them that Holy Name which only belongs to the Body of Christ and also to wear out that Idolatry of the People's Minds which they through long Custom have born to those Idolatrous Places Neither do we any more Reproach them in so saying then Christ and his Apostles did in calling the Jews Meeting-Place Synagogues though thou highly dishonourest Christ in calling them Churches which signifies his Body Have you no other Names to bestow upon your Stone Houses and High Places but most blasphemously to call them by the Name of God's and Holy Men whom you are not worthy to name as you call your Colledges which are Synagogues of Satan and Cages of Unclean Birds by the Name of Immanuel and by the Name of Christ and Trinity and the like If you had called them by the Name of Glazier's Hall or Bull-and-Mouth or Synagogue and the like we should not gain-say it And therefore in this the Jews wil condemn you who did not presume to call their Meeting-Places by such holy Names as you presumptuously do which is and hath been a great Provocation of the People to Idolatry to idolize the Places because of their Names which were given to them by the Pâ—pists who ignorantly worship Names and you cast out the Papists for Idolatry and yet uphold their Idols Therefore Wo unto you Blind Guides and Deluders of the People your Wickedness is had in Remembrance before the Lord. Qu. 19. Whether it was the Practice of the Apostles to take a Text of the Prophets Words and from thence to raise Uses Points Tryals and Motives as thou and such as thou do who make a Trade of their Words Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st That it hath been the Practice of the Church and her Teachers these many Hundred Years for the which thou hast no Scripture-Proof And secondly thou say'st That none will deny that this is an useful and profitable Way of Teaching which is an abominable Lye which I and Hundreds more can testifie against And thirdly thou say'st It may be proved out of the Scriptures that all this hath been done by Christ and his Apostles which is another Lye and these are the Scriptures upon which thou would'st ground thy Lyes in which they will witness against thee as Luke 4. 18. and Mat. 22. 31. Act. 8. 35. and for to maintain thy Uses Points Tryals and Motives thou quotest Rom. 15. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. John 8. 31. and 13. 35. and Mat. 25. 34. Rep. Oh thou Lyar thy Lyes will not cover thee nor the Scripture stand for thee who art found out of the Life and Practice of them that gave them forth who art one of the lying false Teachers who have deluded the People these many hundred Years which deluded Ones are your Church amongst whom you have used your Philosophy and vain Deceit by which you have long spoiled them so that the greatest Part of the Professors therein are Earthly-minded by thy own Confession and I am sure that another Part are Drunkards and Swearers and Adulterers and Scoffers and Scorners and Proud and Envious Ones and the like and now where are the Fruits and Profitableness of your Teaching Therefore for Shame stop thy Mouth for boasting of your Church and her Teachers and saying None will deny the Profitableness of your Teaching for like People like Priest as the Prophet said and you are the Heaps of Teachers that deceive the World and draw itching Ears after you who cannot endure sound Doctrine with your feigned enticing Words of Mens Wisdom but the Teacher of the true Church is but one which is its Head even Christ who speaks with Power and Authority and not as you Scribes whose Teaching is a profitable Teaching as is much witnessed in these latter days to your great Shame Grief who have been the professed Teachers of the Church of England these many Years neither do any of these Scriptures prove that ever Christ or his Apostles took a Text of Scripture and by human Art and Study did raise Uses Points Tryals and Motives as you do which is a commendable Teaching by the Wiscones of the World who know not the Wisdom of God but to them the preaching of the Gross is Foolishness as was accounted amongst the Greeks because the Apostle came not with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom as you do to please Men but in Plainness of Speech spoak the Word of the Lord faithfully and also said If he yet sought to please Men he should not be the Servant of Christ but this is all your Care whose Trust is in Man and not in Christ and in all those Scriptures when Christ or his Apostles spoak of a Text of Scripture out of the Old Testament it was to shew the fulfilling thereof or to witness to what they had said but you will take these Scriptures for to give your Carnal Meanings and Interpretations of them and so from them speak a Divination of your own Brain for Gain and Lucre and this is the Use you make of these Points as thou callest them which the Scriptures before mentioned will not at all maintain and yet thou canst impudently quote this Scripture in Mat. 6. 25. 34. which forbids taking Thought what to eat what to drink and wherewithal to be cloathed when it is so publickly known that it is your greatest Care and that which thou hast been here much labouring to maintain all along to prove it lawful for thee to take nigh Two Hundred or Three Hundred Pounds by the Year of the World yea and for a Law to compel them if they refuse to give it and yet thou art not ashamed to say That thou dost not go in the Way of Balaam for Gifts and Rewards and the chiefest Scripture which thou hast here quoted will witness against thee as 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. which saith The Scripture was given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Iâ—struction in Righteousness that the Maâ— of God may be perfected throughly furnishâ—d untâ— every good Work but thou hatest to be reproved and callest them foul-mouthed Curs and the like that do reprove thee and thou teachest for Doctrine the Traditions of Men as to call a House of Lime and Stone a Church and the like as is before proved And how have you by all your Doctrines Reproofs Correction and Instruction these many Years perfected any when as the Professors therein are Earthly minded as thou say'st and you that are Teachers therefore the most of all and most of you deny Perfection in this Life And though thou with thy Tongue professest it yet in Life denyest it which is worst of all and so I take thee Pr. Answ. And though thou hast been so pleading for thy Way yet thou say'st You would change it for a better if any can shew it you and make your Hearers believe that it would be more Advantageous for them but thou
