spirits the same and your works the same in nature though not in measure and in particular this work of yours to imprison people and whip them and put them in the Stocks and beat them and abuse their Persons and Bodies who do but speak against you and your Religion is not this work of the very same nature as the work of the Romish Church she to defend her Church hath Inquisitions and Banishment and many cruel Tortures and with these things her Church she defends killing and afflicting of Peoples Bodies that do oppose her Church and deny their Religion and you have Stocks and Whips and Houses of Correction and putting great Fines and Taskes upon People and Banishing People out of Townes and spoiling their Goods and casting men into Prison who do oppose your Church and deny your Religion and is not this equal and justly according in Nature to the Persecution that is in the Romish Church and what difference between the defence of the Church of Rome and your Church of Protestants they have their Inquisitions and you have your Houses of Correction they have their Slavery in the Gallies and you have Whips and Stocks they have their divers Torments and cruel Dealings towards Persons that oppose them and upon their Bodies in one manner and you have your Torments and cruel Dealing towards us in another manner though not in the same measure yet in the same nature and what difference between you and them And herein doth the Hypocrisie of the Protestant Church and their Ministers appear in that they cry against and deny the Church of Rome and their Persecution and Cruelty acted against others and yet in nature and manner do Practice the very same upon us as in England this day is witnessed And not onely in this particular may the Church and Ministers of the Protestants be condemned for Hypocrisie but also in many other things even the most of their Practices in their Worship is of the same nature and by the same spirit which the Practices of the Church of Rome is practised by and in and not onely so but it may be truely proved and made manifest that the original and institution of many of your Church-Practices proceeded from the Church of Rome and the Church and Pope of Rome did ordain and institute many of your Practices and a great part of your worship which is performed in the Church and by the Ministry of the Protestants so called and this in its time and season I may make fully appear and discover to the Nations and I may shew in the particulars what particulars of the worship and practice in the Protestants Church had their first rice and beginning and original in the Church of Rome though they are minced and degressed with diminishings and addings according as their imaginations have guided them yet still they retain the strongest taste and Savour of the Church of Rome and had their rice and original there though in the performing thereof they may be altered and changed in appearance and from but are perfectly the same in Ground and Nature as springing from the Church of Rome and she the Mother of the Protestant Church and of the Practices of the most of her performances in worship and this may be proved as God willing upon oecasion as the Lord moves I may let sorth my mind and what I know in these things and may shew though that the Church of the Protestants have disserted the Church of Rome yet their Ministry its Call and Ordination and its Practice and Maintenance hath a dependancy upon the Church of Rome as being the Original of that which is by them therein practised though in some things deviated from the perfect Form and Practice thereof and also the whole Worship of all the Particulars in relation to the Protestant Church and Ministry and Worship hath a dependance upon the Church of Rome as being the first Original thereof and though they cry against her and her Ministers and have denied her yet is she the Mother and Womb in which was bred and out of whom proceeded the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship and Practices and this may be manifest at full that the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the Church and Worship of Rome and had their original out of her And also further may be shewed that the Protestant Church and Worships and Ministry are not another in nature and being then the Romish Church Ministry Worship but is sprung out thereof as a Branch out of the same Root the Ground being one and the same though differing in appearance for in her beginning and first dissenting from the Romish Church she did not deny her in ground and being as not being at all the Church of Christ but only in some particulars dissented alwayes then and to this day retaining divers of their practices in Worship and Church-Government which doth shew that the Protestant Church is not perfectly another nor her Ministry and Government and Worship another then is the Romish Church but is the same in ground and being onely digressed and deviated in particulars and this may be fully manifest in season that the Protestant Church and Worship and Ministry is of the Romish Church sprung as a branch out of her not contrary to her and against her and all these things is the Lord discovering and laying open that Nations and Peoples may come to behold the Mother of Harlots that Mystery of Iniquity and all her Children and may see the state and turning of times and things ever since the days of the Apostles and true Churches and how that all these divers Sects and all these Churches falsely so called are risen up and sprung out one of another and coming from one Seed and Womb and though divers in Appearances and sundry in Practices and Professions yet are they all one in the Ground and Nature sprung from the Mother of Harlots all of them and being her Children and she hath corrupted the Earth with her Fornications and Whoredoms and made Nations and Kingdoms drunk with her Cup of Idolatry but the Lord God is risen and will plead with her and give her double and the holy Prophets and Apostles shall rejoyce over her and this is coming to pass and this have I seen from the Lord and received it from him and thus it come upon me to write THE Waters I have seen dry'd up the Seat of the great Where Who with the Fornication Cup of her enticing power Hath made all Nations drunk thereby and the whole Earth defil'd With her gilt Cup of Sorcery whom she hath long beguil'd But Peoples many are and shall and Multitudes all may And Nations be Converted all unto another Way And Tongues they now confounded bee and Kindreds they must mourn And when thou this shalt finish'd see then say her Seat is torn For these are all the Waters great on whom her Seat hath been And over
any Creature was made and the whole World is comprehended and mans state in his first Creation is here known what it was and mans state in Transgression is also known what it was and mans state restored again is also witnessed and the difference perceived betwixt the first Adam which was overcome of the Devil though he was innocent and without sin and bore the likeness of his Maker and of the second Adam who cannot be overcome of the Devil whom Satan hath nothing in who is the express Image of the Creator it self He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard it hath not entred into the heart of man that which the Father hath revealed by his Spirit things not lawful to be uttered of which there is no declaring that which is Infinite Endless Eternal and in this I shall end By one who hath measured and viewed in true Iudgment the condition of all Mankind who is a Lover of Souls and a Friend to the Creation of God known in England by the name of EDWARD BURROUGH London the 6th of the 3d Moneth 1656. Truth Defended OR CERTAIN ACCUSATIONS ANSWERED CAST Upon us who are called Quakers by the Teachers of the World and the People of this Generation WITH A clear Discovery who are the false Prophets and when they came in and how they may be known and who they are that deny Christ and that preach another Gospel and who deny the Scriptures Churches Ministers and Magistrates whereby the Magistrates and People of this Nation may see they justifie that which the Scripture condemns and condemns that which the holy men of God justified and may read their example and our example through the Scriptures The Epistle To all you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospel and all People in all Relations under what form of Worship soever in England or in all the World whâ profess your selves Christians THe mighty day of the Lord is come according as he promised of old and this day is witnessed wherein he is establishing his Mountain and exalting it above all Mountains and is gathering his People which have been scattered in the dark and loââ Night of Apostacy which Christ and his Apostles saw coming into the Churcâ⦠then and hath had dominion long over the World and hath reigned till now and reigns nââ in all the Professors in all Forms every where But now the time is come wherein the Kingdâ⦠of the World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and thousands witness it to the praise of his everlasting Name And therefore the Nations are angry and ãâã Pâinces of the Earth because Michael one Prince is arisen to plead with all who make ãâã against him And now Herod and Pilate and all Jerusalem are in an uproar and Ammââ and Amaleck and the Egyptians and the Philistines are joyned now against him And all you who live in Forms and know not the Power do now persecute and joyn your selves tâgether being in the same nature as the Persecutors of old which were born after the Flesh. And now you Sons of Bondage and of Hagar are to be cast out and now you are all ãâã manifest that you are in the Flesh for all your Bows are bent and all your Arrows are ãâã at a People which are accounted by you as the filth of the World and as the off-scouring of all things whom the World calls Quakers in whose foreheads is written the Name of the living God and unto you I say that make war against them and now take part with the Dragââ against the Lamb you shall all drink of the Cup of Fury and indignation of the Lord ãâã unto the Living God who is holy and jealous for his own Glory and Name which hath manifested his Mind and Will by his eternal Spirit unto us shall you all bow and stoop For now the Lord hath rent the Vail of the Covering which hath been spread over ãâã the Nations in all Professions and you are all seen by the ternal Eye which is opened in thousands even all from the highest to the lowest who have stolân and painted your selves with ãâã âens words And all your Images which you have set up and all your traditions from âen in which you have walked are all seen to be stubble and âill not abidâ in the day of the Lord. And all your Churches which you have gathered together by imitation from the ãâã shall all be scattered and there you all are for you all deny Revelation and say it is ceased and so you call the Letter the Light and the Word but with that which was before the Scripture you are seen and judged even with that which shall endure for ever And seeing you have cast reproach upon the Name of the God of Heaâââ and Earth whom we worââip and which you call delusion for the truths sake are we moved to lay open your âakedness that you may be judged by that which you say is your rule Here in this Little Book thou who hast any honesty in thee or any desire of truth and wilt search the Scripture thou wilt see thââ ãâã the teachers of the world in all Forms and all Professors ever cryed out who had but the Form against them who had the Life and Power as you all ãâã now against them who Worship God in the Spirit and have no confidenâe in the flesh and therefore in this following Discoârse which ãâã written by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture thou shalt see who are the false Prophets and who they are that preach another Gospel and who they are that deny the Scriptures and thou mayst see when the false Prophets came in and who they are clearly proved to be by their own rules And all you who call your selves Magistrates and Christians you may see your selves to hold up that which Christ the Prophets and Apostles cryed oââ against and Persecute them who stand in the counsel of God and them thââ Declare against all the deceit as the Holy men of God did and so you are the beast which holds up the false Prophets and those whom the Scripture declareth against God is arisen to dâ⦠to pieces all them who withstand him and therefore come out of Babylon ââd out of all your painted forms and come to own the first Principle which will change your mindes even the Light of Christ which he hath enlightned every one withal and by it you shall see what you are doing Now if you deny this you deny the Corner-stone and you stumble and shall be broken and by thââ which you call natural shall all your Image of gold and silver and all your mixed invented worship be dashed to pieces and ãâã for the Pit Therefore all be silent and speak not evil of those thingâ you know not for now you are all seen you who say you are ââws and are not but are of the Synagogue
avenged on my Oppressors And Vengeance belongâ to him and he will repay and will destroy the Vineyard with the Plants and Frâ⦠thereof and the Bryars and Thorns shall be consumed and he will lay waste anâ devour and confound all his Enemies in a day when his Indignation goes sorth and his Sword is made bare and his Purpose cometh to pass in rooting out tââ oppressive seed of Evil-doers which have filled his Habitation wherein he sholâ dwell with cursed Children and a brood of evil Births In the dayes of Christ and his Apostles was the Hand and Power of the ãâã felt and the Lord gat himself a Name and a Glory and he caused his mââ¦lous Light to spring forth and his Day to dawn and the Day was manifest thaâ many Prophets and Wise-men had desired to see but was not in their time feeâ by them and his Power was made known and his Arm was made bare in the sight of many Nations and in that day his Glory was spread abroad and âis Truth and Way was exalted and his glorious Gospel was declared through ãâã Earth and the sound of his marvellous Works went forth into all the World Judgment and Mercy was known and Righteousness and Peace was witneâ⦠among men and Life and Immortallity was brought to Light through the Gospel and the Word of Life by which all things were created and by which they stand was handled seen felt and tasted and the Lord God in that Age was known to dwell with his People and to walk in them and his Covenant was established with many and his Promises were fulfilled Redemption Deliverance and Salvation was revealed even Christ Jesus the Son God the Prince of Peace And Righteousness was made manifest in the Sons of men and revealed in many who saw God's Glory and were Witnesses of his Majesty and Dominion and were gathered unto him in the Bond of Peace and were his Sons and Daughters and were led by his Spirit in all his Wayes of Truth and Righteousness And many went forth into the World and declared through Nations the things of Gods Kingdom which was come to them and was discovered within them and the Lord God spake from Heaven by his Son unto them and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with Power And the Lord was with them whom he called and made them Wise and their Word powerful and their Message effectual and their Weapons were mighty through God and strong Holds were subdued and the Powers of Death and Darkness were subjected and the Hearts of thousands were turned to God and the Gospel was preached in power through the World and many were brought to God out of Darkness into Light and from Satans Power unto God And the Earth was filled with Light and the mighty and the wise were confounded and the bonds of cruel oppressions were broken and they that set themselves against the Lord and his Way were confounded and scattered and brought to nought though they were many in that Generation How did all the chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees Elders of the People and Rulers and Governours lift up themselves in the Pride of their hearts and took counsel together and persecuted the Innocent and put to Death and Imprisoned the Children of the Most High How did they in the dayes of Christ persecute and seek for his Life till they had taken it from the Earth by their subtilty and wickedness The Apostles and Ministers of Christ were persecuted some were put to death and others suffered grievous things for the Name of Christ and were made a Prey and a Spoil unto Destroyers whose wickedness encreased against the Way of God till it was fulfilled in its measure and the Wicked with their work were dashed to peices and the Lord gave his Way and Truth and Servants dominion and power over all his enemies and whole Nations were brought to the knowledge of God and his Wayes and his Name was glorious and his Kingdom was exalted in the Earth and many were his People who were gathered by him and his powerful Word through the mouth of his Ministers whom he ordained and called who were Fisher-men and such like who were chosen to fulfil his Will and to do his Work and not many Wise-men of the World were called but God chose the foolish things to confound the wise then as he doth now and such were honoured by the Lord and Bearers of his Name and of his Message and Glad-tidings though they were contemned of men yet unto such he gave the authority to overturn the wise and to out-reach the wisdom of this World for they were learned of the Father and had the knowledge of his Wayes though they were unlearned in the Arts and Crafts of men which stand more in pollicy and subtilty then in the Fear and Wisdom of God and in that day the Lord was with his People while his People were with him and he loved them while they stood in his Counsel and he gave them dominion over all their Enemies and they were a Terror to the whole World while the Churches stood in the dread and terror of the Lord of Hosts yea all bowed under them and their feet trod upon the high places of the Earth and they were blessed of the Lord above all People even till they waxed fat and were increased in treasures and thought they had need of nothing and then they forgat God and rebelled against him and became perverse in their wayes and grew into strange Idolatries and Errors and left the Way of Truth and cast God's Law behind them and the Power of Godliness ceased and the form grew and it was exalted more then Power and love waxed cold when iniquity abounded and men became Lovers of themselves more then of the Lord and the Lord and his marvellous Works which had been brought to pass were forgotten and hardness of heart and unbelief entred and then false Prophets and Antichrist came in which Christ had prophesied of and established the form of Godliness without the Power and subverted many even whole Houses and Countries from the simplicity of Christ Jesus so that many became insensible and grew past feeling of the Power and operation of God and their minds became blinded and their ears stopped and God was grieved who had brought up Children and they forgat him and rebelled against him for the Churches became corrupted and lost the Life and Power of God and the Holy Ghost and became Idolaters and Worshippers of Idols and as you may read Paul prophesied that many should depart from the Faith and give heed to seducing spirits and the doctrine of Devils and grievous Woves should enter not sparing the Flock but seeking to devour it and would make havock and merchandise of Souls through coveteousness and filthy Lucre and perillous times would come wherein there should be a Form of Godliness and not the Power and in that Generation before and sooâ after his decease this
and Assemblies of the Lord's People practiz'd the same thing in Ages past as the Servants of the Lord do at this day so this Practice is to be upholden and maintained because it is proved to be according to the Scriptures for the same thing was practiz'd heretofore And we read Acts 20. 7. That the Church met in the Night for Paul continued his Sermon till Midnight And as for their Practice in Speaking either man or Woman as the Spirit gives utterance this is according to the Scriptures though it be much wondred at and cry'd against by the Wise-men and People of this Age for we read Acts 2. that they spoke in their Meeting as the Spirit gave them utterance without studying before-hand what to say And the Lord promised That Sons and Daughters should Prophesie And in Acts 21. 9. we read of one that had four Daughters that did Prophesie And divers other places in Scripture do shew That Women labour'd in the Gospel which doth prove that a Woman speaking and declaring the things of God is not contrary but according to the Scriptures and that any who are moved of the Lord may declare the things of God Man or Woman And the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another So that this Practise in Religion is proved to be according to the Scriptures And as concerning their call to the Ministry some are called from their ordinary callings as from the Plough or from handicraft work or tradings or such like this is according to the Scriptures also for we read Matt. 4. 18 19. where the Disciples were called from their Nets and some were called from the receipt of Custom and we read Amos 7. that he was a Herdsman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit and Elisha was called from the Plough and some others were called from keeping of Sheep So that their call to the Ministry and Practice in the Ministry is according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord in former Ages were called to the Ministry after the same manner so in that they do agree to the Scripture both in Ministry and ministring and so may own protection herein by the Protectors Oath And as concerning their going up and down through the Countries and from City to City and from one Town to another and from one Nation to another this is according to the Scriptures though some seek occasion thereby against them and unjustly take them as for Vagabonds and executes their envy upon them yet it was the Apostles Practice as you may read in the Book of Acts where the Apostles travelled from Country to Country and from one City to another And though some of the Servants of the Lord are moved now to speak and dispute in the Markets and reprove Sin in the Gates and in the Streets and in the High-wayes and threatning God's Judgments against the Wicked all these things are according to Scripture and their Practice herein is justified by the Scriptures for we read Acts 17. 17. That Paul disputed in the Synagogues with the Jews and with the devout Persons and in the Market daily with them that met with him And we read Ier. 7. That he was commanded to stand in the Gate of the Lord's House and to speak to all that passed into it And Ier. 26. we read That he was commanded to stand in the Court of the Lord's House without doors and to speak to all the Cities of Judah And we read in the Book of Ionas How he was commanded to go through the Streets and to reprove Sin and to threaten God's Iudgments against the Wicked and these Practices were strange in that Generation as they are at this day unto the World who are not acquainted with the Wayes of God But all people may see though the Servants of the Lord do practice these things now as they are moved their Practice herein is according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord in former Ages acted the same things so that in this Practice the Servants of the Lord ought not to be persecuted but protected and maintained in it and that by the Protector 's Oath because it is proved to be according to the Scriptures which he is sworn to maintain And as concerning their crying against such and declaring against them by word and writing That Preach for Hire and Divine for Money and seek for their Gain from their Quarter and such who go for Gifts and Rewards and have Sums of Money by the Year for Preaching and though they deny such that act those things to be Ministers of Christ this Practice also is according to the Scriptures for we read in Mic. 3. that he declar'd against such as Preached for Hire and Divined for Money and such were no Ministers of Christ And we read Isa. â6 that he declared against them that sought for their Gain from their Quarter which were Greedy Covetous men such as are many of the Teachers of England Again we read Mat. 23. where Christ declar'd against such and did not own such to be any of his Ministers Who were called of men Master who stood praying in the Synagogues and had the chief Places in the Assemblies And we read in 2 Pet. 2. and in many other places where the Apostles declared against such and deny'd such to be Ministers of Christ that preached for filthy Lucre and took Gifts and Rewards for Preaching and by feigned words made Merchandize of Souls who were Heady and High-minded-men as you may read 2 Tim. 3. chap. and such men were deny'd to be Ministers of Christ by the Prophets Christ and his Apostles so that all people may see this Practice of the Servants of the Lord at this day who are moved to declare against such men that act these things mentioned is perfectly according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord spoken of in Scripture did the very same things in this particular as are done at this day Therefore for this Practice they ought not to be persecuted as they have been but ought to be protected and maintained in it and that by the Protector 's Oath who hath sworn to maintain that practice which is according to the Scripture and to declare against them that preach for Hire and have great sums of Money for Preaching and that are called of men Master and that take Gifts and Rewards of people for Preaching I say to do thus is a practice which the Scripture gives a large Example for and so it must needs be according to Scripture and ought to be protected in this Government Again as concerning their denying to respect Persons or to bâ⦠with the Hat or Knee in respect of worshipping any Creature this also is according to the Scriptures though the people of the World who live in pride and vain customs are offended with them in this Practice for we read that God commanded
hath not appeared to be and her former Glory hath seemed to be gone and she hath been driven away from her Head from her Husband and from her Seed Behold all people the Estate of such a Woman and read this Parable who can A Woman most Glorious and Fair having her Husband Ruler of the whole Earth and having an Heir born to rule over Heaven and Earth being cover'd with the Light of Heaven and of the Everlasting Day and having the Light of the Night under her Feet yet hath this Woman been deprived of her Glory and sate desolate in the Wilderness a mournful place separated from her Husband and made Childless and without Seed And what Eye that sees this aright but must Mourn and what Heart that truly perceives it but must lament A Woman so Great and so Glorious and so Fruitful as to bring forth the Heir of Heaven and Earth yet has she been left as a Mourner as without Husband and without Issue for many Generations This hath been her Estate and Condition for Ages since the dayes of the Apostles which Iohn saw in a Vision would shortly come to pass after him and we see it hath been come to pass within this sixteen hundred years And this hath been the Estate of the true Church for many Ages A Woman childless whose Heir hath been taken from her and whose Seed hath been made war against and killed for many Generations But her time was decreed and she should but be thus for so many dayes and now are the dayes expired and she again shall receive her Heir that hath been caught up from her and her Seed shall spring forth and her Slain shall live and her Beauty shall be given her and her first Glory shall be encreased and she shall feed no longer in the mourning Wilderness but she shall be fed upon the Mountain of God's House which is to be established upon the top of all Mountains and her Seed shall spring forth numberless and her Heir shall rule with an Iron Rod and her Marriage Day is come and the approach thereof nigh and Life shall be revealed Thus she hath been and thus she shall be the Lord hath said it Now as for all those Multitudes of Sects and Peoples that have professed Religion and as for all those Churches so called that have gone under that name which have professed Christ to be their Head and made a shew of him in appearance the Papist's Church the Protestant's Church and all the Sects that have risen out of them they have not been the true Spouse the Lamb's Wife but Children of Fornication and not of the Seed of that Woman that was once clothed with the Sun and they are come up and their Original begun while this true Woman this Spouse of Christ hath been Childless None of these are clothed with the Sun nor none of them have brought forth the Heir of Salvation Come let 's reason with you Who was your Mother who brought you forth and in what Womb were you bred you that have appeared in the world and for many Ages for the true Spouse The Mother of the Heir hath been childless and as a Widdow banished from her Husband and her Heirs separated from her and her Seed killed and made War against She hath not born you nor brought you forth Then of what Womb did you spring all ye of the Papist's and Protestant's Church and all the Sects that came out of you answer me this None of you have been fled into the Wilderness for you have appeared in the World None of you have been as a Widdow mourning for you have been practizing Ordinances and rejoycing in the World None of you have been without Issue nor your Seed made War against for you have been fruitful in the World and one Sect brought forth another and one Church brought forth another therefore none of you have been that Woman which Iohn saw For never none of you from the least to the greatest of you were ever clothed with the Sun nor had the Moon under your Feet nor ruled the Nations with the Rod of Iron therefore none of you are the true Spouse the Lamb's Wife he is not Husband to any of you nor is he your Child nor Heir And this is the Word of the Lord God to you all you Churches and Sects Your beginning and springing forth was from another Womb while this Woman lodged in the Wilderness and while she was childless and without Seed and the Mother of Harlots brought you forth the great Whore whose Superscription is Mystery of Babylon and her Character is Mother of all Abominations For while this other Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness which Iohn saw was fled thither this woman the Mother of Harlots which brought you forth hath been fruitful and flourishing and hath had an Husband and many Children For Iohn speaks of two Women of a Whore and of a Virgin of one the Blood of whose Seed was drunk and the other drunk the Blood yea one that was made war with and against for the Saints were killed and their Blood drunk and that other killed the Saints and was made drunk with their Blood the one was fled into the Wilderness he saw of which I have spoken ãâ¦ã other making all Nations drunk with her Fornication and ruling over all the Nations of the Earth as a Queen And while the one of those the Virgin the Lamb's Wife hath been fled into the ãâã and left Childless without Seed the other the Whore hath â⦠and brought forth many Children taken great Pleasure in the ãâã and committed Fornication with the Kings of the Earth And these thingâ ãâã saw were to come to pass and we see that have Iohn's Spirit is come to pass already And ãâã all ye Sects upon the Earth and Churches so called that have been in the World for many Ages Which of those two Women are you of ãâã the Seed of whether of them are ye Who of these two was it that brought you forth answer me and make it appear But I have said already The Virgin brought you not forth the Lamb's Wife did not bear you nor you are not of her for you were brought forth while she was baniâhed and deprived of her Heir and without her Husband and you are of the Seed of that Whore the product of her Fornications generated by the seed of Adulrerers And though you have been warning and fighting and striving one against another yet you were bred in one womb and are of one seed And thouââââme of you in one appearance of the Whore's beauty brought forth have made War against them brought forth in another appearance of her and âââned her flesh yet have ye given your power to the Beast and Iohn saw that also which we see is fulfilled Some that should hate the Whore and make War against her yet shâuld they also give their power to the Beast This have we seen fulfilled amongst
ãâã practice and also your keeping and setting apart the Saints dayes ãâã ãâã Holy-dayes and eating with respect to dayes denying of Flesh such ãâã ãâã dayes and observing of Dayes and Meats and Drinks and Fasting ãâã ãâã own wills and your Nunneries and keeping Men and Women one frââââ¦ther in secret Houses whether are these things commanded and required ãâã ãâã Lord from you and we charge you to give us some Example that ãâã true Church practized such things otherwise if you do not not caâââ ãâã these your practices from the Scriptures and Example of the Apoâ⦠ãâã you we must deny you and condemn your practiâes forever and ãâã ââ¦lieve that your Church is the true Church nor you lawful Successors ãâã ãâã ââ¦ly Apostles 9. What you believe concerning the Reign and Government of Câ⦠and his coming is He his Reign and Government visible and of this World or invisible and from Heaven and whether Lyars Whoremongers ââ¦terers Drunkards Man-slayers and contentious Men or any that ãâã in any Sin or Transgression in the first Nature be of the Kingdââ ãâã Government of Jesus or have any part or portion therein in time to ãâã ââ¦ever and how may such ever have part therein and give us yoââ¦ââ¦ge in these things And also what you hold and profess concerning Eâ⦠ãâã Reprobation that we may know whether your Knowledge and ãâã ãâã sound and perfect in these things and to be embraced or condemned and ãâã 10. What is the Man-child that hath been caught up to God and ãâã the reason of his being caught up and what is the Woman that fled into the Wilderness and what is the reason of her so fleeing and when is the tâ⦠is it come or to come that the Man-child hath been caught up aââ ãâã Woman fled and that the Man-child shall come down again and the Wâ⦠again return and what is that Beast the first and the second and is ââ¦s kingdom come or yet to come who reigned over the Kings of the Earth and caused all both small and great to worship him and killed the Saints and overcame them that would not worship him and made war against the Lâ⦠and persecuted the Woman's Seed and when is it that the World wondred ââter the Beast is it come or to come Answer these things in plainness ãâã ââmand of you 11. What and who is that great Whore that sits upon many waters with ãâã the Kings of the Earth commits Fornications and who hath made Nations dâ⦠with the Wine of her Fornications and who hath reigned over the ãâã and Dominions of the Earth and is that Whore come or yet to come ãâã whether is your Church every whit free from the Fornications of that Whâ⦠and will you admit of lawfull trial by your fruits and works and suffer ãâã men accordingly and whether the whole Church of Rome or any part of ãâã Dominions be the Multitudes Peoples and Nations and Tongues the Wâ⦠on which the Whore sits and whether your Church be wholly free from ãâã Woman which hath drunk the Blood of Saints and of the Martyrs of Iâ⦠and shew us plainly who that Whore is if you can and what is her Flesh and the Fire that must burnt it 12. Whether are the false Prophets and Deceivers come or to come which ãâã said should come if you say they are come when did they come and ãâã ãâã they and how may they be known and what was their first original ãâã ãâã of what doth all false Prophets and false Prophecies come is the Church ãâ¦ã clear of all the false Prophets and whether is your Ministry in the very ãâã Power Spirit and Authority which the Apostles were in is its Call and ââ¦tion the very same is its Maintenance and Practice the very same and is iââ Fruits Effects and End the very same or some other let us know from you ãâã ãâã may âay you to the Line of true Judgment for all People and Nations â⦠ââ¦ome Friends let us reason a little with you further We are not satisâ⦠ãâã ãâã Bishop of Rââ¦e is true and lawful Successor of the Apostle Peter ãâã ãâã a Tripple Crown and did Kings Bow and Kneel to him and had ãâ¦ã âââenues and Money out of the Nations as the Pope hath ãâ¦ã Pardon 's for Money ãâã or did any buy Religion of him and did ãâ¦ã over mens Consciences and was Peter named Holiness We ãâ¦ã you to prove rightly and truly That the Pope doth succeed Peter ãâ¦ã Spirit in the same Power and in the same Conversation and that ãâ¦ã ââ¦er-see the Church be justly the same as Peter's was and that he exeââ¦ââ¦ctly as Peter did ãâ¦ã ââ¦wer us plainly What is the Seed of the Woman and what is the ãâã the Serpent and is his Head bruised yea or nay And what is the ãâ¦ã what is his beginning and what is the kingdom that he is Ruler ãâã and how is his kingdom to be destroy'd And what is the Flesh of Christ ãâã ãâã Blood which was before Abraham and how is Christ made under the ãâã answer me these things ãâã what is the Death that hath reigned over all and what is the power ãâã and what is the fruits of that death and when must that death be ãâã and is it destroyed among you and what was man in his Creation ãâã ãâã ãâã of the ground and what was he that was the very Image of God ãâã and Female before Adâ⦠was formed of the Dust of the Ground or ââ¦en out of him declare these things plainly if you can and what is ãâã Transgression and the Curse and whether any can be made free from ãâã Curse upon the Earth yea or nay and what is the Kingdom of Heaven ãâã is like a little Leaven and that is like a Net cast into the Sea and what ãâã which must be leavened and what is that good Fish that must be gatherâ⦠into the Vessels and that bad that must be cast away and how doth the ãâã of Heaven bring the bad out of the Waters to the Shore and why is ãâã and wherefore and what is the reason that none can enter the Kingdom ãâã Goâ nor see it but such as are born again and how is a man born again ãâã what is that Mothers womb that Iob and all mankind came out of ãâã ãâã ãâã must return thither again naked and what are the Fig-leaves that ââ¦vered in Transgression and what is the Covering of the Spirit and ãâã must be covered and what not and why is it and how comes it to pass ãâã one and the same thing is sin and wickedness acted by one and the same ãâã good and just acted by another These things answer to us plainly and ãâã ââ¦ve all your Practises and Profession by plain Scripture and give us Exâ⦠from Peter and the true Churches that he and they practiced the same ãâã which the Pope and you do if you would have any to own you otherâ⦠ãâã
Papists and Prelates which went before them for are not these Ministers maintained by Tythes as the Pope's Ministers were And have they not Hire and great sums of Money by the Year or Quarterly even as the Papists and Prelates had Wherefore it is plain that the Maintenance of your Ministers is the very same for substance as theirs was that went before you which you your selves say were Idolaters and if they were Idolaters how can your Ministers be free which do practice the very same things unto the very fame end And do not the Priests of this Generation far exceed the Papists and Prelates Was there ever in Generations past such casting people into Prison and spoiling peoples Goods as is at this day through the means of these Priests and all about their Maintenance and for their Tythes and Hire and yearly Stipends and quarterly Gain Did ever the Papists or Prelates worse in this particular with any people that denyed them Wages then these do that denyed them Oh! great Blindness and Ignorance is over your hearts and great Hypocrisie among your Ministers who profess a Denyal and Dissenting from the Church of Rome and cry against them as Hereticks and that they are in Ignorance and yet practice the very same things Their Call is the very same to their Ministry and their Maintenance the same and Practice in many things the very same as theirs was which they seem to deny and this is great Hypocrisie to cast out and kill their Persons and yet to uphold in many things their practice relating to their Worship and their Ministry Oh abominable Idolatry the Hand of the Lord is against it But this is not the way that Christ's Ministers were maintained they had no such Hire nor great Sums of Money nor yearly Tythes as these Ministers have through the Pope's Institution But into whatsoever House they entred that was worthy they might eat such things as were set before them and the Apostles might freely reap carnal things where they had sown spiritual things but this was after another manner and after another nature for if they had not that yet did they not cast men into Prison and spoil their Goods that would not give it them as this Generation of Teachers do And the Lord God is risen to confound this Worship and this Ministry which is Idolatry and this Church which is but a feigned Immitation and he will establish his true Worship that is in Spirit and in Truth and his true Ministry that is by the Gift of the Holy Ghost and his true Church and this shall be brought to pass in his Day But again There is another Practice which you have which the Church of Rome and the Prelates had your Predecessors If any come in the Name of the Lord to declare against you and against your Abomination to cry against your Sin and cry Repentance among you that you may be converted to God this you account a great Transgression and persecute them that do it by Imprisoning and Whipping and Stocking and by imposing great Fines upon them and causing them to suffer cruel things and this did the Papists and Prelates in like manner as you do if any were moved to cry against them they indeed rewarded them even as you do at this day the same thing you do against such as are moved of the Lord to come among you and herein you succeed them and bring forth the same Persecution in your Churches as they did in their Churches and this is the defence of your Church and of your Ministry Carnal Weapons Imprisonment and Whipping and Stocking and causing the Bodies of people to suffer through Cruelty and Injustice and by this means is your Church and Ministry defended and preserved or otherwise it would presently fall as not being able to continue nor resist nor gain-say the Spirit and Power of God which now is risen to oppose them if they had not carnal Laws and earthly Powers and Goals and Houses of Correction to defend themselves by And is this the Church of Christ and is this Christ's Ministry that has need of such Weapons as these The Apostles and true Churches never did thus neither sent people to Prison that opposed them nor had such Cruelty to execute upon the Bodies of people though many did oppose them out of Wickedness but the Spirit and Authority of the Lord did defend them from all their Enemies But your church and ministry is manifest to be another then that was and to be defended by another means even by the same means that the Papists and Prelates of old were of a long time defended by but when the measure of these things are fulfilled they will come to an end as the measure of that Generation's Iniquity was fulfilled which went before you so in the Lord's season will your measure be fulfilled and the Lord's People shall be free and all Bonds of Iniquity broken And thus it is manifest that this Church and Ministry succeeds the Church of Rome and her Ministers far more then the Church of Christ and its true Ministers and to that it is not equal in any thing but to the Church of Rome it is comparable in many things so that it is manifest that this Church and Ministry is not quite another then the Church and Ministry of Rome but such as have dissented from them and are truly sprung out of that Root and is the same still in substance though differing in some Practices having cast out some old Inventions and brought in some new but as I have said remain still the same in nature and substance though diffented in some particulars yet succeed in many particulars as I may shew more fully hereafter And though you bare the Name and stile your selves The Reformed Churches you mean reformed from the Church of Rome But how are you reformed but by some visible Appearances and not in the Ground having put off but some of her Garments and remain the same Body for substance in nature and matter though differing only in Appearances For the Church which is the True Church of Christ is not thus reformed only changed in part and altered in degrees but the true Church denyeth the church of Rome in her very Beeing and Ground and in all her Practices whatsoever for though many Sects have risen one from another yet all the same for substunce only differing in particulars But as for you to whom this Particular is written that Worship God in Steeple-Houses you are not so much differing from the church of Rome as many others are which are not true Churches neither but the Lord God is now gathering his people wherefore come out of your Idol-Worship and Idol-Temples for God dwells not in them nor is not worshipped there but he dwells and walks in his Saints and is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and his Day is dawned and his Glory risen and he will confound this church and ministry which bears the
be deceived and the Imaginations of your hearts will come to nothing and it s you that will fall and come to nothing and not we whom the Lord is bringing up out of the Apostacy which you all are in and all Nations are in since the dayes of the Apostles And we are not any of all those Sects and false Churches that have been on foot for many Ages for its true they have risen and fallen come up and gone down one after another and made a stir and a noise for a while and then withered and come to nought and dyed away of themselves and this is because their Foundation has not been Christ the Rock of Ages nor none of them have been his true Church his Spouse elected to him for if they had they could not have been prevailed against nor fallen as they have done nor they have not been the true Church which is the Ground and Pillar of Truth for they have wither'd and come to nothing and risen and fallen one after another in a few years time and they could not stand long any of them but must needs wither and be confounded and one consume another and be eaten up one of another for they have risen out of the Pit that hath had no bottom and into that have they and must they all sink down again and they have caused the world to wonder after them for a little season but being not upon the Foundation they could not remain for they have all come out of the Pit go into Perdition have risen one out of another and been destroyed one of another and though some of them have made war one with another and some of them hated the Whore yet have they given their power to the Beast and the Beast rose out of the Pit which had no bottom without Foundation and the Beast and all these Sects that have given their power to him go into Perdition with him and it s not possible that they should remain long but fall and come to nothing because Christ hath not been their Foundation but as I have said We are not any of all these that give their power to the Beast but are of them that stand with the Lamb upon Moun Sion that are redeemed unto God out of every Sect and out of Kindreds and Multitudes and we are of them that have overcome the Beast and his Image and the number of his name who are them that follow the Lamb whither soever he goes who cannot be overcome nor fall because greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and he overcomes the world and he is our Rock and Foundation and we cannot be moved but he keeps us we may not fall nor come to nought as our Enemies do falsly suppose and speak as they would have it but let them be at rest for we shall grow and spring and be encreased into a numberless Number which shall stand upon the Sea of Glass with the Harps of God in our hands singing Praises and Glory to the Lord God for evermore What though the Woman has been fled into the Wilderness and we her Seed made war against and slain and what though we be accounted as Sheep for the slaughter and killed all the day long And what though some that are convinced and come to the Faith of Christ in measure what though some such do turn from the Truth into the evil world again and deny the Lord and his People and their latteâ-end be worse then their beginning the unclean spirit possess them seven fold more then at the first and what though the evil eye doth see this the Wicked do herein rejoyce and take occasion from such things to say They will fall they will fall and people turn from them again O ye Fools and Blind notwithstanding all this Truth shall prosper and such as are faithful shall never be ashamed nor never fall but the Lord will overcome and the Woman shall return and shall receive her Seed to life again which shall be as the Stars for multitude and your desires and conceivings shall be confounded And what though you say They cannot stand long for the Powers of the Earth and all the Rulers are against them and Parliaments they will make Laws to suppress them Nay ye Fools and Blind all this will not prevail for the Lord has broken and will break all that shall oppose his Kingdom which he is setting up amongst us of whose Government and Dominion there shall be no end nor no falling but it shall be encreased forever and ever and Powers nor Dominions of the Earth shall not prevail but all that which they do against us turneth to our Increase and their own Overthrow and Confusion while they think to suppress us and all what they can do and what you may suppose it is all nothing and will come to nothing for the Lord hath spoken it his Seed shall grow and his People shall replenish the Nations and in time it will be manifest whose we are and how we shall be increased and in the mean time we bear all things in Patience knowing assuredly that the Lord is with us and that none upon the Earth may prevail against us and this shall all our Enemies know in the Lord's Season E. B. A DISCOVERY Of some part of the War between the Kingdom of the Lamb And the KINGDOM of ANTI-CHRIST Held forth in this Account of several Disputes and Queries between a Minister of Christ really so and one that hath the Name of a Minister but is proved to be a Minister and Member of Antichrist by evident Testimonies And is a short Account of the Covetousness Ignorance Envy and the Fruits of Darkness brought forth by C. Fowler a professed Minister in Reading And here all may see in some measure the difference between Christ and Antichrist and their Authority and Weapons and also the Fruits and Effects of each of them are made manifest To the Reader Friend THE chief occasion of this being sent abroad to publique view is to the people of Reading most particularly but yet more general unto all and though that it be chiefly unto a particular Place and against a particular Person to wit Ch. Fowler one that hath the Name of a Minister of Christ in Reading whose Folly and Weakness and Ignorance is herein discovered yet it hath partly relation to the whole Ministry of the Nation and all men that do not shut their eyes may see and behold something of that great Opposition that is at this day between the Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Antichrist and I have no other end in publishing of this but for the satisfaction of them that desire it and for the general good of all and if Christopher Fowler shall see himself justly reproved and repeât it may prove of good to him also and I am not a man of Strife for if he and his Brethren had
Slow-Bellies these names and tearms did Christ the Apostles and Prophets use unto such as are some of the Ministry of this Nation and not with Revilings and Reproachings but with the Spirit of Authority from God that reproves the Wickedness of Prophets Teachers and People And tell me Have not some of you sued men at Law and cast them into Prison in this City because they would not give you Money and Tythes and Hire though such as have not heard you nor receiv'd you as Ministers nor received any thing from you and such as you did never any Work for have you sought Wages from and caused them to be imprisoned that would not give you And tell me in good earnest Can any less be said of such who thus walk but that they are insatiable Hirelings and as bad as Beal's Priests and even Cheaters and greedy dumb Dogs let the Witness in your own Consciences answer and you shall have a Reply Now I come to your third Particular which are other Causes and Symptoms of God's Wrath hanging over your heads the frequent disappointment from time to time of all Hopes of coming to any settlement in Government in the Nation occasioned by strange Confusions which is a clear Evidence that God hath in Displeasure darkened our Eyes and hid Counsel from us say you Answ. It is very true that from time to time of late dayes the Lord hath disappointed the purposes of men even concerning settling of Government and there have been almost strange Confusions in Changes But to what can this be attributed Have not your sins been as great a Cause of it as any others And have not you and your Generation been the Counsellors in all these Matters Were not some of you or your Brethren in Oliver's dayes and in Richard's dayes and in the Army's dayes and in the Parliaments dayes and are not you and your Brethren busie at this day in ordering a Settlement in Government in this Nation But the Lord hath hitherto disappointed you and them that you have counselled and he hath broken you into Confusion and Distraction and turned back even the proceedings of Rulers and Teachers and the spirit of deep Sleep and of Slumber is poured upon you all and the Vision of these things is as a sealed Book unto you even because of God's displeasure against you And in that you say Your Eyes are darkened and Counsel is hid from you In that you say true though to your own shame And what trust can be put in such Watchmen What Confidence can be placed by your people in you whenas you acknowledge that your Eyes are darkened and Counsel is hid from you The Scriptures mentioned by you do prove there was darkness upon the Land but Isaiah doth not say nor David that Counsel was hid from them or that their Eyes were darkened neither did ever the Apostles say so but witnessed That the Lord was their Light and in him their Eyes were opened and Counsel was revealed to them Secondly you say This sadly presages of Unchurching the Nation or the Departing of the Glory of God from you Answ. By Unchurching the Nation I suppose you mean making the Church no Church which if this can be done then the Gates of Hell may prevail against the Church contrary to the words of Christ who said The Gates of Hââ should not prevail But I must tell you The Nation of England as to the general part of it hath been long and yet is unchurched that is ungathered by the Eternal Spirit into the true Fellowship in the Body of Christ for the Night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been over the World since the Apostles dayes and over this Nation in particular and your Churches have been no true Churches nor the people under your Ministry truly joyned and united in true Church-Order and under true Church-Government though I do not say but that there are Thousands of sincere People that love the Lord yet remaining among you And the Day of the Lord is appearing which will confound the Whore the false Church which hath been set up in this Nation and through the World and Assemblies which have had the Name of the Churches of Christ will be found to be otherwise in the Judgment of the Lord and all the false Ordinances Practices and Ministers must be thrown down that the Glory of the Lord may again appear Further You seem to charge your selves With leaving your first Love and former Zeal for the Truth and worship of God but the present Coldness and Indifferency in the things of God together with your Barrenness and unanswerable walking to the Gospel of Christ c. say you Answ. Though to your own shame yet do I believe this is truly acknowledged that you have lost your first Love and Zeal which once was in you in the dayes when you were persecuted under the Bishops you were full of Love and Zeal for the Truth and Worship of God according as it was made manifest and then you were sufferers your selves but now you are Causers of others to suffer and there is indeed much Coldness and Dryness and Barrenness amongst you and your People I do truly desire you may repent you thereof that if so be the Lord may heal you and your Walking indeed is Unanswerable to the Gospel of Christ to wit Your taking of Tythes and so much by the year for Preaching and suing people at the Law that will not give you Wages though you do no Work for them these with many other things which you practice is an unanswerable Walking to the Gospel of Christ and seeing you have confessed your sins in some measure Repent and sin no more that your Iniquities may be blotted out Again You complain of the prevalency of Atheism and doting upon Error Endless separations Common Ignorance Unbelief Prophaneness the Prejudice against wholsom Doctrine and all Order of Discipline in the Church and many other Confusions are upon us c. say you Answ. Alas so it is but where is the Blame Oh you Watch-men should not you have better preserved your Flocks should not you have fed them with Living Food should not you have been Examples of Righteousness and Truth unto them and should not you have nourished them with Knowledge and Understanding But because the Shepherds have been lazy and idle and fed themselves and not their Flocks but the Shepherds have rul'd over their Flocks with Force and Cruelty and their Ministry and Preaching hath been a very Burden and Oppression upon the People and therefore it is that their Flocks are divided into many Sects and Separations and great Confusions are in your Assemblies and among you even the sin of the people in some measure will be charged upon you their Teachers whose Flocks are run into Errors and Atheisms and despise wholesome Doctrine and are out of true Order and Church-Discipline even in the Traditions of Men Therefore oh that you Ministers would consider and
