the Saints and Churches of Christ look upon them that acted those things to be Ministers of Christ but on the contrary declared against them to be Deceivers So that all you People and you professed Ministers that act those things that the false Prophets acted and all you People that love to have it so and give Hire to your Ministers for Preaching and consent unto it none of you are of the Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because this part of your Practice in Religion is not according but contrary to Scriptures Now substracting all these in these Nations from the whole which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for Ordinances of God and for his Worship none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because these things which you Practice for Religion is not held forth in all the Scriptures by any example or command likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these Nations and that Practice and Profession of Religion which the greatest number follow and exercise themselves in cannot be the true Christian Religion because the Scripture saith Few are in the straight way that leads to Life to wit in the pure and true Religion but many are in the Broad way that leads to destruction and such that are the greatest number who are in the broad way are not in the Religion in the purity thereof as it is held forth in the Scriptures likewise many of you who Practice those things mentioned for Religion are yet unconverted to God but live in wickedness in the Pride and Vanities and in all the evil of this World in Double-dealing in Drunkenness in Whoredom and in the Works of Darkness therefore you are not of the true Christian Religion neither do your walk with God in Purity and Holiness neither are you changed by Christ into his Image nor are guided by his Spirit neither do you live to God in any thing but to this World in all things and your Religion is manifest not to be according to the Scriptures but contrary And so let all people consider whether or no you must be maintained in your Religion Come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called Presbyterians and Independants and all others stand up and prove if you can your Practice in Religion to be according to Scriptures but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned which is practiced by you for Religion to wit Sprinkling of Infants and singing David's experiences in Rhime and Meeter and Worshipping God in set-places as Idol-Temples and preaching for and giving great sums of Money for preaching with other things practiced by you for Religion neither were these things ever commanded in Scriptures neither is there any example for the practise of these things in Scripture by any of the Lords people and therefore you cannot justly own a Title in the Protectors Oath to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of Religion for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that Religion which is according to Scriptures and not them who practiceth those things for Religion which are not according but contrary to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that are called gathered Churches who holds sorth for Doctrine that the Scriptures are the Word by which the World was made and that the Scriptures are the Foundation and that the Scriptures are the Way to Salvation and that the Letter and the Spirit are unseparable and that the Scriptures are both the Writings and the thing fignified and that except a man be Baptized with Water he cannot be saved with such like Doctrines which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the Church of Christ all you are manifest not to be of the Christian Religion because those Doctrines are not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Practice in the Exercise of Religion is but by Imitation from the Scriptures and you are not led by the Spirit of of the Father in what you speak and practice you are not of the true Christian Religion which the Scripture speaks of for the Sons of God and who are of the true Religion are led by the Spirit of God and not by their own Thoughts and Imaginations and the Traditions of men And all that are not led by the Spirit of the Father are not of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and not any that are such can justly own to be protected in their Religion because it is not according to the Scriptures Likewise All ye that do profess the things of God and Christ and that you are Members of the Church of Christ and profess Righteousness and Truth in words and yet live in Pride and the Vanities of this World and in Unrighteousness and the Customs of the Heathen which are vain and are not cleansed from Unrighteousness nor freed from the Body of sin and death neither do answer your Profession with a Conversation shewing that you are not guided with that Spirit whose words you do profess All you are Hypocrites and live in Hypocrisie none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures For the Exercise in true Religion sheweth forth in Life what is prosessed in words Come try your selves and prove your selves all sorts of people for now your Religion is to be try'd what Name soever you go under And all you that practice and profess those things for Religion for which there is neither Command nor President in Scripture your Religion is concluded not to be according to Scriptures and so no Title or Priviledge can any of you justly own of being upheld or maintain'd by the Protector 's Oath But as I have said For sprinkling of Infants and singing of David ' s Experiences in Rhyme and Meeter c. there is neither Command nor President in Scriptures and therefore you that practice those things which I have mention'd for Religion are not of the true Christian Religion which is according to the Scriptures which is to be protected Likewise all ye that persecute by Reproaches or Revilings and Cruelty or that cause the People of God to be persecuted many of you there are in these Nations which profess Religion yet are Envious Persons and Persecutors of the Innocent Hereby it is manifest that you are not of that Religion which is according to Scriptures for the Saints never persecuted any but were themselves persecuted for Righteousness sake so you are not to be protected in such Exercise because it is not according but contrary to the Scriptures for you have no Example from the Saints for professing and practizing Religion and yet persecuting such as are of the true Religion whose Consciences are truly exercised towards God and towards all men Now seeing that it is discovered in part who it is that
Love undefiled was your Conception begotten by the Word of immortal Life unto the Inheritance incorruptable whereof you are Heirs of the faithful Promise made free by the Son through the slaying of the enmity upon his Cross whereby you are nourished up into Immortallity to reign over Hell and Death and the Grave for evermore With thoughts of eternal Love are you remembred and read in the Lambs book of Life recorded by the eternal Spirit and of the Lord cannot be forgotten Your Mother is a Virgin unspotted and your City is new Ierusalem come down from Heaven and glorious and full of Pleasure is your Dwelling place there is no need of a candle for the Lamb is the Light thereof and the Temple therein Your God is no Image nor your Worship no Imgination nor to the great Image you do not joyn nor his power hath no dominion over you but the Yea and Amen is your Covenant and the I am whom there is none besides is your God and he that lives forever is your Rock and sure Defence and Salvation is appointed your VValls and Bulwarks Gladness is sown for you yea everlasting Mercies shall you reap and your long mourning shall be turned into everlasting Rejoycing and your present Heaviness into durable Joy your VVaters shall be sure and your Bread shall never fail your Fulness shall abound and your Plenty shall be enlarged never more to hunger nor thirst but your little Seed shall become a great Nation and the whole Earth shall be replenished thererewith and your despised Government shall rule