whereas thou speakest of the Promises made in the Seed but that Seed is not the Seed of the Serpent which rules in all you Children of Disobedience therefore what hast thou to do with the Promises and where dost thou prove that Infants Baptism is the Seal of the Covenant or the Badge of the Kingdom as thou termest it but thou Lyar read what the Seal is in Eph. 1. 13. and with that stop thy Mouth And whereas thou speakest of Christ's calling little Children what of that Christ baptized none therefore silence Babler And how are your Children sanctified from the Womb as thou say'st John was whenas all are by Nature the Children of Wrath and except they be born again they cannot enter and therefore thou manifests that your Church is made up of Unregenerate Persons into which thou say'st they are admitted by Water and 20. or 30. Years after they are thus baptized you preach Repentance to them and this is the Cause why the Professors therein are Earthly-minded as thou complainest and therefore no Christian Parents but blind carnal Creatures who think it profits their Children to be admitted into such a Church and as the Children grow up they show what Seal you have given them which is more like the Mark of the Beast then the Seal of the Covenant and therefore your Prayers which thou talkest of are an Abomination and avail not And thus hast thou foamed our thy Shame and Folly to the Sight of all but those who are blind and love to have it so for here is one of the main Points of your Religion proved a meer Delusion Qu. 22. What is the Estate and Condition of â— Christian Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou hast stolen the Apostles Words which he speaks concerning this Matter and saith There are Three Ages Steps and Degrees of Christianity and the first Age Step and Degree thou confessest is In Christ and begotten of the Father in the Hatred of Sin and Love of Righteousness and by him brought to the Knowledge of Redemption from all Iniquity and Renovation in all Righteousness Rep. Here thou hast destroyed the whole Faith of your Visible Church for they generally believe That they shall never be wholely set free from all Iniquity nor be perfect in Righteousness while they are upon the Earth And if this be the lowest Estate of Christianity to be In Christ and Redeemed from all Iniquity and Begotten by the Father and Renewed in all Righteousness which is Perfection in Righteousness then by thy own Confession None of them are Christians neither Thou who art a Teacher of them for thou hast been openly found in Sin and Iniquity as in Lying Covetousness Lightness Scornfulness Oppression and Deceit as before is proved And now thou art again found a Lyar in saying That we know not the First Estate of a Christian from the Last But we are able to discern thee yet uncome to the First and therefore far off the Last although in Years an Old Man yet a Child can tell thee thy Confusion Therefore stop thy Mouth thou Deceiver and sit thee down and consider how thou and thy Brethren have for these many Years deceived this Nation and labour thy self and Repent in Dust and Ashes lest the Lord in thy Destruction make thee an Example to all thy Brethren-Deceivers Qu. 23. What doth the Faith which thou professest differ from the Faith of the Hypocrite and what is the Faith of the Hypocrite Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou saist Thy Faith is a Trust in the Lord Jesus to be holpen up again from the Fall or to be saved from the Hand of thine Enemies or of all that hate thee and so to be renewed through him to be enabled to serve him cheerfully and without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the dayes of thy Life And thou saist This Faith bringeth forth Obedience and purifieth the Heart and maketh you conformable to Jesus so that thou hopest for no Benefit by his Death unless thou dyest with him to all known Sins but the Faith of the Hypocrite seeketh alwayes something by or through Christ then what it should seek to wit the putting off the Old Man and the putting on the New which is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness And herein thou saist doth thy Faith differ from the Faith of the Hypocrite and perhaps from James Parnel's Rep. Yea it doth for my Faith is that there is no putting off the Old Man and putting on the New but by and through Christ which is no more then what I should believe And thy Faith which is contrary is the Faith of the Hypocrite which will perish yea and out of thy own Mouth I shall prove it for by thy own Confession thou art still in the Fall in saying That thou trustest in the Lord Jesus to be holpen up out of the Fall again Hereby it is concluded that thou art still in the Fall for if thou wast holpen already out of the Fall then thou wouldest have the End of thy Hope But 't is like this Faith thou hast professed these many Years and hast been a Teacher so long and yet it hath not brought thee out of the Fall and therefore it is but a Borrowed Faith And most of those Expressions thou hast stolen out of Luke 1. 71 72 73 74 75. which hath not purified thy Heart from Lyes and Deceit neither art thou in Obedience or Conformable to Jesus Christ who abidest not in his Doctrine but teachest for Doctrine the Traditions of Men neither art thou dead with him unto all known Sins for this is one to depart from his Doctrine and such hath not God and this is proved against thee in many things as in taking thy Tythes and Maintenance of the Peoples Labours which many of them it is like do want it themselves which is a great Sin and Oppression and secondly in Sprinkling Infants which is a great Delusion to the People and many other things which are before proved against thee which that in thy Conscience cannot but testifie against And thou Hypocrite durst thou trust the Lord to save thee from thine Enemies â—hose that hate thee yet durst not trust him with thy Maintenance without the Law of Man to Compel it from the People contrary to their Wills Thou Hypocrite is not this a known Sin The Power of Man was all the False Prophets had to trust to who departed from the Lord and here out of thy own Mouth thou art found a Lyar and Deceiver and therefore the Hypocrite thy self whose Trust is not only in Christ and so thou differest from him thou callest James Parnel Qu. 24. Whether all that thou givest Bread and Wine to which thou callest a Sacrament do Discern the Lordâ—s Body yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou saist Thou hopest most of those to whom thou givest Bread and Wine have some Understanding of the
you may see the Difference betwixt the one and the other the one a Form and Tradition and Profession the other the Life and Power and Substance and here also you may see what England's Church which England's Priests have planted now differs from the Heathen and now set Drunkards aside set Swearers aside set Lyars aside set Proud Ones aside set Covetous Ones aside set Railers aside set Murderers aside and Whoremongers aside ses Wild Ones Prophane Ones and Wanton ones aside set Quarrellers and Fighters aside and Hypocrites Dissemblers and Persecutors aside and Back-biters Extortioners and Lustful ones and such like aside and then see where England's Church is which your Priests have made you believe they have planted and let them eat no where but of their own Vineyard and it will make them go about to plant a better Vineyard or else to cast off their long Gowns and fall to dig with a Spade for some of them have sometimes brought that Place of Scripture to uphold their forty or fifty or an hundred or two hundred by the Year where the Apostle saith Who planteth a Vineyard â—nd eateth not of the Fruit thereof Now according to this the Vineyard must be planted first before they can eat of the Fruit thereof and set those aside that I mentioned as aforesaid for the Apostles cast out such Weeds and wild Plants out of their Vineyard and then see where their Vineyard is which they have planted and