and are ready to answer all these necessary ends and as well and this is as good and expedient to be put in practice among Christians as interposition of Oaths enjoyned by God in the first Covenant and far more Evangelical and therefore shall conclude with that of Jerome The Gospel Truth admits not of an Oath His eighth Argument is That Christ did never any things without some Ground of reason but no reason can be shewed why all manner of Swearing should be forbidden in a due manner and upon a just and necessary occasion and therefore we may well believe that such Swearing was neither here or any where else forbidden Reply We shall not much dissent or disagree about terms with A. S. that Christ did never any thing without some Ground or Reason but yet we must deny his Conclusion that no Reason can be given why all manner of Swearing should be forbidden first of all there was a time since Man had a being in this Creation when he was in the Image of God and stood in the Covenant of God when there was no Oath neither any necessity thereof Man being endued with Power from God which was placed in him so that he was in a capacity to fulfill obey and serve and believe his Maker without an Oath for unbelief or Sin had not entred and this was before the Fall Gen. 1.26 27. Secondly Christ the unspeakable gift of God who is the Mediator of the everlasting Covenant yea the Covenant is self who is given for a Leader to the People and who is made a Propitiation for Sin and Transgression to end both Sin Transgression and Unbelief which was the cause of the Addition of the Law who leads to the beginning again all that truly do believe and are worthy to be called true Christians or by the Name of Christ to have Union with God again in that Life Power Truth Righteousness and Wisdom in which the Image of God truly consists which was before Sin and Transgression and before the Law which was added because of it which was commanded four hundred and thirty Years after the Promise was made Gal. 3.17 Thirdly After Sin was entred and Death by Sin an unbelieving part got up in all the Sons of Adam so that they could not believe God nor his Promises and yet such was his love unto Mankind considering the State into which they were plunged for confirmation of his Word unto Man he Swore by himself this was the Lord's condescension unto their low and unbelieving Estate all that time and no way exemplary for Christians truly such who are come into the Faith and to the Truth in it self who do believe that all the Promises are fulfilled in Christ yea and Amen who is the Author of Faith and of eternal Salvation to them that believe Heb. 9.12 who prohibited that by his command Mat. 5.23 which sometimes was permitted yea and commanded yea and added because of Transgression and for which the Law and the command for Oaths was only added which he did not destroy because he leads from under the Power of that which the Law came against which is just and good and Holy and the Seed fulfills it and hath Unity with it and with him who is the Judge and Law-giver and Saviour of all that do believe in him from Sin and Transgression Fourthly At that time when the Law was given forth at Mount Sina Exod. 19.20 generally all the Nations were given to Idolatry and to serve and Worship strange Gods as Baal Ashtaroth Chemosh Rimphan and many others as the Gods of Samaria which were said to be according to the number of their Cities and their Idols were called the Sin of Samaria Amos saith They Swear by the Sin of Samaria that did say thy God O Dan lives and the manner of Barsheba lives even they shall fall and never rise again Amos 7.14 Which was no other then the Calves which Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel which they feared Worshipped and Swore by therefore God having chosen a peculiar People to himself to Worship and serve him and honour him who should not walk after the manner of the rest of the Nations who knew not God he commanded them to serve him and Worship him and Swear by his Name as Jerome saith well to keep them from Idolatry and that they should not Swear by the Gods of the Heathen as the rest of the Nations did round about yet still this must be considered that this State of the minority of the Jewish Church wherein God gave them Ordinances suitable to their State but it doth not follow neither can it be reasonably concluded that these Ordinances were to be perpetually binding unto all future Generations especially when Christ the Seed unâ—o whom all the Promises are in whom the Law is fulfilled and in whom the former Ministrations end that his Disciples and true Christians should always be bound to these things once commanded especially seeing Christ their Master in whom the Father is well pleased hath prohibited this about Swearing and also did Prophesie of the time to come after his Resurrection and his Ascension that those Visible things which were as a Ministration for a time should end as to the outward exercise and Typical and Figurative appearance of them and that all these things should be revealed within by the Spirit and felt in the Power of God in all that did believe when the Holy Ghost should be poured forth and the Promise of the Father be made manifest Fifthly Now considering that the Name of God is believed in and he is confessed unto and his Christ and that there is not that Idolatry especially outward as there was in the Nations before and after the Flood especially in that which is called Christendom though we dare not conclude that all are Israel that are of Israel or that all are Christians that have the Name yet generally I say the Name of God and his Christ is acknowledged and worshipped and not Idols and false God's therefore there is no necessity of Swearing by the Name of God as there was at the time of the giving forth of the Law but especially among them that the Father will reckon as truly his subjects and Disciples of Christ who are partakers of his divine Nature here is not that necessity among them for they through the Law being dead to it it hath no more Power over them and therefore no reason that they should be kept as under Tutors and Governours seeing that the Age and Ages is come which the Apostle spoke of Eph. 2.7 wherein Christ is revealed the hope of Glory and whom he makes free are free indeed Joh. 8.32 36. Sixthly and lastly The command of Oaths was given for the ending of Strife and Controversies among Men Heb. 6. which hath relation to the Law and to the State of the Jews and their Political proceedings the Apostle brings but that in as an instance or an example and
Communion which is but carnal and earthly you have none of you the form one of you is for eating before Supper another after Supper another for as much Bread and Wine as you can eat and drink and so your God is your Belly and you mind earthly things and instead of remembring of Christ's Death you crucifie him afresh one with lust another with envy another with Pride and so instead of coming to the Table of the Lord you feed at the Table of Devils and nourish the flesh deceit and uncleanness and as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses by making likenesses so do you resist the Spirit of the Lord because it comes not according to your carnal Will nor your vain Conceptions and so deceit leads you all and the Cross of Christ you know not and those things you have formerly declared against you now take up some pretend sending out to preach and take Tythes others crying out against them in Words and yet uphold them and pay to the Priests whom you say are not Ministers of Christ and so waste the Lord's goods to uphold deceit and betray the Just in your selves and not one of you will suffer for that you judge your Principle and now you begin to creep into the Idols Temples and worship there and seek to the Powers of the Earth to uphold you and one of you preaching up Free-will another down another an Election of Persons and yet you never knew true Faith which is without Respect of Persons another Company of you dreamiâ—g of personal Reign in your carnal Imaginations and judge just such a God and a Christ as your selves that you may live in Pride and Lust and filthy and earthly-mindedness and Envy and yet talk of reigning with him but of being baptized into his Death you know nothing nor suffering with him you know nothing of nor of bearing his Reproach daily nor of suffering the spoiling of all and denying all for him this you are Strangers to you that tell of exercising your Gifts you have no Gift but acquired by long raking in the Letter and the Exercise of your carnal Wit and Knowledge in Contention and Strife you have treasured up a great deal of Stuff in the earthly Memory and this you call a Gift of the Spirit and such an one you make a Pastor or an Apostle of and he begets into his Image but still in the Curse and makes Proselites in the same Likeness leads into Sorts and Opinions from the true Gift of God for who hath a Gift it exercises him first and then he declares unto others of those things which the Gift of God hath wrought in him and he that knows the Gift of God is led out of his own Way Will and Time into his Will from whence it comes and here is the Ministry Christ alwayes blessed not in their own Wills but in his Will and this wrought a real Change in People from Satan's Power unto God's Power and so in all your Separation self shines in all you have not the Form much less the Power Another Sort tell of a Power to come and of a greater Glory to be revealed and a more glorious Ministry then hath been yet yet your Eyes are without and the Glory you look at is in great Words and your Expectation will fail for you neglect the present Measure of Christ's Gift that leads to Repentance and that you are got above and this is too low a thing for you you judge because you heard of this and talked of it therefore you are past this but I shâ—ll say unto you all Adulterers and Adulteresses come down from off your Mountain of Exaltation exalted above the Door and the Cross and you that are here are Thieves and Robbers your Minds are without feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and imitating the best of you in your fallen Wisdom and your Foundation is upon Report as the Vagabâ—nd Jews were in the Name of Jesus that Paul preached they would cast out unclean Spirits and they were Sorcerers and what are you now who only preach of Christ that Paul and Peter and John in the Name of that Jesus they declared of and his Righteousness they spoke of but know not his Name in you nor his Power nor his Righteousness but in Tradition Imitation and conforming in the earthly Will here is all your Worship all of you calling the Letter the Light the Word the Gospel nay some of you so impudent as to call it Spirit and Life And so now you are made manifest and seen and your God and Worship and all your Profession is tryed by the Light is seen comprehended weighed and judged with the Light and all this will be too narrow to cover you in the Day of the Lord which is coming as a Thief upon all the World who make mention of the Name of the Lord but not in Righteousness And therefore strip you make you bare be uncovered cast off your ragged Covers whiâ—h will rust and wax old and mind the first Principle the Light that shews you Evil and own it to lead you and guide you out of Sin or else I testifie unto you you shall dye in your Sins and Wrath Eternal will be your Portion except you repent and cease from your vain Thoughts and Words and wait to see the Law of God revealed in your Hearts that may shew you Sin and condemn this Nature in the Transgression and do it away and slay you and quicken another thing which is dead in Trespasses and in Sins and while you sin the Image of God is dead and Christ suffers So while you have Time prize it To all you who put out the Eye through long and accustoming unto Sin who are near utter Darkness ANd you mingled People of Babylon and Egypt who are in Darkness and love to be so who are blind and love to be so who wallow in your Iniquity and love to be so who live at Ease in the Flesh in Pleasures and Wantonness you are dead while you live you have taken up your Rest in the Earth you are inlarging your Barns you are cieling your Houses and you are building with hewed Stone and Cedars and are laying House to House and Land to Land and are making your selves great in the World and seeking a Name among men you are swallowed up of the Earth and you go upon your Bellies you feed upon Dust Wo unto you that are here you have your Consolation here you lay up your Bags where Thieves break in and steal your Garments are moth-eaten your Gold is rusty and your Silver is cankered and there is your God which you worship which you have set up and worship in your Heart And when you have over-reached your Brethren and cheated and oppressed and defrauded your Brethren and are grown rich then you say God hath given you all this whenas you have stolen it and got it in Usury and Oppression and Deceit and when you have it
are trodden under foot which are acted and brought forth from the changeable mind of man and so all Laws Constitutions and Decrees which are made in the Will of man come to be thrown down by his righteous Law which proceeds out of the Mouth of the righteous God who is Light and so as his unchangeable and unalterable Decree comes to be set up in every particular Ruler and Governour and himself judged with the just he comes to bear his rule for the just and answered that which is just in every man and no longer can he act against well doing but is a Leader and an Incourager of it in all and is a terrour to the unjust and so comes to know the Dominion again which man lost through Disobedience and Transgression Now all you Powers of the Earth wait that you may come to see that and feel it revealed in your selves to wit the Law of God from the Mouth of God that so you following it Sin may be judged in your selves and you come to know the one Lord the Lawgiver which leads man back out of Sin and Transgression by his Son whom he hath sent into the World that all men through him might believe in the Father and be restored out of Sin and Transgression unto Life eternal where Death hath no Entrance And so all who wait upon the Light of the Son of God and are obedient to it they come to feel his Power and his Decree which cannot alter its Property or Verity and all who come to be guided by it you will come to see that which unites you unto God and one Nation to another in the Covenant of God Oh! that all your Eyes were opened that you might see that which belongs to your Peace and the well-being of all Nations that so the Power of the Flock might be refreshed among you and this I speak unto you a Change must be witnessed in your selves before you will cease acting in the changeable Mind now the time draws near the Lord will try you for the Earth must be lest without Excuse and he will have all warned for God will no longer be limited and therefore take heed how you gainsay any or resist any who may declare unto you the Counsel of God and cause them not to be persecuted or hurt but all be calm and moderate and learn Wisdom from above from him who hath enlightned you that you may come to deny your selves and follow him who condemns all Self-actings and Self-will in man and all Customs Laws Worships and Traditions that are made in the Will of man that so he unto whom all Power is committed may be feared and worshipped in Spirit in Life Truth and Righteousness that so all Sedition Rebellion Treachery and Unrighteousness may be cleansed out of the Earth and that all quarreling fighting contention may end and people come out of that which the sword is against that so the Swords may be beat into Plowshares and the Spears into Pruning-hooks that so Violence may be done away and Cruelty swept out of the Nations that the Dominion of God may be set over all and his Truth advanced above all that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Lord's and his Christ's and blessed are they that stoop unto his Scepter who judges the Nations in Righteousness and the people with Equity who is the Salvation of all his people for evermore and a hiding Place in the day of Trouble LONDON the 20th of the 2nd Moneth 1658. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH For the Information of all such who have erred for Lack of true Knowledge in their Judgments and have perished for Lack of Understanding to the Intent that they may for the Time to come wait in that which gives the true Knowledge of God and of his Kingdom and of the Mysteries thereof which come to be revealed through Faith to the upright in HEART Also for the Confirmation of such who are made Partakers of the like precious Faith By one who is made Partaker of the Riches of his GRACE and of the SALVATION which is in Christ Jesus revealed through the SPIRIT F. H. The Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him The Particulars treated on in the following DISCOVRSE I. WHat the Day of the Lord is and to whom it hath appeared and how it is seen and discovered II. What it is and what it will be to the wicked declared III. What it is to the Righteous and how he appears to them and whether we are to look for it while in the Body resolved IV. Where it doth appear and how it cometh and how it is to be looked for declared V. What the Spirit of the Lord is and how it comes to be received which discovers the Things of God VI. How the Spirit of Truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet have not obeyed it shewed VII How the Spirit of the Father worketh in them who hearken to it and are in some Measure made Partakers of its Power shewn VIII Unto whom the Spirit of the Father bears witness and seals Assurance of the Father's Love and of Justification with God declared IX What the Grace of God is which is free and to whom it hath appeared and where all are to wait to receive it X Whether all have received the Grace of Godor no and whether it be a sufficient Teacher in it self demonstrated XI Some Objections answered XII A Word to the wise Men of this World who are glorying in the Sound of Words XIII Also another to them who are glorying in outward Appearances and worshipping visible Things instead of the Life XIV The Kingdom of God and his Christ declared in some Measure as it is revealed by the Spirit what it is and where it is to be waited for and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe XV. Divers Objections answered TO THE READER Reader IN Times past in the Night of Ignorance when Men groped in the dark as blind Men since the Apostles Dayes and out of thick Darkness have spoke darkly of the Things of God and of his Kingdom and written many things about the Things of God and of his Kingdom which have fed the dark Minds of many who are unconverted unto God And seeing how many People are confused in their Minds and err in Judgment and have lost the Key of Knowledge which should give an Entrance into the Mystery of God's Kingdom and open their Hearts therefore in Compassion unto them who are thirsting after the Lord to find him these few Things I was moved to write for the sakes of those who have no Place to rest in or upon to the Intent that all may wait in that through which God reveals his Mind and manifests his true Knowledge in Man and these Things that I have written as they were revealed to me and in me by his
Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome Words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the Vail was over their Hearts and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the Spirit did not understand of what the Scripture spoke nor know him nor his mind to wit Christ of whom the Scriptures spâ—ke neither were they accepted of God but reproved and Rejected by Christ himself who said they erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them but the Spirit 's mind in so speaking they knew not and Jude reproves all such and said what they knew they knew naturally as â—worâ— it Beasts and in that Knowledge they corrupted themselves and therâ—foâ—e Peter well said many things were herd to be understood which the unlearned wrested they that were ignorant of the Spirit of the Father and had not learned of God who is a Spirit they I say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom Words of the Scriptures and were no more accepted of God then if they had never heard the Words nor read them at all and as for the Jews conforming to the outward Commands when the Vail was over their Hearts and their Hearts Uncircumcised these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the Heathen so the Christians since Christ's time in the Apostles days and after the Apostles dayes who held the form of Worship and the form of Godliness and the outward part of Worship and hold and retain it in that part which is above the Seed and deny the Power this no more makes a Christian inward then outward Circumcision made a Jew inward neither any of these things do recommend any unto God but are covers made and rests formed from that part which is above the Seed and so man comes to be Counselled in those things when alas he is Miserable and Naked and hath not the righteous Garment on which should make man accepted of the Father through the beloved God's Righteousness How all men upon the Earth in the degeneration and in the Fall and in the Transgression have corrupted themselves have been Idolaters in every administration being gone from the Power in which man had the Ability Power and Wisdom to Worship God aright and honour the living God of Heaven and Earth IN the State and Condition which man was created in when he was the Image of God and lived in the Power of God in which he was created he in that Power which was his Life had Wisdom and Understanding and Power to worship the living God and to glorifie his Maker the which thing I have treated on before but being gone from the Power grew in Knowledge without the Power his Thoughts became vain his Imaginations vain and his Desires earthly and corruptible and so the Creatures were worshipped in his Heart and not the Creator the Life of the Creatures and he bowed to the Creatures and they had Dominion over him and that Nature began to grow and multiply in all the Earth and that Seed that was at Enmity with God and against the Seed which is Christ and few there were that called upon the Name of the Lord in Truth and Righteousness although some yet few one in a Nation or a few in an Age nay in many Ages and men multiplyed in the Earth and Wickedness multiplied also and Idolatry and the Seed of the Serpent grew great And God saw the Wickedness of man that it was great in the Earth and that the Thoughts and Purposes and Imaginations of his heart were only evil continually Gen. 6.5 And the Earth was filled with Violence Cruelty and Oppression and the living God forgotten and not worshipped but on the contrary they followed the Imaginations of their own Hearts and bow'd down to every corruptible thing and to every Creature and did not worship the Lord God in their Hearts till the Lord was grieved at the Heart and repented that he had made man and this was before the Flood and after the Flood when the Earth was a little multiplyed Iniquity grew in the Earth and the cursed Seed sprang from Ham's Stock of whom was Nimrod the Hunter before the Lord the Beginning of his Kingdom was Babel of the which became great Idolaters and of this Seed came the Philistians who were uncircumcised who were Heathens and the Jebusites and Gargasites and the Canaanites and Hivites and their Generations were great in the Earth and they were great Idolaters and committed Idolatry with Stocks and Stones and with Brick having forgotten the Lord they began to work exploits in the Earth and to build Cities and Babel having forgot the Name of God they would have got a Name in the Earth and builded a Tower whose top might have reached to Heaven but the Lord whom they had forgot scattered them and this was the Seed of evil doers whom God scattered and drove out of Canaan who were great Idolâ—ters and gave it to Abraham who feared the Lord and to Jacob and to his Seed to possess And when Transgression grew he added a Law the Sence of God's Power and Wisdom was so lost in man and they so gone from his Wisdom that a Law was added after Israel came out of Egypt which was outward and written in Tables of Stone wherein was the Statutes and the Commands that they should only worship him and that they should not make them Gods of Gold and Silver neither the Likeness of any thing in Heaven and Earth yet nevertheless that uncircumcised Part which kept the Seed in Bondage and that corruptible earthly Nature that ruled in them made Gods like the heathen Egyptians and they made a Calf and bowed to the molten Image and forgot God and provoaked him to Anger till many of them were consumed in his sore Displeasure and tempted him and lusted and eat and drank and rose up to Play and committed Whoredoms with the Creatures and abused them and therefore the Lord sent his Prophets and rebuked them they abused the Gold and the Silver the Stone and the Wood which were good Creatures but not to make Gods of nor Images thereof nor Idols to draw away their Minds from the Lord but they in whom the Seed was not made manifest they worshipped deâ—d things and Likenesses of things which were not Life it self and so transgressed the Law acting from that Part and living in that Nature which the Law was against which was added because of Transgression to limit the Transgressor and to slay him and to bruise that under till the Seed came up that fulfils the Law but the Seed of the Serpent had so much Rule in them whom God had often delivered out of the Hands of their Enemies so that many perished Corah and many Princes and many Thousands of Israel who followed their own Inventions and were cut
to receive them although they have been repugnant to the true Worship of God and then such Teachers have pressed such People to Obedience as of Duty and Necessity because the aforesaid Scripture doth command Subjection to all Rulers and thus hath Babylon reared up her City and gotten Merchants to put off her Merchandize and so hath cheated both Rulers and People and hath led them to hate and destroy one another Now these Scriptures and divers others which speak of Obedience to Magistrates in all things must needs be truly understood to be of things that are just and equal which are only civil and concerning things between Man and Man and the Ordinances which are for the well-being of a Nation or the good and wholsome Government of a State and cannot be understood of things Spiritual or relating to things appertaining to the Conscience or respecting things about the Worship of God my Reasons are weighty for in that time the Apostles wrote whether Peter Paul or any other the Magistrates were all Heathens as Herod and Pontius Pilatâ— Augustus Caesar Tiberius Caesar and Nero who were Heathen Emperors of 〈◊〉 and Idolators and at that time they had Power over Rome and 〈…〉 Jerusalem and Judea and Paul writing to the Romans and Peter 〈◊〉 Cappadocia Pontus and Asia who were all under Heathen Rulers and did not worship the true God doubtless they enjoyned not submission unto the Heathen Rulers in spiritual things for then they must have been joyned unto Idolatry for if it be understood that they had Power in spiritual things which pertained unto the Conscience and that they ought to be obeyed in all spiritual things then Peter and John were Transgressors themselves when they taught boldly the things of the Kingdom of God in every City where-ever they came and the Rulers in most Places opposed and put Peter and John out of the City and commanded the Apostles to speak no more in the Name of Jesus and yet they returned again and disobeyed their Command and their Power and Authority and said Whether it were better to obey God or man judge ye so that no King Ruler nor Magistrate as a Magistrate hath Power given of God to imprison or force or prescribe any Law or Worship upon the Hearts and Consciences of men for that belongs only to Christ the Law-giver the Bishop of Souls But then it would be objected if not as a Magistrate yet then as a Christian he may enjoyn and give Command concerning Worship and compel and punish them that obey not Answ. As a Christian they have no Priority but as they stand in the Growth of Truth not above others for God is no Respecter of Persons for the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who preached the Gospel and had begotten many into the Faith through the Power of God which was with them by which they spoke and in things spiritual might have claimed Obedience to their command much more then any temporal Prince and yet they said We are not Lords over mens Faith nor did they exercise Lordship over mens Consciences but left every one to God's witness and to the Word of his Grace which was nigh in their Hears and furthermore said Let every one be perswaded in his own Mind and said If â—ny should be contrary minded God would reveal it to them and so waited in the Patience to see the Work of God prosper and were content and so forcing and compelling about spiritual matters by temporal punishments and temporal Laws is all contrary to the Apostles Practice in the primitive times though the Heathen persecuted the Christians by their temporal Laws for spiritual things about spiritual matters for the Worship of God but we never read of any called Christians that did so till Pelagius a Bishop of Rome or Pope when the Emperor had given Boniface the third this Power to be called the chief Bishop and Head universal over all Christian Churches then he began to make temporal Laws to punish about spiritual things and Pelagius made a Decree that Hereticks should be punished with temporal Death about 555. years after Christ so let all Princes Magistrates and Rulers who deny the Church of Rome in her Apostacy follow not her Example but leave every one free to the Lord in spiritual matters as concerning his Worship for to him must every onâ— give an Account in his own Day when it shall be required from which the Wicked shall not be able to flee Another Objection But then it may be said what Power will you allow to Magistrates that profess the Name of Christ or how far have they Authority from God to punish evil-doers and encourage them that do well Answ. It is said By me Kings Rule and Princes decree Justice there is a ruling by him and that is a ruling in the Power of God in him he that rules in the Power of God measures equal Justice unto all Men and ruleth by the good and wholesom Laws which are made by the Will of God which is according to God's Witness which he hath placed in every man's Heart and such a one is a temporal Head over the temporal Body and ruleth in Righteousness in temporal things but Christ he is the Head of the Body which is spiritual which is his Church Now the Law is against the Lawless is against Lyars Stealers Swearers cursed-speakers Murderers Man-slayers Man-stealers Violence and Oppression and Deceit and that which tends to the hurt and destroying of the Creation and he that is the Executor of the Law ought to infflict temporal punishments for temporal Facts provided that every Punishment be sutable o the Transgression and go not beyond it and in so doing he rules for God and the Sword is to be turned against that which doth evil and to keep Peace amongst all men and to keep down all Strife and Contention Quarrelling Fighting and keeping the unrâ—ly from devouring and destroying one another and this is to rule for God in a Nation in the Creation and to countenance the honest upright and quiet meek and this is a Praise 〈◊〉 them that do well and this is that which would keep the Nations at Peace and here Governours and Rulers come to be blâ—ssed when the Princes thereof rule in Righteousness and when People live under them a holy godly and quiet Life but when Godliness and Holiness and Righteousness is counted as a Crime and Wickedness and Violence and Inquity set up that Naion is near a Judgement and for the Iniquity of Rulers Kings and People many fruitful Lands hath the Lord made barren and that which is for the well-being Preservation and for the universal good of all People therein all People ought to render Obedience unto such Command for Conscience sake and all People ought to obey Rulers and Governours in that which is Good and Lawful and warrantable in the Sight of God and unto all just Commands to yield Obedience not for Wrath
made a Decree to restrain peoples freedom and indeed by this time much Wickedness was crept into these Houses as Histories relate There was no Law Canon or Constitution of any General Council as yet found that did command Tythes or expresly supposed them a duty of common right before the Council of Lateran held in the Year 1215 under Pope Innocent the third about which time the Pope's Power was grown great and powerful But still the People had greater mind to give them to the Poor then to the Priest and made Innocent complain and cryed out against those that gave their Tythes and first fruits to the Poor and not to the Priests as hainous Offenders At a Council held at Lyons under Pope Gregory the 10 in the year 1274. it was constituted that it should not thenceforth be lawful for men to give their Tythes at their own pleasure as they had done before but to pay all to the Mother-Church But the great Decree which speaks most plain and till then nothing was given forth which did constitute them but rather supposed them as by former right was made at the Council of Trent under Pope Pius the 4th about the Year 1560. They commanded Tythes to be paid under the penalties of Excommunication about the Year 800 900 1000 and after Tythes were called the Lord's Goods the Patrimony of the Poor according to Ambrose Jerom and Chrysostom's Doctrine only borrowed from the Jews So thus in short I have shown that Tythes were never reckoned as due to the Clergy for a thousand Years but they did give them as they would and how much they would and that without compulsion till the height of Popery and the power of Darkness spread over all and since forâ—ing Constitutions have been made by Councils of Priests And so you who look upon your selves to be Ministers of Christ and to follow the Doctrine of the Primitive times for shame cease from those things of takeing tythes and giving tythes which was ordained and Constituted in the mid-Night of Popery when the Power of God was lost which should have opned peoples Hearts both to the poor and to the Ministry and then this false Church began to force and compel or else they could not have subsisted for the Doctrine had little influence upon Peoples Hearts About the year six hundred or soon after Gregory the first then the Pope of Rome sent over Augustin the Monk into England by whom Ethelbert King of Kent was converted as they call it but it was but to Popery he and his Clergy long time after followed the Example of former Ages living in common upon the offerings of their Converts and those that received them joyned into Societies according to the primitive Practice by Gregories order and that they should in Tenderness to the Saxon-Church still imitate the Primitive times that that might not make their Religion burdensom but afterwards having brought a great part of the Nation to their Faith they began to preach up the old Roman-Doctrine that Tythes ought to be paid and having taught People that Pardon of Sin was merited by good works and the Torments of Hell avoided by Charity then it was no hard mrtter to perswade them to give their Tenths and Lands but also their outward Riches and the Clergy had almost got a third Part of the Land into their Hand As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons in England it is reported that in the Year seven hundred eighty six two Legates were sent from the Pope Adrian the first to Offa King of Merceland and Ethelwolf King of Northumberland who made a Decreee that the People of these two Kingdoms should pay Tythes by this it may be seen that Tythes were not reckoned as due for many hundred Years and indeed were never due in the second Covenant So these things that are so pleaded for by these hireling Priests of this last Age which have no better plea then Antiquity for their tythes and forced Hire may be convinced that Antiquity without Truth is nothing and yet the Antiquity of the Churches in the primitive times condemns these practices so that let all Protestants deny these introduced Institutions and the Popes Wages forced tythes and hire which is Antichristian A cloud of Witnesses might be brought out of the Ancient Fathers who testified against them and divers Martyrs as Walter Brute and John Wickliff who suffered Martyrs for testifying the Truth against the Idolatry and Superstitions of that Age. Selden in his History of Tythes saith that before the Year eight hundred or there abouts there is not any general Law that yet remains in publick and is of credit which ordained any payment of Tythes in the Western-Church for the Eastern never any Law that hath been observed mentions them So the first giving of tenths was by the perswasions of some of the Fathers fore-mentioned for the poor and Service of the Church and they were only the free Offering or free Gift of the people as Alms which were brought into the common treasury first disposed of by Deacons for the Service of the Church but they being sound faulty it was ordered or decreed in a Council that the Bishop or Overseer should dispose of them to wit the Offerings but they were not compellable who did not offer this or that part but were left to do as they had Freedom only exhorted and threatned with the Judgements of God if they suffered the poor to lack or be in want The Predecessors of the Protestants the Bohemians being descended from the Waldenses fore-mentioned did profess that all Priests and Ministers ought to be poor and to be content with the free Gift or what the People freely offered them so saith Eneas Silvius in his Bohemian History and it is one of John Wickliff's Articles for which he was censured viz. That Tythes were a free Gift as among Christians or only pure Alms and that the Parishiâ—nerâ— may for the offence of their Curates detain and keep them back and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasure And this proposition aforesaid is maintain'd by Jâ—hn Hâ—s in the said Bâ—â—k of Martyrs page 461. That the Clergy are not Lords or Possessors of Tythes or other Ecclesiastical Goods but only Stewards and after the Necessity of the Cleâ—gy is once satisfied they ought to be tranâ—ported to the poor At Geneva Tythes of all Sorts are taken up for the use of the State and laid up in the publick Treasury Ambrose Bishop of Millan as zealous a Man for Church Priviledges as we hardly read of the like Ambrose Epist. 23. saith If the Emperor have a mind to Church Lands he hath Power to take them there is noâ—e of as interposeth the poor may sufficiently be maintained by popular Collections let them not create us envy by taking of those lands let them take them away if they please It may be observed at this time that the Ministers were not maintained by settled
a Propriety to the tenth Part as any have to the nineth of their Lands Answ. To such may be said that the Law doth not give any Man a propriety either in Land or Tythes or any other things but doth only conserve and preserve every man in his proper Right whether by Gift or by Purchase or by Descent and doth secure him from the Inâ—uries or Violence of another But let us not be deceived with a new formed pretence lately taken up to blind the simple Minds with a Name of 〈◊〉 â—ropriety and Civil Right for that is but a meer Shift for I may give my hand which I have by Gift Purchase or Inheritance or I may sell 〈◊〉 â—nd so cannot they that seem to lay Claim to Tythes but it matters not much what any say when they see their other Claims will not serve they would evade and shift from one thing to another to blind People But let us hear what the Makers of the Law say of them though in the Height of Popery passing by the Saxon time and King Stephen who in their blind Superstition being perswaded thereunto by the Doctrinâ—â—hen taught of the Popish Clergy that Remission of Sins was obtained by good Works as aforesaid they gave divers Gifts and Tenths for the Health of their Souls and their Fathers Souls as is aforesaid but let us come to Henry the eighth upon whose Law all others that are since made are builded who in his time cast off the Pope's Yoak in that Act concerning Tythes it is declared that Tythes were due to God and Holy Church they blame Men for being so wicked as not to pay them and therefore that Law is made and here is the Ground of their Law viz. not any Property or civil Right in Priests or others for the Law requires them as due by divine Right therefore cannot be by any civil or temporal Right for a Man to claim that by human Right from human Law which commands them as due to God and holy Church as that Statute of Henry the eighth doth is but a meer Juggle and Deceit and that Law of Henry the eighth and the rest since take them as granted due to God and holy Church but if they be not but only supposed as a Duty then the Law cannot be binding as they are in all the Statutes That Tythes were never till of late pretended a civil Right is plain for as they were imposed by the Pope so they are tryable in his Courts those very Statutes which do plead made by late Parliament appoint them to be tryed in Ecclesiastical Courts And the Act of 42. of Hen. 8. Tythes are there called Spiritual Gifts and therefore no temporal or civil Right for before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Henry the eighths Dayes thâ—y were never called a temporal Right But what is the Property that is now claimed it cannot be in a Person for the Priest hath them not until he enter into his Office and when he parts with his Office he looseth his Tythes so that the property cannot be in the Priest but it was supposed due to the Office and what is that it was a Popish Office when Tythes were first payed to it how should the Right continue now the Office being laid aside and the Pope also that set them up Others who plead a legal Right by Prescription because they have so long possessed them therefore they judge them their Right This was the old Device of the Pope first to preach that Tythes were due and then to limit them to Monasteries and Parishes when forty Years were past to claim that a Debt which before was payed as Charity or at the most as the free Offering of the Owner And thus the Pope got first Fruits and Tenths and Peter pence and great Sums of Money out of this and other Nations and he might as well have pleaded his Prescription as any of his Branches can do now is any so blind as not to see what poor Shifts are now made to uphold so great an Oppression that hath no better Support then this that it hath been so long payed But shall the Continuance of an Oppression give Right to perpetuate the Grievance How many great and heavy Pressures in this and other things lay upon the Nation as may be seen in Henry the third when the Pope got above one hundred and twenty thousand pound out of this Nation per annum which was then more Worth then the King's Revenue Now there is no such Office in being is plain for when Henry the eighth renounced the Pope he was declared by Act of Parliament assented unto by the Clergy to be Head of the Church and all the Ecclesiastical Orders were not to claim their Benefices from the Pope but from the King as by Act of Parliament but this is more fully and largely set forth in a printed Paper by Gâ—rvâ—sâ— Benson to which I refer the Reader And as to the Impropriators which lay claim by purchase and have bought them of the State and payed great Sums of Money for them and may be many have no other Substance Unto this it is answered that in the Root and Ground all Tythes are alike whether they be claimed by Priest or Impropriator but seeing thâ—se that sold them had no good Title these that are derived from them cannot then be good but being it was the King or State that sold them and that the whole Nation had the Benefit of their Money and the Nations were cased in other Taxes and Subsidies and Charge which unavoidably would have come upon the Nation at that time seeing the Nation had the general Profit it is equitable and just when they cannot have what is sold that the Impropriators should have their Money repayed which went to the bearing and paying of the publick Charge of the Nation and it is Reason that it should be payed by the Nation in general and so there would be no Detriment to any particular person only it is equitable that the Rate be moderate for it is believed upon good Ground that the Value was but little and the Rate small which the Impropriators payed for them because of the Charges and Hazards that was upon them for the Purchaser could buy no more then what the Monasteries had which were dissolved by Henry the eighth and these Monasteries were to find a sufficient Priest or Curate which had his Allowance out of them and a convenient Portion of Tythe and likewise a Portion of the Tythe was set apart yearly for the Maintenance of the poor of the Parish forever as is evident by divers Acts of Parliament after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the foresaid Charges were to continue upon them as before as may be seen at large in a Treatise called the poor Vicars Plea Others say The Laws were made by Parliaments the Representatives of People and though Tythes were not due before yet they might give Tythes because as their