over Kingdoms and your Laws shall all the Nations of the Earth become subject unto Ye are no part of the Image of Idolatry but your beginning is the little Stone cut out without a hand and it shall fill the Earth and become a great Mountain whereupon the Fowls of the Heaven shall be refreshed eating the flesh of Kings and Captains You are found faithful in your Tryals and the glory of the VVorld cannot steal away your Hearts you cannot be moved for your feet are set upon a Rock Satan you scorn and the glory of his Kingdom you utterly disdain upon his power you tread and your feet trample under foot his majesty and renown Your King reigns for ever and of his Government and Dominion there shall be no end but the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be given for a Possession to him his Scepter is Righteousness and his Law is Equity and his Statutes are full of Justice and Judgment And thus saith the Lord of Hosts your God and King Because you have been found faithful and have not loved your lives unto death for his Names sake and for his Glories sake but have continually abased your selves and laid down your Crowns that you might honour him therefore you will he honour and exalt and will establish your Kingdom in peace forever and all that riseth up in judgment against you shall be consounded and condemned and his Hand will be against all your Adversaries to their overthrow and dishonour everlastingly You have loved Righteousness and Judgment upon Earth and your Path hath been in Equity and you have born the Affliction and Storm with patience and have endured with joy the Burden of the Oppressor you have been tryed to the bottom and have been found Innocent and without Guile before the Throne of God clothed with the Garments of Uprightness your Light is the Candle of the Lord and your Life and Glory is the Possession of the Most High Babylon is given you for a Prey and the riches of Aegypt is given you for a Spoil and you are free-born Children of the Seed Elect the first Fruits unto God and unto the Lamb your Purchase is obtained through death and your Crown of honour is purchased through suffering and the glory of Babylon is no whit equal for thou excellest in Beauty and Vertue Whereunto shall thy Beauty be compared O thou fair and comly Virgin unto whom shall I liken thee O thou choice and free-born Daughter of Sions King thy long travel of sorrows in the womb of Anguish hath brought forth Children of a comly stature thy Babes are truly lovely upright and faithful-hearted thy Young-men are noble bold and valiant chosen of thy God and Victory is with them thy Virgins are perfect in Beauty pure and undefiled and no spot in their Garments thy Old men are lively and honourable and stedfast in the Path of Righteousness and their gravity shall be truly respected thy Body is perfect in the Lords Record and Remembrance and with an eternal Crown of infinite Glory shall the Righteous Judge honour thee because you have delighted to do his Will and have kept his Covenant undefiled which abides with you for ever sealed and signed unto you by the Spirit of Promise decreed before the World was All Nations shall call you blessed and of your fulness shall they partake Who is like unto you A People saved by the Lord elect and chosen and redeemed out of Kindreds Tongues and People and have a name better then of Sons and Daughters Praise ye the Lord and Glorifie him for evermore Young-men and Maidens Old-men and Children and all that breath Praise you the Lord for thereunto are you called and for this cause are you brought forth Clap your hands and sing for joy of heart your Redeemer is the holy One and your Maker is your Husband I know you and to you am I known and I read you within the Vail and do behold you the Train of the Most High filling his Temple Follow him forever and let his Name be testified of throughout the Earth Make War in Righteousness and prepare your selves to do his service Let not your hands be slack neither be you sloathful in our Lords Design but wound the Head of your Enemies and mannage War against Gog and Magog throughout all Generations Ride on and prosper tread down the fenced Cities and enlarge your dominion and let the Children of Strangers of the Seed of Esau be your Slaves and Bond-men and fill the Earth with your precious Seed and sow it in the morning and in the Evening with-hold not your hand though you are despised of men yet the Lord hath made you truly honorable in his Glory you appear and his Righteousness is your clothing which will never wither and though some of you for a moment suffer Bonds for his Names sake yet you are free everlasting and are not ashamed of your Testimony before the Princes and Nobles of the Earth O Sion thou art desirable because of thy Beauty and thy Dwelling-place is scituate in a very fruitful Hill and thou feedest in the Valleys of fat Pastures of eternal Pleasures where nothing that defiles can enter nor no Devourer treadeth on thy Mountain nor no Lyons Whelp treadeth in thy Path it is the Way of the Ransomed of the Lord who hath blotted out thy Transgressions never more to remember thy Sins thou Seed
free from sin and were the Servants of Righteousness They say Christ hath not enlightened every 〈◊〉 the Scripture saith He is the Light of the World and hath enlightened every one c. can they now who live in the same persecuting nature and walk in the 〈◊〉 steps as they did which persecuted them who spoke forth the Scripture as the Teâ—chers and People do own the Scripture in Truth Their professing of the Scripture is as theirs was which made a great profession of it in the outward appearance but put him to death who had the Life and was the Substance of it They then as the Teachers of the World do now denyed the Spirit and Life whicâ— gave sorth the Scriptures And the Ordinances of Jesus Christ we own and witness Preaching Praying Baptism Communion Singing and whatsoever was ordained for his Saints to practise in Life and Power we witness these things in the eternal Substance having passed through the earthly figures which was but to stand for its time by the Eternal have we been led by the Command of it within us and got by tradition from the Scripture without us And we deny all such who have taken up these things in their own wills by conforming the outward man to the outward Letter and have not entred in at the Door True Preaching we own and do witness in which is the Cross of Christ and the Power God unto Salvation or Condemnation it is foolishness to the World and its wisdom now as ever it was and we deny all speaking of imaginations from the Scripture which is in the wisdom of the World and which stands in the will of man limitted to a set time day or place Prayer by Spirit and in the Spirit we own and witness which is not limitted to a time and place And we deny all the Worlds formal customary Preaching and Praying for a pretence Baptism we own and witness which is With one Spirit into one Body into the Death of Christ And we deny all Baptisms which are imagined and imitated by conforming the outward man to the outward Letter which is but a likeness of the the true Baptism Communion we live in which is In the Light by the Spirit which will endure eternally and we deny the Worlds imitation which is in word and declaration and visible carnal things which will pass away Singing which is with the Spirit and with Understanding of the redeemed of the Lord we own and witness but the Worlds singing in Rime and Meeter proud men singing That they are not puft in mind and prophane men singing That the Law of God is dear to them this singing we deny for it must be turned into howling the Lord hath said it And here again I charge it upon the Teachers of the World That they deny the Substance and Power of what Christ commands his Saints to practice by upholding their own imitations and so deceiving the People but where the Substance is witnessed the figure is denyed and the false imitations are discovered and denied And mans free-will we do deny for the will of man shall never enter to God but leads out from God into the lust and into the flesh and