said should come in the last dayes of whom saith Christ Ye shall know them by their fruits Mat. 7.20 And these are the fruits of the false Prophets to wit sporting themselves with their own deceivings mark ye that are makers of Feasts with your Priests while they feast with you having eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from sin take notice beguiling unstable souls an heart they have exercised with covetous practises mark cursed children which have forsaken the right way of the Lord and are gone astray following the way of Balaam who loved gifts and rewards as ye Priests do the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. from verse 1. to 15 from the 10 Verse of Jude to the 19. And in those two Chapters ye may read a true discovery of the Priest and false Prophets And thou George Long saidst at the time aforesaid to T.C. that the Quakers preach the Doctrine of the Pope to wit Perfection Now whether the Doctrine of Perfection be a Doctrine of the Pope or false let the light of Christ in all judge for the blessed God his servants and Prophets and Christ Jesus and his Ministers preached the Doctrine of Perfection the Lord said to Abraham Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17.1 And Moses his servant preached perfection and said Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God and not follow them that use Divination c. Deut. 18.11 12 13. David preached Perfection 1 Chro. 28.9 and said Know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart Hezekiah did witness he had walked before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart and had done that which was good in his sight 2 Kings 20.3 And Solomon preached Perfection and said 1 Kings 18.61 Let your heart be perfect with the Lord our God to walk in his Statutes and keep his Commandements and Prov. 11.5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way mark George Long but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness And Isaiah that holy Prophet preached Perfection saying Thou wilt keep them in perfect peace whose minds are staid on thee Isai 26 3 4. And the Lord Jesus the everlasting Covenant of God preached Perfection saying Be ye perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5.48 And Paul his Minister preached Perfection not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration power and Spirit of the Lord howbeit he preached wisdom amongst them mark that were perfect and therein did Paul strive and labour according to the mighty workings of the Lord in him mark to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus and therefore having these promises saith Paul see what the promises were 2 Cor. 6.3 last verses Let us cleanse our selves take notice ye that say that man cannot be free from sin on earth from all filthiness of flâ—sh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord and he said they were not come to the Mount that might be touched but ye are come unto Mnunt Syon and unto the City of the living God Heavenly Ierusalâ—m and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And Epaphras a servant of Christ laboured fervently in prayers that they might stand perfect and compleat Read these Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.4 5 6. 2 Cor. 7.1 Col. 1.28 Heb. 12.18 to 23. Col. 4.12 Heb. 6.1 John 17.23 1 Iohn 4.12 17 18. Now let all that fear the Lord judge whether the Doctrine of Perfection be a Doctrine of the Pope yea or nay or whether G. Long which denies the Doctrine of Perfection doth not deny the Doctrine of Christ and so is an Antichrist 2 Iohn 9. and tells the people they cannot be freed from sin while they are on earth and yet saith if they have Faith to believe that Christ dyed for their sins they shall be saved and so applies the Promises to that nature which the judgements of the Lord are to preaching peace to the wicked to whom God hath said There is no peace and to confirm this Doctrine of imperfection tells people that Paul was a sinner and David was a sinner and that Iob was not a perfect man witness to this against thee George Long Francis Stokes of London to whom thou saidst when I sent by him to thee a few Queries which thou never yet answeredst which I shall send some of them once more with some others unto thee and Priest Sangers at that time thou saidst Iob was not a perfect man and so thou blasphemously chargedst God to be a lyar which said Satan hast thou considered my servant Iob that there is none like him in the earth a perfect man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Iob 1.8 Therefore thou George Long hast spoken wickedly against God Thou thinkest that he is altogether such a one as thy self but he is a pure and holy God and hath reproved thee through me the least of his servants and set thy sins in order before thee as Psalm 50.21 for although Iob said in the anguish and bitterness of his soul and spirit that mark if I should just fie my self my own mouth would condemn me if I say I am perfect it would prove me perverse yet the Lord said Iob was a perfect man and the Word of the Lord is true Iob said he was as one desperate and did confess his words to be as wind ch 6.26 for he was not suffered to fetch his breath by reason of the anguish and bitterness of his Soul and he desired the Lord to take his hand and dread off him And in all this Iob sinned not with his lips Iob 2.10 And Iob said My face is foul with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death mark not for any injustice in mine hands for all my prayers are pure and he said My Righteousness I hold fast and will not let go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live here Iob did confess his perfect holy life Job 16.16 and 27.6 And the Lord said again chap. 2. Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in all the earth c. and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou hast moved me against him to destrâ—â— him mark without a cause Iob was a perfect man and none spake of me the things that were right like my servant Job saith the Lord God Almighty Iob 42.7 And therefore thou George Long art a forger of lyes who saidst Iob was not a perfect man Thou art a Physitian of no value and the wrath of God is kindled against thee and all you wicked ones who are searching for the sin and failings of the holy Fathers of old thereby thinking to keep people in sin for terme of life and also to hold up the horrible filthy thing in the Land