because thereof And how easie a thing it is for the present King and Parliament to walk in the same way even to account the true Ministers ãâã Jesus Christ and his People through want of infallible knowledge Hereticks and Deceivers and Blasphemers and to destroy them on that account while Deceivers may be accounted true Ministers by them even till Gods displeaââââ breaks forth against them to confound them And this is worthy to be consiâââed by them against the evil counsel of wicked men who would lay snarââ ãâã their feet and cast stumbling-blocks before them that they may be taken and fâââ to their overthrow 6. It is of the Devil the Dragon and Antichrist all this killing and perââââting of one Sect by ânother about Religion since thâ Apostles days the ââ¦ts and Witnesses have been slain and all that would not worship the Beast ââ¦e been killed by the Dragon the Devil and false power as may be read in the âvelations and never any of the true Churches of Christ nor any Memâer thereof at any time in or since the dayes of Christ and his Apostles did ever kill or cut off by death nor sought so to do any false Prophet Heretick or Blasphemers the true Christians never proceeded in that way but forgave Enemies and did win their Opposers by sound Doctrine and Conversation or gave them up to Satan and separated from them but nevâr killed them but it was the Antichrist the Wolves in Sheep's cloathing that killed about Worship even all that would not Worship The Saints and Martyrs their Blood was shed by the Beast because they would not worship and it was the Whore that hath drunk all this Blood of Prophets and âust Men and not the true Church who wars with spiritual Weapons and âills Enmity and Powers of Darkness but kills not Persons nor wars with âarnal Weapons 7. And if they should proceed to kill and cut off by death such as are Hereticks and Deceivers who err in their minds how unjust would that be to destroy the lives of Men for the error of their minds and judgements in spiritual things And this the King and Parliament ought not to do though false Prophets Hereticks and Blasphemers must not escape unpunished but ought to be proceeded against yet not in and by the way of killing and destroying mens lives for that is a Punishment not answerable to the Offence and every Offence ought to have a Punishment just equal and answerable to the Crime and to punish the Body by death for the error of the mind in spiritual things this is not equal nor according to the Spirit of the Gospel but if any shall be destroyed in their Persons or Estates by Cruelty for or because they are in Error of Mind and Judgement in Matters Spiritual or may be supposed so to be it is no less then robbery and murder in the sight of God And let the King consider this and keep his Hands from shedding of Blood on that account lest he provoke the Lord against him And now I come to the second Branch of the Petition where the Petitioner doth request in these words saith he I most humbly beg your Grace that the âoly Sabbath of the Lord the Christian Sabbath may by your Majesties strict Command be more religiously kept and observed then heretofore c. Answ. I answer to this It is well worthy to be considered by the King 1. That God did indeed command the People of the Iews to keep and observe the seventh day of the week for a Sabbath and that they should not do any manner of work therein they their Servants nor their Cattle but that day ââould be kept holy unto the Lord by them and to this the Prophets and Servants of God in the time of the first Covenant did instruct and exhort upon the Penalty of God's Displeasure against that People of the Iews if they neglected to keep the seventh day of the week Sabbath and upon many the Lord did execute Judgement because thereof onely upon the People of the Iâws for to them onely was commanded the observing the seventh day of the week as a Sabbath as a Sign between God and them 2. That God never commanded the keeping of the seventh day of the week ãâã a Sabbath to the Gentiles nor to any Nation or People saving onely the Pâople of the Iews of which people we are not this Nation I mean according to the Flesh after the Generation of Men we are not of the Iews ãâã of the Gentiles and therefore the seventh day of the week was never commanded of God to this Nation to keep as a Sabbath neither can we be conââmned or judged of the Lord though we keep it not because it was never commanded of God unto us nor to any of the Gentilâs nor to any but to the People of the Iews as I have said and it was but a sign to them and Christ fulfilled all shaddows and was the end of the Law and the finishing of the Sabbath dayes and in him that Type was ended 3. That the observing of the first day of the week for a Sabbath which hath been done in this Nation for many Ages is onely by Tradition and not from any Command of God nor binding Example of the Apostles that we read of it is not of Commandment from God or Christ Jesus The first day of the week hath been observed as a Christian Sabbath but from Tradition and original Ordination of the Church of Rome as themselvâs do confess and the Protestants have taken it up from them though it is acknowledged that the Scripture saith The Saints and Churches of Christians in the Apostles dayes did meet together on the first day of the week for they that witnessed Christ come did deny Temple-Worship and first Priesthood and Circumcision and Synagogues and Sabbath-dayes which were a shaddow Col. 2. 16 17. and it s said They came together on the first day of the week but that this Practise of theirs is a Command to us at this day or binding Example to any Christians that all must keep the first day of the week as a Sabbath by force and upon such or such Pains Forfeitures and Penalties this I have not learned neither from God nor out of the Scriptures but it is doubtful to many even whether the God of Heaven requireth it now of Christians and Believers the keeping of any one day of the week as a Sabbath of rest from all Labour and to observe that day for Worship and to others it is doubtful if a day the Lord requireth then which day whether seventh day or first day of the week And concerning these Cases there is present Controversie in the minds of many men 4. That to force and compel upon any Nation by violent Laws and Edicts the observing any one day as Sabbath upon such and such Penalties and that onely upon the ground of Tradition and long Custom while the Scriptures in that
are not changed in your Hearts but the old Nature is alive and the old Birth lives in you and ye are unlike unto God in Nature ye walk in the âiesh and not in the Spirit and ye take Christ's words and the Apostles words and use your Tongues when God never spoke to you O ye Hypocrites ye have a Name to live but are dead and ye think ye are rich wâ⦠as you are Poor Miserable Blind and Naked and your souls are leââ and want the Bread of Life and ye have not put off the body of sin nor have you overcome your souls Enemiââ but the burden of sin lies upon your âonsciences and Temptations overcome you daily and though you say ye have Faith in Christ yet your Hearts are not purified but the old Man with his Deeds is yet alive and the new Creature is not brought forth in you nor is Christ living in you and speaking in you the Day of the Lord will come upon you you false-hearted men ye Apostate Christians that âold the Profession of Truth and Church and Gospel and Ministry in your âârighteous Minds your Sacrifices are not acceptable to God nor your Offerings well-pleasing to him for your Hearts are not aright bâfore him and your Hypocrisie will God judge and his Wrath will go out like âire to consâme your glory and God will cloath himself with Zeal as with a Cloak and with a Garment of Vengeance and he will slay you with his Sword and wound your Consciences with the Words of his Mouth and your Religion will not sâve you âor your Garment cover you from the Wrath of the Almighty Wo unto you the mighty Day of the Lord is at hand upon you ye earthly Professors who would be Heirs of two Kingdoms who would enjoy God and this World too and love its Vanities and Profits and Pleasures and Honours and live in Strife and Contention one with another aboât âââthly things and about your Religion too and are not of one Heart and Miââ and Soul but are Strangers to the new Covenant of God though you hear Sermons and say a Form of Prayer and keep Sabbaths and Lecture-dayes and perform Ordinances and Duties and yet your Hearts are hard and the body of Sin and Death liââ upon your Consciences and you are not changed into the Divine Nature this Reliââââ will not save you away with it all it s of Antichrist and his spirit leads you while you walk in the Form of godliness without the Power the Lord will come upon you suddenly therefore repent ye of your Hypocrisies and turn to the Spirit of God within you hear its Reproofs and obey it and walk in the Spirit and be ye changed or else you can never be saved Wo Wo unto all ye false Teachers and blind Leaders of the People ye Diviners and false Prophets the Day of the Lord is at hand upon you ye have deceived souls for dishonest Gain ye have run and never were sent of God and ye have not profited the People at all and ye have taken the Name upon you of Ministers of Christ when he never sent you forth and you have kept a prating and preaching up and down and run for Gifts and Reward and Hire ye have deceived the World and the Blood of Souls rests upon you O ye Generation of Serpents Poyson hath lodged under your Tongues your Hearââs have been rotten and your Tongues feigned and full of Flattery and you have been as Canker-worms in the Earth that have corrupted the whole World whom have not ye deceived by your Lyes and false Divinations Whom have not you cryed Peace unto if they would but give you Gifts Money and Hire What Form of Religion would not you take up for advantage to your selves how often have you turned from one Way to another Oh ye false-hearted men the God of Heaven will shew you no Mercy ye are the men that have made the Earth drunk with false Faith and false Doctrines and with Contention and Dissention sometime preaching up one Government sometime another and sometime being for one way of Worship and sometime for another Treachery hath lodged in your Hearts above all others ye have eaten up the sin of the People and cryed Peace unto the Ungodly Wo unto ye that have gone in Cain's way that have bred Contention Persecution Strife and Emulation amongst People and that have gone in Balaam's way for Gifts and Rewards and would do any great man a Pleasure and even curse the People for Money ye have been such as all the holy Prophets cryed against your Fruits and Works declare it ye have sought for your Gain from your Quarter and could never have enough such as Isaiah cryed against Chap. 56. and such as Micah cryed against Micah 3. That preached for Hire and divined for Money and leaned upon the Lord and cryed Peace to them that would give Money and prepared War against them that would not and these things have you done some of ye Teachers and Priests and ye have been blind Watch-men and ye have been idle and lazy Shepherds such as Ezekiel cryed against Chap. 34. that ruled over People with Force and Cruelty and killed them that were fed and did not heal the Diseased nor strengthen the Weak but pusht with the Horn at such as went astray from you and idle and lazy Shepherds have you been who have not fed the Flock with living Food but you have caused them to drink of the foul Waters and theiâ Souls are lean and barren under your preaching Oh look into your Flocks and see what Fruit is brought forth by them and what may be gathered from them Oh the abundance of Pride and Wickedness of Ambition and Vain-glory and Covetousness and the love of this World Lying and Double-dealing and all the Fruits of the Flesh How do they abound amongst the Flocks of your Fold who are in their fruits and by their works not the Sheep of Christ's Pasture but are like Goats and Wolves under your teachings can ye behold this and consider of it and not be ashamed of the fruit of your Wayes What have ye brought forth these many years Or what profit have the People received from you who are yet in their sins unturned from them and not converted to God whereby it appears you have run and never were sent because the People are not profited at all and it grieves the Heart of the Righteous to look into your Vine-yards and to sââ such bad fruit growing you have been sloathful Tillers and have not sown the good Seed in the Hearts of the People but the seed of corruption brings forth fruit in them and your Vine-yards are like barren and untilled Ground that is unplowed and undigged and unplanted with Trees of Righteousness Oh ye have been unprofitable Vineyard-Dressers and ye have laboured for your selves and not for the Lord as is manifest and ye have been idle and lazy and the God of
sprinkling of Infants and to deny it to be the true Baptism into the true Church 2. Concerning taking an Oath we say Christ Jesus commanded Mat. 5. Not to Swear to all and the Apostles Iames said Above all things my Brethren Swear not so that to deny to Swear and take Oathes is according to the Command of Christ and his Apostles and is no error though the Accuser hath here charged it on us as a heinous crime but we do deny all swearing in obedience to the Commands of Christ and our Yea is Yea and our Nay is Nay as Christ hath taught us without an Oath who hath commanded us not to take Oaths nor Swear at all 3. As for pulling down Magistrates and killing all Princes and that it is lawful to have many Wives These are Lyes and Slanders charged upon us by a false Accuser for our Principle is to obey all Magistrates and all Princes in every thing either by doing or suffering and we would have Princes and Magistrates to rule and reign in the Power of God justly righteously and according to the Law of God and would not have them killed and pulled down And we say it 's better to keep in the single chaste life than to have many Wives but any Accusation to make us appear vile this your Informer spareth not but according to his Work will be his Reward in the Day of the Lord. 4. Concerning all being holy in the Church we say That every Member in the true Church of Christ is holy for the Church of Christ is his Body and every Member of his Body which are Flesh of his Flesh and Bones of his Bones are holy as he is holy in kind and quality and it is his Exhortation to his Saints Be ye holy for I am holy saith Christ So that to hold that every member of the Body of Christ is holy is no error though it be so reputed by an ignorant man 5. Concerning all Learning being prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Scriptures I do say that Learning in it self is a gift of God and is not prophane though as to the knowledge of God and the things of his Kingdom learning in Tongues and Languages is little available for it 's the Spirit of God that teaches the things of God and reveals all the things of his Kingdom and none can know God but as the Spirit of God discovers him for the Disciples who were some of them unlearned men in Books and letters had the knowledge of the matters of God's Kingdom taught them by the holy Spirit and such as have the gift of the Spirit of God be they poor or rich are fitted to expound and understand Scriptures for none can understand the Scriptures nor the things therein declared but by the Spirit of God that gavâ forth the Scriptures and it is not Latine Greek or Hebrew that teacheth to understand the Scriptures but it is the Spirit of God and to whomsoever that Spirit is given and God gives it to whom he pleaseth they only are fit to declare the things of God unto others and to expound Scriptures and none else but them who have experience of the operation of the Spirit in their own hearts and this we hold and believe 6. Concerning ordinary Calling and speaking as he is inspired I say the Scriptures no where speak of ordinary calling and if by ordinary calling it be meant calling to any Office in the Church without the Spirit of God I say there was no such Calling for the Ministry of Christ in the Apostles dayes was called by the holy Spirit and the Ministry of the true Church is made ordained and called according to the Gift of God's holy Spirit which he giveth And as every one saith Peter hath received the Gift of the Spirit so let him administer the same one to another So that it is manifest by the Scriptures that the Call to the Ministry in the Apostles dayes was not of man nor by man saith Paul but according to the gift of the holy Anointing the Spirit of God and also every one in the true Church might speak as it was revealed to them for saith Paul If any thing be revealed to another that stands by let the first hold his peace for âe may all speak one by one that all may be edified So that it is no Error to hold that every one in the true Church may speak as the Spirit of God gives them utterance and to whom the things of God are revealed by the Spirit 7. That there are Popish Agents among us and that such are our Ring-leaders this is a false slander and you ought to put the Accuser to prove it it is your duty so to do and that such Popish Agents be named and where they are And I challenge the Accuser to name one among ãâã or else let him stop his Mouth for a Lyar who hath abused your Names with dedicating Untruths to you for your approof Again He accuseth us for saying The Spirit bloweth where it listeth and he saith we judge none have the Spirit but our selves Answ. 1 Christ himself said The Wind bloweth where it listeth and so iâ every one that is born of the Spirit And we do judge God hath given of his Spirit to many that are yet Ungodly and many are convinced of sin by the Spirit of God in their Consciences that are wicked and ungodly who are not of Us but yet we say as the Saints in Ages past said We know that we are of God and that the whole World lies in Wickedness and they that are of God hear us and are one with us and we do inform all People to the measure of the Spirit of God in their Consciences that they may come to the Knowledge of God and to be one with us Again He accuseth us to be acted by the same deluding spirit as John of Leyden was acted by Answ. 1. What spirit Iohn of Leyden was acted by we now dispute not neither doth this Accuser well know but what he hath from the reports of others which may be false as like as true in fome particulars but the Spirit that we follow is the Spirit of God by which we are acted in the wayes of Truth and Righteousness and are not deluded nor Followers of a deluding spirit for we are willing to be tried in our Doctrines and Practices according to the Scriptures and though we stand accused of these and the like things yet we challenge him to prove it before you and that we may be admitted to make our defence and we shall the rather easily prove that our Accuser is acted by the spirit of the Devil who is an Accuser of the Brethren like the Devil and that is a deluding spirit that teacheth men to backbitâ lyâ and slander as this man hath done so he is proved fully guilty of that whereof he hath accused others and must own the shame and condemnation to himself
practised among the Papists we have no Command or Example for it in all the Scriptures only the Apostle exhorted to confess your faults one to another but no mention of distinction of persons as if there was an Order of men among the Saints Ordained for Confession to be made unto as is among the Papists practised But such kind of Inventions are among them and all that gain-say them in their Wayes must be burned as Hereticks and this is the way that the Papists do uphold their Religion not by sound Arguments and by the Spirit and Power of God but by killing such as will not Believe and Practise as they do Doct. 6. That it is not necessary or profitable to have any Church or Chappel to pray or perform Divine Service in Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. As for the Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. and the Body of Christ is the Church Ephes. 1. 23. the Saints of Christ that have Believed in the Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as may be read and in this Church of Christ wheresoever come together is the Divine Holy Acceptable Service of God performed in the Spirit and in the Truth And as for Houses of Wood and Stone builded and called Churches and Chappels which Papists have builded to perform their Service in these are Idolatrous Places and not true Churches God dwells not in Temples made with Hands as it is written And though a man affirm That God may be worshipped and served as well in any Place as in your Churches and Chappels and that such Places are not necessary but God may be served in other Places This is no Error deserving Fire and Faggot as the Papists do affirm and Practice Doctrines 7. and 8. That burying in the Church-Yard is unprofitable and vain That Holy Dayes Instituted by the Church are not to be observed and kept in reverence in as much as all Dayes are alike Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. There is no respect of Places with God neither are the Dead more or less acceptable to him notwithstanding the Place of Burial whether it be on the Land or cast into the Sea if occasion so happen as some times it doth The Patriarchs of old had Places appointed and purchased for Burial of their Dead as it is at this day among the Lord's People but that the Church-yard so called is more Holy than another Place as the Papists do account This we believe not nor can it be proved to us by Scripture or sound Reason And as for Holy Dayes instituted and observed is but a meer Invention of the Romish Church without any ground from the Apostles and it is no sin against God not to observe them and all dayes are as to God alike holy in His sight without respect of one or another And for the Papists to invent Practices without Example in the Scriptures as Religious and then to impose them by force upon all People and to kill and burn such as Hereticks as cannot conform thereunto How Impious Oppressive and Antichristian this manner of work is let all sober People judge And this is but a mocking of God for the Papists to profess Holy Dayes and with a pretence of God's Worship to observe them as Holy when as more Rudeness Drunkenness Wantonness and Ungodliness is usually committed that Day which they profess to keep Holy than is on the other dayes beside And this is manifest to all People that thus the Papists do mock God in their exercise of keeping Holy Dayes Doctrines 9. and 10. That it is sufficient to Believe though a man do no good Works at all That no Humane Lawt or Constitutions do oblige a Christian Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. It is sufficient to believe in Iesus Christ and that Believing is a good Work and if a man truly believes he cannot but bring forth by that Faith good Works and it is impossible for a true Believer in Christ but to do good Works if a Man do no good Works he is not a Believer For Faith without Works is dead and that is no true Belief which is without good Works and a Christian one that is truly so is obliged and bound by the Law of God To do all Good and to forsake all Evil and the Laws of men they are subject to them all for Conscience sake by performing them or suffering under them And as for Humane Inventions of the Papists which they bind on the Consciences of Men upon loss of Life or Estate or Damnation These things we say do not oblige the Conscience nor any Laws or Constitutions of men do oblige Christians to Obedience which are not truly grounded upon the Law of God Doct. 11. That God never gave Grace or Knowledge to a great Person or Rich Man and that they in no wise follow the same Answ. This is a false Doctrine for God gave Grace to all The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men as it is written which Grace teacheth the Saints to deny all Ungodliness and the Wicked turn the Grace of God into Wantonness but the true Knowledge of God is given but to a few and not many Wise men after the flesh are called but God chooseth the Poor and Contemptible as saith Paul to confound the Wise and Mighty of this World and yet God gives Knowledge to Rich and Poor without respect of Persons as it pleaseth Him Doct. 12. That any Lay-man may preach by his own Authority without Licence of the Ordinary Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. All in the true Church and that are of the Church may Prophesie and Speak in the Church one by one as Paul saith without distinction of Titles such as the Papists use Clergy and Lay-men and such like Terms of their own Inventions without Example from the Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes for the Apostle saith If any thing be revealed to another that standeth by let the first hold his Peace for ye may all Prophesie one by one that all may be edified And again Peter saith As every man hath received of the Gift of the Spirit let him administer the same one to another Thus it is manifest by the Scriptures That every Member of the true Church of Christ may Preach by the Authority of the Spirit of God as that moveth and leadeth and this was the Example of the holy men of God declared in Scriptures Elisha that was a Plow-man and Amos that was a Herds-man and Peter that was a Fisher-man these and such as these whom the Papists would have called Lay-men did Preach and Teach without any Licence from men but as the Lord Commanded them who said Ier. 23. He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully and this without respect of Persons and without distinction of Names of Lay-men or otherwise though contrary to this the Papists would limit the Holy
only for their Conscience and Religion sake by persecution 5. Consider if ye do impose one way of worship by force and persecute all that are contrary-minded to prison and death then how shall your Names and memorial be left a reproach to Generations after you in dayes to come who shall repute you cruel men and persecutors and such as destroyed your people for difference in Matters of Religion and without just Cause and thus will your Names be a Curse and not a Blessing to your Children and their Children to all Ages if that ye make Laws and execute them to the Persecution and Destruction of People for Conscience sake and for difference in Religion for Persecution was never of God nor ever justified in succeeding Ages but Persecutors alwayes were rendred Tyrants and Cruel in the Ages succeeding them For do not you condemn the Papists as Oppressors and Cruel Persecutors in Queen Mary's dayes for the Persecuting your Fore-Fathers And K. Iames said it was usually the Condition of Christians to be persecuted but never to Persecute c. in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance page 4. And indeed they are no true Christians that persecute for Matters of Conscience and Difference in Opinion but the False Christians that have a Form of Godliness but are without the Power and out of the Doctrine of the Scriptures who say Love your Enemies and render not Evil for Evil but overcome evil with good 6. Consider If ye do impose upon the Conscience and persecute about Religion ye can never effect your End thereby as to force all into a Conformity and Uniformity to your Church and Religion but though Death and Banishment and the Loss of all be inflicted yet such a thing cannot be effected neither is it the Way of Christ to promote his Church and to convert the Contrary-minded by such means as Force and Violence exercised on mens Persons and Estates as King Iames said in his Speech in Parliament 1609. That it is a sure Rule in Divinity That God never loves to plant his Church with Violence and Blood And if ye do persecute to the heighth in the Case of Religion ye will weaken your selves and cause the Love and good Affection of the People to die towards you and the Persecuted will grow and their Cause be made Honourable and many will be encreased unto it for it is usual in Ages That the Way and Religion which hath been most persecuted hath most grown and thus it must infallibly be at this day and ye can never effect your End-by Persecution nor promote your own Church nor destroy all the Contrary-minded as a Privy-Counsellor to K. Iames the 5th of Scotland advised in Counsel about the year 1539. upon the Occasion of diversities of Opinions then in that Kingdom said he It is an Error of State in a Prince for an Opinion of Piety to condemn to Death the Adherers to new Doctrines for the Constancy and Patience of those who voluntarily suffer all Temporal Miseries for Matters of Faith stir up Numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their Faith and Doctrine not only to favour their Cause but to embrace their Opinions Pitty and Commiseration opening the Gates and thus their Faith is spread and their Number daily encreaseth c. 7. Consider If that ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience but do Impose and Persecute as aforesaid though some for your Fear and Terror and Force against their Consciences should deny their Principle and conform to your Church such ye cause to sin For whatsoever is performed by Force and not of Faith is sin as it is written and such their sin will be laid to your Charge and such who cannot deny their Principles and Conform will be destroyed and their Death will be accounted against you in the Day of the Lord And therefore if ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience many grievous Evils will infallibly follow both to your selves and your People And what Advantage of Honour will such be to God and your Church that are against their Consciences and Light forced into a Conformity for Fear and Terror of men it makes them manifold more the Children of the Devil and Time-Servers and Hypocrites and destroyes their Souls and such can be no true Members of the true Church of Christ but are Reprobates and a Dishonour to God and your Church 8. Consider if ye constrain and compel in matters of Religion and do not ââ¦low liberty of Conscience it is unreasonable and unequal and down-right contrary ãâã the Holy and pure Law of God which saith ye shall do into all men as ye would that men should do unto you and thou shalt love they neighbour as thy self and this is the fulfilling of the Law But to be imposed upon and persecuted for the case of Consciences and for the matters of Worship of God your selves would not willingly be against your Light and Knowledge and then it is unequal and unjust and contrary to the Law of God for ye to do the same to others which your selves would not be done unto And do not you to this day cry out against the Papists in Queen Maries dayes and at this day in other Nations and condemn them as Tyrants and Oppressors for Persecuting Killing and Destroying the Protestants for the matters of their Conscience and difference in Opinion and Judgment And will you do the same at this day as they do to others and follow their example of cruelty and Persecution and break the Law of God and walk contrary to it in doing to others what you would not be done unto And seeing you condemn the late fore-going Powers in these Kingdoms for Tyrants and Usurpers and Oppressors for prohibiting your way of Worship and commanding the contrary and disanulling so much as they could your service Book and Ministry how can you justly do the like to others as to force Wayes of RELIGION upon them and prohibit theirs and command the contrary if you do it ye condemn your selves by judging of others in the like case 9. Consider if ye do not allow liberty of Conscience but impose Church Government and Religion by pains and penalties then ye will fill the Land with Hypocrites and force people into time-serving obedience and into formal wayes of worship some against their Consciences and some in the ignorance thereof which is great abomination unto the Lord and such will neither be true and faithfull in Church nor State but will seek advantages against you if they are forced by violence in the cases of their Consciences and it will beget great contentions and hatred in the minds of men and divide theâ into heart-burnings one against another and against you and your Government for if men become Hypocrites for your fear and terror and deny their professed Principles and conform they will be false-hearted and Envious and Malicious and attempt any thing to be freed from Bondage and Impositions
of Conscience and their Hearts will be dis-engaged in Love and Affection to you-wards and this will be infallibly the Effect of Persecution for Conscience sake as King Charles the first saith in his Meditations A charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength when rougher Opposition fortifies and puts the Dispised and Oppressed Party into such combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors c. 10. Consider if ye force Worship and Religion and cause men to conform against their Judgments how dangerous is this to destroy mens souls and to lead ãâã even to destruction For seeing ye affirm not the Infallibility of your Worship and Religion and yet will impose them and so engage mens Souls in depandancy for Salvation upon things and wayes uncertain and which GOD giveth not the Faith to believe in I say how dangerous is this to ruin souls for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which God works in the heart in the Obedience of Infallible TRUTH So ye ãâã mens souls upon a Rock and it is unreasonable as before mentioned that men should be forced into the profession and Practice of uncertain and fallible Religion and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil for which not you altogether but themselves must bear the punishment in the Day of the Lord and except ye could affirm and prove the infallibility of your Church which is impossible there is no Equity nor Right Reason for it That you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you For as King Charles the First said in his Meditation He desired not any should be further Subjects unto him then he and all of them might be subject unto God c. 11. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience but persecute about the same ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the Heathen Rulers and of the false Christians and shews that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the Church of Rome and ye follow their example who persecute unto death such as they call Hereticks and if ye do persecute for matters of Conscience then ye allow the very deeds of the Heathens who persecuted the Christians for their Religion sake and ye justifie Papists in persecuting the Protestants and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the World by your works and fruits that ye are of Antichrist if ye impose on mens Consciences by force in the matters of Religion and persecute good Conscience about the same for it was the Antichrist and the Beast that first forced all to worship and violently engaged all into a conformity and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the Image Rev. 13. as ye may read And it was not Christs way nor the practice of any of his primitive Churches to impose and force on the persons and Consciences of men concerning their Church and Religion to cause all into a conformity thereunto and destroy and persecute all that would not This was not the way of Christ and his Apostles in their daies but they left Religion free and said they were not lords over mens faith nor lords over Gods Heritage neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience much lesse compel against mens Conciences for the Apostle left the practice of doubtful things as every one was perswaded in his own mind to do or not to do without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same Therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience ye are out of the Doctrine Example of Christ and his Apostles and follows the way and example of Antichrist Heathen Rulers and cruel Papists to your great dishonour 12. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion but impose and persecute about the same It must inavoidably tend to destroy and expel Trading Husbandry and Merchandize in these Kingdoms for a great part of Trading and Husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in Religion and hates persecution and violence in that case this ye will find true on examination and if liberty of Conscience be not allowed such will be exposed to great afflictions some to imprisonment and some to poverty and some to flee into other Countries to the destruction of their Callings and Trading and the hands and industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these Kingdoms if they cannot enjoy their just liberty in temporal spiritual cases and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect even to dis-enable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades and expose these Nations to want and poverty and to enrich their enemies 13. Consider If Liberty of Conscience be deny'd and Persecution be introduc'd about the same all these and many more woful Consequences and Effects will follow infallibly to the ruin of these Kingdoms even Wars and Bloodsheds and Discontents and Murmurings and all evil things will be the Product of the aforesaid Cause viz. Of denying Liberty of Conscience in Religious Matters for in a word it will tend to and may effect the Overthrow of you and Ruin your Government and Authority for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you and his Wrath will go out like a Devouring Flame upon you if that ye limit the Holy One and will not suffer him to exercise his proper Right in being King in mens Consciences to exercise them in all the Wayes of his Worship and Matters of his Kingdom but do oppress impose and persecute about the same this I say will infallibly work the Kingdoms ruin and expose you and your Government to the Indignation of the Holy Lord God who is tender of his Honour and will not give it to another and he loveth and effecteth the Cause of such whose Consciences are truly tender towards him and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them and for a time exercise great Afflictio and âââressions upon them for the matters of their Conscience yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season and deliver them and avenge their âersecuâors And therefore all ye Rulers consider and lay these things to heart lest ye provoke the Lord against you by destroying the People whom he regards and that not for evil doing but for the Caâes of Conscience and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion and how and conform in things against their Light and Knowledge 14. Consider If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience what exceeding danger ãâã run your selves into even to destroy just men and righteous as Hereticks and erroneous and may promote Hereticks as Church-members both which are great Abominations in the Sight of God and this Danger ye bring upon your selves for ye are not infallible Judges who are Hereticks and
be with you all Edw. Burroughs Underbarrow the 18th day of the 8th Moneth 1661. THE CASE Of the People called QUAKERS ONCE MORE Stated Published TO THE WORLD VVith the ACCUSATIONS charged upon them and their ANSWERS WE are an afflicted and Suffering People in these Kingdoms at this day Mocked Reproached Haled before Magistrates Violently abused and Imprisoned and much Hard-dealing exercised upon us This is apparently visible to all people and needs no further Proof But whether these Afflictions and Sufferings Imprisonments and Hard-dealing be Just or Unjust according to our Deserts or out of the Malice and Enmity of our Adversaries this is the Question to be enquired into Unjust and Unrighteous and out of Malice and Enmity and not of true Desert say we are these Sufferings imposed on us But Justly and according to Desert and the Laws of the Land say our Adversaries Who shall be judge in the Case between us Even the Law of God the Gospel of Christ the Scriptures of Truth the Example of Primitive Christians our Neighbours and the Witness in every Mans Conscience and to the Judgment of all these we appeal and shall abide their Sentence First We are Accused of an Heinous Crime and as if we deserved the greatest Punishments Because we are Dissenting and Differing from the Church of England and cannot Conform to all Her Worships and Ceremonies therefore are we said to be Hereticks Because holding and practizing Different Things from Her c. Plea First The Scriptures of Truth which are according to both Law and Gospel do say and Judge That they who sometimes did Dissent and Differ from some of the Church of Christ in some Principles and Practices and could not practice in all things what some others did as Romans 14. where it is signified That some of the Church of Christ believed they might eat All Things some others of the Church did eat Hearbs some esteemed One day above Another others esteemed Every day Alike this kind of dissenting and difference about Meats and Dayes and Ceremonies were amongst the Members of the True Church but What is the Judgment of Scripture in this case of Difference amongst them Not that the Dissenters one from another should be Punished and Imprisoned and Banished but ver 5. Let every man be perswaded in his own mind And One was not so much as to Judge Another in this case of Difference and Dissenting much less to Imprison one another for that Cause And in Phil. 3. 15. it is there signified That if any persons were dissenting and different in Judgment or in the growth in Grace from the rest of the Church every one was to walk in that measure of Truth as he had attained to And if any were otherwise-minded viz. Different in the Growth in the Grace of God then God should reveal the same unto them And notwithstanding their difference in Judgment whether in cases Substantial or Ceremonial yet they were still to be in Love and Unity and walk in their measures to which they had atained and they were not to be Imprisoned and persecuted as we are at this day Hence observe That the Judgment of Scriptures which the Law of God and Gospel of Christ are according to is clear for us and against them that hate us that imprison us and afflict us for dissenting and differing in some Doctrines and Practices from the Church of England But Secondly If we were indeed Hereticks and Erroneous People suppose so which never yet was truly proved of us nor can be What Judgment do the Scriptures which are according to the Law of God and Gospel of Christ give in that case Not that we should be thus imprisoned and Afflicted with corporal punishments but according to Titus Tit. 3 10 11. we should first be Admonished in Love and Exhorted once and again and then if we gain-say and will not hear Reproof to be Rejected cast Out and Denyed of the Assembly of Saints but not imprisoned and banished and according to 1 Cor. 5. where it is signified That some in the denomination of the Church did Offend against Christ and the Church and were Hereticks and Dissenters because of their Evil deeds from the True Church yet these were not to be imprisoned and persecuted in their persons but delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord they were to be Spiritually dealt withal and they were to be cast out into the Wicked World anong the Ungodly to have their portion from God with the Wicked to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that it might be destroyed and the Spirit saved in the Day of the Lord. So if we were indeed such as these were Dissenters and in Difference from the true Church because of some Wickedness yet the Judgment of Scriptures are against our Enemies in this Case who persecute and imprison us for thus it ought not to be done unto us if the Church of England were the true Church of Christ and we in difference from her by False Principles or Evil Conversation or any thing else Thus you see the Judgement of the Scriptures and of the Law of God and Gospel of Christ is against our Persecutors Thirdly But suppose we doubt That the Church of England and its Ordinances Discipline its Worship and Ceremonies be not according to the Scriptures of Truth but are in the Form of Godliness without the Power suppose we in Conscience believe this and think we can prove it which is the very truth of the Case and therefore do deny Conformity to her lest we should sin against God and wrong our own Consciences at least as we believe What Judgment doth the Law of God and Gospel of Christ give in this Case We are Exhorted and Comanded in Scripture 2 Tim. 3. From Covetous Men and Proud Men Lovers of themselves false Accusers Despisers of them that are Good High-minded Men and Lovers of Pleasures they that have the Form of Godliness but deny the Power from all such we are to turn away And therefore we believe we are Justified by the Scriptures in turning away for these divers years past and till we be otherwise perswaded by sound Doctrine from the Ministry and Churches that are in England or lately have been and sound Reason hath not been yet shewed us to the contrary by you because they are such as the Scriptures exhort us to turn away from and because we have judged that they have had the Form of Godliness but not the Power so we are not to be imprisoned and persecuted though we differ and dissent and turn away from all them that are Covetous Proud Boasters Lovers of themselves Despisers of them that are Good High minded Men and such as have a form of godliness but not the Power But we are Judged Just and our Case not condemned by the Law of God and Gospel of Christ and by the holy
could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular Operations and Manifestations of the everlasting Spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum Life and Immortality was brought to light Power from on High and Wisdom was made manifest the Day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy Anointing the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of Glory was born and the Heir of the Promise brought forth to Reign over the Earth and over Hell and Death whereby we entered into everlasting Union and Fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose Mercies are sure and infinite and his Promise never fails and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from Death to Life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren Mountains into the Fold of eternal Peace and Rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own out-stretched Arm. And thus we became Followers of the Lamb whithersoever he goes and he hath called us to make war in righteousness for his Name sake against Hell and Death and all the Powers of Darkness and against the Beast and false Prophet which have deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal Seed Elect Chosen and Faithful and we war in Truth and just Judgment not with Weapons that are carnal but by the Sword that goes out of his Mouth which shall slay the Wicked and cut them to pieces and after this manner was our Birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the Wicked do fear and tremble and our Standard is Truth Justice Righteousness Equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that Banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquer'd by Hell or Death or by the Powers of Darkness but the Lord shall be their Armour Weapon and Defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the Victory over the Beast and over the Dragon and over the Gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with Power Strength and Wisdom and Dominion according to his Mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his Work and put his Sword into our hands and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the Word from his Mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to preach to the Inhabitants of the Earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his Work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we preacht not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the World behold it was altogether Darkness and even as a Wilderness and desolate and barren of good Fruit and Death reigned over men and no good Fruit was brought forth to God but Leaves we beheld upon every Soul and all men and people were made drunk with the Wine of Whoredoms and the Whores Cup they had drunk and was committing Fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the Earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his Power and set up his Government over all for many Ages even since the days of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reign'd while the Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness and the Man-Child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the Sheeps cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Woolf and Iohn saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the World and deceived the World and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the Sheeps Cloathing but inwardly a Ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we behold Nations as a Wilderness untilled and mens Hearts as the fallow Ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good Seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the Light of the Spirit of God which had Anointed us we behold it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the days of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Ministry of Christ in the days of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and Maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and Deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the Spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publick Ministry as now it stands generally is wholy degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differs and is contrary in all things to what Christ's Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false Prophets and Deceivers were thoughout all Ages and this I charge upon it in the face and view of all men to whom this may come for this we saw concerning it in the beginning and our first assurance And as for other Places and Orders of men and Callings we saw them also corrupted and degenerated and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people and blindness and darkness covered the face of the Earth and of the World and all people were in their Transgressions and making void the Law of God and that it was time for the Lord to work and to arise to ease himself of his Adversaries and as for all Churches so called and Professions and Gatherings of people we beheld you as all in the Apostacy and degeneration from the true Church not being gathered by the Spirit of the Lord nor anointed thereby as the true Members of Christ ever were but to be in a