Good and mind not only one Member but the whole Body heed not them that draw back that is no President for you to follow but them that press forward and are not offended in the time of Hardship heed not them thâ—t will tell you they can keep their Hearts upright to God and retain their Love to Truth and Friends and yet will not afford their Presence in your Assemblies but escape Suffering and deny the Cross and neglect their present Duty for that is Deceit and their own Hearts will deceive them put not off till to morrow defer not the time till you can see some more Ease and some greater Calm beware of that for then Coldness Fearfulness and Slavishness will enter in and you will lose your Strength Moreover if any have begun well and be perswaded of the Truth of that they have believed and continue not unto the End and do not finish such will be reckoned foolish Builders that could not finish and all will mock them and neither God nor Men can or will believe them but our Adversaries will glory over you Again when any suffer or are brought into Bonds for Christ and the Gospel sake seek not to get out by any indirect Means neither make any Covenant with thy Adversary who would sell both thee and all Faith and Hope for Money that encourages Deceit and that Spirit would buy it self out of the Service of God and grow weary give no Place to that be content every one with your present Condition till God arise and plead our Cause and make our Innocency and Righteousness appear as Noon day and make his Adversaries his Foot-stâ—ol which undoubtedly he will do and make all know the most high ought to rule and will rule in the Kingdoms of Men and not give his Glory to another neither suffer another to take it be conformable to none that go about under Pretence of Love to perswade or counsel you from your Duty to God neither submit to them that would betray you of your Peace heed not the Frowns of corrupt Men nor the Counsel of them who mind their own Bellies Pleasure Ease Profit and earthly things let not natural Affections and Love either to Lands Wife or Children blind your Eyes but love them and receive them in the Lord and enjoy them as though not stand loose from all things and out of all Entanglements and cast your Care upon the Lord who careth for the Fatherless and the Widdow and them that have no Helper in Earth give no Occasion or Advantage to any that would turn your Hearts aside from following the Lord left their Love betray you give up all you have and enjoy to the Lord and his Service and your Souls Bodies and Spirits as a Sacrifice unto the Lord that he may accept you and pour forth and continue his Blessing amongst you never heed the Threats of them that are as the Oaks of Bashan nor of the great Men of the Earth that mind their Pleasure and Lusts who shut you up in Prison and hale you before Judgment-Seats for the Worship of God and falsly accuse you and condemn you when God justifies you the Moth shall eâ—t them up as a Garment and stain the Glory of all Flesh that withstand the Lord and they shall melt away as Snails and as the Fat of Lambs and as the Kidneys of Rams and God will bring the Recompence of their own Deeds upon their own Pates and wound the hoary Scalp of every one that doth wickedly who toucheth God's anointed and doth Harm to his Prophets and persecutes his Children surely Judgment is not far from the Dwellings of them who have requited the Lord thus as to render him Evil for Good and God will be avenged on such a faâ—thless merciless perfidious People as this and of such a Spirit which rejoyceth in Iniquity and makes a Mock of Sin and hates all Reproof and would clock over all Mischiefs with the Name of pure Laws and Authority and Decrees of the holy Church and yet persecutes and gainsayes the highest Power of God in things spiritual that pertain to the Conscience The Beast and false Prophet and Mother of Harlots have joyned together and flatter one another and joyn their Strength together against the true Church and Heir of all the World and would under Pretence of doing Honour unto him shut him out of the Earth and kill his Subjects and destroy the Children of the free Woman under Pretence of suppressing Heresie turn Judgment into Gall Hemlock and Wormwood and instead of relieving the Oppressed add to their Burthen Friends dwell above all these things and the Devil and his Rage the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness of it we cannot be banished from God's Presence neither shall they fulfil their Determination or ever be able to root out that Testimony which is among us for Princes shall be given for its Ransome and Kingdoms and Nations for its Prosperity The God of Power strengthen you all that you may quit your selves like men of God like Children of the most high whose Inheritance is not here in the World but in the Kingdom that fades not away The Lord God of Power be with you and make you consider what I say and to receive this my true Love unto you all for the Lord's sake who partakes with all the suffering Members of Christ in their Bonds and shall and can rejoyce in all your Comfort and Joy The Peace of God dwell in your Hearts and his heavenly Light shine upon all your Tabernacles that you may be as beautiful in the Eyes of the Lord as the Roses of Sharon and blossom as the Lillies of the Valley and yield your Fruit as the Fig-tree that casteth not his Fruit The Lord takes our Part let none doubt of that and pleads our Cause let all consider that our Enemies shall see it and be troubled at this and time shall manifest it therefore be of believing Hearts and trust in the Lord so shall you never be confounded neither be ashamed but be as Mount Sion that cannot be moved and as the Mountains are round about Jerusalem so shall the Mercies of the Lord compass you about from this time forth and forevermore Friends Faith is sealed in my Heart and Love in my Reins and Gladness in my Soul and Peace in my Conscience so that none doth or can hinder my rejoycing praised be the Lord forever and ever Amen The Lord's Servant and yours in all true unfeigned pure Love F. H. THE TRUE Rule Judge and Guide OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD DISCOVERED AND Born Testimony unto what it is and wherein it consisteth In Opposition to the pretended Catholick Church of ROME her Rule Foundation Guide and Judge Being returned in Answer to Captain Robert Everad his Book tituled An Epistle to all Non-conformists wherein his main Reasons Grounds and Allegations laid down in his Book are examined and discoursed with wherein the Faith once
sometime that and changeable whenas every true confession and Testimony is equivalent thereunto in the presence of the God of all Truth and who ever denyed this And there is no necessity so to Judge that he that fears to Swear and take an Oath yet refuseth not to give Testimony about any matter whether it doth concern the Lord or his Neighbour that therefore he denyes the Magistrates Authority or yet disobeys their legal commands so that though all Swearing should be denyed yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed true Testimony and therefore the Magistrates Authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed and right done unto every Man and Christ's command stand also these are but the Secret smitings and suggestions of A. Smalwood to render them Odious to the Magistrates and all People who dissent from him in Judgment And indeed such like Discourses and Instigations from such like Mouths and Pens as his is who is accounted Learned and Eminent hath not a little added afflictions unto our Bonds and they have made wide the Wound and have made the Breach seem greater then it is and the matter more grievous then there hath been any Cause for I desire they may consider of it and Repent And in page 13. from this Text Mat. 5.34 But I say unto you swear not at all he layes down this Proposition or Doctrine viz. Our Saviour did not intend by these Words Swear not at all an absolute universal and limited Prohibition of all manner of Swearing and goes on to prove it by divers Reasons The first he gives is That the Father and the Son are one in Nature Power Wisdom Immutability and Eternity and one in Will and Wisdom therefore they cannot give forth contrary Commands but God the Father hath commanded Swearing in these Words Thou shalt fear the Lord and swear by his Name and serve him Deut. 6.13 And therefore it is not possible that God the Son should forbid it Answ. Though the Father and the Son be one in Nature Power and Wisdom and Immutability and Will as in themselves and alter not but keep Covenant from Age to Age and from Generation to Generation there is no Contrariety in them yet there are Diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Differences of Administrations but the same Lord It is granted that after Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and Diffidence and Unbelief Variance and Strife and many Transgressions for which the Law was added and because of which the Law was added and the Command given forth unto the Jews to swear by the Name of God as Jerome saith upon Mat. 5.3 37. It was permitted the Jews under the Law is being tender and Infants and to keep them from Idolatry which the rest of the Nations did run into they might swear by the Name of God not that it was rightful so to do but that it was better to swear by the Lord then by false Gods or Devils but the great Evangelical Sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath Secondly For the ending of Strife and Variance being in the Unbelief which was the Occasion of the adding of the Law and the Cause of the Command given forth Deut. 6.13 with divers more Words specified by Moses and the Prophets And though Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and to destroy that which the Law was against and which it took hold upon and to finish Sin and Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness and to restore to the Beginning and we say according as we have believed and received of the Lord and have a Cloud of Witnesses both them that are gone before and of them that yet remain alive As Christ said of Divorcement It was not so from the Beginning so we say Oathes were not from the Beginning but were added after Hardness of Heart and Sin and Unbelief entered into the World but Christ who was made under the Law and fulfilled the Law put an End to the Transgression Sin Unbelief Variance and Strife in whom all the Promises of God are fulfilled he is the Righteousness of God and who are true Christians indeed are come out of Unbelief Variance and Transgression and do see and know Christ to be the End of the Law for Righteousness unto them that believe who exhorted to do the Truth confess the Truth and speak the Truth who said Swear not at all by Heaven and which after more shall be said God willing to the Text it self And so A. Smalwood his Reason is made void and his Impossibility made possible that God gave forth a Command and permitted the Jews to swear in that Covenant and Ministration and yet Christ in the New Covenant countermands it as in the Text being the Minister of a better Covenant which stood upon better Promises who leads to the Beginning and is the Restorer of all Mankind that do believe and yet the Father and the Son are one in Will Wisdom Power And though A. S. and others cannot understand or else have no Mind in that Latitude as generally prohibitive of all Swearing because he sayes God did require it no less then he did his own Worship and Service in the moral Law these nice Distinctions of Moral Judicial and Ceremonial have confounded Peoples Understandings though it is still acknowledged they did vow and did swear in the first Covenant under the Law but whether he or any other making Swearing moral judicial or ceremonial is not much matter seeing that Christ the Righteousness is the Sum and Substance of all and the End of the Law for Righteousness to them that do believe and in him is Life and Righteousness enjoyed for the Law was given by Moses but the Grace and the Truth cometh by Jesus Christ who in the Sum of all Types and Shadows and therefore the Apostle said We are circumcised in him and baptized in him and we do look upon an Oath under the Law to have some Type and Figure in it notwithstanding A.S. sayes It was none and that Christ is improperly called the Oath of God no more improper then he is a Vine a Door a Way a Shepherd for all the Promises are fulfilled in him and are yea and amen And as for the Morality of it so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the Gospel is in Confession of Truth and bearing Witness thereunto as before the Lord or in his Presence and speaking the Truth when there is Necessity as when any man's Person or Estate or any Part thereof is in Danger and this we have ever owned and do own and have and are ready to testifie the Truth before the Lord or in his Presence as concerning any Matter which concerns the Glory of God or the Good of our Neighbour without being pinched or bound up to a certain Form of Words imposed upon us but according as Necessity requires so amply and largely
as A. S. doth now circumcised and cut off from Christians by Christ And what though God did Deut. 10.20 rank it with his Fear and Service was there any Service or Worship in that Covenant that had not some Sign and Shadow in it and was ceremonial and was to end in the Substance was there not Prayer and Praising and were not these Service and Worship and had these not the Ceremony of Incense and Sacrifice which then attended these Services but the Substance was lifting up of the Heart unto the Lord and making a Melody in the Heart and Circumcision is now that of the Heart Rom. 2. which was outward before the killing of a Lamb at the Passeover was an Ordinance in that Covenant the Substance thereof is Christ the Passeover the other now under the Gospel would be no more then cutting off a Dog's Neck these were all Ordinances of God to be observed and in their day and time they that did according to the Command of God tended to the Glory of God in that first Covenant but in the second under the Gospel whosoever should observe them in the Figure Ceremony and Shadow should much dishonour God and his Christ the Substance and Christ would profit him nothing see that Ceremony of Swearing the Morality that only abides under the Gospel is testifying the known Truth from the Heart with some Attestation of God to witness who is Witness of all we do or say and that no more then Confession or Denial by Yea or Nay which is no Oath is that standing Substance and the moral if A. S. will have it called so that remains under the Gospel which answers that ceremonious Way of Swearing under the Law which is most evidence by the Apostle Paul's rendering of that Term Swearing as it was spoken by Way of Prophesie concerning its Continuance Isa. 45.23 To me every Tongue shall swear under that Term Confessing only under the Gospel Rom. 14.11 Every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall confess to God Confession under the Gospel is made equivalent with an Oath under the Law but this rendering of it A. S. doth not like but would pervert Paul's Words to have it Confession but put to his own Addition by Oath so that his Argument is void Swearing was binding in that ceremonious Way which it was commanded under the Law but not under the Gospel nor among the Christians who are come to the Substance and to confess and speak the Truth in Christ to the Glory of God acknowledging his Power and Omnisciency and his Justice in discerning whether Truth be spoken and in punishing them that speak falsly his Wisdom in discerning the Secrets of all Hearts and A. S. might as well have said That Offerings and Oblations Sacrifice tend much to the Glory of God under the Gospel as under the Law as Swearing but saith he Swearing is a Part of God's peculiar Service that is incommunicable to any Creature the like I say of the former Offering and Sacrifice and Incense were incommunicable to any Creature but was due unto God alone yet it doth not follow as well under the Gospel as under the Law for that were to set up the Figure and deny the Substance so this second Argument is insufficient and the third is somewhat related to it which I now come unto Thirdly The third Argument is That if Christ's Purpose be utterly to abolish all Swearing as an illegitimate Brat of Jewish Extraction not to be admitted into the Christian Church then it must be either as it is repugnant to our Duty to God or else to our Neighbour for into that summary he hath contracted the whole Law Reply We must still distinguish that which was once a duty to be performed under the Law because commanded is not required as a duty under the Gospel and the strength of most of A. S. his Arguments and the rest who contend for Swearing under the Gospel are grounded upon the Mosaical Law though this of Oaths he will needs have to be moral it may be he would contend as much for the Morality of Tythes and Oblations if it had been the subject of his Discourse as for Oaths and them to be jure divino under the Gospel for many such we have met with and he might bring the same Arguments for Tythes and Oblations they are not repugnant unto God but bring Glory to his Name because hereby his Ministers under the Gospel are maintained and are enabled thereby to Preach the Gospel for the Conversion of Souls which addes much to the Glory of God and therefore cannot or are not to be prohibited but these only belonged to the Levitical Priesthood and continued only to the time of reformation viz. to the bringing in of a better Hope and a better Covenant which stood upon better Promises for the Priesthood being changed there is also of necessity a change of the Law Hebr. 6.12 by which Tythes was a duty and they robbed God that detained them Mal. 3.8 But this being ended and fulfilled in Christ the everlasting high Priest who by one Offering perfected forever them that are Sanctified he bid not his Disciples require Tythes as a due or duty belonging to God under the Gospel But freely you have received freely give and what House soever ye enter into that is worthy there abide and eat such things as are set before you for the Workman is worthy of his Meat and this was far more Evangelical conduced more to the Honour of God then Tythes and the Apostles lived more by Faith upon God who provided for them who were employed in his Service so that I argue what was once a duty under the Law that was to be performed unto God is not alwayes a duty among Christians for though Oaths were commanded unto the Jews in that time of Infancy and as being weak and it was permitted them as Jerome saith upon the 5 th Mat. vers 37. to Swear by the Name of God to keep them from Idolatry seeing all other Nations were given to Idolatry and Swear by false God's as Chemosh Ashtereth and Baal he knew their aptness to be led aside with the Customs of other Nations and therefore they were to acknowledge him alone who was the living God and no other and to testifie Truth by his Name as a thing certain and sure and therefore one of their Oathes was as the Lord lives and this among the rest was one of the Precepts of the Law which was added because of Transgression to Swear by his Name which needed not have been added if Sin and Transgression and unbelief had not entered in mark this and this Law of Oathes pertained to that part which was in the Transgression and Variance and Strife and that led to Worship Idols and this continued while that Nature was standing but Christ was revealed and given to finish Sin and Transgression and unbelief and to do away that part that lusted after Idols and
that led into variance and he leads out of the occasion of Evil and from that which was the cause of the Addition of the Law unto everlasting Righteousness again which was in the beginning before Sin entred and they that come to believe in him are not under the Law but under Grace moreover the Apostle saith Rom. 7.14 The Law hath Power over a Man so long as he liveth even as a Wife is bound by the Law of her Husband so long as he liveth and no longer so as long as Man liveth in Sin Unâ—elief Transgression Discord Variance and Strife and Idolatry the Law hath Power over him to correct and reprove him and judge him and was to be a limit unto that Nature but Christ leads out of the occasion of all these for which the Law was added to do the Truth and speak the Truth and ceaseth Strife for which the Law was added Again the Law was added as a cure and a remedy to decide Controversies and ill distempers that were entred into the Hearts of Men in the unbelief and that is one reason which Doctor Gauden gives why solemn Swearing should and ought to be in judical proceedings among Christians to take away Jealousies Distrusts Dissimulations frauds unsatisfactions and insecurities and Quotes Grotius That Swearing is necessary not absolutely and morally or preceptively but by way of Consequence and remedy as to the state of the Jews we shall not nor have not denyed it but as to the State of Christians who are truly such we say that the cause is taken away and the effect follows all Jealousies distrusts Dissimulations and strifes and Insecurities and so the remedies to wit Oathes cease and the necessity of them and that was one main thing why Oathes were permitted to end Strife and Strife is a Work of the Flesh and variance and discord and it is inconsistent with true love to our Neighbour to hold that which Answers the Strife and that part for love fulfills the Law works no ill to the Neighbour ends Strife and so puts Swearing the means to end strife and the remedy out of place and date But A. S. goes on and tells us That Oaths advisedly and reverently taken upon necessary occasions are so far from displeasing God or hurting our Neighbour that on the contrary they are acceptable to the one and advantagious to the other for by them Princes are secured of their Subjects Allegiance and Generals of their Souldiers fidelity Leagues confirmed betwixt Nations every Man 's just right maintained Offenders discovered and duly punished and Controversies and Suits decided and these are such great and good Ends that Men cannot be in any Degree of security or happiness without them Reply To this I answer that notwithstanding all the great and good ends and the necessity of Oathes which A. S. conceives that Men cannot subsist in any degree of security without yet we see by experience notwithstanding all the reverent taking and all the solemn taking and the necessity that is put upon Oaths yet they have never answered the end purposed for where perfidiousness and unbelief and distrust and jealousies and strifes are which is no where so much as among those that plead for Swearing yet Oaths do not nor have not bound them when they had a mind to be loos'd and see that to stand to such Obligations will not be for their profit or present safety many instances might be given what security had the Pope when all the Nobility and Clergy in England were bound to maintain his Supremacy by Oaths and no doubt but they Swore reverently and it was judged both by the then Church and State to be binding and yet notwithstanding all the Obligation all was broken and the Pope's Supremacy denyed in the time of Hen. 8 th and Edward 6 th in their time all Swore against the Pope's Supremacy either in Church or State and how much security was the Nation in when Queen Mary came to the Crown though the Nobles and the Bishopes and Prelates did all Swear against the Supremacy yet behold it was brought in again and confirmed by Oath again and yet in the dayes of Elizabeth renounced again and of lâ—tter days what Oaths have been exacted first by one and then by another and one party contrary to another though every pâ—rty fancyed a security for the time but it proved of no more effect neither were they in degree more secure then if there had been none at all for indeed that frequent Swearing hath made Men being got into a Custom of it that it is become a light thing unto them though otherwise they look upon themselves as bound Generals how have they turn'd one way and another way and Soudiers the like so that one may conclude indeed that Oaths are made no more of but even to stand in force while that bears up head and is exalted that to please the present time and Power they seem to be devoutly obliged to it but if it come under any Ecclipse or diminution then they reckon themselves no longer obliged so that indeed their Oaths are become of little or no force at all and for Controversies we see they begin many and are the cause of much disiention and discord but end few for why may not all these foresaid states and conditions be secured and as well and the good and great ends accomplished that A. S. pleads for by true evidence of every one concerned in any of the foresaid relations by declaring and confessing the Truth and speaking it unto Men as necessity requires without Oath yea and all the foresaid States have as much security and subsist as well if not better then by all this Swearing which more properly belonged to the Judaism then to Christians and there is no such necessity of them among Christians if any at all who dare not Swear for fear of offending Christ or denying his Doctrine and yet will not Lye but speak the Truth and indeed it is the custom of Swearing that hath been used in the Nations since the Apostacy entred in that is more looked upon then any thing else more then any legality necessity or security under the Gospel seeing in the Primitive times truly so called it was enough to say Christianâ— sum and that sort of Swearing that is imposed now hath no other Ground but Custom which Jer. 10.3 is accounted to be vain neither hath it so much as an inch of Ground from the Scripture and therefore doth not bring so much â—lory to God as A. S. tells on because whatsoever is added or super-added to whatever God commanded as to matter or Form is but Will-worship at the best and a making whatsoever was said or commanded or practised before imperfect and no way sufficient but more of this shall be said after if the Lord permit Fourth Argument Had Christ intended Universally to forbid all kind of Oaths in the words Swear not at all then those amplifications neither by Heaven
65.16 where he concludes that Amen seems either to be a Name or an Epithete of God and this he sayes Is the Opinion of our Church in the Homily against Swearing that our Saviour did swear divers times and further sayes it cannot be denyed that God himself swore Psalm 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent and so concludes that Christ forbad not all Swearing Unto this Bp. Gauden though he straines and scrues very hard as A. S. doth to make all things to bend to their inclination will needs have Amen or verily verily to be an Oath Doctor Gauden in his citation of Capellus out of Rabby Johnas sayes In veritate forma jurandi apud Judeos but he concludes doubtfully and sayes It is only the next degree unto an Oath but A.S. thinks He hath put it out of dâ—ubt with his reason and his Authors that verily verily is an Oath which if it were true this would only prove Swearing lawful in Sermons and not in Controversies which is the great good end he so much pleads for and if this were true would serve his turn The Magistrates exacting Oaths he seems to prove out of the Mosaical Law and the Priest's Swearing lawfully out of Paul's Epistles and Christ's Sermons but this his covering is too short and is but trifling in the weighty things of God not distinguishing betwixt the first Covenant and the second and the Ordinances thereof for the first he hath no Adversary viz. that they did Swear though never exacted under Penalties the second we conclude to be no Oath viz. Amen Amen or verily verily which is no more then truly truly I say unto you and if this be an Oath why hath it not and why is it not accepted as such for we have said more then this and can do in Truth which we look upon to be far from amounting to an Oath and yet it would never be received as such which Argues plainly that what S. F. and R. H. hath said though A. S. quarrel with it that surely the Magistrates in England do not believe the Priests Doctrine for if they did why are so many sentensed to perpetual Imprisonment with confiscation of all Lands and Goods to the ruinating of many poor Wives and Children which A. S. knows little of and for ought I know such a discourse as this may add affliction to their Bonds and misery to their Sufferings and yet these have never been received as if we say verily verily or truly truly or God is our Witness or we speak the Truth in God's presence yet notwithstanding this would never give satisfaction to any Magistrate in any Judicature that ever we knew or heard of in England and though he tells us of I. Penington how that he gave satisfaction and that it found acceptance with the Court and also to the King We are not ignorant of what I. P. hath written which is wholsome just and good and sound and condescendingly as a Christian Man could do as about the premisses to pacifie satisfie all whom it concerned that they might not proceed in such a rigorous manner against the truly Conscientious and so in letting them know what we could do and what we could not do yet notwithstanding what ever any might seem to own as sufficient in private we never found it in publick or in any case of concernment but rather they knew before-hand what would ensnare us have set the snare and run us into it but notwithstanding all this that A. S. will have to be Oaths as God is Witness and I speak the Truth in Christ and verily verily it will not serve for he says The Law will not allow of it for inferiour Magistrates are sworn he says to act according to Law and the Law prescribes in what manner and with what formality Oaths shall be taken and therefore the Magistrates are not at liberty to accept thereof because they are tyed up to the Rules of the Law as I said before seeing that Oaths are a matter of great concernment unto many it had been a more necessary Discourse for A. S. to have told the Magistrates that these things in Testimony which were ready to be given had been sufficient and that they should not so much have stood upon the formality seeing that which answered the substance of the Law was not denyed though we except against the formality which is now used and hath no example or president in the Scripâ—ures of Truth as they are used and therefore let A. S. tell the Rulers that the Rules of the Law in this case are too strict and the Penalty exceeds the Transgression far as for a Man for not holding up his Hand or laying it upon a Bible and Kissing it and saying after a Clark or a Cryer I swear and the like needless Ceremonies which are not without at least a shew of Evil in them yet for not doing and observing these Formalities though those things which A. S and others calls Swearing we have condescended unto yet it 's reckoned as insufficient though themselves say it is an Oath yet it is not called so nor accounted so except the aforesaid needless trifles be observed and is not this a hard thing and far from Equity Justice and Reason that a Man should be exposed to so great a Penalty as Confiscation of Lands and Goods and perpetual Imprisonment for want of observing of these trifling groundless needless Ceremonies and Formalities wich is not at all beseeming Christians and whether the Law had not need to be rectified in this Case which exposeth so many to so great suffering which we in Conscience do except against as well as Oaths and see that the Penalty far exceeds the Crime if it were any but we look upon it to be none at all but rather a duty incumbent upon Christians to keep to yea and nay or that which amounts to it in all their Communication both publick and private and not to Swear at all but to abide in Christ's Doctrine and walk after the Primitive Christians example to testifie the Truth and not to Swear And as for Amen Amen verily verily is no more then truly truly and is no more then an ardent and a fervent speech from the Heart of him that speaketh wherein he would be believed or it is Truth from which and in which he speaks and as for comparing Amen with the 65. of Isa. and 16. where he is called the God of Truth this proves nothing at all he is called the God of Truth in opposition to false Gods which were Lyes and in opposition to the Heathenish Gods which were not true Gods which had Eyes and saw not c. and could not save he might as well say when Wisdom Holiness Righteousness or Immortality is named or mentioned that therefore it is an Oath as when Truth is spoken for these are as much epithetes of God as truly 〈◊〉 Truth and though your Church in a Homily against Swearing do
denyes the veracity of his word or the immutability of the most high yet notwithstanding I cannot set up the changeable Priesthood and Covenant and the Ordinances belonging thereunto against the unchangeable and everlasting Priesthood and Covenant and as hath been said before as though that all the precepts therein were so unalterable as that of necessity they must needs continue as obligatory to Generations I might truss up together many Scriptures and thwack them one on the Back of another which belong to the Jews and the first Covenant most properly till the Seed Christ was revealed and offered up and I might bring in Scripture to prove that many things were commanded by the immutable God and by him who is uncapable of alteration and multiply many words as A. S. doth to little purpose and say what was written in the old Testament was by the Inspiration of God and that his precepts are no more alterable then the Laws of the Medes and Persians and therefore they must needs still be observed by all Christians to the World's end or else conclude they that do not are atheistical and deny God's veracity and make the Law of God void and what would all this in arguing prove nothing at all the Jews will confess as much and plead as hard as A. S. can who yet have not believed in him of whom the Prophets prophesied neither have received him who is the Substance of what Moses and the Prophets bore witness and in whom the Law is fulfilled and the Promises made good and confirmed with and in whom all the Shadows end and the vail done away and all the Worship precepts belonging thereunto who hath manifested and revealed the Father in all that believe who is the new and living way whose Worship is not now in the Letter nor in the Shadows nor Types nor in any outward Observations but in Spirit truth is he worshipped for he seeketh such to Worship him for the great Promise of reward was to as ever was to Swearing yet when they resisted him whom the Father had sent all their observances though never so strict did not avail but their Circumcision became Uncircumcision and their Worship and service became Prophaneness when they despised the substance by whom Grace and Truth came to all the Children of promise and we grant with A. S. that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and to end both Sin and Transgression and the Law which was added because of it and to bring in everlasting Righteousness and it to rule in the Hearts of all that believe and against such there is no Law and though Christ enjoyned the Disciples Mat 23. to observe what the Scribes and Pharisees bad them who sate in Moses's Chair and read the Law and performed those services in part commanded that was the time before he was offered up and the Ministration of that Covenant was not fully ended yet I hope A. S. with us will grant that they were not to heed them or to obey them in their vain traditions and false glosses and Interpretations and Evil manners which he cryed wo against Mat. 23.13 14. neither after his Resurrection did he enjoyn them to hear the Pharisees neither to observe the Legal Ordinances of the first Priesthood but they declared against them and their practice which continued in the Observation of those things which did not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 8.9 Heb. 9.9 and for all these Texts he alledges out of the Old Testament Mat. 6.13 Psal. 63.11 Jer. 12.16 unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that Christians under the second Covenant should Swear as they did in the first for these Precepts were only to keep them from Idolatry for Jer. 12.16 If you will diligently learn the wayes of my People to Swear by my Name the Lord liveth as they taught my People to Swear by Baal then shall they be Builded in the midst of the People And the 6th of Deut. 13.14 is to the same Effect You shall fear the Lord and serve him and Swear by my Name And Verse the 14. Ye shall not go after other Gods All these only prove that the Nations went after other Gods and Sware by them and served them and Israel too prone to follow their manners did so also and therefore he gave them these Precepts to serve him and fear him and acknowledge him to keep them from Idolatry as hath been said in the state of their Minority and weakness and that before the Seed was revealed and that which A. S. calls a Prophecy by Isa. 19.18 of Christians Swearing under the Gospel it 's no such thing but a Prophesie of Egypt his joyning to the Jews and owning their Worship and their God and acknowledge him and do Sacrifice and Oblation yea and vow a vow unto the Lord and perform it ver 21. Which clearly hath relation to the Law and the Worship of the Jews and not to the Gospel so that A. S. might have as well said it was a promise how Christians under the Gospel should offer Sacrifice and Oblations as under the Law as well as Swear But the Doctor hath traversed many Paths which are crooked winding and turning to gather something together and hath fetched it far to prove Swearing under the Gospel but all his proof falls short of his matter by much And that of Isaiah 5.23 is a Prophecy of Israel's return out of the Captivity of Babylon in the days of Cyrus whom the Lord called his Anointed and shepherd Isa. 44.28.45 who made a Decree for all Israel to go out of Assyria to Jerusalem and build their City and their Temple and Worship their God according as he had commanded as may be seen at large in the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah and this was fulfilled then when they builded the City and the Temple in those days long before Christ was manifest in the Flesh and then did Israel return and every Knee did bow and every Tongue did Swear by the Lord which before the Captivity had not bowed nor served nor acknowledged his Name but Idols which provoked the Lord and therefore gave he them into the hand of the Babylonians for seventy Years till they were humbled and then brought them back according to Jeremiah Isaiah Haggai and Zachariah's Prophesies for this was fulfilled then is spoken by Isaiah in this Prophesie Isaiah 5. ver 23 24 25. without contradiction to Christ's command and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie neither doth this make the Gospel thwart the Law beyond all terms of Reconciliation as A. S. vainly suggests in his margent for this Prophesie was fulfilled long before Christ gave forth this command Swear not at all Moreover if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the Christian Church as A. S. supposes upon what Ground I know not saving his own affirmation then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the
Gospel and what the Gospel allows of in this particular the Apostle Paul a Minister of the Gospel not of the Letter as he saith himself which some interpret to be the Law citeth this Prophesie of Isa. 45.23 compare it with Rom. the 14 ver 11. for it is written where in Isaiah before cited As I live saith the Lord every Knee shall bow unto me and every Tongue shall confess to God and in Philippians the 2.10 11. That at the Name of Jesus whom the Father hath sent whom all is to obey unto whom all Power is given in Heaven and Earth the Apostle citing again the very words of the Prophet says unto him viz. Jesus every Knee shall bow and ver the 11. and that every Tongue shall confess to the Glory of God the Father so that it cannot be reasonably thought or judged that if God had required Swearing by his Name among Christians as among the Jews that the Apostle thus should alter the words as to put confessing instead of Swearing seeing he sayes he used always plainness of Speech for this had not been plainness and we have better reason to believe the Apostle unto whom the Gospel was committed whom the Son was revealed in who declared the whole Counsel of God and yet never either commanded or exhorted any to Swear or reproved them for not Swearing by the Name of God as the Jews did in all his writings that are extant I say we have better Ground to believe him and his rendering of the words of the Prophet to be according to the mind of Christ where he puts in confession to the Christians which before was Swearing to the Jews as being acquainted with the command of Christ Mat. 5.23 Swear not at all and what-ever A. S. look upon it as to be Heresie and derogatory both to the Sâ—riptures and God himself it is not much matter of Man's Judgment he might as well accuse Christ and the Apostle the one forbidding to Swear and the other for deminishing from the Scripture and altering the Prophets words and though it seems strange to A. S. yet it is not to us that some Men were commanded in the Old Testament for observing some things yea many things which are condemned in the New and yet God is not dishonoured neither the Scripture broken if we see the end of every command and the time for which it served and the Service for which it served as this about Oaths hath been sufficiently declared before to keep the Jews from Idolatry to end Strife among them where it was but among true Christians indeed Strife is ended and Peace is come and they seek it with all Men and that is done away for which the Law was added to wit Sin and Transgression diffidence and Unbelief and Strife and no necessity of them among them and all the morality that doth remain is confession or saying or Testimony in true words in any matter is that which is equivalent with an Oath and is that which is the most conform to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine under the Gospel but I come to his last Argument Twelfth and last Argument The consent of the Christian World the practice of Emperours Kings Princes Councils Bishops and People of all sorts confirm this Truth that Christ notwithstanding these Words Swear not at all had never forbidden Swearing as altogether unlawful 'T is true some of the Fathers in their Homilies and to the People inveighed much against Swearing as though it had been altogether unlawful but it was only against Customary Oaths Chrysostome in his Homily to the People of Antioch preached so much against Swearing that the People were offended he told them he would never leave that Sermon till they would leave that prophane Custome of Swearing but the Fathers were less cautelous but with great Vehemency enveigh'd against common Swearing in ordinary Discourse but not at all intending to take away necessary Oaths but Origen in his first Book against Celsus God is witness of my Conscience and Athanasius yet vehemently declaimed against prophane Swearing yet in his Apology to the Emperour Constantius he Sware again and again the Lord is witness and his Christ is witness All whith clearly shews they did not disallow the voluntary taking an Oath much less in Judical proceedings and the Reformed Churches and the Church of England and the whole Catholick Church in all times and places approved this Doctrine that all Swearing is not unlawful so that it follows that the Church in all Ages was so ignorant as not to understand Christ's meaning or so wicked as to Teach and Practise quite contrary or else Christ never meant to forbid all kind of Swearing to assert the former were to profess all that went before either Dunces or Devils Reply Whatever A. S. concludes thinks he hath not such a consent among Christians as he makes a great flourish of it 's manifest by what hath been said Christ prohibited it amongst his Disciples Swear not at all and likewise James the Apostle agrees in the same Doctrine and the rest of the Apostles also all the Primitive Christians were esteemed so strict exact and cautious of their asserting or promising that there was no need of an Oath among them they kept up the sactity credit of their Posession yea among Unbelievers that it was security enough in all cases to say Christianus sum I am a Christian as Justin Martyr asserts and if they were urged any further to any Oath for matter or manner they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give there needed no more then the Veracity of their bare record and thus much Bishop Gauden confesseth and also in the 36. page of his Book he says The Ground or Foundation for Swearing now is the Wickedness and unbelief of Men but Christians truly such are brought out of Evil and Wickedness Unbelief and Distrust and there is no necessity among them either publick or private to Swear at all Polibus observes in the better and simpler Ages of the World Oaths were seldom used in Judicatures but after Unbelief and Lying increased Oaths increased as a only remedy to cure and restrain those Evils but let it not be said that those are Christians that name Christ's Name and depart not from Iniquity and since the perilous times came on that the Apostle spoke that Men would not abide sound Doctrine but be lovers of themselves that should have a Form of godliness and deny the Power thereof such went out of the Truth and went into the World and the world went after them and the false Church began to rise to dignity and have the Name of Christian though she consented not to the wholsome Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Swear not at all but perverted this as she hath done many other Doctrines and beguiled thc Kings of the Earth and held out her Golden Cup of Fornication and made Emperours Kings and Princes drunk with her Fornication Rev.