let them only eat of the Fruit thereof and not rob others Vineyards and this is but Equity according to Scriptures Example but they are such Greedy Dogs as the Prophet Isaiah declared against in his Time and such ravening Wolves Foxes as they live all upon the Spoil the Fruits of others Labours and those that hunt them out of their Vineyards and Barns Flocks and Heards then they have a Law even to devour them and their whole Estates and this is far from Gospel-Ministers nay Jesus Christ the Light saw their Fore-fathers and marked them out to be the Ravening Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing as these do now appear to any but those that love to have it so for so long as you put into their Mouthes they cry Peace Peace and speak you fair and call you Christians and Beloved but put not into their Mouthes then they even prepare War then they have Law for you to take treble Dammage from you and so fulfil the Apostles Words Oh what a horrible filthy Thing is here committed in the Land Are not they plain Ravening Wolves that would devour both Body and Soul Now you People of England consider where you are and whom you follow and whither you are going and see now who are your fore-fathers and see now how you have walked by Tradition and Form and have been blinded by a vain Profession and outside-Worship and so have taken Anti christ for Christ and the Ministers of Anti-christ for the Ministers of Christ and have pâ—â— Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness and your Fear towards God hath been taught by the Precepts of Men and they have taught for Doctrine the Traditions of Men as I have before proved how many things they have led you in by Tradition without any Scripture-Proofs though to you they have been Oracles of God but now they are searched by the Light they are made manifest to be vain Heathenish Traditions and thus the blind have led the blind along many of them into the Ditch but yet I say not but the Lord hath had his People in all Ages those who were zealous and faithful and true-in what they knew but I know the Priests have been long utter Enemies to God and his Truth and the Tares have long covered the Wheat and in the time of Ignorance God wink'd but now the Light shines out of Darkness and now is the Separation and gathering the Sheep from the Goats the Wheat from the Tares and to convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment because the Prince of the Air is judged and now the Lord doth require all every where to repent and they that love the Light will bring their Deeds to the Light that the Light may prove them whether they be wrought in God and it is not to say You will follow your Fore-fathers and go on the old Way for such are they that hate the Light and despise it and love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil and so having drunk old Wine do not straightway desire new for they say the old is better and those are they that cry up the old Way and cry away with new Wayes and new Lights And this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil Light is new to them who have alwayes been in Darkness and Truth is new to them who have alwayes lived in Deceit but the Light is the same as ever it was for it is unchangeable and the Truth is the same So People take heed of Obstinacy and wilful Blindness and love not to be deceived for now the Light plainly and clearly shines and here your old Way is plainly laid open what it is and from whence it is and also your Priests and though they be more refined within these late Years then they were before it is because the Light is more broaken forth within these late Years so that many are come to see their Deceit and declare against them and now they are but the more subtiler and closer Deceivers Satan transformed into another Shape more like the Light but still they have not parted with their great Benefices and Augmentations or Tythes nor the chiefest Place of the Assembly nor their long Gowns though they are almost ashamed of their Colour nor to be called of Men Master nor from seeking their Gain from their Quarter nor from making a Trade of other Mens Words nor from their lying Divinations and saying The Lord saith when he never spoak to them nor from stealing the Word into their Mouth and saying Hear the Word of the Lord when they never heard his Voice neither turn the Wicked Ones from their Wickedness nor the Proud Ones from their Pride nor the Ungodly from their Ungodliness nor the Prophane from their Prophaneness but are still prophane themselves and still proud and covetous and still shelter themselves under the Powers of the Earth as their fore-fathers the false Prophets alwayes did and still run when the Lord never sends them but ordained and set up and upheld by the Will of Man therefore they profit not the People at all but only have gotten a higher Notion to feed the Notionists withal and so make more Pharisees Hypocrites and Whited Walls and they are more whited over themselves to deceive the World but the pure Light is so broaken forth that they cannot hide themselves and many see the
I own so that I am none of those which he marked out but this Man is a Deceiver and so I shall prove him if he will stay But thou Ray wast ashamed of thy Ministry and durst not stand to what thou hadst said but plainly like a Hireling fled from thy Stage and left thy Flock like a Cowardly Serpent I never knew Baptist so routed out of a Pulpit But the Independents joyn'd with him and the Priests rude Multitude stood up for him and several would have been persecuting of me but by the Power of God I was preserved and kept from the Hands of such Unreasonable Men But thus did all Sects ever joyn against the One Single Truth but it is but that the Scripture should be fulfilled That Gog and Magog should joyn in Battel against the Lamb but the Lamb shall overcome and they shall lay down their Crowns before him and his Enemies shall become his Foot stol and he will tread them in the Wine-Press alone without the City Therefore Tremble all you Formalists Imitators and Self Actors who have gotten a Form but deny the Life and Power even Jesus Christ whom you have crucified which you shall be made to confess with Weeping Tears where your Eyes behold him whom you have pierced So after I had dassed out of the Steeple-House when the Baptist was put to the rout I stood upon a Grave in the Grave-yard and there I called to the People If any of them had any thing to Object against me I was there to maintain and stand up for the Truth to the which I had openly born Testimony in their Town but none would come to my Face And there was one Captain Cole there present who had been counted an Independent Teacher until his Flock forsook him and owned the Truth and he had railed against the Truth behind my Back but he would not come then and â—peak to my Face and since he hath imprisoned one of his Neighbour's Sons for obeying the Command of God and coming to his House for a Sigâ— So I spoak the Truth unto the People and proved this Ray openly to be a Deceiver among them and judged him out of his own Mouth and so cleared my Conscience to the People and so I came away with my Friends in Peace having cleared and discharged my Conscience unto them by which they are eternally left without Excuse