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A70666 Innocency cleared the liberties and priviledges of Gods people for assembling together in his fear to wait upon him very calmly expostulated and their refusal of all oaths in meekness vindicated Mason, Martin, fl. 1650-1676. 1660 (1660) Wing M930; ESTC R3559 8,207 10

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INNOCENCY cleared The Liberties and Priviledges of Gods People for assembling together in his Fear to wait upon him very calmly expostulated and their Refusal of all Oaths in meekness vindicated THat there was a golden time for Holiness of life and good Government before Moses had a being upon earth or writ his Books there 's none that are truly wise can well be so bold as to deny without a Blush 2. That the Rise of all outward Government was occasioned by the Peoples declining from that of God in them and so running into carnal liberty lust and profane licentionsness is a Truth which cannot be shaken 3. That the end of all external Government was and is to Bridle the Wicked to be a Terror to Evil-doers the Preservation of the People in Peace and Tranquility and a Protection Praise and Encouragement of those who do well where true Wisdom rules will not be contradicted THese three Particulars being granted me Come let us reason together in Meekness and Moderation O ye Children of Men that are now in Authority and tell me what it was that induced men to live in the fear of the Lord and peaceably one with another before the Reins of Political Government or the Rod of that Authority had its Institution or the Bible had a being if it was not a Principle of God or a measure of himself in every Mortal which inwardly led him to be obedient to his Maker The children of Men in that golden age of the World living the life of Innocency and true Holiness needed not then an outward Law to restrain them from Vice or Vanity were by the inward Law of God written in their hearts and by their Love and Obedience thereunto a Law unto themselves Lust was mortified and was not suffered to live in them and therefore could not lord it over them Covetousness had not crept into their hearts each man lived comfortably upon the Creation and was contented with his Portion no man sought then to lord it over one another every man sought after the good of his Fellow-Creature as his own while this inward Voice or Law of God was regarded by them all Lording Tyranny was a stranger to them But after Lust entred into the hearts of men and prevailed over them that they would be no longer kept within the pale of this holy Principle Gods Spirit in their hearts which sounded forth the Will ●nd Mind of God unto them which was there placed to be their Law and Law-giver whom they were to obey in all things Then God raised up himself an outward Instrument and gave him Wisdom and Power to govern his People and to make Lawes and Statutes for them which they were not to transgress but be subject to and this Government was intended and set up for a Restraint to the wilde Nature to make it tame and bring it under the Yoak subject to just Authority to deal justly and uprightly one with another and to live peaceably in their generation and inoffensively to all men and so be a Bridle to that licentious bruitish profane spirit which would rise up against persecute and worry Gods innocent people And so this Authority proved an incouragement unto and a protection under God of Gods harmless Flock Now let Gods witness arise in all your consciences and in meekness without prejudice ponder the proceedings of the present Authority against the innocent suffering people scornfully called Quakers and compare the Principle and Practices of these persecuted people with that which I have above premised and see if this Authority do rightly answer the end of the Primitive Institution of Government in its persecuting of this innocent people And honestly consider how often have we published to the world That we truly own the righteous Law of God written in our hearts His Light in our consciences to be our Leader our Law-giver the Line or Rule of our life that holy Seed which never sinned but ever suffered by the seed of evil-doers because it ever bare its testimony in the heart of man against all iniquity do we believe in and obey which suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem and witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate Christ in us the hope of Glory In him we do believe who moveth in our hearts to Holiness Patience Mercy Meekness Peace with all men and love to Enemies and leadeth his Lambs into all Truth whose Kingdom is not of this world and therefore with a carnal Weapon connot we his Subjects nor ever could since we were in our mindes and affections separated from the World and turned to God fight for the upholding of it How often have we been taxed for a seditious and traiterous people and yet none of this trumpery never could nor ever shall be justly proved against us How many false aspersions have been cast upon us as if we had been Conspirators against the Peace of the Kingdom How often have the wicked people invented Lies against us and some foolish people been afraid of us as if we would have