F. H. was called into the Court which they read in which Papers F. H. had come as near them as he could in the Truth that he might leave them the more without Excuse but all would not prevail with them for they were set on to do their Utmost against him Here followeth the Sum of their last Proceedings against F. H. and the most material Passages in open Court at the Assizes holden at Appleby the 22d and 23d of the 6th Moneth 1664. F. H. being called to the Bar. Judge spoke moderately and said Here is an Indictment against you for refusing to take the Oath of Obedience so you must plead to it either guilty or not guilty F. H. with a Heart girded up with Strength and Courage said Judge Turner May I have Liberty to speak and make my Defence for I have none to plead my Cause but the Lord Judge You may F. H. I will lay the true State of my Case before thee and of the Proceedings against me from the first seeing Judge Twisden is not here who had Knowledge of all the Proceedings hitherto I am a Country Man born and brought up in this Country my Carriage and Conversation is known how I have walked peaceably towards all Men as I hope my Country men can testifie about a Year ago being at my neighbouring Market-Town about my reasonable and lawful Occasions I was sent for by an high Constable out of the Market to the Justices of Peace before whom I went and when I came there they had nothing to lay to my Charge but fell to ask me Questions to ensnare me about our Meetings and when they could find no Occasion they seemed to tender the Oath of Allegiance to me though they never read it to me neither did I positively deny it yet they committed me to Prison and so I was brought hither to this Assize and then the Mittimus by which I was committed was called for and the Judge read it and said to the Justices it was insufficient nevertheless Judge Twisden tendred the Oath of Obedience to me many things I did alledge then and many more I have to say now if time will permit from that time I was under an Engagement to appear at the next Assize and so was called and did appear at the last Goal-delivery and a further Obligation was required of me for good Behaviour which I could not do lest I should be brought into a further Snare and since that time I have been committed Prisoner these five Moneths some of which time I have been kept under great Restraint my Friends not permitted to speak to me and thus briefly I have given thee an Account hitherto and as to the Oath the Substance thereof with the Representation of my Case is presented unto the Court already unto which I have set my Hand and also shall in those Words testifie the same in open Court if required and seeing it is the very Substance the Law doth require I desire it may be accepted and I cleared from my Imprisonment Judge I am come to execute the Law and the Law requires an Oath and I cannot alter it do you think the Law must be changed for you or only for a few if this be suffered the Administration of Justice iâ— hindered no Action can be tryed nor Evidence given for the King nor no other particular Cases can be tryed end your Principles are altogether inconsistent with the Law and Government I pray you shew me which Way we shall proceed shew me some Reason and give me some Ground F. H. said I shall in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Truth is confirmed and we never denyed to give and still are ready to give Evidence for the King wherein we are concerned and in any other Matter for the ending of Strife between Man and Man in Truth and Righteousness and this answers the Substance of the Law Judge Is this a good Answer think you whether to be given with or without Oath the Law requires an Oath F. H. Still Evidence is and may be given in Truth according to the Substance of the Law so that no Detriment cometh unto any Party seeing that true Testimony may be born without an Oath and I did not speak of changing the Law yet seeing we never refused giving Testimony which answereth the Intent and Substance of the Law I judged it was reasonable to receive our Testimony and not to expose us unto such Sufferings seeing we scrupled an Oath only upon a conscientious Account in Tenderness of our Consciences for Fear of breaking the Command of Christ the Saviour of the World which if he do there is none of you able to plead our Cause for us with him Judge But why do you not go to Church but meet in Houses and private Conventicles which the Law forbids F. H. We meet together only for the Worship of the true God in Spirit and Truth having the primitive Christians for our Example and to no other End but that we may be edified and God glorified and when two or three are met together in the Name of Christ and he in the midst of them there is a Church Judge That is true but how long is it since you have been at Church or will you go to the Church the Law doth allow of give me some Reasons why you do not go F. H. I have many to give thee if thee hast Patience to hear me first God dwells not in Temples made with Mens Hands 2 dly The Parish House hath been a Temple for Idols to wit for the Mass and the Rood and I dare have no Fellowship with Idols nor worship in Idols Temples for what have we to do with Idols their Temples and Worship Judge Were there not Houses called the Houses of God and Temples F. H. Yes under the Law but the Christians who believed in Christ separated from these and the Temple was made and left desolate and from the Gentiles Temples too and met together in Houses and broak Bread from House to House and the Church was not confined then to one particular Place neither is it now many more things I have to say the Judge interrupted Judge Will you answer to your Indictment F. H. I know not what it is I never heard it though I have often desired a Copy Judge Clerk read it So he read it how that F. H. had wilfully obstinately and contemptuously denyed to swear when the Oath was tendered F. H. I deny it Judge What do you deny F. H. The Indictment Judge Did you not deny to swear and the Indictment convicts you that you did not swear F. H. I gave unto the Court the Substance of the Oath as you all know 2 dly I told you I did not deny it out of Obstinacy or Wilfulness neither in Contempt of the Kings Law or Government for my Will would rather choose my Liberty then Bonds and I am sensible it is like to be a great Dammage
read your Cloud of Witnesses who are your Example who persecute the Innocent and turn aside the needy for a Thing of nought you may read in the Scripture what they were and what Manner of Princes Kings and Rulers they were who were Persecutors in all Generations and say not in your Hearts you are Christians and yet walk in the same Footsteps of them who persecuted the Prophets and them that were sent early and late to forewarn them and stood in the Gate and declared in their Tovvns and Cities against the Abominations that vvere committed and Jeremy they put in the Dungeon that his Feet sticked in the Mire and put his Feet fast in the Stocks and Micha in Prison and Daniel in the Den of Lyons and Herod and Pilate were made Friends in the persecuting of Christ and they set him at nought and the Priests and the Rulers conspired against him and sought to entrap him in his Words and the Apostles they put in Prison in the Stocks and whipped them and scourged them and commanded them to depart out of their Towns Villages and Cities and called them seditious and pestilent Fellows and said they bred Tumults in the Cities whenas they were tumultuous themselves and persecuted and mocked and shamefully entreated And novv you that are found acting in those Practices are in the same Spirit you may read your Cloud of Witnesses and your Example and be ashamed O England England and Ireland is this the Fruit of the great Profession you have made so many Years and novv when you are proved the best of you is as a Bryar and the most upright sharper then a Thorn-Hedge What is become of the Promises you made in the Day of your Calamity vvhen Sorrovv Fear and Oppression compassed you about on every Side Hath the Lord broken the Yoak from off your Necks and is your Finger becoming heavier then their Loyns Was there so great Oppression and Cruelty acted among the Bishops and Prelates vvere Prisons so filled vvere there such Gins and Traps laid for the Innocent vvhen their High Commission Court vvas up O Shame Shame that ever it should come in the Ears or be reported in other Nations that ever you should requite the Lord thus for all his Love and Mercies that he should break the Yoak from off your Necks and 〈◊〉 your Enemies on every Side and cut them off in his Wrath and hath given you their Habitations to dvvell in and the Povver into your Hanâ—s shall the Ax boast it self against him that hevvs therevvith and will ye â—â—â—quite the Lord thus for his Love Surely these Things are come before the Lord and a Book of Remembrance is vvritten and all these Things shall stand as Witness against you vvhen the Book of Conscience is laid open But you may be vvill say You know no such that suffer for Conscience sake turn but your Ear and listen but to every Goal and Prison in every County and there may you see many of you poor Brethren stopped up in Holes among Murderers Thieves and Transgressors even they vvho have born a Part vvith you in the Sufferings vvith the Nations in the Heat of the Day and if you say they have transgressed any Law vvhy do you not execute it upon them but some kept in Prison tvvo or three Years and never called to knovv vvhat is the Matter But Friends knovv this many suffer novv for the Transgression of no knovvn Lavv but may be have cryed out in your Tovvns against Iniquity or have declared against the Blindness and Ignorance of some vvho go in the Way of the false Prophets and in the Error of Balaam O! the Land is full of such Deceivers as have flattered the People and her Princes till the Lord bathed his Svvord in their Blood and novv they are flattering you and sovving Pillovvs under your Arm-holes if you say as the Pharisees said We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye if you execute those Lavvs and stand to those Lavvs vvhich were made by them that oppressed you the same shall come upon you that came upon them and God vvill break the Yoak from off the Necks of the Oppressed and the Yoak shall be laid upon yours vvho make a man an Offender for a VVord and therefore consider a Warning to you all and be you warned from the Lord God to cease from oppressing the Innocent nay you are left all without Excuse for I know you are not ignorant of these Things And further I say unto you uphold not them by your Power who are flattering the Nations and crying Peace and daubing the People with untempered Morter and telling them they are Christians when they are Heathens and live in that Nature that puts Christ to open Shame for the Hand of the Lord is against them and Prophaneness hath gone from them those Teachers that use their Tongues and say he saith when the Lord hath never spoken to them and therefore the People are lost for Lack of Knowledge and there is not one among them that is able to turn any from his Iniquity And therefore I say unto you stint not nor limit not the Lord by your Wills nor your Laws made in your Wills for if you do he which rents the Heavens and makes the Earth reel as a Cottage will break you and your Laws together and there shall be none that shall be able to deliver you out of his Hand who is pure holy just and true and will not give his Glory to another for he alone works and who shall let and bring his own Work to pass and none shall hinder And therefore take heed you strive not against the Lord and so be broken upon the stumbling Stone to Pieces A Lover of Righteousness and a Friend to all just Power F. H. A VVARNING TO All the WORLD WO Wo unto all the Inhabitants for the Lord God of Power is coming in Power and great Glory with Ten Thousand of his Saints to judge the Earth and to make a Desolation and an utter Overthrow and a Consumption shall come upon all Flesh and its Glory shall be stained for all Flesh hath corrupted its Way and gone a whoring after other Gods and hath committed Fornication with Strangers and Whoredoms with the Uncircumcised and the Land is filled with Monsters and the living God is departed from the Lord is grieved the Lord is weary with forbearing and will no longer forbear now is he arising to excute his Judgment in the Earth and to sift the Nations and all shall now be put into an even Ballance and the Wicked shall be as Dust and as Chaff which the VVind blows away and shall be scattered and never more gathered For a Fire is come out of Sion it s before the Lord of Hosts and it 's tempestuous round about him Coals of Fire are kindled by the Breath of 〈◊〉 Nostrils to burn up all the Stubble and Chaff even by the Breath of his Mouth
Meekness that the still Voice you may hear which till you come down within you cannot hear for the loud Voices of the Egyptians and Inchanters are so many and Pharaoh's Voice and Herod's is so loud and you whose Minds are abroad you thinks as they thought it 's the Voice of God but I say be still he shall not cry nor lift up his Voice in the Streets who you must hearken unto in you that your Souls may live and so be low and still if you will hear his Voice and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile now that which you must wait in is near you yea in you the Eye that seeth and the Ear that heareth that is of the Lord for that which is visible is natural and carnal and the natural Ear cannot hear the Word of the spiritual God for that which hearkens without that Ear must be deaf and that Eye blind Now that which reveals the pure spiritual God must be in you pure and spiritual For none knows the Things of God but by the Spirit of God and doth not his Spirit bear Witness alwayes unto their Spirits and doth it not so now to all that know him So in the Light wait which comes from God who is Light and dwells in the Immortal Light which the mortal Eye cannot behold and it will lead you to know Christ who is Immortal and not carnal but spiritual and eternal and as you love the Light and keep your Minds inward then you will hear the Motion of Christ Jesus in you and so loving it the Good you will come to see from God which will lead out of Sin and sanctifie you and the acceptable Year you will see and the Day of Vengeance and this is he whom the Father hath given for a Covenant to bring Man out of the Alienation to himself again and to reconcile man unto himself even by the Blood of the Cross and he who is the Light is the Covenant and he who is the Covenant is the Light for they are one in him and this Covenant of Peace is tendered unto you who are afar off and herein is the eternal Love of God made manifest to the Jew and the Greek and the Life of his Son to be the Light of the World and of men and so in the Covenant of Life abide and you will see he is near you the Peace-maker the Gift of God which presents you perfect in himself to the Father and this Gift is free and offered freely to all that will receive it and yet you cannot receive the Gift in your own Wills but through the DENYAL OF YOUR OWN WILLS for the Light is contrary to the Will and so you will see the Will of the earthly man and God's Will contrary and as you receive the Will of God you deny your own Wills and so do the Will of another and another guides you and leads you and this is God's alone Work not of your selves but wrought by Christ in his own Way and Truth and so the Covenant of God comes to be established to the Seed and the Foundation stands sure and his Promise is fulfilled in you as you come to witness the Seed which is one in whom the Promise is fulfilled And Friends thus must you wait to have Judgment set up within you and this is he who is the Judge and the Light of the World and so wait to see the Law set up within which is added because of Transgression to cut down and the unjust destroyed in you and the rebellious Nature yoaked which hath had its Liberty in the earthly where the Beasts of the Field dwell and so it will come to decay and the Law works Wrath upon the Deceit in you which hath had the Preheminence and so you will see the Thunder as the Seal is opened and the Earthquakes and Lightning insomuch as you cannot behold and live but the Transgressor and the Transgression which is contrary to the Law is cut down and when there is a Time of great Sorrow and great Trouble and Tryal and Temptation wait in Patience in the Judgment and let the Lord's Work have its perfect Operation in you and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you he will bind up and heal and give up all to the great Slaughter of the Lord unto the Cross all that which is discovered by the pure Law of God and as the Earth comes to be plowed up the Seed which is sown comes up and the Rocks broken the Water gusheth out and so you will see some Promises will arise in you to the Seed which is comming up out of the Grave and so the Love of God will appear in you and you will be stayed and see Hope in the midst of Calamity Then take heed that the Serpent get not that which is to the Babe and so the carnal come to be exalted but as you wait you will see the Subtilty of the Enemy and Sin and Death rules till Moses who was a faithful Servant in his House and brings to the Law of God revealed in you then Sin comes to be crucified and to loose its Dominion over you and in you and so you will see one brought forth under the Law who fulfilled the Law and now fulfils it in all those who walk after him in the Spirit and fulfil not the Desires of the Flesh and wait and you will see some Prophecies opened in you and the Day-star in your Hearts which leads to where Christ is and Openings of the Inheritance which is to be received and the Promise is to the Seed And all wait in the Light and keep in your Minds to it and you will see John's Ministry the Water which washeth and he is the Preparer of the Way and turn to God lest he smite the Earth with a Curse and his Ministry breaks down the Mountains and removes them and makes a plain Way and your Minds being turned to the Lord and as you own the Gift of Christ given you Repentance you will see unto Life and then you will see something arising and shine in you opening your Hearts and there will be a Breathing after the Lord and his Righteousness and standing in Obedience in the Cross the Vail you will see rent and you will see him that hath turned you from Sin by his free Gift made manifest in you and he who is the Gift saves you from Sin and so the Seals will be opened by the Angel of the Covenant and the Lamb So all in Patience wait and keep in the living Principle of Life and things will open in you even the dark Sayings of old and that which spake Parables to the Serpent's Seed will open the Parables to his own Seed then you will see him whom you have pierced even the Lamb who hath been slain since the Foundation of the World and your Hearts will be broken and Water will gush out of
the Rock and so Love will encrease in you who abide faithful in your Measure and the good and perfect Gift of God will be made manifest in you and the Hope upon which the Soul comes to be anchored will come to be witnessed which Hope purifies the Heart and as you stand in the perfect Law of Liberty revealed in you revealed by the Spirit which cuts down the Oppessor and gives Liberty to his Seed unto which the Covenant is and the Promises forever and this Seed Christ took and takes upon him to redeem even the Seed of Abraham unto whom the Promise was made and so wait that the pure Law of Righteousness which is Life to the Righteous and the Seed may be set up and you will see all chained under and this binds and fetters the unclean Spirits and shuts them up into utter Darkness forever And as you come to be redeemed from under the Bondage of Sin and come above the Bonds of Death and the pure Principle lives in you there will be a Delight in you to do the Will of the Father who hath redeemed you from Sin and its Law unto Righteousness and its Law And all who hunger and thirst after Righteousness wait in that which thirstâ—th that the Gift you may receive which perfects forever them that receive it and believe in it and cleanseth and purgeth you from Unrighteousness and this being revealed in you as you obey it its leads to true Peace and will reveal in you the immortal Seed which came not by the Will of man but is contrary and revealed out of man's Will which all must witness to be born of that inherit the Kingdom of God and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible Seed which the Promise is unto and are in him fulfilled Yea and Amen come out of time before all time the Son of God who leads out of time and this is he whom the Father revealed in Paul and this is he of whom I am a Witness in whom I have Redemption by the Blood of the Cross and he is my Sanctification Justification and Wisdom who is the Son of God who came to do his Father's VVill and now doth where he is witnessed who by his eternal VVord of Life hath begotten me and made me a Partaker of his eternal Inheritance which never fades away Glory unto him for evermore who is Life and translaeteth all that believe and follow him in the VVork of Regeneration unto his Kingdom So silence all you Diviners and Sorcerers forever who believe with a Faith and teach a faith that none can be ever cleansed from Sin while they are here you and your faith is denyed for it is not the same which was once delievered to the Saints which gave them Victory over the World and by which they overcame Paul a Minister of Christ by the will of God said the Colossians were translated into the Kingdom of God where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter your Preaching is vain your Hope and Faith is vain and all your Hearing is vain while the perfect Gift of God is not witnessed nor the everlasting Offering which perfects forever them that are sanctified by him even by his Word of Life and his Will which sanctifies and makes perfect the Comers thereunto and presents all that believe and receive him without Spot And therefore all you that love the Lord and wait for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ feed no longer upon Imaginations nor vain Words cease from looking lo here and there for the Kingdom of God will the Father reveal in you as you wait in the Measure of the Light in you by which he reveals himself in his Sons and Daughters and will bring them to his everlasting Fold and true Rest all who follow him through the Denyal of all and to the loosing of all for him shall come to witness an incoruptible Inheritance which never fades away And now a few Words to you who would thrust your selves into the Kingdom and would be called Christ's Disciples and Church-members who are gathered into Confederacies and make a Likeness unto your selves and are now professing the Saints Conditions in Words How came you hither to climb up so high in Words when as you are what you were before if not worse think it not a hard Saying for it is so among many of you and in the Light which is pure you are weighed and when one comes to try you your Language bewrays you that you are not what you profess for when you are tryed by the Saints Practices and Life that was in them and the Injoyment they had with God you are found so far from being any such that you even oppose the Faith they even believed in as some of your Pastors openly to my Face in the hearing of two hundred People said All the Saints dyed Sinners and so was so far from owning the Perfect Righteousness of Christ that he even denyed it and said it was Heresie and othres of you say you believe That all the Grace the Saints enjoy are imperfect yea even Faith is imperfect and others saying That all the Righteousness that was wrought in them by Faith was imperfect and others saying while the Light of Christ Jesus condemned them yet Christ Justified them and yet that which was wrought in them there was Failings in it and so you have imagined a Faith and Righteousness of your own and such a Christ to talk on and a Redemption as you may live in Lusts and be Men-pleasers and in the Customs and Fashions of the World and Covetousness and plead for Sin and puts perfect Righteousness to another VVorld and thus the Devil hath deceived you and so you set up and make Covers but all will not hide you in the day of his Appearance for God joyns not to that which is imperfect neither is that true Faith which is imperfect and which layes hold upon an imperfect Righteousness that is such a Faith as never was professed by any of the Saints whose VVords you profeâ—s for they had received Faith the Gift of God the least Measure of which was perfect and as they stood in it though it was but a Grain of Mustard-seed they said to this Mountain be removed and it was so and that which was in them reveal'd by the Son led them that did believe in it to lay hold upon Christ's Righteousness which was and is perfect which had yea hath no Spots nor Wrinckles nor Stain and this Righteousness was made manifest in them by the Faith of the Son by which they were justified in the Sight of God and came with boldness before the Throne of Christ for in them there was no Condemnation neither guilt but became one with the Judge and reconciled unto him and his Throne and to the Lamb by him who is the Mediator and hath made Peace betwixt them and the Father and so were justified in the Sight of God and this
one of you dare own nor dare say your Ministry shall nor never did and so not the same nor hath not the same operation and so is not the same Faith nor Word which they preached And now to you who are called Members in all separated Societies and yet in Babylon and Egypt spiritually so called where the Seed is held in Captivity I say come forth of her and return to your Maker from whence you are erred and cast off your Garments of Self-Righteousness and those Coverings you hide your selves under must all be rent they will wax old yea your Heaven shall wax old as a Garment and your Stars will fall and your Towers will be demolished and all your Buildings will fall and your Strength will fail and Egypt cannot save you why gad you abroad why trim you your selves with the Saints Words when you are ignorant of the Life return return to him that is the first Love and the first-born of every Creature who is the Light of the World which Light will shew you that to return back again is the Way from off the Mountains of Leanness and Poverty where you feed upon Wind and Husks and now return home to within sweep your Houses all the Groat is there the little Leaven is there the Grain of Mustard-seed you will see which the Kingdom of God is like and you will see from whence you have erred from the true Shepherd Christ the Light of the World who hath enlightened you with his Light which Light will shew you Sin and let you see what rules in the Mind and Heart which Light will let you see the Way out of the World and will judge Sin in you and bind it and give you Power over it and this is the true Shepherd and if you say you love him manifest your Love unto him by following his Light revealed in you which leads into the true Separation from Sin unto the Lord to see his Presence near you who will guide you with his Eye the Light is the Eye of the Body and here you will see your Teacher not removed into a Corner but present when you are upon your Beds and about your Labour convincing instructing leading correcting judging and giving Peace to all that love and follow him therefore haste I say come away while the Lord is near at Hand while his Grace shines with you he waits and hath waited long to be gracious and you have kept him out so long his Locks are bedewed with the Drops of the Night his Spirit shall not alwayes strive that that checks and strives against Sin is it in Love follow it let it lye in your Bosom Day and Night make it your Comapanion I pity you I pity you my Bowels are troubled for you I am pained for the Seed's sake therefore all slight not this Love quench not the Spirit put not that which reproves Sin away own it that Sin may be seen and the Man of Sin may be revealed by the Brightness of Christ whose Coming is as Light shines from East into the West discovers all dark Pathes and the twining of the Serpent and the crooked Wayes of the old Dragon by this Light and if thus you wait you will see the day revealed in you which the Scripture speaks of which shall declare all things and make manifest the hidden things of Esau who hunts abroad and is a Man of the Field whose Mind is abroad and you whose Minds are abroad hunting after savoury Meat to please the Flesh withal you are of his Birth you will be laid waste and the Mount in which you dwelt Therefore all prize your time and your Visitation if you will return come that he may heal your Backsliding and receive you if you resist the Light Misery will be your End and you will lye down in Sorrow This have I written in Love to all your Souls who am one who did drink of the Cup of Fornication and have drunk of the Cup of Indignation but now drink the Cup of Salvation where Sorrow and Tears are fled away and yet am a Man of Sorrows and well acquainted with Grief and suffer with the Seed and travail that it may be brought forth of Captivity F. H. The Difference shewn betwixt them that learn of Christ and are taught of him and them that follow the Principle of Darkness that leads into Error HE that stumbles at the Light stumbles at the Door and his Mind is erred from the Truth and he follows his own Will and walks after the Imaginations of his own Heart without a Law or a Guide to his Feet and so falls into Snares and Temptations and into the noisome Lusts which do hurt and annoy the Spirit of Grace which should lead and guide man up to God out of the Fall and Transgression He that sees not with the Light he is blind for the Light is the Eye of the Body and makes manifest the Light of the Body which cleanseth from Sin and leads to the Body where Christ is the Head where the Unity stands in one by which all come to be united by one who is the Light and Life of men and come to the one Baptism and all who wait in the Light that is pure come to know the Name of the Father and the Son which is one and here is the one Baptism seen and received and all that come to be baptized into his Name come to be baptized into his Nature and come to see the Word which was in the Beginning and there is no other Name but the Word which sanctifies and washes So all that know not this Baptism nor this Word nor this Name know not Salvation from Sin but live in the Reasonings and Imaginations and know not that Water which is the Gift of Christ nor the Spirit which is given to every one to profit withal of which a man must be born else he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and all who deny the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every one deny the Gift of God which leads to Repentance and so live in Sin Repentance is the Gift of God and this is the Gift of the Father which was promised the Light of the World and all that receive not and believe not in the Light they are in the old Nature and he that is not born of the Light is not born of God for God is Light he that is not born of the Light knows not the Virgin 's Womb where the Man-child is born conceived nor the Day of Christ nor cannot discern his coming but looks for Signs and outward Observations Lo here and there in the outward and is in the Unbelief discerns not the Kingdom where Christ reigns which is not of this World all outward things are of this World and who live and have their Hearts exercised in them know not that which leads to before the World and to the End of the World and know not the true
many Waters which shall make all the Potentates and the mighty of the Earth bow the Eye-lids of the morning are opened and the Sun is rising to his Height and the dark Air is scattering by the Breath of his Mouth and so all things shall appear in the Earth as they are and every thing under the Face of the Heaven shall be brought to Light and all the Powers of Darkness discovered and the Works and Workers of Iniquity shall no longer be hid but shall be discovered by the Light of the Son of God and shall be judged and condemned by the Life of Righteousness and blessed are they who know a hiding-Place in him when his overflowing Scourge passeth over the Nations which is already made ready to execute his Judgment upon the Heathen that know him not Oh! who may abide his Presence when he appears in his Power Majesty and Glory all the ungodly of the Earth shall be as driven Stubble before his Bow and shall flee before him nevertheless the Pursuer shall overtake and the Destroyer shall lay hold upon them and all the ungodly shall hear the Sentence Go ye cursed from the presence of the Lord into the Pit of Everlasting Destruction And when this Day comes upon the Nations all your Prophets Diviners and Teachers who are out of the Life of Christ who have flattered you and told you You were the higher Power and you must sit as Judges in the Things of the Father and Lord it over the Consciences of People and prescribe the Lord a Way and a Limit in your several Nations and Dominions they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you but the Helper and the helped shall both fall together the Strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble and their Loins weak so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher Power and the greatest Dignity who will rule over all Usurpers and over all the Children of Pride the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet and Teller of Lyes shall have their Portion in the Lake that burns Then shall the ransomed of the Lord and the righteous Seed whom the Nations have slain and persecuted the Prophets and holy Men of God and all that have been slain for the Testimony of Jesus rejoyce over the Deceit and it shall be sung in that Day The Lord God omnipotent reigneth who will ascend above all Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions and tread down all under his Feet that the Earth may be filled with his Glory and behold he cometh quickly in a Moment and suddain Destruction shall be upon his Enemies and the Breath of his Mouth shall make all melt away that hate the Lord and their Remembrance shall rot forever and ever Therefore oh all ye Powers of the Earth who are the Sons of fallen Adam whose Power ariseth out of the Earth in which the Devil dwells and the Serpent feeds who bear Rule but not by the Lord who sit as Judges in the Earth and yet your Judgment is from the Earth and from below know this you shall all be judged with the Just and all your unrighteous Decrees Laws Constitutions Ordinances and Edicts which are made in the fallen Wisdom you and they both together will be cast aside as a Thing of nought and must all be judged with the Just Therefore repent and turn to the Lord of Heaven and Earth that you may know his righteous Judgment set up in your Hearts and the Spirit of Injustice and Error purged out of your Hearts or else you judge not for God for all the Laws Constitutions and Ordinances which are made in the fallen Principle and fallen Wisdom to have all these in the Head or in the Memory so that he may act in a Nation or Kingdom according to the Letter of a Law prescribed in a Nation that doth not at all make a Man an able Minister of Justice or a Magistrate for God for the Root being unholy corrupt and erroneous from whence those Laws were given forth the Branches are unholy also the Ground being corrupt the Tree bad the Fruit is bad also and so all Nations who are degenerate from the Life of God their Laws and Constitutions do alwayes imbondage the regenerate so the Heart being deceitful and unrighteous such Laws proceed forth which do oppress the upright in Heart and all or most of the LAWS in all Nations are received by Tradition from Generation to Generation since the scattering of ISRAEL who received the Law from God's own Mouth by the Hand of Moses a Magistrate of the Lord and a Judge over Israel and so Heaps of Decrees Statutes and Ordinances there are in the Nations which do not answer that of God in the Conscience of every man and so that which is pure of God in the Conscience of every one cannot be subject to those Laws and Traditions but rather suffer as many Thousands have done cruel Deaths and great Oppression all this dark time of Anti-christ's Reign and of the Beast in all nations since the Apostacy and Death reigning over all the Sons of the first Adam in the Transgression Death hath breathed forth it self upon the Face of the Earth for Sin entering and Death by Sin it rules in the Heart and exerciseth his Power which stands in Unrighteousness and so all Mankind in all their acting can do nothing for God but against him and against his People who are redeemed out of the Region of Death and so all Law-givers Law-makers and Laws which stand in the Will of man and in the unrighteous Principle will the second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Restorer of Mankind utterly overthrow abolish and take away their Power for the Law-giver shall come out of Sion whoever in all Nations that ever come to see him must see him come from thence whose Appearance shall be as a Lamp that burns and he shall change the Customs the Times and the Laws and overthrow all them that stand in the Curse for he shall lead out of Death and out of its Path and from under the Law of Sin and Death that all that hear him and come to be subject to his Law shall deny all those Laws in the very Ground and bear their Testimony against them which stand in that nature that transgresseth the Life And therefore give Ear all Nations and all Emperors Kings Monarchs Lords Judges and Rulers of the Earth in all Nations he is come and coming whose Right it is to judge the Earth in Righteousness and the People with Equity even he unto whom all Judgment is committed and he hath appeared as the Son of God in the North Region of the World in Power Majesty and great Glory and hath made the Mountains melt before him and he hath dryed up all the Springs of Babylon and hath made the Cedars bow and made the Trees of the Forrest to shake and the study Oaks hath he cut up by the Roots and turned
to Pieces as Flesh for the Pot and grownd to Dust as though they had not been God's Workmanship and his Seed in all Nations hath been in great Captivity whose Sighs Groans and Tears have pierced through the Clouds and is entered to the Throne of God who is now arising to plead the Cause of the poor and the needy and now wo to the World and to all them that have born Rule but not by the Lord. An Advertisement to all the RULERS upon the Earth THere is one only God the Creator and the Bringer forth of all things whose Way is equal and whose Judgments are Just whose Law is righteous whose Statutes are pure answering his own pure Witness in every Man under the Face of Heaven in all Nations upon the Earth so as every Man in all Nations upon the Earth comes to own God's pure Witness in himself placed by the Lord he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those Rulers who rule in Righteousness by the righteous Law of God but where any Ruler is not ruled himself by that which is pure of God which condemneth Self and Self-actings in himself he bears Rule but not in God's Dominion and so layes Yoaks upon a Nation Countrey or People to make all submit to his Will Decrees and Ordinances and to deny that which is pure of God in themselves and then joyn to his Deceit and thus Iniquity gets Head and is set up as a Rule and the Law of God both in the Ruler and the ruled is thrown behind their Back and so Deceit leadeth and the changeable Mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withal and so Tyranny and Oppression spreads over a whole Nation and the Just suffer in it And hence it is that there are so many several Laws Ordinances Constitutions Traditions and Customs among Men in many Nations Countries and Regions one differing from another and Heaps of Confusion that hardly in any Nation or few in a Nation know what is Law there is so much Variableness and Changeableness amongst the Law-makers one while setting up another while pulling down and as Deceit advanceth it self in any particular Ruler then there must be a Law made and a Penalty upon the non-performance as Death Banishment Torturing Whipping Racking Imprisonment Fining to the utter Destruction of many and all the Ground of this is because the Rulers are gone from that of God in themselves and then act in their own Wills and by their Craft and Deceit which stands in the Ground which is cursed and call this Christian Policy and Wisdom and Cruelty becomes a Law and the Devil keeps his Dominion in the Earth and Deceit gets a Cover and hides it self Now it was not so from the Beginning for as God is one and his name one his Law is one which is pure equal and unalterable and endures forever and ever now Man being made in God's own Image answered the pure Law of God and being God's Image was one with the Law and the Law was not against him but was his Life and Joy and he had Power to obey it for he was of its own nature for as God is pure and holy and the Image which he brought forth Man in was pure and holy and that which was Man's Guide and Rule was pure and holy here was Unity and Purity and he that created and Man that was created were in Unity and then there was no Wo no Condemnation no Sorrow no Death no Tribulation Anguish nor Wrath revealed against Man who was the Image of God and he stood in the Dominion of God and had Dominion over that which was contrary here was no Tyranny here was no Cruelty no Prisons no Envy no Persecution no killing nor destroying no defrauding no Jar no Strife no devouring but all God's Creation at Unity and Man at Unity with God being Partakers of his Dominion whereby all the Earth was in Order and in that Wisdom which changed not and here Man had Dominion and Power and ruled in God's Authority and was guided by the higher Power and while he was subject to it Death had no Power over him now this was before Sin entered and before Death entered and before Enmity had appeared in the Earth but now was the Lord King Law-giver and Judge who ruled in Righteousness and man being subject to him there was no Law against him nor no Guilt of any Thing for Transgression was not known in the Earth and there was no Curse but all was in Unity and Peace no Changeableness but all was in the Covenant all the Workmanship of his Hand was united unto him and all that he had made was blessed and all the Creation were Partakers of his Blessedness and all stood in the Covenant by which every Creature received Power Virtue and Dominion here was one Mind and here was no double no Variation no Mutation nor Change but the Dominion of the everlasting God was felt which endures forever and ever and any other Thing was not seen in the Earth but man crowned with Honour Dominion and Dignity wherein could be nothing but rejoycing and pure Peace and Joy now no Evil was known neither was there any such thing but Goodness possessed the whole Earth and Righteousness breathed forth it self in all Things in the Circumference thereof and all the Works of his Hands pleased him and Man made Partaker of his Pleasure and was accepted and not rejected Thus in Part I have shewed unto you the State of the Earth and of Mankind and the Glory of God's Creation and the Blessedness thereof but if I could declare unto the whole World from Years End to Years End I should fall short and Words would be wanting to express the Felicity Happiness in which Man was brought forth neither shall any be able to see into those Things or to declare certainly of those things who come not beyond time to him who is eternal who gave them a Being But after man had taken of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and had eat of the Fruit thereof and consented to the Beguiler and to the Serpent Sin entered and Death by Sin man lost his Dominion and became subject to another and another had Power over him and now the Course of Nature was set on the Fire of Hell the Curse entered and man dead while he lives and in that Day he eat did dye and Death breathed forth it self in the Earth and Cain is brought forth in his own Image to wit in the Image of him who was gone out of God's Dominion and he became a Murderer and slew him that was accepted of God and here appeared now the Enmity and its Life was to destroy and to murder and to kill Abel who believed and offered up a Sacrifice and Cain offered in the Unbelief and was not accepted so Abel who was Just lived by Faith but Cain who was in the Envy and in the Wrath