or in the day of Judgment when we and all Man-kind shall appear and come sorth to tryal and every mans work shall be tryed and all shall receive according to their deeds And so gladly would we be made manifest to all the World if that after the reading of this Book any be unsatisfied still in this matter And if any especially of the Heads and Rulers have doubts or Jealousies raised in them concerning us and the Priests and that they further would be satisfied and resolved for that end let any Wise-men propound for full satisfaction of all sorts of People that we with the consent of the chief in Authority that have power in this Nation who may preserve peace and safety among people and thereby to stop all Jealousies may freely and chearfully Four Ten Twenty Thirty more or fewer of us give as many of the wisest and ablest of the Priests and Professors a meeting for dispute at any place in England at what place time and for what continuance as they shall ascribe and consent unto and to dispute and controvert betwixt us and them any such thing and every such particular as shall or may be objected by any of the Heads and Rulers or other Grave Understanding Men wherein they are doubtful betwixt us and would thereof be satisfied that by such Dispute and opening of such causes objected full and real and toal satisfaction may be given to the whole Nation and every particular man and member therein Otherwise Let the Priests or Professors or any of them object what they can against us in our Principles Profession Faith and Practice and our whole Religion And if they shall affirm and alledge any one or more things against us that any Principle we hold or Practice we profess in any part throughout all our Religion are false Principles and false Practices and not according to Truth nor the Scriptures but shall affirm that our Religion is not the true Religion nor we of the true Church of Christ and they shall have free liberty to give their best proof and reason for what they affirm and alledge yet by the Strength of Christ and in the power and authority of God and according to the Scriptures we shall confute all their Proofs and strongest Reasons and on the contrary we shall joyn our Principles Doctrines and Practices and all our Religion and every part and particular thereof to be the very truth and agreeing with the Scriptures according to that shall maintain by lawful Arguments and plea that our Religion and Worship and all that we profess and Practice is according to the mind of the Lord and justified of him and that whatsoever is and may be spoken against us upon that account is utterly false and to be condemned and upon this we will ingage with them and with any of our Enemes of what Sect and Profession soever to the intent onely that Truth may be manifest and embraced and Deceit and Error discovered and denied And also upon such an Engagement we should agree to have the liberty freely and soberly to object against the Priests concerning their Ministry their Call their Practice their Maintenance and their Fruits and Effects and concerning their Church and Principles and Worship and whole Religion and shall hear patiently all that can be said in defence thereof by any or all of them and shall prove by the Spirit of the Lord and according to the Scriptures that their ministry is not the true Ministry of Christ nor they true and lawfull Ministers of the Gospel but shall manifest by evident Arguments that their Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects are not according nor agreeing but contrary and differing to what the true Ministry was and its Call Practice Maintenance Fruits and Effects were in the true Apostles and among the true Churches and furthermore by the Grace of God we shall prove their Church their Worship and their whole Religion in all parts thereof to be degenerated from what the true Church was the true Worship and true Religion in the days of the Apostles and true Churches of old and these things shall we make manifest by faithful and sound Arguments according to the Scriptures that all the Earth may know and all people perceive who is in the Truth and of the true Worship and Religion and who are in the contrary and whether the Priests and that which they profess and practice for Religion or the Quakers and that which they profess and practice for Religion be of God and according to him and whether are contrary that the end of this long Travel and War and controversie may be desided and justly ended between us and all people may be resolved and satisfied concerning us and them that do oppose us And let all the Priests and Professors lay aside and give over their Houses of Correction and imprisoning people and whipping of them and stocking of us and dealing in this manner of violence and cruelty as for years by-past they have done in defence of their Religion and resisting of ours and let them lay aside their carnal Weapons and fighting against our persons and imprisoning of us about our Religion and let them come forth in sound Arguments the best they have and let us see what spiritual Weapons they have to resist us and defend themselves and let us try whether their spiritual Weapons or ours be the strongest and the most powerful and mighty and let theirs that are so prevail against the other be it ours or theirs and this is the way to try the truth and to make all things manifest and to deside and end all the whole controversies between us and them which hath been great this many years and let the Truth be set up and exalted where ever it is and all Deceit thrown down to the Ground and let us war with the Weapons of the Spirit against Errour and false Religion one in the other but le ts not hurt Creatures nor imprison Persons nor stock and whip Creatures and make them to suffer but let us thresh Deceit and whip and beat that and all false Opinions let us throw them down where they are found whether in them or in us and let us fight with the Weapons of the Spirit that are spiritual let them fight no longer with such cruel carnal Weapons and then let such as get the victory and overcome appear to be in the truth of the Church and such as falls and is overcome be manifest to be in the Error and of the false Church and Religion and let us love one anothers persons and let them act no otherwise towards our persons then we do upon theirs and towards them and let them take the liberty to deal with us and our persons as we deal with them and their persons and no otherwise And let such whether them or us that cannot prove our selves to be the true Church of Christ nor of the true Worship and true
Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the Error and out of the Truth let such deny their Worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confess to all the World under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their Mouthes and never profess nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and Conditions we will joyn trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the World it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers years have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the Ground of Quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful Tryal in Disputes or Writings for the Tryal and searching out of the Truth and the true Religion And were it not equal and reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to Prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to Prisons and Houses of Correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the Truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no Weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the Weapons of the Spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let Creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other Weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the Weapons of the Spirit of God which are powerful will bring down strong Holds and as for Creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose Weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and who do overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with Prisons and Whips and Houses of Correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but only the Power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their Enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry Deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be Deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the Election for no Deceivers nor the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ in the Election then if all the Deceivers upon Earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the Elect cannot be deceived and upon these terms we may engage with any people and Sect upon Earth Therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the Liberty to declare in soberness what you own and prosess you shall not be persecuted nor your Bodies nor Persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to declare in Meekness and Soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and profess and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withal and then let it appear whether we or our Enemies have a greater Testimony and more powerfull in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the trial of all things but doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by Violence and Whipping and Persecuting it shews you have not the spiritual Weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and Whippings and all Violence because the Authority of God's Spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the days of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their Enemies and so all Sects have been fighting one with another and killing Persons and Creatures and desending themselves by Prisons and Inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this hath been out of the Power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath power to kill and hath killed them by Fires and Tortures and cruel Deaths and all these have lost the spiritual Weapons and been without the Power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath been to be defended by Goals and Prisons and Whips and Stocks and violent Dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the Power and Spirit of God defends her always and not Inquisitions and Prisons and Whips these are Cains Weapons and not the Weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same Ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with whom you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the Protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now Dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be Deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindedness for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a Persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be Deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your
shake terribly the Earth shall give us our Portion in the Lake that burns I answer Let all the World here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it self through thee thou before wast scorning of trembling and now thou art approving of it and if it be they that tremple which serve the Lord here be a Witness against thy self thou servest him not who art not yet come to tremble but art in thy high nature above the fear of the Lord and here again thou art found a false Accuser for we reject not the Law of the Lord nor the Word which he hath spoken but live in it and rejoyce in it daily for in it is our hearts delight And here again as thou hast measured to us it shall be measured unto thee when the Lord God arises to recompence his Enemies thy Portion will be the same as thou hast said in the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone And now a few words in answer to that which thou calls A Caution to all that are called Saints in the Nation which may concern all people I answer They who are Saints who dwell in the Light and walks in the Light do discern thee to be no Saint neither will receive any caution from thee but will testifie against thee for thy Lyes slanders and false accusations which thy Book is filled with and herein it may concern all people that thy Lyes and Slanders be reproved and laid open lest they receive thy Lyes for the Truth and be deceived by thy subtil Speeches who brings the Prophets words and the Apostles words wrest ing them and falsly applying them to make thy Lyes to be received but all people who love the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened them will see thee and deny thee and turn away from thee as having the Form of Godliness without the Power And whereas thou sayst Ye may rejoyce that you live to sâe not only the mystery of Godliness but also the working of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men calâd Quakers I answer That name Quakers was cast upon us by the Heathen through their scorn and derision as the name Christians was upon the Disciples though quaking we own for all the Holy Men of God witnessed it and the Holy Scriptures declares of it and here again thou enviously and maliciously castest a Slander upon us Fleshly Corrupt and Sensual-mindedness and the working of the mystery of Iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty Power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ which takes away sin to the praise of the living God I speak in clearing the Innocent from thy false Slanders and it shall stand for thy own condition fleshly corrupt and sensual-minded and the working of the mystery of iniquity And herein I prove thee to be so by thy Fruits thy Lyes and false Reproaches and envious false Accusations which is the fruits of the flesh and of corrupt sensual-mindedness which fruits do appear in this thy Writing and as for the Mystery of Godliness it is hidden from thee and in that mind and nature thou shalt never know it for thou livest in the sight of thy own Pollution and of thy carnal Ordinances and not in the injoyment of the Mystery of Christ which is Godliness And whereas thou sayest Ye may rejoyce and in nothing be terrified because the Scriptures did foretel of such and is fulfilled in these men And thou bringest many Scriptures where Christ and the Apostles prophesied of the coming in of false Prophets and Teachers I Answer Though ye do now rejoyce yet your joy shall be turned into sorrow and howling and the Lord hath said it and the day of terror will overtake you wherein your hearts shall fail you for fear and your foundation shall be removed and its true that the Scripture doth foretel of us and is witnessed in us That all the Lord's Children should be taught of the Lord And that the Lord would gather his Flock out of the mouths of all dumb Shepherds c. and according to our growth up in the Life of the Scriptures they are fulfilled in us but false Prophets we do deny though all those Scriptures which thou hast set down we own to be prophesies of false Prophets those false prophets which Christ prophesied of came in the Apostles dayes they saw them comming in then 1 Iohn 2. 18. And as all these Scriptures testifies which thou hast cited and since the Apostles dayes hath been a great Apostacy and not a true Church of Christ could be found and ever since hath the same Generation of false Prophets stood under several forms and appearances deceiving the Nations But now the pure Light of Christ shines discovering to them who walk in the Light who they are and daily more and more clearly shall they be seen and thou wilt be found in their number who art a cursed child in whom the son of perdition is exalted which utters forth thy Lyes and Slanders sensually and make it manifest to all that thou hast not the Spirit of God but are separated from it in self-seperation which is abomination unto God and must be scattered by him And whereas thou sayest Seeing it is so let you be filled with boldness and let you contend against those ungodly Ones which are now risen I answer ungodliness we deny and your boldness shall the Lord turn into weakness and faintness and your contendings against us shall not prosper for this is our heritage every Tongue that riseth up in judgment shall be condemned you shall all be scattered and driven away as Chaff before the Wind who sets yourselves to contend against the Truth for that which is now risen shall confound you all And whereas thou bringest many Scriptures which were Exhortations of the Apostle to the Saints with exhorting thy Brethren I answer The Scriptures I do own and that Spirit which spake them forth I witness but thou art an Enemy to the Power of them though thou hast the Form of Truth thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an Enemy to the Life which the holy Men of God lived in and so hast cleared thy self from those Scriptures which were written to the Saints and must own those which were written to the World The Lyar must be cast into the Lake the Wicked must be turned into Hell and such as these thou must own to belong unto thee and these are thy Scriptures which thou hast right unto And whereas thou sayest We talk of high enjoyments and great revelations without above and beyond the Scripture and that we talk of a Light which is besides the Scripture but its deep and thick darkness and what hath such lights led men unto even contempt of God and of all Righteousness I answer Here again thou art found a Lyar and an Accuser of the Brethren for what we do declare the Scripture witnesseth to the same and we speak of nothing
of the Power of God and we shall not much seek or beg our Adversaries belief for to God are we known and one to another in the Spirit and not to the wisdom of the World which is devilish and knows not nor receives not the things which be eternal His last Reason They teach but such like Dostrine and takes the like course as many of the Hereticks did and saith he Shall we run our selves into the fire which hath consumed such Heresie through former Ages c. Answer To this I answer The Doctrines of the Gospel we hold forth and teach to all people and in that way that is called Heresie worship we indeed the God of our fathers but it is but such as this man with whom I deal who is a false witness-bearer and a reproacher and the Company of Hireling-Teachers and such like that doth call the Way of God Heresie And though he say presently after the Apostles dayes such Hereticks arose and troubled the Church To which I answer Nay it is just such like as himself who appeared in the Apostles dayes who taught for filthy lucre and for gain made merchandize of souls and it was such lying Prophets which Iohn saw the whole world run after in his days and they were them that troubled the Church even such as were heady and high minded and covetous men and such as are false Accusers and fierce men and his shame and folly is made manifest and so his lyes and slanders are turned upon his own head And in his conclusion he doth beseech Professors to consider impartially of these 24. Reasons to which I say The most of them are so reasonlesse that they will rather turn to his own confusion then to his praise to any man of understanding And he bids all bethink themselves first What a doleful thing it is that Professors should be so loose and unstable c. Answ. Doleful it is indeed that after so much preaching of Priests of England people should be so ignorant loose and unstable as indeed they are and this is a very shame to Teachers and shews that they were not sent of God because that the people are not profited at all but continues ignorant loose and unstable and wicked according to their own confession and indeed people are to be pittied that are under their Ministry who by it can never come to the Knowledge of God but must be ever learning fifty or sixty years and ignorant loose and unstable at their very end and yet these are members of this Church of England so called which the very Pastors thereof confesseth to be loose and unstable andwicked and brands us to be denyers of this Church as indeed we have good reason to see the Members thereof so wicked loose and unstable as is confessed by their own Teachers therefore we cannot be condemned for denying such a Church Secondly He bids consider what a heavy judgement it is to Professors themselves to be self-condemned and self-divided from the Church c. To which I answer A heavy judgement indeed that such as are of the Church should be self-condemned and self-divided from it but yet it is a blessed thing that any that have been deceived with false likeness now should come to see the error thereof and be turned to the true Church which is in God and to be drawn away from all windy Doctrines of Englands Teachers and this many doth witness Then he exhorts Christians to be serious and be true to the Light which they have received To which I say All that are true to the light which they have received from Christ Iesus will deny this man I now deal withall and all his Lyes and Slanders Then he bid-stick close to the Word of God and I say All that do so will find it as a Fire and a Hammer and will be gathered from under the dead Doctrines of men in this Age. And he exhorts them to stick close to a faithful Ministry To which I say Then must they deny all Hirelings and such as preacheth for hire for such are not of the faithfull Ministry but Deceivers of people And thus in few words return is sent in the pursute of a Sheet of Lyes and Slanders put forth into the World and all sober-minded people by this may come to a good understanding between Truth and error And though he hath taken a course to spread his Books ãâã Ballads and Fables by having them cryed up and down the streets which is not for his advantage altogether but doth shew his Work ridiculous to all wise men And so hereby it may be seen that all his Strong Reasons are confounded and overturned that would hinder a man from being a QUAKER THe main and chief things I have spoken of and by what is written in short men of understanding may understand what his whole matter can be But in the beginning of his Book he falls a complaining of the lamentable ignorance and ungodliness of common People and of the pride and seââ¦conceitedness of Professors of godliness and of the weakness and giddiness and unstableness of others To this I Answer It is true abundance are ignorant and abundance are proud and self-conceited and abundance unstable and giddy in their minds and substract these from the whole Company of the Hearers of the Teachers of England and there is but a few left if any at all that are truly righteous in the Sight of God and so to the shame of all the Teachers of England hath he confessed the truth in this particular and sheweth that indeed the People is not profited by them and this is a strong Argument that they were never sent of God but hath ran and were never sent But presently after that he cryes out of Hereticks and Deceivers even like as the Pope doth but What is he afraid of That they that are ignorant and ungodly and proud and self-conceited unstable and giddy should be deceived they that are in those iniquities are deceived already and cannot possibly fall into greater deceit or delusion But it appears That many of the Priests of England cares not how little their Hearers profits by them so if they can get their wages their Hire their great sums of money for one of them said I mean a supposed Minister of England in Cambridge-shire That he mattered not if all his Hearers went to the Devil so they would but give him his dues to wit Tythes and Maintenance So that by this instance you may judge what stock they are of and what their endeavours are and we desire that people may be undeceived of that wherein they are deceived and that they may turn from such a Generation of covetous Teachers who care so little for their souls And whereas he saith The Quakers are but of a few years standing and that they arose from among the Papists but a few year ago c. To this I Answer the people of God received that name but a
the one is the Word of God but the other is not and this all sober men confess to though thou dost jangle and twist about it with thy lame Arguments to no purpose at all except to shew thy Weakness and Folly And also No man is justified by Christ's Righteousness until he receives it and as he receives it and this thou shalt one day witness For though Righteousness be in him sufficient to justifie yet by it art thou nor any man justified but in the receiving of it and dwelling in it and this shalt thou confess to be truth in the Day of the Lord and in the mean time let me bear thy false censure in calling this Heresie And also a man may be tempted to sin and there may be evil motions to him yet he not being overcome of the Temptation not consenting to the motion of sin it is no sin unto him neither shall sin be imputed to him if he commits it not but he that commits sin though he profess never so much of Justification yet for his sin shall he be condemned and this shalt thou witness in the day of Iudgment Also That there is a Perfection attainable in this life even to be perfect and without sin in Christ Iesus and this I affirm to be the Truth of the Gospel and that wherein the Faith of God's People stands and though thou madest a twisting and a wrangling against it yet it is too strong for thee and in thy wisdom and thy arguments is thy folly and thy weakness seen and Truth stands over thee and thou canst not it nor me reprehend And also That some of the Scriptures were spoken to the World and not to the Saints this I also have sufficiently proved and thou art not able to detect it and all thy snarling in opposition to these things is confounded and thy Arguments made without effect and all whose eyes are open see thee to be of too short a measure and of too weak a capacity to understand the deep things of God which are hidden from thine Eye and them thou savourest not in that wisdom though thou hast the words yet thou art ignorant of the Life and the Life is in dominion over thee and to it must thou submit and lay down thy Crown And from thee am I hidden in that Life and Truth which I do profess And though I be as a Deceiver yet am I true and though I be slandered and reproached and back-bited by thee yet it is for Christ Iesus's sake and for his Truth 's sake and not as an Evil-doer But Friend learn more Wisdom then to judge a man before thou hearest him or to condemn the matter before thou hearest the Proof of it for by these things thou hast not gain'd a good Report but God condemns thee for it and men see thy shame in it and the burden of it one day shalt thou bear even thou and all that own thee in these things And now thy spirit is try'd and it is found too light and cannot stand in Judgement for it is unsavoury and though seperate from the World in appearance yet is thy spirit of the world and reacheth not the knowledge of the things that are eternal but art imagining in thy mind not being guided by that Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures and so thy knowledge is natural and cannot contain Spiritual Things Therefore Friend come down to God's Witness in thee the Light which shews thee sin and convinces thee of evil that Light is thy Teacher if thou lovest it and thy Condemnation if thou hatest it I have divers particulars against thee at a convenient season to manifest thy Folly and Weakness by them And whatever thou judgest me I am a Friend to thy Soul Edw. Burrough Richard Goodgroom held forth at the Dispute at Draton the 18th day of the 11th Moneth 1657. HE said The Letter was the Word and by the Letter he said he meant the thing contained in the Scriptures And when I said I had the Letter in my hand meaniug my Bible but not the thing signified he said But I had the Thing signified And he said People were justified by Christ excluding the New Birth and the Work of Sanctification and Christ justified Sinners as Sinners that is while Sinners remaining in sin At Justice Fortescue's house in the year 1656. he did deny That any was converted to God by a Light within And then I asked If it was not that same Light that converted which gave the Knowledge of God and they confessed Yea and yet did deny That the Light within converted to God though I shewed them that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 6. which did confound the Deceit At Uxbridge one time he said Christ needed not to have come to have judged the World for there was sin enough in the World to judge it before he came Then I asked If Sin judged the World and he answered Yea and he said They were in the Covenant of God spoken of Nehem. 9. which turned the Law of God behind their backs E. B. A TESTIMONY Concerning the Estate of the True Church What she hath been and what she is Being given forth from the Motion of the Spirit of the Father COncerning the true State of the Church what she hath been and what she is at this day and concerning her Increase and Decrease through Ages and Generations past And her present State is this Returning again out of the Wilderness where she hath long been fed having a place prepared of God Now the Apostle saw her a Woman cloathed with the Sun covered with the Light of Heaven and with the Glory of God having the Moon under her Feet the Light which was ordain'd to rule the Night Thus she was and this was her state in the dayes of the Apostles when many were converted out of Darkness and renewed to be Members of this Church for her Glory shone through the World and she flourished through Nations and this was her state in the Apostles dayes And she travelled to bring forth the Man-Child Christ Jesus which is the Child and Husband of this Woman which was clothed with the Brightness of the Glory of God the elected Spouse of Christ the Lamb's Wife and his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones having Power and Dominion and treading under all contrary And thus was it with her in Generations past whose Seed spring forth as Branches fruitful and glorious But in process of time it came to pass That this Woman the Spouse of Christ his Body the Wife and Mother of this Man-Child she was bereaved of her Beauty and her Garments were taken away her Seed was made War against and was smitten and overcome and she fled into the Wilderness and there hath sate desolate as a Widdow lamenting the loss of her Children and being deprived of her Husband and the Man-Child which should have ruled the Nations For she hath been fled into the Wilderness and her former Beauty
you Sects and false Churches and your beginning we know and the first beginning of Whoredom and when the Whore began with her Fornications since which time all Nations have drunk her Cup and her scent has been upon Nations and Multitudes and Peoples Her first Whoredom Iohn speaks of in his Epistle and her beginning They went out from the Body from the Spouse and from the Virgin they went out from the true Church being false Members not as ever being of the Body of Christ nor of the true Church but such as had been amongst the Members of the true Church and were once convinced which had got the Form and put on Sheep's Clothing upon the Wolvish-nature and here was the beginning of her Whoredom She went from the Spouse and went into the World and the World heard her and received her and they drunk of her Cup and committed Fornication with her and she played the Whore in the Unbelieving World after she departed from the Saints she went out from them and they denyed her and it was manifest she was not of them and this was the beginning of Whoredoms And she was but young yet in her Whoredoms and little in the world and had not yet deceived many but in process of time it came to pass she encreased so mightily that she made all Nations drunk and overcame them Kings and Rulers Bond-men and Free-men they all drunk of her Cup and she became so great that Nations Kindreds Multitudes and Peoples were her Seat her place of Government where she sate Ruler and Queen having Dominion over all and all were bewitched by her and made drunk with her Cup And of this Woman came ye all ye Sects upon Earth and you are the Multitudes Kindreds and Peoples upon which her Seat hath been and over whom she has had her Government And this is she that has drunk the Blood of the Saints and overcome them and the Heir and Seed of the other Woman the Virgin hath long been made war against and killed and slain by this woman and her seed and this hath been the State of the Church for many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles she has been fled and her Seed made war against and killed and her Heir caught up to God and the Nations which should have been ruled by her Heir the Whore has set upon them and the Peoples and the Multitudes which he should have govern'd have been the Seat of the Harlot the Mother of all Abominations And was it not like to be so and how should it be otherwise when the Man-child the Woman's Heir has been caught up to God and he has been as prevailed against and the Remnant of the Woman's Seed made war against and killed and this has been since the dayes of the Apostles And so all you Churches and Sects by what name soever you are known in the World you are the seed of the great Whore and she hath brought you forth while the other Woman has lodged in the Wilderness and remains childless If any man hath an Ear to hear let him hear Now it may be objected unto me and thus may it be said By this Accompt the Church the Lamb's Wife has been prevail'd against by the Whore because it is said She hath killed the Saints the Members of Iesus and of the Church This seems to sheâ as if the Church of Christ had been prevail'd against but Christ sayes The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them but she should remain forever and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her And how do those two things agree it seems doubtful to us may some say Answ. To all this I do answer The true Church the Spouse of Christ in her self was never prevail'd against so as not to be in beeing or that she was not but in her self has remain'd in beeing and not prevail'd against so as not to have a Place or Beeing and Christ's words are true she has had a Place and Beeing to wit in the desart Wilderness which place was prepar'd her of God there to be fed for such a time So she has a Place and has a Beeing though in the Wilderness a place desolate and of mourning So she has not been prevail'd against as that she has not had a Beeing but the Lamb's Wife the Mother of the Heir that which is perfectly so which was and is to be joyn'd to Christ which is of his Flesh and Bones taken out of him that cannot be prevail'd against never was nor never shall be for the Devil nor Satan have nothing in him of whose flesh and Bones she is which is taken out of him and it is as possible for to prevail against him as to prevail against her for she is of him as Eve was of Adââ if any have an Ear to hear they may hear But her Off-spring has been overcome her Seed made War against and her Heir taken away and caught up from her so she not prevail'd against nor overcome though banished into the Wilderness fled thither and there has she fed and had a place and has been left Childless as I have said So the Mother and the Lamb's Wife hath had a Beeing and in her self never prevail'd against nor overcome and Christ's words are true Yet has her Seed been kill'd made War against and overcome as Iohn said and both these are true and this is my Answer and if any have an Ear to hear they may hear though a Parable to the World yet plain to the Seed which now God hath raised and is raising for the Woman again is returning and her Seed again is springing and she is becoming as fruitful as ever and her Glory shall be as great the Light of Heaven shall cloth her and the light of the Night shall be under her Feet as perfectly when she is restored as it was before the Apostacy though People cannot believe this in the Apostacy No Revelation nor immediate Teaching nor Miracles now to be expected cry the Professors and these false Sects and Churches It was extraordinary Times and extraordinary Manifestations were amongst the Apostles and Churches of old say they but the same now are not to be expected nor never to be looked for but thus they are in Blindness and Ignorance and Unbelief But we believe the Glory of this Woman that hath been long fled into the Wilderness and hath been long without Issue while she hathbeen fled shall have the same Fruit and Issue and the same Clothing that she had before she fled When the Whore and her seed is removed from the face of the Earth the Glory of the Lamb's Wife shall be as great her Beauty as fair her Fruit as plentious as before the Whore was and they that believe it not believe not the Scripture for that testifies of the Glory of the Church to be the greatest in the last days as we are sure and certainly know it shall come to pass when
all Nations since the dayes of the true Churches and holy Apostles And know ye That we are none of all the many Sects nor of the divers Wayes and formal Worshippers that are but in the Imitations fiegned of what the Saints of old spoke and performed in the Power and Spirit of God which hath been spoken and practized by all the divers Sects and false Churches without the Spirit Power and Life that was in the Apostles so that all Religion hath been and the Profession and Practice thereof for many Ages but as the floating of a broken Vessel upon the Waters driven with the several Winds wanting Anchor and skilful Marriners which have not carried to perfect Rest the Hope of Eternal Life But know ye that now at last through our long and wearied Travels and after all our tedious Seekings and our zealous Practises and Profession in Christianity performed by us while Darkness covered us and the Earth hath the Lord set us safe upon the Rock Christ Jesus upon whom the Church of Christ firmly standeth and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against and he hath made our Habitation sure upon the Mountain of his House which is established upon the top of the Mountains whereunto we now are gathered and rest in a certain hope and tried confidence and doth view the whole World and the state of all Mankind and measureth the times and seasons thoroughout Generations and the state of the Church we perfectly know by the inspiration of the Almighty her estate before the Apostles dayes and in the Apostles dayes and since the Apostles dayes and her increase and decrease and estate since the beginning of the World till now and at this present time to us is certainly known by the Spirit of Jesus and the Light of the Lamb which now is risen upon our Mountain and shines in our Habitations And first we certifie you as for the many false Sects and Churches so called and many of the divers worshippers and separated forms of Churches risen up since the Apostles dayes from the least of them to the greatest we have searched and examined and are not fully satisfied but rather the contrary that they are perfectly sound in the Faith but rather degenerated from the Power Spirit and Life that was in the Apostles and among the true Churches before the Apostacy and we have sought out their first original and root and we find they fall short of the true Church and the Apostles first in respect of time many Generations and also in respect of life and power and purity and they want the spirit and dominion and Government that the true Churches and Apostles possessed and we certainly believe they are many of them come up and risen in a dark Night long since the dayes of the Apostles while the Sun was yet unrisen and while the Mountains of Ignorance Blindness and Wickedness covered the face of the Earth and the Clouds of Darkness remained upon the face of the whole Heavens and while yet the Man-child remains in God being caught up to him and the Woman lodged in the desolate Wilderness being thither fled because of the great red Dragon And we believe not that any of them are the Lambs Wife lawfully joyned to him neither are they the Virgin in which there is no spot nor the Spouse truly in election to Christ the Bridegroom for we have had controversie with them this divers years and weighed them and measured them in the ballance of equity and they appear to us not to be of a true descent from that Vine into which true Church was planted but their original may be of a latter race And to say no more of them we certainly know they are foully spotted and have not the favour nor parts nor garments of a Virgin and Christ the Bridegroom they have deeply wronged for many false Sects have risen out of the great Whore the mother of Harlots who hath been in open and secret Fornication ever since the days of the Apostles and such are her off-spring and not of the true Seed elect which is heir by right of the inheritance of Life eternal the Kingdom which hath no end And for as much as the Church of Rome hath openly pleaded as we have heard and some of your Members also to our faces that she is indeed the true Church and she alone and none besides and that you can fetch your original by line truly from the Apostles and Church of the Saints and are not degenerated in any particular of Faith Doctrine nor Practise from the Life and Power and Government and Spirit which was among the true Church and in the Apostles These things with others the like have we heard of you and concerning you by many And now because the Lord hath put it into our hearts to have controversie with you and to seek out perfectly your original and to justifie you or condemn you accordingly and having the certain infallible Spirit of the Lord God to try all things we are purposed in the Lord to visit you and to examine to the Foundation your rise and first beginning from whence you come by descent and what you truly are in your present Estate and whether you be indeed the true Church and have the true Spirit or whether you are otherwise that all the World may be satisfied and more perfectly know the full Truth concerning the Church of Rome and your Seed and Root we will examine and your Birth and Original we will search out and your Faith and Worship and whole Religion we will lay to the Line of true Judgement to justifie you or condemn you eternally for the Saints shall judge the World and your Garments shall be stripped off and your Secrets discovered and your whole Body and Members made fully manifest that the very truth of all things may appear and be embraced and the Whoredoms of the whole Earth may be laid open that the Just and the Innocent that hath long lain groaning in great Captivity may be delivered from under all Bonds of Oppressions Whoredoms and Iniquities and this will the Eternal God by us speedily bring to pass amongst you Wherefore thou Pope greatly admired and highly exalted and to all thy Cardinals Friers Iesuits and Priests and all other Officers under thee I am moved of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is the only Holiness and highest of all by this Message to visit you requiring you and charging you in the Name and Authority of the Dreadfull and Mighty God before whom all men and Nations are as nothing in comparison but may be turned at his pleasure and dashed to pieces by his Mighty Hand and unto whom all the Sons of Adam in the World must give an Account and as you will answer it to him iâ his dreadful Day of Judgment and Vengeance and as you love and will obey your God and Christ whom you profess and serve and as you would honour your God and
bring People to your Way and Worship and Religion upon these Ingagements and by the Authority of the Almighty I lay it upon you to answer and for you to return your knowledge and opinions to the Particulars following which I am moved by the Lord to query and demand of you that your Doctrines Practises and Worships and whole Religion in every part thereof may be viewed and examined and measured according to the Saints and Apostles writings and may thereby be cleared or otherwise reproved and condemned And if your Profession and Practises in Religion be sprung from the true Grounds and true Spirit and your Church be indeed the true Church that can prove her pedigree truly descended from the Church of Christ before the Apostacy and clear her self from all degeneration in every degree and that she is perfect in the faith and worship and practises of the holy Church and Apostles of old then shall all that love God and fear him and hopes for life eternal separate themselves from all Sects and Apostates separated from you and come in and return again to you as to a faithful Mother and joyn with you in all things and add themselves to your Church only and renounce and deny all the contrary that is not of you and so shall your names and honour be increased through all the Earth But and if after lawful trial and just examination and searching out the matter it be proved against you that you are degenerated from what the true Church and Apostles were and are not builded upon Christ the true Rock and Foundation but diverted from the Power Life and Spirit and true Religion which the Apostles were in and that your Church is not the true Church but a false Sect and your original cannot be fetch'd from the Apostles but is of a latter and more corrupted Race then shall you deny all your Religion and Church and renounce your Profession and Practises and come to them and joyn with them that can prove their Church to be the true Church and can fetch their original from the Spirit of the Apostles and that is builded upon Christ the everlasting Foundation whoever this shall be proved to be wherefore appear and come forth to trial upon this condition joyn issue with us and answer these things in plainness and let us know your Judgements that a return you may reââive First Whether you are indeed the only true Church of Christ his Body of ãâã Fleââ and of his Bones called and gathered and united by the eterâ⦠Spirit of Jesus perfect in the Faith of Christ perfect in Doctrine and perfect is ââ¦ip as were the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and ãâã the Eternal Spirit dwell in every particular Member of your Church and doth lead each one of you into all Truth insomuch that you need now no ãâ¦ã teach any one of you but as that same Spirit that dwells in you answer ãâã ââ¦inly yea oâ nay 2. ââ¦ther are you not in any particular of your Faith Doctrines Praâ⦠Worships in any degree degenerated nor deviated from what the ãâã ââ¦ne Practice and Worship were that the true Church was in in ãâ¦ã the Apostles And whether will you admit of tryal in all things you pâ⦠and practice by the Scriptures the Writings of the Saints yea or ây 3. Wââ¦ther your Church of Rome doth receive the pouring-down of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters immediately and every Member receive the Holy ââ¦st and is ââlled therewith and baptized therewith as in the true Câ⦠Acts z. Anâ whether you have received the Holy Ghost and Eveâ⦠Comforter immediately as did the true Church iâ the dayes of the Apostâ⦠Answer me these things in the Truth of your Hearts that you may be own'â⦠ãâã denyed 4. Wââ¦er the Faith you profess hath perfectly purified your hearts from all ãâã and hath given you Victory over the World that now the body of sin is ãâã and you are free from sin and do not commit sin but are every Memâ⦠ãâã you without Spot and Wrinkle and cleansed from all Unrighteousness ãâã ãâã Servants of Righteousness and not of Sin and whether you believe ãâã Condition to be attainable in this life upon Earth and to be enjoyed and ââ¦d for yea or nay 5. What is your ground of sprinkling Infants with Water and whether he thââââ¦st instituted it had the Gift of the Eternal Spirit and was led thereby for we know it was first ordain'd at Rome in your Church and all the Protestants received it from you who are not able to give us a sufficient Reason thereof but we are not satisfied therein therefore tell us Whether are people thereby made Meââ¦rs of the Body of Christ and baptized into his true Church and is it a perfect Seal and Sign of the new Birth and Regeneration as is professed and doth that give all Children that are sprinkled a Right to the Kingdom of God and to be Members of the Church of Christ and satisfie us plainly Is the sprinkling of an Infant never having heard the Gospel but while unconverted and ââthanged in Nature the true Baptism into the true Faith of Christ as it is professed answer me plainly yea or nay 6. Whether the Body and Blood of Christ that is Meat indeed and Drink indeed be carnal and visible things to be seen felt and known visibly and carnally and whether Bread and Wine that is Mortal and will corrupt be the very Body and the very Blood of Christ Jesus and whether Christ hath any other Body and Blood to be known in any other way or manner then what is professed to be visibly and carnally known by you and is that Bread after Consecration the very Express Image of the Father and was with the Fatheâ before the World began else it is not the Body of Christ answer me plainly 7. Again We are not satisfied concerning your Burning and Torturing and Imprisoning in cruel Inquisitions and Goals such as dissent from you and cannot believe in your Church which ye call Hereticks whether is not this done by your Church or any Member thereof and do you justifie the doing of it by the Authority of your Church and we demand of you to give us Example for such Practices in Scripture ever Practised by the Apostles or true Church or any Member thereof to Burn or Kill or Imprisââ such as would not own them or were Hereticks otherwise we must coâ⦠it and judge you eternally for it And whether such Practices done aâ ãâã and in her Dominions be not Murder and Cruelty and Tyranny ãâã shedding of Innocent Blood and of the Devil the Wicked One ãâã me plainly and satisfie us herein that we may know how to deal with ãâã ãâã controversie 8. Again We are not satisfied concerning the abundance of ãâã of the Saints set up and bowed to amongst you and your praying ãâã them and to the Saints and by Beads and in Set-Forms such thââ¦
you do not or cannot satisfie all people in these particulars by the ââ¦es then forsake your Religion and renounce your Church and ãâã your selves to be Deceivers of the World and to be deceived for ãâã will tear your Garments and marr your Beauty and stain your ãâã and uncoââr your Nakedness and subdue your Power and sâay ãâã Strength and pull down your strong Hold and the Dread of the Alââ¦y will come over you And come Friends answer me is the Light by which you walk everâ⦠ing and is the Day dawned and the Sun risen that never goeth down ãâã have you seen the signs of the coming of the Son of Man and what are ãâ¦ã signs of his coming and what is that Sun that must be turned into Dâ⦠and what is that Moon that must be turned into Blood and what are the ãâã ers of the House that must tremble and do you own quaking and trembling at the Word of the Lord and did you ever quake and tremble or is ãâã such a thing in your Church and what is that Part in Man that must ãâ¦ã is it not that Part in Man that the Devil enters into answer these ãâã and what is that Mother of Harlots and where is She that hath been ãâã with the Blood of the Saints and what is the Mystery of her declare ãâ¦ã you can and what are her Garments and who are her Children ãâ¦ã what nature are they and how may they be known and come Friends answer us have you seen God face to face as did Iacob and Abraham and have you seen his shape perfectly give us a Discription of him if you have and do not all those that be of the seed of Abraham hear God's Voice and ãâ¦ã shape and are any of Abraham but who are come out of the World ãâã have denied it and bear the daily Cross of Christ which mortifies to the World and doth your Wooden Crosses and Stone Crosses in your Tâ⦠and high-Wayes and in your Houses and Crucifixes in your Breasts ãâã you to the World and mortifie you or are you not such as have ãâ¦ã of a Cross of Christ but want the Power and what is the difference ãâ¦ã all your Images and the Images the Prophets declared against and what life is there in the Image of Christ or Mary painted or graven in Wood or Stoneâ are your souls refreshed thereby and is not that all the Unity you have with Christ and is that Unity and Fellowship you have with Chriâ⦠ãâã same that they had that had Unity and Fellowship with the Father ãâã ãâã the Son and have you Unity with the Son and with the Father ãâ¦ã Church had tell us plainly and what is Antichrist and where ââ¦ing at this day and what is his Marks and Signs and what is the Marks of the Beast that every one received in their Foreheads and in their Hands and ãâã is his power by which he caused every one to worship him and is the Church of Rome wholy free from that from causing and compelling people to be of ãâã Religion and come to your Worship by your Fire and Fagots and Inâ⦠make it us plain that this is not the Beasts power for we have a jealâ⦠least it is not the power of God that was among the Apostles And why do ãâã Creatures did Christ or the Apostles kill Creatures that were not of their Religion doth not this shew that you want the Power and Spirit of God among you and the spiritual Weapon that beats down the strong Holdâ âe cannot believe that you have the spiritual Weapons which the Apostles had except you make it appear to us and can any be converted to the true Church but by the immediate Work and Spirit of God and they that have that ââed not be ashamed but then why are some of your Ministers creeping up and down the Nations in Holes and dare not be seen but lies many years together undiscovered not daring to preach their Gospel and discover their minds did ever the Apostles thus and is not this a sign that they have not the Power of God to carry them through but runs into Holes and Corners for fear of their lives is this the way of the true Ministers of Christ and what is the Lamb's Wife and what is her Adorning and her Beauty and are you the Lamb's Wife and are married to him for ever hath every Member of your Church the Witness thereof and answer us doth natural Learning ãâã Minister of Christ or were the Apostles made Ministers thereby and can man learn the Ministry as he learns a Trade and is the Preaching of the Gospel a Trade or is it not the Gift of God and can iâ⦠bought and sold and what is Eternal Life and how is it received and have any that hope but them whose Hearts are purified And must not every ones Heart be purified before they see God who is Pure And how comes man to be a Reprobate and ãâã comes man to be a Son of God agaiâ And what is the Way and Mâ⦠of Life Eternal Is it Carnal and visible Things and Ordinances Is it the ââing and performing of something by the Creature or by the revelation ãâã ââ¦thing in the Creature And most not Christ be revealed in every partic and is not that the true Bread of Life And is there any other Bread that is Eternal but Christ which the mortal Eye cannot see And we are very ãâ¦ã that Bread and Wine after Consedration is not the very Body and ãâã of Christ and except you can prove to us by plain Scripture and giâ⦠sound Reasons to demonstrate things we must judge you and shew your Fâlly to the whole World And why do you pray for the Dead is that avââ¦ble shall not they receive according to their works that they have done Gâ⦠ãâã Example that ever the Apostles did so or else we will say You are bâ⦠ãâã ân the Dark And tell us plainly what Error is and what Schism ãâã ãâã what is the Eye that the godd of the World hath blinded And what is the ãâã that sees God is it Mortal or Eternal Answer us these things ãâ¦ã that we may know how to return in Controversie with you for the Lord God is risen that will break iâ pieces and confound all the Wâ⦠ãâã ãâ¦ã Friends give us your Answer Are you of Abrââ¦'s Seed that ãâ¦ã of God that had not a foot of Ground but for sââk his Place and ãâ¦ã Are you of that Birth that hath no Father upon Earth And are you Heirs of God's Promise And have you made your Calling and Eleâ⦠And is the Seed come out of Egypt's bonds And are all Egypt's bonds ãâã ãâã And what is the âondage of Egypt And was not Transgression the Reason of it And what is Pharoaâ out of what Root did he spring and ãâ¦ã is he and is not the hard heart of Pharoah Killers and Murderers ãâ¦ã such of Pharoah And