keeps in the power of the Devil and man hath free-will unto that which is evil but not to that which is good and all who follow Christ the Light of the World must deny their own wills and take up the Cross of Christ which is to the will and walk in the Light contrary to the will in the strait Way which leads unto Life which is out of the will of man in the Will of God which the will of man doth resist and oppose And I charge it upon the Teachers and Professors who do not witness the daily Cross of Christ that they live in their own free-will and holds it up and are led by it into pride and coveteousness and lusts of the flesh which stand in the will and here they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us living in their own free-will and walk not in the daily Cross of Christ. And Self-righteousness we have denied and have seen it in the same Light which Isaiah did to be as filthy Rags and we declare against it and against them which live in it for self must not be saved it is accursed from God it is wholly unrighteous and makes the best of actions so and is and must be cast out from God Christ Jesus made manifest and revealed in us is our Righteousness and self is judged and condemned by him who is made unto us Righteousness neither do we teach People to labour in their own strength to obtain Life but do direct People to the Light of Christ within them which walking in will be strength to them to lead them to Life the Light which is of Christ to which we direct all to wait in to be taught by it will lead out of self-righteousness and from under the power of self to witness the power of God to lead and to act and to witness Christ Jesus revealed the Righteousness of God And the Church which is in God which is the Body of Christ whereof Christ is Head we witness and are members of it gathered and joyned by the eternal Spirit and not by tradition in the wisdom of man And we deny all the Worlds Churches whereof they were made members by visible things without and gathered by traditions and not by the Spirit whereof the Serpent is head and not Christ and which is the body of antichrist some of which commits Idolatry iâ— an Idols-temple and the ministry of this church we deny for it stands in 〈◊〉 will of man and the Ministers of it are such as all the Servants of the Lord witnessed against the Churches the Ministry and the Ministers are contrary to God but the Ministry which is to the Seed which is out of the will of man we own and witness which ministers Life unto life and Death unto death and divides the Word aright judgment to the fat and to the strong and feeds the â—…gry and looseth the Bars of wickedness and breaks not the bruised Reed 〈◊〉 quencheth not the smoaking Flax this Ministry we deny not but are Friends unto it and who are Ministers here we have union withal but proud men and such as are called of men Masters are cast out of this Ministry and are Miniâ—… to the body of antichrist and know not the Mystery of the Ministry of Jesus Christ which is to the Spirit in Prison Magistrates and Magistracy we deny not but do give respect unto for Conscience sake for who bears the Sword of Justice who use their power to be a terror to the wicked and for the praise of them that do well are Ministers of God and we desire that there were more Magistracy here and that the Magistrate would more use his power to be a terror to Lyars to Swearers to Drunkards to Railers to
them like to the Beast none upon Earth hath bought or sâ—â—d or judged or given evidence or been respected in all the World that 〈◊〉 not had the Mark of the Beast and the number of the names of Antichrist rich and poor small and great have receive his Mark as a Seal of their subjection to the Beast whose many heads and many horns have subjected all by the force of his arm and he hath blinded the eye lest men should see him and cast darkness over all faces and the false Prophet hath deceived many a Christ hath said and all the Earth hath been wandring in the Wildernâ—… of Wickedness and the Long-suffering of the Lord hath been wearied and he continually provoked to destroy the Nations who have followed Antichrist who hath shewed himself in the Seat of God to be God and hath sat in the Seat of God in the Seat of Justice Righteousness and of Mercy and the Abomination of desolation hath long stood in the place where it ougâ—â— not for many Ages and length of Times and his many Heads and many Horns hath swayed the World through the terror of the Beast who haâ—… made all worship him and they that would not he hath killed who hath carried the great Whore who hath made all men without exception and all Nations without respect to any wholly drunk with abomination and all hath staggered and fallen into grievous iniquities and the Dragon hath stood ready continually to devour the Child of Righteousness as soon as it was born and the Woman hath been forced to flee into the Wilderness that hath brought iâ— forth and hath fed there for so many dayes and for a long season hath the Lâ—â—d been blasphemed even the Name of God and his Tabernacle and them thâ—â— dwell in Heaven But now hath the Lord considered and looked down from his Habitatiâ—n and of a truth he is risen and hath taken to him his great Power that he may reign and put all things under his Feet and subdue the power of the Beast and Antichrist and all their Government and Rule and Laws and Decrees shall be overthrown and confounded all their worship shall be broken for great Babylon is come into remembrance before the Lord to render her according to her works the Lamb is now risen and advanced with his Bow and his Sword and he is going forth Conquering and to Conquer the Beast and all that have worshipped him and they that are with the Lamb are called and chosen and faithful they love not their lives unto death and they shall overcome him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony the Dominion of the Lamb is setting up and his Power is made manifest and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hand is a dashing at the feet of the Image and against the Beast and his Power and against all his Laws and Decrees is he risen and he will change Times and Laws and Powers and the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever for now the Spirit of Life from God is entred into the Witnesses which have been slain and they begin to stand upon their feet and great fear falls upon the great men of the World and the Devil is cast out into the Earth who hath sitten in Heaven in the Temple of God and deceived the whole World and his wrath is great against the Saints and against the Lamb because he knoweth his time is but short and the Man-child shall grow and shall rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron if any man hath an ear to hear let him hear he that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword the Purpose of the Lord shall stand who is now gathering and bringing back such as have been driven away and deceived by the Generation of false Prophets who have deceived the whole World and all that dwell therein and the Lord will take vengeance upon them upon the Beast and upon the false Prophet and great Babylon shall be thrown down and shall be no more at all but shall be made desolate and the voice of Harpers and Musitians shall no more be heard at all in her but her Glory shall wither and fade away in a moment for he that hath a true Weight and Measure is appeared to divide and to give due weight and measure unto every one and all the wicked who will not come from under the worship of the Beast shall have their part in the Lake that burnes with Fire and he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still here is the dividing of all things as they were in the beginning the Glory of the Lord is risen whose name is called the Word of God and out of his mouth goeth a sharp Sword and with it be smiteth the Nations and he shall rule them with an Iron Rod for his Name is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and he is gathering his Saints together to the Supper of the Great God to eat the flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains and the flesh of Horses and them that sat thereon the Purpose of the Lord shall not be disannulled though the Beast and the Kings of the Earth gather together their Armies to make war against him that sits upon the Horse who is already gone out to conquer and the numberless number of the Saints are gathering together before the Throne of the Lamb and they have no guile found in their mouthes And the day is now dawned and the night is far spent Wo unto the World and to all the Inhabiters of the Earth who have worshipped the Beast the Lord is coming to plead with you and ye that have partaken of the sins of the great Whore shall partake of her Plagues and she shall be rewarded double according to her works for her sins have reached unto Heaven The Day of great tribulation is at hand of Anguish and Destruction men shall seek death and shall not find it but it shall flee from them when the Lord ariseth and the Lamb standeth upon Mount Sion and his Saints with him who shall tread down the Heathen and cast them out even as they have trodden down the holy City and the Worship thereof and the Kingdom of the Beast and his Seat and his great Authority which he hath received from the Dragon shall all be thrown down and the Kingdom of the Son of God with his Government Scepter and Rule shall be established in all the Earth and the utmosts part thereof shall be given him to possess this is the Promise and this shall come to pass and through the whole World Laws and Decrees Ministry and Orders shall be changed and renewed the Law and Decree of the Most High shall rule over all and the
tell us plainly Are you Redeem'd from Pâ—… 〈◊〉 are you such as oppress the Seed as Pharoah did And tell us who was the Inâ—… of â—…our Images and who was the Former of all your graven Images 〈◊〉 not they all invented and come up since the Apostles dayes which ye have 〈…〉 and what is Purgatory and from what had it its rise and original 〈◊〉 what ground have you out of Scripture for such a doctrine And what is the 〈◊〉 of Faith and what 's Faith and what doth it give victory over and what 〈…〉 it over come and what is the â—aiâ— that hath bin spread over all Nations and 〈◊〉 is the Mountain of the House of God and what are those Mountains the 〈…〉 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 â—…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 upâ—…d by Spiritual Weapons or Carnal are not your Goals carnal Weapons 〈◊〉 your Inquisitions and your killing people aboue Religion are not all these 〈◊〉 Weapons and had ever the Church of Christ such Weapons answer 〈…〉 plainly And do you not expect the Lord will suddenly plead with you and are not 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 â—nd have 〈◊〉 heard his Voice and seen his Shape if you have what is he like answer 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 Bones what is the reason of it and who was the first that â—â—tuted it 〈◊〉 what is the meaning of your holy Water give us Scripture for all these 〈…〉 ces or else the Power of the Lord will tear you to pieces and lay open 〈◊〉 Foundation and none that love God can joyn unto you And can any o◠〈…〉 pardon Sin truly that it shall never more be remembred and are not 〈…〉 sins remembred with the Light in your Consciences sometimes and is there 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Abraham and have you seen his Day as Abraham did and what 〈…〉 Day of Christ doth the Carnal Eye see it give us your Knowledge and 〈◊〉 Judgment in all these things and lay down your Principles at full and 〈…〉 by the Scriptures what you hold and profess if you would have any to 〈…〉 your Religion otherwise renounce your Church and come out of â—… What is Babylon and the Mother of Harlots and what is spirituâ—◠〈…〉 and Sâ—dom where Christ is crucified and what is the Whore and what 〈…〉 flesh that has stain'd the Earth and what is the Fire that must consume her 〈…〉 Many are jealous concerning you that you are not the true Church 〈…〉 you have drunk of the Whore's Cup who hath made all Nations drunk 〈…〉 if that time be come that she hath made all Nations drunk then how 〈…〉 clear your selves being Nations and Multitudes of People To 〈◊〉 these 〈…〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they cannot prevail against and whether your Church may never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vailed against and whether they be not your Inquisitions Stakes and â—… and killing people that do principally defend your Church and if yâ—◠〈…〉 cease your Inquisitions and killing those you call Hereticks whether 〈…〉 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 〈…〉 which you have done by Inquisitions and such like and only by sound 〈…〉 guments and the Power of the Spirit defend your Religion And dare you suffer a certain number of us to come among you and pâ—…ch what we hold and a certain number of you shall freely come among us 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 each of the Messengers preach and hold forth what they would have and whâ—â— 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 pleaâ—â— 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weapon against us but the foundest Arguments you can by words according to the Scriptures and the same Weapons we will use against you 〈…〉 other but the Authority of the Spirit of God and Arguments thereby 〈◊〉 shall be according to the Scriptures the Apostles Writings and the â—…ony of the true Church And hereby in the sight of the whole World let your Church and Faith 〈◊〉 Principles and Practices
was come to search them and try them and would hew down their Idolatrous wayes and worships and works c. And in order to a fair proceeding with them the next day I was moved to write this following Paper to them by way of Queries as to lay some ground of Opposition hoping to have received their Answer that I might have joyned tryal with them for it was in my heart to search and oppose their Wayes and Practices and their whole Religion And these Queries were delivered to them in Latine though from them I have received no Answer to this day but the Queries stand upon them and my Charge they lie under charged upon them in the Name of the Lord. To all ye that profess your selves Devoted to the Service of God and Separation from the World and Mortification in your lives who are called by the the name of Fryars and Nunns in and about Dunkirk THe Mighty Day of the Lord God is come and coming upon you and all the World Awake awake ye that sleep in the Earth for the Dreadful God is arising to plead with you and to give unto all the World the Cup of his fierce Indignation because of your Idolatries and Hypocrisies and Abominations which have corrupted the Earth and are come up before him and have provoked him and the Cry of the Just who hath been smitten and laid slain is entred into the Ears of the Most High and his Sword which is the word of his Mouth is awakened to wound and slay all his Enemies And the Day of your Visitation is now come wherein the Lord is searching you and trying you that he may recompence you and this is the Word of the Lord to you Wherefore I am moved of the Lord to propound some few Queries to you for the tryal of your spirits and wayes to which I demand your Answer that all things may be brought to Light and true Judgement and that you may be judged justly and by the Spirit of the Lord cleered or condemned accorto your Deeds 1. Whether there were such order of Men and Women in the true Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes and where did Christ give Institution for such Worships Practices and manner of Life slouthful idleness and unprofitableness to God and Men as ye hold forth And whether any are bound to believe you and follow your Religion and Practices except you can prove by the Scriptures the Words of Christ or Example of his Saints and Apostles your Religion and Lives and Practices and Worships and whether you do admit of tryal in all your whole Religion by and according to the Scriptures and Writings of the Apostles yea or nay 2. Whether the World in your Hearts and the World's nature