risen and their Throats should have been cut by us And all this by that subtile spirit which seeks to murther and destroy us and yet how often hath the Lord cleared the innocency of us Yea hath not the King and his Council how und●servedly God knows proclaimed us for Plotters and numbred us amongst Conspirators though in their Consciences Gods righteous Witness hath before this day born testimony to our innocency herein I say Consider Friends Hath our deportment amongst you deserved no better than this hard measure from you to be thus unworthily imprisoned by you Yea how many of us in several places of the Nation have upon this Proclamation been knockt down and sorely wounded by the seed of evil-doers Have not all the clamours and loud out-cryes of our Enemies vanished like smoak And doth not our innocency appear to all sober people Have we ever given you any just cause to be jealous of us or that you should give so little credit to us Wherein have we so heinously offended you that we should be thus unkindly dealt with by you What 's our offence Is Innocency become a Crime Is it because we cannot bow unto you nor with flattering Titles complement you but deal plainly with you and for your vanity in love reprove you Doth this render us so vile in your eyes Then verily we must be more vile still You who have had dealings with us have you ever found Treachery in us or met with falshood from us that you should judge so uncharitably of us If Gods witness in you give a good testimony for us be not you bitter in your minds towards us nor so fill'd with Passion and Prejudice against us but let Bowels of love be in you for us and for the time to come be not so backward or unwilling to have a good opinion of us nor so ready to receive lying Reports that shall be rais'd against us if we
this Law but to fulfil it and lay a stricter Command upon the soul than the actual committing of lust But I say unto you saith Christ Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her he hath already committed adultery with her in his heart so they were to exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees who kept to the Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery or else they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven whilst they looked upon a woman to lust after her Thus the Spirit of Christ gives not any liberty to lust nor toleration to prophane wanton minds or ●eared consciences but calls for Holiness of life to walk in the strait and narrow Gare which is the Path to everlasting Peace You have heard saith he that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths This the Scribes and Pharisees might reach unto and live in the obedience to this Law But I say unto you saith Christ Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribe● and Pharisees whom he doth not accuse that they sware falsly as many now ordinarily do you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore Swear not at all Come let us Reason together and expostulate a little about this matter Will it be counted a Crime if in true wisdom I rightly weigh these words of Christ paraphrase a little upon his Divine Precept Christ doth not here only comand the people to avoid all vain Oaths in their idle talk and communication which I do not read nor believe the Scribes and Pharisees were guilty of but rather judge they were herein as in many other things above and a shame unto many thousands in the Nation who would be counted Christians but he mounts up to a higher pitch and with his Rod of Authority reacheth to the Scribes and Pharisees amongst whom under the Law it might be lawful for the ending of all controversies they living in the nature where strife and contention had dominion to give in their testimony upon Oath and so to swear in truth and righteousness To such it was said by them of old Thou shalt not forswear thy self Now Christ he cometh not to destroy the testimony of Truth but to fulfil the Law and the Prophets and so tells the people in another place Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leads to life And here he adds Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees who not being truly com● to Christ lived under the Law and so under the Administration of an Oath for the ending of strife and so were not to forswear themselves except they came to the end of all Oaths to let their Yea be Yea and their Nay Nay in all things they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And therefore saith Christ Swear not at all Lo this is the Royal Mandate of Sions King and do not all his Subjects owe Allegiance and true subjection unto him Let your Yea be Yea saith he and your Nay Nay in all things for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil In all things Then certainly in giving in Evidence and Testimony betwixt man and man and in promising obedience to all the lawful Commands of Authority For whatsoever is more than these YEA and NAY cometh of evil Saist thou so Lord and shall not we be concluded by thee Let my Tongue cloave to the Roof of my mouth if I ever further dispute it with thee O Lord I do herein believe thee and submit unto thee Henceforth O Lord through thy assistance to me all Oaths shall be