glorious footsteps of this Anoynted King in which he hath eminently triumphed over his Enemies in these latter dayes more than many if not any in this day and in which also he hath given the lye to his own Vows and Protestation in the sight of God That he hated and abhorred the thoughts of looking toward much self with associating with such persons and yet now tell a Brother he was sorry for what of that kinde he had spoken 5. He stands guilty of opening the Nakedness and Dealings in the Secrets of the Church in his publique Preachings and this hath been frequent being desired by two Brethren to forbear such Passages shewing how dishonourable they were to God and grievous to them he solemnly engaged never to do the like again nevertheless at the very next Meeting he had of his own appointing of which he had two or three a week besides the Church-Mettings did publickly declare that his Church stopped his Mouth so that he durst not for displeasing them preach those Truths he would 6. He is guilty of such rash Passion and Spiritual Pride in his carriages towards us in conviction and distinction one to vindicate a scandalous transgressor that was to be dealt with in the Church charged a Sister with a lye in the face of the Church and afterward to cover his evil made it a mistake to justifie the wicked and to condemn the righteous both are in an abomination to the Lord the first is but few weeks but some or other would meet with their woundings and burdenings and sometimes meet with Repulses in their Addresses to him they must not teach their Elder sometimes he
scorned to be taught his duty by any Member in the Congregation and sometimes he would incompass them with fained Flatteries and Repentances and yet in the mean time fly out into those foul breaking parts that indeed he was become a Burden to us Also of some of those petty things we have also at large to be brought forth if desired by any And if you adde to all this his carriage while we were dealing with him at one time breaking out into very wicked reviling and contempt as He had brought up a Bird to pick out his Eyes a Brother that then spake Black-mouth Foul-mouth said he had spit the Devil all day And at another time vilely scoffed at the Work of the Lord being acquainted he should be cut off scoffingly said It would be cut and dried by and by And as a further Evidence of his Hardness and Implacableness under all when it was told him he was cut off he makes that the time of his liberty as he said to some present with him Now he had his liberty to go and preach the Gospel unto the world And gives out that he is wronged and yet he hath made his Appeal to the Churches and cannot be heard and now makes his Appeal to God and questions not but in a Twelvemonth he shall make Us and the Churches to know their Evil. This being but a brief Copy of those many grand evils for which our Brethren before and now have cut him off and cast him out for the destruction of the flesh And so now bear our Testimony against all his evil and all his Adherents and set our Hands to the Truth of it Brothers Glyde Minzes Johnson Morlie Bentlie Senior Hackney Cook Potter Jones Lane Green Aston Bentlie Junior Sisters Abigail Fich Mary Hackney Elizabeth Hackney Anne Bear Elizabeth Haten Gibbes Laurence Winter Potter Stirrup Ellengray Grove Bentlie Scales Robinson The Reader may take notice That Robert Bentlie Junior whose name is set down to this pretended Charge did declare to Thomas Rose That he did never set his hand to any such thing So that what may this be called but plain deceit and it is abominable not onely in the sight of the Lord but good men also and a sin punishable by the Judge to counterfeit a mans name and bring him in as a Witness to their pretended Charge when he was in no capacity so to be as being then no Member of the Church A farther Discovery of their Uncharitable Proceedings followeth A brief Account of the Ungospel-like Dealings and Unrighteous Proceedings of John Glyde Benjamin Minzes John Johnson and the rest of the Dissenting Members with them manifested against their Pastour Samuel Bradley as followeth UPon the 5th day of the 5th month 1663. at a Brothers house namely John Glyde was the Church meet and continued all that day with one accord preaching the Word and in Prayer yea Breaking of Bread with gladness and singleness of heart and praising of God at the close of the day a Letter of Recommendation was read in order to send me forth to preach the Gospel and the Letter being read they with one consent assented and immediately signed the same and gave me up unto the Lord his Work and Service with endeared Manifestations of Love at our parting The week following I took my journey and at the evening of the same day I entered upon the work finding a door opened by the Lord after the Lord's Work was there accomplished I travelled farther into the Country where I found the Lord's harvest to be very great and did continue in the Work by night as well as by day finding the People exceeding thirsty hungry after the Means of Grace where much work for the Lord might have been done had not false Reports Reproaches put a stop thereunto After eight or nine dayes had been spent in this Service quite contrary unto my own expectation I was by providence returned back again to London and at my return there was such news presented unto me that I was struck into some kind of amazement to hear of that distraction that was in the Congregation and of their Resolutions concerning me The next day being the first day of the week they were resolved to meet about me Truly my soul was much grieved to consider what a sweet and heavenly Posture I left them in about eight or nine dayes before and to hear of such a sudden alteration I being weary riding very hard for to reach London that day and hearing nothing of it before I came I lying down upon a bed being over-whelmed in my spirit with grief and sorrow at last the Lord was pleased for to revive me again with these words I will not leave thee comfortless these words were set home with such power through Grace I was refreshed and satisfied again and set down my resolution by the help of the Lord to go the day following and make my appearance to the Church that I might understand how things were The first day being come and the Church meeting at the place aforesaid where I left them in such a sweet harmonious posture they had begun before I had entered the meeting after the first brother had ended his prayer the second began to speak Benjamin Minzes by name and his way of speaking was in such a sad railing reviling manner as many can witness who were in the hearing thereof that did admire at my patience to hear my self reviled at that rate A little of his reviling Language is here repeated That a hundred pounds was a great deal of money to betray the People of God and for a piece more he would do much but let them go and do as Judas did hang themselves for their labour and that he that should joyn with a Trapan when he doth come to preach here I would turn my back upon him and let him preach unto the walls Benjamin Minzes when the heat of his blood was over did not go untold of it to colour over his wickedness and deceit makes this reply thinking to shift it off but it will not do He did not name Sam. Bradly This covering is too short to cover over his evil for besides the testimony of his own conscience I have many undeniable arguments to prove it against him but for the present I shall omit it Again Benjamin Minzes did in the bitterness of his spirit further declare openly unto all sorts of People Advising to serve them as Samuel did Agag hew them to pieces Saying also that they had power to cut off and cast out Where we may plainly see he stirred them up to cut off their Pastor before they had given him so much as a hearing and this is that they call their just dealing And after J. G. had done preaching B. Minzes made another speech to the People as if what he had said to them was not sufficient to make them one with him in his wicked design tells them on purpose
