doe then I was willing to hold up my hand as a sign which I hope is not contrary to the Law well said he you had best take heed for there are many false Foxes but I was silent and he said moreover that he would lay a fine upon my head for not prosecuting Christ Iesus saith swear not at all who spoke with authority and thou who art a Iudge saith when one is before authority he must swear the truth and here thy authority is contrary to Christs and who is in the truth is in the doctrine of Christ who saith swear not at all and he that sweares is out of the truth for Christ Iesus is the truth the way and the life and he saith swear not at all and thou saith this is but in their Communications and yet in this thy Communication thou would have him to swear and all who are out of the truth acts thus in confusion Thomas Ralingson being moved to goe to Lancaster and walking in the streets he that was the Sheriffs Trumpeter that sounded before the Iudge fell upon the said Thomas Ralingson that had been speaking to a Priest and threw him down and struck him rudely wickedly and desperately and afterward run after him and got a stick and struck him before many people and abused him that did not give him any word And another day he met the said Thomas Ralingson and struck him and abused him and drew bloud on him Now you that be Rulers Iudge and Sheriffe who hath no more rule over your own men but bring such peace-breakers and strikers in the high-way without any molestation here all may see you that suffer such things how you strengthen the hands of evill doers of strikers and bloud-shedders against the innocent and you suffer this to goe unpunished say you they should keep peace and you keep a man to break peace and the said Trumpeter went up to the Goale and threw a stone into the Goale among some prisoners which have lain in a year because they could not pay the Priest Tythes and he broke therewith the face of Richard Mire one of the prisoners and made him bleed sore shedding much of his bloud and of Thomas Raling sons before this was the Sheriffs Trumpeter that sounded before the Iudge who after that went up into the prison among the prisoners and beat Richard Asburner in the prison and then opened a Coffer which was in the Goale where the prisoners had things and took out of it many bookes and packs and carried them away The word of the Lord to thee Nudigate who goes by the name of a Judge and should take upon thee the seat of Iustice and in the execution of thy place thou goes about to accuse the just and to flander the innocent and to speak evill of things thou knowest not and goes about to strengthen the hands of the wicked against the people of God and suffered them to be beat and abused and persecuted by those that was under thy own authority and that thou saw with thy own eyes but for which know assuredly that the just and righteous God will be avenged of all such unrighteous ones as thou before him who is the righteous God of heaven and earth shalt thou and all such as thou be arraigned to give an account for the thing done in the body for all thy actions is upon record before the Lord God of heaven and earth that thou hast done and suffered to be done to the servants of the most high God and the Iudgements of God thou shalt not escape Thou that should be a Minister of the Law and a Minister of Iustice and equity over the people but in thy place thou hast ministred untruths scandals and reproaches and false accusations upon the innocent and hath blasphemed the Name of God in saying that the light leads into sin And whereas Christ Iesus saith I am the light of the world and doth enlighten every one that comes into the world And this light every particular hath a measure of which thou saith leads into sin and this is the condemnation of the world the light and such as thou loves darknesse rather than light because thy deeds are evill the light is thy condemnation and thou that saith the light leads into sin hath made it manifest that thou art not a child of light but a child of darknesse for God is light and in him is no darknesse at all and in thy dark naturall mind which knowes not the things of God which art in the envy and strife which is out of the light which is with the light to be condemned in this mind thou utters forth scandals and reproaches upon the children of the light which live in the light and walk in the light which thou knowes nothing of but art an enemy too but to the light in thy conscience I speak which shines in darknesse and darknesse comprehends it not which light if thou hearken to it which checks thee it will let thee see that thou ought not to lie nor to stander nor to blaspheme the Name of God nor to speak evill of things thou knowes not and if thou would hearken to it it would lead thee to Iustice Equity and Righteousnesse for the light of God in every ones conscience is just and righteous and leads to Iustice and Equity and out of sin and if thou would hearken to it it would let thee see thy grosse darknesse and blasphemy that thou should say that leads into sin which is pure and cannot sin the light which is and ever was the Saints Teacher and it shall be thine eternal condemnation for all thy hard speeches that ever thou hast spoken Oh be ashamed and tremble before the Lord God that thou should utter forth such untruths and make thy folly so manifest in a place where thou ought to doe justice And a Warning to thee and all that ever takes upon them that place to beware of speaking evil of things you know not you may read your portion in Jude and the children of the light who walk and dwell in the light and bring their deeds to the light that they may be proved and tried them you cannot touch and the scandals laid upon them by the children of darknesse are by the children of light made manifest and set in their own places where they ought to be and herein is the truth cleared and false accusers of truth are made manifest and the light which thou saith leads into sin shall stand and make manifest all works of iniquity and by it thou art eternally condemned FINIS