this Nature he offered and was not accepted for he was in the Imitation out of the Life out of the Power in Feignedness and this was self and not the Lord that moved him The Jews in the Prophets Time who were in Cain's Nature in Envy and Maliciousness grinding the Faces of the poor and oppressing the needy and chopping them in Pieces as Flesh for the Pot they brought Sacrifices Oblations Burnt-Offerings kept Fasts Sabbaths and New Moons and all these Things and lyed swore and dealt falsly and left no room for the poor and yet they said the Lord was among them the Lord sent his Servant the Prophet to tell them the Lord was weary of them and of their Oblations why they were out of the Faith out of the Life out of the Power and Deceit lodged in their Hearts Covetousness Envy Murder Oppression and Violence as ravening Wolves hunting for their Prey the Prophets prophesied for hire their Priests bear Rule by their Means and people were one with it and liked it and loved it should be so the End of those things was Misery the Judgment of God came upon them they were scattered among their enemies their prophets slain and for their sake Sion became as a plowed Corn-field and Jerusalem a Heap and now he that offered an Ox was no more accepted then if he slew a man no more then if he blessed Chemosh Ashteroth or Baal all was Sin and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone The Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's Time great Worshippers devout Men devout Women zealous Men for Temple Priests Tythes Dayes Sabbaths Oblations and were acting all those Things that were commanded in or about the Worship of God yet Christ said unto his Disciples Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God they might have said which at least they did in their Hearts this Man sayes he is the Son of God and yet saith and teacheth his Disciples another Righteousness then is commanded in the Law and moreover tells them Except their Righteousness exceedours they cannot enter into God's Kingdom where is there in all the Earth any better Righteousness then ours we do not as the Heathen worship Idol-gods we keep the Sabbaths and purifie our selves and pay Tythes and keep the Ordinances given by the Lord to Moses and our Fathers well these Things they were doing but they were but dead Works they were out of the Faith out of the Power and had not God's Word abiding in their Hearts from which their Power and Ability should have come to have answered the will of God here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the Lord yet they were dead works their Temple left desolate worship desolate Jerusalem compassed about with Armies not one Stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down they scattered among the Heathen their Priests slain and their Oblations ceased Plagues and Judgments pursuing whithersoever they went did all those things save them from wrath all their works dead worships and self-righteousness save them were they accepted oh nay rejected a Seed of Falshood a crooked Generation an hypocritical Generation these things with many more which I could instance all shewing that Man in the Transgression of the Life of the Power whether he sinned or wrought that which he might judge was righteous yet they were but dead works Obâ—ect But some may say What sayest thou to their Generation of Ministers Preachers and Ordinances we live in a Gospel-time and are under Gospel-Ordinances and they teach that Man is redeemed by Christ from Sins past present and to come and the Ordinances that we practise now I hope you will not call them dead Works Answ. I say the Ministry in these Nations made by man's will and by the will of the Flesh and that are seeking their Gain from their Quarter and are suing Men at Law and throwing Men in Dungeons and Holes to the Loss of some mens Lives already and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled only to uphold their greedy devouring Nature who have ravened and devoured like evening wolves some mens Estates wholly and sometimes taken ten fold the Value who raven from place to place from one end of the Land to another and into other Nations also for filthy Lucre or a greater Benefit I say they are in the Fall in the Transgression Death rules in them over them and they are Ministers of Death and never brought any to God but of them many other Brethren who are in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ have born a large Testimony which any considerate wise prudent and reasonable man may see them to be Ministers of Death demonstrated by many sound Grounds and unanswerable Arguments and the Scripture of Truth clearly bearing witness to the same and so I refer the Reader to those things and shall content my self at present in what I have said in this particular Now as to the Worship or Ordinances or Practices themselves I come unto and shall speak no otherwise of any thing then God by his eternal Light and Spirit hath made me understand in the true Ground of things else I know well how to be Silent Now this I say to all Sects Opinions and Fellowships though they be divided into many Heads or Societies man acting or performing any thing of worship Ordinance or any practice whatsoever which the Scripture declares hath been or ever was though they should do it in the same manner sutable in every Circumstance to that which others did till all or every man come to believe in the power again which man went from in the Transgression all that he doth is Self-righteousness and dead Works Preaching dead Prayer dead Baptism dead their Communion dead their Conferences dead their exhortations dead their Fasts dead their Offerings like as if one had offered a dead Beast under the Law or a Lame Lamb which had been abomination even so I say till man come to that which he hath lost in the Transgression till man find the Power the Life the Light the Messiah and feel him in them to Work move and lead guide and act all will be accounted with the Lord Self-righteousness dead Works dead Fruit and if all would examine and try they might see the Nations almost spread over with dead men in Adam and dead Works abound and coverings which God will Rent and lay all waste together false Rest imitated Forms and representations without Life I say till men come into the Power again that Adam went from and so died in that Day cannot do any thing well-pleasing to God and whosoever comes to that again passeth every step through Death and denyes himself and all Self-actions self-righteousness and must come to be bare and Naked again even as he was before he came out he and his wife were Naked and were not ashamed
off in God's sore Displeasure being gone from that which was upright in which man was created and following their Imaginations and out of that mind formed Idols and Images and set them up and answered that Part in themselves which transgressed the Seed and not that which doth overthrow all Idols and the Ground thereof And after they were come to the Land that God had promised them they were commanded not to worship Idols as the Canaanites did that were Ham's Stock who was accursed and set up cursed Idols yet nevertheless breaking the Law which was to limit that Part which had transgressed that which was contrary to the Law was set up in themselves even the Nature of the Canaanites Gentiles and Heathen and then they worshipped the Heathens Gods nor else formed Gods and Idols and Images of their own and worshipped Baal Ashteroth and Chemâ—sh and the Sidonians Gods and every Nations Gods Images where they came and so the Lord sent his true Prophets who feared his Name and worshipped him to declare against them even the House of Israel a distinct People from the Heathen great Professors Ezek 14.4 They set up Idols in their Hearts and put a stumbling Block of Iniquity before their Face the Lord said he would answer them according to the Multitude of their Idols they being gone into Vanity they hearkened to the Idols that spaâ—e Vanity Zech. 10.2 And baked Bread and rosted Flesh with Wood and of the same made a God and they transgressed at Dan at Bethel at Gilgal yea their Idols stood in their Hearts and they formed such without as were suitable to their Hearts as you may read through many Ages and Generations before the Flood and after the Flood in the Wilderness in Canaan and in the Nations where they were scattered Hab. 2.18 19. What profiteth the graven Image and the molten Image and Teachers of Lyes wo unto him that saith to the Wood awake to the dumb Stone arise it shall teach behold it is laid over with Gold and Silver and there is no Breath at all in thâ— midst of it seek not to Bethel nor enter into Gilgal for Gilgal shall go into Captivity and Bethel shall come to nought Furthermore they corrupted themselves in those things which God had commanded which were Commands in their time and made Idols of those things which were but Figures or Shadows of good things to come which they should have waited for for as the Brazen Serpent Temple Offerings Oblations Tythes Priests Sabbaths New Moons Solemn Feasts Circumcision Passover and all these things were given to be observed till the Seed came the end of all these things and of the Law for Righteousness but Christ the Seed the Heir of all things when he came after many Prophets had declared of him from Moses to Samuel from Samuel to John they exalted those things above him and neglected him who had Life in himself and would not come unto him that they might have had Life and then their Temple Priests Sacrifice Oblations became Idols and their Practice became Idolatry and so are in Blindness to this Day and so in the Dayes of Christ they held up those things and were counselled in their Works and Observances and Dayes and Times and came not to believe in him in whom all Dayes end in and so continued in their large Observations all along in the Apostles Dayes and did as they had done in the Dayes of the Prophets slew the Prophets that were sent of the Lord and set Dreamers and such as prophesied for Hire and divined for Money and said no Evil should touch them and they said the Law should not depart from the Priests Mouth nor Vision cease from their Prophets but believed their Lyes and prophesied of Wine and strong Drink and cryed Peace to them that God's Controversie was against and so persecuted the Apostles from City to City and from Place to Place till the Wrat of God came upon them and Jerusalem compassed about with Armies and not one Stone left upon another and for their sakes Sion became a ploâ—ed Corn Field their Temple burnt their Priests slain their Sacrifices ceased their Oblations at an End and they scattered among the Heâ—then and they and all their Idols and Worship blasted and cursed from God and from being a Nation to this Day and thus hath the Lord brought Shame and Contempt upon all through all Ages who have worshipped the Works of their own Hands or that have holden up any Figure or Representation and have set it up and exalted it above the Life and with it have opposeâ— the Power the Life in which all Figures Types and Representations end in And thus far I have passed through Generations and also through Administrations that all who have a Desire of the true Knowledge of God may see that Man in the Degeneration being out of the Image of God corrupts himself in all things and maks Idols of all things being from the Life in which Man hath Power only to fulfil the Righteous Will of God But to descend and come nearer to our Age because all that which is called Christendom will say this is nothing unto them because they hold not up the Heathens Images nor the Jewish Idols nor the Jewish Types and Worship and therefore they are no Idolaters when John the Prophet came and preached repentance in the Wilderness of Judea which was a preparer of the way he Baptized in Jordan and many believed and Repented and were Baptized and Christ also was Baptized and so was he Circumcised and eat the Passover and observed what was written because he came to fulfill all Righteousness and also bad his Disciples hear them that sate in Moses Seat for he was not yet Sacrificed up nor Glorified I say John Baptized not in his own Name but bore Witness unto Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World who came after him and was preferred before him whom John said should Baptise them with the holy Ghost and with Fire and many of Johns Disciples followed Christ the true Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World and John was not Offended at them for following of Christ but rejoyced take notice of this you Baptizers who are offended with them that follow Christ the Light that lighteth every one that cometh in the World and Excommunicate them like the envyous Jews out of your Assemblies and say they are deluded and are so far from Johns Spirit that in stead of bearing your Testimony to him who is the Light that you would bind them up and Counsel your Disciples not to go after him The true Light that lighteth every man the Christ of God I say to you you are in the Idolatry who prefer your water before the Light but John bore witness to Christ the Light said he was preferred before him and some Imitaters and Idolaters say the Baptism of water is the door or Entrance into the
7.10 And just like the King and Priests then so are you now Church and State is like to be overthrown say you by the Quakers Herdsmen and Plowmen no Orthodox Divines nor Orthodox Professors but seditious say you like as the envious Jews who falsly accused the Apostles in the same Words And say you They frequent Meetings of their own why not did not the Apostles and Saints meet from House to House went they to the Temple at Jerusalem or into the Jews Synagogues after Christ was ascended to worship Ye ignorant men and yet cry Scripture is the Rule of Faith and Obedience how is the Scripture your Rule now when any worship God any where but where you meet banish them fine them five Shillings and ten Shillings and five Pounds a Day and if they return Death where is your Rule The Generations to come will number you among Fools as men that have lost your natural Understanding through your Madness and Envy which one Day you will repent of Whereby divers of our Inhabitants have been infected notwithstanding all former Laws made upon the Experience of their arrogant and bold Obtrusions to disseminate their Principles among us prohibiting their coming in this Jurisdiction they have not been deterred from their impetuous Attempts to undermine our Peace and hazard our Ruine And what have all your unrighteous Decrees done you no Good All your lying and invented Expressions in your Laws to make your matter heinous not accomplished your Purposes Hath not your Law for five Shillings a Day brought all to your Confederacy nor ten Shillings a Day nor fetching away their Beasts Pots and Kettles will not all this hinder them but they must depart from you Will not all the Whippings again and again as John Endicot your Governour did confess to his own Shame that you had done will not all serve Call all your Inchanters together and see something is the Matter more then ordinary and cannot all this you have done deter them from your Jurisdiction Yet you resolve to make another Law and try what that will do now you have covenanted with Death and have shaken Hands with the Destroyer and Murderer sure enough your Peace is undermined for else all these horrid cruel Enterprizes you would never have followed which you have begun and Ruine and Wo and eternal Misery and everlasting Sorrow is to them that are in that Nature you live in which is cursed from God forever For Prevention thereof this Court doth order and enact that every Person or Persons of the cursed Sect of the Quakers who is not an Inhabitant of but is found within this Jurisdiction shall be apprehended without Warrant where no Magistrate is at hand any Constable Commissioner or select man and conveyed from Constable to Constable to the next Magistrate who shall commit the said Person to close Prison there to remain without Bail unto the next Court of Assistance where they shall have a legal Tryal Now comes up the Rear of the Beast and the Reserve of the Prince of Darkness to back and fortifie all the wicked Enterprizes they attempted before who gave you Power to order so to enact to apprehend without Warrant So you have made every man a Magistrate and a Ruler in your Jurisdiction and I believe if they should kill or take away the Life of any you would give them an Absolution Is this the Example of Christ or any Church-Members or any Christian Magistrate And why do you call them a cursed Sect of the Quakers You have cursed them whom God hath blessed whom no Weapon that is formed against shall prosper And as for your legal Tryal we know your Rule your own wicked proud arrogant imperious and envious Wills and this must sit as Judge and Tryer. Well you have now set your selves against the Lord in your Strength having the old Dragon for your Leader will this serve you the Angel of the everlasting Covenant hath a Chain in his Hand to bind him and to dissipate your wicked Counsel and confound you in the midst of your Devises And being convicted to be of the Sect of the Quakers shall be sentenced to be banished upon Pain of Death You who are banished from the Presence of God your selves and are in Cain's Way Vagabond driven out into the Earth where the Dragon dwells you would banish them out of the Earth whom God hath shewed his Face and Presence unto and you are a Sect which hath risen from the great Whore your Mother who hath made all Nations drunk she that did drink the Blood of the Saints and you are the Fruit of her Womb and are like your Mother you have drunk the Blood of the Saints whom God hath sanctified and washed by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ and now you are grown so blood-thirsty that nought but Banishment and Loss of Life will satisfie your Rage your Cup shall be filled with the Wine of the Wrath of God which shall be poured forth without Mixture and thaâ— will be your Portion to drink Reader still take notice all these Laws mentioned in this Book and the fierce Censures and Punishments inflicted upon the Servants of the Lord is because they will not complement like flattering Courtiers and Roysters and Fidlers and use flattering Titles to men who are in Unbelief who seek Respect and Honour one of another which is below and because they cannot joyn with them in their Hypocritical Assemblies nor partake of the Table of Devils who destroyes mens Lives nor drink the Whore's Cup which hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and this is a Fact worthy of Banishment and Death in the Account of these Blood-suckers And now they come to their own Inhabitants and thou shalt hear their Judgment concerning them and thou shalt see how they love their Neighbours And that every Inhabitant of this Jurisdiction being convicted to be of the aforesaid Sect either by taking up publishing or defending the horrid Opinions of the Quakers or the stirring up Mutiny Sedition or Rebellion against the Government or by taking up their absurd and destructive Practices viz. Denying civil Respect to Equals and Superiors and withdrawing from our Church-Assemblies and instead thereof frequent Meetings of their own in Opposition to our Church-Order Now all may see how these men love their Neighbours as themselves and here is a great deal of aggravating high boasting Words packed up together in this unrighteous and ungodly Act as Sedition Rebellion and absurd and destructive Principles and like Scolds they make a great Noise and Clamour but if thou enquire into the Fact is it not puting off the Hâ—t and disowning their Assemblies and in their Account Banishment and Death is Punishment little enough for this Transgression These men would set up their Assembly as Nebuchadnezar's Image and whosoever will not bow must into the Furnace or be banished robbed spoiled and killed or like Jeroboam's Calf at Dan and Bethel and if Israel will
Covenant shall be broken and your Confederacy disanulled and you confounded in the midst of your Counsels what have you your Law yet to make to serve your Turns It seems you act not by the Law of God which is made already which is equal just and good and is for the Transgressor of Justice Goodness and Equity but takes not hold upon the just equal nor good but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious Minds and to accomplish your wicked Determinations and you that think to make a Law to banish and to put to Death your Thoughts are vain and wicked and God will bring them to Judgment and condemn you for them for Christ came not to destroy Mens Lives but to save them but the Devil makes Laws to destroy and not to save Read your Example and let Shame cover your Faces and Astonishment fill your Hearts that you should become so brutish and vain in your Thoughts as to think to limit the Lord of Heaven and Earth Can you command the Wind that it blow not can you stop the Bottles of Heaven that they pour not forth Water If you cannot no more can you limit the Lord And if you make any such Law to banish or put to Death it will procure the Indignation and Wrath of God more speedily then if all the Popish Princes that are in the WORLD did enter into the midst of your Land But this is come to pass that your Hypocrisie and Deceit might be made manifest in the Sight of the Sun and that all men may see what Prâ—fession of Words is without the Life of Christ to rule in Men If it should have been told you when you fled from this Nation what you would do in the time to come against God and his Servants you would have said with Hazael Are we Dogs But the Heart of Man is deceitful unconverted and your deceived Hearts have led you aside Thou thinkest they are the worst Hereticks Thy Eye being blinded and thy Understanding darkened and thy Heart full of Envy how should'st thou think otherwise But thy Thoughts shall be discovered to thee and thou shalt be convinced of the Evil of them Thou say'st One whom many think is a Jesuite pressed for a Conference with one of our Teachers called Mr Norton but the Quaker was quickly weary of it You live by your Thoughts and know nothing if he had been a Jesuite it 's like he might have had more Favour from you and the Minister might be very bold knowing before-hand no Evil was like to befall him having the Rulers with their Clubs on his Side the Prison-Doors and House of Correction ready to receive the Quakers the Goalers and Task-masters with their Whips and butcherly Fellows with their Knives to cut of their Ears at the Pleasure and Wills of a Company of envious men before whose Face the Fear of the Lord is not But it is like you will make the Quaker weary soon if he would look out at your Cruelty if you did as sometime some of your Priests and Rulers caused to be done in New-England stop Napkins in their Mouthes and bound Keys over their Mouthes that they could not speak and boast and say The Quaker had nothing to answer Well all these things are recorded and are written as with a Pen of Iron and they are engraven where they shall not be blotted out and you are registred among the Uncircumcised with Mesech and Tubal the great Princes of Gog which make War against the Lamb his Followers but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory and you shall be trodden as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet for they shall melt away that hate the Lord. Reading the 16th of the 12th Moneth 1658. F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light AND REPROVED IN Answer to divers false Doctrines and Principles of John Wells of St. Ives so called in Huntingon-shire Concerning the Word and the Gospel and the Way to Christ and the Tryal of Spirits and the Light which lighteth every Man and the Ministers Maintenance His vain Arguments and Proofsmade void and Truth manifested in all these particulars Also some Queries propounded to John Wells to answer By him that loves the Truth as it is in Jesus F. H. THE WORKS OF DARKNESS Brought to Light HE that hates the Light as it is written will not bring his Deeds to the Light lest they should be reproved and made manifest of which Sort John Wells a pretended Minister of the Gospel at St. Ives so called in Huntington-shire is who hath declared and published unsound Doctrines contrary to Scripture of Truth which were asserted by him and taken from his own Mouth and the Reply thereunto sent and his Doctrines reproved as to be unsound and inconsistent to a true Minister of Christ the which Paper of Information and also of Reproof John Wells in Vindication of his former Assertions hath divulged abroad in his Parish as in Answer to the said Paper delivered unto him and also in Vindication of his former Doctrines which Paper of his hath been read up and down by his Auditors as some great Oracle which could not be gainsayed and he never yet sent his Answer unto them who contradicted and reproved his aforesaid Doctrines and Principles unto which his Answer did properly belong it could never yet be purchased or obtained from him or any of his Auditors and all this he hath done lest his Works should be brought to Light and his Deceit should be discovered and his Kingdom weakened which stands in Darkness but seeing that there is no Work of Darkness must be hid but must all be brought to Light and be discovered in the Day therefore is his Paper come forth by another Hand that he and his Work might be tryed and reproved and that the ignorant might see his Confusion and also that Truth might be made manifest to the Understandings of People that they may no longer continue in Ignorance and Blindness now when the Lord is shining forth in his Brightness and revealing his Glory from the rising of the Sun His first Position is That Eternal Life is to be found by or in the Scriptures II. They are the VVay and Means which God hath discovered for the obtaining of it viz. Eternal Life In the Vindication of his foresaid Assertions he saith he will explain himself and saith That God is pleased by his Infinite Grace and VVisdom to continue this excellâ—nt Plot of Redemption by his Son and then concludeth how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard therefore was God pleased by the Scriptures to reveal Jesus Christ and none can ever come to the Knowledge of Chrâ—st but in or by the Scriptures This man talks like a Heathen Politician rather then a Minister of Christ who tells of an excellent Plot of Redemption for he who is the Redeemer was with the Father was his Delight before the World began which in
may properly be called unbelief and thou errst in thy Judgment who seekst to civil or Military Power to uphold Religion which as I said before belongs to him who is the higher and highest Power Civil and Military Officers are not for making Religion or setting up Religion but are to keep the Peace and to stop the Violent-doer and to be a Terror to Evil works and workers and a Praise to them that do dwell and that is their place to govern in Righteousness but not to exercise Lordship over the Conscience which Power belongs only to Christ and as for them who have delivered Books and Papers and words and writings to them who are in Authority to pull down the Ministry and Steeple-houses or publick Ministry and Worship if thou intendest the Quakers as I believe thou dost thy Arrows being shot only at them we have delivered or caused to be delivered divers Book and Papers wherein we have shewed them the grievous Suffering of the People of God by the heavy Oppressions which they did suffer under because of the Hirelings Wages and upholding of Mass-houses things which have been introduced since the Primitive times in the Apostacy which aforesaid things have been guarded and upheld by Laws made in the Beast's power now to make null those Laws which were the Ground of many Oppressions and an offence to many tender Consciences this is not to pull down Religionâ— and that Ministry which can be pull'd down by taking away of Tythes and forced maintenance is no Ministry of Christ but Ministers of Anti-christ and to deny paying to Steeple-houses Clark-Wages burying for the Dead and such other like invented Things which many have groaned under is not to pull down Religion for this I say to thee and that which I can say to all which no reasonable or equitable man will deny to be equitable or Just take the Hireling Ministry to thee and give him the fifth part of thy Estate if thou wilt and erect thy Steeple-house like Babel's Tower but trouble not us with none of these things and for declaring to the Magistrates that these things ought to be done away and the Law by which they stood which was made in Transgression ought to be taken away this is not to pull down the Ministry nor true Religion but to overturn deceit and Invocation which hath Obstructed and hindered pure Reformation which hath been talkt on for these are but the rotten Raggs of the Whore's Menstruous Garment so thy defence is made void and ours standeth true that the Magistrate or Military Power hath nothing to do to Prescribe any form of Religion to bind all unto for this is an Intruding into those things that belong not to them Thou say'st That thou dost freely and sincerely affirm that thou hast not knowingly wronged the Quakers in the least but dost engage thy self to make good every Thing thou chargest against them that shall require it of thee That we shall see afterwards how thou wilt make good that which thou hast charged some with hast thou not knowingly wronged us when thou hast brought all those which thou countest Hereticks all Europe over and some Parts else and whatsoever they did or said must be imputed unto us I know thy Envy in Times past with the rest of the Priests was as much agaâ—nst them who were separate from your Assemblies as now against us and all these Things that thou hast raked up in this Book out of Histories of Germany of New-England which I am not credulous to receive from thy Mouth no more then I shall thy History as thou callest it of the Quakers for thou who wilt lye of them which are so near thee may report many Untruths at a Distance and these Things the hireling Priests were wont to charge upon the Baptists and Independents but now we are become the Object of all your Reproach and your Butt to shoot at but we are in that which the Devil cannot prevail against neither the Gates of Hell In thy third Chapter thou say'st Thou wilt treat of the Predecessors of the Quakers and thou reckonest up Simon Magus Menander Saturnus how he taught that Marriage and Generation was of Satan and Arrias who denyed the Divinity of Christ and Pelagius a Monk who held that a Man without the Grace of God was able to fulfil all the Commandment of God and of Basilides that he taught that it was not Jesus but Simon of Cirene that was crucified in his Shape These are none of our Predecessors take them to thy self and whether hast thou not knowingly wronged us in these Things and how wilt thou make every Thing good which thou hast charged us withal These things fore-mentioned and many more which I shall pass over as not to trouble the Reader with in which thou hast charged us falsly wherein thou art required to make good the Charge or else cease thy clamorous Tongue these that thou hast reckoned up you use to call them Arians Saturnians and Pelagians but now thou hast made them all Quakers In thy 13th Page thou manifestest what Spirit thou art of thou tellest of the Old Church-Government being taken away to wit the Common-Prayer-Book tâ—ken out of the Mass-Book then began Sects to arise So that it seems thy chief Reformation and Religion is but the Old Lithurgy which is little better then the Mass and the Ministers the old corrupt Bishops that the Earth groaned with the Burthen thereof whose Ordination and Call is from the Pope their Original and from the Church of Rome your Mother from whence these State-hirelings which burthen the whole Creation sprang forth thou would'st have all confined unto this dark Mist and compelled to worship according unto those Popish Traditions held forth for publick Worship in that time Further thou bring'st a Heap of Lyes out of Baxter a Man at Enmity against all Goodness who hath written many lying Books against the living TRUTH for which the Lord God will call him and thee to Account Thou set'st down some of that which thou call'st our Principles in the 16th Page How that we deny all Officers in a Common-wealth and how we deny all Relation as Brother and Sister Magistrate Master Father Mother Son and Daughter Husband and Wife and that Husband and Wife should part assunder and that all Things should be common all these things shall turn upon thy own Head and now to the Light in thy Conscience I speak which thou despisest whether thou hast not wilfully wronged us And I require of thee according to thy Promise to make these things good but I believe thy Proof is out of our Adversaries Books Baxter's and the Priests of New-castle which things have been answered and their Lyes turned upon their own Heads In the 17th Page thou hast gathered some Words and Sentences out of our Books many of them are so evident and manifest Truths to all that are come to a good Understanding that they need no Vindication for they
witness the breaking of the Bread which is the Body and in this answer there is not one word of Church Fiftly E. B. In answer to Firmin his words thou hast perverted and would bring this as a contradiction of R. H. thou saist He allows only the Wicked and Ungodly to read the Scripture such as the Scribes and Pharisees and not the godly And not the godly is thy own Addition he spoke concerning the Scribes and Pharisees who thought to have Eternal Life in the Scripture he saith this was spoken to the Pharisees and not to believers yet Believers are not excluded from reading the Scripture for them it pertains to and they understand it but thou art like the Spider where the Bee gathers Honey gathers that which is corrupt and in thy conclusion of thy Story thou takest in Hand to supplicate God and thou saist it is for the help of them that need it this thou might have spared till the old Prelates had come up again it may be some Synod of them will add to the Book of Common-Prayer thy late Service and Worship dost thou think the Lord will hear thy Hypocrisie and Lyes without returning his Judgment on thy Head Thou tellest of some that set light of Christ and his Blood and Word thou art one of them that set light of Christ and count his Blood as a vain thing as thy own Words in thy Book shall testifie where the Reader may observe when we have testified of the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World who is the Way to the Father thou hast set down out Words for Blasphemy and Error when divers of them are the Words of Scripture and none of them but the Scripture will testifie unto against thee and as for the Blood of Christ and the Blood of the everlasting Covenant thou countest a vain thing and an unholy thing even which cleanseth from Sin and bears witness against it and subdues it and makes them that receive it Conquerers over Sin but thou that cryest out against Perfection or Freedom from Sin and countest this Error and Blasphemy thou denyest that which sanctifieth and cleanseth from Sin and counteiâ— it unholy and vain and so if the Lord should hear thee and grant that thou prayest for Destruction would come upon thee and thou art one of the formal Professors that had Need to repent of thy Deceit before thou canst pray unto God either for thy self or others but Enmity and Wickedness lodges in thy Heart against the Lord and the VVay of Truth and thou hast resisted the Counsel of the Lord against thy self and therefore VVoes Plagues Thunders and Storms are truly thy Portion and nothing else must thou expect which undoubtedly will come upon thee except thou repent and it will be hard for thee to find a Place of Repentance for it is yet hid from thine Eyes So I have answered thy lying History by which thou would'st inchant Peoples Minds and have discovered thy Deceit and thy Poison which thou hast put in that thou callest an Antidote that so the Simple may not be deceived with thy Lyes and Cheats neither the innocent betrayed only I shall return a few of thy Lyes upon thy own Head which thou hast forged up against the Quakers out of thy corrupt Heart and out of the lying Stories of the Priests with whom thou art in League but he that sits in Heaven laughs you to Scorn and all whose Eyes the Lord hath opened will have thy lying Story in Derision and loath thy Enmity and testifie against thy Spirit as not to be of God And because thou hast said in thy Advertisement to the Reader That thou hast not knowingly wronged the Quakers in the least I say thou hast either knowingly or ignorantly wronged them and of both thou must repent before thou findest Mercy and because thou tell'st the Reader thou wilt make good every Thing thou hast charged against them to any who require it I do require thee to make these ensuing Things good 1. That the Quakers deny the Death and Ascension of Christ. 2. That we deny the Divinity of Christ. 3. That the Priests under the Law that took Tythes did Evil and for it were counted false Prophets and Deceivers 4. That a man is just fled by the merits of his own good Works 5. That the ignorant may not read the Scriptures 6. The Quakers are a carnal and bloody People 7. That the Quakers are bewitched and possessed by the Devil 8. That Christians are worse then Beasts 9. That the Body of Christ is not in Heaven 10. That Christ as man had his Failings 11. That man is not reconciled to God until he can stand by his own Power 〈…〉 12. That Christ was a single man true man and dyed for us 13. That without the Grace of God a man may keep the Commands of God 14. That they deny the Relation of a Father a Brother or a Wife 15. That all that the Quakers have suffered is for evil-doing being Malefactors These among many others thou art required to prove and to make good as thou hast promised or else forever stop thy lying Lips own thy Condemnation for thy Envy and false Aspersions and these things I lay at thy Door as Lyes see how thou wilt clear thy self in the Sight of them unto whom thou hast written thy Story many filthy and ungodly Stories are besides in thy Book which I shall not trouble the Reader or cumber his Mind with thy filthy Stuff but in what already declared thy Deceit will be made manifest and laid open and Truth cleared from thy Lyes and that will be Satisfaction to him who desires that all who love the Lord may be kept out of the Snares and Temptations of the Devil who goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour and thou may'st see whose Foot-steps Thomas Underhil hath trode who hath ranged up and down from Age to Age from Nation to Nation from one Region to another to fetch up Lyes and fabulous Stories to resist the Truth withal whose Reward will be according to his Works FRiend consider what thou hast done Oh how hast thou brought a Vail of bad Report upon thy Name amongst all that fear God and how hast thou hurt and wounded thy self by thy own Wickedness and the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee The Wickedness of the wicked shall slay him what hast thou no better Use to make of thy time then to spend it with inventing Mischief against a despised People that seek not the Hurt of my one but thirst and wait for the glorious Appearance of the Son of God And what thou hast sought to do against them shall be the Weight upon thy own Conscience in the dreadful Day of God whose 〈◊〉 Judgments thou canst not escape Alas for thee poor man thou secuâ—e Child of Babylon whose Strength is Weakness and whose Wisdom is meer 〈◊〉 in the Sight of the Lord the
not believing but Hereticks turbulent Hereticks we believe belong unto him to punish and who must be Judge of turbulent Hereticks is not an Heretick an Unbeliever and if the Magistrate ought not to punish an Unbeliever then not a Heretick for a Heretick is an Unbeliever and they who are in the Power Authority of God can deny such a one and judge him out by the Power of God there is his Punishment according to that which thou callst Gospel-institution and beyond that or any further Act upon such a one we do not read of in all that which is call'd the New Testament neither that Christ his Apostles or any of the true Churches or Officers or Believers ever commanded or commended or exhorted any to stretch forth their Hand against the Person of any who were Hereticks really so and Blasphemers really so and therefore see there â—s neither Command Precept nor Example doest not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou callest Believers to act such wretched Acts of Cruelty as you have done and thou vindicaâ—est them in tast â—ir Duty It 's true we read of the Beast and of the Dragon whâ— mâ—de Wâ—r against the Saints and killed them and of Mystery Bâ—bylon and of Sodom and Egypt where Christ was slain and the Witnesses slain now if thou wilt take these for Proofs and for a Ground thou mâ—yest and so all thy twisting and twining and vain Arguments fall to the Ground and doth not the Church of Rome account all you as Hereticks and is not their Judgement that they ought to punish you wiâ—h corporal Punishment and is not this your Judgement also page 78. that the Magistrate ought to proceed gradually That is to inflict Punishment by Degrees with lingring Tortures like their Inquisitions and wherein doth thy Doctrine differ from theirs in this take them to thee and thy Doctrine for thou art but a Stem sprung out of the same Root and actest from the same Principle and yet I tell thee and all the World I am not pleading for any matter of Fact or for Breakers of the Law that is righteous for the Law is good if a Man use it lawfully it is against Murderers Man-stealers and Stealers of the Creatures for Idolaters and Defrauders and Cheaters and every Act or Fact deserves punishment suitable to the Transgression now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the Fact of the Quakers in New-England which hath deserved all these bâ—rbarous Tortures then to declare them and publish them as Offenders in Matters of Fact and have none to lay to their charge and I challenge thee and the rest of thy Adherents to produce some matters of fact which the Quakers have done which is contrary to any righteous Law of God or else own your Condemnation and repent and thou must not think that this poor Tract of thine which is full of Deceit and Confusion Error Blasphemy and Madness though thou publish it by the Appointment of the General Court that it will cover your Wickedness or hide you from being discovered to moderate People neither will shelter you in the Day of the Lord. And thou say'st It concerneth New-England alwayes to remember that originally they are a Plantation Religious the Profession of Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline is written upon your Fore-heads that after New-England hath now shined Twenty Years should now go out in the Snuff of Moralianism Answ. There was something amongst some of you but you fled the Cross as I told you before and so that Spirit which persecuted you in the Bishops Time got up in your selves and that which once you had while you were under Affliction here you have lost not only the Pâ—wer of Godliness but the Form thereof and also of sound Words and now as to matter of Religion it is rather become a Place of Ostridges Owles and Satyrs and for Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline written in your Fore-heads if it must be tried by your Rule and if it be the same Twenty Years that it is now I have not heard more of Unsoundness in Doctrine Worship and Discipline which I have read on in many Ages but especially in the Scripture and truly your shining now is turned into Blackness and your Sun is set and your day is darkness and your Light is gone out as the Snuff of a Candle because this man boasts of their Doctrine Worship and Discipline take a few things out of many and behold them in the Light of the Lord and compare them with the Scripture and so I leave them to thy Judgment 1. First speaking of the Trinity he saith God is a distinct Subsistance from the Son and the Spirit and that the Son is distinct Subsistance from the Father and the Spirit in the nineth Page and because it is said The Father shall give you another Comforter this another he saith is intelligible of the Essence so then the Son is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Spirit is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Son so here are three distinct Essences 2. And that the Spirit of God without the Letter is no Spirit that which obligeth a Man to obey a Command of God is one Power and that which strengthens him and enables him to obey is aâ—othâ—r Power page 12. and that Christs Words in Joh. 17.22 give an uncertain Sound which are these That they may be one as we are one 3. That Scripture is a perfect Rule of Life but not without Consequences 4. That Thomas and Mary are no where mentioned in Scripture neither are commanded Obedience nor forbidden Disobedience contrary to Joh. 20.16 17.27 5. That that Light which teacheth a Man there is a God and to worship God and that Parents are to be honoured and that a Man shall not lye nor steal and that which discovers the Creator his Eternity and Omnipotency is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual Light and contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit pag. 16. 6. That the Light which is in every Man hath much miscarried whilest that it is mannaged by the reigning Power of Darkness pag. 17. 7. That that which lets a Man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him and shews a Man ought not to steal nor to lye and that which discovers Eternity and Omâ—ipotency this iâ—deed saith he is Darkness it is worse then gross Darkness pag. 18. 8. Christ enlightens no Man wâ—th the Light of Life but them that are so and so qualified 9. That the Gospel is a Constitution or Effect tempered of the Grace of God and the Blood of Christ. 10. That the visible Political Churches Political Officers Political Worship and Administrations are Gospel-Institutions or appointed by Christ pag. 41. 11. That there is Policy in Heaven pag. 42. 12. Pastors and Teachers are Political Church-Officers 13. That the Lord's Supper is