and the abomination that maketh desolation c. And although David was a sinner yet when he saw his sin he repented and sate on the ground and made Sack-cloth his garments and prayed the Lord to blot out his sin and his iniquities and to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him which David did witness the Lord had done for him and had delivered him out of all his trouble and said I will praise the Lord for ever mark because he hath done it c. Ps 51.9 10 52.9.54.7 And although Paul did cry out O wretched man that I am c. yet he did after witness and say the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death and over death he did triumph and thanked God that he had given him the victory over his sin through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 and 8.1 2 37. and ch 6.16 17 18. 1 Cor. 15.55 to the end This may serve to satisfie the simple and for a witness against thee Rob. Hill who falsely reportedst that I said Paul was not a Saint or born of God when he said O wretched man c. Thou askedst me whether he was not a sinner I answered that he that was born of God did not commit sin c. But thou by thy consequences concludest and falsely reportedst as aforesaid Let the wise in God judge to whom I refer my self I had been silent herein knowing it is honourable to cease from strife had I not been told of it by several people since I came into prison for it is near two years ago that the words were spoken Now let all the wise in heart judge whether or no Iob David and Paul did not witness a cleansing from their sins and iniquities and witness a perfect holy life or perfection contrary to that Doctrine of George Long and others who quote them for examples to people that they may live in sin for terme of life which is just the Doctrine of the Pope who in his ground differeth little from the Priests of England though in some particular circumstances they may for the Pope and his Jesuits and Fryars tell the people they cannot be free from sin or perfect whiles they are on earth but tell them there is a Purgatory where they must be cleansed after death for which many of them do give their whole estates to the Pope his Fryars c. to pray for their Souls after death that they may be freed of out Purgatory which they say is a place of torment and go to Heaven And hence it is through their subtilty and craft they have gotten so many Abbies c. and other yearly Revenues as they have part of which is now become their Successors to wit the Priests of England and hence was the ground to wit from the Pope of Glebes and Tythes for which the Priests of England contend so earnestly and sue men at Law c. And the Pope his Jesuits and Fryars c. say the Wafer or bread is Corpus Dei the Body of God and the Wine his Blood after they have consecrated it as they call it and some of the Priests of England say the same and the Pope and his Priests c. wash or sprinkle little Children and call that Baptism and they use a form of words at their Graves burying of their dead and they stand praying in the Synagogues and Pulpits and preach from a Chapter and Verse and have Parsonage-houses Gleabs and Tythes and some of them preach for hire moneys c. All which the Priests of England for the greatest part of them do the like and against such dumb greedy Doggs who could never have enough but preach for their gain from their Quarters the Lord sent Isaiah to cry Isa 56.10 11. and against such the Lord sent Jerimiah to cry which did commit the horrible thing in the Land the Prophets prophecying falsely and the Priests bearing rule by their means and the people did love to have it so as ye people of England do but what will ye do in the end thereof ye shall lye down in sorrow Isa 5.30 31. Isa 50.11 and against such the Lord sent Ezekiel to cry who did make a prey of the prople and destroyed Souls for dishonest gain Ezek. 34.3 4. and 27.4 And against such the Lord sent Micah to cry which did preach for hire and divine for money as your Priests and Divines do Micah 3.10 11. And Christ said ye shall know them by they fruits and against such Christ Jesus cryed who stood praying in the Synagogues and were called of men Master and had the chief Seats in the Assemblies and the uppermost rooms at Feasts Mat. 23.6 7. Now all people who have been learning the way of truth from your priests some 20 30 40 years some more some less and have given them great Gifts and Rewards and yet ye are as ignorant of the true way to eternal life as ye were the first time you went to hear them and look with a single eye on your Priests and see what difference there is between their Doctrine and that of the Popes Therefore be ye warned of them all people before the terrible day of the Lord come upon you and consume you as stubble for in that day