whether they would hear or forbear their Blood will be upon their own Heads and so I leave them Now upon the Day following it happened that a Friend of mine did speak with this Ray who unto him did falsly affirm that I said I was the Head of the True Church whenas I never spoak any such a thing therefore I hearing of a Meeting of the Baptists that day and that this Ray was there I and several of my Friends went unto this Meeting and when I came at the House the Door was open and I went in amongst them and this Ray was speaking unto the People and when he saw me he stopt his speaking and shut his Book before I open'd my Mouth to speak and bad me Be gone out of the House And I said Is thy Spirit limited Is thy Spirit bound And he bad me Be gone and said Why did I Disturb them And I asked him How did I disturb you Was not I silent until thou spoak'st to me But Guilt tormenting him within he could not forbear me but called for the Man of the House to command me out several times but he was not amongst them as they said so this Ray was much vexed and in much Wrath and one of their Elders named John Tabram of Wickin stood up and pushed me with his Hand upon my Breast several times in much Wrath to have me out of the House and I did not resist him and he said If I would not go out they would send for the Officers Now let all People see what Weapons they make use of when one comes soberly and civily without any Violence amongst them and presently to be in such Disorder and Confusion and Rage as they were and threatning to send for the Officers whenas there was no Violence offered by us But here you might see what these People would do if they had a Law to guard them as the Priests have Then there was one Man that had been hearing of them and he spoak and said to this Ray You say They are Deceivers and they say You are Deceivers now I would have you dispute it that those that are ignorant might know which are the Deceivers But Ray sleighted him and said Who art you I know you not and would by no Means have his Deeds brought to the Light to be tryed but gets amongst the Blind where he cannot be seen So then they brought the Woman of the House to me and she baâ—â—â—â—e Go out of her House which I did not resist and so I called to Ray and told him He was ashamed of his Doctrine and so I shook off the Dust of my Feet for a Witness against them and so left them and then they shut their Door But Poor People I do pitty you to see how ignorantly and blindly you are led by the Deceitfulness of Satan to think that you are the Church of Christ and none else whenas your Teachers dare not stand to maintain their Doctrine but flee away when they should come to the Proof and call for Officers when one comes in amongst you without any Carnal Weapon is this the Doctrine of Christ which you talk so much of or of Antichrist Surely if I had been a Deceiver and he a Minister of Christ then I could not have stopped his Mouth but he would have stopped mine for the Ministers of Christ are able to stop the Mouthes of Gain-sayers but his Mouth was stopped yea when he was busie at that he calls preaching too but my Mouth he could not stop And he was found the Deceiver whom Truth put to Silence who was ashamed of his Doctrine Oh People take heed how you reject so Great Salvation for this is the Day of your Visitation Now you are warned by one who amongst you is counted a Deceiver yet True witnessed in all your Consciences by that which will either Accuse you or Excuse you before the Throne of God who am known to all the Children of Light The Excommunication of Ezekiel Cater and Samuel Cater out of the Baptists Society by John Ray with their Answer thereunto WE two namely Ezekiel Cater and Samuel Cater being met together amongst our Friends upon the 4th day of the 3d Moneth waiting upon the Lord there came three of the Teachers of the Baptized People among whom was one John Ray a chief Teacher who came and said He had a Message to deliver but his Message was denyed but he said He would speak and so disorderly ran into many words to this Effect There being a General Meeting at Cambridge this Week where the
To say the Church in God Then I took out my Bible and read unto him the first Chapter of the Thessalonians and the first Verse where the Apostle writeth to the Church of the Thessalonians which is IN God the Father Then Paleness struck the Face of the Diviner neither would any of his Fellows stand up to justifie what he had taken in hand and this was it wherein I said he Blasphemed to say the Church in God was Nonsense Then there was one Priest Stellum a Magician of Egypt who stood up in the Enmity of his Spirit and accused me with several Lyes and Slanders which hardened Pharoah's Heart so that you Corrupt Rulers would not suffer me to clear my self from what he had accused me withal But the Magician got up into the Seat of Divination and was going to his Abomination and then the Rulers called to me to put off my Hat then I bad you call to the Priest to put off his Cap And thus may all see the Blindness and Ignorance of Priests and People who are offended at a Hat and not at a Cap And this is as the Vain Traditions of the Pharisees who observed the Washing of Pots and Cups and such like things making clean the Outside which Scripture Priest Willis who said the Church in God was Nonsense brought in reference to the People called Quakers because they do not put off their Hats in Respect or Worshipping of Mens Persons But let any who hath Understanding consider which is more Traditional for a man to keep his Hat on his Head for which End it is made as also his Shoe for his Foot his Glove for his Hand or the putting off these things in observation or Custom and Reverencing mens Persons for all which there is No Scripture therefore a Vain Tradition of Man and thus they teach for Doctrine the Traditions of Man Therefore in vain do you worship God who come near him with your Lips and with your Mouths but your Hearts are far from him in the Unbelief seeking Honour one of another and observing Vain Traditions and Customs as did your Fore-fathers whom Christ pronounced Wo against who were his Persecutors and in whose Steps ye are found and therefore read your Portion And thus while you are crying against the Scribes and Pharisees for observing vain Traditions and Customs and their Strictness in their Observations and yet Persecutors of the Just you also are found the same who are set up in the Chiefest Place of the Assembly as they were and called of Men Master as they were stand praying in the Synagogues as they did preaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men as they did and are strict in your Observations and calling of Assemblies and in your set Times of Worship and appointed Fasts and Dayes of Humiliation and yet are Persecutors of the Just as they were yea in the very Height of your Worship the Bitterness of your Spirits appeared But is this such a Fast as God hath chosen Nay It is Abomination his Soul loaths it And he will judge the Cause of the Innocent upon you Hypocrites and be avenged of you his Adversaries and give you your Portion with Unbelievers in the Lake that burns prepared of old for Cain's Generation in which you are found by the Eternal Light of God which cannot Lye which will rise up in Judgment