People loved to have it so and the End thereof was Misery for God raised up another Thing and overthrew the Judges Prophets Priests and People the Ancient and Honourable that were the Head and the false Prophets which were the Tail V. Is not the same Blindness happened to England When will her Rulers Judges Prophets Priests see their Error Is it ever like to be a free Nation till all act freely for God without imposing heavy Burdens and giving as much to one Officer imployed in the publick Service as would serve twenty and make so many of them too When will these Things be done away that every one may be approved manifest how he loves his Nation or how he seeks the Good thereof by laying out himself freely and acting freely without so much Chargeableness to the Nation I do not mean the Souldiery but Men employed in civil Affairs and the Ministry who would be counted godly and painful to publish freely or else be silent VI. So now many are so doting on the Name of a Parliament as though it were essential or the Name to be the Foundation of Government and cry up the Priviledge of Parliament as some have done Prerogative and would fight about a Name in their Heat and Passion and loose the thing intended though they be the Representative of the People to do Good to the people and not Hurt thy are accounted as good Servants to God and to them that elected them but if they would so soon as got together set up a particular Interest which serves to the imbondaging of the whole and then cry up their Priviledge to do what they list then it is no Rebellion in God's Account neither in the Account of Just Men to call them away when they do not perform the thing intended but if they will not hearken to the Cry of their Masters the People but it may be call them Rebels or Traytors if they should be turned out because they have clothed themselves with the Name of HIGHER POWER when alas they are gone from that in which their Power Priviledge and Authority stood VII And this I have to say to that Part of the Army who stand so much on the Name of Parliament and would seem to oppose all the rest whether Army or the People from whence their Power did at first arise when they accomplish not the End that they meet for neither intended so to do but to set up some and make the rest alwayes Sufferers if you should take part herein and manage your VVeapons for a Sound or a Name or for something that may sute you though damnifie many Thousands it will not go well with you for God looketh not as man neither judgeth he according to man's VVisdom therefore be not rash nor hâ—sty â—o shed Blood upon this Account but take Counsâ—l in time lest an out-stretched Arm stop you in your way to your Detriment and Hurt you may repent too late it is not your declaring in words for the Good Old Cause neither your Proclamations nor Declarations in good words neither taking God to witness that will satisfie the People who have been and are present Sufferers we have had enough of that from all the former Asserters of Liberty in words but the thing is not done so be less in words and more in Action and Deeds for Righteousness and though you may seemingly retort the Sayings of this Army in England upon them how they received Commissions from the Parliament and promised to be faithful to them and did that they repented of that such things should get up to rule and have Dominion as were acted by the two late Protectors whom the Parliament and you judged Usurpers and so you take Advantage at this to spread forth this to their Reproach in the Nation this is not brotherly done neither is that Spirit that will forgive and suffer long but is heady Though they did receive Commissions and promise to be faithful yet the End I believe was still Premised by them as to be Servants to them for the foresaid End the Good Old Cause 1 st Freed as men from Oppression 2 dly As Christians from being imposed upon either by ancient Laws or Laws which hereafter might be made which hindred the aforesaid Cause and End of all the travail expence and suffering in the Nation which they would never have done therefore the Army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that End aforesaid in God's Sight and in the Sight of illuminated men is no Rebellion no Treachery IX And as for the long Parliament by whom God did Good Things Great Things in the overthrowing that power which was deviated from the aforesaid End yet the Ax must not boast it self against him that hewed only with it for a time to accomplish his End and when he pleaseth take up another Instrument and let the first lie still VVhat they did they had the Approbation of God and good men yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended and though they were called together in a time of Straits when that which had obstructed through Flattery and Ambition was taken away yet still you who were the members of the Old Parliament remaining were called together for to help to accomplish the aforesaid End and to carry on the Good Old Cause but truly you sticked in the Mire and did not run cheerfully but had your Ears open to them that could complement and flatter and their Business you would hear and return them thanks but them who had been your dearest Friends in your former Straits coming in all Love and Humility and represented their sad suffering unto you of their long Imprisonment and how above twenty dear precious men suffered till Death in prison for that Grand Oppression of Tythes these could not be heard And again when a Representation came unto you from many Thousands who were faithful Men to the Common-Wealth and had alwayes been it was laid by as waste Paper or as a thing of no validity and worth when others received thanks from you in Words and a seeming Approbation of things of far less Importance Furthermore certain who had been Officers in the Army in the Nation and in Ireland this fourteen or fifteen Years came to you to present the Sufferings and Grievances of that Nation unto you and in seven or eight Weeks Time you would neither hear nor regard their Suit unto you neither take notice of it neither return an Answer but when a Company of greedy hireling Priests came from Leicester-shire to sound their trumpet in the House and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their Brethren in Cheshire and Lancashire with George Booth they were immediately called in and thanks returned as though they had done some great Service for the Nation but them who were your real Friends called Quakers when diverse of them represented the sad sufferings of the People
Midsummer dues Mortuaries Money for Churching of Women Marriages nor for the Burials of the dead nor Money for funeral Sermons neither did they preach over the dead All these and abundance more of such like invented things was never practised nor found amongst the Churches before the Apostacy which things considered may cause R.I. to blush that ever he durst be so impudent as to say they differ not neither in the whole nor in part in matter nor in manner from the Primitive Churches and until such Time as R. I. and his Brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things let them not think any whose Eyes God hath opened can receive them for a Church of Christ nay most of the parish Ministers hold up those practices which the Papists did deny as money for Marriages and Burials Baptism the Sacrament or the Ground in which the dead were buried this was reprehended and condemned by the Council of Trent in the height of all popery 1547. Saith R. I. It seems these Tythes are a great matter to many or rather a great trouble for them to pay the Ministers though Abraham paid Tythes of all to Melchizedeck before the Law and this proves E. D. his Argument as saith R. I. That it is contrary to the Light and Law of God to with-hold them from the Ministers because they were given by Abraham before the Law Answ. Yea it is great matter with many to pay Tythes and a great trouble too because he that confesseth Christ is come in Flesh cannot uphold the shadows of the first Covenant which belonged to a changable Priesthood having no other Portion among their Brethren which was given unto them for the Service which they performed unto the Lord and likewise were a Twelfth Tribe and near a Twelfth Part of the People and now the Law being changed and the Priesthood changed and the Covenant ended and the Ordinance thereof abolished that such a Company of covetous Men as the Parochial Priests generally are that they should claim the Tythes that belonged to this Priesthood and not to do the Work that they did and yet have a Portion among their Brethren in this Land neither are they the Three Hundredth Part of the People that such a Company I say as these should claim the Tenth Part of all the Encrease in the Land this is a great matter and a thing not consistant with the Law of God neither Equity or Reason And it is but a poor and feeble Argument neither of E. D. or R. I. that because Abram gave the Tenth part of the Spoil to Melchizedeck before the Law that therefore it must be a binding thing to all Generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of Aaron neither after the Order of Melâ—hizedeck Abram gave the tenth and that but once and freely and Melchizedeck brought forth Bread and Wine to Abram's Army and we may as justly and upon as good Ground demand Bread and Wine for our whole Families of the Priests as the Priests can demand the tenth part of our Substance from Abram's gift to Melchizedeck and say It is against the Law of God Nature and reason as E. D. and R. I. doth conclude by their feeble Arguments which they make upon Abram's giving the tenth's for if the Example of the one be binding then â—he example of the other is also as binding Abram gave the Tenth part of â—he Spoil and that but once and Melchizedeck demanded none then why do â—he Priests who are Usurpers claim it every Year and where they cannot get it freely as few will give it them who Witness Christ come in the Flesh then they take it by Force and constraint or would Melchizedeck have pleaded with Abram as this ignorant R. I. doth that the Spoil was none of his own as he saith Tythes are no Man's own or as I said before to E. D. would Melchizedeck have taken away Abram's Oxen Cowes or Horâ—â— Sheep or Camels if he had not given him the tenth part Or did any of the Ministers of Christ require or demand force or constrain any Maintenance whatsoever from any which this R. I. saith They differ nothing from neither in whole nor in part in matter or manner neither in Practice but saith R.I. This is nothing to the purpose unless it could be proved that the Apostles might have had Tythes which they could not being Persecuted Yet it is something to the purpose if you take them for an Example as you say you do and though it be granted the Apostles were Persecuted from place to place and sometimes went from place to place when they were not Perâ—ecuted which R. I. would have Condemned for runnagates if he had lived in that time But without all Controversie if it be a duty now to pay Tythes unto the Ministers of the Gospel then it was a duty in the Apostles time that though the Rulers were Persecutors yet the Apostles would have minded them whom they had begotten into the Faith of their duty but we find no mention neither by Commandment Reproof or Exhortation unto any of the Churches about any such thing and so thy Argument R. I. is foolish and Frivolous for it may be easily proved that Tythes were never demanded not for 7 or 8 hundred Years after the Ascension of Christ. And R. I. saith The Apostles took whatsoever was given them and thâ—â— satisfies the Ministers Conscience to take Tythes which the Magistrates give them so they may of such Maintenance live of the Gospel Answ. If the Apostles took nothing but what was given them then this shames your forcing and also you seek it of them who receive you not which manifests you are out of the Apostles example and though it satisfies your Consciences to take Tythes which thou sai'st the Magistrates give you both of them that own you and them that own you not yet I believe it would not have satisfied the Apostles of Christ if any Magistrates would have sent them back to the Jews who Believed not or the Gentiles who received them not this they would not accounted as a free Gift though this divers hundred Years many Rulers have Drunk of the Whore's cup and have given their Authority to the Beast and have forced and compelled to a Worship and also to give to the Whore's Merchants yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so and the Apostles never counted this living of the Gospel to live of Tythes forced Maintenance which none of the Ministers did receive or ever will And so for shame call in thy Ignis Fatuus again in which thou hast published so many Lyes among which is one which will stand as a record against thee viz. That ye differ not in Doctrine and Practice matter and manner neither in whole nor in part from the Apostles and Primitive Saints And this is another Lye that Timothy and Titus was settled in a parochial-like way
rose up out of the Waters and became great and cruel which had a Mouth speaking great Things and Blasphemy and he opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and them that dwell in Heaven and he made War with the Saints and overcame them read the Book of the Revelations and this Beast had Power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and Kingdoms which are the Seat of the false Church which devoured and killed the Saints who have been cryed up for the higher and highest Power and all who dwelt upon the Earth whose Names were not written in the Book of Life cryed out who is able to make war with the Beast and whosoever did not receive the mark of the Beast rich or poor high or low bond or free might not buy or sell but were killed and warred against and herein is the Power of God made manifest and the Power of Antichrist the Followers of the Lamb and the Followers of the Beast the Worship of the Lamb and the Worship of the Beast the War with the Lamb and his Followers and the War with the Beast and his Followers and the Lamb maketh war with the Sword of his Mouth which is the Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God and so do all his Followers who overcome spiritual Wickedness in high Places and conquer the unclean Spirit and subdue the Kingdom of the Devil and the Powers of Darkness and yet hurt not the Creature For Christ came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and herein again is the Beast and Dragon and their Worship and Followers made manifest to be quite different unto the former for he compelleth to his Worship by his cruel Laws Imprisonment and lingring Torments and by his carnal Swords and weapons which never can subdue spiritual Enemies and he kills men and stricks at the Creature and so destroyeth the Saints Bodies which are God's Tabernacles and Temple and Temples of the holy Ghost this never reaches to the pulling down of Deceit in any wherein lieth the true Power but the Lamb doth not so but slayes the Enmity and saveth the Creature And we never read that Christ ever gave Command to his Disciples neither did his Disciples give any such Command to the Churches which were planted that they should force any to their Worship either Believers or Unbelievers but alwayes taught the contrary that as every one had received the Gift of God Christ so let him walk and as every one believed in his own Heart and was perswaded in his own Mind by the Spirit of the Lord was to walk accordingly did obey and observe or else he sinned for the true Church of God and Ministers of Christ took no pleasure to make men Sinners For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But Oh how many have the false Church and Beast and the Kings and Princes of the Earth forced to receive these things as Institutions and Ordinances of God and to observe many things which have been put upon People as divine Worship or as some heavenly Observations when alas many did not believe with their Hearts neither were perswaded thereto by the Spirit of God in their own Minds and Consciences and yet through Force and compelling prisoning and cruel torturing many have yielded and condescended to their Worship and so have been made to sin against the Lord and their own Souls and thus instead of making Christians indeed thousands of Hypocrites have been proselyted this way and many others through Weakness rather then to suffer have sinned against their weak Consciences by this forcing way or compelling way the City of Babylon hath been reared up by this means and the false Church hath gotten a great corrupt Body and glories in her Seat and sitteth as a Queen over Nations Kindreds Tongues and People having perswaded the Kings and Nobles of the Earth that they ought to defend this Holy Church and to keep her Ordinances unviolated or else they should be in Danger of her Curse and of her Excommunication and thus the Devil himself hath armed himself every way Antichrist hath fenced about his Throne as to the gaining of the Powers of the Earth on his side and for Fear of being discovered he hath taken up the outside-profession of Christianity yet the VVolf's Nature is brought forth and is tryed which worries and kills the Sheep and to speak plainly and truly since the Power of God hath been lost and disregarded which mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh in Men and the Form of Words retained and the outside Observances taken up by the false Church she hath gotten more Members by the Kings of the Earth who have drunk of her Cup and are baptized into her Spirit by their cruel forcing and owning all to a Conformity to their holy Church as she hath called herself then by any sound Doctrine or holy example or good Practices that she hath shewed forth to the Nations And Oh how have the Kings of the Earth and the Princes thereof been made slaves and Drudges to this Harlot to make Lawes for her and to re-inforce them upon the People to the destroying of many Bodies and Souls to patronize and hold up their Sorceries and to keep up her Inchantments in Reputation among the People and in so doing the false Church hath so flattered and called thâ—ir Princes who had drunk of her Cup Defenders of the Faith and Propagators of the Gospel but if any did fail of observing her invented Institutions then what dreadful Excommunications and Woes and Curses have been threatned against them and how many Princes have been deposed of their Crowns as Hereticks and Rebellions have been raised against such to overthrow them and their People and therein you have had sufficient proof many of you Princes of Germany These things I write unto you desiring your good in that which pertains to this Life and of that which is to come and that you might truly see your selves whether you are not drinking of this Cup of Fornication yea or my Or whether you are not yet giving your Power to the Beast yea or nay is there not a form of Worship without the Life and Power then that is but the VVhore's Cup is there a seeming Shew of holiness among you and do you not enjoy the Life and sum and substance of all Shadows then that is but the VVhore's Cup the outside fairly garnished but Rottenness is at the Heart do you compel to worship then that is the Beast's power that is not Christ's Power nor of the higher Power you must deny that the true State and Power that any Prince hath allowed him from God in which he may expect a Blessing upon himself and People is in that he ruleth well in things appertaining to men and things civil which pertain unto this Life and unto the Kingdoms of Men upon Earth and to be for the punishing of evil-doers as of these murderous man-slayers man-stealers Drunkards
and Judges ought to do so and so have made them put their Neck in a Yoak which is too heavy for them to bear which the Lord hath not required at their Hands and because of this compellings and forcings many Hypocrites have been made and many of God's Peoples Consciences wounded and burdned and many Kings and Rulers have lost their Dominions and they have been taken from them because of this by the Lord. So all that have intruded upon Christ's Prerogative and Soveraignity in this thing are sure to be reckoned as no other but as Usurpers and Intruders into that Power which the Father alone hath given unto his Son which Power Dominion and Glory he will not give unto any other as to be Judge and Law-giver in the Hearts and Consciences of his People Object But some may say Did not the Prophet exhort to enquire for the old Paths and the Good old Way and did not the Prophet say Kings should be nursing-Fathers and Queens should be nursing-Mothers And must not this be fulfilled in these Dayes Answ. This is true that the Prophet did exhort the Princes and people of Israel who were in the revolted Estate who had transgressed the commandments of the Lord and had lost their Guide of their youth the Râ—st of their Souls and therefore he turned them back to consider of the dayes of old and enquire after the good old Way that they might walk therein which they were gone from but this doth not pertain at all unto this time of Christ Jesus is the new and living Way which all are to enquire after now who is the end of the Law for Righteousness and the first Covenant unto them that believe and as for Kings being nursing-Fathers the Queens nursing-Mothers this was prophesied by the Prophet before they went into captivity and how the Heathen should have power over their Kings prophets and priests and people and Jerusalem should lye desolate now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the Lord and they to inhabit their own Land then their own Kings and Queens should rule over them and be as Nurses to them when they should return from their Captivity then Jacob should rejoice and Israel should be glad and this was spoken to the Jews and this had Reference to their State in that time Further it may be objected ought not Blasphemy and Idolatry and Adultery be punished is this to be suffered now seeing it was punished under the Law Answ. Yea this is to be punished and shall be punished and that even with Death for as I said the Father hath committed all Power unto the Son who will execute his Judgement upon all them who will not have him to reign in their Hearts as it is written Those mine Enemies that would not that I should rule over them bring them before me that I may slay them with what Weapon with carnal nay but with the sharp two-edged Sword which proceeds out of his Mouth and with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the spiritual Weapon which runs through the Blasphemer and kills him and slaves the false Prophet and Southsayer and Inchanter and Idolater and yet saves the Creature alive take one Example of Christ the new and living Way when the Pharisees brought a Woman tempting Christ which was taken in Adultery saying according to the Law of Moses she ought to be stoned to death he that was the end of the Law said He that â— without Sin cast the first Stone convicting them all that they were in the same Nature and yet did not approve of the Adultery but said Go and Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee likewise Paul said I was a Persecutor and a Blasphemer this Generation who profess Paul's words would say Let him dye he hath confessed he was a Blasphemer but he was slain with other Weapons Christ slew the Blasphemer and the Persecâ—tor in him and left the man alive and made him a chosen Vessel to declare against Blasphemy and lead out of all Ungodliness And herein is the second Covenant more excellent then the first and the Ministration more excellent then the former and the Dominion and Goveâ—â—ment of Christ more excellent then the Dominion and Governmeâ—t of 〈◊〉 Kings of Israel and the Weapons more excellent then theirs and the Powâ—r greater then theirs whâ—ch is able to destroy the Works of the Devil iâ— Blâ—â—phemy Idolatry and Adultery and save the Creature aliâ—â— this is the better Covenant indeed the everlasting and herein is the Mercy of God exalted his Dominion and Power exalted and Christ the King of Glory exalted and these Sins before mentioned punished with great Severiâ—â— and great Judgement for in the first Covenant they slew with a temporal death but Christ when he appeareth in his Power and Glory in Flames of Fire renders Vengeance within upon the Wicked which burns and scorcheth brings Anguish and tormenteth all them that are in that Nature and banisheth all them from his Presence and from the Glory of his Power till that be dead and slain which would not have him to reign to wit that which is born of the Flesh which is within and Blasphemy Idolatry and Murder are the Fruits of the Flesh where the Flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth I speak not of the Creature who is God's Workmanship for that may be alive when the Birth and Fruits which are after the Flesh are both dead and herein is the mighty Power of God made known and his Justice and his severe Judgement which all must pass through before they come to witness eternal Life he that despised Moses's Law died by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses which was a natural Death of how much sorer Punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the Son of God and counteth the Blood of the Covenant 〈◊〉 unholy thing Heb. 10.28 29. and blasphemeth But further it will be objected that the Apostle exhorteth for a Submission unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake 1 Pet. 2.13 whether it be unto Kings as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him and Rom. 13.1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Power for there no Power but of God and the Powers that be are ordained of God Answ. From these Scriptures many bad Constructions and Inferences have been gathered as that Kings and Rulers were to be obeyed in all things and that every Worship that is commanded by a King or Superior ought to be obeyed and that Kings and Rulers had Power in spiritual things to make a Law for such a Worship or forbid such a Worship and all these ought to be obeyed and so in the Apostacy the Ministers of Antichrist have brought in many Inventions and Traditions and humane Institutions for divine Worship and Service and thereby have pressed Rulers to make Laws and compel all People
but for Conscience sake for so the Lord requires which will be acceptable and pleasing in his Sight And all Magistrates who are Christians ought to be Paterns of Holiness and Righteousness to their people and to admonish exhort and reprove the prophane and ungodly and to the Worship of the true God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in the Spirit and in Truth it is the Duty of every true Christian who is a King and a Priest unto God CHAP. XVII Concerning Oaths in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in Gospel Times Though Apostates mingle the Ordinances of both together denying all Oaths proved to be no new Doctrine IN the Beginning when God Created the Heaven and the Earth and all things that are therein by the Word of his Power and set the Bounds and the Habitations thereof and separated betwixt Light and Darkness And when man was created in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Male and Female created he them Now the Image of God consists in Righteousness Holiness Equity Long-suffering Patience Goodness Mercy and Truth the Glory thereof is unspeakable man being in this Image there was no Transgression nor Sin nor Sorrow man was bound unto his Maker by the Power in which he was made yea he was in a capacity to Fear Love Honour obey and Worship his Maker from the virtue of that Power and Principle which God had placed in him which some ignorantly call the Law of Nature but that is not the intention of my discourse to contend what it was but to shew that man was at Union with God and bound unto him by that which God had placed in him in which his Wisdom Power and dominion stood to rule over all Creatures Life was in him there was no Death then in this the Obligation stood not in outward written commands or Ordinances but it stood in that which was eternal and Invisible this was before the Transgression here were no Oaths yet nor outward Covenants made nor outward Ordinances But after man had Transgressed and eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of good and Evil and gone from the Power and broken the Covenant he lost his Wisdom and Folly entred he lost his Dominion and Weakness entred he lost his Knowledge and Ignorance entred and an earthly part and a mutable came to have Dominion not that this was Evil in it self being subjected by the Power and Word in its place and in the State wherein it was good but Man being gone from the power and from the Covenant joyned to something out of it and out of the mind and listened to that which should have been ruled over that became a Leader which God never appointed and this led man's Heart from the invisible God of Life and Light who is immutable to lust after Visible things and mutable and earthly things and into instability And so his Heart and mind and affections became more and more to be alienated from the Lord and his understanding more darkned yet such was the love of God unto mankind that he did not wholly cast him off here but followed him with his Mercies and Promised the Seed of the Women shall bruise the Serpent's Head and so it did yet the Adulterers Generation in the Transgressing Nature were great and fast and there were but few before the Flood in comparison to the Multitude who bore the Image of God and few in a Generation as Abel Enoch Seth and the rest went after the Imaginations of their own Hearts and set up Images and Idols and also after the Flood when the Earth began to be replenished the cursed Seed grew faster and many great Nations were ignorant of the True God and made Idols and Images of Wood and Stone of Gold and Silver according to the minds of the craftman and Worshipped them and became in Love with them and swore by them Yet Abraham the Father of the faithful feared the Living God of Heaven and Earth and God was with him in all his Wayes and he hearkned unto his Voice and obeyed it and followed the Lord where he led him and God made a Covenant with him and his Seed forever and gave him a Son in his old Age and said unto him In blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee and this was fulfilled for Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat the twelve Patriachs and Jacob in the time of Famine went into Egypt and sojourned in that Land he and his Sons and all that pertained to his Family increased and became a great People But after many years the Egyptians afflicted them and multiplyed their burdens insomuch that God considered them and the Covenant he had made with Abraham and his Seed and sent Moses his Servant as a Leader to be a Guide unto them out of that Land and they were brought forth by an out-stretched Arm and great was their Deliverance and he led them through the Wilderness and fed them with Angels Food and at Mount Sinai gave forth a Law and made a Covenant with them sutable to the State wherein they were for their minds were outward and the covenant was outward their minds were changeable and mutable and the Covenant was so also And all these Statutes Ordinances pertained to a party which was aboâ—e the Seed yet they were shadows of good things to come aâ—d every Ordinance in this covenant was but a Figure or shadow of a more Heavenly thing which was but to be in force to wit these Ordinances until the Seed came to be made manifest which ended them all So all Priests Offerings Sabbaths Fasts Feasts Oaths though they were real in their time and all Vows yet the Law was changed which pertained to the changeable party when the Seed of Christ was revealed who is unchangeable The first had an end and continued to the time of Reformation take notice of this this covenant was made to wit the first after the Transgression but when and wherein Christ is revealed and manifest the great Reformer and the restorer they end and he leaves all to the Beginning again out of deformity to be for Transgression to that in which man was bound unto God at the first before Sin entred and to be for shadows was all for the new Moons Offerings Oathes and Sabbaths were given forth to man when there was a Cloud and a Vail and a 〈◊〉 over within that the Glory of the invisible God could not be 〈◊〉 this State nor this Naked and clear Glory but as that part comes to be done away and crucified and subjected and the cloud scattered the Shaâ—ow and clouds outward pass away the Apostle calls the Ordinances outward Shadows And Paul to the Corinthians calls them a Cloud they were 〈◊〉 Baptized into Moses in the Cloud And when the day appears and Chrâ—â—â— who is the Light is manifest the clouds are scattered and ended
if the Proconsul would appoint a Day to hear it so at that time it seems Christians did not swear as afterwards they did in the Apostacy And Basilides a Souldier and afterwards a Martyr being required to swear affirmed plainly that it was not lawful for him to swear for that he was a Christian so it seems that it was the mark of a Christian not to swear And the Waldenses or Leonists whose Names are so famous amongst the reformed churches and who are said immediately to succeed the Apostles and were the most ancient and true Protestants professed it to be nâ— way lawful for a Christian to swear In defence of whom in this very thing Bishop Usher late Bishop of Argmagh Primate of Ireland pleaded their cause against the Papists and Jesuits who are the Swearers and Breakers of Oaths and yet plead for Swearing And the Plowâ—man in his Prayer which is so much esteemed of and commended in the Book of Martyrs saith Lord thâ—â— givest us a Commandment of Truth in bidding us say yea yea and nay nay and swear for nothing thou givest us also a Commandment of Meekness and another of Poorness but Lord he that calls hâ—mself thy Vicar on Earth hath broken both these Commandments for he maketh a Law to compel men to swear Fol. 585. And it is one of John Wickliff's Articles whose Works were as much esteemed of by the Protestants in England and Bohemâ—a as despised by the Papists and their Clergy having his Bones taken up and burned forty one years after his Decease and his Books and these Articles condemned by the Council of Constance who also burned John Hus and Jerome of Prague for holding John Wickliff's Opinions That Oaths which be made for any Contract or civil Bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful And Walter Brute a Teacher among the People of God in that Age by Scorners called the Devil's Servants called Lollards against whom the Pope and the King Richard the second and then the ungodly Bishops make so much ado to have the Name of Truth extinguished and the Professors thereof cut off This is Walter 's Testimony As concerning Oaths I believe and obey the Doctrine of Almighty God and my Master Christ Jesus which teacheth that Christian-men in affirmation of a truth should pass the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees of the old Testament or else he excludeth them from the Kingdom of Heaven for he saith except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and as concerning Oaths he saith It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform those things unto the Lord thou knowest but I say unto you thou shalt not swear at all neithâ—r by Heaven nor by Earth c. but let your Communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then this cometh of Evil therefore as the perfeâ—tion of Ancient men of the old Testament was not to forswear themselves so the perfecâ—iâ—n of Christian-men is not to swear at all because they are so commanded of Christ who 〈◊〉 Commandment in no Case must be broken although the City of Rome is câ—ntrary to this Doctrine of Christ c. A good Testimony of a blessed Martyr Here it appeareth that the Swearing which Christ forbids is not only prophane swearing in the communication for that was forbidden in the Law where it is said Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c. but solemn Swearing which was to be performed and that was the Perfection of the Law and Kings and Princes may take warning by this King Richard not to fulfill the cruel and bloody Desires of their Prelates And Chrysostom who was Bishop of Constaninople in câ—mmendation of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical Histories he blameth them greatly that brâ—ng fâ—rth a Book to swear upon charging Clerks that in no wise they constrain any Body to swear whether they think a man swear true or false saying that it is a Sin to swear well now I mentioned before that it was an Emperor commanded first that men should swear by a Book and this Chrysostome reproves so hereby it may be seen by these Examples it is no new Doctrine to deny all swearing and there hath been a People very many years in the low Countries that have denyed swearing in any matter therefore their yea and nay stands in Courts of Judicature equal with an Oath they being men generally of known Integrity whose yea is yea and nay nay in all Places and Matters If they that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought worthy of who tread under Foot the Son of God c. and disobey his Commands and teach others so to do they shall be shut out of the Kingdom of God and have no part with the obedient who keep Christ's commands through Temptations and Sufferings and are not offended at them neither count them grievous they only are happy and shall inherit everlasting Life Likewise Jerome who was an ancient Father and Teacher in the Church which the Protestants own upon that place Mat. 5.37 and James 5.12 these are his Words It was permitted under the Law to the Jews as being tender and as it were Infants that as they were to offer Sacrifices to God lest they should sacrifice to Idols so they might swear by God not that iâ— was rightful so to do but because it was better to swear by the Lord then by false Gods and Devils but thâ— great Evangelical sincerity and Truth admits not of an Oath since every true Saying is equivalent thereunto In like maner doth Theophilact an ancient Father of the Church whom the Protestants own and have often cited his Doctrine for proof upon the place in controversie saith Learn hence that then under the Law it was not evil for one to swear but since the coming of Christ it is evil as is Circumcision and in sum whatsoever is Judaical for it may become Child to suck but not a Man So that Oaths pertained to the Jews who were under the changeable Covenant and the mutable Covenant which continued but for a time till the Seed Christ the Oath of God was revealed here he is revealed and witnessed all the Judaical Types and Figures and changeable Ordinances have an End Likewise Ambrose upon Psal. 118. he saith None doth swear aright but he that knows what he swears and the Lord hath sworn and will not repent Psalm 110. Ambrose saith Let him then swear that cannot repent of his Oath and a little after the said Ambrose saith Do not imitate him in swearing whom we cannot imitate in fulfilling And indeed the principal Solution given by him is Swear not at all And the aforesaid Waldenses who condemned all manner of swearing as unlawful they made it their care to avoid swearing and
Judaism among the Christians brought in by their Leaders and from the Opinions of these and other Ancient Fathers Tythes Easter and Pentecost came to be introduced and brought into the Church among the Christians Also Jerome in these Words I do not take a Part as the rest of the Tribes of Possessions of Lands but as a Levite I live of the Tenth and as I serve at the Altar I am sustained by the Oblation of the Altar being content with Food and Rayment I follow nakedly the naked Cross But there is no Necessity to understand his Words of Tythes but as the Levites lived of Tythes serving at the Altar even so am I maintained by the free Offering of them that do believe But it is to be observed that there were divers Councils in and about the 600 Year only provincial as Mascon and Arles and some others do take it for granted that a Tenth was due by Way of Offering and put into the Hands of them that ministred to the Church is spoken of as good Antiquity grounded upon the Mosaical Laws which they call their Divinas all which did spring from the Doctrine of the four Fathers before mentioned but especially Ambrose and Austin about the Year 400. but take his own Words It is not fit for us saith he to prefer our selves as Christians unless we do the Work of Christians viz. to offer the tenth Part of Corn and of Cattel and all the first Fruits of the Earth and took it for granted as due only his Ground from Moses's Law and if they should offer less then a Tenth their Offering was not accepted Also agreeing with him is Augustine in a Sermon after this Manner viz. Dear Brethren forasmuch as the Day of Christ draws near we ought to assemble our selves together and to give Thanks to God who hath given unto us by our offering unto God our Tenths for God is worthy to have the whole and this he grounds from that of Malachi Honour the Lord with thy Substance c. Farther exhorting them to pay their Tribute to the poor and their Sacrifice to the Priests then urging more Texts out of the old Testament he tells them That the Neglect of Payment of Tythes was the Cause of Sterility and Blasting of their Corn and the like These two great Bishops agree and as was said before from the Law of Moses infer their whole Doctrine yet notwithstanding the great Pressures and hard Threats of some of the Bishops at that Time it was not a general received Doctrine that Tythes ought to be payed until about the Year 800. neither was any Thing by the Church then determined or ordained touching the Quantity that should be given though no Doubt in many Places the Offerings of the more devout Sort Tenâ—hs or a greater Part of their Encrease were given according to the Doctrine then in Use And then about this Time the Offerings and Gifts to the Church were disposed of on this wise being received into a common Treasury one fourth Part to the Priests out of which every one that laboured had his Portion another Part for the Relief of the Poor sick and Strangers and a third for the repairing Places of publick Worship and the fourth to the Bishop and generally then the Bishop lived in some Monastery and his Clergy with him from whence he sent them to preach in the Diocesses and Countries and there they received such Offerings as were made and brought them to the Treasury so that hereby the Reader may take Notice that the Priests had not such a peculiar Interest in that which was given but others had a Share with them but now they claim all their Churches were builded out of the Gifts of the People the Poor Fatherless and Widdow were relieved out of them and the Prisoners who suffered for the Faith they held were relieved also the Bishop and his whole Clergy were sustained but now they claim it as due and take Tythes by Force and Violence three or four fold and sometimes ten fold and People thrown into Prison and Widdows Goods spoiled how unsuitable these Practices are from what they were in the Apostles time and the ancient Fathers for 500 Years though they are very proud and boast much of their ancient Fathers yet they will not so much as come near them in Example yet they cry up the Church the Church and Antiquity when they are far enough off from their Practice though they were in a declining Condition in this Age I have been speaking of before Also Jerome upon the third of Malachy in his Commentary doth admonish Christians to give their Alms to the poor and double Honour to him that labours in the Lord's Service not binding at all to offer this oâ— that Part yet exhorts them not to be more backward then the Jews wherein they payed their Tenths Neither is Chrysostome at all different from him in his Doctrine in perswading even Labourers and Artificers to give bountifully their Alms to the Church for Holy Uses according to the Apostolical Ordinances relating to the weekly Offerings in the Churches of Corinth Galatia Antioch and the Jews Liberality was brought as a President below which he would not have Christians determine their Charity and sayes withal that he speaks these Things not as commanding or forbidding that they should give more yet as thinking it fit they should not give less then a tenth Part for holy Uses as the Phrase was Cyril Bishop of Alexandria speaking upon that Passage of Abraham Gen. 14.23 who after he had gained the Victory over the King of Sodom's Enemies and rescued Lot when the King of Sodom offered him Part of the Spoils he would receive nothing but a few Victuals Though saith he the holy Teachers do war in the Behalf of perishing Mankind yet do they not take any thing from the Men of the World nor do they heap up unto themselves Riches lest the World should say We have made you rich they only ought to receive the Sustenance from the Hands of those whom they have converted to the Faith for it 's Christ's Command saith he that those who preach the Gospel should live thereby So that it 's evident that very many of the ancient Fathers whom this Generation have talked so much of did deny Tythes and a forced Maintenance from the World but in this Point it 's like they will be judged but weak-sighted or erroneous in their Judgment by this Generation as they do the Quakers or Men of mean Understanding but I see many will traduce them in Words but few in Practice It was the Judgment also not of private Persons but of the most learned and sound Teachers of that Age in five or six hundred Years after Christ. Prosper saith They that live of the Gospel who will be Propriators of nothing who neither have nor desire to have any thing not possessing their own but the common Goods and what