the wicked shall be as stubble which is come and coming and with the Rod of his mouth will he smite the earth and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked therefore while ye have time prize it and repent for though there be a righteous holy life to be attained through Christ Jesus Isa 4.4 whose blood cleanseth from all sin yet those whom he doth redeem by his Spirit of burnings and of judgement from sin Rom. â— 6 he doth redeem them henceforth not to live in sin but unto him which dyed and rose again he that hath an ear to hear 2 Cor. 5.15 can hear to serve him mark in newness of life and if ever any of you come to witness a perfect holy life either Priest or People in any measure ye must come to witness a real not feigned forsaking of your evil wayes and a daily dying and crucifying of that life that now liveth in you with all its lusts and affections Gal. 5.24.25 16. Rom 6.4 And the life that ye have slâ—ne whiles ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter to be raised by the power and glory of the Lord God even as Jesus was raised from the dead c. And therefore your saying ye hope ye shall be saved from your sins and ye believe Christ dyed for your sins and by faith in Christ ye shall be saved c. It is not your speaking those words and living in sin will serve your turns for Christ is come and coming to give to every one according as their works shall be And therefore that beliefe that doth
over-head into the room where I was because I gave notice to the Keeper and did not give my consent for him to break the rest of the prison when he was put up again he threw down his piss or Urine several times over the place where my bed was that it might run down upon it Upon the 17 day of the said Ninth Month came Anne Blacklin and several other Friends with her to visit me and desired the Keeper that they might come into prison to me but his answer was that the Mayor had commanded not to suffer any to come in except my Wife so Anne Blacklin and those other Friends went to Matthew Cliffe the called Mayor and desired him that they might be permitted to come into the prison to me but he told her she should not come in to me nor see my face for he said I had abused their Minister and was a Railer then she bad him send for me before his face and convince me of evill or being a Rayler but that he refused to do and said he would send for me the next Sessions and then if I did not what he did require of me he would send me to Bridewel and so he rudely and unbecoming a Magistrate to so evill entreat a stranger and give such an evill example thrust her and her Friends out of his house and would not suffer them to come into prison to me though she told him she came a purpose from Bristol to visit me and in a few dayes after came Iames Travers and Iohn Wickham to Bathe and desired the Keeper to let them into the prison to me but the Keeper or his Wife told Iohn Wickham that the Mayor had charged them not to let in any but my Wife for if they did he would take away the keyes from them and Iames Stirredge and Iames Travers went to Matthew Cliffe Mayor to know of him what Law he had to keep me so close prisoner he told them he had a Law but shewed them none and would not suffer them to come into prison neither would he give leave to any that ever asked him to come in to visit me to come in And whereas thou Matthew Cliffe and ye Iohn Boyce and Iohn Biggs who were Mayors before him with others of your company do accuse me for Railing Railing I do deny and do not use or bring railing accusations against any man and so that slander I do return back again on your own heads who are the false Accusers and in the nature of Railers Did I rail at thee Iohn Boyce and thee Matthew Cliff and the rest of your company on the 5. day of the Ninth month 1655. when ye passed in pride and pomp with your pipes sounding before you through the gate to Thomas Scrines house to feast where ye feasted and enflamed your selves with Wine and strong Drink without the fear of the Lord I say unto you Did I rail to tell you as it was it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be and is in this the day of the coming of the Son of Man They eat saith Christ they drank c. bid you repent with a lamentation over you mind the light of Christ in you which shewed you sin and evill and reproved you for it for that was your Teacher for your Teachers without you have deceived you and I said and now affirm again that the Lord will stain your pride and glory and this I was moved of the living God to speak unto you for which ye caused me to be shut into the inner prison before ye came back and used me so uncivil and brutish that night at your Sessions as I said before And did I rail at thee Matthew Cliffe the 9. day of the Ninth Month 1655. because I asked thee as thou passedst through the gate when thou wouldst fear the living God and do Justice Or did I rail at thee the 16. day of that month I being moved of the Lord to go out into the outward prison the inner prison door being but a very little while before left open which I believe was the mind of the Lord so to have it and immediatly thou passedst by with thy Mace before thee to the Idol Temple and the Word of the Lord came unto me saying say unto Matthew Cliffe Thus saith the Lord God of hosts Except thou repent and meet me the living God by Repentance I will cut thy life off from the earth and thou shalt go down to thy Grave in sorrow and when thou art on thy bed of Torment remember how thou sleightedst the day of thy Visitation and this was the Word of the Lord unto thee The light of Christ in