against you at the Last Day though now you stumble at it and are offended at it yet then shall you behold him whom you have pierced though with Lamentation and Sorrow of Mind when there is none to deliver you from the Wrath of the Almighty and this is answered and witnessed in your Consciences Then the Occasion of my passing out of the Steeple-house was this When I could not have Liberty to speak in the Vindication of the Truth against Gain-sayers ye would have had me to have stood with my Hat off the Time the Priest was Praying which Worship I denyed and therefore could not be Conformable to it and so I said Before I would stay to fulfil your Wills I would pass out of the Steeple-House And many came out after me but not of my calling and many that I knew not and yet you are not ashamed to say My Followers And again That I went into the Common high Way and there kept with the People unlawfully together as you affirm is a very abominable Lye especially for Men of your Profession to tell which many can witness against for I was passing on the Way quietly without Disturbance towards my Friends House from whence I came not purposing to stop until I came there but that he that writes himself Dyonisius Wakering came hurrying in amongst the People and clapped me on the Back and said He rested me in the Name of the Protector and there stopped me and the first Words that I spoak were Where is thy Writ And so the People gathered about and thronged much but that any gave out menacing and threatning Speeches I cannot say neither whom they were spoaken against but any that own me it is well known they are not Men of such boistrous Spirits but rather are made willing to be revâ—led then to revile for from me no other Example they have as Hundreds will acknowledge But Wakering if he was true to that of God in his Conscience he would confess how I laboured in his Presence to still the People when he had violently laid Hands on me and given the Occasion and so let all take Notice that there was no Disorder nor Disturbance until the Magistrate came and laid violent Hands on me tending to the Breach of the Peace and against the Law and this is the Fruits of your Hypocritical â—ast and voluntary Humiliation 3. Accusation And also you accuse me That I could give no good Account of my last Settlement or of my Life and Conversation Reply As for my Life and Conversation let it preach forth it self them that can accuse me let them and as for my Settlement it is in the Lord where I have found an Habitation and so am no Vagabond or Wanderer though I challenge no Propriety in the Earth because my Kingdom is not of this World though you accuse me that I appear unto you to be an idle disorderly Person and before you set me down James Parnel Labourer and thus you utter forth your Folly with your changeable Minds but I am a Labourer in the Gospel of God in which Work none can tax me with Idleness since I came into these Parts but if I had been more idle in the same ye would have been more pleased for it is my great Labour and Diligence in this Work of the free Gospel and the Prosperity thereof in the overturning and laying open the Deceits of deceiving and deceived Men that torments you who are the Shelterers of the false Prophet whom you carry in your Bosom because he cryes Peace unto you when the Lord cryes Wo
Equity in is heart without putting off a Hat to a Magistrate and he that so doth Whether is he fit to be called a Magistrate that calleth such a one A Contemner of Authority and commits him to Prison for Mis-behaviour And whether this be Justice or Equity yea or nay 20. And you that plead this Scripture Be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Whether is it for the Lord's sake that a Man would have his Fellow-Creature to stand with his Hat off before him or for his Selfs sake and whether then it is to be obeyed yea or nay 21. And he that for the Lord's sake aud for Conscience sake cannot so rob God of his Glory and Honour as to bow to or worship any Creature but God alone who is the Creator Whether ought he to be imprisoned for Mis-behaviour or a Contemner of Authority yea or nay according to the Law of Equity And whether this is to be called Liberty of Conscience according to the Law of England yea or nay Now all you that profess your selves Christians and the Scripture to be your Rule take the Scripture and prove your Practice by the Scripture amongst all the Christians or else let the Life and Practice of the True Christians judge you and condemn you and own your selves to be in Proud Haman's Nature and so liable to Haman's Judgment And hence forward look to your Office to Rule for God and not for your selves and then you will not stand upon such frivolous things for it is a frivolous thing to look for the putting off the Hat and is no Part of True Nobility or Christianity Given forth for the Clearing of the Truth to which the Nations must bow James Parnel Here followeth a Copy of a Note that was written against the Idol's Temple which was judged a Contempt of the Ministry THis is the Idols-Temple where the Worship of the Beast is upheld down with it down with it 1 Cor. 8. 10. Rev. 13. 7 8. Deut. 12. God that made the World and all Things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands Acts 7. 47 48 49. Acts 17. 11. Neither is he worshipped in Idols Temples made with Mens Hands Acts 17. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father is seeking such to worship him John 23. 24. All the World wonders after and worships the Beast but those who have their Names written in the Book of Life Rev. 13. 3 4 8. And they that worship the Beast receive his Mark in their Foreheads Rev. 13. 16. As sprinkling Infants and worshipping the Works of their own Hands Isa. 2. 8. And following the Imaginations of their own Hearts such must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without Mixture Rev. 14. 9 10 11 12. This Idols Temple that is made with Hands is a Place for Night-Birds and Scrich-Owls to meet each one with his Mate Jer. 34. 13 14 15. To the Dishonour of the only true God that dwelleth in Temples made without Hands at New Jerusalem where the Tabernacle of God is with Men Rev. 21. 3. Drunkards and Swearers Revilers and Scoffers and Scorners Proud and Wanton Ones Hypocrites and Dissemblers Envious Haters Backbiters Persecutors Lustful Covetous Ones and Earth-worms meet here the Fearful and Unbelieving Peevish Perverse Contentious Ones meet in these Idols Temples to satisfie their Lusts And saith the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouthes and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me but in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men Mat. 15. 7 8 9. But know you not that no Unrighteous Person shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. But must be cut down and cast into the Lake that burneth Rev. 21. 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such must you reap Gal. 6. 7. And to whom you yield your Members Servants to obey his Servants you are Rom. 6. 16. For he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin and so is of the Devil Joh. 8. 34. 1. Joh. 3. This is a Deceiver that stands up here every first Day of the Week to deceive the People he is Proud and Covetous and speaketh a Divination of his own Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so makes the People light and vain Jer. 14. 