even the root of Lust the root of Pride Covetousness and the love of this World and its Vanities and the root of Idolatry is subdued in you to the Light in your Consciences I do speak and what is the root of all these things and what is it that subdues it Is it an outward abstinence by the force of Locks and Doors and Bolts or self-separation and secret Places that subdues the World's nature in Men and Women and is it by such means that Christ gives Victory over Sin and overcomes it in his People or is it not by the Power of God in the Heart onely and whether is it not damnable Hypocrisie in you to appear outwardly Holy and free from these things while yet the Nature and Root of all these things are alive in you and boyling up in the motions of them and is any outward thing the Cross of Christ and Christ crucified which mortifies to the World which the Apostles preached and rejoyced in 3. Whether is it a true denial of the World in you to deny it in one manner and place and to run into it and imbrace it in another way and place it doth not appear to me that you have denyed the World as the Apostles did For answer me where had they any such Seats in the finest and fattest Places of the Cities and Towns as ye have such great fine Houses and Gardens and such Revenues by the year as ye have staying all their dayes in a great House and spending their time in slouth and idleness as ye do they went up and down the World preaching the Gospel and had no certain dwelling Place but followed the Lamb of God in the Spirit and did not settle themselves in fat Places of the Earth continuing all their dayes as ye do therefore we judge that you are out of the Life and not in the spirit as the Apostles were in but are in the Form of Righteousness and Holiness without the Power So I demand an Answer to clear your selves if you can and to prove that you are of the true Church and that your Wayes and Practices are in and by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures 4. What is that Death that hath passed over all and reigned from Adam to Moses and whether it doth not reign yet in and over you and what is Moses's Ministration and whether ever through it you yet truely came and whether that part be subdued in you which the Law of God was added upon and whether are you come to Christ and know him as he was before Abraham and before Mary and how was he David's Lord and how his Son and is Christ within you born and revealed to you by whom the World was made and do you expect to be perfectly freed from Sin that ye shall not commit Sin in this Life upon Earth yea or nay 5. What is the Soul and what was its state and condition before Transgression and what is its state and condition in Transgression and whether may man come to be restored by the second Adam into the same estate while upon Earth as he lost in the first Adam yea or nay Friends I demand of you in the Name and Power of the Lord God to answer me these things in writing some of you and to subscribe your names that I may return you an Answer and query further of you for we are sent of God to visit you and to try you and if you be in the perfect Truth and would convert others to your Religion be plain with us and use your best Spiritual Weapons in your Zeal towards us and defend your Cause and appear for your God and if you doubt of your own Wayes and Practices and be not able to defend your Religion then let your Mouthes be stopped then turn from Idolatry for now is the Lord God risen that will judge ye and all the Earth righteously I am a lover of Souls but a Witness against all false Idolatrous Wayes of Antichrist and the Whore that hath reigned in the World and I am the Lord's Servant E. B. By the Scorners of the World called a Quaker These queries were sent to the Fryars in Latine ANd we were with
these Doctrines upon the Apostles then upon the Papists and as for joyning to your Ordinances there is many that fears God who are not Papists that for good conscience sake cannot joyn to your Ordinances nor own your Ministry neither in its Call Practise nor Maintenance and if these things were in dispute I should shew you according to Scripture that it is not lawful for the Saints of God to joyn themselves to your Ordinances nor own your Ministry but it is lawful for them both to deny your Ordinances and Ministry in their present standing and as for printing and vending so many Popist Books as you say Oh it had been your wisdom to have mentioned the Books by name that all might have known which were Popish Books but because your Charge is general I cannot answer particularly either to clear or to condemn except you had mentioned in particular which you ought to have done rather then to have slandered in the dark Your fourth reason whereby you would make your people believe that there is fear of the return of Popery is That the whole body almost of Popery is published by Sectaries especially Quakers and you say you cannot but observe a ready co-incidency with Papists in their Opinions c. Answ. As for the Quakers which you have long opposed by Prisons Goals and Persecutions and your carnal Weapons and now also charge great things upon them to make them odious to the people Alas do you not know that they are blessed of the Lord Is there never a man among you sixty one Priests so wise as Balaam was he saw there was no Inchantment against Israel nor durst he curse whom God had blessed but however they have born with patience and they do therein continue all that you have caused to be acted and all that you have spoken against them and your words and works against them shall be your own burthen in the day of the Lord and shall sink you into misery who hath made the innocent people the people of your malice and fury but God is with them I need say nothing and why have you not particularly instanced what particular part of Popery they do publish Why will you charge in secret and prove nothing in particular therefore I do charge you to mention what particular things they do publish which is Popery and not the truths of the Gospel and then you shall have a further answer Your fifth reason is Jesuitical designs and you mention the Protestant Universities and the impoverishing and disgracing and overthrowing a goodly learned Ministry c. Answ. As for the Universities thousands are satisfied concerning them that they are of Popish institution and are not the Fountains of Divinity as they have been falsly called for its possible I could give large testimonies of the wickedness of the educations which is there in those places and how little good they learn and how much evil but you have stated the Cause wrong for the plucking down the Universities would rather seem to be the removing part of Popery then to be the way to let in Popery And as for a godly Ministry that is truly godly and truly learned alas there is no fear of impoverishing disgracing and overthrowing of that for that is alwayes poor and low and contemptible to the World and so it must be and it is Antichrist's Ministers that fears to be made poor and that their Tythes and Stipends should be made less and it is they that fear to be overthrown and not the Ministers of Christ for the Ministers of Christ are out of all such fears because their standing and falling depends not upon earthly powers but are builded upon the Rock of Ages and cannot be overthrown Your sixth Ground is Tolleration for Popery is publickly pleaded for in Print c. Answ. That Popery is Idolatry and the Church of Rome a false Church that I have said and I hope shall never renounce it but shall alwayes give Testimony until death against the Church of Rome but I must tell you plainly it is not my judgment that the Papists ought to be burned for their Religion or if a Jesuite be taken in England I would have him so tollerated that he should not have his life taken away by inhumane cruelty not for Religion sake except something can be charged upon him besides matters of his Religion or Conscience This is my judgment that both the Papists and you are Antichristian in this in that you kill each other when they take one of your Ministers and you theirs