thy Conscience and in all your Consciences shall eternally witness me to be true and this was the substance of whatever I spake to any of you as aforesaid which for the clearing of Truth and my Innocency and taking off of your reproach I was pressed in my spirit to send forth this as a testimony against you for it is no more than what is contained in the holy Scripture of truth and let the wise in God judge And I say unto you as Eliah said to Ahab who are in Authority from the greatest Prince to the least of you all that ye are they that disturb and trouble the Nations in that ye do not keep the peace which ye ought to do but suffer the Lords servants whom he hath sent unto you to preach his everlasting Gospel freely and to fore warn you of his great and mighty day that is come and coming upon you all and of his great wrath and fierce indignation that he will assuredly pour forth upon you except you speedily repent to be beaten with sticks and stones dirted whipped stocked and to be cast into prison and there to perish by long and sore unjust imprisonment and ye are those that have itching ears heaping up to your selves Teachers to wit your hireling Priests which prophesie falsely and divine for money and speak peace to the wicked which put into their mouths and against them that do not they prepare war And so ye are those that do hold up the horrible filthy thing in the Land and cannot endure sound Doctrine but are making havock of the servants of the most high God and ye do plainly manifest your selves to be such Princes as the Prophet Ezekiel called Ravening Wolves which made it their prey to shed blood c. Ezek. 22.27 And to tell you plainly from the Spirit of the living God what ye are is no railing but the day will come ye will confess it to be more honesty and faithfulness in them that so do from the Spirit of the Lord than it is in them that preach peace to the Wicked So my grievous and unjust oppressions I have received from these unreasonable men I leave to the Lord and all that fear his Name to judge thereof Oh! all ye Inhabitants of the Earth
the dreadfull and mighty day of the Lord is come and coming upon you all unawares as a Theefe in the night and though ye are saying peace and safety sudden and eternal destruction as a whirlwind will come upon you except ye repent and in particular upon you O ye Inhabitants of Bathe who are a shelter for all wickedness pride and wantonness fulness of Bread and all uncleanness abound amongst you ye are seen as Sodom and Gomorrah the Lord will stain your pride and glory and the righteous judgements of the Lord will be heavy upon you your blessings which ye have turned into lasciviousness lusts and uncleanness are corrupted and accursed and the day hasteneth that all that fear the living God will not seek unto them but our waters shall be a wallowing place for Swine and the wild Beasts of the field and the Sword of the Lord will be upon the arm and the right eye of your Idol Shepheards and false prophets Zack 11.17 Their right eye will utterly be darkened and their arm clean dryed up and some of you shall wander up and down with your earthen vessels to seek water and this is the plague the Lord will smite you with who are persecutors of his annointed ones Amos 8.12 Your flesh shall consume away while ye stand upon your feet your eyes shall consume in their holes and your tongues consume away in your mouths Zack 14.12 nothing of this shall fail the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it at a time appointed it will speak and not lye and if in the day of the Lord they shall be cast into everlasting fire that did not visit the least of Christs little-ones in prison What shall ye do that cast them in and will not suffer them that do come to visit them to come at them Witness to this against thee Matthew Cliffe Anne Blacklin c. whose testimonies will stand against thee for ever and also against thee Iohn Bigg shall witness Nicholus Jordan Iohn Dowel Nathaniel Milner and Sara Bennet of Bristol in the year 1655. with several others for at that time the said N. Iordan coming up the street of Bathe a little after his Wife and my other Friends there came two young men Samuel Whitehead and George Sprat with a cord and interwinding N. Iordan in the cord struck up his heels and he fell upon the hard stones ready to break his bones he being at that time but a weak man in body and when he appealed to thee Iohn Bigg no redress he had so thou didst plainly manifest thy self to bear the Sword in vain who lettest the evill-doer go free Upon the 26. day of the Fourth month called Iune last past there being the servants of the Lord met together in the hired house and ground of Thomas Dyer and as they were peaceably and quietly waiting and hearing the Word of the Lord from his servants Tho. Salthouse Miles Halhead the bruit people gathered about the place where they were hallowing and yawling like wild Beasts throwing stones and dirt as though they would have murthered the peaceable people of the Lord and sorely hurt Tho. Salthouse in the head with a stone while he was speaking the Word of the Lord freely in love to their Souls and when those Friends passed away from the Meeting the brutish people followed them in the street throwing stones and dirt at them as though they had been wild mad whooping and yawling and beating of a Drum and this is the fruits of your Government and yet ye say to us Let every Soul be subject to the higher power and a little before ye Rulers of Bathe cast me into prison I was passing peaceably with two of my Friends T. H. and R. S. down your streets none of