denyed for ever by me both before Authority and in my familiar Talk O blessed Lord O thou Immaculate Lamb of God without spot or wrinkle the true Israelite indeed in whom there was never sound guile hast thou set sorth thy Royal Pleasure in the Scriptures of Truth and published thy Proclamation to all thy Subjects which prohibiteth all swearing in such express words as none but the dark Generation or who are wilfully blind can justly plead ignorance that read thy words I say unto you Swear not at all c. but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil And shall Sions children thy own Seed be disobedient or rebellious to thee O be that far from us How can we love thee if we keep not thy Commandements Lord we are clearly satisfied in our own souls that thou requirest Obedience from us as to this particular Precept and do well know as thou hast rightly spoken Whatsoever is more than Yea and Nay cometh of evil Therefore O Lord do we hend unto thee in this thy holy Commandment for thou art Righteous altogether in all thy Requirings and thou woula'st be iustified in thy judging of us yea in our own Consciences we should be condemned from thy presence if since thou hast convinced us we ought not to Swear at all we should out of a slavish fear to save self wilfully violate and transgress thy Royal Law which thy blessed Apostle James very earnestly pressed the people to obey Above all things my Brethren swear not c. lest you fall into Condemnation Yea Lord we know many of thy chosen and peculiar people before us who suffered Martyrdom for thy Truth have in Obedience unto thy Command kept to thy Doctrine and denyed to Swear at all and must we be counted unworthy to live upon thy Earth by those who would be counted Christians too because we dare not transgressthy Righteous Law Then Lord we will be contented to bear with patience the Wrath and Indignation of thy Enemies and if our Obedience unto thee render us so vile to thy Adversaries Lord let us be more vile still and yet obedient unto Englands King or any other Authority in all lawful Commands Thou knowest our Innocency Lord that we cannot Plot but desire to live peaceably under Authority and shall never use outward violence nor handle a carnal Weapon nor countenance any Con 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plot or Rebellion against Cesar or the Government and to this shall our Yea be as binding unto us as all the Oaths or Bonds of the Heathen unto them And if the tongue of Men or Angels should seek to insinuate any other Doctrine into us contrary to this Command of Christ Swear not at all in the fear of the Lord we shall bid defiance to it and reject it Let all the Angels in Heaven worship thee So in the integrity of our hearts O Lord we are given up patiently to suffer what thou shalt suffer the Adversaries of thy Peoples Peace to impose upon us for our Obedience unto thee Thou knowest Lord we are a harmless peaceable people and have none to plead our Cause but thee and Lord we know thou art Alsufficient thou canst work deliverance for thy suffering Seed as it pleaseth thee therefore will we put our trust in thee Thou knowest we desire the peace and welfare of all men yea the inward good and outward peace and prosperity of our Enemies as shall seem good unto thee Lord open thou their understanding that they may see whom it is they persecute bring them O Lord out of Darkness into thy Light and from the Power of Satan from whence all Persecution ever rose unto thee O God Do good in thy good time O Lord to all that through ignorance have done wrong to us Righteous Father Do thou for give them for they know not what they do Bring them Lord to thy righteous Law in their hearts thy Light in their consciences thy Immortal Seed which never sinn'd against thee that they may cease from their iniquities and be reconciled unto thee Lord grant in thy Light they may wait upon thee that their iniquities may be pardoned by thee And as for that Mountain of iniquity which is in rebellion against thee and boasts in its own strength as if it never could be moved and thirsts for the blood of thy innocent Babes God eternal keep them Drive the Flood backward Rebuke the proud waves of the Sea and beget a Calm Be thou O Lord the Defender of thy harmless People who art the Author of their Faith in thee Get thy self a glorious Name and magnifie thy Almighty Power in the utter overthrow of thy implacable Enemies Shew mercy to all but that which thou hast designed for Perdition Preserve thy own dear breathing Seed out of the Lions Paw who have none in Heaven O Lord but thee nor none in all the Earth we can expect deliverance from but thee Thou Lord art Alsufficient we look unto no other Thou art our stay thou art our strength our hope is in thee our deliverance must come alone from thee we wholly cast our care upon thee therefore shall we be saved by thee Under the shadow of thy Wings Lord we are safe and all the ravening Beasts of the field cannot make us afraid Glory Glory everlasting Praises from thy Immortal Seed be given unto thee alone who onely art worthy to be honoured God over all Blessed for ever By a Sufferer for Truths sake in the City-Prison at Lincoln Lincoln 18th day last month 1660.