14. But the Lord is against him hold him not up for he ran and the Lord never sent him therefore he profits not the People at all Jer. 3. 1 2 3. But hath stollen the Letter which is Carnal with it to feed the Carnal for Carnal Ends and Lucre and so hath a Form but denyes the Life and Power and therefore from him turn away 2 Tim. 3. 5. Therefore spend not your Money for that which is not Bread nor your Labour for that which profiteth not Isa. 55. 1 2. For all the Children of the Lord are and shall be taught of the Lord and in Righteousness shall they be established and they shall be far from Oppression Jer. 31. 34. Isa. 54. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 27. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith and be deceiv'd no longer J. P. Here follow several Queries that were sent to four of the chief Priests in Essex with some more added which may be serviceable for them or any other to answer whom they do concern SEveral Queries unto Priest Sammes Priest Sparrow Priest Willi and Priest Stellum and your gathered Churches by you to be answered according to Scripture which you profess to be your Rule Query 1. How and by what were you called to the Ministry which you profess 2. What is the Gospel which you pretend to preach and how did you receive it and whether your Gospel be free and without Charge as the Apostles was yea or nay 3. What do you minister from and what do you minister to in the Natural Man and what is the End of your Ministry 4. What Rule have you in the Scripture to take a Text of the Apostles Words and speak from it what you have studyed with your Uses Points Tryals and Motives and Applications 5. Whether do you speak by the same infallible Spirit as they did that spoak forth the Scripture yea or nay 6. And whether he that hath the same infallible Spirit need study how or what to preach 7. And whether it is not as lawful now for Fishermen Plowmen or Herdsmen to preach if they be called to it and fitted for it by the same Power and Spirit as they were in the dayes of old and whether Christ is not the same Yesterday to Day and orever according to Scripture 8. And whether any now ought to teach and preach in the Name of Jesus but who are called to it and fitted for it the same Way as the holy Men of God were spoken of in Scripture 9. Whether
the Apostles Practice and so thou fulfillest the words which before I have spoaken of thee And whosoever deny you of Tythes do not Unjustly detain them as thou say'st they do being you have no Right to them by any Law or Command from God or Example in the Scripture as before is proved but only claim a Title by the unjust Supremacy of the Pope by which your Fore-fathers the Persecuting Bishops were upheld and therefore we called Quakers do teach People them you to deny which is not contrary to the Practice of Christ or his Apostles as thou accusest us for saith Christ Beware of False Prophets that appear in Sheep's Cloathing but inwardly Ravening Wolves By their Fruits they are known and by which sufficiently you are here marked out and the Apostles bid From such turn away as in 2 Tim. 3. 5. And again the Apostle John forbids to receive such as abide not in the Doctrine of Christ or to bid them Good Speed 2 John 9 10. And here both Christ and his Apostles sufficiently taught People to deny you and here thou art proved a Lyar who thus falsly accusest us call'd Quakers in this to act contrary to the Practice of Christ or his Apostles and so here thou and the rest of the professed Ministers of this Nation are sufficiently manifest what you are so that all men may see your Folly and Deceit but those who are blind and love to have it so and so the Scripture is fulfilled upon you Jer. 5. 30 31. Qu. 12. Whether ever the Ministers of the Gospel took any Necessaries of the World as thou and such as thou do all your Tythes and Maintenance yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest Yea they have which to prove thou quotest Acts 28. 1 9. where thou say'st Paul took Necessaries of the Barbarians yet this not serving thy turn thou runnest to old Histories which thou callest Ecclesiastical Records and say'st They fâ—r One Thousand Five Hundred Years do testifie the same but yet doubting of this thou say'st as thou saidst before It sufficeth you that there is no Law nor Command of God to the Contrary nor are Examples thou saist needful for every thing as to prove that Christ called any Shoemaker or Cobler to be a Prophet Rep. But here again thou hast marked out thy self to be a False Prophet who runnest and the Lord never sent thee and therefore thou â—eachest for Doctrine the Traditions of Men for the which thou hast no Scripture and therefore runnest to Old Stories to which I am not to give any Credit be they never so old being they are not according to Scripture and therefore not Ecclesiastical for the Oldness of the thing doth not make it Truth though you have long thereby deceived the Ignorant And as for that Scripture which thou quotest in Acts 28. 1 9. then Paul was a Prisoner and he and the Souldiers that kept him and the rest of the People were driven there by Storm upon the Sea so that in that Case the Barbarians took Pitty of them and received them but there were many besides Paul and the Centurion to whom Paul was committed who were to take Care of him and also that which the Barbarians did was Freely and that which Nature bound them to being they were in that Strait which was done to many besides Paul who were Heathens So that this doth not at all stand for thee who art in thy own Country and yet takest all thy Tythes and Maintenance of the World by Compulsion neither will this Excuse serve to shelter you Hirelings and Deceivers to say That there is no Law nor Command of God to the Contrary for it is False for Christ commands his Ministers expresly Freely to give as Freely they had received and also charged them Where they were not Freely Received to depart thence shaking off the Dust of their Feet as before is proved And also Oppression the Law of God is against and to take the Tenth or Encrease of the Fruits of the Peoples Labours is a sore and great Oppression which the Land groans under and therefore a Sin and yet the Gift doth so blind your Eyes that you cannot see all this but think because there is no Scripture for you therefore none against you And though there needs no Example so prove any Shoemaker or Cobler to be a Prophet as thou confessest though in Scorn for it is a thing that none doth who understands the Scripture being there is sufficient Proof that he called other Tradesmen yet there is a Need that you might find so much as a Scripture-Proof or Example for your Tythes and Maintenance who profess it to be your Rule being it is a great Oppression of the Land and yet saist thou It doth suffice you that there is no Law or Command to the Contrary Therefore this shews your Avaricious Minds who are so willing to be blind in this thing but it will not neither doth so easily suffice those that are oppressed by You though You regard it not according to the Prophet Ezekiel's words You seek for the Fleece and regard not the Flock but make a Prey upon the Sheep and so with this stop thy