us giving any offence in word or action at that time a multitude of your brutish people fell upon us and were like to murther us we being all at that time exceeding weak in our bodies and thou Robert Allen who art above forty years of Age thou shouldest have had more wit and reason than to have given such an evill example to the younger as thou didst in beating me the Lord forgive Thee and not lay it to thy charge And I have been very sick in your prison so that my very flesh consumed away and my bones were corrupted and ye visited me not and when I have been hungry those whom the Lord had sent to bring me meat ye have severaltimes been ready to murther them which was my Wife Iohn Evans her Brother and his Wife and Daughter and Tho. Hawkins one of them was once sore wounded and the Bruits being asked why they did so they answered that Iohn Bigg the Mayor that then was bad them beat my Friends out of Town because they were Quakers These unjust actions will light heavy on you which are called Justices and Magistrates who ought to be a terror to such evill-doers and keepers of the peace and protectors of the Innocent for else ye bear the Sword in vain and the Sword of the Lord will be turned against you who is the Higher Power and unto him your Souls ought to be subject And ye that are Rulers of Families ought to be examples in Righteousness Moderation and Meekness of Life to your Servants and Children and to admonish and nurture them up in the fear of the Lord and to correct them for abusing and mocking such as do neither you nor them any harm But O ye Inhabitants of Bathe what evill examples do ye give one to another both Magistrates Priests and People in Swearing Lying Drunkenness buying one another at Law and living in all manner of uncleanness your Children running up and down streets whooping and yawling like wild Bruits mocking and abusing strangers which doth testifie what breeding and manners their Parents have brought them up in which neither fear God nor regard man and yet some of them are called Centlemens Children but they are but Gentiles Children which know not God for surely were there either Parents Magistrates or Ministers that did truly fear the living God their Children would bring forth some better Fruits but it is like Priests like People Oh that ye Persecutors of the Lords people knew the thing that belongs to your peace before it be held from your eyes and your houses left desolate and that thing is Christ Jesus the light of the world in which did ye believe in truth and follow it would lead you into the good manners and out of the evill communication and lead you to live a righteous holy life without which none shall see the Lord and to do unto all men as ye would that they should do unto you and that is good Religion Oh that ye knew the day of your Visitation and that there were hearts in you truly to fear the Lord and that ye rightly considered of your latter-end before that day of wrath come upon you wherein your Souls
THE Cry of Oppression Occasioned by the Priests of Englands Pulpit-guard which is a Popish Law that was made by Queen Mary to guard her Friars and Jesuits With a true discovery of the unjust proceedings of those called Magistrates of Bathe Wherein is a Lamentation over them and a Warning unto them to repent lest they perish for ever Isa 10.1 2. Woe unto you that decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousness which they have prescribed to turn aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poor of my people Isa 33.1 And when ye shall cease to spoil ye shall be spoiled and when ye shall cease to deal treacherously they shall deal treacherously with you Psalm 12.5 For now will I arise saith the Lord for the oppressing of the Poor and for the sighing of the needy I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him By one which is hatefully called a QUAKER hated and persecuted without a cause a Prisoner for the Word of God and testimony of Jesus he by whom the world was made which said They shall hale you out of their Synagogues and before Magistrates and shall cast you into prison and if they kill you mark they shall think they do God good service Known to the world by the Name Thomas Morford LONDON Printed in the Year 1659. THE CRY Of OPPRESSION Occasioned by the Priests of Englands Pulpit-guard which is a Popish Law that was made by Queen MARY to guard her Friars and Jesuits With a true discovery of the unjust proceedings of those called Magistrates of Bathe Wherein is a Lamentation over them and a Warning unto them to Repent lest they perish for ever VPon the 27 day of the Third Month called MAY in the Year according to the Worlds Account 1655. I was moved of the living God to go into the Idol-Temple in the City of Bathe and there was one Priest Sanger Priest of Martins Parish near the place called Charing Cross in London standing up praying in the high place and as I stood by a chief seat in that Temple or Synagogue in which were two or three Priests there came unto me he whom they call their Sexton and said it was Prayer-time and would have had me take off my hat but I spake not a word unto him yet heard I a voice saying unto me The prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord. And the witness of God arose up in me very swift against the false Prophet and against all the rest of the false Prophets and Sorcerers that were there at that time from many places of the Land that was speaking lies in the Name of the Lord saying Hearken unto the Wâ—rd of the Lord albeit the Lord spake not unto him neither did the Lord send him therefore did he not