THE Cause of the Innocent PLEADED His Accusers pretended Charge CONFVTED Their unparallel'd Actings ungospel-like Dealings and unrighteous Proceedings against their Pastor DECLARED OR Truth breaking forth through the Mist of Clouds and Slanders Published by Samuel Bradley who is Afflicted Rejected Despised Reproached yet a Friend to Zion though troubled on every side yet not Distressed Perplexed but not in Despair Persecuted but not Forsaken cast down but not Destroyed Jer. 20.10 For I have heard the defaming of many fear on every side Report say they and we will report it Isa 30.8 9. Now go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever That this is a Rebellious People lying Children Children that will not hear the Law of the Lord. Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him LONDON Printed for the Author 1664. To all who inquire the way to Zion with their faces thitherward we send greeting saluting all such as love our Lord Jesus in sincerity THat which hath been the ingaging cause to move us to this work of publick view is that Controversie which hath for some months been between the Author herein mentioned and some persons dissenting from him whose actings have been not becoming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus It is the joy of our Souls the Reports and Scandals that have been cast upon the Author herein mentioned is through Grace made to appear to be no more but Reports and Scandals which tends to his Crown of Rejoycing Mat. 5.11 A Catalogue of the Proceedings of these people for whom this Servant of God hath laboured in the Gospel you have in this ensuing Discourse First To the Reader if thou wilt be found who ever thou art to do that which may please God and not prejudice thy own peace then look upon the Matters and Controversies in Sion with Spiritual Eyes that so thou mayest discern it lest thou like the Spider turn all into poyson therefore for thy help remember these three things First Remember God is alwayes and at all times in all places present let this stir thee up to a serious consideration of this insuing Discourse Secondly Remember the judgement due to them which put evil construction upon good things which call evil good and good evil which put light for darkness and darkness for light and sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet Thirdly Remember the great account that every man and woman must give for every mercy received and for every evil thought every idle word every sinful action which is done or acted by the Sons of men at the great day of the Lord's appearance Secondly As touching the Author herein mentioned it being our portion to have most intimate communion with him in the time of his exilement we are emboldned to speak so far as we have seen or so far as the Lord hath given us light and knowledge in the things of God and in his wayes we have seen nothing in his Life and Conversation but as doth become the Gospel though in times past he was caught in Satans snare and God did suffer him to fall under sin not to his Condemnation but for his Humiliation for God will lose none of his Jewels for whom he loveth he loveth to the end And God did manifest a powerful repentance in his Soul and made sin the object of his loathing and as is made manifest by John Glyde and Benjamin Minzes in their Epistles written in the Authors behalf in his Book intituled The Afflicted and Retired Mans Meditations concerning the Excellency of the Spirit where they writ very eminently in the Vindication of the Author aforesaid telling us They were Spectators of the work of Repentance wrought in his Soul In the aforesaid Epistle is declared That his whole conversation is as it becomes the Gospel to the which we do refer the Reader The manifestation thereof is so great that all the sins he hath committed and all the Devils in Hell all the men upon Earth professors and prophane are never able to verifie to the contrary This we write not to applaud the Creature but rather to promote the honour of the Creator because God hath born a testimony to the truth of it as they themselves have confessed witness their Letter of Recommendation wherein they say The Lord hath made him instrumental to draw them out of the Pit of Darkness and to bring them into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God This is his Crown of Rejoycing though they since have made it a time of reproaching for want of a Spirit of love and a sound mind Thirdly We are not only Spectators of his Holy Conversation but also of his sore Affliction and great oppression which he hath undergone by them for whom he hath travelled in the Gospel it being a work the Lord hath cast into our hands to stand up for his support under his oppression inflicted upon him by God for good ends best known to himself but instrumental by them on whom the travel of his Soul hath been spent the thoughts of these things doth cause us for to tremble to consider the ungospel-like dealings which they have made use of to throw down their Pastor and Brother in Christ from that Center where the Lord did place him A brief Catalogue take as followeth in these short Particulars First They say aside the Rules of Christ and make use of their own Secondly They reproach him before they reprove him contrary to the Rule of Christ or of his Apostle Paul Thirdly They charged him with sin but never proved it Fourthly They Condemned him without any Tryal Fifthly They say they cast him out but never set a day apart to seek the Lords assistance in matters of so weighty concernment and broke their promise which they made to one of us to forbear their proceedings till the next Meeting Sixthly They send Copies of his Accusation to the Churches and by no means he that was concerned therein must see it And that which is matter of great lamentation is that one of these persons whose name is unto the pretended Charge said to N. C. a few dayes before the Breach That he did judge S. B. had as much of the Spirit of God as any man in England And yet proceeded as aforesaid In this ensuing Discourse by the Author himself you may see their work made manifest and then you may determine whether it hath the Impression of God yea or nay if you weigh it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Can any person prove and say to this Author herein mentioned all this time which report and reproaches have been spread abroad concerning him This thou hast done If there had been any miscarriage in him where is the Spiritual-minded man who according to the Rule of the Apostle given in Gal. 6.1 that ever came to restore him with the Spirit