to destroy each other this is not of God but of the Dragon's power in both and there ought to be more tolleration in both that lives may be spared and you ought to conquer with spiritual Weapons if that you have them and not to kill and murder persons but to judge Spirits That is contrary to Scripture and the Apostles Example to destroy mens lives for Religion sake And why may not the Papists have tolleration in matters concerning God as well as others So those that plead for their Tolleration upon this account that they may be converted from sin and not destroyed in their sin this is no Error that their lives may be spared but to plead for their tolleration as the right Religion this is sin And thus your sixth Ground wherefore you fear the return of Popery is answered Now I come to the second consideration which is The present distracted estate of Religion which you say is evidenced in divers particulars First your division in civil and spiritual things so that the wonted love and communion in holy Duties is interrupted strangeness and distances fomented censures and hard Opinions of each others entertained c. Answ. Here is your Error for true Religion is not distracted nor divided in it self but it is one in unity and peace and so are all they that are in it their hearts being united by the Spirit of the Lord in their Faith Practice and Worship and in all things pertaining to their Religion It s true there is distraction amongst all the false Sects and Churches upon the Earth and it must be so Babylon is divided and confounded in it self and one part of it against another so the distractions is amongst your selves among Papists Prelates Prefbyters and the rest tearing and rending one another about Church-Worship and Religion all like Wolves in Sheep's clothing biting one another being divided in civil and spiritual things one crying for this and another for the other way of Government in Church and State and you are out of the true love and true communion in holy Duties and interrupts one another and what one faith is right another saith is wrong and all this is in Babylon among your selves and none of it among them that are in the true Religion and in true Church-Union who are gathered by the Spirit of the Lord. Your second Evidence of the distracted estate of Religion as you say is
Immortal Life I am known to you where I desire only to be known of you and though I have been as weak amongst you and in fear and trembling yet the Lord hath been strong and mighty in his Spirit and though I have been as poor and lowly before you yet the Lord hath filled me and you with his Riches and given victory and authority even in your presence though many times I have laboured in Tryals and under great Burdens amongst you and in much opposition by many potent Enemies that have appeared against the Lord yet the Lord hath carried above all and given dominion over them through his eternal Spirit and of these things you are Witnesses Oh when I remember the dayes past and how the pretious presence of the Lord hath been with us and amongst us while I was with you as I hope it is at this day and will alwayes be continued I say the remembrance hereof even of the goodness of the Lord filleth my Heart with holy Praises and the same I desire for you that the Love of the Father and his Presence which hath been is and shall be may be alwayes fresh in your remembrance that you may be comforted for evermore And at this present I know nothing but that the Lord in his Presence and Love and Life is more large and precious then ever and he hath opened his Fountain and we receive of his fulness more abundantly he hath made us strong and we are rich in him even at this day to give our witness for his Name and against Antichrist and all the powers of Darkness in as much Boldness Plainness and Faithfulness as ever yea it is in our Hearts to be as diligent and valiant in the Work of the Lord and to publish his Name and to proclaim the destruction of Antichrist's false Church false Ministry and Worship now more then ever Oh how are our Hearts filled with zeal to go on in this Work we have no fear of man upon us not of him that can but kill the Body we are not afraid of the Storms and Threats and Persecution of the Ungodly for we fear the God of Heaven and him we reverence and worship in our Hearts and not mortal Men whose breath is in their Nostrils and who are as Clay and their Substance soon desolved and what shall these do against us they can effect nothing without the Lord who is our Shepherd that keeps us and as for the Work of the Lord we find it goes on and is prosperous and the Flock of God every where is pleasant and they grow in Knowledge in Wisdom in Faith and in Patience and the Power and Presence of the Lord is with us as ever and Truth keeps its Authority and the Lord hath blessed it with a good Report even to the confounding of our Enemies to perceive the Constancy and Boldness and Faithfulness of the People whose destruction hath long been threatned and waited for but we are yet alive even in him who lives for ever and we live because he lives in us and it is well with us even because he is our saving Health and we can speak of his Praise because he speaks by us Meetings are very large and precious every where in these Parts because of the Presence of the Lord God who is the Fulness of all and filleth all with his Mercy Peace and Blessings and that the same be continued unto you even that you may be filled with the Fulness of God and ever comforted in him is the desire of him who is yours as he is the Lords Sommerset-Shire 25th 4th Moneth 1660. E. B. A TESTIMONY Concerning the BOOK of Common-Prayer So called Being an Answer to an Objection Whether it be not in it self and as practised in this Nation heretofore and at this present the True Worship of the True and Living God Answ. 1. THE Book of COMMON-PRAYER so called in its first Institution and Practise in this Nation did not but differ little from POPERY and the Men that were the Authors of it and that constituted it into that Form and Method as now it is were of much Zeal for their Form and some Sincerity and of more Tenderness and good Conscience towards God in what they knew then were they of the Church of Rome who cryed out against them as Hereticks and the like and they had so much Light from God by his Spirit as that they saw the Idolatry and Corruption of the Church of Rome and did dissent from her and denyed her Worships and Practises in part though they were because thereof persecuted and the Lord stirred up their Hearts to bear Testimony against the Abomination of that time as it was in both Church and State so called and they sought after Reformation and did in some part Reform this Nation and did deny the Popish-Mass and the Popes Supremacy and many Idolatries both in Doctrine and Discipline and instead of the way and manner of Worship as held forth by the Church of Rome these Reformers set up the Common-Prayer to be performed as the Worship of their Church supposing that to be more acceptable then the other and no doubt but the first Institution and Practise thereof was in much sincerity and zeal by many and they were held under persecution and suffered some of them even death â—or denying the Church of Rome and her ways and worships even them who did first ordain and compose the Common-Prayer so called though yet there was much error in their Judgments and darkness in their Understandings and a vail of great Ignorance in many things upon them even while it was brought forth and these things effected in the very beginning and proceedings of them 2. And when it was formed it being imposed on this Nation by force and penalty and set up by compelling all people into the practise of it by violent Laws upon the Bodies and Consciences of men this was great Abomination in the sight of God and made the practise of it detestable unto him for it is contrary to God in the dispensation of the Gospel the way of forcing by compelling constraint through outward Laws any kind or form of worship though in it self never so holy and like unto the true worship yea if the very things that the Apostles practised for worship were imposed on any people by force when as the Consciences of Men were not first perswaded thereunto by the Spirit of God even this were Abomination unto God and not the true worship of him which is not of force but of a willing mind nor in the Ignorance of Mens minds but in the Light risen in their Hearts So that because of Imposing the practise of the Common-Prayer by force it was hateful to God as so practised and the performance of it while it was so held forth in this Nation was no better then the Idolatrous Mass nor no more acceptable to God 3. And as for the Matter in it self partly