profit the people and so dreadful and terrible was the power of the Living God on me and in me that I did exceedingly quake and tremble his Word was in my bosome as a fire I was weary with forbearing I reeled like a drunken man and was ready to sink down to the ground so heavy was the burthen and indignation of the Lord in me against the Sorcerers and false Prophets But after a little while the Lord by his secret power did stop the mouth of the false Prophet which was speaking lies in his Name c. before I had spoken the Word of the Lord but then immediatly was I forced to roar out the burthen judgements and indignation of the Lord against the Sorcerers and false Prophets and the terrible day of the Lord a day of bowling howling that was and is coming upon them then presently they were in an uproar and he called their Sexton with others fell upon me haling and beating of me that Christs words might be fulfilled which said They shall beat you in their Synagogues and hale you out of them and hale you before Magistrates and cast you into prison c. And another as it was said cried out Stab him hear the fruits of your Ministry Then came the Constables that then were of the Town Robert Chapman and Walter Gibbs and haled me away presently to prison and as I was haling thither the bruits that held me by my arms did strive to break or wrest them but I was preserved by the strength and power of my God out of their rage and madness Praises to the Lord for ever On the next day I was brought before Iohn Biggs Mayor that then was and Matthew Cliff that then was called a Justice they asked me wherefore I came to disturb their Minister I answered the Lord sent me and truly so he did to bear witness against him for he was a deceiver and a false Prophet and hath deceived you but they were not willing to dispute the cause with me but saâ—d except you give security to be of good behaviour you must go to prison again I demanded by what Law they judged me they answered they had a Law so I required to hear it then they commanded their Clerk to read their Law to me which was done and that Law they read to me and judged me by was a Law made by Queen Mary which killed and Martyred the servants of God called Protestants in her daies to guard her Friars and Jesuits But had not those that sate as my Judges been wilfully blind and ignorant as well as malitious but had had the least measure of the wisdom and spirit of God which ought to be the only Guide and Counsellor of all faithful and just Judges and Magistrates which judge for the Lord in Righteousness and not for gifts and rewards truly they would have found a clause in that Law whereby they might justly and truly have judged me guiltless of transgressing of that Popish Law it self for in that Law are these words that is to say If any one shall wilfully malitiously and contemptuously c. let or disturb any Preacher or Preachers in his or their Sermon c. that then they should suffer according to that Law But the Lord that searcheth all hearts and knows the secrets and intents of all hearts is my witness that I went not into that Temple or Synagogue at that time by the wilful malitious contemptible will of man but only in obedience to the movings and Spirit of the living God which movings are contrary to the will of man he that hath an an ear to hear can hear and understand yet so contrary to the true sense of the Law I was had to prison again Now let the light of Christ in all judge what ground the Priests stand upon and have for their Ministry that are not able to stand or defend themselves without a Popish Law to guard them neither they nor any else can deny it for it was read to me and by it have I been wrongfully kept in prison and by those that were the Ministers of it above nineteen months but I denied to
fierce Lyon hath trod it or passed by it no fool knoweth it nor the vulturous eye hath not seen it Isa 35.8 9. Iob 28.6 7. Querie 18. What is the first resurrection And whether ye can witness ye are partakers of the first resurrection Rev. 20.6 Querie 19. What and where is the tree of life and what is the flaming sword that turneth every way to keep the tree of life Gen 2.9 and 3.24 Querie 20. Whether ye have an infallible Spirit to Iudge and try all Spirits And where is that Spirit of truth which Christ said he would send that should guide into all truth and shew things to come Ioh. 16.13 I have here proposed Scriptures Chapters and verses to these Queries Because I sent some of them to a Priest by him to be answered and his answer was that they were not Fundamental And therfore for the sake of the simple hearted But not to fatisfie the lust of any that they may see the deceit and ignorance of their Priest who are ignorant of the Scriptures And also that ye may search the Scriptures I have here proposed them to you in publique The Lord that searcheth all hearts knows that I have no envy against the persons of you George Long and Priest Sangers or the Rulers of Bath or any other by whom I have suffered neither would I hurt the least members of your bodies if I might And I desire the Lord not to lay it to your charge in his dreadful day wherin ye must give an account to him with whom ye must have to do will ye nill ye for every idle word all the actions done in the body And I was as great a lover and follower of your Priests as some of ye are now But now the Lord having shewed me their deceit and abomination that maketh desolation Mat. 24.15 Isa 62.1 1 Ioh. 2.27 spoken of by Daniel the Prophet At it my soul is vexed and for Sions sake I cannot hold my peace till its righteousness shine forth