tell us plainly Are you Redeem'd from Pâ⦠ãâã are you such as oppress the Seed as Pharoah did And tell us who was the Inâ⦠of ââ¦our Images and who was the Former of all your graven Images ãâã not they all invented and come up since the Apostles dayes which ye have ãâ¦ã and what is Purgatory and from what had it its rise and original ãâã what ground have you out of Scripture for such a doctrine And what is the ãâã of Faith and what 's Faith and what doth it give victory over and what ãâ¦ã it over come and what is the âaiâ that hath bin spread over all Nations and ãâã is the Mountain of the House of God and what are those Mountains the ãâ¦ã shall seek to cover themselves under and what are those Mountains that people expect Salvation from in vain and did not Iohn come to throw down the ââ¦ins and what are the Mountains that he came to throw down and what is the Valley he came to raise up answer us And what is the Sword of the Spirit and whether have ye the Sword of the spirit and the Spiritual Armour and what is youâ Church defended and upââ¦d by Spiritual Weapons or Carnal are not your Goals carnal Weapons ãâã your Inquisitions and your killing people aboue Religion are not all these ãâã Weapons and had ever the Church of Christ such Weapons answer ãâ¦ã plainly And do you not expect the Lord will suddenly plead with you and are not ãâã them that put off the Day of the Lord and cause the Seat of Violence to come near and are not ye them that have Eyes but see not Earâ but hear ãâã Hearts and understand not and is not your Eye blind that should see God's Presence and your Ears stopped that should hear his Voice ând have ãâã heard his Voice and seen his Shape if you have what is he like answer ãâã And what is his Word and where doth it dwell in your hearts or is it without you and can any thing without you purifie you and take away sin ãâã of your Hearts and must not Christ be within and what are the Fruits and Signs and Marks of a Saint and why do you go Pilgrims to visit ãâã Bones what is the reason of it and who was the first that ââtuted it ãâã what is the meaning of your holy Water give us Scripture for all these ãâ¦ã ces or else the Power of the Lord will tear you to pieces and lay open ãâã Foundation and none that love God can joyn unto you And can any oâ ãâ¦ã pardon Sin truly that it shall never more be remembred and are not ãâ¦ã sins remembred with the Light in your Consciences sometimes and is there ãâã a Light in your Consciences that doth convince you tell me plainly And whether do you own That Christ hath lightened every one that coâ⦠into the World and what is the Light and do you know Christ as ãâã ãâã before Abraham and have you seen his Day as Abraham did and what ãâ¦ã Day of Christ doth the Carnal Eye see it give us your Knowledge and ãâã Judgment in all these things and lay down your Principles at full and ãâ¦ã by the Scriptures what you hold and profess if you would have any to ãâ¦ã your Religion otherwise renounce your Church and come out of â⦠What is Babylon and the Mother of Harlots and what is spirituââ ãâ¦ã and Sâdom where Christ is crucified and what is the Whore and what ãâ¦ã flesh that has stain'd the Earth and what is the Fire that must consume her ãâ¦ã Many are jealous concerning you that you are not the true Church ãâ¦ã you have drunk of the Whore's Cup who hath made all Nations drunk ãâ¦ã if that time be come that she hath made all Nations drunk then how ãâ¦ã clear your selves being Nations and Multitudes of People To ãâã these ãâ¦ã I expect your speedy Answer And what is the Death that hath raigned over all and how is Man recâ⦠out of it and when and what are the Gates of Hell and what is ãâã ãâã that they cannot prevail against and whether your Church may never ãâã ãâã vailed against and whether they be not your Inquisitions Stakes and â⦠and killing people that do principally defend your Church and if yââ ãâ¦ã cease your Inquisitions and killing those you call Hereticks whether ãâ¦ã not you be prevail'd against by many other Sects Lay away yoâ⦠perâ⦠of People that you call Hereticks and do not deaf with them after the ãâ¦ã which you have done by Inquisitions and such like and only by sound ãâ¦ã guments and the Power of the Spirit defend your Religion And dare you suffer a certain number of us to come among you and pââ¦ch what we hold and a certain number of you shall freely come among us ãâã freely preach what you hold without Persecution or any Violence as we would expect and have the same from you engage man for man with us and ãâã no otherwise deal with ours then we deal with yours and take the free liberty to deal with our men as we deal with your men but no otherwise and ãâã each of the Messengers preach and hold forth what they would have and whââ they really hold and believe and convert the most either of them can to theiâ own Religion and then let all the World see which have the Power and Spirit of God with them and whether your Ministers or our Ministers do turn the more people from you to us or from us to you and send your Answer whether you will agree to the Premises and if you do send your Messengers when you pleaââ and we will engage in the Lord their Persons shall not be harmed but if they were then take Man for Man Life for Life of our Men sent to you and let that God be the true God that appeareth in most Power and Authority and let him be worshipped forever whose Power converts the most to the knowledge of him out of Wickedness and let that Church be the tâ⦠Church which cannot be overcome And as you are willing to be made manifest joyn issue with us in this business and propound your own time when the men shall return and whether the continuance of the Matter be for Dayes Moneths or Years and let each of the men return without harm of Person and this will be a way truly to try and make manifest all things to all the World and whether you or we be in the right Way and of the right Church and use ãâã ãâã Weapon against us but the foundest Arguments you can by words according to the Scriptures and the same Weapons we will use against you ãâ¦ã other but the Authority of the Spirit of God and Arguments thereby ãâã shall be according to the Scriptures the Apostles Writings and the ââ¦ony of the true Church And hereby in the sight of the whole World let your Church and Faith ãâã Principles and Practices
exercised with as great Zeal towards God if not with as good Sincerity as you practice yours at this day And are there not the very Signs and Symptoms of the Romish Idolatry yet upon these Houses being full of Images on the Walls and on the Pillars and on the Glass-Windows and Crosses about them and many other things which were Popish Inventions as also the Names given unto them and consecrated Bells in them and such like stuff And was it not a little while since there were the Altars and the Rails and the Font and other such like things which lately were broken down But however though something there may be altered and changed and converted to another use and something taken away and other Inventions brought in instead thereof yet still they are the same Houses which you worship your Godd in which Houses were set up by the Authority of the Pope and there remaineth yet the Pope's Sign and Symptom of the Romish Church upon them and these Houses you call your Churches and Thousand of Thousands of blind ignorant people esteeming and respecting in their minds of these Places more then of any other supposing them to be more holy and that other Places are not so good to worship in Alas poor blind ignorant people that deceive your own Souls in the Traditions and Inventions of man which you live in the practice of supposing it to be the very Worship of God which is no other in it self but Idolatry and you Idolaters for do not all Unconverted People and Unrighteous People such who are not taught of the Lord nor led by his Spirit but daily rush into Iniquity and into evil are not such found Worshippers here in Steeple-Houses conforming themselves to these things and these practices And can such worship God Or is God worshipped by such I tell you nay the Lord God is pure and they that worship him must be sanctified and led by his Spirit which leadeth into all Truth But now as concerning your present Practices which your Worship consisteth of they are not such as ever the Lord instituted but such as men have set up in their own wills and wisdom and not in the Lord's As for your sprinkling of Infants which is a chief Practice of your Worship was not this first ordained at Rome read the Records And was it not a Popish Invention which you are thus zealously reforming as if it were indeed required of the Lord Can the Unconverted and Unregenerated be truly baptized into the Faith of Christ No But the Unconverted and Unregenerated are Partakers of your Baptism into the Faith which you profess There was no such practice in the Christian Church before the Apostacy but when the Apostacy came in then came up these Inventions Immitations which you practice as the Worship of God when as he never required it neither did his Saints and his Apostles ever give you Example for it and by it nor in it God is not worhsipped neither is in it self nor as practized by you any part of the Worship of God but stands in the Inventions of man and is after their Traditions and not after the Commandments of the Lord. And as for your singing of David's Experiences in the form and manner as you do practizing it as another main part of your Worship This is the same with the former neither ever commanded of the Lord nor in the course and manner as you do it was it ever practized by the Saints of old and is it any better then a Popish Invention For was the Nation in any better state then Popery when that practice was first instituted and begun to be performed you your selves will confess that it was in the time of Darkness and through the Ordination of the Bishops and Prelates whom you your selves say were little better then Papists in their Worship and Practice and yet this you practice at this day as a part of your Worship which hath no better beginning then as I have said and from them you have received it to wit From the Bishops and Prelates Yea the chief part of your Worship consisteth of the performances of such things as you have received Traditionally from them and from Rome for all these things they instituted And as concerning your Ministry Is it any other with that then with these particulars as I have mentioned Is it not the same Ministry in substance though in some particulars altered as was in the dayes of Popery and Prelacy Have not your Ministers the same Call to their Ministry Practice in their Ministry Maintenance at this day as was in Generations past when this Nation was under the cloud of darkness Ignorance as your selves will confess are not they made Ministers now by natural Learning receiving Ordination from man through the attainments of such Arts and Sciences and Degrees through natural Learning and humane Policy not having their Ministry by the Gift of the Holy Ghost no more then the Papists and Prelates had before them who were made Ministers by the same Power and after the same manner as these are And it was the Church of Rome and by the Popish Authority that Colledges and Schools to make Ministers by them were first ordained and set up and as that Ministry was sent forth in the time of Popery by the same way and means generally are as to substance are your Ministers now sent forth though in some particulars differing in matters of Form yet the same for substance But Christ's Ministers in the time of the true Church were not thus sent forth but had received Power from on High and the Gift of the Holy Ghost whereby they were made able Ministers and not by any other thing nor by any such means or way as your Ministers now are set up and established and this Ministry is differing from the true Ministry which Christ sent forth and is not according but contrary in all things and it is not the Ministry of God neither brings people to God for by this Ministry people are not converted but are such as they that the true Prophet cryed against saying They have run saith the Lord and I have not sent them therefore they shall not profit the People at all And as for this Maintenance of the Ministry of the Church of England is it not the same as was in the dayes of Popery and Prelacy was it not by the Pope's Authority that Tythes were first established and set up to be the Maintenance of his Ministry And did not the Romish Church first ordain that the people should give the tenth to the use of Religion and to maintain their Ministry if you search the Records you will find it so And was it not the very practice of the Papists and Prelates Ministers to have Hire and great sums of Money by the Year and Stipends and large Benefits for preaching and the same things are practised by these Ministers which they have borrowed from the
him but all are holy and pure and good and when ãâ¦ã ctification of any thing is put to an end as thou sayst the sanctification ãâ¦ã Seventh Day is then the thing is no more good nor holy but becoâ⦠and unclean if it be no more sanctified nor holy and in this Princiâ⦠hast erred also As for the Seventh Day it was commanded of God to the Iews to be ãâ¦ã and observed holy to the Lord and all manner of Labour to all Creatures ãâ¦ã forbidden which thing was a Sign and a Shaddow of a good Thing to coâ⦠the End of which Ordinance was Christ the Substance of all things and ãâ¦ã End of Dayes and that there was any disanulling of that Command ãâ¦ã Iews and a Command to keep and observe the First Day of the Week iâ⦠of the other by any outward Command this we read not in all the Scripâ⦠and what ground hast thou more then thy Imaginations I know not to aâ⦠the changing of dayes and to teach the observation of the First Day ãâ¦ã Sabboth instead of the Seventh Day seeing thou hast nothing in the Scripâ⦠to raise such a Principle from and so would make exception of Dayes and respâct of Times which the Apostles did not after the Holy Spirit was coâ⦠for Dayes and Times all are alike to God and who are come to Christ ãâ¦ã true Rest of the Immortal Soul are in the end of Dayes and out of the ãâ¦ã spect of Times in the Substance which endures forever And in the Gosâ⦠Ministrâtion there is no Command or Injunction by Christ or by his Apostâ⦠given to ãâã for the observing any one day more then another And thou sayst when it is sââd Sâ⦠not at all The Meaning is not Vainly ãâ¦ã Unnecessarily and it is a Seal and Sign that ãâ¦ã is of the Whore of Rome and not of the true Church of Christ for ãâ¦ã nor true Church of Christ never ordain'd not practised such a thing â⦠and in the true Church as sprinkling of Infants and calling it ãâã in the Faith of Christ and the Seal of the Covenant there was no such ãâã and Doctrine amongst them but it is come up since the true Church ãâ¦ã Wilderness and since the ãâã received power over Kindreds and ãâ¦ã it is an Institution of the great Whore that hath ãâã upon the ãâ¦ã Generations and she has made Nations drink her Cup of Fornications ãâã original of this Practice and Principle was received ãâã of the Whore's ãâã and not by any Commandment of Christ or Example of his Church and ãâã And I cannot but charge thee That thou teachest for Doctrine the Tru ãâã ãâã and holdst forth for Principles of Religion to be believed and ãâã the ãâ¦ã of the great Whore of whose Cup thou hast drânk and ãâã also give ãâ¦ã they may drink it also And to accomplish which Evil End thou ãâ¦ã the Scripture Asts 2.39 for the Scripture hath no such thing intendeâ ãâã the baptizing of Infants for which end thou hast fââsly cited it for ãâã Promise is to as many as the Lord our God shall call yet what is this ãâã âprinkling of Infants which thou assertest as a Principle of Religion and ãâã seem to enforce it by vertue of the Scripture mention'd But ãâ¦ã Scripture and shew'd thy self to be disagreeing to the holy Ministers ãâ¦ã of Christ and to be agreeing with the false church of Rome ãâ¦ã sufficient to thee ãâã thou sayst The outward Covenant of God is conditional and the ãâ¦ã entitles both such as make it and their Infants unto it to wit the Coveââââ ãâã The Covenant of God is not outward but spiritual aâ I have said ãâã also free even the free Gift of God and the Promise and Covenant ãâ¦ã âânifested without the perfoming any thing by the ãâ¦ã God for it stands not upon condition but upon free ãâ¦ã make a Profession of Faith which have not right nor ãâ¦ã Salvation not to God's fore Covenant neither can any upon ãâ¦ã infants void of Understanding have any assurance or Title in ãâ¦ã of Life eternal but who are regenerated and born of the ãâ¦ã and degenerââââ in that state have no title nor right in the ãâ¦ã Seed which is Heir of the Promise which is born of God and not ãâ¦ã that is the Covenant so thou hast spoken things thou knowest not ãâã hast manifested thy false Principles which thou walkest in and wouldst ãâã others to receive them also Then thou speakest of Bread and Wine Which sayst ââou are the ãâã ãâã in the Lord's Supper and are a Seal of the Coveâ⦠alsâ c. Answ. The Supper of the Lord is the Bread of eternal Life the Body and ãâã of Christ and who ââts thereof shall ãâ¦ã dye nor Hââ¦ger and Thirst any ãâã ãâã as for Bread and Wine visible and carnal that is not the real Supper of ãâã ãâã and even the purest institution Practice thereof is but a Representation of â⦠and not the very thing and the End and Substance being come the ãâ¦ã may be neglected But as for the manner and institution of that Practice iâ ãâã Church of England and the Practice it self we deny to be either a Sign of ãâã past or to come but in an idolatrous way it is held forth and not in ãâ¦ã Honour to God for he is thereby dishonoured for the false church has ãâ¦ã the form of that Practice as well as of many others which the true Church ãâã practiâ'd without the Power and now doth practice many things in meer Iâ⦠tion and vain Idolatry and in Form and Tradition and without the Teâ⦠the Spirit which sometime the true Church and the Apostles practized in the ãâã and by the leading of the Spirit of God and what the Command of God was â⦠So that though you may in some things practice the very same which the ãâ¦ã did yet having not the same Spirit to lead you nor being guided thereby as ãâã Saints and the Apostles were your works are but Idolatry and formal ãâã not accepted of the Lord but stink in his Nostrils And your Covenant is ãâã ward and your Seals outward your Baptism and Supper outward and ãâã and while you are with Zeal prosecuting your outward Performances and ââ¦lowing them you neglect the inward and the Substance which is Christ ãâ¦ã you the Hope of Glory which if he be in you then the body of sin is put off and the vail is done away and the Representations are done away and the Substance and ãâã is come and if Christ be not in you you are Reprobates notwithstanding all your Profession and Practices of outward Duties unto God without his Spirit And whereas thou hast quoted Col. 4. 10. Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 23. to ãâã That the New Man the Spirit or Law of the Mind is called The imperfect Sanctification Answ. Hereby openly thou hast shewed thy self to be a Perverter of the Scriptures and a Wrester of them to thy own Destruction for
heady and high-minded men and covetous and Proud and went in the way of Balaam for Gifts and Rewards and that through Covetousness with feigned words made Merchandize of Souls And are not you like them that Iohn saw were coming in in his dayes That went out from them and that went into the world that were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them and which the World went after and are not you of them that have deceived the whole World that hath been of the Whore that hath caused all Nations to drink her Cup and of them that have made War against the Saints and against the Lamb of that stock of the false Prophets that wrought Miracles in the sight of the Beast and the World wonders after the Beast and the Beast hath carried the Whore and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him and the Whore caused all to drink of the Cup of her Fornication Are not these things so may not the Witness of God in all mens Consciences truly answer hereunto and condemn you to be such as were the false Prophets and the Hirelings and the Deceivers against whom the Prophets Christ and the Apostles gave witness Yea it is manifest that you are in the same way and of the same Generation and that you follow the same spirit because you shew forth the same works And are not you like the Papists and the Iesuits was it not by the Authority of the Pope of Rome that your very way of making Ministers was ordained at Schools and Colledges and was it not the Papists and in their dayes that the general part of your Church-Discipline and Government the Call of your Ministers and Practise of them and Maintenance of them was it not first set up by the Papists Was not this way of Tythes first established by the Church of Rome and do not you follow the Papists herein in receiving Tythes and Gleab-lands and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues which you hold up and would destroy them that will not give you such things and therefore are not you like the Papists and Jesuits yea we know that the Church of England is but newly come out of the Womb of Popery and hath the Symptoms thereof upon her at this very day in many things yea the Testimony of God in all people may witness hereunto And so it is the very trick of the Whore to cry out against others and to charge others with that which she is guilty of her self but now it will not cover them to slander others that themselves may seem clear for the Lord is opening peoples Hearts and giving them a Spirit to discern all things And whereas the Author speaks against the Quakers for crying against Cuffs Caps and for using Thee and Thou and for crying against Pulpits and Hour-Glasses and for such things and for owning Revelation and for holding the free Grace of God to be given unto all and because of Trembling and Quaking and saying Our Writings are given forth by the same infallible Spirit that the Scriptures were given out by and for crying down the Ministers Maintenance and for calling some of them Vipers and Serpents To all this I answer It is your Generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou and Cuffs and Caps for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper Language thee and thou to a single Person and it is the proud and exalted Minds of Men that are offended hereat which Pride and Arrogancy hath eaten out the very Sincerity and the property of Speech also and you are offended at us because of it and for crying against your Cuffs and Boot-hose-tops and Ribbands and Points we cry against all these things as not becoming the Ministers of Christ but as being of the World in the Pride and Vanity and Superfluity abusing the Creation which the Lord will judge among you And as for having an hour-Glass and preaching thereby and as for your carnal Bells which you call people by we do disown these things and say They are old popish inventions for the Ministers of Christ never limitted their spirits to an hour-Glass neither had they a carnal Bell to call people to their Worship and as for Revelation we do own that the Spirit of God doth reveal Truth to us and God hath revealed Christ in us and none ever shall know God but by Revelation For none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And as for Free Grace we say The Grace of God hath appeared to all men and it teacheth the Saints to deny Ungodliness but the Wicked turns it into wantonness and doth dispite unto the Spirit of Grace and we also say That who now speaks or are moved to write forth by the Spirit of God they speak and write by the same Spirit that is infallible that the Scriptures were given forth by And as for your Maintenance it is altogether Abominable and Oppression to the Nation and the Lord is against it your taking Peoples Goods and casting them into Prison that will not pay you Wages and give you Tythes against their Consciences And be not offended at being called Vipers and Serpents for these are the Works of venemous Vipers and stinging Serpents which persecute the Servants of God and cryes to the Magistrates for help against a poor People that useth no Weapons at all against you saving that of the Spirit of God and though we do thus to you to the false Ministers to cry against them and give our witness against them in the Name of the Lord yet we do not deny the true Ministers of Christ nor speak any thing against them which are the true Ministers that have received the Ministry of Righteousness by the Gift of the holy Spirit which all that are true Ministers do receive their Ministry thereby And whereas thou sayest we are bitter Enemies to the Doctrine of Iustification and agree with the Cavelierish Party and would silence godly Ministers and are Iâsuitical and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us and that we have a not able faculty to delude ignorant unstable Souls c. Answ. These are but the Author's Reproaches and his Slanders he hath filled his Mouth with against the Innocent and he hath set his Tongue on the Fire of Hell to slander the âust and the Innocent and all these things we bear in patience counting Reproaches for Christ our chiefest Riches and thus to the substance of this Paper I have given an answer whereby all that love the Lord and desire to be informed in the Truth may receive satisfaction for it is seen that that Generation of Priests are joyned with the prelatical Cavelierish Party and this is known at large in the Nation in the North especially and so as I said they would fain slander others that themselves might seem clear but the Lord will rebuke him and his lying Tongue and the Innocent shall be delivered
them again at other times in discourse with the chief of all the Fryars of the Company called Recolects also and did in the Power of the Lord declare Truth unto them and against their Idolatry until such time as some of them were so offended with us not having much wherewith to an swer in Truth to defend themselves they of the Company called Capuchins grew light and scornful and very wicked and did in a manner deny us the liberty any more to come unto them And we were with each Company of Fryars two several times and as for the Iesuites we had much upon us to visit them in their Colledges but we perceived that the chief Rector of the Colledge of Iesuiââs had heard of our being in the Town he did refuse to discourse with us and we went once into the Colledge and could not be admitted to speak with him And about a Week after we came into the Town the chief Governor Lockhart coming home he sent as he said to the Iesuites Colledge that they should admit us to come to speak with them and as we found it from the Lord upon us at a convenient season we went again to the Colledge and were for some hours in discourse with the chief Rector of the Colledge who appeared at the first very high and subtile and crafty and did in his heart reject us and the simplicity of the Gospel but Truth and the Word of the Lord had dominion over him and before the Truth he and they all are as weak as Water many things were disputed upon which the particulars now cannot be related but in about three hours time he grew weary pretending other business and would stay no longer with us and so we parted demanding of him whether he would admit some more discourse at some other time which he did refuse so we were not admitted to come to him any more whereupon these following Propositions I was moved to give forth and send among them as a Charge upon them in the Name and Power of the Lord and they were given and delivered in Latine up and down among the Iesuites and Fryars in the Town unto which to this day I never could receive an Answer therefore my charge lies upon them to this day as a Testimony from the mouth of the Lord against them of which they can never clear themselves And we were moved to visit the Nunns and went to their Place and before many words were spoken to them through a Grate for we might not see them and to speak to them both at once they asked If we were of the order of those called Quakers and they perceiving we were such said They might not hear us because we were such and presently passed away and refused to suffer us to speak to them and therefore we had very small time with them onely gave our Witness against them and passed away To all ye Iesuits Priests and Friars and to all you in general of the Romish Church in and about Dunkirk FRiends in dear love to all your Immortal Souls I am moved to lay these things before you that you may read and consider them in the Fear of the Lord God for as much as for some dayes I have been in this Town according to the Will of God and having rightly observed your Religion in its Original and in its present standing and in its practises and having truely examined some part of your Faith and Doctrines and the manner of your Worships and your Ordinances and the Orders and Discipline and Government of your whole Church and in the Spirit of the Lord having laid all things to the Line of true Judgement and equally measured them hereupon I do from the Lord and by his Spirit propound and assert these things unto you First That your Church is not the true Church of Christ the Lamb's Wife and Elected Spouse but is degenerated in her Faith and in her Doctrines and in her Worships and Ordinances in her Orders Discipline and Government from what the true Church of Christ was in the Apostles dayes before the Apostacy 2. That the Constitution of your Church and the chief part of your Worship and Ordinances and the way and manner of your Discipline and Government are of Man and set up and standeth by the will of Man and are not after God nor according to him but are after the Traditions of Man learned and practised therein which is Idolatry and are not in the Commandments of Christ nor in the Example of his Apostles non according to the Scriptures but without the Spirit of God being set up since the dayes of the Apostles and since the Apostacy came in which hath overshadowed the whole World 3. That there hath been over the World for Generations and many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches a general declination and falling away from the true Faith and Doctrines and from the Worship and Ordinances and from the Discipline and Government that was amongst the Apostles and practised in the true Churches of Christ in their dayes and your Church is in that declination and falling away 4. That Antichrist the Beast and the Whore and false Prophets have reigned over the World for Generations the Antichrist that hath opposed Christ and been exalted in the Temple of God and been worshipped as God the Beast that hath killed the Saints and warred against them and had power over Kindreds and Tongues and the World hath wondred after him the Whore whom the Beast hath carried she hath sate upon Peoples Multitudes and Nations and drunk the Blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs and she hath corrupted the Earth and caused all to drink her Cup of Fornications And the false Prophets have overspred the Nations and deceived them and you and your Church are the Peoples the Multitudes and the Kindreds that the Beast hath received Power over and the Whore hath sate upon and the false Prophets deceived 5. That the true Church of Christ the Lamb's Wife the elected Spouse and the beloved City who brought forth him that was to rule the Nations hath been fled into the Wilderness and been fled into the Place of Mourning and Desolation for a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes and the Gentiles Feet have troden down the holy City the Lamb's Wife and had power over her for forty and two moneths and though she hath not been prevailed against nor overcome so as to be extinguished from having a Being yet her Being hath been in the Wilderness in Mourning and Desolation and she hath not appeared in the Glory and Excellency which once she had but hath lost her Garments and her Attire and her Heir and Husband separated from her and caught up to God and to his Throne and in this time of the Desolation and treading down of the holy City the Lamb's Wife and the reigning of the Beast and the Whore hath your Church been extant in her glory and power
which hath been of the false Woman and not of the Elect Spouse that is married to the Lamb. 6. That forcing and compelling of Persons by any outward Law and Authority to be of such or such a Religion and to conform to such a Way of Worship is the Worship of the Beast and of the Whore and not the Worship of God and to kill and persecute Persons for the exercise of Conscience and because they will not be of such a Religion and cannot conform to such Worship is of the Devil and the Dragon and not of God nor according to him and that your Church herein is not Successor of the Apostles and the true Church of Christ but is of the Beast and the Whore which Iohn saw was to come in his time and which we see are come in our dayes and have ruled for Generations and I affirm that Persons so made conformable by force and violent Laws to such a Religion and Worship are but two-fold more the Children of the Devil and are not at all converted to God thereby but becomes Idolaters whom God will judge 7. That none upon Earth are true Members of the true Church of Christ having a portion in the Inheritance of Eternal Life but such who are gathered out of the World by the preaching of the Gospel and are changed and renewed by the Power of the Lord God in the Heart and are led by his Spirit within them into all Truth and are joyned unto Christ the Head and gathered into the Eternal Unity of the Infinite Body by the same Spirit and Aâointing dwelling in them and of such onely doth the true Church of Christ consist now in this present time as it did in the Apostles dayes but of such Members doth not your Church consist in this present Age neither is it in the Order and Government of the Spirit of Truth but in the Form without the Power therein was its beginning and its standing at this day 8. That the time is at hand and the Day of the Lord draws near and the fulâess of time is approaching wherein great Babylon shall be thrown down and fall to the Ground and the Lord will be avenged on her and will render Judgâents unto her and the Beast and Whore and false Prophets unto whom the Kingdoms of the World have been subject shall be taken and cast alive into the Lake and the Devil and Satan shall deceive the Nations no more but the Kingdoms of this World shall be changed and become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ whose Kingdom shall be revealed in Power and great Glory in the hearts of his Chosen And the Church of Rome and all the false Sects and Churches upon the Earth will the Lord God overthrow and his true Church shall be gathered out of the Wilderness and the Beauty of new Ierusalem of the holy Church the Lamb's Wife shall be as Glorious aâ before she fled thither and before she was troden down of the Gentiles and the Lord God Almighty shall be known and his Tabernacle shall be with men These things I assert to you in the Name of the Lord and the truth thereof is certain and should be ready to argue and dispute these things with any sober Person amongst you upon equal tearms and to prove the Infalibility hereof by the Spirit of the Lord and according to the Scriptures wherefore consider of them in Patience and Meekness and believe in the Light of Christ which is in your Consciences which Christ hath lightened every man that cometh into the World withall that you may come to the knowledge of the Truth and out of all false Wayes and if any of you will return an Answer hereunto in behalf of your whole Body and can be able to clear your selves in Writing from what is charged upon you it shall be gladly received by me and a Reply iâ Meekness returned to you for the further mânifestation of Truth that Truth and Righteousness may clearly appear and be embraced and all Deceit and and false wayes of Antichrist may be confounded and denyed and who are in the Truth shall be confirmed and who are in the Error may have Warning now in the Day of the World's Visitation The Lord is coming to Judgment who will judge the Secrets of all Hearts and the whole World in Equity Dunkirk the 20th of the 3d Moneth 1659. By a Friend unto Righteousness and a Lover of all Souls E. B. These Propositions were sent to them in Latine This was sent to the chief Rector of the Jesuits Colledge in Dunkirk in Latine FRiend thy wisdom and thy knowledge is earthly and sensual and thereby canst thou not know the Things of the Kingdom of God thou canst neither learn them thy self nor teach them to others for thou art but a blind Leader of the Blind And thus saith the Lord God unto thee The Fruitless Tree is standing in thee that brings forth no Fruit unto God and the Head of the Serpent is not broken in thee that deceives the Soul nor the Body of Sin put off that burdens the Just and the Sword shall cut thee to pieces even the Sword of the Lord it shall slay thee And Friend The time is at hand that the Lord will make thee know that thou art and hast been in thy Life time a Dishonour to him and that thou hast not served him but thy self and the Devil and thy Heart is not right in his sight but is corrupt and deceitful for thou art tryed and measured and thou art found wanting in all things and God will judge thee and the Witness in thy Conscience shall answer his Judgments and all thy Idolatrous Practices and Profession of Religion and Church and Ministry thy many Prayers and thy Works of Righteousness all this shall not hide thee from the Wrath of the Lamb though now thou art hardened ând utterly unsensible yet the Stone shall fall upon thee that will grind thee to Powder and thou shalt not escape but the burden of thy own Iniquities shall weigh thee down into Perdition except thou speedily repentest Therefore fear and tremble before the Lord God and remember thou art warned by one that seeks the Peace of Souls but makes War by the Sword of the Spirit against the Kingdom of the Devil and Antichrist in whomsoever it stands And Friend answer me this one Query What is that Whore that hath sate upon Multitudes and Peoples and what is that Golden Cup in her Hand and what are the Abominations and Fornication of which her Cup is full which she hath caused the Kings and People to drink and with which she hath deceived the World Answer me this and subscribe thy Name E. B. ANd now this I have to say concerning the Church of Rome to them and to all the World as having been in a measure an eye and an ear Witness of their Idolatrous and false Wayes Practices and Doctrines never having in all my dayes
are to wait for Counsel to receive it from the Lord by that of him made manifest within you and as for all your outward Teachers that have used their Tongues amongst you and said The Lord saith it when God hath not spoken to them nor sent them and that preach for Hire and Sums of Money and these are them that cannot profit the People nor ever bring you to the Knowledge of God nor give you Counsel from the Lord and if you seek to uphold them and defend them against the Power of the Lord and his Word which is gone forth against them then shall you not prosper but fall with them and if you do enterprize any work in that spirit that doth oppose the Spirit of Christ Iesus in his people you can never have good success but the Lord will confound you before your Enemies And so now that you may all come into the New Covenant to be taught of the Lord and to be far from all Oppression this is the thing that you are all to wait for and to know the Power of the Lord and to go on in that against Unrighteous Men and Unrighteous Laws which are set up in the Nations that they may be destroyed and brought under and yet though such a Victory would be honourable unto you yet there is a Victory more Honourable to wit The Victory over Sin and Death and the Devil in your selves and that you are to mind and there is a Kingdom which is not of this World which cannot be obtained by an Outward Sword and this Kingdom are you to wait for that you may know it and feel it in your own particulars and this is the Doctrine of the Gospel of Peace unto you and the Glad-tidings held forth unto all of you come into the Power of the Lord and mind it that you may be lead by it and then may you be fit Instruments for the Lord to work by And take heed how you oppose those whom the Lord hath sent and is sending abroad in the Nations to proclaim the Mighty Day of the Lord they are no Enemies to you nor to any mans Person and therefore be tender over them for they go about the Lord's Work of this I warn you all in the Presence of the Lord. And so you dwelling in the Power of the Lord there is nothing shall destroy you nor confound you but you shall have Victory over all your Enemies within you and without you and the Lord will make you a Dread and a Fear to the Nations And so this is a Warning unto you all both Officers and Souldiers that you may mind what the Work of the Lord God is in the Nations Your Work hath been and may be honourable in its Day and Season but he hath a Work more honourable to work after you that is To destroy the Kingdom of the Devil and the ground of Wars And your Victory hath been of the Lord but there is a more honourable Victory to be waited for even the Victory over Sin and so we are the Friends of the Creation that do preach this Victory and this Kingdom and Peace which is Endless and Everlasting and which many are come into And as for the many and divers sorts of Worship which are come up since the dayes of the Apostles and are of the Whore and not of the true Church they are all to be thrown down and the Worship that is in Spirit and Truth to be set up by the Lord and he is gathering people into that Worship but if you be out of the Fear of God in the Rudeness and Wickedness of the World and seek your selves and not the Freedom of the Nations only then the Lord will lay you aside as a broken Pot-sheard and raise up unto himself a People that shall fulfil his work and do it for he hath much Work to do in the Nations for he is gathering his Elect Seed and changing the Kingdoms of the World and making them become the Kingdoms of Christ and so be low in your own eyes and do not seek your selves but seek one anothers Good and seek the Glory of the Lord and the Freedom of the Oppressed and in that you will be blessed and prosper till you have set up your Standard at the Gates of Rome I am a Lover of all your souls and a Sufferer in Patience under the Cruelties of men E. B. And some small Discourse we had with our English Priests that supply the Place of Chaplins to the Army and in particular one of them which had spoken something behind our backs against us and we proffer'd to have some discourse with him but he refused it only to evade the matter at that present he bid us state some of our Principles in writing and he would answer them in dispute in some publick place and being he was not willing to engage to dispute otherwise we were free to write this following Paper but we had no answer in agreement to dispute with us but shifted the thing from himself by telling us The Governour was ãâã willing But this was not the same Priest before mention'd that we had discourse with at our first coming into the Town Friend FOr the manifestation of Truth and that the perfect difference between thee and us may be known and who are in the Truth and who in the Error and that Truth from Error may be clearly discerned therefore according to thy own Proposals and expressed Desires thereof before many we do here assert some Particulars of that Truth which we have receââed from God and do hold forth and maintain in the World in opposition to thee or any other that shall gainsay them viz. 1. That Christ hath lightened all men with a Light sufficient in it self to bring them to Salvation if they follow it 2. That God hath given Christ to be the Saviour of all men 3. That none are justified by Christ and his Righteousness without them but as they have receiv'd Christ and his Righteousness and witness them reveal'd in themselves 4. That the Saints of God may be perfectly freed from Sin in this life so as no more to commit it 5. That the National Ministers and Churches not only of Papists but of the Protestââts also as they now stand are not the true Ministers and Churches of Christ. 6. That the Scriptures are a true Declaration given forth from the Spirit of God by holy Men of God moved by it to write them and are profitable but are not the Foundation nor the most perfect Rule of Faith and Life to the Saints These things we are freely willing and desirous to discourse upon with thy self and any others that shall joyn with thee in the presence of sober and wise men who may judge between us in any publick Place that may be procured by thee according to thy Engagements in this Particular provided it may be in the Spirit of Meekness and Moderation and that all fair
Laws and Decrees which have been set up in the days of Ignorance and yet stand whereby the Lord 's dear Children are afflicted and oppressed at this day and establishest such a Government which is justly according to God in which Righteousness and Truth Justice and true Judgment may run down and all the contrary may be stopped and chained and limited and confounded and then that which thy Father leât undone the Lord will fulfil through thee And doing these things the Lord would make thee truly Honourable and Happy and Blessed in this life and in the Life to come but in doing the contrary the Lord will make thee a Curse and take thee away in his Judgments and thy Name shall be left a Reproach to Ages forever And if thou Rulest in Oppression and Cruelty and sufferest the Innocent to be Destroyed for want of True Judgment then shall thy Dayes be Fewer then thy Father's if thou be Disobedient to him the Lord shall cut thee off and thy Memorial shall Roâ and this is the Word of the Lord God to thee And as for this Afflicted and Sojourning People They desire nothing to thee but Truth and Peace and Righteousness and no more of thee but Justice and true Judgment and that they and their little Ones which to them are brought forth may sojourn in Peace and quietly pass through the Nations till they come to the Land of Promise and they may not carry of the Glory nor Riches of this World with them nor seek great Places of Honour from thee nor be hurtful to thee nor the People nor to Mankind in their sojourning only what the Lord Commands them that they must do and what he forbids that they must not do For they have chosen the Lord to be their Leader and to give him their Obedience in all things and thy Government so far as it is according to God they will not destroy nor rebel against but are true Friends thereunto and subject in all things And if thou walkest with the Lord and chusest him for thy Councellor and abasest thy self and altogether exalt him and preserve his People that fear him then shalt thou prosper and thy Name shall be greater then was thy Father's and the Numberless Number of this now distressed People will be unto thee a Strength and stand by thee in thy Day of Trouble and defend thee and thy just Government and their hearts shall cleave to thee and thou shalt prosper for their sakes and none of thy Enemies shall have power over thâe to Destroy thee though many may seek for thy life Wherefore my Friend Awake awake and now consider The Day of thy Visitation is present and thy Father's is past and now thou hast a time to gain unto thy self Everlasting Honour and Renown or otherwise to leave thy Name a Curse and a Reproach for evermore Do thou hearken to the Voice of the Lord and fear his Dreadful Name and bow before our God that made Heaven and Earth who rules in the Kingdoms of Men and pulleth down one and setteth up another at his Pleasure and as he will and he will make thee know that he lives and reigns over all and doth whatsoever he will and if he smites thee none shall heal thee and if he wounds thee none shall comfort thee Therefore take him for thy Councellor and beware of the wicked Counsels of men for thou hast may Enemies and they would rejoyce to see thy Fall and if the Lord be not on thy side thou canst not long stand but if thou be obedient to him and preservest his People and breakest down all Oppression then thy Enemies shall fall and thy Foot shall tread them down and the Terror of the Lord shall be upon all that hate thee but thus shall it be done unto thee if thou be disobedient to him and rejectest his Counsel by his Servant I am thy Friend and a Lover of thy Soul and seek thy Happiness in this World and in the World to come known to many by the name of Edward Burroughs The Original of this was delivered to him a few dayes after he was proclaimed Protector To thee Richard Cromwel chosen to be Protector and chief Magistrate Governour of these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland a faithful Presentation and Salutation by a Servant of the Church WE are rightly and truly sensible in all things of the Mighty Hand of the Lord God who brings all things to pass by his own Power and according to his Will and in Heaven and Earth and over the Kingdoms of men he ruleth and reigneth he buildeth up and breaketh down he planteth and plucketh up and he pulleth down one and setteth up another and who may say What dost thou or Why dost thou it for he is a Great God and Mighty and his Majesty is terrible and all things in Heaven and Earth and all the Sons of Men are at his disposure whose Dominion is from Everlasting to Everlasting and he may be feared and had in Reverence by all Creatures that have Life and Breath And in particular we are sensible of his Great and Mighty Power who hath of late Years in these Nations once and again overturned and overthrowed and changed at his Pleasure Times and Powers and Authorities and Dominions and he hath brought down the Mighty from their Seats and stained the Crowns and Glories of the Honourable and broken the Stout-hearted and the Oppressors of their Governments as Potsherd one against another and made the Highest of Men of no respect before him for he hath pulled down and set up whom he would according to his Will and in all these things hath his Hand been the very Doer and Accomplisher thereof that he might be known and feared amongst all people through the whole Earth who is the Dread and Terror of Men and Nations And as for thy Father the late Protector Great things and Honourable did the Lord do for him in raising him up and casting out his Enemies before him and giving him Victory and Power and Renown through Nations and we know the Lord shewed Favour to him and gave him Strength Wisdom and Valour and a right Spirit and he was called of God into that great Work to subdue the grievous Cruelty once ruling over tender Consciences and to break down the great Oppressions which for Ages had caused the Just to groan and the Lord was with him in Victory and went before him and was his Defence and preserved him from great Dangers and from the Wills of all his Enemies and made him prosperous against them all but yet we know to say no more of him He did not wholy fulfil the Will of the Lord nor the Work which he begun but became Disobedient and abused his great Deliverances and Authority and did not set free the Oppressed altogether but left Mountains of Oppression and grievous Yoaks of Bondage unbroken down and unsubdued and the Lord smote him and took him away
charged against them whereby the Lord hath been offended But all things and places of men must be new moulded and corrected and purged and regenerated that true Judgment may flourish and Righteousness and Truth prosper as in the Beginning and this will the Lord suddenly bring to pass by his own Power and if thou opposest it thou shalt not prosper but be cut off and taken out of the way For the Spirit of the Lord hath been provoked to Wrath because of these things and his Anger is kindled against the Nations and he hath overthrown and yet will once more overthrow till he comes whose Right it is to Rule whose shall be the Government and Kingdom and all his Enemies shall be slain And as for the publick Ministry as now it is in its present estate we certainly know and testifie from the Lord unto thee and to the whole Nations that it is not the same Ministry of Christ which the Apostles had nor by the same Power and Spirit but is wholy degenerated in Call in Practice and in Maintenance and in all things from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the true Churches before the Apostacy and it is as now it stands in degeneration not of God nor in the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus nor hath it the same End and Effects as the Ministry of Christ once had but it s tasted and tainted with the Spirit of Antichist which long hath ruled in the World and it s become a grievous Oppression in the Nations and people are not converted nor turned to God from their evil wayes but remain unprofited and to say no more of it though much I might say what I affirm of it I may prove by the Scriptures against the wisest of them before thee if thou pleasest viz. That as now the Ministry stands it is not perfectly the same Ministry the Apostles had but is degenerated from what the Ministry of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches before the Apostacy and if ever God toucheth thy heart thou wilt see it so when the Spirit of Christ is chief Judge in thee thou wilt witness this to be true and then may not thy Power uphold any thing which is contrary to God when Government is purged and made pure from all its present Degeneration Again There are many and divers sort of Sects and Gatherings of People and Professions in Reliigion of several contrary Judgments and Opinions Worships in these Nations and these People over whom thou art set to rule are divers and divided in their Wayes and Minds and Professions of Religion some looking for and seeking after Christ in such a manner and others after another manner all crying Loe here is Christ and thus he will come and loe he is there and so will he appear and some are inventing and supposing such a Government to be best and others contrary to that and many are as distracted in their thoughts not knowing what to seek or what to look after some are for such a Government and Religion and others for another and peradventure each one of these may seek to thee for Protection against such as oppose them commending and justifying their own Way and Sect and Form and Religion against all others and craving Laws to maintain themselves and their Sect and to stop and limit all other Ways as Heresie because differing from them and they will each of them turn and rest the Scriptures from the mind of the Spirit that gave them forth to prove their own Opinions and Professions to be right against all others but now thou mayst know that the Scriptures were given forth by the one Spirit of God and is the Testimony of one Truth of one Saviour of one true Worship and one only true Religion and not many and diverse Wayes and them that are of divers Judgments and Worships and Religions and yet all plead Proof from the Scriptures for what they profess and practice all such pervert the Scriptures and wrest them who are thus divided and unsettled in Religion and they shew that none of them have the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit leads into all Truth and in it is the true Worship of God and the true Profession and Practice of true Religion and that Spirit only understands its own words in Scripture but all these divers Sects and Heaps of People that are divided in Worship and about Religion have not the Spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures to lead them into all Truth and guide them in the perfect Way and pure Religion which the Apostles and Churches of Christ were in in their dayes but all these many Sects that are thus divided are risen up since the days of the Apostles and are of another spirit and of a false Religion And as for such called Ministers they will be hurrying about thee and flattering thee with fair and crafty words and smooth Petitions and Requests for Protection and Establishment from thee and for large Maintenance and Stipends and Tythes and possibly they may complain to thee against such as cannot give them Hâre and Tythes but may reprove their Evil and Covetousness and Wickedness begging for Laws against such and crying out against Error Herisie because some may be mov'd to cry against their Deceits Oppressions and for the like causes they will run about thee and seek their own Advantage and this we know their nature and spirit is such and hath been for many Ages But now Friend Do thou stand in God's Authority out of and over all such Teachers and Sects and come not under any of them that have the Form of Godliness but want the Power who are in the Apostacy from the Life and pure Religion that the Apostles were in nor believe them not that shall say Lo Christ is âârt or Lo he is there or Who shall ascend to fetch him from without or When shall be come from far to save his People Go not thou after any of these but he arken to the Word of God in thy heart and know that Christ is within thee else thou art reprobate neither do thou take in hand to exalt any one of these Sects or some of them above others neither defend maintain any of them against others of them nor tollerate not one of them above another for if thou dost it will betray thee and the Nations Peace and set all spirits on Fire about thee and while one is pleased and may pray for thee others will be vexed against thee and curse thee wherefore be not troubled about these things nor cumber not thy self about Religion how to establish it for it is God's Hand only to establish his Worship and Religion it belongs to him as he will and not as man by his Policy and Wisdom but stand free from them all and neither establish any nor persââute any Sect whatsoever but let them all have their couâse and