his commentary upon Gen. 28. and 2. and 22. saith That Tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily a man might give them a man might vow them or he might not even as he pleased before the Lord but under the Law they were commanded to be given to the Priests and Levites hence saith he our Clergy men infer that if it were so of old then they are so now but this doth not follow saith he they had a divine Ceremonial right but that 's not ceased they had Tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in Land Ours not Ours have Towns Villages Manners yea Countries and Provinces nor is there any End of their insatiable Covetousness And he concludes that when the Levitical Priesthood did cease then did the right of that Priesthood cease and the right of tythes did revert to God as Governour and Soveraign of the World Great and large are the Testimonies that might be given both out of Ancient and Modern writers who were the clearest in their Judgments against tythes how that they were no Gospel-maintenance neither of Divine right doth belong to any Minister under the Gospel who professeth Christ come in the Flesh. But what I have already said in this particular might be sufficient seeing so large things to this have been declared by others Hands But I am the more willing to instance divers Authors who by our Protestants are owned as Orthodox that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new Doctrine for which we suffer the Spoiling of our Goods and our persons Imprisoned but that the Covetousness of the Clergy and Tythes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in Ages past who died in the Faith who though they be dead yet their Testimony still lives and will stand for Ages But you shall hear what State the Clergy and Ministry was in about the time of the Council of Basil in the Year 1431. by Lodovicus the Cardinal ARLATENSIS a Man very much praised for his Constancy and Wisdom in that Council of Basil LODOVICUS seeing the Cowardliness of the Bishops and others of the Clergy that they were more afraid to grieve temporal Princes then afraid to offend God and afraid to be Spoiled of their temporalities rather then afraid that their Flock should be devoured Albeit saith he If you were true Bishops and true Pastors of Souls you would not doubt to put your Lives in hazard for your Sheep neither be afraid to shed your Blood for the Church in the cause of Christ but at this present saith he the more is the Pity it is too rare to find a Prelate in this world and in this Age which doth not prefer his Temporalities before his Spiritualities with the love whereof they are so withdrawn that they do study rather to please Princes then God and confess God in Corners but Princes they will confess openly of whom the Lord speaks in his Gospel every one that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven c. And contrariwise the Lord will not confess him before his Father which is aâ—raid to confess the Lord before men for fear of loss of their worldly Glories and temporal Riches and displeasing of Princes of which it may be more largely seen in the History of the Council of Basil published by Aeneas Sylvius So you that doth profess Reformation and the Scripture to be your Rule and your Ancient Fathers to be your Examples whom the Ministry of this last Age hath talked of and see now if you will own them in Practice do not reckon your selves any more as Ministers of Christ who cannot be content with his allowances and let forcing for Maintenance by Tythes alone to the Priests of the first Covenant and let bargaining alone for Wages and seek not Hire of them you work not for and if your Gospel will not maintain you then have you great Reason to question it whether it be the very same that Christ and his Apostles Preached in the Primitive times and it is manifest as aforesaid that they required no Tythes Stipends Augmentations or Sâ—llaries neither was ever any such Word heard amongst them as What will you give me anâ— I 'll be your Minister And yet there was no complâ—int of any want for Christ asked his Disciples when they had been travelling abroad preaching the Gospel though they had neither Staff nor Scrip nor Money If they wanted any thing and they said Nay But this Generation must know before-hand what is to be had at such and such a place and what is it worth per Annum or else no Goâ—pel is like to be Preached there But if any should ask the Ministry of this Aâ—e by what Right they claim tythes they cannot say by a better right then the Apâ—stles had nor I hope will not for they pretend to be but Sucâ—essâ—rs of them And if the extent of their Commission be enquired into they will give it you in these Words or the like presently viz. As my Father sent me so senâ—â— you But if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects I have little hope that they will comply in point of Maintenance I have good Ground so to judge even many at this day have boasted of their Câ—ll â—nd Ministry and have thrown many into Prison for those Popish tythes For if a Law or Statute were made for the taking of them away they would give over the Publication of their Gospel which demonstrates their Commission is not of God or else why should taking away of tythes invalidate them I desire they were â—ryed who boasted of Calls and Commissions I am afraid we should scarcely find one in 500 that would open his Mouth for if the cause were taken away the effect would also follow iâ— Maintenance were taken away their Preaching would cease But I shall return to speak something further concerning our own Nation It is needful to inform the Reader a little that when the Popes Doctrine was received in any Nation that Nation was dâ—vided into so â—â—ny â—ishoprâ—câ—s as was judged needful and every Bishoprick into 〈◊〉 many Parishes as were thought convenient for Parishes are but of a late Erection as to which something may be hereafter said for till then most Preaâ—hers were sent out of Monasteries and Religious Houses so called and the People at their own free will did give their Tythes and Offerings where they pleased till about the Year 1200. for till that time every Owner of the nine parts did give the Tenth to the Priest or to the Poor as he would But after that Parishes being set up and Priests appointed and Tythes paid to them after 40 Years possession what before was owned for free gift is now claimed as a debt prescription was pleaded by the Priests as their Just title but people seeing themselves run into a Snare began to contend but all too late for
c. And the first Scripture they bring in is Luke 11.41 You pay Tythe of Mint and Rue and all Manner of Herbs As also Mat. 23.23 You pay Tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin Also Luke 28.12 I am not as this Publican I pay Tythes of aâ—l that I possess c. It is answered that Christ spake this to the Jews and Pharisees in the time when the Levitical Priesthood was not ended and they were bound by the Law whilest it was of Force to observe this Ordinance amongst the rest which were in the first Covenant which was faulty which continued until the time of Reformation viz. till Christ was offered up and said It is finished and was the End of the Law for Righteousness unto all that believe but it is manifest that the Jews then unto whom Christ spoke were not Believers but were such as withstood the Son of God and did not receive him who was the Sum and Substance of all the Types and Shadows of that Covenant and so this is great Ignorance to conclude that because these Scriptures are written in the New Testament so called that therefore Tything is a Gospel-Ordinance for it is manifest that these Scriptures had Relation to the Jews who were under the Law and not under the Gospel and so their Plea as to this is made void But though Divine Right hath been long pleaded and is yet by some but few are now left that will only stand to it for if Tythes be absolutely due as by the Law of God no Custom Prescription Priviledge Exemption Dispensation Law or Constitutions of man or men can acquit any from the utmost Penny of the tenth Part but scarce the tenth Person in England payes Tythes in kind and many plead that they are Tythe-free and pay none at all but if any will stand to this and plead Divine Right then they are to be payed and received for the End and Use for the which they were commanded for the Levites Strangers Poor the Fatherless and Widdow and then where is the Impropriator's Share And some Lawyers of late of very good Fâ—me in England have given their Judgment that Tythes are not due by the Law of God Other Scriptures they seem to plead for the receiving of their Tythes as Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due And Mat. 22.21 Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesar 's and unto God the things which are God's Answ. Herein is a clear Distinction betwixt the things which are Câ—sar's and the things which are God's this speaks only of Tribute and Custom or Taxes or Assesments which the Civil Magistrate doth claim by Law and by Custom for the Preservation of a Nation or Conservation of every man in his proper and particular Right and herein every one ougâ—t to render Subjection and Obedience not only for Fear of Wrath but for Conscience sake but these Scriptures have no Relation to Tythes at all nor forced Maintenance for Priests Object But it may be objected Hath not the Magistrate Power to command or make Laws for the Payment of Tenths or what other Part he will to the Ministry Answ. This was answered before if God disanulled his own Command Heb. 7. for the Payment of Tythes who or what is Man that he should make a Law as well to contradict that his Command as also on the contrary to establish them And seeing the Work of the Ministry is the Work of the Lord for Conversion of Souls and that he is the Lord of the Harvest he provideth for his Labourers and Harvest-men whom he sends 〈◊〉 so that there need not any outward Law be made in this Particular the Ministers of old needed not though Believers were but few and the Ministry of this Age reckons whole Nations to be Believers and yet they dare not relye upon them for their Subsistance but run to the temporal Powers to make them a forcing Law to establish their Maintenance which demonstrates they are not true Believers whom they reckon to be so or else that the Lord of the Harvest never sent them forth or else that they do distrust the Lord of the Harvest who they say sent them out to preach Other Scriptures are brought to plead for Tythes or at least some Part of them and forced Maintenance as 1 Cor. 9.9 Thou shalt not muzzel the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn c. Ver. 7. Who plants a Vineyard and eats not of the Fruit thereof and who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the Milk of the Flock Ver. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Answ. Unto all which I answer that they which do believe and have received spiritual things indeed that they are enjoyned by the Doctrine of Christ and of his Apostles and not only so but even from natural things all that believe are largely taught their Duty therein to distribute and communicate freely unto them who labour in Word and Doctrine and are sent out in the Work of the Lord that they be comfortably provided for by them that are Partakers of heavenly and spiritual things from the Lord as to go in the Warfare of the Lord and to plant in the Vineyard of the Lord yea and it is agreed that the Ministers of Christ did not do these things at their own Charge but if they might not be muzled that tread out the Corn yet they may be muzled that tread out no Corn but run ramping through the Lord's Fields and spoil the Corn these ought to be muzled Again they that watch over a Flock though they may eat of the Milk of the Flock yet they that kill them that are fed and feed themselves with the Fat and cloath themselves with the Wool and worry the Lambs they ought not to eat of the Milk of the Lord's Flock and of such as they reckon Unbelievers and Hereticks and they look upon belong to another Master and not to the Fold of Christ they ought nâ—t to cliâ— and shear other mens Sheep But in short all the aforesaid Scriptures make nothing at all for Tythes or any Part thereof either from Believers or not Believers and these Scriptures also grant that every man is the sole Owner of his own Labour and Possession yet ought every one freely to glorifie God with his Substance and to communicate to him that teacheth in all good things needful and such Sacrifice God doth well accept Again other Scriptures they bring in which there is as little Ground or Footing as in the former but that they are necessitated to get a Shelter and a seeming Cover for their Practice to blind People withal that they may get their Money and so they bring 1 Cor. 9.10 13 14. For it 's written or saith he It 's altogether for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in Hope and he that
been manifest among you above all the people and Families of the Earth in our Generation constrains me thus to write unto you and to stir you unto Faithfulness in this Day of Trial for now Satan desires to win now you within and to sift you without therefore all watch and pray that your Faith fail not which now will be tryed and your Hope and your Love and your Zeal to the Lord and his Truth and whether you will confess him before Men his Way Worship Laws and Statutes which he hath revealed in your Hearts which fallen men oppose and contradict and Sayers gainsay and would not have him to rule nor his Servants to obey so let it be manifest to all you fear God rather then men and love him and obey him above the Precepts of men which are against him and whether you love the things that are above beyond the things that are earthly and whether you will own him his Cross Reproach and Suffering or deny it and have the Liberty of the World which is Bondage and free from Righteousness it 's no time of Reserves concealing hovering or halting for there is an utter Discord betwixt Christ and Belial and so much the more of Christ his Power and Kingdom is brought forth so much the more is the Hatred Envy and Wrath of the Devil kindled who hath deceived the Nations and blinded their Eyes and in his Subjects who oppose the Lamb of God and tread under Foot the Blood of the Covenant so that to one or other each one belongs and which is for each part will be seen for there can be no Concord or Reconciliation Therefore all Children of the Day put on the Armour of Light and have your Feet shod now when we walk through thorny places and be not fearful or doubtful but of believing Hearts stand not aloof off and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual War pull not your Necks out of the Yoak when others draw shelter not your selves when you see others in Jeopardy love not the World when you see others have thrown it off be not entangled in cumbersome Things when you see others throw off all Weights turn not your Backs in the Day of the Lord's Controversie but follow the Lamb This is the Day of Tribulation we have to follow him in our Age like as all the Martyrs and Prophets had in their Age whose Garments were made white in the Blood of the Lamb So all that continue and are not faint-hearted shall receive the Crown the Honour the Reward and shall reign with Christ who now suffer with him Therefore all dear Children of God and Followers of Christ Jesus let the Loins of your Minds be girded up be now ready when the Lord calls who is on my Side who will take Part with me who will own my Reproach who will engage with me who will gather to my Standard of Salvation lifted up and to my Ensign of Righteousness held forth in the World to redeem it anâ— who is ready and not abroad in the Field neither hath to go to the House top but that all may say in their Hearts here am I ready to do thy Will ready to obey thee and follow thee and to suffer for thee for whoso draws back the Lord hath no Pleasure in such he that will save his Life shall lose it and he that will save his Liberty shall lose it in the Spirit and he that will save his earthly Possessions and for the doing thereof will deny that which God hath perswaded him of that he ought to be faithful in he will lose his Inheritance in the heavenly in a Word whoso fails in holding forth that Testimony that they know God requires and is their Duty to render unto him will lose the Testimony of his Spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves and will decay and their Love will wear out therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the Lord will be approved and manifest to be on the Lord's part by Obedience to these things mentioned Friends do you not believe it a Duty that every Christian ought to be exercised in to meet together to wait upon him to worship him and to admonish exhort and strengthen one another to pray together in the Holy Ghost and one for another and to edifie and comfort one another and do you not believe God dwells not in Temples made with Hands neither hath any Fellowship with Idols but is worshipped any where and in every Place where the Saints meet in his Name Again have you not been comforted edified and strengthned in meeting and have you not found the Presence of the Lord and his Face and have you not felt his great Power working in your Hearts when you were assembled together in his Name working in you to the opening of your Hearts and quickning and enlivening your Souls unto God and judging down the Evil and have you not felt his living Mercies shed abroad in you and the Springs of Life opened and the holy Seed refreshed and God's Witness reached in all and many convinced and converted unto God in your Assemblies so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed and resolved to continue in the Grace of God the Consideration of these Things dwelling in your Hearts and the Sence of your own present Condition should stir you up and provoak you unto Stedfastness in the Faith and Practice you have received and walked in from the Beginning of the Manifestation of God's Love unto you so that there should methinks need little Exhortation God's Enemies are resolved to do wickedly be you also so to do your Duty they seek by any means to make any fall from their Principles and Stedfastness do you seek to escape their Snares and to be kept clear in your Consciences before God be valiant for the Truth sell it not but all for it that it may be your all and then you shall see your Lot is fallen in a good Place and your Possession is pleasant the Lord calls now to Suffering put now your Necks in the Yoak bear one anothers Burthen and so fulfil the Law of Christ and take heed you give not Ear to that Voice that speaks Save thy Liberty save thy Estate possess thy own and provide for thy self and spare thy self that is the Voice of the Enemy of your Souls So keep over the World and its Spirit let no Slackness appear for that makes Sufferings long and that gives Ground to your Adversaries that they shall prevail and that weakens the Hands of others and strengthens not this confirms our Enemies in their Deceit that we are but as other men and people that have professed God in Summer and fair Weather but will make Ship-wrack of all in a Storm and in Suffering and any turning aside from the holy Commandment of God openeth the Mouth of God's Enemies do not seek every one your own Profit Ease Life and Liberty only but every one another's
and Vexation unto the Spirit of God in any in the Spirit of Christ which is but one in all I am burdened with them and do bear a Part of their Grief I speak without Ostentation or Glorying for what have I to glory in any but the Lord or to rejoyce in but that which all the World hates because it testifies against it and therefore we are become the Objects of Scorn and Hatred in this World by them that are of it who glory in Sin who rejoyce in Iniquity whose End is Destruction and perpetual Misery and their Rejoycing shall be turned into endless Sorrow and Grief Elected of God our Portion in this World is to be Sufferers in it and by it because God hath chosen us out of it and its Nature therefore we are hated despised and persecuted in our Generation like as all the People of God were in former Generations we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same Cup which Christ the Heir of all things drank neither be exempted from being baptized into his Suffering and therefore Christ told his Disciples In the World ye shall have Trouble and the Apostles and Ministers and Believers in Christ did drink of the same and were baptized into the same Baptism and therefore testified That them that will live godly in Christ must uffer Persecution for the World loves only the Children of it but alwayes hated the Children of God and them that were redeemed out of it and they bore Witness against it and the Works thereof it 's no new thing or strange thing for it 's that Portion which all the Prophets and holy Men of God were Partakers of Christ and the Apostles and all true Believers in every Age and the nearer any came to be unto God in their Life and Practice the more they were hated and the more vilified slandered and evil spoken of sometime by the Jews sometime by the Heathen and now by the Apostatized Christians for the Nature is one through all Ages and Diversity of Names in Profession do not at all alter Man or Men at the Heart the Jews who professed God in Words and cryed up the Temple and Moses and the Law in Words slew the Prophets and laid false things to their Charge Jeremiah when he prophesied against Jerusalem and spake to the Princes and Rulers when they were revolted from God in the Dayes of Zedekiah and denounced Evil against the City and People because of Transgression they put him in the Dungeon and where his Feet sticked in the Mire and said He was fallen away to the Caldeans and did alienate the Hearts of the Jews from them and their Law and despised their Government Christ was accounted a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and had a Devil a Transgressor of Moses's Law though he came to fulfil it and an Enemy to Caesar and a Blasphemer and what not who said so the Elders the Doctors the Rabbies and Rulers of the People and they crucified him as an Evil-doer though none could convince him â—â—â—in the Apostles of Christ as seditious Men Ring-leaders of Sects Authors of Uproars Turners of the World upsiâ—e down as disobedient Enemies to Peace as discontented Men with the present Laws and Customs then established and judged as not fit to live And therefore many suffered long for holding out their Testimony faithfully they had received and last of all suffered Death not as Saints and Prophets but as Evil-doers at last some by the Jews some by the Heathens The primitive Christians of whom the World was not worthy were falsly accused by the Romans Heathens and Pagans in the great Persecutions that arose were evil spoken of and falsly represented and rendered odious and as Objects of Hatred through the Envy of the Devil because they opposed his Kingdom of Darkness Tertullian saith The Heathen commonly reputed the then primitive Christians incestuous men Killers of Children Enemies of all Mankind Enemies against the Gods against the Emperours against the Laws they made an Out-cry upon them it 's not lawful they should live And when any Judgment did befall them Augustine saith it was become a Proverb Our Rain fails us because of these Christians and Eusebius saith The Religion of Christ was called the Heresie of godless Christians Likewise after the Name of Christ and Christians became in Repute and Esteem many Hypocrites and Formalists took on the Name when it was countenanced by the Kings and Princes of the Earth and then turned against them that were more in the Life and Power then they were as the Bohemians and the Waldenses and first Protestants in Germany how were they branded with Heresie and Schism as seditious factious Enemies to the Laws Church and State and to the Princes and how was the Hatred of the Pope and Emperour kindled against them and War raised upon them and many suffered Death in their Account as Evil-doers who persecuted them Likewise come nearer our own Age in the Dayes of Queen Mary how were the best of Men and the best of Christians in that Age censured as Enemies to the Queen 's Lawâ— and Government Enemies to the Church seditious Hereticks and such as were not fit to live and therefore many suffered in the cruel Flames of Fire and did undergo many great Torments and Sufferings and last of cruel Deaths many suffered and by them called Christians and yet slew him and persecuted him in his Members Last of all God hath brought us forth in our Age to bear witness unto him and unto that Life Power and Light by which we are quickned and raised out of the Grave of Sin and Death to live unto him and serve him in Newness of Life and to confess unto his holy Name and Power by which we are saved illuminated and directed and to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the Manifestation of his Spirit to us and in us and according to the Scriptures of Truth for the Lord God of Heaven and Earth judge and all his holy Angels and all just Men that are anointed with the holy Unction that know Truth from Error whether we hold any thing either in Doctrine or Practice but that which the primitive Christians bear Witness of and also the Scriptures bare witness unto and that which we are perswaded in our Consciences by the unerring Spirit of the Lord which doth give us Assurance of his Acceptation and Peace in our Hearts And how often have we declared our selves both by Word and Writing which is sufficiently manifest unto all who have not wilfully closed their Eyes and stopped their Ears against us that we are of no other Faith Hope or Religion but that which Christ and his Apostles and primitive Christians were of which they did hold forth both in Doctrine and Practice as in Respect of Worship and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all Men without seeking the hurt or detriment of any thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth knowest and
nor by Earth neither by Jerusalem neither by the Head had been useless as being generally included in the general prohibition but had he meant that no Oath should be used upon any occasion the subsequent Words are so far from giving Light to the preceding that they much obscure them but had he said no more thâ—n Swear not at all it might have been said he disallowed all Oaths but he descending to thâ—â— or that Creature may rationally imply that this purpose was only to forbid such Swearing and not that which was formerly enjoyned and his conclusion is only Creature Swearing or Swearing by Creatures is that he would have forbidden Answ. Christ knew better what he intended then A. S. who would make his words one thing and his intention another it is evident by the preceding Doctrine and by that which follows after the Text that Christ prohibits all Swearing which shall be further spoken on when the second part of the Discourse is spoken of some stumble ignorantly and some wilfully would pervert and turn aside from that which they have no mind to receive and would hold up that which they assert true or false and that makes all this disputing and reasoning about the plain Words of Scripture Christ's words But I say unto you Swear not at all by Heaven or Earth is a general Negative of all Oaths even of those which before were used in the time of Moses and by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem are more ample expressions of Christ to make the Scribes and Pharisees understand his mind of his dislike of these Oaths by Creatures that they frequently used though these and much more were included in the general Negative Swear not at all yet they are not to be excluded as superfluous neither do they obscure the former Swear not at all but give more Light to the former to any but them that sees with A. S. his Eyes for by Heaven by Earth by Jerusalem are more ample expressions of his mind and a further explication of the former Swear not at all and though they seem to A. S. to obscure and darken Christ's words if he did intend all Oaths yet they that see with another Eye then he doth is that they are only more large expressions thereby to make the Pharisees understand who were in the unbelief and dull of hearing that did not only forbid what the Law had forbid before but even those Oaths that they frequently used under those terms and forms which the Law had spoken of in those Words as Heaven Earth Jerusalem Head and Foot and therefore he enumerates them as an amplification of his former prohibition and so they are to be joyned and we shall not stop as A. S. sayes some do at the words Swear not at all but shall joyn that which Christ hath joyned viz. Heaven Earth and Jerusalem and to be enumerated only and joyned to the former Negative and spoken as to their Capacities in those full and large Terms that they might understand his mind that he prohibited not only by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem but even any other Oath which the Law had commanded or the Jews permitted to Swear before and though A. S. would have it limited only to Swearing by Creatures which indeed was forbiden under the Law but Christ who taught a more Evangelical and exact obedience then the Law he said It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you who saith more then the Law hath said Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of Evil. And of this mind was Bp. Usher late of Ardmagh who pleaded the Cause of the Waldenses or Leonists whose Names are famous amongst the Reformed Churches and were the most Ancient and true Protestants if any Reformation be looked at beyond Luther they professed it no way lawful for a Christian to Swear and the said Bishop Usher de Succes Chap. 6. doth esteem that place of the 5 th of Mat. Swear not at all and that of 5 th James to be a sufficient plea for them against the Papists and he pleads their cause and this made Renerius and Jansenius so much Envy the Waldenses two Romanists who said Amongst all the Sects which are or have been there is not any more pernicioâ—â— to the Church meaning the Church of Rome then the Waldenses and that for three Reasons first their Antiquity secondly because of their Universality thirdly in that they did maintain and hold it no way lawful for a Christian to Swear on any occasion But it may be that A. S. will tell us that these and other were condemned in some general or Provincial Council for Heresie and if he do it is no great matter since most of these have erred especially since all Nations have drunk of the Whores Cup of Fornication and have Erred from the Fâ—ith and have lost the Power and then contend for a form and bind all to receive it upon some commination or malediction or other or else they were Hereticks And why who said so the Church hath so decreed and if these Canons and such like must be binding A. S. will hardly escape their Censure if he continue in the profession of the Faith he is 〈…〉 and they seem to agree in this particular about Swearing But I come to his fifth Argument Fifth Argument Christ never forbad any thing but that was intrinsecally evil as may be proved by induction he forbids anger abusive Language he forbids Lust and divorce and Swearing by Creatures and therefore what ever he forbad was Evil and that in it self and not meerly as forbidden but Swearing in general is not for that hath not only been the practice of Holy Men but of Angels Dan. 12.7 Revel 10.6 Reply Was it Evil in it self under the Law if a Man smote out anothers Eye or tooth or cut off his Hand or his Foot or give one a wound in any part of the Body Deut. 21.24 Levit. 1.24.20 Deut 19.11 was it Evil in it self for the Judges in those days to give Sentence that he that had struck out his Neighbour's Eye or struck out his Tooth or cut off his Hand to pronounce give the same judgment unto the offender that he should be so done withal was this eternally evil or intrinsecally evil for the party so wronged to seek remedy or was it not an act of Justice equal and good not only because enjoyned and commanded but in it â—â—ll just and was it or is it an act in it self intrinsecally evil if a Man sued a Man wrongfully at the Law and takes a Man's Coat or Garment away to seek to defend himself and preserve his Coat or cloak if not A. S. his Argument is of no moment for even in the same Chapter where Envy and Murther and divorce saving for Fornication and abusive Language and all Swearing is forbidden so is that forbidden which is not
intrinsecally evil by Christ Mat. 5.39 40. But I say unto you that you resist not evil and whosoever shall smite the one Cheek turn hâ—m the other also and if a Man sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain And it is in the new Testament I hope written Avenge not your selves And was iâ— evil in it self or morally Evil to keep the seventh day of the Week as a Sabbath or only good because commanded or was it lawful to fight with Amalicks Edomites Egyptians Canaanites because Israel was only commanded or because they were real Enemies to God in their Hearts or as Samuel Fisher well said in Answer to Doctor Gauden which A. S. quarels with that Circumcision Sacrifices and Offerings Passover and New-Moons Fasts and Swearing was not Evil in themselves but because forbidden and though A. S. give such a great Challenge to S. F. to produce one Instance that any thing was prohibited by Christ but what was intrinsecally evil or else his Argument is in vain I say the afore-mentioned thing prove it that something was forbidden that was not Evil eternally intrinsâ—â—â—lly but because prohibited and again in the same Chapter ver 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them thaâ— Curse you though under the Law they did fight and might fight with the aforesaid Enemies the Canaanites and Gentiles but now I say put up forgive love your Enemies Peter put up thy Sword he that takes hold on it shall perish by it Avenge not go not 〈◊〉 Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 suffer forbear forgive if thy Brother siâ— against thee seventy times 7. times And though A. S. says That nothing was forbidden by Christ or in all the New-Testament but what was in it self Evil or in some respect conducing thereunto methinks he hath given 〈◊〉 bâ—ld a Challenge what will he say to all the former things mentioned and what evil had Circumcision in it or the Passover or Sacrificing or New-Moons and the Sabbath days or what tendency had they to Evil but rather were good for the end they were ordained to be Signs and Types and Figures of holy things to come like a Swearing was among the rest what-ever A. S. say or Argue and yet when the substance of the good things was to come to them that had believed and received him who was sum of all the Apostle said Gal. 5.2 3. If you be Circumcised Christ profits you nothing after he was offered up And Gal. 4.9 10 11. You observe new-Moons and Holy days and Sabbaths And these things that were once as really good as ever Swearing was considering the End wherefore they were enjoyned and these things were never Evil in themselves yet the Apostle reckoned them beggarly Rudiments and told them they had begun in the Spirit and now sought to be made perfect through the Flesh and so stood in doubt of them that his labour had been in vain and thereof if A. S. or any other will needs uphold Swearing because commanded to the Jews before the Seed Christ was revealed I say he is Gal. 5.34 a debter to the whole Law and is as much bound to keep it in all other points as this or else he is a Transgressour and is one of those that would be laying Yoaks upon the Disciples Necks unto whom they were never intended for if the Ceremonies and Rights and outward observations which properly did belong to the Jewish Church and State to observe till the fulness of time when the partition Wall should be broken down and the Jews and Gentiles should be one and one Shepherd and one Fold for them both and no longer and they were never given to the Gentiles to observe and therefore for ought I can perceive many would have the gentile-Christians who never were under the Law neither the Ordinances of the first Covenant neither ever given to them yet they would compell the Christians to live as do the Jews and to observe their Ordinances and therefore are greatly to be blamed Gal. 2.13 14. Therefore we do not look upon any Swearing to be now a duty under the Gospel among true Christians truly such as some Swearing was once under the Law but affirm all Swearing to be now a Sin because forbidden by the positive Law of Christ under the Gospel who by his Death ended the right of that and many more legal Rites and Rudiments which whoso doth observe now as Christians doth it not without Sin and Guilt and Superstition and therefore S. Fisher that faithful Servant of God who suffered in Bonds till Death for his Testimony even in this particular saith well That that sort of Swearing which was not Sin simpliciter in its Nature under the Law is now a sin upon the account of Christ's Universal prohibition of all Swearing who was of Authority to put to an End as he did by his Death unto the Law And therefore that sort of Service and Worship which stood in outward Observations which was duty because commanded under the Law and no Sin in their own Nature neither were Evil in themselves nor in any respect conducing thereto as they were observed but had some single good in them once and yet who observes them now as Service of God maketh Christ of so little effect to himself as that he profits him nothing at all I hope A. S. will not deny but these things as forbidden in the new Testament which sometime were not Evil in their own nature but now are evil when the Substance is come in whom they all End and therefore S. F. his Argument is not vain but of force And yet let A. Smallwood know that there were many things observed and done not only by the Jews but by them that believed in Christ and thought well of him while he was present with them and yet did not see to the end of those things which were Shadows and Signes and good as once commanded and had no Evilin them but were Good as commanded and for the end for which they were ordain'd which afterwards in the more full growth and Knowledge in the Mystery of Christianity they came more to be seen through and that was felt in which they all ended and though Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and to observe the Ordinances commanded in that Covenant to fulfill that which was written of him Psal. 40.6 In the Volume of the Book it is written I am come to do thy will O God And further he said himself It behoveth us to fulfill all Righteousness and that which was commanded but this was before he was offered up and was as a middle dispensation betwixt the ending of the Law and publishing of the Gospel yet howbeit Christ knew it and did speâ—k of it at some time that those things that had been sometime commanded Deut. 12 5. and
were good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded instance the Worship at Jerusalem and the Service there and the place where God had promis'd to place his Name yet Christ said as foreknowing the End of all the aforesaid Worship which appertained to that Covenant and therefore he said to the Woman Joh. 4.23 but the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshipers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeks such to Worship him and 24. vers God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth 2. Cor. 3.17 From hence it is clearly evident for this was before he was offered up that then was the time that neither at Jerusalem nor in the Mountain of Samaria it shall be only said they worship the Father though at Jerusalem was the place Deut. 1.1 2 5. of Worship formerly and the Jews held it then and the Worship was that which was commanded to wit Sacrifices and Offerings and many other legal Services which belonged to them to perform according to the command of God and if Swearing or Oaths was any part of the Service of God as in that Covenant as we with A. S. do grant Deut. 10.20 You shall fear the Lord and serve him and Swear by his Name then I say that Swearing amongst the rest of the Worship is included but saith Christ neither at Jerusalem nor this Mountain but they that worship shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth so that the time was then but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled that both the place and the worship and Service that belonged to the place they should no more Worship the Father with and in but in the Spirit and in the Truth and this may be in Answer to that which A. S. makes a great adoe with in his Book how that Christ said Swear not at all it was before his Death and therefore they that Argue saith he That swearing was prohibited only and ended in Christ's death cannot plead that all Oaths were prohibited but that command of Christ Mat. 5. because he spake this in his Life time I say â—o did he this Jo. 20.21 22 23. And he may as well Argue that Christ destroyed the place of Worship at Jerusalem and the Worship also and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did and why but because he spoke this before he was Crucified and so did he Swear not at all and why may not A.S. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain Christ's meaning in those words in the 5 th Mat. 23 and 24. and so the Words may truly be understood thus ye have heard that it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy sâ—lf but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Exod 20.7 and Deut. 5.11 but the Hour cometh and now is when I say unto you that say more then the Law hath said Swear not at all neither â—y Heaven nor by the Earth but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of Evil and yet whatever may or can be said A. S. will needs conclude That all Swearing is not forbidden and why because it hath been the praâ—â—ice of holy Men and also an Angel this Argument is of little force so was it the practice of holy Men to offer Sacrifice and burn Incense and as for the Swearing of the Angel Dan. 12. and Revel 10.6 to prove the lawfulness of some Swearing these have been answered over and over and over again though A. S. will take no notice of it though I perceive he hath read the Arguments that have been used as Answers to these things though he will not seem to take notice nor to reply to confute the Arguments but rather minds his own and to assert what may seem to mâ—ke for his purpose as to the matter he hath taken in Hand but as for good Men's Swearing and the Angel's Swearing if their Example would â—uâ—tifie the lawfulness of Swearing yet they could not be any president to us who are under the Gospel of the Son that is greater then the Angels by the dispensation of whom the Law for Oaths Tythes offerings oblations and other legal Rights and Rudiments were given which Son also all the Angels of God are bid to Worship for the Apostle saith Hebr. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the World to come but that is committed unto the Son under whose Ministration and subjection we are who said Let your Yea be yea and you nay nay and speak the Truth and do the Truth and bear witness to the Truth who said Learn of me and these things we have learned of him unto whom all Power is committed for he is counted Hebr. 3.3 more worthy of Glory then Moses though Moses was faithful in his House as a Servant but Christ as a Son which is that great Prophet that Moses Prophesied of which all are to hearken unto with whom the Father is well pleased being made so much better then the Angels Hebr. 1.4 as he hath â—y Inheritance obtained a more Excellent Name then they vers 5. for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee vers 6. Again when he bringeth the first â—egotten into the World he saith let all the Angels of God Worship him of the Angels he saith he makes them minâ—strâ—ng Spirits and a Flame of Fire but unto the Son he saith thy Throne oh God is forever and ever the Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for if the Words spoken by Angels wer stedfast and every Transgression received a just recompence of reward how shall they escape Hebr. 2.3 who do not only neglect the command of Christ but labour to pervert through their Strengâ—h of their own reason the ministration of the Son who is the sum and substance of all Shadowy and Typical Ministrations and therefore A. S. and all concerned look â—o it who would introduce Judaism and the Mosaical Observations upon the Neck of Christs Disciples and as Laws in his Kingdom and whether would not this prefer the Servant before the Son yea or nay and his Ministration before the Ministration of the Son though the one is not against the other but the one pointing at the other and in the latter the first is fulfilled the Truth declared the Truth spoken the Truth lived in and the Truth confessed in every matter wherein any Christian is concerned which is the sum and the matter which all Oaths in their highest and greatest Ordination could or can effect In the 40 th page of his Book he saith our Saviour saith Amen Amen 24. times in John's Gospel which he saith St. Ambrose will needs have to amount unto an Oath and he cites Apoc. 3. These things saith the Amen compares it with Isa.