John Light shines in darknesse and darknesse doth not comprehend it And if you walk in the light you have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus cleanseth from all sin and here again thou may see how contrary to the Scripture thou art for in the light which leads out of sin is the unity for the Law of God takes hold upon them who act contrary to the light the light witnesses the law and the law witnesseth the light and the law is a Judge upon them who walk contrary to the light and it is not a Judge upon them who walk in the light here let the light in all consciences be a witnesse against thee the which light witnesses against all sin and finds thee in the sin and the blasphemy who saith the light leads into all sin which light is thy condemnation the light of him that doth evill and hates the light as you may read John 3. And for the false accusation of the said Judge Nudigate which did accuse Cuthbert Hunter for adultery and fornication because he took a wife before witnesse and was not married with the Priests of the world which marry people for mony and for giving of them a form of words for mony but took a wife according to the manner he found in the Scripture witnesses the holy men of God and did not goe to the Priests to give them mony but took before witnesse and denied the Priests for giving them mony for marrying for there is no such example in the Scripture that the Priests were to have so much for marrying people And this Judge Windham saith it is contrary to the Law of God and contrary to the Law of man which all may see it is a false accusation for the Law of God witnesses the same that which Judge Nudigate calls adultery so whom the Lord joyneth together let no man put asunder the marriage that is honourable the bed that is not defiled all the children of the light doth it witnesse and honour it but all marriages that are contrary to the light God does not joyn together that marriage is not honourable that bed is defiled all that is joyned there in that nature contrary to the light together with that which is contrary to the light all this is with the light to be condemned and not honourable for there the bed is defiled all Covetousnesses and the Whoremongers and the Adulterers such marriages contrary to the light God doth not joyn together but is with the light seen and condemned the bed that is defiled is not honourable and there is hardnesse of heart and putting asunder but whom God joynes together let no man put asunder and such whom God doth joyn together with his Light for God is Light and the children of light which be in his Light doth witnesse his joyning as the Scripture declares and such doth the world call Adultery As for example Judge Nudigate because they are not married with a Priest or joyned together with a carnall Law but takes one another before witnesses as the manner of the holy men of God was And though the said Cuthbert Hunter did take his wife after the example of the Saints in Scripture he was not then brought into the truth for it was half a year before he owned the truth and as for saying to the Judge that the Lord moved him that was another false accusation And all the children of light which sees God and are of God doth the marriage see that be honourable and doth them see whom God joynes together let no man put asunder and the marriage that is not honourable is with the Light seen and judged and all the Whoremongers and Adulterers which is contrary to the Light comprehended and condemned in which light all the children of light dwell and have unity praises praises to the Lord God for ever And the said Judge that stumbles at the light and said it led into all sin knowes not the marriage that is honourable whose condemnation is with the light the light in thy conscience is my witnesse and all who are not joyned together with God are not moved of the Lord and a condemnation must goe upon all the marriages that are not moved of the Lord and joyned together by the Lord for they are not honourable and them that men or women joyn together contrary to the light are with the light condemned and sundred from the honourable mariage in the defiled bed The examination of them the world calls Quakers at Lancaster VVE are moved to declare the Triyall betwixt us the prisoners of the Lord and Tho. Shaw Priest of Aldingam who by his three Constables did apprehend our bodies and bring us to Lancaster to answer such accusations as Priest Shaw could lay to our charge We were brought into the Court by the Priest and his Constables before the Judge there sitting We coming single before him cying the Lord alone and not man with our hats on they took them off our heads standing before him a little space the Warrants against us was read before the Judge The Judge asked Priest Shaw what witnesse he had Shaw answered James Chambers We answered to our names as we were called and to committed into the Jaylors hand too among theeves behind the barre and said little but that Thomas Hatton told the Judge he was moved of the Lord to speak against the deceit in him whereupon the Judge told Priest Shaw he might goe and get his Inditements drawn against us whereupon the Priest went forth of the Court to get them done against the afternoon and in the afternoon we were brought before the Judge again and the Inditements which the Priest had drawn against us was read then the Judge asked the Priest if he had no more witnesses the Priest said none but my self and James Chambers whereupon they were both sworn that we came malitiously to disturbe him And the Judge asked the Priest what Waters Mires spoke to him when he was preaching the Priest answered the Judge that he said come down thou lyar The Judge asked the Priests man what he heard him speak he answered and said that Waters Mires said come down thou foul beast and they swore both the Priest and his man that Waters Mires spoke these words the last New-yeares day whereupon the Judge asked Waters Mires what he said to this that the Priest and the man laid to his charge Waters Mires answered that he was not at Tho. Shaw the last New-yeares day the Iudge said was you not there did you not disturb him Waters Mires said I was there but it was a year and a half since The Iudge said unto the Priest he confesseth he was there but it is a year and a half since whereupon Priest Shaw answered he had other things in his mind he could not certainly tell the words the Iudge asked Waters Mires if he called him lyar and foul beast Waters Mires answered that he called him beast