the Day of your Visitation Edward Burroughs This was delivered to them in the Fifth Moneth 1659. TO THE PARLIAMENT Of the Common-Wealth OF ENGLAND The present Authority of these Nations Assembled at WESTMINSTER A Presentation by a faithful Friend to the Nations in the Name and by the Spirit of Jesus Christ King of Righteonsness and Peace That you may take off Oppression and free the People from all their Cruel Bonds that have been imposed upon their Bodies Estates and Consciences in the dayes of the Reign of Antichrist that Truth Justice and Righteousness may come nigh unto us and the Kingdom of the Son of God set up among us that you and we may at last be free Subjects of Christs ' Kingdom where Righteousness Truth and Peace may run down and be established in the Earth for evermore FRIEND IT is acknowledged that the Lord God who rules over all in the Kingdoms of Men hath done Great and Honourable Things by you and with the Face of your Authority in your dayes and since your first appearing on the Throne Mighty Things have been brought to pass in our Nations by the Hand of the Lord insomuch that many Mountains have been abased and many sturdy Oaks have been cut down and many cruel Laws have been made void and even the Way of the Lord and the Way of the coming of his Kingdom hath seemed to be prepared For the kingdom of Antichrist and the Beast and the Whore the false Church hath in many things received a mortal Wound in this Nation and there hath been divers times the fair Blossoms of the Glorious Appearance of Truth Righteousness and Peace and there have been many fair Promises and Pretences made by many of you like as if the Kingdom of Jesus had been at our Door ready to have entred our Nations whereby many good Hopes we have had to have been made a perfect free People ere this day from the Chains of Antichrist and the Whore the' false Church and from every Branch thereof and that we might have sitten together in Peace and Unity and in Freedom from all the Opressions of our Enemies But Alas alas This Glorious Work of Reformation hath bin interrupted before our eye and the precious Buds and good Appearance of Glorious Fruits have been withered and blasted in our sight so that our good Hopes have perished and our Freedom hath been intercepted through the Evil-dealing of many unfaithful men so that Antichrist's kingdom hath not been utterly rooted out nor the oppressive Laws of the Whore the false Church wholy broken down but the rather have seemed to be revived again and the Kingdom of the Son of God hath been warred against and Truth Righteousness and just Judgment hath been kept out of the Throne and the Lamb and his Army and Followers have been opposed by open and secret Rebellion so that though there hath been appearances of good Things now and then yet ever and anon Clouds and Darkness have overshaddowed the Nations again and the good Hopes of Faithful People have been driven backwards and Reformation stopped and your own Vows Promises and Pretences have remained unfulfilled and we are yet an Oppressed People and the Cause of this hath been from some unfaithful men that have neglected the good Work of the Lord once intrusted with them and have sought themselves and their own Honours and Interests and have sitten down at Ease and Rest in the Flesh glorying in the Spoil of their Enemies and thereby have they become unfaithful and unprofitable in carrying on the Lord's Work for some have been of a sincere Mind for a season and made a good Progress towards the attaining a Kingdom of Righteousness and the removing of all Oppressions yet when they have begun to seek themselves in this World and to take unto themselves the Honours and Titles and possessions of their Enemies whom the Lord cast out before them and so have become guilty of their Enemies Sins then they have been choaked and the good Work of the Lord by them could not prosper but it hath fallen in their hands even because of their Apostacy whom the Lord hath removed in his Wrath which to you all may be Examples that ye follow not their steps For for these Causes I tell you hath the True Reformation been turned backward and the Work of the Lord remained unfinished insomuch that Oppression Injustice and Tyranny yet remains upon the People and Ten Thousand lie groaning under the Yoak and Bondage of Antichrist and of the Whore the false Church in Persons Estates and Consciences and are ready to depart out of all good Hope and Confidence That they shall never see through you the finishing of that long since begun good Work of Perfect Reformation and Freedom from all Oppressions And amongst the many Great Oppressions and Cruel Burdens yet remaining in our Nation there is at this day one particular Oppression abounding under which Thousands of the free People of the Lord of these Nations lie unjustly suffering in their Bodies Estates and Consciânces to wit This way of forced Maintenance of the Ministry by Tythes and Money and Yearly Stipends which many are violently forced to pay through Oppression and contrary to Equity and because hereof is God not well-pleased with you but his Wrath is kindled already for the Cry of the Unjustly Afflicted under this one Oppression hath entred into his Ear and he will be avenged speedily even because of the Oppression of his People in this very particular who cannot out of a Good Conscience pay Tythes or Money or any other thing contrary to Equity to the maintaining of this Ministry and these Ministers which they receive no benefit by neither are under their Ministry And forasmuch as this way of maintaining Ministers and Ministry by Force is wholy Antichristian and of the Whore the false Church and never was in the true Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes neither did ever Christ or his Apostles give Institution or Example for such way of Maintenance to Christ's Ministers but being that this way of forced Maintenance by Tythes and Money and Yearly-Stipends is come up long since the Apostles dayes and is the very Institution of the false Church of Rome and was first practized by her Authority in our Nation and by the same Spirit at this day this Oppression remaineth amongst us and likewise it is wholy unreasonable That one sort of people should be compelled to maintain anothers Ministers whom they do not hear nor receive their Ministry And also this way of maintenance is one of the greatest Oppressions in our Nation and many Hundreds of my Brethren have suffered great Oppression thereby some the loss of Estates and many the loss of their Liberties some the loss of their Lives also insomuch that this Oppression is fully ripe to be cut down and removed out of our Land Wherefore it lies upon me from the Lord to request it of you and to
changeable and alterable for as the Iniquity of one Power was filled up that was cast down and another had its Day till the measure of the first was also filled up that he might partake of the same Iudgements And in all these Overturnings breakings-down and Overthrowings the very Hand of my Lord hath been though secretly and not discerned yet his Power hath brought about and suffered all these things to come to pass and who shall charge him with Injustice or who shall say What hast thou done or Why hast thou done it For as I have said He is a High and Mighty Prince and can do whatsoever he will and he is the Supream Power and Authority which rules and reigns in and over all the Kingdoms of Men. And what though he hath used wicked men as an Instrument to accomplish his Work and made the Wicked his Rod and even brought it to pass that one Wickedness should destroy another and one Oppressor break down another and the Kingdom of Antichrist confound it self yet what of all these things All Flesh must be silent before him and all People and the whole Earth must be subject unto him for the Government and Dominion over Heaven and Earth is his and all Power and Dominion belongeth to him alone and all Judgment is in his Hand to bring to pass whatsoever he will and by whomsoever as he pleaseth But now my Friends Though I would not he tedious to you yet must I tell you the Truth and faithfully deliver the Lord's Message unto you and as concerning this last Overturning there was something of the Hand of my Lord in it and he can and will bring forth his own Work and Praise by it and it shall be for the Good of all his People that wait upon him though there was much Ambition and corrupted Ends in the Instruments and neither part were perfectly single to the Lord in their proceedings but their work was tasted with the False Idolatrous spirit of Self-seeking Yet notwithstanding the Lord may bring forth his Government and his pleasant Plant through and beyond all this even out of another Root which yet appears not among either of them and Righteousness may arise in the Nation contrary to both of them out of another Stem and he will set up his Kingdom and in the mean time leave one Potsherd of the Earth to break another And as for you that now sit on the Throne and bear Rule whether Committy of Safety so called chiefly though it is not without my Master for he hath the knowledge of it at least yet you are not the only men of his choice truly called of him to the Place of Government neither is your Government the Government of the Lamb neither must it be forever established by him its Foundation is not Blessed nor can its Building be prosperous For why Alas it is but another Horn of that fourth Beast that hath been made to rule over the World and upon the Earth for many Generations and it is but hitherto a very little refined from the last and is of the last even as the Eighth was of the Seventh spoken of by that Servant Rev. 17. 11. and it may also make War with the Lamb and his Followers for a little season and it may have a small measure of Injustice and Persecution to bring forth in the Land even till the Words of God be fulfilled and his Kingdom be fully come the way of which is but yet preparing by all these Overturnings and this your present Government originally is leavened with the spirit of the old Dragon that hath killed the Saints and drunk their Blood and how should the Lord establish it Nay your Kingdââ may prove but small and little and full of Uproars and Troubles and little ãâã and Satisfaction and Establishment in it to your selves nor the People under you ãâã Confusion will attend it and Fears will compass it about Though this I must tell you as you are men You have your Day of Tryal what you will do as many âââers have had before you and something you may and ought to do if but to make the Whore the false Church more naked and to scourge her more then some others have done and indeed my Lord requires something more of you as such to do then others before you could do and you have a Price ãâã into your hands which you may improve to the Lord's Honour and to the Nations Good and to your own Happiness which if you be faithful to the Lord to do what he requires of you and if you become meek and humble men and âââr his Name and deny your selves and not seek your own Honours nor âây âârthly Advantage to your selves if you do thus then my Lord will shew Mercy to you and you shall not suddenly fall before your Enemies though many may ãâã up against you but your dayes shall be lengâhened and the Purpose of ãâã âââd may be turned to your longer continuance and not to your suddân Dââ¦ion and if you walk in this Way and Rule only for the Lord then ãâã ãâã be hoaoured as men if not as an Authority and you and the Nation ãâã in Peace and the force of the wickâd shall be turned backward and ãâã shall not suddenly fall And the late sundry Overturnings in this Nation âây be Examples to you that you follow âât the steps of those that God hath ãâã ãâã lest you come to the same end of Confusion and Misery For as conââââing that Assembly of Men that last sate on the Throne something was doââ by them in their day and time and in both their Assemblings in some things they served my Lord and they were a Rod in his Hand to smite his Enemies yet they were not faithful to the End till all his Enemies were destroyed but rather joyned themselves to fight against the Lord and his People and were ââ¦ing on towards the way of Oppression and Persecution and it was time for the Lord to remove them and to lay them aside as an empty Vessel sometime useful and to break them as a Rod some time of service to be a Scourge upoâ his Enemies and when the Day of their Tryal was over which God gââe unto them being any longer for present unfit Instruments for his Hand then he cast them into the Fire and this his Purpose came to pass upon them so that they and the whole Nation may be contented and yield themselves subject to what he hath done concerning them for they being entring into the very same sâârit of Wickedness of Oppression and Persecution which the Lord had once reproved âââough them and cast out by them then was a Râd raised up against them even as they had been against others and they were dealt withal as they had done to âââers and this was in the Justice of my Lord's Hand And what hath Mortal Mââ to question his Proceedings And though some of you
present Rulers be looked upon as great Traytors and Tyrants in your dealing towards them and doubtless the men of that part will seek Vengeance against you even by preâcâing and ãâã and they will curse you in the Name of their God and seek continually yoââ destruction as such as have taken away part of their strength and cast down their ãâã but alas all this is nothing for the Lord doth not account as men For these things must needs thus come to pass for the furtherance of the Kingdom and Government of Iesus Christ that it may arise through all and if you were but faithful to what the Lord requires of you in your proceedings what you have done ââto them should not be reckoned on account against you neither by God nor good Men. But and if you of the Army be alwayes Treacherous and Disoâedient towards him and abuse your Power and dis-regard your Price that God hath given you and trifle away your Hour about Places of Honour and such self-seeking matters and the Cause of God be neglected by you and his People continued Oppressed Sufferers under you as they have long been Even then shall you be cast aside with shameful Disgrace and the heavy Hand of the Lord shall be upon you in Iudgment and you shall be smitten more then any before yââ your Estates shall not be spared from the Spoiler nor your Souls from the Pit nor yâ⦠Persons from the Violence of Men no nor your Necks from the Axe for if you be unfaithful and continually Treacherous to the Cause of God then shall you be left to the Will of your Enemies and they shall charge Treachery and Treason upon you and your Persons and Estates shall be given for a Prey to your Enemies and you shall ãâã deliver your selves neither will the Lord deliver you from the Execution of Merciless Men for my Lord shall leave the Cruel-hearted to plead with you Wherefore that you may be warned I advise you to be faithful let not the Cause of God fall nor the Cause of his Enemies prosper before you for there is no other way whereby you can be preserved nor no other Defence shall you ever find from the Wrath of the Lord and from the Fury of you Devouring Enemies then your Faithfulness in God's Cause and therefore relieve the Oppressed and take off all Oppressions break down all unjust Laws and set all People free from unjust Burdens and let all Oppressions cease both in Church and Civil State and even all Oppressive Laws and Unjust Judges and Evil Men in Power let all this be removed and the Nation clean quitted and discharged even from all Men and Laws whatsoever that have held under Oppression the Persons Estates and Consciences of the Good People of this Land and let the Nation be corrected and all Orders and Places of men and Laws and Decrees be purified for this my Lord the Great King requireth and he will suddenly have it brought to pass in the Nation if not by you then contrary to you and to your utter Destruction and this is the very substââce of my Message to you that my Master hath given me to say unto you and on his behalf I am come to claim of you my Master 's long lost Right let him have his Right from which he hath long been banished I demand it of you all ye whatsoever that seem to bear rule in the Nation I charge you in his Name let him have his Title and Prerogative let him be Lord and King wholy in his own Kingdom let him have the Exercise of his People's Consciences by his own Spirit in all things related to his Worship and Service and let him have the full Authority by his Spirit in all things pertaining to Church and Ministry and Faith and Religion and let his Spirit have the alone Authority to perswade and diswade People from or to such or such Ministry Worship and Practices of Religion and let all forced Maintenance to Ministers and Tythes be speedily taken away and let all Laws and Decrees whatsoever made and practized in the days of Antichrist upon the Bodies Estates and Consciences of the People in Oppression and Unjustness about Church and Worship and Religion be utterly repealed and made void and never more be in force in this Nation But let my Lord be sole Ruler and Governour and have the full Authority in his own Kingdom in all things whatsoever pertaining thereunto and let no man henceforth hereafter be intrusted with the Liberties of the Members of Christ's Kingdom as they are such nor to judge over them in any matters of Faith and Worship but give that Right and Priviledge wholy unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ for unto him onely it pertaineth to be whole Judge and to have full Power in his own Kingdom and until you give him the Right and deliver up unto him his own Kingdom and the Exercise of Peoples Consciences in all things about RELIGION you shall never Prosper nor none that cometh after you that shall in any measure abridge my Master of his proper RIGHT from which he hath long been Banished as I have said and till his Right be given him in the case aforesaid He will dash one man against another and none shall ever be established but Horn after Horn shall be broken and one Power after another brought into Cââââsion And therefore ye men Do not strive with him in this matter but yield unto ãâã the Exercise of your own Consciences by his Spirit in you and let him do ãâã ââto all others even as ye hope to prosper and upon the Penalty of his sore Dâââleasure upon you in this World and in the World to come and let Jâââ Men and Righteous Men and Meek Men and Men that have the Fear and Wisdom of God in them without Exceptation of Birth or otherwise ãâã such men have the Power and Judgment committed to them to determine in things between Man and Man Down with all the false-hearted Flatterers that ãâã ruled for Man and not for God and for themselves and not for the good of the People cast all such out from among you for the Good among you is choaked by them Down with all that Judge for Rewards and away with ãâã Hireling Rulers that execute the Law for Money and will not plead ãâã Cause of the Poor without great Fees And down with all that will not ãâã places of Trust without so large Stipends away with all these things out of the Land for they are hainous Oppressions unto men and great Aboââ¦ons in the Sight of God and the Land hath long groaned under the wâight and burden of these things and the Earth is weary of them and my Lord ââ¦iers their utter Dissolution as being Iniquities fully ripe and having the gâilâ of so much Cruelty Injustice and Oppression lying upon the Nation because hereof therefore is the Lord's season to destroy them and remove them out of
them The third Particular consisteth about the Magistrates Power in matters of Faith and Worship and the Authors say Though they greatly prize Christian Liberty yet they profess utter dislike and abhorrency of an Universal tolleration as being contrary to the mind of God in his Word Answ. It appears the Authors are lovers of themselves and prizers of their own Liberty but not of the Liberty of others but do utterly dislike and ââber the tolleration of others which may indeed be more righteous then themselves and this is no less then the very Principle of the Whore of Rome which Promotes her own Liberty and makes others Slaves and ahhorâ tolleration to any but themselves and they plead Scriptures as well as you for proof of their Religion and they will say all that differs from them are contrary to the Scriptures even as you say when as there is very little better foundation in the Scriptures for your Religion then there is for theirs and it is doubtful to many what Religion this day extant is perfectly according to the Scriptures but yet thus much may be said That Church and that Religion which are not in the same Spirit as gave forth the Scriptures are not according unto the Scriptures and he that can distinguish of this and who it is that hath the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures is only able to judge what Religion is according to the Scriptures But can the Authors shew plainly out of the Scriptures that their Religion is only according thereunto and all others the contrary and until they prove this why may not the Rulers that are of may be in this Nation give Tolleration unto other sorts of People as well as to the Independants the supposed Authors of this Paper The fourth Particular consisteth concerning Tythes and say they The taking away of Tythes for Maintenance of Ministers until as full a Maintenance be as equally secured and as equally settled tends very much to the Destruction of the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel in these Nations Answ. Alas for you poor ignorant Creatures ye foolish men that seems to have no understanding of the Ministry and Gospel of Christ Do you indeed think that the true Ministry of Christ and the Preaching of the Gospel depends upon Maintenance by Tythes Oh ye Robbers of God who have secretly dishonoured him in your hearts and publickly disgraced him as much as in you lyes to the Nation as if he were not able to save his Ministry and the Preaching of his Gospel from destruction if Tithes be taken away Surely you err in your Judgements and have no acquaintance with God nor with his Ministry nor Gospel who have thus dishonoured him in setting up that Maintenance by the forcible and unjust oppression of Tythes to be the preserving of Ministry and Gospel and as if Tythes were the uphold ing of Ministry and Gospel and you have thus falsly and wickedly measured God his Ministry and Gospel by the wickedness of your own hearts who seem to be indeed of those Hirelings that cheat Souls for money and run for the gift like Balaam and for the lucre like the evil Beasts and Slow-bellies and so I do believe that your false Ministry indeed and your feigned pretence of preaching the Gospel do depend upon great sums of money and upon large Maintenances and we believe that indeed is the chief Reason of your Preaching and of your Ministry and it is very possible that your Ministry and Preaching may fall which is Antichristian when Tythes and Hire is taken away which Ministry dependeth thereupon but the true Ministry and preaching of the Gospel will God maintain and uphold though the oppression of Tythes be vanquished and I hope some of the Rulers of this Nation and Officers of the Army will not believe your advice but yet you seem to be willing to renounce Tythes if you could have as full a Maintenance setled another way so that however great maintenance comes you regard not so you can have that whether by this way of Oppression or the other it s your Maintenance you love and follow after and seek unto the Powers of the Earth for that end and how equally and legally Tythes have been setled which you seem to affirm let all good People judge given they were and setled first in our Nation by the Popes Authority to be the Maintenance of that Whore's Ministers and the Laws that gave them and setled them have been Antichristian and Oppression in the Nation and there is the guilt of Blood and of cruel unjust sufferings lying upon this Nation in that very cause of Tythes and the Hand of the Lord is gone out against it and against all Contenders for it and God will redeem the Nation from ââder it though you be putting your strength to uphold it through your hypocritical Prayers and Preaching and Flatteries with God and man The fifth particular is these Authors desire that countenance be not given unto nor trust reposed in the hands of Quakers being persons of such Principles that are distructive to the Gospel and inconsistent with peace and civil society Answ. Here your wickedness and the malice of your hearts is let forth against the dispised People for their righteousness sake and this spirit of yours would not only discountenance them but destroy them from the face of the Earth if it were in your Hands and you are worse then Baalam ever was and far more blind then he for you are as it were seeking inchantments against the People of God for Money and you see not the goodly tents of Iacob as he did nor the People that are altogether blessed Oh! ye envious persons that are even a preparing as much as in you is the destruction of a peaceable People and that would keep them in slavery under you and you would have the countenance of the powers of the Earth but they must not and you would Monopolize all the places of trust for advantage to your selves and you would hardly allow the People of God a place on the Ground Oh! ye sinful Hypocrites and Flatterers and Slanderers of the just but what need you have made such preparation against them do they seek places of honour among you do they delight in great places among men do they love to be great in this World nay their Kingdom is from above and they reject the countenanance of the Beâââ Authority and they reject any confidence that the Dragon and unjust poâ⦠can repose in them and you need not have been afraid in this matter and thereupon slandered us and have back-bited us to the powers of the Earth what do you fear even the thing which you fear will God in a judgement bring upon you and there is a Government to be set up in this Nation even that which is of the Lamb and your Antichristian Monarchy the Beast with all his Heads and Horns shall fall to the Ground and the Lord may
not first challenged us to Disputes I had not had this Occasion thââ to proceed now and in what I have done I refer it to the Iust Witness of God in the honest People in Reading and to all elsewhere FOrasmuch as great hath been the Debate for these divers years of late between the Lamb and his Followers and Antichrist and his Followers and the one of them hath been opposing the other in their own Power and Authority and great is the Debate at this day between these two Kingdoms which is endeavouring the Overthrow one of the other and all the strength and power of Antichrist is put forth in Defence of his kingdom by Persecution Injustice False-Imprisonments Beatings and Whippings and Spoiling of Goods and Persons and Railings Accusings Slanderings Reproachings by these wayes and proceedings doth Antichrist strive at this day for the upholding and maintaining his own cause and kingdom and by this means and these Weapons mentioned doth he seek to defend himself his Church and Ministry and Ordinances these are his Weapons and Armour by which he opposeth and fighteth against the Lamb and his Followers whom the Lord hath raised up for this end and they have within these few years more then ever for many Generations made an Invation and Inroad upon Antichrist his kingdom and government and the great City Babylon and the Seige is raised that hath long been laid against the Holy Seed and the great City Babylon is taken her Walls are scaled and her Gates broken and her Strength defeated and her Merchants spoiled of their goodly Treasure for the Day of the Lord is come and the holy Seed is he leading out of the spiritual Sodom and Egypt and Mystery Babylon the Great hath God remembred for her Iniquities and her Cruelties and Mercilesness and all her Abominations will God avenge upon her head and this doth come to pass and not by the multitude of an Host of men nor yet by humane Policy and Wisdom nor yet by carnal Weapons nor by Goals nor Prifons nor Persecutions these are not the Lamb's Weapons but these are Antichrist's and the Dragon's Armour and Weapons which he makes War by against the Lamb and his Followers even at this day in every Nation But the Lamb's Weapons are Truth Patience Long-suffering Meekness and down-right Sincerity of Heart and Tongue and by these things shall Antichrist be slain and these Weapons shall Conquer his kingdom Love shall overcome Hatred Meekness shall overcome Wrath Truth shall overcome Deceit and Falshood and God shall overcome the Devil But more particularly Great hath been the Opposition and Debate made one against the other and the Battel between Christ and Antichrist hath principally been held forth between the Ministers of the Church of England on Antichrist's part and the People called Quakers on the other part no man in the Nation can be so Ignorant how the Controversie hath depended betwixt these two and what Weapons they have used the one against the other and also it is in part known the Success of them both and how the one of them to wit the Ministers so called have had on their part the strength of Men the Magistrates Power the Rude Multitude and Humane Craft and the Serpent's Policy not any of these things have been wanting to them but yet a little Seed hath sprung up in the Nation on the other part unexpected by many which hath had Sincerity and Truth in it and the Lord hath been with it and he hath blessed it though but little and very small in its beginning yet it is prospered into a Kingdom for God's Might and his Authority dwelleth in it before whom all Nations of the Earth must Fear and Tremble But yet more particularly my present Occasion of demonstrating these things are as followeth and the Engagement that lies upon me hereunto is not out of any Personal Enmity that I have against any but my Intent is For the Discovery of the Truth that men may imbrace it and for the laying open the Deceits of Antichrist and his Kingdom that men may come out of Babylon and may not partake of her Sins nor of her Plagues and this matter now in hand chiefly concerns the people of the Town of Reading for their Satisfaction concerning the Wayes Practices Doctrines and Proceedings of Christopher Fowler one of their Ministers with whom I have been joyned in opposion two several times in dispute with him and the third time was appointed for our meeting upon Discourse as hereafter is related but he not appearing at the time and place according to appointment and he notwithstanding yet continues in opposition to and Reproaching of the Truth of the Gospel which I profess and contend for therefore upon this account do I thus eâgage with him and not for Centention sake but for the open vindication of Truth and Righteousness and sound Faith and Doctrine held forth by us and opposed and gain said by him The first opposition that fell out between him and me was at a meeting challenged by himself in that Town about the ninth Month in the year 1657 and I shall at present forbear his detestable and Abominable Practices and Spââches against me and the Truth at that Meeting for indeed the remembrance of it is much passed from me but many in that Town may well remember to ãâã day how he hooted and clapped his hands in the Palpit as if he had been Hânting on a Mountain and also his ungodly speeches and revilings towards me as calling me Dog and Villain and such like names and when some of his own people reproved him for such words he said The worst words he had in his Mouth was to good for me and indeed such was his carriages and words towards me at that time far off civility and not like a sober Heathen much less like a Christian or Minister of Christ and here follows what was written to him and to the Major and whole Town and sent the next Morning after the dispute which is some account of that dayes proceeding and finding a Copy of it by me I thought meet here to infert it Friends Rulers Priests and People of Reading A Few words to clear my Conscience to you all in the sight of God I send among you occasioned by this dayes Meeting ye people be ashamed of your Priests and ye Priests be ye ashamed of your People and all of you together cover your Lips and hide your Faces and be ashamed of your Profession in Religion or to make mention of the Name of the Lord in that nature in which you stand whose Lightness and Foolishness and Rudeness and Wickedness exceeds some others yea many with whom I have âad to do in Disputes you excel in unreasonableness in words and Behaviour manifesting your selves some of you not to be Civil Men much less Christians and this very day much of your Vanity Bruitishness and Unââvility appeared to your shame in the Sight of all
of Answer for the end that People may be satisfied concerning things doubtfull which are in controversie this day among many for it is well known the Controversie hath been long and is grown very high between us and you concerning Church Ministry and Religion and divers things in your Exhortation are doubtfull unto many and that all doubts may be removed if possible therefore I do return what follows as an answer unto you Whereas you say You are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions wherewith the carnal World is leavened concerning you Calling Office and Doctrines and what Clamors and fiery Contentions abound for them every where that pleads Christ's Cause in the Gates c. Answ. As for your Calling Office and Doctrine there is much to be said against them in and by the Spirit of the Lord for your Calling and Office is not according to the Example of Scriptures though the Calling and Office of Ministers of the Gospel hath Example in the Scripture yet as you are called into your Office that is not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures And as for your Doctrine it is in some things unsound also Now as for Seasonable Exhortations of Ministers to People I do acknowledge that it is a Duty which ought to be done but how seasonable and sound your Exhortations are that remains to be tried and it is not onely the carnal World as you speak that are doubtfull concerning your Calling and Office but it the best of the people whose eyes the Lord is opening to see and behold the false immitations of the Calling and Office of Ministers as you have stood for many Generations and it is true them that pleads Christs Cause they are cryed out upon and contended with but this fully belongs not to you though you apply it to your selves but it pertains more to others for the World speaks well of you as it use to do of false Prophets And you say We the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London do with earââ¦ess exhort the people of this City to awaken as out of Sleep and to lay to heart the great dangers that threatens you which you represent under a threefold consideration 1 The fear of the return of Popery 2 The distracted estate of Religion amongst us 3 Other symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your Heads Answ. That you are Ministers of the Gospel this is doubtful unto many and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary then can be given for it But this is not the present debate and therefore no more of it And what is the people of your Congregations yet asleep Have not you awakened them in so many years time Have you been preaching over them and taking their Money so long and are they yet to awaken as out of Sleep Will not the blame of this and the condemnation of it fall upon you their Watch-men who hath not yet awakened them And may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them who are left as asleep under all your preaching and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them Oh Friends will you consider and your people with you what you have been preaching and what they have been hearing for so long a time seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep and unawakened Now as to the first of your considerations The fear of the return of Popery for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it First The union of foreign Popish-Powers Secondly The vast numbers say you of Popish Emissaries and Jesuites that swarms amongst you Thirdly The vending and printing of so many Popish Books every year c. Answ. As for Popery I know it is Idolatry and their Church and Worship and every part thereof abomination to the Lord and the spirit that leads them is not the Spirit of Jesus and as for Popery it was never yet truly cleansed out of the Nation but there hath been and are great remainders yet standing which may indeed easily recover its former strength For is not the most part of the worship of the Church of England made up of such things as was first instituted and practised amongst the Papists witness the making Ministers by natural learning at Schools and Colledges and their maintenance by Tythes and yearly Stipends and their way of Parochial settlements are not all these things Papistical and witness sprinkling Infants calling it the Baptism into the Visible Church and witness the singing of Davids Psalms as now they are sung among you these things for the most part are of Popish institution and many other things also pertaining to your Church Religion and Ministry so that Popery was never clean cast out of the Nation though the Lord hath wounded it yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force so that while Tythes are pleaded for by you and those things practised by you it may indeed be feared the return of Popery seeing you stick so fast in those Practises which were of Popish institution and the cause of fear lies at your Door and upon your selves principally and if there be vast numbers of Popish Priests and Jesuites swarming amongst you if you be Ministers of Christ why do you not discover Wolves in Sheeps cloathing and fright them away Why do you not lift yp your Spiritual Weapons if you have them as the Apostles did whose Weapons were powerful and mighty through God and who shall bear the blame but you if Wolves in Sheeps cloathing tear your Flocks that is a sign you are lazy idle Shepherds and that your want the Power and Authority of God and when the Powers of the Earth fails you and your carnal Weapons are all broken then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of Popish Priests and Jesuites if there be any such among you look you to it for I know not any and if you know any by name and where they are you ought by your Law to discover them Now you say they are acting under the disguise of Sectaries and subtilly insinuating many of their Doctrines as teaching Iustification by Inherent Righteousness Perfection ãâã lawfulness in joyning in your Ordinances and nullity of your Ministry c. Answ. Now these that you call Sectaries may truly plead against you against your Church Worship Ministry Practises upon good grounds as for Justification by Inherent Righteousness it is a Doctrine of the Church of Christ that the Saints witnessed Christ and his Righteousness within them and that none are justified by any righteousness without them but who witness Christ revealed in them for all are Reprobate that do not witness Christ in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. And as for Perfection that is the Doctrine of the Gospel and of Christ for the Apostles spake wisdom to them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. and Christ commanded them to be perfect Mat. 5. who never commanded impossibilities You might better have charged
well Oh that such would consider and not be hasty in any thing to perform or profess Religion in their degenerate estate but that they would come to know the Regeneration and the renewing of their minds by the holy spirit and that the Immortal Birth might be born in them even the Birth of the Spirit which is Heir of God Oh that that might live and rule in them then should they be Heirs of God and Citizens of the New-Ierusalem And oh ye People of London lay it to heart you must be born again or else you can never enter into Gods Kingdom you must be changed in nature and must be crucified to this world that you may live unto God this must you come unto or else you have no part nor portion in Eternal Life and your Duties and Performances in your Forms of Religion they cannot save you not justifie you all your Preaching Praying Singing and all your Duties whatsoever they are all nothing till you come to know changing and renewing inwardly and do witness the Seed of God raised up in you and the head of the Serpent bruised in you by the Seed of the Woman this must you come to witness that your Souls may live Oh that you would consider be not so zealous against that which you may call Heresie and Schism for while you err in judgment you may soon speak evil of Truth and persecute it under the name of Error many have wofully faln into that Snare and brought sorrow upon themselves thereby The wise Iews even the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees they were as confident in their Way as you can be and yet they erred in judgment and would not receive Christ but persecuted him under the very name of a Deceiver and thus it is possible for many to do in this Age What though you have Christ's words and the Apostles words yet if you have not the Spirit of Christ that was in the Apostles you know nothing rightly of the Scriptures neither can you understand them nor have Salvation by them for you must know Christ in you your hope of glory else you are Reprobates and shut out of the Kingdom of God And search the Scriptures and see if they do not witness this Do not they say Christ is in you except you be Reprobates and do not they say The Law of God is written in the heart and the Spirit of God is put in the inward part And do not they say That Christ hath lightned every man that comes into the World with the true Light And do not they say that the Apostle exhorts people to hearken to the Word of God in their hearts and to be followers of the Spirit of God that was in their hearts And do not the Scriptures say That it was the Light that shined in the heart that gave the knowledge of God unto the Saints Search the Scriptures and see whether these things be so and must not men be born again of the Immortal Seed Oh consider and let not these Doctrines seem new unto you neither reject them though they come unto you in weak appearance not with words of mens wisdom but in Simplicity and in sincerity and in the Power of God And search the Scriptures whether these things be so were not they false Prophets That preached for hire and divined for money and sought for their gain from their Quarter were not such Deceivers in the true Prophets time and them that preached for filthy lucre and for money and for gifts and rewards were not such false Brethren and false Apostles search the Scriptures whether these things be so for the day of trial is now come wherein all must be searched and that Religion and Worship and Ministry which is not according to the Scriptures which was given forth by the Spirit of God let that Religion Worship Church and Ministry be utterly condemned of the Lord and all his People and let such Ministers as cannot prove their Call their Maintenances and Practices to be according to Scriptures let such Ministers be confounded and silenced for ever and come to try this matter when you will For whereas you cry out against us as if we were Deniers of Scriptures as if we were Enemies to Church and godly Ministry and Religion and as if we were Deceivers Hereticks Papists c. But I say unto you these things have you never yet justly proved against us but rather accused us behind our backs to make us odious among people and though for divers years together we have been publick yet when did ever any of you Ministers seek by lawfull means to convert us or shew us our Errors if we were as you say of us oh it had been your time to have sought our conversion and not to have Persecuted to have sent to Prisons Houses of Correction and by such Weapons of any outward force and cruelty have you dealt with us and not in meekness and by the Spirit of the Lord as Ministers of Christ ought to do but have cried to the Magistrates to defend you and your your Church and Worship being unable as it were by the Authority of God's Spirit to defend your selves Therefore I say unto you now lay down your Carnal Weapons and come out in the Spirit of Meekness and come out in the Authority of God's Spirit if you have it convince us thereby if we be in an evil way as you say let us hear your soundest Arguments by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures to prove those things which you say of us prove it by evident Arguments that we deny Scriptures and that we are Hereticks and that we are Papists I challenge you all in the Name of the Lord even all you Ministers of London let us hear your sound Reasons openly in the spirit of Meekness and do not back-bite nor slander in the dark and let us not be bawled against by your rude Members as often we have been even in the spirit of wickedness but come out you Ministers we are willing to be tried according to the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God in our Religion and in every part of it and if you be the same then come forth in the spirit of Meekness like Ministers of Christ and lay down your Carnal Weapons and let us have fair dealing openly that Truth may be manifested publickly and Error may be discovered and let us not envy one anothers persons and seek to destroy one anothers lives but let us seek to destroy the evil in one another that men might be saved and this would be a Christian-like way we would hear what you have to charge against our Religion by sound Arguments in Meekness that we may answer it and then we will charge something upon your Ministry Church Religion and Worship and we will prove what we say against you according to the Scriptures and we will not impose our Religion upon you by the force of outward Powers
worships and Idolatrous Practices and Ordinances and in her false Ministry and false Doctrines and she was set up in Nations by the force of cruel and violent Laws and men and is upheld by Oppression and Injustice at this day and yet all this she doth under the Name of Holy Church and useth the Name of Christ as if she were his Wife and yet hath other Lovers and by such means hath this great Whore deceived the World But now the Day of the Lord is come upon her and the hour of her Judgement is at hand and all that have taken pleaâââe with her shall mourn and bitterly lament because of her Judgements which cometh in a day but we are delivered from her Judgements because the Lord hath called us from her abominations and we can no more drink her Cup of false Doctrines and Practices all which are Idolatry and to be Judged of the Lord though she should drink our Blood as she hath done the Saints before us But I say the Lord hath led us out of this Babylon He hath delivered us from this great City and made us Spiritually free from its abominations and Idolatries though not outwardly free from her oppressions and cruelties And though this great City hath Ruled over the Kings and great men of the earth and subjected many Nations through its wickedness and violence yet certainly its ruin is near to come Else my Hope is lost my Life is smitten and the Lord hath not spoken by me And the Lord will Reward this false woman this false Church that hath deceived the Nations even according to her deeds as she hath done to others so shall others do to her measure for measure and much more might we say concerning her but the Lord hath opened our eyes and we see her abominations and she cannot deceive us And this is the loving kindness of the Lord unto us for which he is worthy to be praised by us for evermore And in that ye have received the Truth and do know the Truth live in it and walk in it in all faithfulness and be not fearful and unbelieving as though the Lord were not with you though ye suffer much for his Names sake for he is not wanting unto that man that doth fear his Name and that walks in his Way but for the deliverance of all such will he appear he will free the oppressed and the afflicted people he will save even by his out-stretched Arm Wherefore let our eye be unto the Lord in all estates and conditions whether of sufferings or otherwise for from him Salvation cometh and not from the Mountains of the Earth and keep your Meatings in your several places and be faithful in all things that your Consciences may be kept void of offences both towards God and men that no disobedience nor load of iniquity may be upon you but that in the sight of God you may feel clearness and freedom of Soul and Spirit from the burden of all transgression that you may know the Remission of all sin and all iniquity may be blotted out and no guilt of transgression may lie upon you but you may enjoy Peace in your Consciences in the Sanctification and Justification of the new man and this is the heavenly Life even upon Earth And when you are met together in the Name and Power of the Lord mind his presence amongst you for that is life and will make your Meetings profitable and full of Vertue to your Souls and the Lord will instruct you in all that which is good and Christ will be your Minister of Peace and Comfort and his Spirit will lââd you into all Truth and by his Word even the speech of God in your hearts you will be quickned in Spirit and your strength and Peace in God will be renewed day by day and walk in all Wisdom and in the fear of the Lord one towards another and towards all people that your Righteous and innocent life and your Holy Wayes and Works of Truth may have Evidence in the hearts of your Enemies that you are of God by the shining forth of your light before them and that the Devil nor all your Enemies may have ought against you saving concerning your God and the Worship of him and the matters pertaining to good Conscience and then if any suffer afflictions and tribulation by wicked men if it be for Righteousness sake and concerning the Law of your God and the matters of his Kingdom in such suffering the Lord will be with you and not forsake you but he will give you Dominion and carry you through it all in Patience and Faith which gives you Victory over all Enemies And nothing shall come to you nor happen on you in the anger of God but all afflictions shall be turned to your Comfort and by Persecutions and Tribulations the Lord will but try you and not destroy you you being delivered from his wrath and from that which is the Cause of it And therefore Friends it being much upon my Spirit I do lay it upon you to be mindful in this very thing that you walk in all Wisdom so that your Enemies have nothing against you to cause you to suffer for but onely for Truth and Righteousness sake and concerning the Law and Worship of your God and then if the wicked one take occasion against you to inflict his wrath upon you by wicked men because of the exercises of your Consciences towards God thereby shall the Lord take occasion against your Enemies to destroy them in his season and he will deliver you and for this Cause doth the Lord plead with the wicked in his wrath even because of the unjust sufferings of his People for that alwayes drew down the wrath of the Lord upon Nations and Rulers and for this Cause hath many been destroyed and in our sufferings must be filled up the measure of the iniquities both of Rulers and people in this Nation that the Lord may over-turn them with his hand when their measure of oppression is finished and the burden of its guilt falls upon them Therefore let us have Patience towards all men in all Conditions and Faith towards God at all times for therein is our Armour of Defence and our Weapons to resist all our Enemies and giving up into the Eternal Will of the Father whether in Life or Death in Tribulations or in Rejoycing and giving our Power wholly to the Lord and nor unto any other knowing That not one Hair of our Head can fall without him whose Power is over all and through âll So that if we Live it may be unto him alone and if we suffer and dye it may be for him and herein Peace shall be with us in whatsoever cometh to pass upon us if we can receive all things as from the hand of the Lord and Live in the feeling of that Power which doth all things or suffereth all things to be done And blessed is he that is not
and divers practises thereunto pertaining it is not the true Worship of the True and Living God though never so zealously practised because it cannot be believed that the Authors and Composers of it were moved led and guided by the Holy Spirit of God in their very Institution and forming of it and whatsoever is brought forth whether in Faith or any practise in any kind of Profession and practises in any way of Religion and not onely by the Spirit of God is not the true Worship of God which is only in Spirit and Truth and consists onely of such practises moved unto and guided in by the Spirit and the true Worship of God is not otherwise neither for matter nor manner but in what things and after what manner as the Spirit of God leadeth unto and guideth in for the Father seeketh such to Worship him as Worship in Spirit and Truth 4. As for the Method and Form of the matter it is not according to the example of the Holy Scriptures nor agreeing to the practise of Worship held forth by the Apostles but different from and partly contrary to the Spirit that was in the Saints and their example of Worship as in many circumstances pertaining to the orders of Common-Prayer-Book might be instanced but even some of the Practises themselves and the manner of performing them are for the most part Invention and Tradition traduced into the World long since the Apostles days and they are not according to the Scriptures nor example of the Saints Worship in the Church of Christ in their days and therefore the Matter in it self partly and the Method of it are not the true Worship of the Living God which is not after the traditions of men as the manner of performance of Common Prayer-Book is when as the Worship of God is in and by the Spirit of God as before witnessed 5. And as for the Practice of it in this Nation as by Imposition and force upon pains penalties as it was practised for many years together as so held forth it was not the Worship of God but Abomination to him as I have shewed and that Worship which is practised by any people being forced upon them is but Hypocrisie and deceit and outward conformity in such Worshippers and God requires it not of them and such was the Worship in the Common-Prayer so called for there were many who did bow and conform thereunto even because of the terror of men even many in the Ignorance of their Consciences and some against their Consciences and contrary to the Light thereof and some were persecuted because they could not conform all which was Abomination in the sight of the Lord even the consequence of the thing was as evil as any part of either matter or manner also even while many conceited themselves in their Ignorance that they had Worshipped God and done well while they had onely performed such Worship forced upon them and which the Lord never required at their hands and that cannot be the true Worship of the true and Living God which can be performed by a People without the Spirit of God by which alone and without it God cannot be Worshipped and the practise of Worship after the order of Common-Prayer did many thousands if not most perform without the Spirit of God whereby it fully appears that in the practise of the Book of Common-Prayer the Worshippers did not Worship the true and Living God but walked only in a part of the Form of Godliness but had not the Power 6. But as for the Practise of it as now in England without Imposition upon all by force and penalty but by some out of supposition that it is the best way of worship and that willingly and neither forced upon them nor they forcing it upon others as thus practis'd is not so great Idolatry nor of so bad effects as if it were violently forced upon all but if any suppose it to be the best way of worship and be so perswaded such may more equally have their Liberty in the exercise thereof while they allow Liberty to others to follow what worship as they are preswaded and as it is unjust to impose by violence that or any other Form of worship upon people so it is unjust to impose penalty or punishments on the Bodies or Estates of any for their conformity to the Book of Common-Prayer or any other kind of Worship for as it is contrary to God to compel by force to that Practise of Worship so it is unjust to stop by force from that Way of Worship or to inflict Penalties upon the Persons or Estates of any because thereof for though many exceptions may be justly made by sound Arguments against that way of Worship in matter manner and effects as I have said yet none ought to be afflicted in Person or Estate for the error of their minds while their error extends not to destroy the Person and Estate of another for all force by violence that hath been put on the Bodies and Estates of men about Church-Worship Ministry and Religion of any kind hath been Antichristian and not of God even for many Generations 7. And therefore them that read the Book of Common-Prayer and all other sort of Worshippers that are either perswaded by the Spirit of God or suppose in their hearts of the Verity and Truth of their Way let them all have their Liberty in their way of Worship without force or restraint by outward Laws while they impose not one upon another violently for the true Worshippers ought not to be persecuted for their Worship but if they are it will confirm them in the truth of their Way the false Worshippers ought not to suffer affliction of Persecution nor loss of Estate though they do err in their Minds and Judgments about Worship in spiritual things but if they are afflicted because thereof it will harden them in their evil wayes and not convert them nor turn them from the evil of their wayes for men are converted to the right way and out of that which is evil by the Spirit of God and through perswading of the Conscience inwardly and not by force or violence put upon their Bodies or estates outwardly never any were converted to God by such means And this is my Answer to the Objection and my judgment of the case inquired into The Book of Common Prayer so called partly the Matter it self and the Method of it and the Manner of its performance is not the true Worship of the True and Living God no not the free Practise there of without Imposition much less the Practise of it by Imposition and force for that is altogether Abomination and hath with it woful effects upon whatsoever People it hath been or shall hereafter be forced and violently Imposed This is given forth for the Satisfaction of all that desires in this Matter The 5th Moneth 1660. E. B. A Postscript AND some set up the Institution