for my return if they could have proved I had fallen in what I had done but contrary to Covenant engagements and besides a particular promise they had made to a brother there present that could not agree unto their design as warrantable in the sight of the Lord Their Promise was to him to refer their work till the next time of meeting And yet notwithstanding did proceed for all this to their inhumane Act with all expedition and to run with strong resolutions to deal with and cast out all those that in Conscience could not joyn with them And so continued walking contrary to any Law of God or Justice in the World Their constant proceedings to commit sin by way of addition adding one sin upon the back of another did oblige me in love to their poor Souls to write them a Letter of Admonition and it was carefully sent them and presented unto them upon the next first day after they had committed their great folly that was acted to their Pastor A true Coppy word forword is as followeth To John Glyde Benjamin Minzes John Johnson and the rest of the dissenting Members with them IN the Name and Fear of the Lord God Everlasting I admonish you as you will answer it at the great Day of the Lord and at his appearing that you will lay to heart your disorderly proceedings against me your Elder and Pastor whom the Lord hath made to be your Father to beget you to Christ how is it that you are so soon forgetful of me who once would and not long since have pulled out your very eyes and are not only now ready to pull out mine but are ready to take away my Name and Life too and that not for any just cause given you on my part but by reason of some evil instruments amongst you who have made it their business to go up and down to hear and carry tales who are busie bodies 1 Thes 3.11 of whom I warn you that have made it their business to report which have been as sparks to kindle the fire that is now alight about you which would have been your wisdom as Church Officers to have put it out as being false fire or else to have seen whether it was true I cannot wonder enough when I consider your being called into the Liberty of the Sons of God that you should not understand your Duties as Members of Christ who when any offend you ought to tell them their fault between them and you which is the Rule of Christ So in the Law Thou shalt not suffer sin to be upon thy Brother which you all knew I was not so dealt withal with any of you And whereas you proceed to Excommunication hastily without any proof made or impartial examination how unlike the Primitive Example see 1 Cor. 5.4 be you Judge and then to slander me with things you never proved and refuse so to do Oh! how contrary is this to the Mind of Christ who speak things they know not nor whereof they affirme I doubt not but my Innocency will appear before the Lord when you shall not be able for to appear before him unless you do all speedily repent of this your wicked deed Search try consider in all the Book of God or amongst the Primitive Churches or Protestants whether you can find such a president to cast out any Member without any examination or due proof made much less to deal so with your Elder Surely you have by this made the Enemy to blaspheme and the Churches a reproach and a by-word and your selves to be looked upon by other Churches to be monstrous A true Property of a true Church is to have the Institutions of Christ truly administred you have fallen short of imitating the worst of Churches even Rome it self who doth not excommunicate without proof and contempt and do you blame the Church of England for doing thus Let me say to you in the words of the Apostle Who art thou that sayest thou shalt not do thus and thus and dost the same Oh! remember the sad account you will give for breaking of the Church of which you were Members under the pretence of Scandal for which unwarrantable dealing I charge you in the Name of the Lord to make good your Allegations and proceed as you ought to do if you can lay any thing to my Charge I am ready to hear or else I shall after two Admonitions more besides this proceed against you in a Church-way I have no more but expect to hear from you and he Rest Your Friend in Chirst Samuel Bradley The 20th of the 5th month 1663. But their obstinacy was such they would not vouchsafe to look into it one or some of them crying Burn it Another being more moderate then so said Write on the back side and send it him again To leave them without excuse in the Day of the Lord I wrote another and sent it them as I did the former the Messenger that carried it staid to hear them Preach and hearing of them much upon the work of inviting sinners unto Christ burst forth in much trouble of Spirit saying words to this purpose How can you invite sinners in and did cast a poor sinner out meaning their Pastor and never hear him what he could say for himself and immediately presented this Letter to them as followeth A true Copy of the second Letter of Admonition sent to John Glyde Ben. Minzes John Johnson and the rest IN the Name and fear of the Lord God I send this Second Admonition and to warn you that you disregard it not as you will answer it at the great day of the Lord 's appearing You with the rest have done unbecoming the Gospel in throwing your selves out of Gospel Order who pretend Purity with Unity while your selves suffer contrary walking amongst you even such as is justly reproveable it is to be feared you have thrown off your Gospel-Order that you may walk more disorderly it is the grief of my Soul to think how it is with you and how you will be able to give an account at the great Day for making such a Distraction in the Church of God if you have any thing justly to reprove me of I desire to be dealt withal in a Church way but if you will abide in your disorder as my dear Children I warn you for none can be more like-minded or naturally care more for you than my self but if you will still abide in your stubbornness and wilfulness you must expect but one admonition more before I declare to the Churches of Christ your stubbornness and pass a Gospel-Sentence further upon you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ This is all at present from him who earnestly prayes to the Lord for you and that he would be pleased for to discover unto you your Sin and give you repentance for the same ere it be too late I rest your Elder which desires your good Samuel Bradley From my