Mouth and own thy self amongst the False Shepherds and Hirelings Ezeâ— 34. John 10. Qu. 13. Whether ever they had a Set Maintenance or so much a Year for Preaching as Forty Sixty One Hundred or Two Hundred Pound as thou and such as thou have Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou canst not bring one Scripture for thy Rule to prove this your common Practice but fleest to the Reâ—ords that thou saist are to be found in several Parts of Christendom as thou call'st it where I do not intend to seek for them to see whether these things be true or no which thou speakest of them but as I said before will conclude them to be false in this thing being the Scripture is altogether against it so that thou canst not find one Scripture to justifie it but say'st if we say Where do you read of this in the Scripture thou answerest as far off again to the same Purpose still without any Scripture-Proof and therefore I shall leave it for any Understanding Reader of thy Book to judge and see how weak you are if you had not a Law of Man to uphold you who have not one Scripture that will strengthen the Foundation of your Ministry which is your Maintenance Then how have you deluded the People to make them believe that the Scripture is your Rule when it is altogether against you Let the Honest-Hearted judge Qu. 14 And whether such be not the Hirelings which care not for the Sheep yea or nay And whether such be not the Greedy Dogs which the Prophet Isaiah Freely Declared against Isa. 56. 11. and make a Prey upon the Sheep which Ezekiel declared against Ezek. 34. and are the Ravening Wolves which Jesus Christ declared against Mat. 7. 15. and are such
say'st This Trade of interprâ—ting the Scripturs is an Old and a Good Trade which to prove thou quotest Job 33. 23. Psal. 10. 2 3. Prov. 1. 6. Acts 8. 3. Rep. Here thou blind Guide thy Nakedness is open to the World and thy Hearers may consider it who have looked upon thee as their Teacher these many Years and yet thou thy self still to learn which is the best Way whenas there is but one true Way then thou who art Ignorant of this true Way must needs be in a false Way then how hast thou deluded thy Hearers these many Years and also belyed thy self in thy Book and if the Teacher be ever learning then what must the Hearers of such an one be let the Wise-hearted judge and I believe and know that your Hearers would soon believe the same if the Preachers of Truth might have Liberty to speak when they come amongst you but if any come in that Intent you are ready to set your People upon them to hale them out with Force and also you have a Law to cast them into Prison as many of us do witness at this Day and therefore thou Lyar the Convincing of your Hearers of a better Way is not your greatest Care but rather your greatest Fear lest any should be drawn from you and so your Trade come to fail as thou callest it but this I know is your greatest Care that any Body would shew you a better Way to get Money by and also perswade your Hearers into it or else thou think'st you are never the better and then you would leave interpreting the Scripture which now thou callest a Good Trade but thou Merchant of Babylon where do any of these Scriptures which thou hast quoted prove or term interpreting the Scripture a Trade though you Merchants of Babylon make a Trade of it to get Luere by and so call it a Trade who think Gain is Godliness but well may others accuse you for making a Trade and a Gain of the Scriptures while yâ—â— your selves confess it and thus thou wrests the Scripture for thine own Ends and paintest thy Work with Scripture for to make the Ignorant believe it is grounded upon Scripture Oh be ashamed to take it into thy Mouth to make a Trade of it which was freely spoken forth by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and thou makest the People believe it is of some private Interpretation and so thou makest Merchandize of the People and so out of thy own Mouth art judged to be a Lyar who before denyedst it Qu. 20. Whether thou dost speak as thou art moved by the Holy Ghost as they did who spoaâ— forth the Scripture Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st That thou hast answered to this already that thou usually dost speak at the Motion or Assistance of the Holy Ghost thou praisest God for it Rep. But thou Hypocrite I have also in this alreadly proved thee a Lyar and thy God to be the Father of Lyes who is the God of the blind World in which thou art a blind Guide and an Enemy to the Holy Ghost where he is witnessed to rule and this James Parnel and those thou callest his Fellows can discern in thee though thou art blind and canst not them see Qu. 21. What Scripture hast thou for sprinkling Infants with Water on their Faces And whether all are Christians and in the Faith of Christ that are so done by Or what doth it profit Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer the Deceit of thy Heart thou utterest so that the simple may easily discern thy Folly and also see how thou and the rest of thy Brethren have deluded and bewitched the Nation for thou say'st Thou holdst not the Baptism of Infants absolutely necessary but lawful only and to prove the Lawfulness of it thou say'st It is sufficient that thou hast no Command in the Scripture against the Sprinkling of Infants in the Face with Baptismal Water but thou say'st Thou hast the Commandment of Governours and thou art commanded to be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Rep. Here the People now may see how they have been long deluded for thy own Mouth utters it for when as many of the People of this Nation who follow you blind Guides have perswaded themselves through your evil incensing and leavening of their Minds to this Day this to be absolutely necessary to Salvation and that their Children could not be saved if they dyed without it And now thou comest to the Tryal to prove it thou confessest It is not necessary but lawful only and that is because there is no Command of God against it thou say'st neither a Command for it but by Man and thus you have long deluded the Nations with your own Inventions for the which you have no Scripture then how is it your Rule Here you run besides your Rule teaching for Doctrine the Commandments and Traditions of Men which the Scripture is against and therefore against Infants Baptism Mat. 15. 9. Col. 2. 22. 23. which by thy own Confession is but an Ordinance of Man but God is to be obeyed rather then Man and you do it not for the Lord's sake but for to please Man for the Lord doth not require it at your Hands And now all the ignorant People who have been in this bewitched by you may see your Blindness who have long made them believe that it was an Ordinance of Christ that their Children should be sprinkled and one of the Points of Salvation as you call them and now nothing but an Ordinance of Man which will not stand for thee neither for in that thou lyest also to say It is the Commandment of thy Governours for in that they leave every one to the Liberty of their Consciences and all Laws and Ordinances afore-time to the contrary are made by this null and void And now doth the Holy Ghost teach thee to lye Oh thou Lyar and Blasphemer of the Holy Ghost who said'st That usually thou speakest by the Motion of the Holy Ghost and now art taken in a Lye Oh Satan is high in thee and thy Wickedness is great And which dost thou call thy Baptismal Water this also is the Deceit of thy Heart and that which is not of Faith is Sin therefore Infants Baptism for you say Your Faith is grounded upon Scripture then where is your Scripture for Infants Baptism and thus out of the Doctrine of Christ you are found acting and doing your own Works And therefore the rest of thy pretended Answer I shall leave to the Impartial Reader to judge of wherein thou hast much manifested thy Ignorance and Blindness and in vain hast thou quoted any Scripture for if any of it would stand for Infants Baptism then it would be necessary which thou confessest it is not and therefore thou Serpent why wrestest thou the Scripture thus to uphold that which is not necessary And