suppose impossible things to manifest the truth of our Principle our Principle is not to be insolent tyrannical nor to be Usurpers over God's People to enslave but far the contrary even that Justice Mercy and Truth may sit in the Throne and that Peace and freedom may be held forth unto all that no Usurpers nor Tyrants but Iust Men and men that fear God and hate Covetousness and every evil Way that such alone may sit in Judgment whom God calleth to that Place who will rule in Righteousness and Justice and regard the Cause of the Poor and Needy we would that such onely ruled who were ruled by the Lord who would be a Blessing in the World and to all People not desiring more Liberty to our selves than what we would give unto all others in all just Ways This is our Principle as to matters of outward Authority among men and not as this false Accuser hath suggested out of his evil Heart 6. As to the matter of your suppressing us which your Applauder saith you have been instrumental to do This is as false as the rest for we are no more suppressed than before you exercised your present Authority but are every way in as much liberty of Persons and otherwise as in their dayes before yours and are no way suppressed nor fearful of it So the Author of such Lyes hath but flattered you and fawned upon you in telling you ye have suppressed us whenas its nothing so but and if it had been in your hearts or be at this day to suppress us and to hinder us of our Liberties and to persecute us the Lord shall plead our Cause against you and give no success unto your Work but it shall be turned to our Renown and to your Overthrow and the secret hand of God shall confound you and break your Purposes and deliver his People out of your Mouthes Thus it shall come to pass ifthat your Hand sshould be stretched forth to hurt us who are Gods Heritage and the Sheep of his Fold And thus much in answer to his Epistle Now I come to a second Accusâtion of his stated in his first page in these words We may see from whence Anabaptists Quakers Ranters and Levellers all had their Original namely from the Papists c. Answ. 1. As for the Anabaptists Ranters and Levellers I leave them to plead their own Cause and though we are accused with such yet there is much difference in Iudgment and Practice between us and them though I believe they are all further from Popery both in Iudgment and Practice than is this Accuser of them but yet they shall answer for themselves and I shall onely mind the matter I have in hand which is to clear the People of God called Quakers from the Accusations charged falsly against them whom I know to be innocent from these false Accusations 2. That we did arise from the Papists or that they are our Original in Dâctrine Faith or Practice this is utterly false for between us and them is perfect separation and we are of another spirit and divided from them as appears every way even by their persecuting of us for our Testimony bearing against them and their Religion and they have written against us and we against them divers Controversies and they have imprisoned divers of our Friends in their Dominions for giving Testimony against their Wayes by all which it doth appear that we are not of the Papists line nor arisen from them for if we were of Them they would love Us and not persecute Us and that herein we are falsly accused as in other Things And this is an old out-dated Accusation and is of no Account for now we are otherwise known through these Kingdoms and we are manifest to the Consciences of men in the sight of God to be such as fear the Lord and walk in his ways 3. And as for our Original It is the Lord God alone that hath raised us up and planted us a People that were not a People in times past and not from the Apostate Christians neither of Papists nor Protestants so called are we sprung but are of the Apostles Line and of the Stock and Race of the true Christians that believe in Christ and follow him and in every part of our Religion both in Faith and Practice and in Conversation we are agreeing with the holy Apostles being witnessed unto by the Scriptures in all that we profess and Practice and the Lord hath raised us up out of the Apostacy into which all Christendom hath been fallen since the Apostles dayes whilest Antichrist hath reigned over the World and we are as the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb since the fâlling away from the true Faith and Truth and Righteousness is our Original and Christ Jesus it our Foundation on whom we are builded and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against us and this Testinony the Spirit of God giveth for us and in us in contradiction of the false Accusations of all our Enemies 4. And if it be an offence to be risen from the Papists and if all that be evil which they are the Original of then the Protestants so called are in the Offence and their Ministry and the chief part of their Church-Government Worship and Ordinances are evil for did not the Protestants spring from the Papists and did not the Papists institute the Way by which the Protestants Ministers at Schools and Colledges And was it not they that first Instiuted sprinkling of Infants and calling it Baptism into the Faith and into the Church And was it not the Papists that first taught the Protestants to keep holy dayes as Christmass and Candlemass so called and many other particular things relating to the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship were originally ordained and first practiced by the Church of Rome and Papists and so while this false Accuser is charging others himself and the men of his Way are found guilty of the same things and the Papists may justly say to the Protestants that they are false hearted to them in denying of them and their Church when as their Fathers were the Instituters of the principal parts of the Protestants Worship and Ordinances and so they like unnatural Children have denyed their Mother that bred them up and ordained them a way of making Ministers and maintaining them and many other parts of their Religion But because she hath not been the National Interest for these many years therefore the Church of the Protestants have denyed the Church of Rome though originally they rose out from them The next thing in his Book I take notice of is where he seemeth to charge us with boasting that we talk with God and God with us and have Revelations and as if God commanded them to kill all the Wicked and to make a new World a Sect in Saxony saith the Accuser arose that held this and the Quakers now are like them which is as much as
charging all this upon us Answ. 1 That we do boast of talking with God or of Revelation This is another of his false Accusations for we boast not nor do we glory in any thing saving in the Lord and this is no Error but that which we must acknowledge unto or else deny the Truth to talk with God and God with us in and by his own Spirit for all the Saints have converss with God and union and fellowship with him in his own Spirit as the Scriptures do declare and as for Revelations we do acknowledge according to Christ's Words that we had never known the Father nor the Son but by Revelation For none known the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him as it is written and all such as have not converss with God and that have not Revelation are not in the Way of Eternal life but are ignorant and without God in the World and neither know him nor have fellowship with him 2. As for killing all the Wicked this is another false Charge for it is not our Principle to war against the Persons of any Men and kill them with carnal Weapons about Church and Ministry and Religion as the Papists and Protestants do one against another but it is our Principle to war against the evil spirit in men and to smite that with the spiritual Sword of God's Word and we would have mens wickedness killed and their Persons saved and their Souls delivered and this is the War we make even till men be changed by the Power of God and all things made new even a new World and a new Earth we do expect according to the Lord's Promise so that it is no error to expect a new Earth and a new World for there is a new Creation which the Saints do witness created anew in Christ Jesus to bring forth good fruits unto the living God and all that do not witness this are in the transgression of the old Creation which brings the Wrath of God Again The Accuser tells a story of one that professed the Gift of discerning spirits and to know the Elect from Reprobates and that made holiness consist in speaking little and living homely and sordidly as our Quakers do saith he Answ. 1. As for discerning of Spirits that is a Gift which the Saints of God do receive in all Ages for the Apostles said to some was given the discerning of spirits by the manifestation of the Spirit of God So to profess discerning of spirits is no error in us though it be stated as a great error before you by an ignorant man who knows not what he saith nor whereof he affirms And its possible to know the Elect from Reprobates by their fruits and works for the Children of God who are the Elect are known by their holy and Righteous works and fruits and the Children of the Devil who are the Reprobates are known also by their works and fruits of unrighteousness which they bring forth and this the Scriptures bear witness of 2. As for speaking little and living homely and sordidly If he means by homely and sordidly plainly and without superfluity this is also works and fruits of holiness and its better to speak little than to utter multitude of vain words and its more justifiable to God and just Men to be plain and homely as he saith in Apparrel than superfluity of naughtiness in vain Attire and more holy for true holiness consists in the Power of God which crucifies all idle words and all superfluity in Apparrel and whatsoever is not like God And was but this Accuser as wise as he is envious he would never be seen to scorn the Quakers scornfully so called with speaking little and wearing plain and sober Apparrel but Fools love to be medling to manifest their own folly as it is written Again The Accuser telleth another Story of Muntzer how he did exhort some that were on his part viz. Anabaptists to kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice to the Lord and saith he by this we may gâess if Anabaptists and Quakers should get the upper hand what they would do c. Answ. 1. As for the Quakers getting the upper hand we strive not for it by carnal Weapons to have victory over mens Persons though we know the Lord will give us victory and dominion over the Beast and over the false Prophets for the Lamb shall get the victory and they that are with him who are called and faithful and chosen but this victory is spiritual and obtained spiritually and thus we believe the Lord will give us the upper hand even victory over âll our Enemies 2. But what a wicked envious siârmise and suggestion is here coutched under as if the Quakers if they had victory would kill every Mothers Son for a Sacrifice and that they would make War c. The Lord rebuke his slanderous Tongue who hatched Mischief in his mind against the Innocent and presented you with forged Lyes and Surmises and imagined guessed cruel and evil things against us who are far otherwise Principled than as he suggesseth but all this his own doings doth but manifest the folly of his own Heart and ãâã own wickedness for we are of the Spirit of Mercy and Peace and not of Murder and War not to kill mens Persons but to war with the Spirit of God against spiritual Enemies that mens Iniquities may be slain and their Persons and Souls saved Again The Accuser pag. 4. tells a long story of Micher Hopman and others with him what things they held As they condemned the Baptism of Children they would not take an Oath they pulled down Magistrates they undertook to kill all Princes they taught that in their Churches all were holy and that it was lawful to have many Wives that all Learning is prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Sâriptures and there must be no ordinary calling in the Church but every man must speak as he is inspired And thus it is saith the Accuser with the Quakers and Popish Agents who are their Ring-leaders have been endeavouring in these three Nations these eight or nine years by-past c. Answ. 1. It is to be considered that all these things are fully charged upon us as being guilty thereof and so to every particular I shall answer As to that of the Baptism of Children we do say there is neither Command nor Example for it in all the Scripture God never commanded it nor did the Apostle ever practise it in their dayes but it is a Tradition of the Church of Rome introduced into the World long since the Apostles dayes and except better ground can be shewed for the Practice of it than bare Tradition it is lawful to deny it as being no Ordinance of God in his true Church except I say that it can be proved that God ever commanded it or the Apostles and Saints practised it till which be done it is no error to deny the
it and mould it for honour or dishonor and if his Spirit blow upon you and if he smite you you perish and none can restore you Take heed to this God and have respect unto him and remember you are but as Dust before him and you now have a time for a moment which the Lord hath given you to try you what you will do and how you will walk towards him an Account unto him must you give of all your wayes Remember this now in your life-time while you have time and the day of your visitation is not quite extinguished 4 Be tender and compassionate towards all men not perverse hasty and froward thinking to bow men to your wills by rigour but rather win them by love and this is of good report to you to be humble meek and tender towards all even towards your Enemies and insult not over the Afflicted neither add to their Sufferings for the Lord can raise up and bring down whomsoever he will according to his pleasure and remember that Law to walk by it Do to others but aâ ye would have others do unto you in the same case and be not too cruel to such who cannot conform to Times and Things and Men for what know you but some mens Consciences may be tender in things which you yet make no Conscience of meddle not to persecute any for their Conscience sake in religious matters but rule and govern well in outward Affairs according to the Law of God but afflict not nor persecute any for their Conscience sake towards God while they walk justly as men in things between man and man Take this Counsel lest you vex the Lord against you to destroy you 5. Be moderate and compassionate towards this same People that are accused before you though they are at this day a People under Afflictions and Sufferings every way yet shew not the height of Rigour and Oppression against them though you have Power to imprison them and to deal hardly with them yet be tender and meek and shew bowels of mercy and forbearance and use not the extent of your Power to seek their Destruction lest ye provoke the Lord against your selves for the God of Heaven remembreth their Cause and doth give ear to the cry of their innocent groanings under their heavy Burdens and Deliverance may he work for them whether you will or no Though it be an hour of Affliction and a day of great Tryal upon them yet Wo unto them that shall be found adding to their Afflictions by encreasing their Burdens through Injustice and Persecution Therefore as ye hope to receive Mercy from the Lord and as ye would have his Compassion shewed to you do the same to his People for Power is in your Hands to be Merciful or Cruel to relieve them or persecute them and it is your day of tryal what you ãâã do ye have your hour to do Good or evil and according to your Works will the God of Heaven reward you 6. Consider the Innocency of this People they are clear before the Lord and you of plotting or contriving or designing Evil againââ you or this Government they seek not the hurt of any mans Person nor do they intend Evil towards the Government or Governours Who have found them agitating any such things of all such things they are innocent and are peaceable Subjects under the Government and are perswaded in Conscience so to âântinue And as for their Deportment in their Callings and Occasions and Tradings amongst Men ask their Neighbours Do not they deal justly truly and equally in all their Dealings and Occasions Do not they speak the Truth to their Neighbours in all Matters and are they not Persons of upright and inoffensive Lives and Conversations Do they defraud their Neighbours or are they Drunkards or vain Persons âet the very Witness of God in their Neighbours answer And if you should fall a persecuting this People and seek to destroy them concerning whom the Witness of God in Mens Consciences giveth such an Evidence Wo wo will be unto you for you cannot hurt them but you act contrary to the Witness of God in your own Hearts which will condemn you in the Day of Judgment So let this dwell upon your spirits and be aware what you do take good Consideration lest you act out of God's Counsel to your own overthrow 7. Consider what became of all the Persecutors of old Were not they Eminently destroyed by the Hand of God who persecuted the Lord's People What became of Pharoah and what became of Hammon and what became of Herod who persecuted the Lord's Heritage Let this enter into your Hearts to be Examples to you that you persecute not the Innocent lest God overturn you by the Roots for as I have said The Cause of this People God regardeth and he will avenge himself in his season of all their Persecutors Have not your Hands dipped in their unjust Afflictions that God may bless you and spare them that you may be spared in the Day of Vengeance if you have no matter of Evil against them in things between man and man nor in the Affairs of your Government as contriving against it nor nothing but concerning the Worship of their God and the Matters of their Conscience in spiritual things Touch them not Persecute them not Afflict them not but be tender towards them as you will answer the same before the God of Heaven These are only Considerations of Warning to you and I commit the Matter to the Lord and ye have time to do Good or Evil and accordingly will God reward you A Testimony concerning Government and Authority WE are a People whom God hath raised up out of the Apastacy Darkness and Ignorance which all Christendom hath long been fallen into for since the dayes of the Apostles many have professed the Words of Christ and had a Name of Churches and the shew of Religion and have professed the Scriptures but have wanted the same Spirit and Power of Godliness which the Apostles lived in the Life and Spirit of God hath been wanting amongst the false Christians and they have been persecuting one another about Religion and the Worship of God and imposing upon one anothers Consciences in spiritual Matters and Kings and Rulers have been setting up what kind of Worship and Religion and Church Government as they pleased and they have imposed upon Kingdoms and made people subject to them to profess and conform to such a Way of Worship and Religion some in the ignorance of their Consciences and some contrary to their Consciences and all this hath been in the Apostacy since the Apostles dayes while men have been fallen from the true Faith and many have been subject to their Rulers and Governours by force and for fear and not for Conscience sake for Love Peace and Unity hath been wanting among Christians and Bitterness Frowardness and False heartedness hath been amongst them but out of all this the Lord
hath redeemed us into Peace and Comfort with God and one with another And as concerning our Principle about Magistracy and Government and obedience thereunto this I do declare 1. We do own and acknowledge Magistracy to be an Ordinance of God instituted of him for the punishing of Evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well and we acknowledge all subjection to Authority Magistracy and Government This is our Principle and hath ever been our Practice known through these Kingdoms that we are subject by doing or suffering to whatsoever Authority the Lord pleaseth to set over us without Rebellion Sedition Plotting or making War against any Government or Governors 2. That Government and Authority which is justly according unto God in all its Statutes and Ordinances we are and do engage to be subject thereunto by full Obedience to all the Commands and Injunctions of such Authority and Government whose Laws Ordinances and Commandments are grounded upon right Reason and Equity which leadeth to do to all men as we would be done unto and punish the contrary to such Government and Authority we are readily subject in all things and cases and we are for the Order and Assistance of such Government in all Righteousness 3. That Government which is contrary unto this which is Injustice commanding and requiring things contrary to the Law of God and imposing upon People in Matters and Cases contrary to Right Reason and Equity whose Commands are different to the Will of God yet to such Government we acknowledge subjection by patient suffering under all Penalties inflicted for disobedience to the Commands which we cannot perform by Obedience for Conscience sake And this is our Principle though an Authority and Government were never so Unjust in it self and in its exercise yet we may not plot nor contrive or make turbulent Insurrections to redeem our selves from such Government and Authority but we must commit our Cause to the Lord in such case of suffering under any unjust Commands of Men. 4. As concerning Church and Ministry and the Exercise of Religion We believe and acknowledge that Christ hath a Church upon Earth and a lawful Ministry and we are not Enemies to Church and Ministry and Gospel-Ordinances as we are falsly reputed by Men ignorant and slanderous but we only bear witness against the corruption and degeneration of the Church of Papists and Protestants so called wherein they are different and contrary to what the Churches of Christ were in the Apostles dayes they are different and contrary I assert to what the Churches of Christ once were in Ministry in its Call and Maintenance in Ordinances and Worship in Discipline and Government in all these things there is difference to what these things were in the true Churches in the Apostles dayes And our Principle is for the reforming of Ministry Church Government Discipline and Worship and not to destroy them 5. As concerning Imposing of Faith and Doctrine and Practices and Worship in Religion by the force of Laws and Penalties in the ignorance of mens Consciences or contrary to their Consciences We do say This Practice never was in the Apostles dayes but is an Intrusion of Antichrist and we bear Testimony against it not to be of God but contrary to him And that outward Government and Authority in Kingdoms and Nations is to be exercised over the outward man in things between man and man and not over the inward man in things between God and mans Conscience in spiritual Matters and Worship and Duty to God-wards No King nor Ruler upon Earth hath Power given him of God to exercise such Authority over the Consciences of Men in the Matters of God's Kingdom And further Religion and Church Government so set up and established by force upon Pains and Penalties can but reform a People into Hypocrisie and false Conformity and not into any real Performance of Religion or Duty to God And such Performance of Religion Church-Fellowship and Ordinances is not unto eternal Life but to the making of men two fold more the Children of the Devil 6. We do believe That it is the Convictions and Teaching of the Spirit of God that doth make men and People only truly Religious It is that only that perswades the Conscience from all Evil unto that which is Good and true Religion and the Worship of God and Duty towards him is not truly learned by Traditions of time Commandments of Men or Custom of Countries or the like but it is the Spirit of God and its Teachings in the Consciences of People that leadeth into all Truth according as Christ hath said so that the Way of forcing Religion and Duty to God upon People by force and outward Penalties this was never known among the Saints and Apostles of Christ. These things are presented to your Considerations The Lord give you a right Understanding of them and that you may walk in the way of your own Peace with God and Man E. B. Written in the 10th Moneth in Ireland 1660. SOME CONSIDERATIONS Presented unto the King of England c. Being an Answer unto a Petition and Address of the General Court of Boston in New-England presented unto the KING as is said Feb. last the Eleaventh Day 1660. Subscribed by Iohn Indicot the chief Persecutor there thinking thereby to cover themselves from the Blood of the Innocent OH King this my Occasion to present thee with these Considerations is very urgent and of great necessity even in the behalf of Innocent Blood hoping that my Work will find such Favour with thee as to induce thee to the reading and serious consideration hereof My Occasion is this Because of a Paper presented to thee called The humble Petition and Address of the General Court at Boston in New-England In which is contained divers Calumnies unjust Reproaches palpable Untruths and malicious Slanders against an innocent People whom they scornfully call Quakers whom for the Name of Christ's sake are made a Reproach through the World and by these Petitioners have been persecuted unto Banishment and Death It is hard to relate the Cruelties that have been committed against these People and acted upon them by these Petitioners they have spoyled their Goods imprisoned many of their Persons Whipped them cut off their Ears Burned them yea Banished and Murdered them and all this I aver and affirm before thee O King wholy unjustly and unrighteously and without the Breach of any just Law of God or Man but only for and because of difference in Iudgment and Practice concerning Spiritual things and without any Transgression of the Law of God or their own Laws saving that they made Laws against them on purpose to spoil their Goods imprison Persons cut off their Ears yea and kill them which Laws were made by them without any Power truly derived from the lawful Authority of England contrary to their Patent And now O King these same men have presented thee with a Petition in which is asserted very many
extream Reproaches as I have said in Contempt and Derision of that People and all this as if those People were guilty of heinous Crimes that it might appear to thee as if these Petitioners had done nothing but Iustice in what they have done and they seek to cover themselves and to hide their Wickedness before thee in what they have unjustly acted and this seems to be the Current of some part of the same Petition already presented unto thee like as if they had done no Evil though they have Unjustly Banished ãâã off Ears Whipped inhumanly and taken away lives as aforesaid And they would have thee believe they are Innocent towards thee and towards us whenas it is evident as the Sun at Noon-day that they are our Persecuters and that they have ââjustly persecuted us unto Death for the Name of Christ and that also they are not unto thee as they Hypocritically feign themselves And therefore O King for the clearing of our selves and the Name of the Lord which we profess and for reproving of their bold impudent Insolencies both in what they have already done to us and now in seeking to cover themselves unto thee And also if there be any doubtfulness in thy Heart of these Matters for these Ends and Causes with Respect to the Fear of God and Honour ãâã the King I hereby presume to pursue their said Petition even unto thy Court and to wipe away the Slanders and Reproaches of Ungodly Men as much as possible hoping thereby thou wilt receive due and just Information in this matter of proceeding between us and them that thy just Judgment may be given accordingly And I shall transcribe some few of their own words presented to thee and thereupon spread some few Considerations before thee also and I pray God give thee an Understanding to judge justly in this and all other cases The first thing that I note is whereas they say That they have chosen rather the pure Scripture-Worship with a good Conscience in this poor remote Wilderness to âit New-England among the Heathens than the Pleasures of England with subjection to the Imposition of the then so disposed and so far prevailing Hierarchy which we could not do without an evil Conscience c. say they The Considerations presented unto the King upon these words are divers 1. The Worship Doctrine Discpiline and Constitution of the Church of New-England is different and contrary and not purely according unto the Scriptures in the Administration of the Gospel nor in a pure Conscience purely guided by the Spirit of God though they seem to justifie their own Way and Case before the King and this may justly be made appear in his Presence upon good Occasion only at this time I assert the Case and if ever God gives oportunity I may prosecute it with Proofs and Evidences and that to the great Reproof of the Church so called of New-England who are not only in Doctrine Worship and Conversation contrary to the Scriptures but impudent and too presumptious to affirm their own Self-justification and Innocencâ before the King when as it is manifest as the Day is from the Night that the Pastors and Members of the Church of New-England want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures and follow the spirit of Persecution Violence and Cruelty and are void of a Good Conscience both towards God and Men. To prove this there needs no greater Evidence than their own Deportââ¦nt towards the Harmless Quakers for these five years time who as I have said have spoiled their Goods and imprisoned their Persons cut off their Ears Banished them and inhumanely put them to Death and all this because of difference in Iudgment and Practice in Religious Matters when as no manner of Evil could be charged upon them in the things between man and man And if these be not works contrary to the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and contrary to a Good Conscience I am yet ignorant and must leave it to the Judgment of the King before whom this Matter is brought to receive his Judgment 2. Let the King consider how they have ignorantly condemned themselves in the same things for whith they have judged others for while they seem to complain of the Impositions of the Bishops which they stile prevailing Hierarchy if it was Transgression in the Bishops in dayes past to impose upon these Petitioners and to Persecute them for Non-conformists how much more are these men guilty of Imposition and Persecution of tender Consciences Nay they have exceeded in the same Transgression and become seven-fold guilty of the sins themselves which they complain against in others for they have gone further in Cruelty and Persecution towards the Innocent Quakers than ever the Bishops proceeded against them even so far further as the murdering of a man is more than cutting off his Ear And the Cause of the Quakers towards these Petitioners hath been as Innocent as ever theirs was towards the Bishops Oh hypocritical Generation who are condemning of others for that whereof themselves are guilty and imposing upon others in a far higher degree than ever the Bishops imposed on them witness their Law in New-England which judgeth every man to pay 5s per day who come not to their Assembly and imposing Fines of 40s and 50s apiece on such as meet together to worship the Lord which are evident signs of an evil Conscience as themselves speak The next thing that I note upon which the King ought to consider the Petitioners say concerning the Quakers Open Capital Blasphemers open Seducers from the Glorious Trinity the Lord 's Christ the Blessed Gospel and from the holy Scriptures as the Rule of Life open Enemies to the Government it self as established in the hand of any but men of their own Principles malignant Promoters of Doctrines directly tending to subvert both our Church and State By way of Answer to this let the King consider 1. The envious and detestable spirit of maliciousness of these Accusers and how vehement and fervent their persecuting spirit is drawn forth with reproachful Tearms in the highest degree like as if they could not utter sufficiently the Envy of their Hearts or as if they wanted words to demonstrate their Malignity and devouring Malice against that People whom they in scorn call Quakers and all this to present us Odious and Abominable before thee O King I say but this of them unto thee The Lord forgive them if they have not sinned unto Death and Unpardonably I have no desire of Revenge towards them but I leave Vengeance to the Lord who will recompence in his season neither do I desire to provoke or incense the King against them only Duty to God and the King teacheth me and Love Constraineth me and an absolute Necessity presseth much upon me to spread our Denyal of their Bitter and Malicious Accusations against us before the King unto whom we are thus foully accused And I say I
Christians that believed in Jesus Christ gave paid or receiv'd Tythes I say There is no Example at all by either Precept or Practice leât us on Record That any of the Ministers of the Gospel in the Apostles dayes did pay or receive Tythes for any Ministerial Office nor otherwise But we do âââââve That none of the Christians in the first nor second Age after Christ since his Resurrection did institute pay or receive Tythes as Maintenance of Gospel-Ministry But we believe That the Ministers of Christ whom he sent forth to preach the Gospel after his Ascention did bear witness to the New Covenant and to Jesus Christ the Substance and against Temple Sacrifices Tythes and first Priesthood and the Worship of the first Covenant and said That Covenant was faâlty and none could attain Perfection as pertaining to the Conscience in it and therefore God took that Covenant away that he might establish a better Heb. 8. 6 7. Heb. 6. 19. And also Divers of the holy Martyrs since the Apostles dayes as William Thorâs and others Did preach down Tythes and denyed the Payment of them and for Conscience sake to God could neither give nor receive Tythes but fully witnessed against them though they suffered for it in their dayes So that 1st We have no Example from the Apostles nor Christians in their dayes to pay Tythes but rather the contrary for we have Testimony from them That the first âovenant and Priesthood with all Shaddows and Ordinances thereunto belonging whereof Tythes was one were disanulled finished and ended by the coming of Christ and a new Covenant established in which nothing is signified of paying Tââ¦s From whence it may appear to all that Tythes are ended and not to be paid in the New Covenant 2d We have clear Example from the Martyrs since the Apostles dayes not to paâ Tâthes for divers of the Protestant Martyrs call'd the Fathers of their Church did ãâã against Tythes and refused to pay any 3d We believe in our own Consciences That Tythes as receiv'd and paid in ãâã ãâã are not of any Institution of God nor exercised to any good Use and End ãâã ââât they are of Antichrist and Oppression and Unjust Exactions and Impositions upon the poor People of these Kingdoms and therefore we do refuse to pay Tythes and we cannot for good Conscience sake And the Exercise of our Consciences herein in denying to pay Tythes is well and lawfully grounded upon the Coming of Christ and upon the Example of the Apostles and Martyrs And thus in brief I have shewed concerning Tythes and why we refuse to pay them and the matter of our Consciences in that Case 4. As for Tythes as now demanded paid and received in these Kingdoms we know they are not of heavenly Institution nor for a good use and end ordained and practised but as they are now paid both in these Kingdoms and through Christendom they are of Popish Institution and were first ordained paid and received by the Authority of the Church of Rome and were unequally imposed upon the Nations through her Authority for the use and end to maintain her Priests and Clergy and Church and the Institution and payment of Tythes among Christians was not till near 400. Years after Christ as Hystorians say and for divers Ages after that there were no Laws enjoyning and forcing the payment of them not till about the Year 786. that Pope Adrian the first sent two Legates into England to make a Decree that the People of two Kingdoms to wit Merce-land and Northumberland should pay Tythes By these and other Testimonies it is manifest that the payment of Tythes amongst Christians had their first Original from the Church of Rome and by Succession from thence and not from the Apostles are Tythes paid given and received at this day in these Kingdoms and the Institution payment and use and end of them is not according to the Law of Moses at all for Tythes as then amongst the Iews ordained and paid were for the happy use to feed the Poor the Widdows and the Fatherless in Israel that there should not be a Beggar amongst them But the use and end of the payment of them now in these dayes is for the maintaining a company of Priests in their Pride and Fulness and the Poor and the Strangers may starve and lie begging up and down at the corners of the Streets so that we cannot for Conscience sake at this day pay Tythes 1. Because the first Institution of them among Christians was not from Heaven nor from Christ Iesus nor his Apostles but from the Pope and Church of Rome 2. Because the use and end of Tythes is not according to God nor Righteousness but for the maintaining the Priests in Pride and Fulness and their Families and in the mean time the Poor want 3. Because the continued payment of them is Exaction and Imposition contrary to the Gospel of Liberty and Peace upon the Persons Estates and Consciences of many good People in these Kingdoms 5. All these things rightly and justly considered it is manifest and plainly apparent to all good men that this matter of denying to pay Tythes is a clear case of Conscience with us and that we have sufficient ground to make Conscience hereof and for good Conscience sake we may justly refuse and deny to pay Tythes and the exercise of our Consciente herein is bottomed upon a right Foundation as I have made appear and it is not for Covetousness to our selves nor in contempt of Authority nor in wilfulness to wrong any man of his just Right nor for any other evil end that we do refuse to pay Tythes but it is for Conscience sake only and alone for that end that we may keep our Consciences clear in the sight of God by our Faithfulness in denying of what we are convinced of to be evil and not of God as I have shewed we are in this case of Tythes and we dare not sin against God by disobedience to him nor uphold the payment of Tythes in these Kingdoms which are so evil both in their Ordination and in their Use and End as paid in these days as I have shewed for if we should we might offend his Spirit and our own Consciences and bring anguish upon our Souls and be guilty of denying of Christ and his coming and of making void the New Covenant and of walking contrary to the Examples of the Apostles and holy Martyrs and of upholding Antichrist and his Kingdom These with many other Evils we run our selves into if we should pay Tythes in these days and after the Romish Institution and therefore it is for Conscience sake that we do refuse to pay Tythes And whatsoever we do suffer because thereof it is Persecution and for and because we cannot sin against our God and it is not for Evil doing for Rebellion nor for Transgression against the Law of God nor the just Laws of men but it is for holding the
the Church of ROME who are in the said Book Villified and Reproached by the Name and Term of Antient Phanaticks And this is sent forth as an Answer thereunto to Pursue it Apprehend it and Condemn it as a Pamphlet of Calumnies and Slanders against the Protestants both of former and present Dayes who are all of them Scorned in the said Book the one as Ancient the other as Modern PHANATICKS Which is sent abroad as a Warning to ENGLAND to beware of the spirit of the Church of ROME lest it Exalt it self in Cruel Persecution against the PROTESTANTS and all that differ from it HOW Great and Miserable hath been that Darkness and Ignorance which hath over-spread the Nations and Kingdoms of the World since the Apostles dayes And how manifold is that Error into which many have been fallen even as into a Snare of Destruction And how woful is that Strife Division and Contention about Religion that hath highly abounded among the Christian People so called For the whole Christendom have been divided and in Opposition one part against another about the True God and his Worship and concerning the knowledge of Salvation by Jesus Christ And divers kinds of Religion Church-Government and Practices of Ordinances of Faith Worship have been extant in the World and Nations Countries have been all in Division Strife and Contention about these Matters and have been also persecuting one another violently unto Bonds and Death for and because difference in Judgment and Practices concerning Spiritual Things Papists against Protestants and Protestants against Papists and one sort of Christians so called against another and the men of such a Judgment and Faiââ and Way of Religion have been persecuting and seeking to destroy all that have been contrary minded to them And thus have been the woful Divisions and evil Effects thereof in the World among Christians about Faith and Worship and Religious matters this has come to pass because of the spirit of Error Darkness that hath possessed the minds of men since the falling away from the Truth as it was once manifest among the Apostles And thus it s come to pass because of the erring from the Spirit of God and because that hath been wanting amongst men therefore have People been divers and divided about Matters of Religion each one sort following their own Invention and Traditions of men and also persecuting one another and killing and imprisoning one another because of the same and all this because the Spirit of Truth hath not dwelt in the Hearts of Christians as it did in the Apostles not led guided and taught them in true Unity and Fellowship as it did the true Christians in the dayes of old And while the Spirit of Christ hath been wanting and is not received into the Heart to mortifie guide rule and teach in all the Wayes of God and the whole exercise of Religion and Duty towards Him and while there is any kind of imposing and forceing of Religion by Laws of men upon Penalties and Forfeitures and setting up Worship and Church Government by that means and in that way without the immâ⦠Teaching of the Spirit of Christ in the Conscience I say while this hath been and is continued nothing but Division Strife Contention Persecution and Nations and Peoples destroying one another about Religion hath been is or can be in the World amongst Christians And of this same to wit of Division and Contention about Religion with the Enmity of such as are so divided one against another to the persecuting and killing one of another that are contrary minded as it hath been brought forth in the World for Generations past we have here a sufficient large Testimony lately published in a Book called Semper Iidem or A Paralel of Phanaticks c. wherein is made mention of what Strife and Contention there hath been in former dayes among the false Christians and how they have cruelly Persecuted Burned and Destroyed one another in this Cause only for and because of the difference in Maters of Judgment and Religious Things and these Persecutions and Cruelties effected contrary to the Example of Christ and his Doctrine who hath exhorted to Love and Peace and not to Kill and Destroy and that a man should love his Enemies and not Kill and Destroy them contrary to which Doctrine the false Christians of all kinds have walked and acted since the dayes of the Apoâ⦠who have been Apostatized and fallen from the very Life and Power of Godliness as held amongst the primitive Saints into Forms and empty Shadows being all in strife one with another about such things and have wanted the Spirit of Christ which should have led and guided into all Truth and exercised them in the true Worship of the true and living God who is a Spirit and is only truly worshipped in Spirit and in Truth but out of this Spirit and spiritual Worship the false Christians have been erred and so all divided and in Centention aâ aforesaid and persecuting one another because thereof each one sort justifying their own Way ãâã Right and condemning that which hath differed as the Wrong and all as Hereticks that have been otherwise minded But as ãâã ãâã ãâã Book Semper Iidem c. I would gladly animadâ⦠ãâã conââ¦ing it and do intend to write a few things by way of anââer thereunto and this is the present Occasion of my present work for having met with the said Pamphlet and perusing of it I found divers Considerations on my spirit to send forth in Answer to pursue the said Semper Iidem up and down the World till it returns again unto the place from whence it came to wit Unto the bottomless Pit out of which it lately arose and in reading the same Book I have principally observed the Mischievout End and secret Evil Intents of the Nameless Author more than the Matter it self contained and though the Author be Nameless yet is his nature and spirit known by his Book and for what end he hath concealed his Name I know not except he was ashamed of his Work and durst not Authorize his Matter by his Name but however the spirit end and intent of the said Nameless Person is perceived and known as much as any Tree can be distinguished by its Fruit and he is of an Envious Disposition of Heart and of Malicious Countenance and in nature and stock of the descent of Cain for his spirit is of an evil constitution hot and fiery and enclinable to destroy all that are not like-minded with himself in the Iudgment of Religious Matters and his proceedings and the end of his work is of an Intent and Purpose wicked enough if every Effect answers the Cause appearing and be not diverted from the End proposed by the Author and this I find by Calculation of his Birth and the Temper of his spirit and of the Time wherein his Book is published and by the Cause and End and Intent of the
Name of Phanaticks and then they reproached many by that Name that differed from them and did not conform to their Way of Worship and Religion but this continued not long for when others came over them and they grew under Reproach then they themselves were reproached by that Name Phanatick by which they had reproached others not long before and many that are for the Government of the Church under Episcopacy they now reproach the Presbyterians so called by the Name of Phanaticks so the word is used in scorn to them by Scorners as they used it to others that differed from them in the like scornful spirit And thus the word is made use of only in derision and reproach to any that differ from the publick way of Religion in the Land For when the publick was generally Presbyterians then they that would not conform to that but opposed it were called Phanaticks and now when the publick is Episcopal even the Presbyterians themselves and all that differ from that way and cannot conform to it are reproached by the scornful Name of Phanatick And thus the word hath been exchanged from one sort of Scorners to another and used reproachfully towards divers Persons so that as I have said the word Phanatick is truly proper to none of the Sects more than others but only proper to be used by Scoffers and Scorners against any whom they have a mind to villifie and it s exchanged from one to another and used by divers sorts of People according as Times and Religion do change by the Powers of the Earth So the Term Phanatick is changed into the Mouthes of Scorners to reproach all that differ from the Common General Way of Profession and Practice of Religion 4. Now last of all it is changed yet once more into the Mouthes of the Papists as by Semper Iidem doth appear now under my explanation and now the Papists have gotten the word Phanatick both from the Presbyterians and Episcopals and all must now be reproached by that Name that differ from them and their Way and Religion and they have already begun to cry Phanatick to the Protestants that differ from them in Principles and Practices And thus its manifest that the word Phanatick is truly proper to none but only used by Scorners to all whom they will revile and hold in derision as different from them in Religion such they villifie by the Name of Phanaticks First the Presbyterians used it to such as differed from them then Episcopal men so called used it towards all that differed from them and now last of all the Papists have got it from both and use it to all in derision that differ from them And thus I have shewed First the beginning of the use of the word Phanatick and upon what occasion and its true signification as used at this day Secondly concerning the exchanging of the word from one to another and how that its truly proper to no People but Scorners only use it to deride and reproach such as differ from them and cannot run in the same excess of Vanity Thirdly How the Papists now last of all have got it and use it against the Protestants and in their Mouthes now it remains and the Protestants so called are now the Persons and People that are accounted Phanaticks because they differ from the Papists in Principles and Practises of Faith Worship and Religion and this is manifest by the scope of Semper Iidem Secondly I shall now shew how maliciously the nameless Author of Semper Iidem hath slandred the Martyres and Sufferers for Righteousness sake in former Ages and how he hath accused the Protestants now living and what effect this would work in England if the Author's Intent were fulfilled 1. HE hath slandered accused and rendred the Martyres of old as Infamous as he possibly can even termed them by the scornful Name of Phanaticks even the Protestant Martyrs so called who are said to be the very Fathers of the Protestant Church as Bishop Latimer Cranmer Ridley and many others who have been accounted honourable in England for their faithfulness against the Church of Rome who because thereof were martyred and burned by the Cruelty of the Papists yet these Persons with Robert Woodman Thomas Hawks and many more of the Antient Protestant Martyrs are slandered by the villifying Term of Phanaticks and that they were men of mischief and licentious Tongues and seditious behaviours and they were erronious and obstinate as in the ninth Page of Semper Iidem doth appear and in pag. 16. Latimer is again called one of the Antient Phanatick And thus the main work of this nameless Author throughout his Book is to accuse the Protestant Martyrs that suffered in Queen Maries dayes to be rebellious seditious Hereticks and he villifies them by the very Title of Antient Phanaticks and this is apparent through the whole Pamphlet even by his Calumnies Reproaches and Accusations against the Protestant Martyrs who suffered for bearing Witness against the Church of Rome And thus the very Fathers of the Protestant Church so called stand now in reputation to be Hereticks seditious rebellious and jâdged Phanatick and this is for the Protestants so called even the very Bishops themselves in England to consider of 2. The Auther of Pemper Iidem hath accused some of the Protestants even of the King's Friends now living and villifieth them by the Name of Phanatick as William Prin c. whom he calls one of the modern Phanaticks And no doubt but the Intent of this Man with whom I am now in contest reputes even all the Protestants of this present Age to be Phanaticks and such as the Antient Phanaticks to wit the Protestant Martyrs as before-mentioned for he having accused Ridly and Cranmer and many more being such who were some of the first Promoters of the Protestant Religion in England and the very Instituters of that Book called the Divine-service-Book it must needs follow consequently and may be concluded from his words and by his meaning That all the Protestants now are such even the present Prelates of England and durst the Author have spoken plain it is likely he would have said the same but that he hath minced the matter a little as well as concealed his Name though his work be cryed up and down London which all sober People may indeed well take notice of seeing that the Martyrs of old who have to this day been of good report and fame for their Piety and Faithfulness in London and through these Lands are now accused slandered and reproached up and down the Streets of London by the Name of Rebels and Seditious and by the Term of Antient Phanaticks Is London so blind that cannot see what is in the Bottom and Intent of such a Work as renders the very Fathers of their Church Hereticks and no better than Phanaticks And as for William Pryn who is also accounted one of the chief modern Phanaticks I shall leave him to answer for himself