John 5.22 yet these men will adventure to judge their Pastor when Paul the Noble Apostle of the Gentiles said What have I to do to judge 2. By this act they have proved themselves to be under the breach of the Law and in so doing have made work for Repentance not at all regarding the words of the Apostle Speak not evil one of another he that speaketh evil of his Brother and judgeth his Brother speaketh evil of the Law and judgeth the Law O that they would judge no longer but rather consider the Judge stands at the door Jam. 5.9 O how dare they say now they judge their Pastor guilty of those Crimes which they themselves have cleared him of long ago witness their Letters of Vindication besides that of Recommendation they sent him forth to preach the Gospel by as you may see in the conclusion of my Reply to their pretended Charge Besides the Testimony of my own Conscience and also theirs I am cleared from being guilty of those heinous Crimes they have charged upon me So much by way of answer to their first Particular 2 Par. As if all that were too little he hath added several late and new Miscarriages Answ This depending upon what comes after I shall therefore examine into the matter of their Particulars and make my Reply unto them distinctly 3 Par. First A high disorder and therein a manifest breach of Truth as he was an Over-seer in the Church of God in bringing in of a disorderly person without the knowledge and against the Principle of the Church and of the Truth it self to Preach to them and Pray with them and this is a compleat evil especially in him so to run upon the Rule of Christ so to hazard the Churches stability which might have been invaded by dropping some Doctrine as might have shaken the Faith of some and so manifeslly to hazard the Churches Peace and Communion especially to bring in such a Person as he contrary to the advice given in the twentieth of the Acts where the Elders are exhorted to feed the Church and not to ruine it For my distinct Answer hereunto I shall draw this up into several Particulars To the first branch I give this Answer Let all sober minded persons determine how this can be just and right in the sight of God to charge me with that which was not nor can ever be proved If so then how can it be a manifest breach of Truth as they say when it is altogether false what they assert These persons may do very well to call in their pretended Charge again till they have got their witnesses ready to prove what they say for they very well know that no Accusation can be received against an Elder but by the mouth of two or three Witnesses so that they may see what they have said amounts yet to no Charge and let them take notice that while they seem to plead for the Principle of the Church they may do well to practise the Principle of Love then they will not dare to slander their Neighbour much less their Pastor as they have done They may also take notice that it was so far from being a disorder that it remains for them to prove it was any disorder at all Secondly Whereas they assert I brought him in to Pray as well as to Preach To this I have to say That it is a plain untruth and as false as the former here you may plainly see how they contradict themselves and prove themselves Lyars In the first Particular they say though very falsly I brought him in to Preach and Pray when I am able to prove he never prayed at all with or amongst them and yet in their second Particular they blaze it abroad in the Nation That I called out a Brother by Name to pray whom I know as they say was zealous for the work of the day For ever hereafter let them hold their peace and live in silence till every one have learn'd to speak the Truth to his Neighbour They very well knew as I said before he never prayed amongst them and with what confidence they could write these untruths abroad unto the Churches to render me odious and suscribe with their Names thereunto I know not Thirdly They say This is a Compleat Evil in him to run upon the Rules of Christ so to hazard the Churches Stability To this I answer They had done very well if they had proved what they say for we have nothing but their bare word for what they affirm they say It is a compleat evil they had wrought like workmen indeed if they had proved that I brought him into the Meeting then they might have had some ground for what they say But as for their word Compleat Evil sure it wants an Expositor for I never read in the Scriptures that Evil was a compleat thing This being not in their power for to prove it is very evident I did not break or come short of any Rule of the Churches nor hazard the Churches Stability But as for their word Run upon the Rule of Christ it is such a learned or unlearned Expression that I do not conceive what they mean by it So their pretended Charge is made null and void that it is plainly seen they have made a great noise in the Nation about me for a thing of nought Repent for this your folly and great iniquity Fourthly And whereas they say Which might be invaded by dropping of some Doctrine which might have shaken the Faith of some To this I answer Here they assert they know not what Invaded signifies to set with violence and force upon a People as they of old invaded the Land 1 Sam. 23.27 It also imports to cut in pieces and the Invaders of God's People were the Amalakites as they may see in 1 Sam. 30.1 the Moabites 2 Kings 30.20 the Philistines in 2 Chron. 38.18 the Ammonites Assyrians Midianites and others now here they have plainly made manifest their Charge to be nonsensical as if I would bring a man to cut or break my Church in pieces and offer violence to them Again their folly doth further appear that instead of bringing evidence for what they say against their Pastor which in justice ought to have been done they say by way of supposition Such a thing might have been Is this fair dealing to cry a man up and down the Nation for a Trapan and turn him out of their affections and make strong endeavours to cast him out of the afaffections of all good people too in as much as in them lies by casting scandals upon him without bringing of him to a lawful Tryal or suffer him to be heard speak for himself surely no Court of Judicature will judge or Jury be so base as to cast a man for an absolute Offendor upon a Supposition and what would these men offer so to do that profess to judge for God! Pray let me ask them by what Law do
against me or else who can be a true and competent Judge in the matter in controversie Seeing I am thus put upon it I must speak though its possible I may be blamed when I have done but all things considered not blame-worthy it's like in this matter I being by the Lord and them appointed their Overseer and perceiving to my grief of heart a general neglect of the assembling of the Saints and other things did reprove this fault in general it being a general Miscarriage and what must I come under dealing for it and this brought as a Charge against me Surely when the Churches come to hear thereof and the Ministry too they will rather pity me than otherwise and have some Bowels of Compassion to me For me to be thrown out as an useless person when I was found in the way of my duty and reported up and down for a dangerous person when it cannot be proved so and to shift off the business think no way like this to make their Pastor to be thought odious by the Churches and for them bragging when they have done to say None of the Churches own him And this is the best Proof they have yet produced against their Pastor See the baseness of these preceedings First to broach abroad that their Pastor is a Trappan and put a fear upon all the Churches that none dare come at him to know what is the matter for fear of being trappan'd and then to give it out as if they had won the day Oh! None of the Churches owns him Let these men remember the Day of Judgement is at hand in which my Cause will be called over then I shall have a fair hearing and true judgement in the case shall be executed and then it shall be known who is the Offender whether S. B. or his Accusers May not this People take shame unto themselves to carry themselves so that they are worthy of reproof and when they are reproved cannot bear therewith but make endeavours to stop the mouth of their Preacher from reproving One would have thought they should have hearkened to reproof Prov. 13.18 19 25. it being the onely way to gain honour and that they might have learn'd knowledge by it If I may query a little with them Have they not scorned Reproof and their Pastor got a blot thereby O that they would well consider the words of the Wise Man He that hateth reproof shall die and forget not what he farther says Pro. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner lest he hate thee Rebuke a Wise Man he will love thee Let these Persons consider what they have done If I had failed in this point what reason can they shew that it must be blazed about after Reconcilement may not such as are truly sober conclude who are out of the prejudiced minde that what they have done was more in malice than true love but this is altogether off from the thing for which they made their pretence to bring me under dealing as they call it though no such thing as was falsely asserted and afterward immediately denied by B. M. namely for being a Trappan So that their pretended Charge is come to nothing at last and is proved no Charge at all Their last Particular I shall answer unto containing several Branches First He is guilty of rash Passion and spiritual Pride in his carriages towards Vs in communication Answ I must acknowledge that I am not without personal offences which doth administer matter of true humbling and lying low at the foot of Christ May it not be apprehended that for want of a right Spirit of Judgement and Brotherly Love they may call that Passion which God may approve on as true Zeal if all things were considered from first to last it may upon true grounds be gathered that they are mistaken in this their rash Censure and while they judge their Pastor they are guilty of the same sin and bespatter him in the notion of passion and spiritual pride out of a prejudiced spirit they have took up against him of a sudden In their Letter of Recommendation they sent abroad to the Churches they write no such thing it is much to me that in eight or nine days time they should change their note at this rate first for to cry me up and then with all speed cry me down Whether prejudices be not the Engine that spurts out this dirty Water of Reproach upon me I leave the clear-sighted Christian to judge Secondly And to vindicate a scandalous Transgressor that was for to be dealt with by the Church Answ It will prove to these persons great advantage who accuse me at this rate in matters that were buried long ago and forgotten by me and promised so to be by them I say again It will prove for their advantage in the great Day of the Lord if they can clear themselves from slandering of their Pastor and were this true what they say how comes it to pass that we have very often met together at the Table of the Lord and how is it that they have not proved faithful if it be true what they assert in this matter to the Lord and my Soul to suffer me as they say a Lyar to be their Administrator in these weighty Affairs in the House of God Is not this their proceedings much like unto that of Children that quarrel and fall out one with another and in revenge call over things done in times past and hit them in the teeth with it Have not these done even so to fall upon upbraiding their Pastor of things done long ago Put case I had offended in what I had then done how far short do these People come of the Rule of Christ let them consider Ephes 4.32 As God for Christs sake forgave us so ought we to forgive one another but instead of forgiving how are they upbraiding O should not these things set out hearts a bleeding that these persons should rake up those things that were dead and buried long ago Thirdly They say He charged a Sister rashly in the face of the Church and to colour his evil made it a mistake to justifie the wicked and condemn the righteous To this I answer What I spake then was no more nor scarce so much as a Sister of the Congregation asserted and said she would undertake to prove it the business that was in controversie I acquainted the Church with when the person fore-mentioned began to speak whether it was by her being over-powered by some which would have born a sway and have occasioned all these distractions amongst us though it did not so become them to do I leave it to the Lord to judge whether she was not over-powered by words and other things to which I shall not speak at large lest I make their nakedness too much appear I then did declare it was found a mistake for me to say so was this to cover my evil and to justifie as they term it the
wicked was their Sister whom they had communion with at that time a wicked Person how did they dare to have any communion with her then and to condemn the Godly but who it was I condemned they have not named and who it is I should condemn I know not I shall not judge them that do thus falsely accuse me neither would I have them judge me in this matter but leave it to him which judgeth righteously Fourthly It was but few Weeks but some or other would meet with their wounding and burdens Answ If the Word of the Lord did at any time wound them let me tell them Gods wounding tends to healing but as to any thing else I must profess my self altogether a stranger to it for I was if I may speak without offence so far from wounding or burdening them that I did chuse rather to be wounded or burdened my self the Lord is my Witness in this matter I say unto this People Doth it not rather plainly appear that their Pastor was wounded and burdened by them they being so apt to be offended with Gospel-Reproofs Yea sure they have done more than wounded and burdened their Pastor for to deprive him of his good Name under the Notion of a Trappan when there was no such thing what will this amount to if strictly enquired into and rightly judged sure murder in some kind The Lord give them a true sight of their evil and then I shall rejoyce Fifthly We met with Repulses in our Address to him You must not teach your Elder Sometimes he scorned to be taught his Duty by any Member in the Congregation Answ True it is when some of them came as divers times they did back-biting of some of their fellow-Members whereof some made it their common practice so to do which became a heavy burden to me and when they came to me with their stories truly they had but little encouragement and I do perceive this is that they call Repulses for it was my manner first mildly to shew them their evil and then to inform them of their Duty in that concernment but finding still some who made it their business to go from house to house carrying Tales which since have been instrumental to bring their private disorderly walking into a publick disorder also witness the noise their proceedings have made throughout all the Churches I perceiving mild Instruction would not reclaim them I was fain to use sharpness which they ignorantly call rash Passion I not answering the expectation of some in this kinde but reproving them sharply for the same they have been pleased to terme it Spiritual Pride But why should I or any other think this strange for Paul the Noble Apostle of the Gentiles was judged by the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 4.3 And counts it but a small thing to be so judged 〈◊〉 shall I for what I have â—one in this kind hath been in a faithful discharge of my duty though I have purchased to my self a blot for my labour I trust the Lord will enable me to wear it as my Crown what ever specious pretences they may have to render me odious to the