in its brightness and its salvation as a Lamp that burneth He that hath an ear to hear can hear and understand And therefore I do charge and require you Priests George Long and Priest Sangers in the presence of the dreadful Lord God to answer these Queries by plain Scripture without giving meanings or consequences or imaginations hatched up in your carnal dark minds for the Scripture is of no private interpretation neither came they by the will of man but holy men of God spake them forth as they were moved of the holy Ghost and cursed is he that addeth to them or diminisheth from them Which if ye refuse to do you will plainly manifest your selves to be no Ministers of Christ for they are no more then what every Minister of Christ ought to know and to have the work of them wrought in himself to give an account thereof and of the hope that is in him with meekness and fear being required but Anti-christs and deceivers and keepers of the people in ignorace and blindness and ye will bring their blood upon your own heads And except ye speedily repent the day will come upon you wherein you will wish ye had never been born then you will remember me whom the Lord sent you to forewarn of those Judgments and indignations that will come upon you except ye repent for which message I have been imprisoned neer twenty moneths where I wait in patience on the Lord to be delivered in his time Let the light of Christ in all that fear the Lord Judge whether these be the fruits of the Ministers of Christ or not Rev. 19.19 And the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him c. These both were cast alive into a lake burning with fire and brimstone Because when I called ye refused I have streched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh and in your heat I will make your feasts and ye shall drink and be drunken and rejoyce and sleep a parpetual sleep and not awake Saith the Lord God of Hoasts T. M. A TESTIMONY Against the Worlds feigned Love and Salutations and flattering Titles As also against their false Accusations against them scornfully called Quakers touching Magistracy Ministry Scriptures Heaven and Hell And likewise against the Prayers and Songs of their Idol Temples wherein is a true Discovery of their eternal Destruction except they repent The world hath a love and loves its own And have several salutations and flattering titles giving to each as they think according to his or their place or estate or riches some saying How d' ee or I am glad to see you well others good morrow with a put off of the hat c. And others with bowings and cringing saying your humble Servant Sir or your servants servant c. And all is but feigned love and words proceeding from a deceitful heart for when poverty tribulations or any other afflictions come your love and feigned respect have an end Yet for fashion-sake which will pass away and have an end also if ye meet each other ye will still use your deceitful salutations to wit How d' ee or I am glad to see you well c. When sometimes if ye could avoid it ye would not see each other and also have secret envy in your hearts one towards another and would do any evil one to another in body or goods if it were not for some slavish fears that do possess you of the law and ye do backbite and revile each other behind one anothers backs and yet if ye do meet each other if envy and malice be not so great in you that it stops your mouths ye will say How d' ee I am glad to see you well c. when ye are not well in body or soul for envie destroys and consumes body and soul And where there is envie strife and division there is every evil work and that is not well 1 Cor. 3.3 Iam. 3.16 And ye that say I am glad to see you well c. know sometimes that the person or persons to whom ye speak are not well but want both food and rayment and ye some of you have it in great abundance albeit ye give them not those things that are needful and what good do your words do them Read Iam. 2.14.15.16 and 1 Iohn 3.17 But as for your souls food healer or covering ye are little sensible of it any of you whose hearts dwel in the earth what it is or where it is But did ye love and follow the light of Christ in you that checks you for sin and deceit and that shews you the hypocrisie of your hearts as is afore shewed unto you it would give you power against it and lead you into the kingdome of God through the
Cross where that precious oyntment covering and living bread for your souls is And ye that say your humble servant Sir or your servants servant bowing and cringing using many vain words Are ye not lyers and hypoctites ye or nay And is not the woe from God to the hypocrite And is not the lyer for the lake when ye say your humble servant Sir c. Are not your hearts haughty puft up in pride and living in it And are ye not wanton scornets mockers and persecutors of the innocent Are these the fruits of true humility Nay nay see Gal. 5.22 23 24 25 26. and there ye shall read the declaration of the fruits of true humility and in the light of Christ Judge your selves and ye shall not be judged for ye that use that deceitful salutation saying I am you servants servant ye are of Hams Generation Gen. 9.25 And that that is in high esteem amongst men is abomination to the Lord. Therefore repent while ye have time for the day is come and coming that an account shall be given for every idle word And by your words saith Christ shall ye be justifyed and by your words shall ye be condemned Math. 12.36 27. Therefore all who to the light and life of Christ in any measure are come and by it are guided cannot use your vain words nor bow to your