Fined and taken out of their own Houses and Meetings to Goals and Prisons as it is at this day upon the Occasion of that Insurrection whereof they were clear and innoâent both to God and Men though they are dealt withal as Plotters Conspirors and Rebellious when as hereof they are not guilty And this is all that I shall say at present as about that Insurrection and the Occasion of Semper Iidem its Publication And whereas Sir Iohn Oldcastle and Sir Roger Acton with divers others are mentioned and their Death 's related whom this Author saith were put to death for Treason and Rebellion and making Insurrection Concerning the Carriages and Death of such I shall say little nor can I justifie any in so doing neither in Ages past nor in this present Time if they were put to death only upon that Account for rebelling with Carnal Weapons and rising up in Conspiracies against the Authorities which they were under or for Evil-doing to their Neighbours I say such neither in this Age nor in Ages past do I justifie nor will vindicate their Practices nor condemn their Death but shall leave them to be justified or condemned of God according to their doings and according to the end and intent of their Hearts in their Proceedings but many others are mentioned in Semper Iidem who suffered and were put to Death burned and killed only for and because of their Principles and Practices in Religion while yet they lived peaceably and were of a harmless Conversation amongst Men the Persecution and Death of such upon that account I do condemn and do charge it to be Murder in the sight of God of such who were burned and destroyed because of their difference in Religion from the Church of Rome when as no Unrighteousness nor Double-dealing as to men could be charged and proved against them such I say as died and suffered for that Cause have been murdered by the Power of Antichrist among the Apostate Christians and the Blood of such will the God of Heaven avenge one time or other Now I come to search some Particulars which are stated pag. 3. which it s said John Wickliff held which Doctrines the Author of Semper Iidem seems to say are Errors by his condemning such for Hereticks as held them for Truths THe First That the Sacrament of the Altar is nothing but a piece of Bread This the Lollards so called are said to affirm for which the Papists condemn them as Hereticks Answ. As for the Sacrament of the Altar so termed by the Papists we find nothing of it in all the Scriptures not Sacrament of the Altar nominated only we find That Christ took Bread and brake it and gave it to his Disciples not as Himself for He only gave it them to eat in remembrance of Himself As oft as ye do it saith Christ do it in remembrance of Me. Where it is manifest that there is a distinction to be made and a separation in expression to be put between that Bread which Christ gave his Disciples to eat and his own Body for they were to eat the Bread not as Him but in remembrance of Him and this shews that the Bread which Christ gave his Disciples was Bread to be eaten in Remembrance of Him and so it is no Error but sound Truth to affirm That the Bread called the Sacrament of the Altar by the Papists is but indeed a piece of Bread and may safely so be called But suppose it were Error in men so to believe and say yet it is Murder Cruelty and not of Christ but of the Wicked One so to deal with them for their Error sake as before-mentioned Doct. 2. That Priests have no more Authority to administer Sacraments then Lay-men Held by the Lollards Condemned as a great Error by the Papists Answ. As for the Name and Order of Priests we find none such among the Apostles in the Christian-Churches in their dayes Pastors and Ministers and Prophets and Teachers we find but not Priests by that Name as a particular Order of Men in the Church saving that all the Saints are called Kings and Priests unto God neither do we find such a thing As consecrating a piece of Bread into a more holy quality then it was in it self before nor any Commision given by Christ to a particular Order of Men to administer Bread to the People as his Body we read that the Saints brake Bread when they were met together and some time from House to House but that there were particular Persons by an Office among them that did administer the Bread in the Form and Manner as among Papists we read not of this in all the Scriptures And as for Lay-men as Papists term them this word we have not in all the Scriptures but Saints we have of divers growths but the Papists have made many Inventions of Offices Titles and Names in their Church for which they have no Example at all in the Scriptures Doct. 3. That all things ought to be in Common Opposed by Papists as a great Error Answ. It is a great question what signification may be put upon the Word Common so I shall not vindicate for Truth the Doctrine as it lies and leave the Interpretation of the Word Common to my Adversaries and so I pass it only do mind that it is said in the Acts That they that believed had all things Common Though the Word Common there I understand not Absolute but with Restriction Doct. 4. That it is as lawful to Christen a Child in a Tub of Water at home or in a Ditch by the Way as in a Font-stone in the Church Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. As for the Baptizing of Infants by dipping or sprinkling and calling it the Baptism into the Faith and into the Church as practised and held by the Papists we have cause to question the Lawfulness of the Thing in it self at any Place For we find no Command or President of Christ nor among his Apostles in the pimitive Churches for this thing of Christening Infants and therefore we question whether the Thing in it self is lawful at any Time or Place suppose the Papists could prove the Thing lawful and that it ought to be done by vertue of any Command or Example of Christ or his Apostles then again we question why not as lawful to be done at any other Place as in a Font-stone so called Of what holiness or purity is that more than other Places and of whose invention is it of all the Christians since the Apostles dayes seeing we find nothing at all of it in the Scriptures But suppose the Principle to hold indeed absolute Error the Papists yet do still wickedly in racking men and burning them because thereof Doct. 5. That it is as lawful at all times to confess unto a Lay-man as to a Priest Opposed by the Papists as great Error Answ. As for that manner and form of Auricular Confession so called
One to such and such kind of Persons whom they name Clergy-men as if they knew all Religion and might only Preach and all besides themselves might be in Ignorance and know nothing nor can be fit to speak of the Matters of God's Kingdom which is contrary to the Scriptures and Example of Saints in former Ages As for the 13th and 14th Doctrines about Baptism of Infants I have spoken somewhat to it in my Answer to the fourth Doctrine so here I pass them Then Semper Iidem goes on and saith Who sees not among these the principal Tenets of our Anabaptists Fifth-Monarchy-Men Levellers and Quakers c Answ. As for the Anabaptists Fifth-monarchy-men and Levellers so called I shall not now plead their Cause but shall leave it to themselves to do it against Semper Iidem neither shall I condemn them with him or justifie them against him But as for the Quakers so called I have a few word to plead for them against their Adversaries though I shall be brief at this time They are neither Rebellious Seditious Hereticks nor Phanaticks though accused at this time of these things and accounted by the Author of Semper Iidem as such though neither he nor any of their false and envious Accusers that have ever risen against them can prove any such matter nor ought against them saving That they are an Innocent and Harmless People towards all people and though Sufferers by Injustice and Cruel Imprisonments under all Authorities yet not Rebellious nor Seditions against any but Peaceable and Quiet under all this is their Practice since they were a People And as for their Principles of Faith and Worship and Doctrine and Religion they are according to the Scriptures and Example of the Saints in former Ages and not ever yet convicted by any either Protestants or Papists of Error False Iudgment or Heresie though all manner of Evil hath been spoken against them in that Case yet never to this day truly detected or reprehended concerning the same And they desire no better way to be made manifest in their Doctrines and to be approved or disproved therein through the World than to have free Egress and Regress among the Papists and Protestants and all others in the Way of sober Arguments and Disputations and Reasoning out the Truth of what they hold and profess and if they can possibly be convicted that their Way and Doctrines and Religion are not found Verities but Errors then it is time to forsake them But all the Persecution that is already or can be acted upon them will never make them change their Minds till Death nor renounce the things which the Spirit of God in their own Hearts doth bear witness to the truth of And therefore let the Church of Rome lay down her Cruel Weapons of Persecution by Burning and Destroying of such as differ from them in Religion and let her admit of Disputations and sound Arguments to uphold her self thereby if she be able and to Confute and Convince such as are contrary minded to her even the Quakers so called if she can and let her cease her Fire and Faggot and Inquisition-Disputation of Murders and Cruel Tortures against such whom she calls Hereticks and let her appear in the soundest Arguments of Reason and Scripture and Antiquity that she can adorn her self withal and the Quakers so called will not doubt nor fear to advance towards her and meet her and answer her in the same for the true and legal Tryal of both that all the World may see and understand the difference between these two and whether the Papists Religion or the Quakers Religion is of more Reason Verity and Antiquity and the Quakers are willing to try this Case with the Papists engaging upon the adventure of certain Proof or Disproof of their Religion in the view of the whole World And this is the most I shall say at present on their behalf and in the mean time till this be performed let the Church of Rome and all her Members cease to persecute and accuse such whom they know not but by the Evil Reports of others and the Tenets and Principles of the Quakers so called will be justified where the false Christians cannot stand nor appear in Judgment Then Page 7. The Author of Semper Iidem complains of some Phanaticks as he calls them that nick-name what they dislike saith he They call the Church a Steeple-House the Surplice a Rag of Popery the Organs Grumbling-Pipes c. Answ. As for the True Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. The People of God that are regenerated and sanctified wheresoever come together are the true Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as it is written So that it is the People that are the Members of Christ the true Church and not the House or Place wherein they assemble at any time And as for calling the publick Meeting Places which some call Churches Steeple-Houses this is no Error for the Form Fashion and Service of the Place prove it to be so A great House made of Wood and Stone and a Steeple with Bells in it erected at the End of the House may properly be called a Steeple-House without Error and cannot at all be called a Church but in Error And as for the Surplice which the Priests put on this is without Question an Invention of the Church of Rome because there is no such thing in the New Testament nor was there any Surplices worn by any of the Ministers of Christ in the Apostles dayes but is an Invention introduced into the World by the Church of Rome and so is and may be called A Piece or Rag if you will of Popery And as for Organs and the Practice of them as held forth for the Worship of God there was no such thing among the Apostles neither did the Saints of the Primitive Church hold forth the Worship of God by playing on the Organs but the true spiritual Gospel-Worship is more heavenly and spiritual even in the Spirit and in the Truth is God worshipped as Christ said and not by outward Musick on Organs and such like but this is also an Invention of the Church of Rome since the Apostles dayes And Organs having Pipes of different sounds may be called Grumbling-Pipes without Offence Again Page 11. It is charged as a great Error in some that held It was not lawful for a Christian to take an Oath Answ. To deny all Swearing and taking of Oaths is according to the Doctrine and Command of Christ Jesus who hath said Swear not at all so it s manifest that the false Christians accuse and condemn such for Hereticks as abide in the Doctrine of Christ and keep his Commands And thus both Papists and Protestants are found in Error and Heresie themselves and breaking the Command of Christ and walking contrary to his Doctrine in Swearing and taking Oaths and condemning such as Hereticks as cannot take an Oath for Conscience sake and so
and the Papists by the Example of others against them Now I say The Wickedness of one will not justifie the Wickedness and Cruelty of the other for neither Party of them are justifiable in the sight of God but condemnable in such Proceedings and it was doubtless of Antichrist and the Devil in both Papists and Protestants to Destroy and Burn one another only for and because of Difference in Religion and wherein the Protestants did put any of the Papists to Death only for and because of Difference in Profession and Practice in Religion and because they were Papists herein the Protestants were acted by the same persecuting spirit of the Devil as the Papists were acted by against them so that I am not an absolute party with the Protestants against the Papists for I know that there is Error of Judgment amongst them both in Faith Worship and their whole Religion only my End is at present in pursuing Semper Iidem to confound his Bloody spirit of Persecution and Cruelty which I find him possessed withal as by his Discourse is apparent and also to put the Protestants in mind how their cause begins to be Reproached Vilified and Despised even in their own Land publickly in the Streets of their chief City which hath not been the like for above an Hundred Years And this is the End of my pursuing Semper Iidem with this Answer and I shall not much enlarge further only in the 11th Page there is one Passage worth observing There is instanced one Richard Woodman of Sussex who affirmed That he had the Spirit of God and can prove said he by the Scriptures that Paul had the Spirit of God as I my self and all God's Elect have Now saith Semper Iidem No Arguments nor Reasons could reclaim him from his Errors and so he was Burnt at Lewis because he said He had the Spirit of God and could prove that Paul had it Answ. There its manifest that this Martyr suffered for Truth and Righteousness sake as a Saint and Servant of God and for witnessing the Truth according to the Scripture which saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his which is manifest in the Scriptures that all that are Christ's and Members of his Church have and it is also manifest That the Papists have not the Spirit of God because they Burn such as do witness and testifie that they have it as here Semper Iidem hath given us an Instance that they Burn and Destroy such for Hereticks as say they have the Spirit of God he not believing that Paul had it but saith It is an Error to affirm it and yet this work seems now to be justified up and down London streets which is the double Iniquity and that which once many looked not to have seen that any being condemned and burned as Hereticks for saying They had the Spirit of God that this should be justified now in these Glorious Dayes of Light this seems almost incredible but that our Eyes behold it and causeth wonder in many what will be the Effect of such a bad sign appearing as a Justification of putting to Death the Innocent for no other Cause but in that he affirmed He had the Spirit of God And by this we learn to know how great the Ignorance Darkness and Blindness of the Church of Rome is and deserveth not the name of a Church if they be all of this mind to condemn men and Burn them for Hereticks for saying They have the Spirit of God and then an Hundred Years after justifie the doing of it to their shame and confusion let this be rehearsed who have themselves denyed that they have the Spirit of God and Condemning and Destroying others for saying they have it And this I leave to the Consideration of all the Protestants who must either deny that they have the Spirit of God or be Condemned and may be Killed as Hereticks for affirming it if so be the Church of Rome recover her desired Power and Pupose in England It s worthy to be minded while it may be ãâã lest the time come when it cannot be prevented And thus I have run through the main part of Semper Iidem and chiefly hinted at the principal Matters worthy to be taken notice of though much more might be said but that it is my property in all Cases to be as brief as may be for that is the best for the Understanding to contain what is spoken or written only shall not forget William Pryn who is stated in pag. 18. as one of our Modern Phanaticks I would not forget to mind him I say to answer his part and to clear himself if he can of the Aspertion of a Phanatick by which term he stands reviled though Semper Iidem fawneth upon him and flattereth with him and telleth him He is the only Person in this unhappy Paralel who hath given Testimony of his Reconcilement But what better is William Pryn for this Flattery I hope he is not yet reconciled to the Papists and become one of them if he be I desire he would let us know it and if he be not then Semper Iidem accounts him a Phanatick I shall say no further but shall leave him to answer for himself And now last of all for Conclusion I have some CONSIDERATIONS to present to the People of ENGLAND and particularly to the People of LONDON occasioned by the Publication of Semper Iidem 1. COnsider how the Ancient Martyrs as Wickliff Hawkes and Cranmer Latimer Ridley with many more who have been accounted by the Protestants themselves Famous for Piety and Faithfulness and Honourably esteemed Innocent Martyrs for their Witness-bearing against the Romish Idolatries and this for many years in these Kingdoms how I say they are now rendred Odious and Contemptible and Scorned and Slandered as Hereticks seditious factious Blasphemers and Phanaticks by the Author of Semper Iidem and this published openly through the Nation and up and down the Streets of London and this without rebuke from any in Authority that we know of I say this deserves serious Consideration That the Faithful Martyrs in their Day according to their Knowledge who were as the first Fathers of the protestants-Protestants-Church so called and did lay down their Lives and seal their Testimony with their Blood against the Idolatry of the then present Times and the Lives and Blood of these Men now to be made void and they that Martyred them justified as doing of Justice and they now reputed Hereticks and Phanaticks publickly this ought to be considered both in the Cause why it is thus and in the Effect of it if it be not restrained 2. Consider How that the generality of the People of England and London are reputed and stand under the present Reproach of being Phanaticks even all the People of England I say except the Papists not only the Separatists from the Church of England as Quakers Anabaptists Independents so called and
the rest but the Presbyterians and Episcopals and all of that way and these Professions stand in Reputation and are accounted Phanaticks and Hereticks even William Pryn himself and this is manifest by the Author of Semper Iidem who hath reviled and reproached all the People of England publickly and openly For seeing the Antient Martyrs the Fathers so accounted of the Church of England are villified as Phanaticks Then must needs follow that the Church of England even in the way of Episcopacy as being in their own account the Successors of the Martyrs in some things at least are also Phanaticks and such as Semper Iidem saith the Old Phanaticks were for the men being reputed Phanaticks who were as the Fathers then needs must the Children be the same and this deserves serious Consideration by the Protestants of England 3. Consider how the very Cause it self of Protestants in this their long Contest for these many years with and against the Church of Rome is now weakened and even as it seems in a way of losse and decay being now reproached and held under publick scorn in England by Semper Iidem I say the very Cause of the Protestants is new struck at and beat against and sought to be destroyed being already defamed and reviled as appears by the discourse of the nameless Author who hath rendred the Antient Martyrs that promoted as much as they could the Protestants Cause against the Church of Rome and dyed for it many of them sealing the Cause with their Blood as Hereticks Erroneous Rebels and Phanaticks and hath also rendred Fox and his Acts and Monuments who hath hitherto in England been counted a true Reporter and Historian of the PROTESTANTS Sufferings as invalid as possible even that he is a Lyar and his Chronology Untruths and hath justified Queen Mary and the Papists who put the Martyrs to Death And these things considered duly and justly how is the Protestants Cause it self struck at and weakened and as it were the very Victory given to the Papists against the Protestants in this long Quarrel between them ever since Henry the Eighth's dayes and long before 4. Consider How the Papists Cause seems to be reviving in England and how bold the Members of the Church of ROME are of late dayes growing as to appear so publickly in Print justifying their own Cause as good as Queen Mary and the Papists in her dayes in Martyring and Burning the Protestants and condemning the Martyrs of the Protestants as Hereticks and Phanaticks This I say is great Boldness in the Papists more than hath been for this Hundred of Years and a Sign of a Reviving and Recovering of their Cause more than hath been for many Years who durst not any of them appear so publick as the Author of Semper Iidem hath done with that Boldness and Courage to justifie the Papists Cause and condemn the Protestants For if such a Discouse as Semper Iidem had been brought forth and published in the dayes of Queen ELIZABETH which were Darker Dayes then these are it is possible it would not have been suffered to be cryed up and down LONDON but Restrained and Condemned for the Fire But now the Papists have taken Confidence to themselves and are of better Hopes than formerly even that they shall have Fire and Faggot again and to Burn and Destroy such as differ and dissent from them whom they may call Hereticks and Phanaticks And this I observe from the spirit of Semper Iidem 3. Consider The Nature and Constitution and Disposition of the spirit of the Church of ROME how that it is not Changed but the self-same that ever it was viz. A spirit of Murder and Cruelty that hath Killed and Martyred such as have Differed from them and been Contrary-Minded in Religious Matters and it would work and bring to pass the same still if it had its Power without Limitation in ENGLAND The Papists I say would Burn Kill and Torture such as they judge Hereticks and all that cannot Bow and Bend and Conform to their Wayes and Injunctions and Religion this they would be at again in England if it were in their Power as it was heretofore I say This ought to be considered even the Cruelty of that spirit and what Danger there is in it to give way to the Exaltation of that spirit and to embrace it in the least whereby to give it occasion to get into the Power and Judgment-Seat for if it doth then Fire and Faggot and Killing and Burning about Religion will openly appear again and this seems to be manifest by the Constitution of the spirit of Semper Iidem which may give Good and Wholsome Cautions that the spirit of the Papists is still a Cruel Spirit and would Destroy all that Differ from their Way if they had Power and that that spirit is not to be Hugged and Embraced nor set highest lest the Effect of it proves Woful to England by bringing forth again what it once did in Renewing Fire and Faggot for this is the Disposition of the spirit of the Romish Church as is apparent by Semper Iidem 6. Consider how Careful and Vigilant the People of England ought to be to wait and attend the Motions of the Spirit of the Church of Rome lest it insinuate it self into Authority and get its intended Advantage and Purpose against the Protestants and their Cause and advance it self against them and promote its own Interest and Destroy and overturn theirs For without all Controversie that same spirit is now at work to agitate its Desires and according to its old course its Hatching and Contriving how to promote it self and destroy all that 's contrary it is Undermining and secretly Surmizing its Opponents Overthrow that it self may be exalted For that spirit is diligent in its way to take the least Occasion for its Self-advantage as is manifest by Semper Iidem and therefore the People of England ought also to be Careful and Diligent in their Cause to Preserve themselves and their Interest from the defeat of the Church of ROME and they ought to watch against that spirit to keep it in subjection under Authority and Command and not to exalt it into Command over them lest they be subjected to the Idolatries and Oppressions and Persecutions of that spirit to their own Destruction both of Persons Estates and Religion for that spirit will attempt alwayes to Rule and if it Rule then will follow consequently An Utter Overthrow of the Protestants PERSONS and CAUSE that will be the Effect of the Authority of it though it bear hand in hand in seeming Love and good Agreement with the Protestants till it hath gained its desired end over them which is To promote it self and subdue by Burning and Cruel Tortures all that which is contrary to it Let the People of ENGLAND consider this Matter now while it is time and be Watchful over the Motions of that spirit and not put Confidence in it too far nor to
but it was not according to True Knowledge And thus the Iews were zealously performing that as their Duty and as out of a Good Conscience which the Lord required not at their hands and so they made Conscience to do that which the Lord required not and their Consciences were mis-led and not righly informed and as it was amongst the Iews in this case in the dayes of old so now is it amongst the Christians in the Apostacy their Consciences being mis-guided by a false spirit they are doing and performing the things in great Zeal and for the exercise of their Consciences which the Lord doth not require of them Thus do the Papists they do and practise the things in great Zeal and through a false Fear in their blind Consciences which things are in themselves Idolatry and not commanded nor required of the Lord as in many particulars I might shew even in many parts of their Worship and Religion which out of a Fear and blind Zeal and mis-guided Conscience they practise which is in it self but Idolatry and not required nor accepted of the Lord. And many things in relation to the Protestants Worship and amongst all the several false Sects upon Earth which are done and practised in great Zeal and out of a false Fear and as in pretence of a good Conscience and yet are things in themselves Idolatrous as done and practised by them And this comes to passe as I have said because the Conscience is mis-informed and a false spirit guides and rules in the exercise of Conscience and the understanding of the People is blinded and they know not but they do well though their minds are captivated and their minds and judgments in error and though there be a sincerity to God-wards and a desire of Him in the bottom among some People of all Forms and Sects and some of all are zealous towards God in their practices in their Religion and Worship yet among all People and the Churches that have been for many Generations there hath been great Error in Judgment and much blindness in mind and the Conscience falsly exercised towards God and the Superscription hath been To the Unknown God and He hath been ignorantly worshipped and the Spirit of the Lord hath not truly exercised Peoples Consciences nor guided their Zeal nor been Ruler in the Judgment And by this means the sincerity and humility towards God hath been eaten out and always quenched and the bare practice of things and profession of Religion in the outward appearance hath been more lookt at than the presence of God felt in the Practices and the Zeal hath been more for the performance of such things than for God purely enjoyed through them And thus it hath been through Christendom in the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches Many have erred in their Judgments and the Zeal for God hath proceeded out of the error of Iudgments and out of mis-information of Conscience some other things than only the Spirit of God hath ruled in the Iudgment and been the exercise of Peoples Consciences And this is a hint of things about true Liberty of Conscience and about the Error in Iudgment and the blind Zeal in captivated sincerity Now it may be objected What is the only absolute Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience and when are Mens Consciences truly guided To this I answer The only chief and perfect Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience both to God and all men is The Spirit of Christ for it is only that which can truly guide the Conscience in Faith Doctrine and Worship and in all things towards God even the Spirit of Christ which is the gift of the Father it only leadeth into all Truth as it is written and all whose Consciences are guided and exercised by it are in unity and Peace in their Worship Doctrine and Religion for the Spirit of Christ is but one in it self and guideth the Conscience into the exercise of one Truth and Faith and in this same Spirit is true ânion and Communion of SAINTS in Religion and Worship and this is manifest through the Scriptures for the Apostle exhorted To walk in the Spirit and by it and as many as walked by the Rule of the Spirit Peace be upon them and it is the Spirit of Christ the Everlasting Comforter that teacheth all Truth and the Holy Anointing of the Spirit that dwelt in the Saints taught them all things and they need no man to teach them but as the Anointing that dwelt in them And then are mens Consciences truly guided in all the Ways of Righteousness when the Spirit of God guides the Conscience and is the Rule of all Faith Doctrine and Practices So that Traditions of Men Prescriptions of Councils Antiquity of Time Commandments of Men nor Example of others without the Spirit of Christ cannot be the only true Rule of the Exercise of Conscience for all these things are changeable alterable and subject to variations and therefore cannot infallibly guide the Conscience in the Duty towards God nor rightly exercise the Conscience in Unity and Peace but while a Nation or Kingdom or People walk by the Rule of Traditions Prescriptions Commandments of Men Example of others or the like they err in Judgment in Faith Doctrine and Worship and are all divided in Contention about these matters because their Rule of Conscience and Judgment is doubtful and alterable and not infallible and therefore they have no perfect assurance of Gods acceptation to them in their Faith and Religion nor perfect Peace and Unity in their Faith and Worship But as the Rule of their Consciences in their Duty towards God is divers some make one thing and some another their Rule so are they divers and divided in what they hold profess and practice and are but of great Babylon in their Religion And because that something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that here are so many Wayes and Sects of Religigion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and amongst Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the Rule of Iudgement and Exercise of Conscience to God and Man for the only perfect Rule of Conscience in the Exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And now Whosoever shall persecute the Exercise of Conscience when guided by the Spirit of Christ such persecute Christ Jesus And this is Persecution for the Name of Christ when Sufferings are inflicted as Reproaches Imprisonment or whatsoever for the Exercise of Conscience towards God by his Spirit but and if any are persecuted for Religion-sake only so if that in such their Exercise of Religion they are not guided by the Spirit of Christ yet that suffering is a kind of Persecution also if I say the Suffering be only for and because of their Religions-sake and they walk Justly and Righteously as men so that as is signified about the middle of this Chapter
though some may profess good Conscience and cry for Liberty thereof in their false Sect and Religion not taught them by the Spirit of Christ yet the Civil Magistrate ought not to punish and use Violence to such for their Religion but if they do they persecute and the Lord will lay it to their charge But yet this is safe for all first to obtain true Liberty of Conscience to God-wards and to receive the Spirit of Christ to be taught only by it in the Exercise of Conscience and Religion that they may not err in Conscience and Judgment in spiritual Matters nor suffer Wrongfully under pretence of Righteousness sake whenas it is not truly so CHAP IV. Concerning the Diversity of Iudgments in Religion TO all ye that are of divers Judgments and Opinions in and concerning Spiritual Matters who are divided about Faith Doctrine Worship and Church Government some of you holding one thing some another different and contrary to that being diversly divided in mind and heart concerning the matters that are one in themselves to which you all assent as to the things in themselves and yet are different contrary minded about the self-same things To you all I am moved to write that so ye may be informed perfectly First What the Cause is of your Divisions and why it is thus amongst you And Secondly Of the bad Effects and Fruits such Divisions have brought forth And Lastly The Meant and Way of Reconciliation that ye may come into Love and Peace and Unity with God and one with another in all things pertaining to his Kingdom First The Cause of your Divisions and of the Diversities of Judgments and Opinions that are amongst you concerning the Things and Matters of God's Kingdom is Because you want the Spirit of God to guide you and it is not the Rule of your Knowledge and Iudgment and you wanting the Spirit of God in which is Unity among Saints therefore is it you are so divided and divers and different and contrary one to another in these things it is because ye want the Spirit of God I say which only teacheth the true Knowledge of God and gives an Understanding in all his Wayes and Matters It is the Spirit of God that teacheth true Faith true Doctrine and true Worship and all things about Church Ministry and Religion and if that you had the Spirit of God in you and were taught and guided by it it would teach you into one Faith and one Truth and into the true Worship and into the true Church-Government and you would be in Unity and Peace And if you all had the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures and by which Spirit the Saints of God were guided in dayes past it would teach you into Unity and to be of one Mind one Heart and one Soul in all the Matters pertaining to God's Kingdom in Faith Worship Doctrine and all things else If you had the Spirit of God I say and were taught by it then you would have Unity with God and one with another in all his Wayes and there would have been no Division nor Contention amongst you about spiritual Matters but because you want that therefore you have Strife and Division amongst you even throughout all Christendom Here 's a Nation and a Kingdom holding such a Faith and Worship and there 's another People holding Faith and Worship contrary to that and here 's one Sect of People and there 's another different in Faith Judgment and Opinion and this is a Shame to whole Christendom That all should profess Christ Iesus and Faith in him and Salvation by him and his Doctrine and Worship and yet be in strife division and in great contentions concerning the same some holding and practizing one manner of Faith Worship and Doctrine and others holding contrary and different and this shews that ye are all fallen from the Life of Christianity as it was held in the Apostles dayes amongst the true Churches for they were of one heart mind soul and spirit as it is written they were of one Faith of one Worship of one Doctrine and had one way of Church-Government and this continued amongst the Churches of Christ till there were some that had Erred from the Spirit of God in their own Consciences and then they also Erred in Faith in Doctrine and in all other things relating to God and these were the Apostate Christians that had erred from the Spirit and divided themselves from the true Church and differed in Judgment amongst themselves and this was because they had erred from the Spirit of God which would have kept them in Unity with God and one with another for the Spirit is the Bond of Peace and the Seal of the Covenant of Love amongst the Saints So now All ye who are divided in your Knowledge and Iudgement and are in contention one with another about the matters pertaining to God's Kingdom you are the apostate Christians and you are without the Spirit of Christ The first apostate Christians erred from the Spirit and so became divided from the true Faith and from the true Worship and also among themselves and you never yet received the Spirit of Christ that you might come into Unity and Fellowship with God and one with another and that is the Reason of all your Divisions in Religious matters because you have not received the Spirit of Christ to teach you and to unite your Hearts to God and one to another but you having the Scriptures traditionally by discent through Ages which do describe and declare of that Faith and Doctrine and of the Worship and Church-Government which were among the Saints of old which they held and practised and from the Scriptures which declare of the things from thence you take up a Conceit and false Judgment and an Imitation and a false Conformity and then each sort of you call that your Faith and Church-Government and some after one manner of form and some after another and thus you are divided because you want the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit did work true Faith in the hearts of them that gave them forth in dayes of old and it taught them Worship Faith Doctrine and all things concerning Gods Kingdom for the Spirit led them into all Truth and now you wanting the same Spirit that wrought in them and taught them and you having but their words to wit the Scriptures from thence in the Wisdom which is below and in the carnal Reason and in the first mans understanding each Nation takes up a conceit that it is so and so and takes up an Imitation of Worship and Church-Government according to their own sensual wisdom and according to the breadth and depth of their Conceits and then imitates and that severally and diversly and in a divided manner and this is amongst Kingdoms and amongst Neighbours and Brethren this Division in matters of Faith Worship and Doctrine and Church-Government
received and so is divided in whole or in part from the true Church of Jesus Christ and from being a Member of the same and not only so but hath received also and doth hold some False Principles Opinions and Practices either different from or contrary to the Truth of the Gospel before believed in known and professed such a man is a Heretick though generally yet truly described Not such as are Heathens Unconverted who never believed yet in the Gospel such who have alwayes resisted the Truth and never yet were convinced of the Way of the Lord nor ever tasted of his Word and Power but have alwayes been Strangers to the Israel of God and Enemies to the Church of Christ such are not properly called Hereticks though they do err in Mind Heart and Practice but such only as have believed in Christ and Professed his Truth and been of the Church and yet are fallen away from the perfect Truth into some false Principles and Practices and are become unsound in Judgment and erroneous in their Understandings and have forsaken the Way of Truth in whole or in part and are corrupted and lost their Love to God and his Wayes and are obstinate and hardened against the Truth which once they believed and with False Doctrines Principles and Practices do gainsay and oppose the Truth and them that are stedfast in it These are Hereticks and truly so called Men that have erred from the Faith that have made ship-rack of it and of a good Conscience that are turned against the Lord and his People and gainsay the Truth that once themselves have believed and professed These are Erroneous Men and Hereticks and such Hereticks there were in the Church and among the Corinthians and there were such who did creep into the Church and privily brought in Heresies amongst them as before is proved And these Hereticks were such as had once been amongst the true Members of the true Church and been convinced of the true Jesus and had sometimes walked with them but were departed from them and had forsaken the Truth and received false Principles and Opinions and therefore they were truly nominated Hereticks and all such at this day are truly so called And this is the Description in general of a Heretick 4. Now I come to declare who are the true Judges of Heresie and Hereticks Not every man can judge in this case in his own Thoughts Imaginations and Suppositions who are Hereticks and who are guilty of Heresie though it hath been the practice for many Generations amongst the Apostate Christians to reproach traduce and accuse one another to be Hereticks and each sort and sect of false Christians to judge censure and condemn others that are not of their Judgement and Opinion but different from them to be Hereticks and Erroneous and this hath been usual among many but this is not the true Judgement not the way to try and judge truly who Hereticks are by one Sect and sort slandering and accusing others to be such because they have not conformed to their Way and Principles but been different from them true Judgement hath not been brought forth in this case on this wise but rather Envy and Enmity hath judged and men's thoughts imaginations and jealousies have falsly judged in this matter and no sound judgement determined who have been Hereticks for men have judged of one another by their private jealousies and evil conceivings and censured one another to be Hereticks without the Spirit of sound discerning and just Judgement and all that Judgement brought forth in that case without the infallible Spirit of Christ Jesus which is onely true Discerner and Judge in the matter hath been false Judgement and men have judged one another falsly upon envy and evil suppositions and without the Spirit of the Lord and it hath often happened by reason hereof That such so judged for Hereticks have been more righteous and more in the truth then they that have so judged them and the Judges have been more out of the truth and more Hereticks themselves then they whom they have falsly Judged And this might be made appear through several Times and Ages since the Apostles dayes among the false Christians 5. None are able to dilcern of Heresie nor to try and judge justly who are Hereticks none but they I say that have the infallible Spirit of God in them to guide them and have infallibility and perfect certainty of Judgment and Knowledge in that case of Heresie none else are rightly able to judge who are Hereticks but such I say as have the infallible Spirit of Christ and are infallible and certain in their Judgments these onely and none else are able to judge they onely are competent Iudges in this case of Heresie and who are Hereticks and if any judge in that Case it is but out of Envy and Enmity and in the evil Suppositions and Conceivings as aforesaid and must needs be false and unjust Judgment if they have not the infallible Spirit of God and infallibility of Judgment to discern by and determine with in that Case for no man nor men may or can justly judge another in the matter of Heresie as a Heretick by their own thoughts or suppositions out of their enmity and for their self-Interests but the Judgement in that matter must be just equal holy and true and onely by the Spirit of Christ Jesus which is infallible and gives infallibility of Judgement and discerning into all cases and things for it was Christ Jesus and his Apostles and the Saints that had the infallible Spirit of God and infallibility of judgement that could onely judge justly of such things who were Hereticks and who were not and it was not the Iews nor Pharisees that could justly discern or judge in God's Spiritual matters but they alwayes judged of Christ and his Apostles and of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God falsly and unjustly in their evil suppositions and envy and this was because they had not the infallible Spirit of Judgement nor the certain infallible knowledge and discerning of different things in Spiritual Cases and so it is now at this day amongst them called Christians there is none can discern truly nor judge justly what Heresie is nor who is a Heretick but such as are guided by the infallible Spirit of God and have infallibility of Judgement nor none can make Laws whereby justly to judge of Heresie and Hereticks but them who have the same infallible spirit of God guiding them and have received infallibility of Judgement So both the Law-makers and the Judges of the Law must be infallible in knowledge and judgement in this case of Heresie otherwise the Law made for that purpose and the Judgment given by that Law are both False and Unjust and not according to God and his Truth but are to be justly judged and condemned of the Lord God in his day and season 6. Now it remains to be enquired into Whether there is any
Punishment pertaining to Hereticks as such for such Heresies held by them Being first convicted truly thereof as aforesaid by the true Church of Christ in whom there is infallibility of Judgment Knowledge and discerning in that case for in the true Church of Christ doth infallibility of true Judgment and Knowledge dwell and every true Member of the true Church hath its particular Measure of the infallible Spirit of Christ whereby he is certainly perswaded of the Way of Truth in which he walks and knows and believes the infallibility of the Truth he professeth and is certain and secure of the Way of his Peace and Assurance in God which he hath received and believed and also hath certainty and infallibility of Judgment and Discerning who are out of the Truth and in the Way of Error and are Hereticks such are infallibly known and discerned by the Spirit of God in the true Church of Christ and by every Member of the same according to his measure of the same Spirit and Gift of Knowledge and Discerning by it And to such as are so convicted by the infallible Spirit of Christ for such their Heresies there is a Punishment pertaining for Hereticks were to be punished in the Apostles dayes according to Paul's Instructions 1 Cor. 5. 5. which was That such a one as had erred from the Truth which once he knew should be delivered up unto Satan for the Destruction of his Flesh that the Spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord Here was a Punishment described by the Apostle for this Heretick that had erred and gone from the Truth and acted against it though once he believed in it and knew it And again Tit. 3. 10. he exhorts and advises That a man that is a Heretick after the first and second Admonition should be wholy rejected and turned away from and judged with the Holy Spirit of God And thus it is clear there is such a thing as dealing with men that are Hereticks and punishing them for such their Heresie according to the Apostle's Doctrines and Instructions And without all controversie such as do err from the Faith which once they have received and turn from the Truth in principle or practice must not escape unpunished but must receive the sentence of just Judgement from God and from his Saints that continue faithful 7. But what kind or nature this punishment is of in what way and manner such as are Hereticks may be and ought to be punished is doubtful to many and is a case at this time to be inquired into for that way and practice of punishing such as have been supposed to be Hereticks as among the Christians so called for many generations to wit the way and practice of burning banishing killing imprisoning and afflicting corporally the persons of them that have been called Hereticks for their heresies and laying forfeitures and penalties on their bodies and estates as hath been the practice of Papists and Protestants towards one another since the Apostles dayes this way and practice hath not been of God nor by any example or precept of the Apostles or first Christian Churches established in their dayes they did not practise or prescribe such dealing towards them that were truly Hereticks and were erred from the Faith and Truth of Jesus Christ not Killing Burning Banishing and Prosecuting the Persons of Hereticks this was not the way of the Spirit of God among the Primitive Christians they did it not nor gave institution for the doing of it at any time but this way of dealing towards Hereticks in such cruel proceedings as hath been in practice for many Ages is of Satan and Antichrist and is down-right Murder Robbery and Wickedness in the Eye of the just God while one Sect or Sort of Christians so called have punished and enviously persecuted another Sort different from them as Hereticks with grievous Afflictions in Body and Estate even unto Death and Banishment this hath not been of God nor true Christian-like but of the wicked one and Cruelties and Murders before the Lord neither are the same proceedings at this day in any part of the World where they are extant any just legal Righteous Christian-like way of proceeding according to Apostolical example but are of Antichrist and of the Wicked one as I have said And this Way and Practice of proceeding towards Hereticks hath been so far from effecting the return of any to the Way of the Lord that have been erred from it as the end of proceeding toward Hereticks should effect that the way and practice of Killing Banishment and Persecuting by violence Hereticks so called hath hardned men in their evil way and made such as have been Hereticks more bold confident and obstinate in their Way Heresie and Errors and many that have been more righteous and clearer from Heresie then such as have so judged them have been destroyed by cruel dealing and many others have been destroyed in their Iniquities and Errors by being so proceeded against And thus true Judgment and Justice in this case have been perverted and turned backwards and because of Ignorance and Cruelty the Righteous have suffered unjustly as the Wicked and the Wicked have suffered by unjust proceedings and thus the Way of Righteousness hath not been known in the Earth but Error upon Error one evil upon another hath come onesin added to another among the Sons of men in the Apostacy amongst the false Christians 8. But the perfect Way of the Lord in proceeding towards such as are truly Hereticks so discerned and infallibly judged to be by the true Church of Christ is this Let such first be admonished advised instructed and warned again and again to beware return from and renounce such false Principles Doctrines and practices held by them and this in the spirit of Christ Jesus in perfect love and in meekness and in the wisdom of the Lord God such I say as are erred from the way of the Lord and from the faith of Christ once received into error ought thus in the first place to be dealt withal by the Way of Admonishing Instructing Warning and Reproving that there may be a Returning and Repentance towards the Lord and his Truth again from whence they have erred and if such shall not receive the Instructions Reproofs and Admonitions of the true Church of Christ then such Hereticks shall be rejected and cast out according to Titus the 3. 10 11. saith the Apostle A man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself here is the Description of the punishing of an Heretick if he will not receive Admonition after being given him again and again but doth harden his heart against the Church and against the truth of Christ and will not repent but persicts in his errors and heresies and that after reproof and admonition then he is to be rejected rejected what is that but a casting out from