People of God they carrying of it at such a rate to make the Churches believe that they have dealt with me in an orderly way when it is no such thing causing some to say His own Church hath dealt with him and cast him out when they were not in a capacity so to do being under dealing at that time themselves by their Pastor and others of the Church for their rebellion against the Righteous Laws and instituted Orders of Christ's House What they have unrighteously done hath seemed hitherto to carry the day as if they had obtained a victory and cryed it up so before the matter came to tryal But it must pass for truth right or wrong why so there is no good reason can be shewed for it I am sure some say Because the Church hath cast him out To this I shall speak in the Language of the Prophet Isa 66.5 Your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake saying Let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed And for all their bold assertion that I am not willing to hearken to the least Member of the Church to hear what they can say I hope I shall make it appear that I am not only willing to hearken but to learn of them too if I find them in a capacity to teach These people all men may see by their carriage to me were so far from being able to teach me my duty that they had not learnt to practise their own it doth plainly appear they judged me without a cause Sixthly Sometimes he would incompass us with fained flatteries and repentances and yet in the mean time break forth into those foul breaking parts that indeed he was become a burthen to us To this I answer What they mean by feigned flatteries I am yet to learn then very unlikely to compass them about therewith Surely these people Have bent their Tongues like their Bow for lies Jer 9.3 And we may say of them as the Prophet of old did They proceed from evil to evil If by fained flattery they mean my ready condescention to them of low degree in denying my self as often I did in having better thoughts of them than I had of my self I making of it my work to maintain the peace of the Church if this be their meaning I must needs confess my self guilty but as to any thing else I am a stranger to it Therefore that which they call fained flattery is a Paradox to me And the thing they term by the name of Repentances I do as little understand as the former unless it be thus if at any time I had spoken that which through their weakness being petrish Children and soon offended at reproof though they had need enough of it and as they truly confess to me in their Letter they writ when I was a Prisoner in Newgate That they were Children in the Matters and Affairs of the Church and need be taught then I would express my trouble in this case that I was such an Offence to them they being in the high minde when they should come down into the godly fear being apt to be self-conceited and must I be reproached for this my Love and Tenderness to them I trust my God will enable me to bear it though that which makes it the harder is Because it is from the House of my Friends and them that have been and still are as dear to me as my own Life though they have thus dealt by me and I am become to them as a dead man out of mind If these be the things that made them cry out of being burdened let all sober men judge whether they had any just cause for it May it not truely be otherwise applied more safely That these things could not
unsound and out of their own mouths are they cast and condemned and found Lyars and such Persons as these are not like to be competent Judges in such weighty matters and in the room of judging of others if they would judge themselves they should not be judged of the Lord. These Persons may do well to consider That God will one day ask them Why dost thou judge thy Brother or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother Rom. 14.10 We shall all stand before the Judgement-Seat of God But I shall pass to the next Particular 11 Par. He gives out That he is wronged and hath made his Appeal to the Churches but cannot be heard Answ The Reader may observe this to be a petty Charge indeed and this their pretended Charge hath been found false for to make people believe strange things of their Pastor and now come to wave the matter because they cannot prove what they have said and put us off with a Story or a Tale about the Churches As touching making my Appeal you may now see I have and not onely to them but to the whole World for the Innocent is neither ashamed to shew his Face nor his Cause though they were witness their under-hand-dealing for this Twelvemonth together and now their Actions are come to Light the Light hath manifested their Works are for the fire that must be burnt up and let these Persons labour to carry themselves better for the future lest they and their Works be burnt up together and let them take it into consideration That they have put me out of a capacity of making the Churches acquainted with their Proceedings but in this manner which I confess is not usual nor had it been so if it had not been long of themselves for the Churches have by their instigations been set against me and have been afraid of me though to this day I have given them no cause and I hope in God shall never so do for in the presence of God I declare my true love to them and not onely so but to the poor distressed and oppressed Seed of God under all distinctions whatsoever ever for through Grace I can truly say to this day though I have been rendered vile and base I have love to all Saints and my condition I have related to some that now are eminent in the Churches and made my moan to them telling them of my great Burden but what am I the better I must bear my own Burden for I see none so ready to search out the Truth of the Matter or bear the Burden with me but a few Lambs of Christ who for so doing are laid under Reproach though there is none can blame their upright Conversations justly By the wicked Contrivance of this back-biting People I perceive that fear and jealousie is got upon the hearts of all them that call themselves by the Name of the Churches of Christ I do not say they deserve not that Name but I wish rather they may And so much as to my Appeal to the Churches 12 Par. He now makes his Appeal to God and questions not but in a Twelvemonth he shall make Us and all the Churches know their evil Answ Can these men blame me for making my Appeal to God when I came on purpose to make my Appeal unto them and could not be heard what cause they have to do so I know not As touching my making of them know their Evil I might have been better than my word had not they carried it about so cunningly insomuch that I could not obtain a sight of my Charge upon no terms till the Twelvemonth came about but time enough to their shame who work so secretly that it was a wonder if not almost a miracle for me to come to the sight of this their pretended Charge but what God will have brought to Light who can by their cunning contrivances prevent for he is a God that will bring to light the hidden things of darkness 1 Cor. 4.5 as he hath done this blessed be his Name I have been charged upon several accounts but never in a right capacity to make my Reply till now and now I hope those of the Churches that have joyned in with them in their Work of Deceit will see it to be an evil and free themselves again of it seeing I have proved