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 〈◊〉 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 displeaâ—â—â—â— breaks forth against them to confound them And this is worthy to be consiâ—â—â—ed by them against the evil counsel of wicked men who would lay snarâ—◠〈◊〉 their feet and cast stumbling-blocks before them that they may be taken and fâ—â—â— to their overthrow 6. It is of the Devil the Dragon and Antichrist all this killing and perâ—â—â—â—ting of one Sect by â—nother about Religion since thâ— Apostles days the â—…ts and Witnesses have been slain and all that would not worship the Beast â—…e been killed by the Dragon the Devil and false power as may be read in the â—velations and never any of the true Churches of Christ nor any Memâ—er 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 nevâ—r 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 â—ust Men and not the true Church who wars with spiritual Weapons and â—ills Enmity and Powers of Darkness but kills not Persons nor wars with â—arnal 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 â—oly 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 â—â—ould 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 Iâ—ws 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 〈◊〉 a Sabbath to the Gentiles nor to any Nation or People saving onely the Pâ—ople 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 〈◊〉 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 conâ—â—mned or judged of the Lord though we keep it not because it was never commanded of God unto us nor to any of the Gentilâ—s 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 themselvâ—s 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
were never seen with any Sword or Staff amongst them nor any Carnal Weapon nor ever held Designs of Mischief and for them thus wickedly to suggest unto the King as if they would have killed them or worse this is Backbiting and Slandering in the highest degree and punishable by the Law of God and Men And its true Them whom they have killed are restrained but the Principles and Practices of the Quakers so called have entred into New-England and passes thorough the Consciences of people without Restraint And it s a shame for themselves to mention how all the Pastors and the whole Church of Boston overcame Three Innocent Persons and what Weapons they overcame them by not the Weapons of the Spirit of God but the Weapons of Cruelty and Hard heartedness even as Caiu overcame Abel and as the Iews overcame Christ and so did the Church of New-England overcome our Brethren And this is all the Confession they can make of Restraining our Friends That they cruelly put them to Death and thereby overcame them And it is not known to us that the Court at Boston hath such Absolute Power as that the Free Subjects of England may not come and return again and again according to their lawful Occasions without leave from the Authority of Boston Court I say this seems to be usurp'd Authority rather than lawfully establish'd upon them by Charles the first but it is apparent and the King knoweth it that in this case the Magistrates or Boston have taken too much upon them and proceeded further than they can justifie either before God or the King in Imprisoning Whipping Cutting off Ears Banishing and Putting to Death the good Subjects of England without either President Example or any power derived from the Lawful Authority of England And we have cause to say They were so far from desiring to spare their Lives as they would suggest to the King that they thirsted for their Blood and nothing else could satisfie them but the extinguishment of their Lives by shameful Torture Again The Petitioners fawn and flatter in these words say they Let not the King hear mens words your Servants are true Men Fearers of God and the King and not given to Change zealous of Government and Order we are not seditions to the Inte est of Caesar c. In answer to this many things are considerable 1. Why should the Petitioners seem to exhort the King not to hear mens words Shall the Innocent be accused before him and not heard in their lawful Defence Must not the King hear the Accused as well as the Accusers and in as much Justice I hope God hath given him more Nobility of Understanding than to receive or put in practice such Admonition and I desire it may be far from the King ever to condemn any Person or People upon the Accusation of others without full hearing of the Accused as well as their Enemies for it is Justice and Equity so to do and thereby shall his Judgment be the more just 2. They pretend to be Servants to the King and that they fear him and are not given to change I shall not seem to intrude into the Matters to which I am a Stranger but I leave this Case to the King to consider what their former Actings and the current of their spirit hath been towards the King I shall only instance one Particular well known to me in a Letter to one Gurden dated at Boston and subscribed by some of these Petitioners where they say There is more Danger in these Quakers as they call them to Trouble and Overcome England than in the KING of SCOTS and all the Popish Princes in Germany these be the Petitioners own words whereby it is manifest what the current of their spirit was against the King then tho gh now they have chang'd their Tale and call him High and Mightâ— Prince and Dread Soveraign and such like and that they are the King's Servants c. whenas not long since they have signified by their words quoted against them That there was Danger in the King of Scots as they called him and reputed him a Troubler of England and numbred him with the Popish Princes of Germany or amongst them Let but the King consider their own words and he shall plainly read as well the temper of their spirit against him not long since as he shall see their Hypocrisies and fawning Fatteries at this time and he may fully perceive that these Petitioners are given to Change though they would make him believe otherwise And this their Address unto the King is like the Approach of the uncircumcised Gibeonites unto Ioshua cap. 9. who wrought wilily and deceitfully using the same words to Ioshua We are thy Servants as these Petitioners have us'd to the King whose deceitful Address is equally paralel with that mention'd the case is worth observing Iosh. 9. vers 4 6 9. 3. As for being zealous of Government and Order not Seditious nor Schismatick as they say it is to be consider'd that their Government and the Order thereof is not only different and contrary to the Government and Order of the Churches of Christ but different and contrary also to the wholsom Constitution of the â—ivil Government of England who have made Laws and executed them to Banishment and Death without any Power deriv'd from the Lawful Authority of England which is absolute contrary to their Patent by which they hold their Jurisdiction which saith They shall make no Laws contrary to the Laws of England c. I shall not Charge them in the King's Presence further of Sedition and Schism than himself believeth concerning them Again The Petitioners say They could not live without the Publick Worship of God and they were not permitted the use of Publick Worship without such a Yoak Subscription and Conformity as they could not consent unto without sin c. In Answet to this this is to be considered That these Petitioners have laid heavier Yoaks of Subscription and Conformity upon others than ever was laid upon themselves witness their imposing Fines upon such as cannot conform to their Worship some Ten Shillings some Forty Shillings and some Five Pounds if any shall be absent from their Assembly it is so much a Day and if any keep any Meetings different from their Way of publick Worship it is so much a Time and these are unjust and illegal Impositions and it is a heinous Yoak of Tyranny put upon the Neck of the King 's good Subjects without any Power derived in this case from the King This they themselves do and yet are complaining of such Impositions and Yoaks laid upon them by the Bishops which were not comparable to these which discovers their own just Condemnation in the same Matters for which they accuse others And thus these Considerations are presented to the King in Vindication of that Innocent People called Quakers whom these Petitioners have accused as guilty of heinous Crimes that themselves might