TRUTH CLEARED FROM REPROACHES AND SCANDALS Laid upon it by those who goes by the name of Judges and who went the Northern CIRCUIT Math. 5.11 Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasure of Aegypt Micah 3.10 11. They build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity the Heads thereof judge for rewards and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for mony yet will they leane upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evill can come upon us Also some Examinations of those whom the World calls QUAKERS LONDON Printed in the Year of our Lord 1654. The fourteenth day of August at the generall Assises holden at Lancaster IUdge Nudigate said openly in his charge at Lancaster in the face of the whole County giving reproachfull language upon those people whom the world calls Quakers and many scandals and false aspertions he cast upon them in his charge and he spoke there publickly and said that the Principles that they held which is the light within would lead into all manner of sin and he said further that there was a man before them at Newcastle which had committed adultery with a woman and when they asked him why he did so he said he was moved of the Lord this he affirmed in his charge at Lancaster the truth of which will appear as followeth Newcastle seventeenth day of the month called September THese may certifie all Friends concerning the accusation of the Judge of me Cuthbert Hunter of adultery and fornication in the Towne and Court of Newcastle the second day of the sixt month called August which is here briefly and simply and plainly as followeth An Information being red wherein I was accused of fornication and adultery and divers other things as that I was not married and I answered and said that in fornication I deny for it is false for I am married He asked me where I was married I said I took my wife seven miles from this place he asked me if I was married with a Justice and I said no he said I had broke the Law for there was an Act that all that was to be married was to be married with a Justice I asked him why the Priests did marry then he asked me when I was married I said I was married in the year 1653. the third month of that year called May he asked me if I were married with a Minister and I said no I was not and he said I had broke the Lawes of man and the Law of God for which I was to be punished then I desired him to prove before that people wherein and he said take him away and let him either find sureties or goe to prison and I said I would find none for I said I know no Law I had broken but that which is contrary to the Law of God and then his Officers called of the Jayler to take him away and these are the words which were spoken at that time As for that when he asked me why I did so I said I was moved of the Lord is false and was never thought non spoken by me Dear friends this is to certifie of the manner of my marriage and when I was married and how I took to me a wife according to the example I found in the Scripture that holy men of God did take to themselves wives but I could not find where ever any of the Ministers of God took mony for marrying of any as these Ministers did then therefore according to that example I found among the Saints we did bequeath to each other before witnesse in the presence of the Lord before whom we shall give an account the Father of the woman being there so I became to her a husband and she to me a wife and so I own her before all people this was in the year 1653. in the third month of that year called May it was about half a year before I owned the Truth as a testimony of which I subscribe my name Cuthbert Hunter We whose names are here subscribed are satisfied that this is a true testimony George Arey Tho. Arey Agnus Ewbanck Mary Arey Tho. Turner Richard Ewbanck Lamclet Wardeâ—ll Whereas Judge Nudigate did say in his charge at Lancaster that the light the principle which we hold in every one doth lead unto all manner of sin The light which comes from Christ Jesus which he doth enlighten every one that comes into the world withall is the condemnation of all sin wickednesse uncleannesse and ungodlinesse and the light which is our principle as he calls it in every man will witnesse against the said Nudigate who is called a Judge and doth witnesse against sinne and the same Light will witnesse Christ and make every tongue to confesse and is the condemnation of all that hate it whose deeds be evill Oh that ever such should be set up to be a Judge who utters forth such blasphemy that to say the light which he doth enlighten every man that comes into the world withall John 1.9 to it in every man which we speak of which is the light of Christ which is the condemnation of all sin and unrighteousnesse of all them that hate it it should lead to commit all manner of sin as Judge Nudigate said in his charge Here thou art manifest to be no Judge for God but judged with the just And the light in every mans conscience which comes from Christ will and doth witnesse against thee that thy judgement is false and speakes a lie who is out of the truth and speaks of thy self and the light in thy own conscience which comes from Christ witnesses against thee For to the light in every ones conscience Judge Nudigate with it shalt thou be proved whether it leads into all manner of sin or whether it testifies against all manner of sin let it in all consciences the judge whether thou be a Judge for God yea or nay that in thy conscience shall be a witnesse against thee and witnesse me and be a witnesse for God against thee That which shews thee ungodlinesse and sin and manifests it is light and the light doth not lead into the sin but leads out of the sin and testifies against it And this am I moved to give forth who am a witnesse to the light in all tender consciences which is a witnesse against all sin whose minds are turned with the light towards Christ And thou who should be a Judge upon the evill art found to be a Judge upon the good the light let the light in all consciences bear witnesse against thee which witnesses against evil and leads not into it who here hath manifested thy self that thou art darknesse and doth not comprehend light but at it stumbles and the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee the saying of