my self to be no Trappan but Innocent in the case and none can prove to the contrary and I hope so well of them that they do see it an evil by this time to fear a man that never did nor never doth intend them any harm 13 Par. They would make the Churches and Others believe that this is but a brief Copy of those many grand Evils for which our Brethren before and now have cut him off and cast him out for the destruction of the flesh Ans Their grand Evils as they are pleased to call them are proved most of them if not all grand lyes groundless Suppositions Surmisings and mistakes I pray what will their petty Evils as they term them prove but petty lyes if they were brought forth and to be weighed Job 3.6 7. In the Ballance of the Sanctuary namely the Ballance of Truth they will without all doubt be found to be too light they had need look very well about them for all the flourish they have made of casting me out for the destruction of the flesh what are their lying surmisings and the like but the works of the flesh These persons may do very well to see the Beam that is in their own eye Mat. 7.3 then shall they see more plainly to pull out the Mote that is in their Brothers eye The time may come that God may say unto them and to all the rest of their fellow-boasters Who hath required these things at your hands Though you are pleased to call it the work of the Lord take notice that backbiting and whispering and false-accusing are the works of the flesh called so in Scripture and not the works of the Lord Therefore all men may see they have more cause to lie low in the sight of God for this their evil practise for a twelvemonth together last past then to boast as they have done So They do but glory in their shame Phil. 3.19 for these works are not the works of God but their own which must be burnt up for God is coming with his sword to cut down all that is not of his own for with Fire and Sword will God plead with all flesh Oh that a word of Exhortation might fasten on these poor wandring Sheep that are gone a stray upon the dark mountains Jer. 13.16 that might cause them for to return to their first love or husband for then was it better with them then now Hos 2.7 and make haste lest the Lord our God make a breach upon them for that they sought him not after the due order 1 Chron. 15.13 Oh that they would repent out of
hand for their heady and rash proceedings against their innocent Pastor lest destruction be their portion notwithstanding all their Profession 14. Par. And so do now bear our Testimony against all his Evil and all his Adherents and set our hands to the truth of it Ans To this I Answer If these Assertors and Concluders did walk like persons indued with true knowledge they should have proved the things they talk of to be evils before they had set their hands thereunto by what they have done they have manifested themselves not to be wise nor right Artists at the work of accusation Again if they could have proved what they have subscribed unto to be Evils the next work had been to have layed them down before me and made some endeavour to have holpen me to a sight thereof as well as themselves and shewn me by way of aggravation the danger of them and if I had been obstinate not to have heard some of them alone to brought two more with them and took some pains with me for to recover me out of that which they are pleased to call an Evil and if I had remained in an obstinate mind then with sorrow of heart and bowels of love told it to the Church the Church to have made some endeavour to recover me and if I would not have seen my Evil then to have set a day a part for Fasting and Prayer and to have mourned bitterly under the consideration of the thoughts of the loss of a chief Pillar of the Church and when all this work was done then in a solemn reverent and godly manner to have gone trembling at the thought of what must of necessity then have been done seeing there was no avoiding of it and consider what was to be done after all this not to reproach Nay For sufficient to such a man was this punishment which was inflicted upon many 2 Cor. 2.6 7. So that contrarywise they ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love towards him I say to these people Was any of this done Was the first step taken in this work much less the last that was done to the incestuous person How may these people dread the thoughts of their present Proceedings with their former for fear God may charge them with Spiritual murder at the Day of the Lord in putting a stop to conversion-work and cause Souls to stumble I say Oh what comfort can these men have that have set their hand to such a work as this is The Lord give them a sight and true sence and sorrow yea true repentance of the same Sure by this time they may plainly see if they do not harden their hearts that they were out of the way of the Lord and with what comfort can they go to the grave with this Load upon their Consciences or what peace they can have for these their irregular Proceedings I know not and truly it is to be admired they do not yet blush at that they stile their Testimony Sure they understand not what they say for the word Testimony doth signifie amongst other things a good report from others but this which they have done is found to be of no good report therefore falsely termed by them a Testimony Again a Testimony doth also import a witnessing well but they have witnessed unto that which is Lyes Suppositions and Surmisings which is very ill therefore for to speak properly have born no Testimony against Samuel Bradley but rather have made their ignorance further appear and know not what they say in this case nor what a Testimony is and yet these persons will undertake for to pass Sentence of Excommunication upon their Pastor and that as soon as his back was turned from them was it done but never to his face And whereas they seem to reflect upon the rest of their Fellow-Members which bore a better Conscience than themselves which they call Adherents they have little cause so to do for they understand the Rules of Christ better than to run rashly and headily upon things contrary to the right Order but have waited with patience upon the Lord and have proved Fellow-feelers of their Pastors Sorrows and great Afflictions that have befallen him through the means of the persons aforesaid that are turned his Accusers though falsely and they in Conscience could not joyn with them without breach of Covenant I shall say unto these my Accusers had they been as tender of the Glory of God as these they call My Adherents they might have been made partakers of true Peace with them though by their means they are made to stand alone separated from the rest of their Brethren to their great grief and could they violate the peace of their consciences as those have done they might have been their dear Friends still Let these men be careful lest they slay the Upright in Conversation with the Sword of their Mouth namely bitter words as they have not been ashamed to do lest Wrath break forth from the Lord upon them And whereas they say They have set their hands to the Truth I ask them whether their Consciences did not prick them when they were setting their Pen to Paper so as they began with a lye they conclude with a lye also O how can these People with confidence call that a Charge which they themselves confest in the last Particular