such as refused to take any Oath walked in the Doctrine of Christ and such walked contrary to his Doctrine as did condemn them And thus it is manifest that Papists and false Christians are fallen from the Doctrine of Christ and are calling Good Evil and Evil Good and putting Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light for they account such as will take Oaths and Swear good Christians who are Breakers of the Commands of Christ and such as abide in the Doctrine of Christ and cannot take any Oath but keep the Commands of the Gospel they are accounted Erronious and Hereticks and such like And whereas the Author of Semper Iidem hath censured judged and condemned in his work Iohn Wickliff and Iohn Lambert Thomas Evison and Iohn Waddow William White Cornelius Bunge Iohn Maundrel Iohn Trankerfield George Eagles Hugh Latimer Bishop Granmer and Bishop Ridley Thomas Hawkes Richard Woodman all of whom were Martyred and put to Death because they dissented from and denyed the Papists Religion these by name with a great many more this nameless Author with whom I am now dealing hath condemned for Hereticks and Erronious Persons and made void as much as in him lies their Blood and justified the Papists in putting of them to Death Now every particular Case of these particular Men that he hath named and accused as Phanaticks and Hereticks I shall not seek to shew or demonstrate so as to justifie every man's particular Case against this nameless Author of Semper Iidem but this is evident That these men are reputed by Fox in his Monuments as MARTYRS of JESUS and they have been reputed in England for many years as such and have been held of great Estimation and have been accounted as the Fathers of the protestant-Protestant-Church and my Judgment of them is this That their Death generally was for the Testimony of Jesus and because of their Faithfulness in denying the Church of Rome for I do believe That God did awaken these men with many more and stir up their Hearts in their Day against the Idolatries and Superstitions of the Times they lived in and many of them were sincere men according to their Light and Knowledge in their Day though I shall not justifie every particular man in every particular Part and Act of his Faith and Conversation but shall leave that at this time reserved in mine own Heart And still I say for the most part they suffered Innocently on their part and without Cause and Cruelly Inhumanely and Unjustly on their Enemies part and they Martyred them and put them to Death by Fires and Tortures unrighteously and as cruel Murderers on their part that Executed them And in asmuch as their Sufferings were only and because of denying the Church of Rome dissenting from her and denying of her and wherein only and alone their Sufferings were in this Cause and for this End they suffered as Servants of God though as I have said I shall not justifie every particular man of them in his whole Faith and Conversation And for a further Relation of these Persons who were put to Death mentioned by my Nameless Author whom he accuseth for Phanaticks and Hereticks and such like I leave it to be read in Fox's Acts and Monuments where it may be read concerning the Martyrdom of every one of these particular men with their Examinations Tryals and Executions as they are reported by Fox who hath alwayes been reputed A Faithful Chronologer of the Protestants Cause till this Semper Iidem seems to accuse him for a Lyar and false Reporter and such like And whether the People of England have not better cause to believe his Relation of these Persons than they have to believe they know not whom viz. the Author of Semper Iidem a Nameless Author who hath reviled the Protestants Cause and accounted the Martyrs and faithful Witnesses thereof Phanaticks and Hereticks let themselves be Judges But I shall leave this only with desire that these men whom he hath named their particular Cases may be read in Fox's Acts and Monuments which if you look in the Table at the end of the second Volumn â—ou shall find the mens names with the Pages disciphered where their Cases 〈◊〉 be read and when you have read them then judge whether Semper Iidem hath not falsified their Cases and wickedly reviled them by the name of Ancient Phanaticks thereby seeking to supplant the whole Protestant Religion and all that dissent from the Church of Rome And thus much in brief concerning the Martyrs whom in the 14th Page Semper Iidem saith That a notable part of the Sufferers whom Fox makes relation of were Phanaticks and Sectaries and Mad Saints and such like naughty words by which he accuses a notable part these be his words which is the chiefest part of the Martyrs related of by Fox and accuseth Fox himself of double Injuries in his Relation in that he hath Canonized Phanaticks and Sectaries and Mad Saints for Saints and Martyrs and in that he Reviled and Accused Queen Mary and the Papists in those dayes of greater Persecutions than they were guilty of and saith They did no more than Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth did to the Papists Thus it is manifest That that well reputed of and credited Historian Fox is reputed a Lyar false Reporter so the Book of Martyrs made worth nothing and Queen Mary the Papists justified in what they did in martyring and putting to Death the Protestants in their days and also Queen Elizabeth is secretly condemn'd in what she did against the Papists Oh that these dayes should ever appear in England which once were not thought of These things are published and suffered in this Old Government newly revived Let the Protestants of England take notice of it and see how the Records of their Martyrs are made null and of none effect and the Martyrs themselves slandered as Phanaticks and the Martyrers justified as Righteous in what they did and these things published and proclaimed up and down London These things I cannot but observe as full occasion is given me by Semper Iidem How that the Papists Cause seems to revive and to lift up its Head again in England in vilifying and reproaching the Cause of all the Protestants of all sorts who seemingly begin to be crow'd over again and the Death of their Martyrs made of none Effects as aforesaid And this is only in Love towards the People of England to make them consider what attends them and what Invasion is coming upon them if it be not prevented not that I wholy justifie the Protestants Cause against the Papists though Semper Iidem pleads That Queen Mary did no more to the Protestants than Henry the Eighth Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth did to the Papists as the one Persecuted Burned and Martyred the Protestants so the other did Persecute and Destroy the Papists by which he would reason a justification of Queen Mary
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 â—…low liberty of Conscience it is unreasonable and unequal and down-right contrary 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 â—â—â—ressions 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 â—ersecuâ—ors 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 Caâ—es 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 〈◊〉 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