the unity of Saints a departing and absenting from such an one and a depriving of him of the peace and comfort joy and felicity of the Assembly of God's People and Servants a turnning from such in Converse and Fellowship and a separating from them and judging them by the Spirit of Christ Jesus and this is rejecting an Heretick and delivering him to Satan according to 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 6. When the Church The Saints were met together with the Spirit of God and the Power of the Lord Iesus Christ such a one as had erred from the Truth and sinned against it and was truely an Heretick should be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit might be saved Delivering unto Satan what is that but to let him be cast out into the wicked World reputing him as such an one and that he partake not of the sweet heavenly and blessed Union and Fellowship of Saints in their Assemblios and converse with the God of Heaven in his Spirit and Life not to be numbred among the righteous nor a partaker with them in the holy Union of the Elect to pass judgment upon him eternally in the estate he is now in having both erred from the Truth and rejected and despised the reproofs and Admonitions of the Church of Christ and as such to give him up to Satan to give him up to that Spirit that hath led him aside from the Truth and hardned his heart against it to deliver him up to it seeing he refuseth to be reclaimed from it and hath chosen to follow it rather then the Truth let him be left unto delivered up unto that Spirit even unto Satan in the wicked World let him be cast out thither among the unclean and not reckoned among the record and line of the faithful People and separated from and cast out so as he expresseth it vers 11. If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous a Railer a Drunkard c. with such a one not to accompany no not to eat and this is to deliver a Heritick to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh and is the proper punishment of Heresies and Hereticks according to the Apostles Advice and Precept but not to kill or punish the persons of men by corporal Afflictions and Penalties on the Bodies and Estates for their Error sake this the Apostle gave no Commission for but that such as erred from the Truth and walked contrary in Principle or Practice should be rejected and delivered up unto Satan in the way and manner before declared Again in Matth. 18. 16 17 18. it is signified by Jesus Christ to the self-same purpose in these words If thy Brother trespass go and tell him alone if he repent forgive him if not take one or two or more with thee and tell him again if ãâã still neglect to hear tell it to the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let such a one be unto thee as hath offended and rejected Reproof and Admonition again and again as an Heathen man and Publican In which words of Christ is truely signified the right and proper way of proceeding towards Hereticks and Offenders even that they be first again and again admonished and reproved and if they resist the same then to be cast out separated from and not enjoy the union and comfort of the Saints amongst them but as an Heathen man and Publican but here is not a word signified of laying corporal Punishments Burning or Banishing persons for their Errors sake and though they may offend no proceedings of this kind are authorised by Jesus Christ or his Apostles in their day but in another way and manner as I have shewed is the proper way ordained of God to deal with Hereticks according to the Testimony of holy Scriptures signified by Christ and his Apostles in the Primitive Churches 9. This is Punishment according to the nature of the Offence for as the Offence is Spiritual erring in the mind from the Truth and a going astray from the Spirit of Christ in a man 's own particular so the Punishment is answerable thereunto even to be separated from the Truth and not to enjoy the Vertue Peace and Comfort of it nor to be partakers thereof amongst the faithfull People And this is truly according to the Iustice of God whose Wayes are just and equal altogether and hath appointed just Rewards for Transgressors according to the nature and merit of the Fact and Deed that is evil and 't is righteous and just that men that sin against their own Souls should be deprived of the Peace and Comfort thereof that all that do depart from the Truth once known and sin against the knowledge thereof âhould be no more a partaker of the Vertue and Felicity of the same and that they who offend the Lord's People and revolt from the union thereof should be cast out from them rejected of them and not enjoy the Blessings and Peace with them even that all they that will not hear the Repooofs of the Spirit of God nor be drawn with the gentle movings thereof should be judged and condemned with the same and not inherit the Assurance of the Saints And this is God's Iustice That all that love Evil and walk in Iniquity and despise the Lord should be cast out into the sinfull World to have their Portion with the Ungodly and all the Workers of Iniquity and this is just Punishment according to the nature of the Offence of Error aad Heresie for in my Iudgment and I have the Spirit of just Iudgment in this Case it is great Punishment and sufficient for a man that hath once tasted of the Vertue of God's Presence among his People to be cast out from the Feeling and Enjoyment of that Life Vertue and Assembly where it is enjoyed this is Punishment and a Wound to the Soul and Conscience for a Person that hath been turned from Iniquity and witnessed the Peace of Christ in the Church to be left in Iniquity and to witness the Wrath and Anger of God daily smiting him in his spirit and upon his heart this is indeed great Punishment And to have the holy Spirit of Christ in his People now to judge and condemn him whom sometimes it hath comforted and refreshed and to be dis-united and separated from that Spirit and Power amongst the Saints which once gave Life and Joy amongst them This man thus judged and condemned by and thus separated and dis-united from the Spirit and Power of Christ and his People is punished and afflicted sufficiently for his Error and Heresie even in his Conscience Soul and Spirit he is wounded grieved pierced vexed and punished though yet his outward-man and his person be not corporally afflicted by Punishments but he is afflicted within he is dealt withal by the Anger of God in his Conscience he is separated into Darkness and from the Light and Glory of God in the Assemblies
That there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew Signs and Wonders if it were possible to deceive the very Elect Mat. 24. 24 which doth signifie that the Antichrists and false Prophets should come into the World after his Prophecy which are already come since that time They should pretend to be Christs and should shew Signs and should deceive many with the Profession of Christ and Signs of Godliness and they should have upon them and be covered with Sheep's-Clothing that is with the Saints words and practices in outward appearance but inwardly that is in their own proper Nature Fruits and Works should be ravening Wolves that is Destroyers of the Flock Mat. 7. 15. and the Antichrists which Iohn speaks 1 Iohn 2. 19. they were such as went from the Saints that were in the Power of Godliness they went out of the true Church and carried with them the Form of Righteousness and Truth and the Profession of Christianity but without the Power and had lost it and were departed from the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Antichrist had possessed them and now led them and ruled them and they were Antichrists to wit against him and contrary to him And these were the false Prophets and Deceivers that went out into the World and deceived it and led many aside into Error and many followed their pernitious and hurtful wayes as Peter saith 2 Pet. 2. 2 3. And Paul speaks of such as had the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power and in Words professed God but in Works denyed him Such were the Antichrists and Deceivers in the Apostles dayes and such they are this day in the World whereby it is manifest that Antichrist often appears in the World as a Saint as a Righteous one and the many Antichrists they have gotten the Form and Appearance of Church Ministry Worship and Ordinances and thus they appear deceiving the World and them that dwell therein with the Appearance and Vain-shew of Faith Worship and Religion without the Power of Godliness for unto that Antichrist is an Enemy even a Destroyer a Persecutor and Gainsayer of Christ and his Works and the Power of Godliness and true Faith brought forth by the Spirit of Christ though to deceive the World he can transform himself into and appear as an Angel of Light 6. Again So Deceivable and Mysterious is and hath the Appearance and Working of Antichrist been in the World that he hath not alwayes dwelt in one kind of Form and Profession of Religion and Righteousness but he hath dwelt in many Appearances and removed out of one false Form into another according to his Oportunity and Advantage whereby he could deceive and sometimes dwelling in one Form with pretence of Zeal and performance of Duty to God he hath envyed Persecuted and destroyed many others in other Wayes of Profession more Zealous Upright and Sincere to God than themselves have been in the other Form and by the colour of Zeal and Performance of Duty hath Antichrist clothed himself in his Envies Persecutions and Murders of others as if he did not persecute nor impose upon the Conscience of any nor exercise that Rigour or Justice as he hath named his Proceedings though never so Cruel and Unjust towards any upon any terms or account of Wrath Bitterness Envy or Cruelty but Zeal Duty and Love to Religion and to entinguish Heresie c. This hath been the Pretence and Cloak of Antichrist in his cruel and hard Dealing with many men that have differed in Principle and Practice of Religion he hath often shewed himself in his present Form of Godliness so zealous and dutiful for the truth of his Way though never so Idolatrous against all that have opposed it and gainsayed his Form and Vain Shew that he hath killed slain and exercised Cruelty towards all that have been contrary or different-minded and though this hath been brought forth by Antichrist as he is the Devil in himself and in down-right Envy Malice Persecution and Wickedness yet it hath been acted and effected under the Cloak of Zeal Duty and Sincerity and out of Pretence of Love to Christ and his Church and out of Pretence of Hatred against the contrary Thus hath Antichrist though the Devil that Wicked One as he is in himself in his own Nature Kind and proper Sphear appeared in the World as a Zealous Church-Member as a Saint as a Promoter of Righteousness and a Destroyer of the contrary With these false Covers hath Antichrist been cloathed and hidden from men and appeared to be in his Works and Transactions as a Good Man as a Lover of God and Hater of Iniquity while in the mean time he hath been deceiving Men and destroying the Innocent and leading the World to perpetual Misery and Destruction 7. Again So Deceivable hath the spirit of Antichrist been in the World that he hath alwayes put the Name of Christ and the Name of his Church and the Pretence of Duty to God and the Name of Gospel Doctrine Ordinances Ministry and Worship upon whatsoever False Way Feigned Worship and Deceitful Profession that he hath gone about to set up and promote in the World among men I say Upon the Worst and most Idolatrous Wayes of Superstition and the most false Feigned Formal Worship that ever hath been in the World Antichrist hath put the Name of Christ his Church and Worship upon them and Imposed and forced the Belief and Practice of much false Worship false Doctrine and formal Wayes under the Name and Title of the true Christ his Doctrine and Worship and upon Pains and Penalties hath enjoyned and commanded the Belief and Practice of such things not as if they were of Antichrist Superstitious Evil False or Feigned but as if they were of Christ altogether and must be believed and practiced as by his Name and under his Authority Thus hath been the working of the Mystery of Iniquity of that Man of Sin the Antichrist all the Evil Wayes he hath conceived and brought forth in the World all the Idolatrous Worship and false Faith and Doctrine and all the Cruelties Murders and Unjust Dealing to the very destroying of the Saints and all the Unrighteousness and Deceivableness exercised by Antichrist in the World hath put all this on the Name of Christ and pretended Christ for it as if it were indeed and in Truth of him and from him when indeed and in Truth it hath been contrary to the true Christ and tended to kill and destroy him Thus hath Antichrist the Devil been cloaked with false Covers and deceitful Pretences in his working among men that wicked spirit hath falsly called the greatest of Pride and Ambition Decency and true Honour Covetousness and Deceitful Dealing hath he stiled Good Husbandry and Prudent-Walking and the most Cruel and Unjust Iudgment the Oppression of the Poor and the Grinding of the Face of the Innocent hath that spirit falsly titled Equal Proceedings Iustice and according to Law
appears in the World then he transforms into the Likeness and formal appearance of the Way of the Lord and his Truth and when the Devil cannot kill Christ so but that Christ will rise again appear and live for ever contrary to all the malice and enmity of the Devil then rather then he will submit to be no more he will transform himself and take upon him the Name of Christ of his Honour and Glory and profess him in words and seem a Friend to Christ and his Kingdom And this he doth that he may live still in the World and by deceiveableness beguile the sons of men into perpetual destruction 9. And the very work of Antichrist this day in the World is to deceive beguile seduce and betray the World and all mankind 't is his only work and calling as I may say to deceive 't is his nature and property to work deceitfully and thus it ever was with him it hath been his Property and his Work in all Ages and in every Age since the beginning of the World to deceive and beguile to lead men from God and to lead them into Perdition this I say hath ever been his work in the World and by the means aforesaid to wit by transforming and changing himself into the likeness of Righteousness and Verity and putting the pretence of Goodness Vertue and Holiness upon his Actions and Doings though never so evil and unrighteous he hath always I say by this means and in this way deceived the World by appearing as a Saint as a Well-doer as an Angel of Light pretending Wisdom Righteousness and Vertue and colouring his Deeds thereby as is proved in the Case of the first deceiving of Eve What said Satan to the Woman Not that I am such a one and do intend to deceive thee with Falsity but Thou shalt be as God Thou shalt be wise of thy self and know and be and do as God Here was a fair pretence by which he deceived the Woman And the false Prophets and false Apostles in the dayes of old did not deceive the World into an absolute denial of God and Christ and Truth but did deceive them into the false Profession of the same holding out the Form of Godliness without the Power and by feigned words and good Speeches did deceive the hearts of the Simple and by false Doctrine and Ordinances and Form of Religion did the Antichrist deceive the World in dayes past as he doth at this day For if he did appear to be as he is in his own nature and property a Devil Deceiver and wicked one a Leader to Perdition and Destruction and should vindicate himself as such and entice and tempt People as such then none would believe him nor follow his Wayes for none would willingly be destroyed But he appears not as such in the World but alwayes transforms himself into the Likeness of God and Goodness still pretending the same And by this means is he more capable to deceive mankind for he cannot so readily deceive and lead men to Perdition in his own proper Nature if he appear as he is such but therefore he appears contrary to what his own nature is and transforms himself And thus doth Antichrist deceive the Christian World so called at this day even by his false Wayes of Religion false Worship false Doctrine false Humility false Faith and false Church pretending Zeal and Sanctity and such like Herein and hereby generally doth Antichrist that Man of Sin deceive and beguile the World unto Perdition and Destruction Oh! how many thousands of Peoples of Nations and Countries are at this day deceived on this wise thinking they are in the Truth and true Way of Religion Faith and Worship professing and performing these things with much Zeal as if they were indeed the wayes and Ordinances of Christ when as they are but false feigned formal and of Antichrist and deceivable to the souls of men even Shews without Substance Forms without Life and Power of Antichrist and not of the true Christ. And thus and after this manner with the very likeness of Righteousness and appearance of Godliness and profession of Faith and duty to God hath Antichrist deceived the World and doth at this day delude Nations to the perdition of thousands And Antichrist doth not generally deceive men in his works and appearance as he is in his own Proper Nature but in his appearance and works transformed and changed into another likeness even into the likeness of Truth and Righteousness By this means and way Satan Antichrist and that Man of Sin doth delude and deceive the Nations of the World 10. What the Works of Antichrist are by what is said doth partly appear His Works are all deceivableness to deceive and delude the World to lead mankind captive in the wayes of sin and death unto the destruction of their souls and to be cruel and hard-hearted envious malicious and perverse a hater and persecutor of goodness and good men and to murder and work wickedness to do all evil and to oppose gain-say and deny all good This in general is the work of Antichrist though as to particulars I now intend not to mention saving as I have before shewed to impose upon Conscience in Religious matters by outward force and violence is a main principle work of Antichrist and to kill and destroy Persons on the account of Heresie and Error and to use violence and cruel impositions in Spiritual Cases contrary to the Spirit of Christ Jesus These are works and wayes of Antichrist which he brings forth in the World as also the promoting of all the false and Idolatrous Worships and false Church-Governments in the World and in short every evil work and word brought forth amongst the sons of men are the Works of the Devil and Antichrist which he seduceth the World into the working and doing of and to consider the state of the World as it is at this day and how it is deceived in many grievous and abominable wayes of Error Superstitions Idolatries and Wickedness it makes the hearts of the Righteous sad and mournful because of the deceivableness of the working of the Mystery of Iniquity of Antichrist that Man of Sin in the World who deceiveth Mankind with the appearance and shew of godliness and leads the Children of Men in the wayes of Ignorance Death Blindness and Error yet holds them under a false pwerswasion of safety and security as if they were in the right way and walked in the pathes of Happiness when indeed and in Truth they are beguiled and deceived and nigh unto the pathes of perdition Oh! how hath Antichrist prevailed in these latter Dayes since the dayes of the Apostles and deceived the World with the very Formal Profession and practice of such Doctrines and Things as the Apostles held and Practised in the Power of God in their dayes But now Antichrist he holds the Form in his False Spirit and hath the appearance and likeness of
the World at this day and through all Christian Nations there is a great Cry concerning False Prophets and Deceivers each one Sort and Sect of People accusing and charging the Teachers and Ministers that are of others and not of their Way to be Deceivers and false Prophets Thus the Papists cry against the Protestant Ministers and the Protestant Ministers do the like by the Papists each one sort of people cryes the like against the Ministers of the others And without all controversie there are in the Christian-World so called and in these Kingdoms many false Prophets and Deceivers even at this day and hath been for many Ages since the dayes of the Apostles And the World and Nations and Multitudes have been deceived into the way of Error through the means of the Deceivers who have done much Hurt in the World by their Divinations and Antichristian-wayes that they have walked in But though it is acknowledged by all sorts of Christians That there are and have been many Deceivers and false Prophets yet the great Controversie is at this day Who are the Deceivers and false Prophets seeing as I have said that every sort of Men are accusing others to be such But now it remains to be sought out and that carefully by all who are the Deceivers and false Prophets whether Papists Ministers or Protestant Ministers or whether any others and who such are in this day Now therefore for this very End that it may be made manifest unto all who the Deceivers are and that they may be turned from and their Wayes eschewed by all People thus I try them and bring them to right and true Judgment and shall not charge the Papists the Protestants or any others by their Name or because of their Name that therefore they are Deceivers But seeing that all sorts of Christians do profess the Scriptures and that they own them Therefore according to the Scriptures and by the Spirit of God I shall lay both Papists and Protestants and all others to the Line of Judgment by the Rule of Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them and if Papists Protestants or whose Ministers soever come under the Judgment of that Rule they shall be concluded by the Rule of the Spirit of God and the Scriptures to be false Prophets and Deceivers Therefore come out Papists Protestants Anabaptists Quakers and all others come forth and hear your Tryal and receive your Judgment First of all It is concluded and that I hope by all reasonable men That whosoever they are at this day through the World whether Papists or Protestants so called or whoever that shall be found walking by the same spirit and in the same Wayes and doing the same things that the false Prophets of Israel did in the dayes of old and that the false Brethren and false Teachers among the Churches of the Christians in the Apostles dayes walked in and followed such may at this day be adjudged deemed and taken to be false Prophets and false Teachers Deceivers and Seducers and this without respect to any Name or Title whatsoever that they bear in their Religion And this is the Rule of Tryal and Judgment in which I may Justly and Righteously proceed 1. They were false Prophets and Deceivers in the dayes of the true Prophets Isa. 56. 11. That were Greedy Dumb Dogs which could never have enough and that sought every one of them for their Gain from their Quarter and that Preached for Hire and Divined for Money Mic. 3. 11. The Priests that Taught for Hire and the Prophets that Divined for Money against such as these Isaiah and Micah cryed and that by the Spirit of the Lord being commanded of him so to do Now whosoever whether Papists or Protestants of any sort Independents Presbyterians Quakers or any other that have a Quarter from whence they seek their Gain for Preaching and Teach for Hire and have Hire for Teaching viz. Tythes or Sums of Money and Divine for Money such whatsoever they be without respect of their Names or Professions walk by the same spirit and in the same way and do the same things as the false Prophets did and are false Prophets and Deceivers And therefore all People it is left to the Witness of God in your Consciences and that you may give Witness in this Case who are they now and where they are that can never have enough but are greedy after Gain and Covetous and that seek for Gain from their Quarters or Portions of a Country or City and where are they now and who is it that Preach for Hire and Divine for Money that take so much Money or Gifts by the Year or Moneth for Preaching who is it or who are they now that walk in these Wayes such whoever they be whether Papists Protestants Sectaries so called are false Prophets and Deceivers 2. They were false Prophets and Deceivers That stood not in the Counsel of the Lord and that did not turn People from their Iniquities and Evil Wayes but spake a Vision of their own Hearts and not from the Mouth of the Lord And that cryed Peace to them that walked Wickedly and Prophesied Lyes and used their Tongues and said The Lord saith it whenas the Lord had not spoken to them and that seduced the People by crying Peace when there was no Peace and saw Vanity and spokâ Vanity and Lyes in the dayes of the true Prophets I say such were false Prophets and Deceivers Now whosoever whether Papists or Protestants or any others that do not stand in the Counsel of God and that do not turn People from their Iniquities and their Evil Wayes but speak a Vision of their own Hearts and not from the Mouth of the Lord and that cry Peace to them that walk wickedly that prophecy Lyes and use their Tongues when the Lord hath not spoken to them and that seduce People by crying Peace when there is no Peace and that builds the Wall and daubs it with untempered Mortar and that do not Profit the People at all but cause them to err Such are false Prophets and Deceivers at this day wheresoever and whosoever without respect of Name or Title in their Profession Such now walk by the spirit of the false Prophets and are in the way of the Deceivers which the Lord sent true Prophets to cry against And now to all People of what Name soever it is left to the Witness of God in you all to give witness who they are now and where they are that are guilty hereof Who is it now that stand not in the Counsel of God and that do not turn People from their Iniquities that do not convert them to God by their preaching But speak what they have studied for even a Divination of their own Brain and not what they have received from God and that use their tongues and take other mens words the Words of Christ the Prophets and Apostles when as they have not the same Spirit of Christ and his
Neighbours and the Witness of God in all mens Consciences shall bear witness to us And all these do give Judgement for us in these Cases to whom we do appeal for Judgment And O Lord God Everlasting do thou judge our Cause do thou make it manifest in thy due Season to all the World that we are thy People that we Love thee above all that we fear thy Name more than all that we love Righteousness and hate Iniquity and that we now suffer for thy holy Name and Truth and for thy Honour and Iustice and for thy Truth and Holiness O Lord thou knowest we are resolved to Perish rather than to lose one Grain hereof Amen Amen Our Accusations and Answers truly compared and weighed in the Ballance of Justice and Truth in every mans Conscience let all the World judge of the Case Do we deserve to be Ruined Destroyed Imprisoned and Banished and that to be devoured of Wild Beasts as our Enemy threatens us he will do Is it so Are we Hereticks Are we Seditious Are we Drunkards Are we Double-dealers are we such as the Law of God condemns what Evil have we done in the Land do we hurt any Body are we not Innocent before the Lord men we appeal to the just Witness of God and Men let it be answered and though no man will hear and consider our Cause this Day yet the Lord will plead our Cause in his Time and Season and make the World to know We are his People in the mean time we are willing to suffer the Reproaches of Ungodly Men till the Lord works Deliverance in the Earth But now it may be objected by the Magistrates and Rulers That we have now a Law against you and you must suffer for we cannot but put the Law in Execution according to our Oaths and Offices and it is not we that persecute you but it is the Law of the Land by which you now suffer and we cannot be blamed for your suffering we only Execute the Law And after this manner is the Reasoning of some at this day c. Answ. To all which I do Answer It is true there is a Law now Enacted against us which is pretendedly made the ground of our Suffering but whether that Law be in it self Just or Unjust I shall not now demonstrate but shall leave it to the Judgment of all Christian Men that know us our Principles Doctrines Wayes and Conversations and let them judge whether we deserve the Penalties and Punishments therein described for any Principle or Practice held and maintained by us And though there be a Law against us yet the Magistrates that are Executors thereof may execute the same with Moderation or with Violence with Discretion or too much Rigour and it will be well for them to use Moderation and Discretion in this Case Hereby may they save themselves from that weight of Anger and Indignation of the Lord God that will come upon all Violent Doers who seek to destroy the Innocent and Rejoyce in the Occasion administred And though this Law be Enacted against our Meetings not ours I may say but such Meetings as are Dangerous to the publick Peace and to the Terror of the People But our Meetings are not such and therefore this Law may not justly extend in its Execution to the breaking of our Meetings nor to Banish us because of our Meeting together which is for the Worship of God and are Peaceable and of good Report among all good Men and are not for Disturbance of the Peace nor Terror of the People and therefore justly free from this Law as aforesaid And though this Law is pretended against us for to Banish us and to rid the Land of us as some vainly suppose Yet must it needs be executed to the height of it without Limitation or Restriction Must this Law be Executed to its height more than some other Laws that are as truly Enacted and as fully in Force as this Act can be Yet some such Laws there are which better deserve Execution than this yet they lie dormant as is visibly apparent at this day as in 4 Iac. cap. 5. in these words Be it Enacted c. That all and every Person or Persons which after Forty Dayes next following the end of this present Session of Parliament shall be Drunk and of the same Offence of Drunkenness shall be lawfully convicted shall for every such Offence forfeit and lose Five Shillings c. to be paid to the hands of the Church Wardens of that Parish where the Offence shall be committed who shall be accountable therefore to the use of the Poor of the same Parish And if the said Person or Persons so convicted shall refuse or neglect to pay the said Forfeiture then the same shall be levied of the Goods of every such Person or Persons by Warrant of Precept from the Court Iudge or Iustices before whom the same conviction shall be And if the Offender be not able to pay the sum of five shillings then he shal be committed to the Stocks for the space of Six Hours I pray you read the Statute at large 't is worth a sober mans pains to read over and then judge whether that Law be duly execued at this day and also whether it deserves not more strict Execution than the present Act against us Also the 1 Iac. cap. 7. in these words That all Persons calling themselves Schollers going about Begging all idle Persons going about in any Country either Begging or using any subtil Craft or unlawfull Games or Plays or faigning themselves to have knowledge in Physiognomy or pretending that they can tell Fortunes or such other like phantastical Imaginations all Fencers Bearwards Common-Players of Interludes and Minstrels wandring abroad shall be taken adjudged and deemed as Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars and shall suffer such Pains and Punishments as is expressed 39 Eliz. cap. 4. viz. That every such Person shall be stripped Naked from the Middle upwards and shall be openly Whipped until His or Her Body be Bloody c. and shall be forth-with sent from Parish to Parish c. And read the Statute at large and then consider how duly it is Executed now and whether it deserves not the Execution as much as the late Act against us though in some places the one is more executed than the other where many of our Friends being honest sober Persons and of good Conversation and yet are haled out of their Meetings where they are met only to Worship God and for no other End and âsent to Prison and persecuted to the very height of the said Act whenas idle Persons following unlawful Games and Playes and Bearward Common-Players of Interludes and Minstrels of divers kinds do wander up and down City and Country and having their Play-Houses publick where their Wickedness is acted such Persons and such things though appearing publickly yet are permitted and little or no notice taken of them by some of the
the Waters are dried up which have been the Seat of the great Whore Now though all those Churches and Sects of People are said to be and known to be the Seed of the Whore and not of the Virgin as I have declared and though Nation and Peoples and Multitudes have been all running to Fornication and been deceiv'd and made drunk yet this I have to say In all sorts of People and amongst all those Sects amongst Papists and Protestants and all Sects risen out of them in thousands of people notwithstanding the Darkness and all the Apostacy that hath rul'd in the general yet in some of all Sorts and Sects there hath been a Sincerity and Simplicity and a Desire and Zeal for God and of God in them and amongst them yet the Sincerity Simplicity and Desire which hath stirr'd in some of all Sects it hath no sooner appear'd but it hath been smitten and betray'd by the wicked without and so by the error of Judgment within For even amongst the worst of Sects we know there are some in whom there is Simplicity and Sincerity and Zeal and yet err in Judgment for this is possible and we know it is so with Thousands and ten Thousands at this day There may be a Simplicity and Zeal and Sincerity of Heart and yet err in Judgment and the Judgment not truly guided by the Spirit of the Lord but a false spirit and a false thing even the spirit of Whoredom it self ruling the Judgment and be chief there and this destroys and murders and betrays the Zeal and Simplicity and this is and hath been ever since the dayes of the Apostles great error in Judgment and the Judgment of all those Sects have been mis-guided and misled and a false thing and not the Spirit of the Lord has guided the Judgment and thereby the true Sincerity Zeal and Simplicity hath been enslav'd and held under by reason of the erring in Judgment And the State of such is truly to be lamented where Simplicity is devour'd and Sincerity betray'd and held captive by the Whorish spirit that sits Ruler in Judgment I do not speak of all people of all Sects that they have Zeal and Simplicity but of some people in all Sects and through all these false Churches and so the spirit which hath guided the Judgment that has abased the Zeal and abused the Sincerity and betray'd it so people have been a running running after the Form and blind in Judgment and lost Sincerity and Simplicity that has been betray'd in them though sometime appearing and stirring and so the wrong part in people has fed upon the Form and Appearance and the Seed starved and the Sincerity eaten out and so one Sect hath made this the Rule of their Judgment and another Sect another thing the Rule of their Judgment one cries Tradition another Scriptures another cries The Practice of Saints before us and none of all have been guided in Judgment by the Spirit of the Lord where the Spirit of the Lord is not the only rule of Judgment guiding the Judgment in all things that people that man are in Error and the Sincerity in them has not its free course but bound under with a spirit which is Bondage leads into Bondage And when people come to be turn'd to the Light of Christ in them and receive a measure of the Spirit of the Lord to guide the Judgment then the Sincerity Simplicity Zeal will grow and thrive and be encreased but till then the Good is eaten out that lies under and is oppressed and ever and alwayes the Desire quenched the Sincerity lost the Simplicity betray'd by the spirit of Whoredom which rules the Judgment and these things are manifest in our Age. Therefore all people come out of your Sects and false Churches for the Woman is return'd and returning out of the Wilderness and the Seed shall spring forth as in the dayes of old E. B. THE True State OF CHRISTIANITY Truly Discribed and also Discovered unto all PEOPLE What it was in its Beginning and Purity and what it now is in its Apostacy and Degeneration And here by true Testimony is declar'd to the whole World how and wherein in divers particulars the Christians through all the World so called now are fallen and gone backward and revolted from what the true Christians once were And this sheweth unto all the World the woful State and Condition wherein them that are called Christians now stand being departed and revolted from the Spirit of Christ and from his Teachings And this is given forth that all People may understand concerning the Times and the changing of Times and concerning what hath been what now is and what suddenly cometh to pass in the Earth BEhold and hearken give ear and listen diligently all ye People through the whole World that are called Christians All you I say that go under that name and that bear that name and are named Christians from one end of the Earth to the other through all Nations and Countries whither you are scater'd upon the face of the whole Earth Behold and take notice what the Word of the Lord is unto you and what the Testimony of Christ is towards you all for the Line of true Judgment is laid upon you and the Measuring-Rod is put forth to reach over you and the Servant of the Lord hath viewed your State and Condition and what you were in your beginning and increase and what you now are in your Decrease and woful Apostacy into which you are fallen and degenerated from the Life of Christianity Oh! let your Ears be open to Instruction and regard well what I through the Lord do say unto you even all you and every particular of you under Heaven that make a Profession of Christ in words and are known through the World by that name of Christians hearken I say and consider and remember from whence and into what you are fallen and return and repent The Lord hath with you a Controversie and he will plead with you because of your Back-slidings and Revoltings for you are gone away backward and you are turned aside from the Life of Christ and from his Spirit and are now without that which was the Reason and true Ground of your Name Christian and you have lost the true Character of the Name and now have only the Name without the Life and Power thereof and are dead to Christ and his Life and have a Name to live but are dead and having lost that which gave you a true title to the name of Christian you deserve not that Name nor to be called by the Name of Christ because you are departed from his Spirit And this is to be declared to you in the Name of the Lord that you may take a view of your own estate to the end that you may be awakened to return from whence you are degenerated The Lord had a People in all Generations unto whom he
from his devouring Lips And as for any other thing in his Paper it is not worth answering to nor worth minding but his wickedness will turn upon his own head and he shall bear the burthen of his own words onely he queries whether this be not the Pestilence that walks in Darkness And the Flouds that the Dragon hath cast out of his Mouth to drown the Woman Is not this the mark of the Beast who opened his Mouth in Blasphemy And are not these the Unclean Spirits that came out of the Mouth of the Dragon and out of the Mouth of the false Prophet Answ. Now the Pestilence that walks in Darkness is the Plague that is out of the Light Sin and Death and Misery which smites the Ungodly and he sees it not And the Floods which the Dragon cast out is the Floods of Persecution and Cruelty viz. The imprisoning until death and spoiling peoples Goods for Tythes and Money as the Priests have done And the Dragon gave power to the Beast that compell'd all to worship and that carried the Whore the false church and the true Church has bin fled into the Wilderness for many Generations and the false church the Whore has sate as a Queen and given her cup to drink the false church of Rome and the false church of the Protestants all which are of the Whore these have all been carried by the Beast which the Dragon gave his power to and they have all persecuted the Woman the true Church the Mark of the Beast he compell'd people to receive compell'd them to worship and they open their mouthes in Blasphemy that deny Christ and deny the Light and that say they are Iews and are not this is Error and Blasphemy which the Beast opens his mouth in against the Saints and against them that dwell in Heaven and the unclean spirits are the spirits of Devils that are out of the Truth and these the Dragon casts our in Slanders and Reproaches and Lyes such as this Author has done and of that Generation is he Christ said False Prophets should come and Iohn saw in his dayes they were come and he saw the world gone after them of that Generation are you and now the Lord is gathering people from you again and Babylon must fall and all her Merchants howl and weep and these things have been which the Scripture speaks of the Woman is now coming out of the Wilderness again and the Whore must be rewarded and sorrow is coming upon her as she has done unto the Saints so shall the Saints do unto her And in the Conclusion he saith Worthy Sir to this Member of Parliament it will be your Honour to stand in the Gap to stop the violence of this Hellish Torrent that is so high that it sounds from Dan to Beersheba and threatens Iudgment to our Israel c. Answ. Here is the Conclusion of thy matter which is the sum of it a running to the Powers of the Earth for help what have you Ministers lost the Lord to be your strength that you must flee for help to men to defend you from the Spirit of God in his People Must they make Laws to establish you and set you up Is not this the Whore that road upon the Beast and that the Beast carries Is not here a Description of her out of the mouth of this Author Is he crying to you to persecute the Innocent It is true the Seed of God is risen the Elect Seed that is able to make War against the Beast and against the false Prophets even with the Word of the Lord and is he offended that Truth is risen so high and would he have some Fire and Faggot again in Smithfield and some Persecution and Banishment acted upon the People of God Is this the standing in the Gap and stopping Violence or would he have it done this way Yea Judgments indeed are threatned to your Generation for if God will not destroy you soon enough you will destroy your selves and your own Iniquity will be upon you and the wickedness of the Wicked shall slay him But my Counsel is not only to that particular Member but to the whole Body of them That they be wise and take heed what they do for the Eye of the Lord is over you and his Hand can dash you in pieces and if you be Oppressors of the People of God and will not relieve the Oppressed the Innocent and break the Bonds of Oppression the Lord will break you in pieces for this is the Rock that hath broken all before you Persecuting people for Conscience sake and if you go in this way your Destruction shall be the most lamentable of any that was ever yet before you Do you not yet see the Wickedness of this Generation will you yet contend for them Surely you might learn Wisdom even by their Folly and if you do not shut your eyes there needs no more discovery then their own present wayes and works Wherefore consider the Day of God's Visitation is upon you make good use of your time lest the Lord breaks you down and never build you up and let the Spirit of the Lord have its Liberty and limit it not for if you do you shall never prosper nor never be made a Blessing unto the people under your Charge Remember you are warned by a Lover of your Souls ANd Friends Great Things hath the Lord done in these Nations in your dayes and that by the Face of your Authority and there has a Spirit stirred in some of you and in the Army which the Lord hath appear'd with and yet the Work of the Lord is not finished but greater things then these hath the Lord to accomplish amongst us and in this Nation and these things that have come to pass have been but as the preparing of the way for the bringing about of greater things It is true many Mountains have been removed and some Oppressions taken off and excellent things have bin promised and doubtless by some of you really intended but alas the Work hath long remain'd unfinished and many of your best Friends are almost weary with waiting to receive the end of their Hopes and Desires and many are even fainting concerning the Good Old Cause though of late it hath seem'd to be revived by you yet it goes but easily forwards and even so little is its growth since your late Meeting that many are thinking themselves to be in a deceiv'd condition by you Why They see that wicked Clergy's Interest more prospering then the just Freedom of the People And this I say unto you in the Name of the Lord That while that Interest of this false Priesthood I mean is so much favoured and defended you can never prosper nor the Nations be ever happy under you for it is one of the greatest Oppressions this day in the Nation the maintaining and upholding of this Ministry by Tythes and other unrighteous Wages and the
very Land groans under the Oppression of this Church and Ministry which lies as a heavy Burden upon both Persons and Estates and Consciences of many good People even of your dearest Friends and though the Lord doth manifestly even from Heaven shew signal Tokens of his Displeasure against them and the Servants of the Lord they also cease not to warn you concerning them their own doings are sufficient Testimony of the Malice of their hearts against you and all good men in the Nation yet nevertheless some of you seem to shut your eyes as if you would see no Evil in them but are crying up your godly Ministers some of you utterly despising the man as not worthy to live that doth but speak against them and thus are you blinded and perceive not where the Cause lieâ of your Interruption to bring forth Righteousness I say It is the favouring of that interest which stops the issue of Good Things and while you oppress peoples Persons and Estates and Consciences to uphold this Ministry and Priesthood aforesaid the Lord shall never prosper you nor make the Nations ââppy under your Charge and this you shall witness eternally Wherefore I do say unto you it is high time for you to lay aside the interest of this oppressing Clergy so much leavened and tasted of the Whore of Rome your selves do know that the spirit of the Romish Clergy was in the late Bishops which you cast out for their Wickedness and the very spirit of those Bishops is entred into these Priests and bears rule in their hearts and thus by succession hath the Whore of Rââe leavened the Clergy of England from one Generation to another with her taste and savour and there is the remainer of her Murders and Cruelties in those mens Brests and at every opportunity it breaks forth as of late in this Rebellion you have full Testimony and if you do not curb it speedlly it will grow over you to your undoing Therefore clear your selves do not any longer drink the Whore's Cup neither be ye Carriers of her to execute her Wickedness upon the Bodies and Consciences of people for it is written The Beast hath carried the Whore and we see it hath been thus as Iohn saw it was to come to pass and so clear your selves from her Tyrannies and Oppressions and leave this false Church and Ministry to themselves and if God will not uphold them by his Power why should you do it If these Priests have not yet planted Vineyards that will yield them Fruit and if their Flock will not yield them Milk freely why should you unjustly impose upon peoples Consciences and compel Tythes and Money from them for the maintenance of these men Ye ought not to do it for while ye Compel and Force People by Violence contrary to good Consciences to Maintain and Uphold this Ministry and Church and Worship you do but cause people to drink the Whore's Cup and you are but them which carry the Whore viz. the false Church and this is Plain-dealing to tell you the Truth whether you will reject it or receive it wherefore cast them off and let them not lurk under your Wings for one day they will rebel against you and another day flatter with you and for a season they will shew forth much Love and Kindness in Hypocrisie even while they are hatching Mischief against you and to bring the Nation into Blood and they will cry out Heresie and Error of others that themselves may seem clear while as the same lodgeth in their own Hearts wherefore I say do not make a false Peace with them nor do not flatter with treacherous minds for you had better have them your open Enemies then deceitful and flattering Friends you had better be in a just Opposition against them then in an unjust Peace with them I know it appears to many of you a thing very hard to be born What! to forsake our Godly Ministers think ye to hear tell of laying them aside is an amazement to some of your minds was it not the same concerning the King and Bishops was it not as much terrible to him and his Lords and Council to think of the overthrow of the then called Godly Fathers and Bishops but better had he cast them off and saved himself then to have perished with them and so I say unto you better were it for you to lay these men aside and their Flatteries and feigned Prayers and to save your selves from their Flattery then to perish with them and the one of these will come to pass For it s decreed of the Lord If you uphold them and oppress People's Persons Estates and Consciences on their behalf and in their evil Cause for Tythes and Wages to them ye shall fall with them and none shall be able to deliver neither you nor them For I tell you again That the very spirit of the old Idolatrous Bishops long since cast out is entred into the hearts of these men and there is as great a measure of Tyranny and Injustice and Abomination lying upon these as once was upon the Bishops and these are no less free from any Abomination then they were and these are nigh as ripe for Vengeance and Overthrow as the others were and it will as surely come upon these as it did upon them wherefore take heed unto your selves and be wise and learn and do us Justice or else God will do us Justice upon you if ye will not take off our Burdens and ease our Oppressions the Lord God will ease us of you and the Earth shall not be oppressed with you and if ye will uphold this Priesthood against Equity and Good Conscience the Lord will free Good Consciences both from you and them And this is the Word of the Lord God to you The open Enemy hath not prevailed against you but the secret Hand of the Lord will not miss you By a Friend to Righteousness E. B. A Visitation and Warning PROCLAIMED And an ALARUM Sounded in the Pope's Borders In the Name and Authority of the Lord Almighty and the LAMB Being the Account of a Journey to Dunkirk and the Proceedings there among the Iesuits and Fryars and Papists with some particular Queries and also some Propositions sent unto them Which may be Satisfaction to many who may behold the Difference in part between the Papists and the People of God and between the Idolaters and the True Worshippers The Particulars and the Heads laid down 1. The Account of the Iourney 2. A Letter to the Deputy Governour and the Officers of the English Army 3. Queries to the Fryars 4. Propositions as a Charge against the Romish Church with a Letter to the chief Jesuit Rector in Dunkirk 5. A Warning to the Officers and Souldiers of the English Army 6. Some Propositions to the English Priests in Dunkirk with some other things ACcording to the Will of the Lord and being moved of him in Spirit and as it lay
know the Iustice of God's Iudgments executed upon them And therefore happy will the King be if he keep himself clear and put far from him this Enomy Persecution Three Considerations I have to present unto the King for Conclusion 1. THe Strength and Safety and Prosperity of the King and his Government stands in the Union good Affection and Love of his Subjects and the People of these Kingdoms one to another and to the King and the more that the People of the Kingdoms are in Love and Union and good Affection one with another and to the King the more strong and safe and prosporous thereby is the King and his Government and the more like for a long and happy Continuance and Establishment And it is the Love and Union and Affection of the Sober and Grave and Just and Upright People and of the Meek of the Land that is the King's Strength and Safty and will much tend to his Prosperity and to the Establishment of his Government and Authority and the King's Safety and Strength and Prosperity doth not depend upon the Affections and Acclamations of the Ruder Sort and of the Wild Multitude though such profess great Subjection and cry up the King and his Government and drink his Healths and Swear the Destruction of all his Enemies and have much Love and great Union for the King and are for him to serve him and Swear Fidelity and Engage themselves very highly in Words and Gestures for the King yet the King and his Government is no whit the safer nor more strong nor prosperous because hereof For his Prosperity and Establishment dependeth upon the Love and good Affection of the Just and Upright and Temperate and Meek Men of the Kingdoms and not upon the Love of the Rude Multitude such cannot be a Blessing to him in their Vaunting and Boasting and Rudeness nor can he stand by them but must stand in the Establishment of his Government by the Love of such as fear the Lord and depart from all Iniquity by the good Affection of such and their Faithfulness and Love may the King be happy and blessed Therefore let him strive to please such and to gain their good Affections to be united to him and this may add to his long Continuance 2. It is the doing of Justice and Truth and allowing all Just and Equal Liberty to all People under his Authority that will gain upon the Hearts of all Just and Good People And as Righteousness Mercy True Judgment and Truth is brought forth in the Land and all the contrary limitted in the King's Government this will gain much upon the Hearts and Affections of all good People to be united in Love one to another and to the KING And this is the way of the King's Prosperity and to make his Government established if so be that he exercise his Rule and Authority in Love and Meekness and Equal Iustice and Mercy and love Righteousness and Truth and hate and deny all the contrary and limit it then the spirits of all People in the Kingdoms would be subjected and subdued under his Power and he should Rule over them and his Kingdoms be Established prosperously and this is the Way of an Happy Government But if so be the KING put on Rigour and be Fierce and Cruel and think to subdue all under him by Will and Force without shewing Justice and Reason to answer the Consciences of his Subjects in all his Proceedings this way can never be prosperous nor Establish him in his Authority but it will work the contrary Effect For if Oppression be brought forth and Heavy Yoaks laid upon the Back of the Poor then will the Wrath of God and of Men be kindleed against him and Murmurings Strifs and Contentions will arise in the Minds of Men against him and the Oppressions of the Poor will reach unto Heaven and God will hear and Revenge their Cause So that it is Ruling and exercising Authority in these Kingdoms in Justice Righteousness Love and Good Reason that must gain the Hearts of People unto right Subjection to make the King and his Government Happy and Established and Rigour Force and Cruelty will never make the King happy but will work contrary For the People are Wise and Understanding will not long bear any degree of the Yoak of Slavery 3. Inasmuch as the People of these Kingdoms are divers and divided and contrary in Judgment one to another in many things and so are dis-united into several Opinions and Parties the King ought to Rule in Wisdom and Love over them all and to shew Equal Justice and Liberty and to eaârcise Righteousness towards them all alike notwithstanding their Difference in Religion and Judgments for if he shall give Liberty to some and Oppress others if he do joyn with one Way and promote that and the men of one Judgment be tollerated and all other Wayes and all others that are different in Judgement be persecuted and oppressed and sought to be destroyed this is not the way for the King to prosper nor to be established to perpetuity for there seems to be no one Way so strong or any one sort of People so many for the King to cleave to and allow and seek to destroy all the rest because there is of other sors of people that ballance that sort in opposition and so the King and his Government seems not secure if he take hold of any one sort of People only to stand thereby in opposition to all the rest persecuting of them because there are many of other Sects that will be discontented and murmur if not more So that the King's Safety is and the Prosperity of his Government and the Establishment of it seems to be By giving Equal Liberty and Iustice and shewing Love and Tenderness to all of all Iudgments and then he may stand by all and none will oppose him but all will be ready to defend and preserve him For he may stand established and be happy in his Government by engaging all sorts to him through Love and Righteousness and Liberty towards all but he cannot according to my Iudgment be established nor prosperous if he choose only the Men of one Judgment to stand by and cleave only to that and persecute and seek to destroy all the rest that are different and so only make one Party his Friends and dis-engage all others in Love and Affection this seems I say not the Way of Prosperity Let the King consider it and the Lord give him a Right Understanding By a Friend to Iust Authority E. B. PERSECUTION IMPEACHED As a Traytor against God HIS LAWS and GOVERNMENT And the CAUSE of the Ancient MARTYRS Vindicated against the Cruelty inflicted upon them by the Papists in former Dayes Being a Brief ANSWER to a Book called Semper Iidem Or A Paralel of PHANATICKS c. lately published by a Nameless Author Wherein is contain'd a Relation of the Martyrdom of many such as Dissented and Opposed