thereof to be but petty Things or call that a Truth which is stuffed up with so many Lyes Suppositions and surmising Expressions as hath been proved all along O that they would lay these sad proceedings to heart that for this Twelvemonth together they have contrived against their innocent Pastor as they have owned him to be and yet have cried him up for a Trappan at such a high hand They may see if they do not wilfully shut their Eyes that his Innocencie has so shined in this matter that the Lord hath holp him to weather the storms of all sorts they have raised upon him onely from Fears and Jealousies O what will they do when God shall call them to an account How will they be able to stand before him It is not their strong-hold of Church-Fellowship that will shelter them from the wrath of God for if he set the Worm of Conscience a gnawing their Gourd will soon be destroyed and where are they then My Prayer shall be that they may repent and the Lord forgive them for I do and for ever hereafter let them be silent and never more open their mouth to reproach and as Job said of his friends so shall I say of mine Job 16.24 I have heard many such things miserable Comforters are you all And now you may see I have diligently examined this their pretended Charge that hath occasioned such a stir in the Nation and have found it to stand upon the Foundation of Untruths
Jealousie Tautology groundless Fears Surmisings and Suppositions by which means have many been made to have hard thoughts and to speak high words against S. Bradley as if he had been turned from what acquaintance he had with God to be a notorious Betrayer of the Lords People and thorow this means also for a year together and more have sundry yea scores of lyes been raised of him whereof many of them are upon Record but not judged expedient to be published and are proved by sufficient godly Persons to be falsehoods as may be seen by any sober Christian that desires to be satisfied therein Though these things have occasioned unexpressible trouble unto me yet in the midst of all I do rejoyce in the testimony of a good Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 being clear from any kinde of guilt in this matter God is my witness and in assarance thereof I do in the fear and name of the Lord God everlasting now declare to all sorts of People Professors or Prophane for to come forth and accuse me if they can in this matter upon their own knowledge or by positive proof from any That I did ever in all my life do any thing that had the least tendency to any such thing as to the insnaring of the People of the Lord I do here further declare in the presence of God Angels and Men as I shall answer it at the great and terrible day of the Lord which now hastens That my Soul doth loath and abhor the very thoughts much more the acting of any such thing And were not the Glory of God and the Good of poor Sinners concerned in this matter I should not have put Pen to Paper but still remained in silence knowing that with the help of the Lord my Innocencie in this case though it may be long would have stopt the mouths of the scandalous Reproachers I hearing the Gospel so much reproached on my part being represented to the Nation to be that I am not namely a Trappan and Professors on their parts making of it their business to broach new Lyes every Week almost if not altogether which my soul was sorely grieved to hear and this pretended Charge by so great a Providence brought to my hand I could forbear no longer judging it my duty to let the Lords People through the whole Nation understand the whole matter in controversie between me and those of my own House to the end they may be in a right capacity to judge between us Now the Lord hasten the time that Sions Breaches may be made up that there may be no more smoak in his holy Temple but a faithful serving of the Lord with one consent Which is the Prayer of him whose Love doth run out however it hath been thought otherwayes by many to all the precious Seed of Renown who longs to see Sion a quiet Habitation and the Joy of the whole Earth her Children to walk in Love and so fulfill the whole Law to the end they may live in Peace So the God of Peace be with you all To close up all I shall omitting divers Letters of Vindication written in my behalf by these People present the Reader with a true Copy word for word of their Letter of Recommendation by which they sent me forth to preach the Gospel which was done bur eight or nine days before this Dreadful Breach The Church of Christ meeting together in the Faith and Order of the Gospel in Salisbury Lane near Redriff Sendeth Greeting This Letter of Recommendation to be communicated to the Churches of Christ in London or any part of the Nation and to all Saints of the like pretious Faith with Us wheresoever WE there in the Name and Fear of God in a solemn manner as we do apprehend according to the Rule of Christ laid down in the Gospel by Fasting and Prayer separated set apart and sent forth our dear Brother in the Lord Samuel Bradley in the Work of the Ministry to preach the Gospel of Free Grace and Reconciliation to poor Sinners and of Consolation to Saints To be instant in this Work in season and out of season to Reprove Rebuke Exhort with all long-Suffering and Doctrine as He shall have opportunity offered We do judge Him to be one whom the Lord hath made able by his Spirit for to divide the Word of Truth aright Being one that hath been under the Terrors of the Lord knows how the better by the Terrors of the Lord to perswade Sinners to come in to Christ And one who hath experienced the pangs of the New Birth who hath Christ formed in Him That hath been Instrumental in the Hand of the Lord to turn Us and many more from Sin to Grace from Darkness to Light And some if not all of Vs have been a Seal of His Ministry in the Lord and He is near and dear to Vs for the Work 's sake Whose Conversation is in all things becoming the Gospel of Our Lord JESVS Whose Life is a constant Sermon to Us. Now if You account Vs Fellow-Citizens of the New Jerusalem and Subjects of the King of kings and Heirs of the Kingdom of Grace being made Partakers of the Divine Nature Receive Him as Our own Bowels whom We trust is very much upon the Heart of God and hath obtained great Grace who hath had large Experience of the Love of God who is a Brother beloved who is especially known to Us who hath begotten Us to Christ who is Our Spiritual Pastor to feed Us and to walk in and out before Us Therefore We may say of him as Paul said of Timothy Phil. 2.30 We have no Man so dear to Us who will naturally care for our Estate c. But we know the Proof of Him That He hath been and is a great Labourer in the Vinyard of the Lord We send Him therefore forth in the Name of the Lord to do the Work of the Lord that when We see Him again We may do it with Joy Receive Him therefore in the Work of the Lord with all gladness and hold such in Reputation for Christs sake yea and for their Work sake And so We rest Your Brethren in Christ the Beloved of the Father who is full of Grace and Truth and subscribe Our Names in the behalf of the Church The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with You all Amen The 5th of the 5th Month 1663. John Glyde Elder Benj. Minzes Deac John Johnson Henry Tabor Roger Morlie John Asten John Bentlie Samuel Hackney Jeoffry Lane William Green FINIS