say That Christ did often Swear because he said Verily we judge you have concluded upon too slender a Ground And as for Psal. 110. The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent It is not denyed though the Lord Swore once yea more then once by himself this was in condescension to the State of Man in weakness and unbelief and as to the State of the Jews Gal. 3.19 before the Seed was revealed which was the Substance of all Figures and Gods Example of Swearing is no example for us now to imitate and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal Ceremony of Oaths as a practice legimate to his Saints forever as A. S. would make us believe it was for his Oath viz. God's ended in Christ in whom all the Promises confirmed by Oath were yea and in him Amen was also to end all Strife between him and Men and to put an end to all Strife and Oaths also that are among Men to end Strife Ambrose saith upon that 110. Psal. Let him then swear who cannot Repent of his Oaths a little aftter the same Ambrose saith Do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing and indeed the principal solution he gives is not to Swear at all And Theophilus upon the place in Controversie whom A. S. says was not cautelous enough and it seems among the rest of the Fathers that A. S. sets as judge of he saith Learn hence that under the Law it was not Evil for one to swear but since the coming of Christ it is Evil as is Circumcision and in sum what ever is Judaical for it becomes a Child to suck but not a man So that it appears he amongst the rest of the Fathers did not only declare against Oaths in general or private Communication but also distinguishes betwixt the first Covenant and the second and the Ordinances thereof and though the holy Ghost bear witness that both Angels and Men yea and good Men and the Creator himself in that first Covenant did Swear so that A. S. concludes That is not morally Evil of its own Nature In the first we shall not much quarrel nor dispute as under the Law but that which was obliging then as by command it is not always obliging but Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness said Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more under the Gospel then amounts to this comes of Evil therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of Christ's Words then this Universal prohibition of all Swearing as under the Gospel seeing that speaking the Truth confessing the Truth declaring the Truth and nothing but the Truth in any matter wherein any Christian is concerned either in respect of God or a man's Neighbour this Answers the very Substance of the Law and the very end purpose thereof as ever an Oath did among the Jews in the first Institution forasmuch as speaking the Truth acknowledgeth God's Omnisciency and presence and Power and Wisdom secondly it doth any Office to any Neighbour as in bearing witness to any Truth and again to find out any Transgressour or Transgression and this is done may be done and ought to be done by all true Christians and therefore no necessity of that formal Ceremonious way of Swearing as under the Law neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of Christ's Words and the Apostles Words Swear not at all by Heaven or Earth or any other seeing all the main ends and good ends good purposes are Answered in the full which the Law in the full Latitude and morality thereof did require or for which it was given His sixth Argument is That either these Words Swear not at all must be interpreted as not to forbid any Oath though taken upon just accasion or else Paul never knew the meaning of this Text or else contrary to his knowledge and that upon good deliberation he acted against it and that in theâ—e very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost for his Oaths saith A. S. are upon record 1. Thes. 2.5 God is Witness see Rom. 1.9 Now to call God to Witness is the very substance of an Oath saith A. S. and as Austin tells him and he sayes He hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some Phanaticks which if they would yield to 〈◊〉 much as Paul saith God is Witness of the Truth of their assertions it might be wished out of condescension to their weakness that they might be dispensed withal if the Law would give leave as to the external formality of an Oath Answ. What A. S. will call a just occasion I know not it appears to me he would have a large compass and a larger then the most contenders against Christ's Doctrine that we have met with or what he will account a just occasion I know not though otherwise he seems to condemn sometime needless and vain Oaths in ordinary Communication though I know some without reflection upon A. S. who use them too to frequently and are not only Members but Pastours so called of the Church of England and though he seems in his Discourse here there to be against customary and vain Oaths yet for all that what he calls a â—ust occasion upon some Ground some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a Magistrate and some when any business is in Controversie betwixt man and Man câ—lls it a just occasion where sometimes I have seen a Curate administer that which he called an Oath upon a Book what Ground hâ— had I suspect either from Commandment or example of Primitive Ministers is certain he had none but it may be A. S. will conclude it was upon just occasion but what COMPASS he will have for his jâ—st Occasion is doubtful seeing he hath put no Termination or end to it but for ought I can perceive would leave liberty for every Man to exact an Oath upon another when he would and call it a just occasion and account it a point of duty in the other to obey even in ordinary Communication And as for St. Paul we deny thy Argument as that he never knew the meaning of this Text of Christ's prohibition secondly that in his Writings he acted contrary to his knowledge and upon set deliberation for though God was his Witness whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my Prayers Also that which A. S. calls an Oath 1 Thes. 2.5 For neither at any time used we flattering Words as ye know for a Cloak of Coâ—etouâ—ness God is witness Though we know and infallibly believe with A. S. that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost when he published the Gospel of Christ among the Gentiles and wrote both unto the Jews and to the Gentiles who believed that his calling God to witness was not any Oath
it is but A. S. his Groundless supposition that it seems it was used in the Apostles time the Apostle speaking of an Oath only as among Men and not of Saints who as concerning Strife the occasion of Swearing and consequently concerning Swearing should not walk as Men 1 Cor. 2.1 2 3. but A. S. should consider this as every one ought that when men that have been once in Strife and Contention and Variance come once into Christ and to be in him New Creatures Christians to walk no more as Carnal not as Men but as men of God and as spiritual and as true Saints and Christians they come both out of Strife and Swearing which was added to end Strife and whatever A. S. may conclude we say these and divers more are great and weighty Reasons wherefore Christ did prohibit all Swearing and puts it out of use and date and no necessity of it as among true Christians seeing that every true saying or Testimony is equivalent with an Oath His ninth Argument is That either these Words Swear not at all must not be extended to a total prohibition of Swearing or else Christ thereby gave a new moral command but Christ gave no new moral command for that had been contrary to God's express will thou shalt not add unto the word which I command and besides he ordained no new Law in the matter of the 6 th and 7 th Commandments and shall we think that he who vindicated the other Commandments from the leud depravations of Men hath abrogated this only as though it had not been framed by the same Wisdom and acted by the same God and further Christ's opposition is only against the Pharisaical Mis-interpretations of the Law and if only so then Christ did not forbid such Oaths as were lawfully before enjoyned Reply What ever A. S. calls a new moral command sure I am he commanded that which was more exact then the Law so that Doctor Gauden himself sayes That Christ gave many singular precepts of more eminent diligence Patience Charity Mortification Self-denyal Sincerity and the perfection of obedience required now under the Gospel is above whatever the Letter of the Mosaical Law seemed to exact or by the Pharisaical interpretation were taught by the Jews c. in which he speaks the Truth it was said in the 21. of Exod. and 42 of Levit. an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth but in Mat. 5.39 Christ commanded that which the Law had not spoken of and not only a further thing but another thing But I say unto you that ye resist not ill but whoever shall smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also ver 40 41. And if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also where said the Law this And whosoever shall compel thee to go a Mile go with him twain where did ever the Law of Moses command this and though the Law said Levit. 19. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy which he saith was but a Pharisaical innovation which if it be I query of A. S. where in the Law it is written Love thine Enemy and as was said before whether did not Israel fight with their Enemies and kill them and destroy them and whether they had not a command so to do yea or nay as in Deut. 2.24 chap. 3.3 Numb 21.23 24.25 Josh. 10.19 23. And whether this be not another thing that Christ saith ver 44. But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that hate you c. But it is manifest that in the second Covenant under the Gospel that a more Evangelical and exact obedience then was exprest in the Letter of the Law which so far as it was Typical was only a Temporary dispensation for as I said before the Letter of the Law of Moses permitted to be avenged on Enemies Egyptians Amalekites c. And I hope that A. S. will not conclude that they killed them in love to them and they might be avenged and take an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth whose Gospel in other points which the Law had not said forbids and condemns rash anger Lust after Women Polygamie divorce except for Fornication and yet it was indulged and connived at as under the Law yet the Lord saith by the Prophet Malachy Mal. 2.16 He hateth putting away while the Letter condemned no more but actual murder and Adultery indulging and conniving Polygamie and divorce And though under the Law Stripe for Stripe Wound for Wound was permitted but under the Gospel resist not Evil avenge not forbear forgive for the whole Law of Moses was given by the dispensation of Angels in the Hand of that Mediator for a time and so some Swearing and such Swearing as even by God was used in order to end Strife where it was yet standing yet Christ the Mediator of a better Covenant in whose Hand the Law is now unto all Christians he forbad not only that which the Law allowed and indulged connived at and commanded in divers things as is manifest in this fifth of Matthew where he prohibits all Swearing so that it is evident that Christ doth not only reprove the false glosâ—es and the abusive loose interpretations of the Law which they allowed but even divine indulgence dispensed with and connived at in the things before-mentioned because of the hardness of their Hearts And let A. S. or any Man living shew us wherein Christ requires a Righteousness or Perfection that exceeds that of the Law for the Law said Swear not by any Creature but only by God and for swear not and if Christ said no more but Swear not by any Creature as Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem where is that high State of Perfection and that Righteousness which exceeds that of the Law and of the Scribes and Pharisees And though A. S. will not grant that he ordained a new Law in matter of the 6 th 7 th Commandments no more will he grant of the fourth which I suppose A.S. doth not keep as it was commanded under the Law where ever he will have his dispensation I know not so to conclude in answer to this he did more then reprove the erroneous tenets and vicious manners of the Jews and their false interpretations and glosses which they had given upon the Law but he doth disallow also something which the Law had allowed before as is proved before and that he disallowed something yea divers things which the Law had allowed and connived and indulged as divers Polygamie killing Enemies or in seeking revenge upon them that had done Ill unto us which the Law allowed as an act of Justice Deut. 19.21 Eye for eye Tooth for tooth but this Christ exhorted unto Overcome Evil with good avenge not resist not do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that despightfully use you and Persecute you
them together in the Text above said and obligeth equality at all times as well under the Gospel as under the Law yet then A. S. would call this absurd if it be so as it is indeed then we may as well conclude the other absurd because one is standing as well as the other and binding as well as the other by the vertue of this command although he tells us that an Oath in its Substance hath not any Type at all so we say for the substance is Christ the Oath of God in whom all the Promises and Oaths are fulfilled and this is its substance but as under the Law it was a Type of the Substance and not the substance it self and that Circumcision the Passover and the legal Offerings under the Law had as much goodness in them as Oaths had what-ever A. S. sayes and served to as good ends and purposes in that Ministration as they were ordained and conduced as much to the Glory of God and were subservient to but not against the morality of the Gospel for the shadows were not against the substance nor the Ceremonials against the Morals though the Apostle says the Law is not of Faith yet not against it for as ministerial as the Ordinances of the Law were to the Gospel then yet the Gospel may be and now is without it But to conclude this Argument A. S. Were it so indeed that Oaths were Ceremonial then it follows that Christ in this Text did not forbid them for he did not forbid the Ceremonial Law but observed it all his Life eating the Passeover with his Disciples the Night before his Death unless some would Interpret his Words I command you that you do not Swear yet I am content for a Year or two you may Swear by Heaven or Earth as you have been accustomed but after my Crucifixion and Resurrection Swear no more and there let these that disallow Swearing as a part of the Ceremonial Law Argue no more the unlawfulness of Swearing from these Words Swear not at all Reply Though Christ did observe the Ordinances of the Law as being that Ministration appointed by God until the time of Reformation and the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 9. It became him to fulfill all Righteousness so was he Circumcised and eat the Passover and was Baptized washed the Disciples Feet which were not enjoyned by the Law though not against it and that Ministration not fully ended though he see it must end and spoke of a further thing and of the time then and also it should be ministred more afterward after his Resurrection Joh. 4.20 21 22 23. The time cometh and now is neither at Jerusalem nor this Mountain but they that Worship the Father shall worship him in Spirit and Truth so that he Prophesied of the end of all those things and of the cessation of them which were sometime commanded respecting both the place and the Worship and to them that did believe the Disciples unto whom it'was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God then was the time to them it was come even then before Christ suffered and therefore A. S. his Consequence is not true that Christ did not forbid all Swearing from this Text and though he had both Prophesied of a clearer Ministration and laid down in Doctrine a more Evangelical precept then the Law yea and more strict obedience yet notwithstanding many did still hold up these things which the Law commanded though they believed well of Christ yea after his Suffering and Resurrection and that a long time though that the Apostles told them the Substance was come and that there was no more Offering for Sin nor Oblations neither legal Observations to be minded any more yet still many observed them and doubtless as to that formal Swearing that was among the Jews and that vain Swearing too many did continue in it afterward notwithstanding Christ's command but then not submitting made not his command void in it self and there is no necessity to make such an absurd Interpretation as that he permitted them to Swear for a Year or two by Heaven and Earth and then at his passion to Swear no more for after he gave forth the command there was no Permission and yet afterward as I said the Apostles declared against the Shadows and preached up the Substance and as A. S. confesseth the types ceased of themselves but let him know there was a time of Dying to them and they ceased not all at once to them that had observed the Law neither were the Mysteries revealed all at once but as they grew in Faith and Knowledge for the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith and though the legal Observations were observed in Christ's time so were they after by many but by right ended in the substance and when he was come though many did not see it till afterward But I come to his 11th Argument Eleventh Argument No exposition of the Text oâ— any other is to be admitted that puts inconsistency betwixt the Old Testament and the New seeing both are Inspired by the same God who is incapable of falshood or alteration whereupon if we be not so atheistical as to deny the veracity or immutability of the most high Tit. 1.2 it must be granted that his word is of eternal Truth Jam. 1.17 his Promises yea and Amen his precepts more unalterable then the Laws of the Medes and Persians nor did our Saviour come to destroy but to fulfill the Law thereupon he enjoyns obedience to the commands of the Pharisees as sitting in Moses 's Chair Mat. 23.2 3. from all which it is apparent that the Old Testament is so far from being contradicted that it is fully confirmed in the New therefore I may well draw this conclusion that these words Swear not at all ought not to be interpreted as to render all Swearing unlawful Deut. 6.13 Psal. 63.11 not without Promise of reward Jer. 12.16 and it was Prophesied before by Isaiah that Christians under the Gospel should Swear Isaiah 19.18 and 4. and 23. and I look upon it as a piece of Manichisme and extremely derogatory both to the Scripture and God himself therefore what moral duty one Man was commanded in the Law another should be condemned in the new Reply 'T is true no exposition of this Text or any other is to be admitted that puts such a difference betwixt the old and new Testaments in matter of Substance but shall agree with Austin The Law is the Gospel vailed and the Gospel is the Law revealed and what was Prophesied and typified in the first is fulfilled in the latter but what shall be thought of them that hold up the Types and Figures of the first as though they were not fulfilled or as though the Promise was not come and he made manifest in whom all Shadows end and though God be unchangeable in himself and incapable of falshood or alteration and I know none who
Persecute you Mat. 5.44 and the Apostle exhorted give no offence to Jew or Greek so that his Doctrine went beyond the Law put up pass by forgive forbear again you have heard it hath been said of old time where Exod. 20.7 Deut. 5.11 Numb 30.2 Mat. 5.33 Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oathes but I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou Sweare by thy Head because thou cannot make one hair white or black but let your Communication by Yea yea and Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of Evil It 's most evident that Christ prohibits somewhat more here then was forbidden under the Law yea what ever Oaths were lawful under the Law therefore it must be all Swearing at all or else none at all either all such Swearing as was used lawfully and allowed as a Type for a time in the Law Oaths made lawfully and acceptably to God or else nothing more at all then what was forbidden in the Law for all false Swearing and forswearing and all Swearing by Creatures or breaking of solemn Oaths made as unto God were forbidden in and by the Law therefore Swearing it self is forbidden or nothing but saith A. S. The grand objection falls of it self which is either all kind of Swearing is forbidden or else Christ forbids nothing which was not forbidden before which is utterly improbable saith he and he grants that God had formerly prohibited all false and vain Oaths and all Swearing by Creatures saith he which I grant to be true then how is the grand Objection fallen for is not Heaven Earth Jerusalem the Head Creatures and this is the most that A. S. and divers others affirm that it is only Oaths by Creatures such as before mentioned that Christ only prohibits and vain Oaths and Swearing by Creatures A. S. sayes Christ reckons among sinful Oaths then if so as they are indeed had not the Law forbidden this before in general terms wherein all Creatures are included therefore the reason stands still in force and the Objection that either Christ forbad all Swearing or else he forbids nothing but what the Law had forbidden before It 's manifest it stands still in force for Christ forbad even those Oathes the Law required and all vain Swearing and Swearing by Creatures and all Swearing whatsoever Mat. 5. Ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time not of late by the Scribes and Pharisees only putting their false Glosses on the Law as A. S. intimates Pareus and others in his Annotations and hence conjectures that by them of old time is only meant the Scribes and Pharisees and not Moses and the Law and of old time must be meant a good while ago or not very long as Commentators understand it less then twenty Years and thus he twists and twines to make the true sense of Christ's words void it 's evident of them of old time is Moses time the place before cited Numb 30.2 is the place Christ alludes to you have heard it said thou shalt not forswear thy self so saith the Law in forty places but perform unto the Lord thine Oaths But I say unto you Swear not all no not by any Oath at all note the opposition in the particle but which is between the old lawful legal Swearing and no Swearing at all not between no Swearing and such prophane Swearing as was unlawful under the Law the whole sum is this the Law said break no Oaths but I say take none for if Christ intended no more in these phrases Swear not at all not by any Oath then thus Swear not vainly prophanely ordinary or by Creatures in your Communication forswear not your selves what forbids he more then the Law forbad for Heaven and Earth Jerusalem A. S. says Christ reckons among sinful Oaths and these are Creatures and Swearing by Creatures was forbidden by the Law I grant quoth A. S. Then this reason stands still good he either forbad all Oaths or he forbad no more then the Law forbad and though it be granted that the Jews Swore by the Creatures as the Temple Altar Jerusalem and therefore Christ prohibits them and reproves them for these things and likewise all Swearing whatsover what doth A. S. gain by this for it 's evident in divers passages of his Sermon in the 5 th Chap. of Mat. that he teaches a Righteousness which exceeds that of the Law as I have shewed before which he came to fulfill and not to destroy by taking away the Ceremony of Swearing and establishing the substance in its stead which is speaking the Truth as in the sight of God in uprightness of Heart yea we say a-again what saith he more to his Disciples else then the Scribes and Pharisees to theirs they said Swear not falsly prophanely but by God only Swear not falsly For Bishop Gauden cites for his Author Drusius among the Jews all thing sin Judicials were confirmed by the Religion of an Oath wherein the name of God was interposed therefore Christ says more unto his Disciples in express terms Swear no Oath at all otherwise how would their Righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees which except it did they could in no case enter into the Kingdom of God the Perfection and Righteousness of the Law therefore in this point of Swearing was not forswearing the Perfection and Righteousness of the Gospel in the same is not Swearing at all so though the Gospel be not against the Law yet the Gospel exceeds the Law in every point the Law said kill not the Gospel be not angry the Law commit not Adultery the Gospel look not on a Woman lust not so in all the prohibitions of Christ the Commandments of Christ went beyond the Law also in this of Swearing yet it did not if now there be any Swearing at all among Christians and Disciples of Christ yet we shall also with A. S. agree that Christ not only forbad all Swearing even that commanded by the Law sometime lawful but he also forbids and reproves and condemns Swearing by Creatures and vain Swearing in all Communication and their perverting of the Law and too much loosing it by Traditions and making it void by their false Glosses and counts them blind Guides which said To swear by the Temple by the Altar by Heaven was nothing he pronounced a Wo against them and concluded they were bound to keep those Oaths though they ought not to have Sworn them for as much as he that swears by the lesser swears also by the greater as he that Swears by Heaven swears by the Throne of God and him that sits thereon Mat. 23.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. We confess with A. S. this was but a sinful prophane Creature Swearing an irregular form of Swearing by the Name of
the Reason why he sayes Above all Things Swear not because Swearing is a Sin above all Sins can no other Reason but that be rendered yes yet we shall agree with Austin and A. S. too if their Judgment be one thus far that it was not Sin to Swear the Truth when called unto it under the Law why then Above all Things Swear not not that Swearing is so great an Offence as Murder or Adultery but lest we contract a Habit thereof and then possibly by rash Oaths we should offend God which is no more saith he then in especial Manner forbear Forswearing and any other Oath saith A. S. must be restrained in a limited Sense for there is not meant any Oath whatever but such as the Apostle speaks of by Heaven by Earth c. Though there be some Truth in what is said yet it 's too short to answer the Apostle's End and Scope and the Reason falls short that is rendered but the main Reason is they were Jews unto whom he wrought the twelve Tribes scattered whom we deny not but were run into that Custom of vain Swearing by Creatures as Heaven Earth Jerusalem Head and Temple c. but that is not all though we grant it is some Reason but they being Jews who might under the Law Swear â—erious or solemn Oaths and were not so fully informed of the End of the Law in Christ under which among them some Oaths were lawful they were apt to think they did as well in swearing so now as they did before so though Adultery and Murther may be as bad worse then Swearing yet the Law being so expresly against them which yet in its time allow'd some kind of Swearing in some Cases it was more hard to bring them of from some Ceremonious services of the Law that were once lawful as is evident long after Christ's Ascension the Apostles had much to do with them about the Rites of the Law as Circumcision and Times and Dayes and new Moons c. then from such Sins as were known and hated by them and held accursed by the very Letter of the Law and therefore he says Above all things my Brethren Swear not that they might not only take hold of all vain Swearing and Swearing by Creatures that was ever unlawful but if that they might know that now to be unlawful which in former times was accounted lawful for them and so it 's ordinary to say to Men above all things take heed of that to which they have been long accustomed and with which through heedlesness of the unlawfulness of the thing they are apt most easily to be overtaken Again It is by Solomon who spoke by the eternal Wisdom of God and in it to fear an Oath is made the Character of a righteous Man that Sacrificeth acceptably to God to Swear at all is more the Character of a wicked and unclean Sinner Eccles. 9.1 2. for howbeit Men shall once return and discern the happiness of him that serves God from his woe who serves him not yet he is one event to the Righteous and the Wicked to the good and clean and to the unclean to him that Sacrificeth and him that Sacrificeth not as is the good so is the Sinner as he that Sweareth so he that fears an Oath and so as above all things Swear not is to be taken not only of those Oaths which were ever unlawful by Heaven and Earth but even of those that sometime were lawful under the Law in the Type which now when the Substance the Oath of God is come and the Covenant of Light given to all Nations Isa. 5.5 Luk. 1.72 73. who ends all not only vain Oaths but all Oaths and is the Substance of all even to the subsequent neither by any other Oath is not only to be taken of such Oaths neither by Heaven neither by Earth which were ever unlawful but even of those sometime lawful even all Swearing and all Oaths and the Servant is not in opposition to his Master but knew the mind of his Master Christ and therefore taught like Doctrine and the same but whatever Christ or James had said A. S. would make them if he could to mean as he means to set their plain express words against their mind But so much hath been said by many others who fear the Lord and an Oath too and so many Demonstrative and weighty things have been offered to the Consciences and publick view of all which A. S. I perceive hath seen some of them though he come not so much as near as to answer them but only asserts his own being a work it seems he was put upon by others to plead for Swearing so that something he must say on that behalf and draw that way and to make all things look towards that end and to concur together to justifie them and the lawfulness of Oaths under the Gospel and their Work who Persecute the Servants of Christ for abiding in his Doctrine who speak the Truth and dare not Lye nor Swear at all I say I shall be the more brief because I know many things are extant by others of weight which have not yet been answered nor are by A. S. though here and there a little in his Annotations he craps sometime upon smâ—ll Ground although he hath asserted nothing but that which hath been answered over and over again But I draw on to his last Refuge and plea his answer to both the Texts Conjunction That these Propositions says A. S. How Universally soever exprest ought not in equity to be extended beyond the intention of the Apostles but be limited according to the subject matter Swear not at all says Christ neither by Heaven nor by Earth c. That is I Universally forbid you all those Oaths which you were wont to use frequently to wicked purposes and further he sayes all vain and false Oaths by God even by the acknowledgement of the Pharisees were sufficiently forbidden before so there was no need either for Christ or James to speak of them again others places of Scripture most of necessity be thus interpreted 1 Cor. 10.23 Mat. 15. Luk. 2.1 Mat. 12. Luk. 8.47 how Universally soever exposed must be restrained according to the mind of the Speaker and so must these words Swear not at all Reply It 's freely granted that these two Texts ought not to be extended beyond the intention of the Speakers but be limited according to the subject matter as for General terms and Universal prohibitions admitting of exception they do so we grant now and then they do and of restrictions but when they do these exceptions and restrictions are usually in one place or other of the same Testament where they are made or at least manifestly amplified by him that gave out these general prohibitions and so are most of these generals and restrictions that A. S. hath instanced 1 Cor. 10.23 All things are lawful for me to eat that which was sold at
People otherwise by their wicked Glosses that made the Commandment of small Effect by their Tradition and the Practice of that Nation was widely distant from the Commandment both which were necessarily to be reformed which our Saviour did in these Words But I say unto you Swear not at all Reply Who ever denyed but that the Pharisees were blind Guides and that they laboured to make void the Law and made the Commandments of God of small Effect by their Traditions or that the Practice of that Nation was not widely distant from the Commandment and that they sware by false Gods sometime and vainly by the true God and took his Name in vain and sware also by Heaven and Earth and Jerusalem like as many do now all this we grant that they were out of the Way both in Oaths and other Things also that Christ reproved in the fifth of Matthew and else-where which Christ reformed and reproved their Doctrine and Manners I say again how is the grand Objection fallen by this That either all kind of Swearing is forbidden here by Christ or else Christ forbad nothing which was not forbidden before which is utterly improbable saith A. S. but it is more probable then any thing that A. S. hath yet offered for if only by Heaven Earth Jerusalem Head Temple and Altar be that which Christ forbad that the Pharisees taught the People they might swear by these were forbidden before inclusive in false Swearing or Swearing by Creatures though not expressed or enumerated nominally yet included among the sinful and vain Oaths under the Law and so were forbidden before and saith A. S. I grant that all vain Oaths and Perjury and all Swearing by Creatures were formerly forbidden and if so as indeed they were what more did he forbid then was forbidden if the Words must only be understood of those sinful and vain Oaths by Creatures above-mentioned that the Pharisees indulged the People in and taught as A. S. would limit his Prohibition and Exception I shall leave to the Conscience of every enlightned man to judge and say that in these Words It hat been said of old Time thou shalt not forswear but pay thy Vows unto the Lord but I say who am come to restore Man again into that Estate he fell from by Transgression and to redeem him that believes out of Strife and Contention and Idolatry to have fellowship with the Father Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor Earth nor any other Oath that as hath been said before here is a prohibition of all vain Oaths and false Oaths and Perjury and all Oaths by Creatures and all the vain Traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees about Oaths and somewhat more even a prohibition of those Oaths to his Disciples which the Law allowed after Sin had entred for which cause the Law was added and Oaths added but Christ ends it not by destroying it but by fulfilling it and hath set up that which is more Evangelical Truth it self in which there is no shadow of change and it is binding upon the Souls of all true Christians and that by which they are bound one to another and every Word Promise or Testimony that goes out of their Hearts and Mouths they by it are bound to keep least they fall into Condemnation but their Yea is yea and Nay is nay and whatsoever is more then this cometh of Evil and therefore they do not cannot nor dare not go beyond this or that which doth but amount to as much and there needs no more among true Christians Now as to them who are in the Contention and Strife and Unbelief and Oaths works of the Flesh as Variance Discord whom the Law hath Power over and is against as long as they live in such estate it 's granted that the Law was added because of these Transgressions and is against such and how far Swearing can be binding among evil contentious unconscionable Men that make no Conscience of any thing who cannot believe one another nor give credit to one another without Swearing Experience hath manifested whether they judge one another to be believed better by Swearing then without Swearing that 's little to us neither shall we meddle in contentious matters nor have to do with striving Men as little as possible but rather suffer wrong then wrong our Consciences by Swearing which we are perswaded by Christ we ought not to right our selves as hitherto we have done and have Peace blessed be God in our Hearts however we could rejoyce and be glad to see all Men be at Peace and agree and it 's our desire to live in that love and we shall seek it with Men and to be at Peace as much as in us lyes even in that love that works no Evil nor thinks no Evil but believeth all things and beareth all things and so carries beyond Strife and Oaths but if they will not be without Oaths in Courts and Judicatures we are clear in the matter if they exact upon us and do as they have done to the undoing and Ruining of many in this World we must be content knowing it is better to suffer wrong then to do it and shall acquiesce and rest in the will of God till he plead our cause and open the Hearts of Men to see through the Clouds of Error and Ignorance that is over their Consciences Yet however this I must needs say this frequent common prophane Swearing that hath exalted its Horn more of late Years is one of the crying Sins of England that God's Anger is against and will draw down his Judgment and kindle the Indignation which hangs over this Nation not only because of those that command Men to Swear contrary to Christs command and that for to establish Cruelty and injustice but also that Swore falsly and vainly and that against their Knowledge for their own profit and the disadvantage of others to accomplish their wicked Malicious and Revengeful designs against the Innocent who dare not Swear at all and thereby are made a prey to the Teeth of Wolves and to the Wills of corrupt Men who take occasion as it were To plow long Furrowes upon the Backs of the poor and needy for which things sake the Wrath of God will be poured out upon the head of the Wicked and the Nation shall be on Heaps and the wise Men shall be turned backwards and their Table shall be a Snare and the Curse shall be upon the Rebellious and they shall fall and be broken and rise no more and this may justly befall this Nation because of Oaths and because of Oppression And oh much pittied Nation it may be said of thee truly as the Prophet Hosea 4.2 3. Because of Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and Whoring they break out and Blood toucheth Blood therefore shall the Land Mourn and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off Oh! what sad times do we behold nothing but extreames of Evil are presented to our Eyes