48th Query thou askest â—f Christ and his Apostles did not frequent the Synagogues Answ. Yea they did and so do we your Idol-Temples but therein the Jews will condemn you who suffered them to speak as in that Scripture which thou hast quoted in Acts 13. 14 15. which shall stand and witness against you who will not suffer us to speak in your Steeple houses but suffer your Flocks to hale us forth fall upon us like Wolves and your Magistrates to hale us to Prison therefore read your Condemnation you Persecutors And thy 49th Query is answered already with the other aforesaid Qu. 50. Here thou askest If the Prophet did not complain to God against the Prophaners and Destroyers of the Synagogues in Psal. 74 4 5 6 7. Answ. The Scripture which thou hast quoted doth answer thee but it doth not uphold your Idols Temples who worship you know not what wherein you teach for Doctrine the Traditions of Men and there are found in the Steps of the Pharisees offering up your Abominations as Christ marked you out in Mat. 6. 5. where he meant as he spoak and all you do there is for self and not for God for he saith In vain do you worship him Mat. 15. 7 8 9. And here thy 51st Query is answered but take Notice your Steeple-Houses are not the Houses of God as before is proved Qu. 52. Is it unlawful to call either Baptism or the Supper of the Lord a Sacrament or oblieging Mystery since that Name imports no more and you cannot deny but that both these are mystical Things and ablieging Mysteries to the washing away of Sin and the following of Christ into his Life and Death Answ. Is thy Baptism now become an oblieging Mystery to the washing away of Sin which in thy Answer to my 21st Query thou saidst was not absolutely necessary but lawful only can it wash away Sin and yet not be necessary but this is all thou knowest of that Mystery that washeth away Sin or Desire after it for where Sin is washed away this Confusion stayes not behind Yea I do deny that there is any Thing in your spriâ—kling Infants or your Bread and Wine which doth profit as is manifest by these that receive them of you who never yet were washed from their Sins and Pollutions or ever tasted of the Death of the Cross but the Baptism I own and the Supper of the Lord I own but the Word Sacrament I deny for the which you have no Scripture whatsoever thou say'st it doth import And thy 53d 5â—th and 55th Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my 21st Query and thy 56th and 57th Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my 25th Query Qu. 58. Who is there among you who are called Quakers or the other Sectarians your Fore-fathers that hath rightly declared the Mystery of Christ's Body and Blood in your Dissentings from us since none of you have declared this according to our Lord's Intent Joh. 6. 33. Answ. As for Sectarians as thou callest them they are in your Generation and art not thou ashamed to call them our Fore-fathers whenas they now joyn with you against us yea and in this very Thing wherein they are blind as you are but the Mystery we know and have declared to the Comfort of many a restless Soul who never could find true Comfort in your dark and dead Forms as Thousands in the Nation will witness and this we have declared according to our Lord's intent therefore thou Lyar and Slanderer stop thy Mouth and take not his Name in vain and that Scripture in John 6. 33. which hou hast quoted will witness against thee in that thou would'st uphold and thy 59th Query is answered with thy 6th and 57th And thy next is concerning the present Ministers and Teachers and their Maintenance Qu. 60. Were there no Ministers in this Nation that held forth the Truth amongst us till you and your Associates rose up since we have our Lord's Promise The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church and Behold I am with you to the End of the World Qu. 61. What is become then of all your Fore-fathers their and ours who dyed since the Apostles Dayes till your rising up with a pretended Spirit Answ. Thou Carnal One hast thou nothing to do but to raise the Dead to dispute about But to answer a Fool I say They are gone as the Just and Righteous Judge hath disposed but now he calls all every were to Repent his Trumpets are sounding a Warning and there were none that preached for Hire that held forth Truth in the Life and Power of it but made a Trade and a Gain of the Letter from it speaking a Divination of their own Brain as you do now and those were your Fore-Fathers But if you had the Lord's Promise That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against you for the Lord will be with you then what need you a Law of Man to set you up uphold you and maintain you Therefore it follows the Lord is against you and his Promises do not belong unto you who dare not trust him and therefore are but Pretenders and this the Spirit of Truth in us can tell you Qu. 62. If there were some taught of God before you were called why are they not owned by any of your Answ. Thou art not one that art so taught for thou art found out of his Doctrine therefore with that stop thy Mouth and do not belye us for who receive and obey the Truth we do own whatsoever they have been And here also thy Sixty Third and Sixty Fourth Query is answered And thy Sixty Fifth Sixty Sixth and Sixty Seventh Query is answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Nineth and Tenth Query Qu. 68. Is the Teaching-Priesthood to cease till the Spiritual Melchizedeck comes unto us to bless us after the Slaughter of all our Enemies with the Heavenly Bread and Wine Gen. 14. 18 19. Hebr. 2. 1 2 3. that you say the Priesthood of Aaron wiâ—h the Law annexed of Tythes is ceased under the Gospel Answ. Yea so it is ceased and those Scriptures do not prove to the contrary but that is Hebr. 7. doth affirm it as is before proved But in that you uphold it in taking Tythes you deny the Spiritual Melchizedeck and if that be the Teaching-Priesthood which thou meanest it is already ceased to many who are come to see the End of it but the Gift blinds your Eyes and therefore you still uphold it and lead the Blind into the Ditch and so the Wo is to you and not the Blessing and this Scripture in Ephes. 4. 11 12 c. doth not at all maintain you And here also thy Sixty Nineth Query is answered And thy Seventy Seventy One Seventy Two and Seventy Three Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Fourteenth Query Qu. 74. Did ever the Church of Rome cast greater Reproaches upon the