and Ears some do little but Swear ordinarily commonly and vainly in all kind of Communication and Conversation not only in their usual outer Courses in Courts with Judges and Magistrates but in their hourly discourses also with other Men in Cities Townes Princes and great Mens Courts and Places Universities Colledges almost all Houses at least all Taverns and Ale-houses and in the open Streets and Assemblies almost every where are full of dreadful Oaths and Mens discourses interwoven with execrable and direful Oaths even as it were daring God to confound them and damn them and such like and though there be divers Laws against swearing vainly and forswearing yet these are not looked at but how should we exspect that they should look at the Execution of the Laws of Men which are good who heed not the Law of God and are so buzzed now a dayes with over-executing those intangling Laws that are extant for Oaths and forswearing to intrap and insnare poor Innocent Men who dare not Swear at all but keep the Commands of Christ so that there is no leisure lost to look after those most wholsome and profitable Laws of both God and the King which are against vain Oaths and forswearing which the Land abounds with the like hath not been in any Age which is a sad presage of the Judgment of God to be at hand And last of all A. S. says He hath done and he fears it 's more and time to have done with the Exposition of those words and so comes to Application and so he speaks to all in general who at that time or any other may be legally called to take their Oaths which you have heard Vindicated to be lawful notwithstanding the seeming opposition of these words Swear not at all but those must be understood of necessary Oaths and your Righteousness is to exceed the Scribes and Pharisees but they condemned Perjury in the verse immediately before my Text and your Warrant for swearing is in Jer. 4.2 which thence appears not only lawful but in some cases necessary Reply It 's more then time indeed to have done to pervert Christ's plain Doctrine with his imaginary Exposition and what he counts legally caled seeing Christ prohibited it is not of much force neither will A. S.'s Vindication stand against the real opposition of Christ's words Swear not at all but his seeming Vindication in the day of the Lord when the secrets of all Hearts shall be manifest by Jesus Christ when the Book of Conscience shall be opened will be found to be in real opposition unto Christ and his reward will be according to his works who hath by his work strengthn'd the hand of Evil-doers and Persecutors to the adding affliction to affliction upon the Righteous and if the words must be understood of necessary Oaths then there is none necessary among Christ's true Disciples who commanded Let your Yea be yea or your Nay nay for whatsoever is more comes of Evil and whether the Scribes and Pharisees condemned a Perjury or not we are sure the Law did which Christ's words hath reference to It hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self and if the Righteousness of Christ's Disciples be to exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and they condemned Perjury and all false Swearing by God and the Law condemned all false Oaths and vain Oaths and Oaths by Creatures as A. S. hath granted then the Righteousness of the Disciples is to be another then the Righteousness of the Law which condemned all Perjury and vain Oaths then what is it but not to Swear at all any Oath but speak the Truth and confess it to the Glory of God in yea and nay and this is that which exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees and is only lawful and necessary under the Gospel and as for Jer. 4.2 this is pittiful proof and warrant for Christians to Swear under the Gospel for that was only spoken to Israel or Juda who were under the first Covenant and yet were revolted from the Ordinances thereof and were back-sliders as is to be seen Jer. 3.22 and hath not Reverence to the second Covenant But I shall come towards an end as well as A. S. and conclude and refer all what both he and I have said to the judgment of the Lord and the measure of God's holy Spirit in all Mens Consciences to be received or denyed by that as he and his Witness bears evidence so shall the matter stand eternally Yet I cannot but mind the Reader though A. S. hath had as appears certain Books of the Dissenters in which are weighty things about this particular of Swearing which he hath not answered at all as to their Arguments only carped here and there at a word which is not of great moment but though he may plead some reason that it was not possible to answer all things in so short a Discourse as a Sermon wherein he was limited as to time yet since he had I perceive by his Annotations time enough to have answered them having their Books extant by him but hath not in the most weighty Considerations therefore I refer the Reader to them for his further satisfaction viz. to the Answer of Bishop Gauden by that faithful Servant of God Sam Fisher where this point is largely discussed likewise his Antidote against Swearing in Answer to Heary Den and Jeremiah Ives likewise a Book published by Isaac Penington titled The great Question concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of Swearing under the Gospel stated and considered of wherein are weighty things declared in short 1st what an Oath is 2dly the Ground and occasion of an Oath 3dly the causes wherein an Oath was to be used 4thly the end of an Oath 5thly the suitableness of its NATURE to the end aimed at by it 6thly the Persons to whom the use of an Oath was proper and lawful Wherein also is clearly shown the state of man-kind from the Creation comprised in four Heads or particulars First The State of Innocency when there was no Oath Secondly An estate of Captivity wherein an Oath was proper and lawful Thirdly The estate of shadowy Redemption wherein it was lawful also Fourthly An estate of true and perfect Redemption wherein it 's neither needful nor lawful seeing it 's prohibited by Christ all which A. S. hath passed over and hath not answered Likewise a Book published by John Crook Titled The Case of Swearing at all discussed with and several Objections answered These things A. S. hath not answered I only instance them for the Readers further satisfaction if unsatisfied in what hath been said already all which great and weighty things are worthy of the Serious consideration of all Likewise a Book Titled Swearing denyed in the new Covenant by Morgan Watkins When all that hath been said is duly considered and weighed in the Righteous Ballance of God's holy Spirit they will not think it strange that some deny to Swear at all but
should have set it right he broke it quite a pieces the Monks gave too little Alms and set unable Persons many times in their Benefices but now where twenty pound was given yearly to the Poor in more then one hundred places in England is scarce one Meals meat given this is a faire amendment where they had alwayes one or other Vicar that either preached or hired some now there is none at all but the Farmer is Vicar and Person and all and only an old cast-away Monk or Friar which can scarcely say his Mattens is Hired for 20. or 30. Shillings meat and drink yea and in some places for meat drink alone without any Wages I know not I alone but 20000. more know more then 500. Vicaridges and Parsonages and thus well and Gospelly serv'd after the new Gospel of England And so the Author goes on in his complaint because that the Maintenance was taken away and there was a great Famine for want of Pastours By all which may be seen what Condition those religious Houses and Abbies as they were called were in at that time and how they only served to maintain idle and superstitious Monks and Fryars which did deceive the Nations with fabulous Stories under pretence of preaching the Gospel and now these Benefices being taken away from the Papists their Gospel ceased in England and have been translated over and over unto divers Sects who separated from them but it is to be observed that as the Tythes and Hire was taken away and converted to other Uses their Sect did alwayes fall and it is a Lamentation that these Tythes and now foreed Maintenance which was first decreed by the Popes Canon Laws should now be holden up by them that profess Reformation and Separation from them and Scriptures to be their Rule Having thus briefly run over the Doctrine Decrees Practices and Opinions concerning Tythes from the Apostles time downwards we find them various as may be understood by that which is before-written and the Right of Tythes was never clear but remained in Controversie even amongst the â—ost great and learned Men in divers Ages since the time of Christ yea even amongst the greatest of Papists in the time of the Pope's Domination and in all Ages there were that withstood the payment of them until this Day and many of the Martyrs for that amongst other things suffered in the Flames and at great Difference they ever were as about the End the Property and the Use of them as may hereby be collected into several Heads And First of all the Tythes among the Jews were payed to the Levites and Priests Secondly that they were not for the Priests only but for the Strangers Fatherless and Widdows Thirdly when the Levitical Priesthood was taken away by the coming of Christ the Law for tything was also changed Fourthly that neither Christ nor his Apostles in their Age ever received any nor demanded any Fifthly that in the Beginning of the Church for the first 300 Years whilest the Simplicity of the Gospel was retained no Tythes were either claimed or payed amongst Christians Sixthly but as the Power of Godliness came to be lost and the Mystery of Iniquity began to work Mens Imaginations taught instead of the Doctrine of Christ began to preach up Tytheâ— fetching the Ground from Moses's Writings that in the first practice of the payment of Tythes after the Apostacy was entered in they were not payed as Tythes but as free Offerings and as the Bounty of the Giver and were not given for the Ministers Maintenance only but chiefly for the poor it was not received Doctrine generally that Tythes ought to be payed till near a 1000 Years after Christ that the Pope had set up his Authority and Dominion over the greatest part of Europe Seventhly that after they were confirmed by the Pope and commanded to be payed there was no compulsary Law made but only Excommunication Eighthly after that they were accounted an Ecclesiastical Duty and never called a civil Right but were tryed in Ecclesiastical Courts Ninethly until about the Year 1200. the common practice was for every one to bestow his Tenths where he pleased Tenthly they were first brought in as Duty owing to God and to the Church and so were required and enforced and therefore there is no civil Property or Right in him that claims them that first Fruits and Tenths are but a late invented thing and claimed by the Pope as Successor to the Jewish High Priest as he sayes Eleventhly that Tythes were the same in the Ground and Foundation whether claimed by a Priest Impropiator or by an Aâ—bey and differed nothing but in the person of him that possessed them Lastly all may see the declining Estate the Corruption and Error that crept in among Men after the power of Truth was lost so was the Fruit also which caused such earnest pressing to needful Contributions and then afterward was it necessary for Laws and Decrees to enforce them but in the Beginning it was not so while that Purity and Simplicity of the Gâ—spel râ—mained for then their Charity abounded even oftentimes beyond their Ability to whatsoever need the Church required But now to proceed to answer some other pleâ—s which are come up in these latter Dayes for now the Priests of this Age begin to be ashamed to make claim for Tythes Jure divino they have been so bear out of that their Hole and their pleas Jure ecclesiastico was but determined in the Mid-night of Popery and they are ashamed to derive their Authority from the Pope or his Decrees but now humane Right is pleading sometime by Gift of Kings and Princes others plead the temporal Laws of Kings and Parliaments others plead prescriptions by a legal Right of their possessions others plead a legal Right by purchase And Lastly the Priests they plead the Equity of the Law of Moses still to be in Force and alledge all the Scriptures in the New Testament for their proof unto which hereafter somewhat is said these are the most pretences that of late have been made by the Priests of ouâ— Dayes or the main Reasons that have been alledged for Tythes And first whereas they pleâ—d the Gift of Kings as one by King Ethelwolfe as before in this Book to that is answered that iâ— iâ— could be proved that the whole Land had been in the 〈…〉 of any such King they had sâ—id something but by what Rigâ—â— câ—â—ld he give the tenth part of all the Enâ—rease and Fruits of the Labours of all the people of his Dominions who had no legal property therein But if â—ind Ethelwâ—lâ—'s Grant must be the Foundation of Tythes then how many succeeding Kings and Bishops have violated his Deed by appropriating them to Monastâ—ries and Abbies and such like Houses which shews the Vanity of this Argument Another Argument which seems more strong is urged That the temporal Laws of Kings and Parliaments say by the Law they have as good
as our Words may give Knowledge and Understanding and Light in any Matter which is to be desired but this hath been denyed and hath not been received by this unbelieving Generation who seek rather to establish the Traditions and Customs of men rather then the evangelical Doctrine of the Gospel And though Dr. Smalwood will needs have it viz. Swearing neither to be ceremonial or judicial but for any Proof he brings for ought I see it may be either as well as that he calls moral for sure I am that Oath were used in judicial Proceedings and Ceremonies were used in the Worship of God and his Service then and by Commandment and the Service of God and his Worship I hope he will say is moral yet so as under the Law it was not without Ceremony and it is concluded by the most learned that there was some Ceremony or Figure or Sign in that Covenant in all the Worship and some Shadows of good things to come then if Swearing was any Part of the VVorship of God as the most do grant and assert and I think A. S. will hardly deny then I argue it had some Ceremony or Shadow in it but Oh this A. S. cannot away with in this Point of Swearing but it must needs be all moral for Fear he should weaken his Matter that he hath taken in Hand to war against Christ's Command but it is evident that Swearing was used in judicial Proceedings as is manifest Deut. 19.5 about killing of a Man accidentally and Ver. 11. about Murder and Ver. 14. about Land-marks and Ver. 21. Life for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand and Foot for Foot about all these things and many more and in Ver. 16. about a false Witness were to be decided and tryed by VVitnesses before the Judges and Judgement was to be given according to the several Commands about the aforesaid different Transgressions all which Statutes belonged to their Judicial-Proceedings as this about Swearing and as is manifest in this Chapter and all of these Commands seem to have as much Morality in them as Swearing hath in the Judgment of many unto whose Judgment I leave what I say to be weighed by the Spirit of God in them Thirdly The Law said many things by Way of Precept and Commission at least Permission from God which would be Irregularities grosly reprovable in Mens Manners in moral Matters Conversations civil Transactions and Communications should they be used among them who profess the Gospel the Law said An Eye for an Eye Tooth for Tooth Hand for Hand Foot for Foot the Gospel saith Avenge not your selves resist not Evil suffer Wrong put up forgive forbear the Law said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy but A. S. will look upon this as an Addition or false Interpretation to the Law it may be but however certain it is that under the Law they made War the Jews with Amaleck with Moab with Ammon and the Canaanites and the Egyptians might be spoiled but the Gospel said only Love your Enemies if he be hungry feed him if he be thirsty give him to drink and for any thing I can see the aforesaid Commands were as moral and had as much Morality in them as Swearing whatever A. S. say or can say In the 7th Section A. S. sayes If any argue that Christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial Laws once commanded by God he sayes he denyes that Assertion for we were never under the judicial Law it being solely given to the Jews for the regulating their Common wealth in the Land of Canaan Deut. 4.14 and they were never obligatory to us that are no Jews nor never dwelt in Canaan and as for the ceremonial it was meerly temporary and ceased at our Saviour's Death and was not abrogated but observed by him in his Life neither can it properly be said to be repealed Reply Though I do not argue that Christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial Laws once commanded not abrogated them yet Bishop Gauden doth who attained if not to a Degree of Knowledge and Learning yet to a Degree of Promotion above A. Smallwood in his Book which he wrote for the Information of the Quakers about Swearing he saith in his own Words Christ came to fulfil the moral Law however he came in a Way of fulfilling to abrogate the ceremonial yea and the politick Laws too belonging to the Jews Policy in Church and State and herein is the Bishop and the Doctor at odds the Bishop said He abrogated the ceremonial Law and judicial too belonging to the Jews Policy and State but Doctor Smallwood sayes He denyes his Assertion for sayes he we were never under the judicial Law and what was never imposed need not be abolished so then what remains forme to say but this if Swearing was any Part of the judicial Law or did belong to their political Estate as it is the Judgment of many but it is evident that Swearing was used by the Witness before Judges in Israel in those Dayes to try out their Matters according to Commandment given of God as is evident from Deut. 19. in the whole Chapter and divers other Places then by this Argument A. S. hath made he hath overthrown himself for he saith We are no Jews nor in Canaan and so never imposed and what was never imposed needs no abolishing and it is as I have said manifest that Oaths had Relation to judicial Proceedings and to the Service of God too in that Covenant which was shadowy and consisted much in outward Signs and Figures but the Substance is Christ So then instead of proving Swearing under the Gospel lawful he hath by his Argument proved it never injoyned unto the Gentiles neither indeed was it either ever commanded or commended unto the Gentiles who believed or they reproved for not observing it that we ever read of by Christ or his Apostles or Ministers in the first and purest times of Christianity for to Jacob he gave his Law and to Israel his Statutes to every Nation he did not so no not to Moab Ammon nor the Canaanites neither the Gentiles and though he seems to plead hard for Swearing under the Gospel yet he talls short in his Proof except he took his own Reasons and Arguments which divers of them are but imaginary and in the Foundation of his Discourse he hath taken such great Compass as there is not an universal unlimited Prohibition of all Manner of Swearing but what this Manner of Swearing is it is very uncertain sometimes he makes it this and sometimes that sometimes he saith It is no Oath though in the Form thereof there be not I swear or God be not named or by God doth not alwayes signifie an Oath and other where he seems to affirm it to be an Oath but when an impartial Eye hath sounded and tryed the Bottom what this Swearing is that brings so much Glory to God and so much Good to our Neighbour
that he so vehemently contends for that ought to be observed as well as God's Fear Service it 's but their own Traditions Inventions for that under the Law will not serve As the Lord lives or that he calls Swearing under the Gospel will not serve The Lord is Witness or I speak the Truth in Christ or thâ—s is Truth in the Presence of God or the like none of these will serve but though he the Rulers do say they are Oaths yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the Truth in this or that particular Causes or to make as ample Confession in Demonstration for clearing any Cause in Debate that hath either conduced to the Glory of God or the Good and Profit of any particular Man in the Nation among whom we converse and not without some Attestation of God or of his Wisdom Power and Presence yet it would never yet be received but reckoned as Insufficient though both the Rulers of this Age and A. S. have said it It might be that in private it might but in Judicature never as received though I do believe the most do believe we dare not lye in ordinary Communication much less in Judicature yet we have been set aside as Objects of Wrath as deluded erronious factious seditious Contemners of Law Obstructors of legal Procedings except we would lay our Hand upon a Bible and kiss it and say I swear and by the Contents of the Book and so help me God or else fined imprisoned for Term of Life our Lands and Goods confiscated and we sentenced to be banished our Wives and Children ruinated Husband and Wife parted Children and Parents separated and such Monsters of Christians have we to deal withal in this Age and how many brought into this sad Condition in England as little A. S. knows as cares But for ought I know that he and such as he in such publick Discourses as this of his have blown the Sparks and have kindled a Flame in the Rulers and incensed them and stirred them up to Severity and Harshness against them who fear the Lord and do maintain Peace with all men as much as in them lyeth and keep their Consciences void of Offence towards God which makes us to chuse rather all this Hardship then to offend the Lord who serve and fear his Name and reverence it more then they who seem to honor it and pretend God's Honour through their Swearing But to make amends for this A. S. saith The Magistrates must act by the Law and that enjoyns such a Form of Swearing and they cannot allow it Unto that I answer it had been a more necessary Discourse for A. S. to have exhorted the Magistrates if the Law had been answered in the Substance not to be so severe in the Form and also to have told them where any Law was made contrary to the Law of God either in Matter or Form the Consciences of Believers could not yeild Obedience thereunto when it was repugnant unto the Law of God and not according to the Form thereof and in such Cases to be wary and he and the rest of the Clergy to have advised with the Rulers and Law-makers and to have informed them from whom they receive such great In-comes and Revenues for the Preservation and Peace of all Men tnat they need not stand so much upon the Form seeing that so many conscientious People questioned it so that there needed not such tying up to Form under such great and heavy Penalties as Banishment Confiscation and perpetual Imprisonment but have informed them so that the Truth might have been found out and no judicial Proceedings hindered which I am sure may be without any Swearing true Testimony never being denyed when required by any Magistrate and let but a Penalty be upon him that gives false Evidence or speaks an Untruth about any Proceedings in Judicature or otherwise called to bear Evidence in any Controversie if found let them suffer as them that swear falsly and as perjured and the Case is one and here all Scruples and Contentions about Swearing would end and there would not be the least Obstruction in legal Proceedings or in Administration of Justice and let me tell Doctor Smallwood and the rest of his Brothren that if they would move such a thing in Parliament peradventure it would be readily received from them and in so doing they would do as acceptable a Piece of Service and as well-pleasing to God and would conduce as much to the Peace and Tranquillity of the Nation as any thing that ever they will do in their Age or hath been effected many Ages and so all these Heart-burnings Contentions and evil Surmisings and evil representing one another would cease and end and which if not effected nothing can be looked for but sad Suffering and great Oppression and Persecution which will provoke the Lord to Anger and ever did against all them that were the Cause of it in Ages past But I come to his second Argument Second Argument Some without any Colour Reason or Possibility of Proof will needs have Swearing a ceremonial Rite but God ranks it with his Fear and Service therefore it must needs be moral and therefore what at all Times as well under the Gospel as under the Law as well among the Gentiles as the Jews tends to the Glory of God that is not a ceremonial Ordinance nor forbidden by Christ but such is Swearing and therefore it cannot be thought to be prohibited Reply It hath been said and often asserted that all the ten Words and ten Commandments were moral and perpetual as well under the Gospel as under the Law then I wonder what A. S. and divers others intend to do with the fourth Commandment if it be moral and perpetual and to be observed in the same Manner and with the same Service as then commanded and the same day and time then he and most of them who contend most for the Morality of these ten Commandments are great Transgressors and if he grant there was something ceremonial in it and typical or figurative which then was the seventh Day which was given for a Sign of the World's Rest from its Labour and of keeping after it an everlasting Sabbath to the Lord by Man's Cessation from his own Works as God did from his Isa. 58. and the last of Hebrews ver 4. which Jewish Observation of the seventh Day as a Sabbath now though never so solemnly as then commanded will have no Acceptation at all no more then he and he as much that is none at all that never so solemnly swears by the Name of God in such ceremonious Way as the Jews did of old or goes beyond the bare Asseveration or Testimony of Truth with some Attestation of God's Power and Veracity which hath never been denyed which to do we do not only think but know it to be a superfluous Ceremony to Judaism not to say Brat of Jewish Extraction
Likewise the Law Deut. 42.1 2. When a Man takes a Wife and it comes to pass she finds no favour in his Eyes because he hath found some uncleanness in her then let him write her a Bill of Divorcement and send her out of his House and when she is departed out of his House she may go and be another Man's Wife But Christ saith Mat. 5.32 who shall Marry her that is divorced commits Adultery Which is a clear prohibition of that which the Law allowed and what A. S. will call this whether a new moral command or promulgation of a new Law I know not but it is evident enough that some things were prohibited by Christ which the Law commanded or at least allowed and therefore we conclude from the 23. and 24. Verses of the 5th of Matthew that Christ did prohibit all vain Swearing and unlawful Swearing which was disallowed before under the Law but even all Swearing which was commanded or at least permitted under the Law for the reasons and ends given before and this will stand as Truth notwithstanding A. S. his Argument His tenth Argument is That if the hiâ—h Priest charged Christ to Swear and he without exception answered upon Oath and that some Years after he had said Swear not at all from hence follows that when the Magistrate imposeth an Oath the Person charged to Swear may lawfully answer upon Oath as Christ did notwithstanding his prohiâ—ition of Swear not at all Reply First that was a time when the administration of the first Covenant was not fully ended for Christ was not yet offered up and so the high Priest as being a Jew might from the Commandment or permission of the Law as being one that sate in Moses Chair might require Christ to speak upon Oath as presuming he had Authority so to do being he looked upon it as a Work of God and what though it was some Years after Christ had said Swear not at all what doth A. S. infer from this Christ knew that the high Priest and Pharisees were about the work of their Father the Devil and though the high Priest did say I Adjure which A. Smallwood tells us is I command thee to Swear to us Christ answered in his own Authority and in the Power and Wisdom of the Father and if he had answered as taking notice of the high Priests adjuring who was about to Crucifie the Just which was not the Work of God neither was jurations or Oaths ever intended to be instrumental in the Devil's work then I Argue that if Christ had answered to his adjuring knowing the end was to ensnare him the Son of God then Christ had consented unto his Evil work which were blasphemy to think or speak and therefore as it was Prophesied of him he was led as a Lamb to the Slaughter sometimes he opened not his Mouth the other sometimes he did in the Authority and Power of the Father which was with him and in him and though the high Priest charged Christ By the living God that thou tell us whether thou be Christ the Son of the Living God Mat. 26.63 64. Jesus answered thou hast said and what is this the Oath that Christ Swear A. S. tells us before that an Oath was an attestation of God to the Truth of what was said but now the Words thou hast said barely of themselves without any attestation of God is an Oath if the high Priest had said art thou Peter or art thou John that was with Jesus of Gallile and Peter and John had answered I am Peter and I am John that was with him what will A. S. conclude now that Peter and John hath Sworn away with such perverting and straining screwing of the Scriptures from their genuine sense only to uphold that which was added because of Transgression now when Sin Trangression is finished the end of Christ's coming is Witnessed to uphold that which Christ came to end to wit Sin and also an Oath which was added because of Sin and Unbelief and the hardness of their Hearts only to remain till that part was done away and until the time of Reformation Heb. 9.10 to wit the bringing in of everlasting Righteousness and it cannot be reasonably concluded that because Christ answered the high Priest thou hast said that therefore he took notice of commanding to Swear or at least approving of his adjuration knowing that he was about an Evil work and doing the Work of the Devil which must needs be judged that Christ did neither approve of nor consent unto what ever A. S. may say or think but only in his own Authority spoke the Truth made a good confession as he did before Pontius Pilate to the Glory of the Father who had sent him whose will he came to do And Luke 22.70 Art thâ—u then the Son of God and he said unto them ye say that I am and Pilate was as much a Magistrate as the high Priest and he asked Art thou the King of the Jews and he answered him and said thou sayest it And Herod was as much a Magistrate as either Pilate or the high Priest and he questioned with him in many Words but Christ answered nothing so that he did not so much take notice of their Questions or examining or charging or adjuring as A. S. would make seem of it but according to the Wisdom and Power of God which was in him spoke and answered in his own Authority without taking so much notice of them as he would infer he knowing what they were going about though they had the Name and bore the title of Magistrates yet were out of the Power of God in the Persecuting Nature which is the Ground and Foundation of all Authority which is of God but A. S. sayes Mark 14.62 relates plainly that Christ answered I am but yet neither Mark Luke nor John take so much notice of the high Priests adjuring or make so much for A. S. his Argument as he would have them Maâ—k saith only Mark 14.61 The high Priest asked him and said unto him art thou Christ the Son of the blessed he doth not say I adjure thee or I charge thee to Swear unto us as A. S. would have it but though Mat. 26.63 say I adjure thee to tell us whether thou be Christ the Son of God is not much material for A. S. hath made more matter about it then is to any great or good purpose but I say he was as much bound to answer Pilate or Herod as the high Priest and as much directly to one as to another we see his Answers were not all alike but I would not have A. S. nor my self neither sit as Judges over Christ's Answers and squeeze and serue them beyond or contrary to Christâ—s intention for the sum of the matter is this thou hast said I am and thou sayest I am a King and is Christ's answers to the high Priest and Pilate and nothing to Herod and A. S.
taken are binding in Respect of Creatures Relation to the Creator and Christ reckons them among sinful Oaths and teacheth them to use only bare Affirmations or Denyals in their Communication And this is the very Sum of his Judgment and the Words of Christ are only to be limitted to this Sense and no further that is not to swear at all by Creatures in their mutual Converse or Communications and this he hath repeated over and over in his Book and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto Christ's Prohibition Swear not at all and this Interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof and is the Judgment of Doctor Gauden also who hath contended as hard for some Swearing as A. S. hath and I perceive that A. S. hath read the Answer to Bishop Gauden published by that precious Servant of the Lord Samuel Fisher who finished his Life in Bonds for the Gospel-Truth against all Swearing whose Answer stands firm and his demonstrative Arguments of Force and are yet unanswered though A. S. hath a little here and there carped at and hath bitten at the Heel but hath not made void at all his Answer which will live as a living Testimony in Generations to come as consonant unto Christ's Doctrine wherein he prohibits all Oaths under the Gospel Reply Though there be some Truth in the different Authors that are alledged and also in A.S. his Words that swearing by Creatures as Heaven and Earth Jerusalem and vain Oaths is forbidden and customary Oaths and the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees and the false Interpretations yet all this comes short of Christ's mind and of the true genuine sense of the words the scope of Christ's Sermon as is manifest in the Chapter and in his Testament and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that Work he hath undertaken viz. the Justification of any or the lawfulness of any Swearing or the defence of that limited sense he would put upon the Universal terms in the 2. Texts wherein Christ and the Apostle forbids all Swearing And though A. S. often tells us Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded neither gave any new positive Law before his Death he sure hath forgot himself much what will become of the two great Ordinances still upheld as Baptism and breaking of Bread and whether was this a new Institution of Christ or was it an Institution in the Law and if it was an Institution of Christ as the Church of England doth hold and not of the Law nor of Moses as indeed it was not then A. S. his Argument is fallen to the Ground that he gave no new Commandment neither instituted any new Ordinance and then what is become of these two great Mysteries as they have been called but he hath ravelled out and spun out his Threed so long that he often runs off his Legs and though A. S. does often urge that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and therefore hath said falsly that Christ Sware before the High Priest after he had given forth this Commandment Swear not at all which if it had been true it had been no more president for Christians then eating the Passeover and though he sometimes urge that such Oaths as were commanded under the Law are not forbidden by that Text Mat. 5.38 because it was spoken sometime before his Death and the Ministration of the first Covenant was not ended till his death and therefore he concludes That all Oaths would not be forbidden by Christ in this Text for saith he Christ did not forbid what the Law commanded but though this prohibition was given out before his Death yet with reference to the Gospel-times after his Death It is evident by the Texts before it and behind it viz. of divorce and of deportment towards injurious Ones and Enemies so in this of Oaths Christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross Abuses of those things that they had a Dispensation for under the Law and that by Divine indulgency which abuses crept in by the Pharisaical false Glosses too much loosing the meaning of God's Law by Moses by their depraved examples or popular Customes but Christ condemned and prohibited those very things which in regard of the hardness of their Hearts distrust and wicked Cruelties God himself in that very Letter of the Law indulged them in and gave them both a dispensation and a precept for in the Law for the Law said of old time before the false gloss of Scribes and Pharisees came in some things so as it was not said from the beginning when Man was in Innocency and was merciful as his Heavenly Father was merciful and the Law said Deut. 24.12 whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a Bill of divorcement then she may go be another man's Wife but I say whose putteth away his Wife causeth her to commit Abultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth Adultery Mat. 5.32 So that not only the corrupt Glosses and irregular Practices of the mis-informed Jews are forbidden but even that which the Law not only permitted and allowed and dispensed with but commanded is for bidden and another thing injoyned and in cause of injury as he hath done so shall it be done unto him ye have heard it hath been said an Eye for an eye and a Tooth for a tooth this was the Law Exod. 21.44 Levit. 24.20 Deut. 19.20 and this was commanded But Christ saith I say unto you that ye resist not Evil whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other also and if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain Mat. 5.39 40 41. So here is not only a further thing but even another thing commanded by Christ. Further the Law said Exod. 20.14 thou shalt not commit Adultery but Christ the wisdom of God saith Mat. 5.28 whosoever looketh upon a Woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart again ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy though A. S. sayes That is not found in the Law but a corrupt Gloss of the Pharisees I say that is found which amounts to as much as hath been shewed for the Jews that were of the Law might and did spoyle their Enemies the Gentiles and Canaanites and Egyptians and Amalekites and had a command so to do and kill them and Root them out and yet to help his Enemies Oxe or Asse under a burthen if he were belonging to a Jew that personally hated him and not an Amalekite one of that cursed race but this is a ridle to many But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and