deceit not use your fashions which to them are past away and for that cause ye persecute them to death and no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him 1 Iohn 3.15 But where do yeread in all the Scriptures that any did require any such thing as putting off the hat and fining of men and casting of them into prison if not done Did ever Moses who was as a King a Priest and a Prophet to Israel or David and Solomon who were Kings ever compel men to such a thing Solomon said my son give me the heart not the hat Is not the hat an ornament of the body may ye not as well compel the servants of the Lord to pull off their shooes as their hats And why do ye compel the male servants of the most high God to stand bare headed before you more then the Females Oh! the loftiness and haughtiness of man I will saith the Lord God of Hosts stain the pride glory of all flesh an woe to the crown of pride Do ye not shew your selves to be those whited Sapulchers which appear very beautiful outwardly or with a seeming humility but are within full of hypocrysie and all uncleanness And although some of you say Abraham Lot c. bowed yet they did not bow to the wicked but it was to the Angels or Messengers of the most high God although Jacob bowed seven times Blessed is he that readeth and understandeth Jacob was then in returning to his fathers house thus saith the Lord to you O ye Edomites or the house of Esau because Esau your father and ye his children pursued his brother with the sword did cast off all pity and his anger did tear as yours doth perpetnally and he kept as ye do his wrath for ever Therefore thus saith the Lord the house of Jacob shall now be a fire and the house of Joseph shall be a flame and the house of Esau shall now be for stubble and no one of your fathers house shall remain the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And to whom then shall the seed of Iacob bow but unto me saith the Lord God of hosts whose alone right it is But may I ask you a question what spirit is this that is so much contending for honour before men bowings putting off the hatt c. Is it not that spirit that was in Saul when the spirit of God was departed from him Or is it not that that was in Haman that vexed him because Mordecai could not bow to him Or whether it be not that which was in the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar who had prepared an hot fiery furnace to cast the Innocents in because they could not bow to there image Or is it not that spirit that would have had the Lord Jesus to have bowed or fallen down and worshipped him yea or nay which Christ reproved and said Get thee hence Satan It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. Mat. 4.10 11. But Paul saith concerning the holy fathers of old Abraham Isaac c. Brethren I would not have you to be ignorant that all our Fathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea c. But now the star of Jacob is risen the Cloud is scattering the Lord again as in the ancient of daies is smiting the tongue of the Egyptian Sea in the seven streams this is enough to the wise And all that but to Mount Sion are come a Law from God they have received which saith Thou shalt not bow c. And the Scripture doth testifie that Peter a Minister of Christ and his holy Angel did deny and forbid bowing unto them for when Cornelius would have fallen down or bowed to Peter he denyed it and said stand up for I my self also am a man Acts 10.25 26. And when the Angel came unto John Iohn 19 10. 22.9 Exod. 20 45. Deut. 5.8 9. Phil. 2.9 he fell down and would haue worshipped the Angel But he forbad it saying see thou do it not I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren the Prophets which keep the sayings of the book worship God which is a spirit And unto me saith the Lord God shall every knee bow both in Heaven and in earth So that it is evident that there is not one Scripture that doth require any such thing as putting off the hat or bowing But the Scriptures do testifie against it and forbid it as I have proved before except it be that of Solomon which saith The evill shall bow before the good and the wicked at the gate of the righteous And although Moses said Thou shalt stand up before the hoary head yet he did not say they should put off the hat or bow c. And as for you who are contending for flattering titles of honour which yee say Paul gave to Festus Agrippa c. Luke to Theophilus Iohn to the Lady c. This cover is too narrow for your deceipt in the light of Christ are ye seen judged and denyed for when Paul said noble Festus c. and O King Agrippa c. Paul spake as he found by them for they were more noble than the Tumultuous Jewes who took him to wit Paul with Sylas and cast them into the inner Prison Acts 26.22 23 24 25. and made their feet fast in the stocks And the Magistates rent their clothes and beat them uncondemned c. Acts 22.25 But when Paul came before Festus and Agrippa they were more noble than those aforesaid gave him leave peaceably to give an account of his faith and the hope that was in him
not if ye walk in their steps and ye will have their end except ye repent And as for you who are in Authority and act contrary to the pure law of God which ought to be your rule Deut. 17.18.19 and are acted by your wills and lusts and unrighteous Laws wereby we suffer deeply yet to you also are we subject in that we suffer under your great oppression without resisting of you which we rather chuse to doe than to disobey the royall Law statutes and judgements of the most high and holy God And Ministers of Christ we own who abide in the doctrine of Christ 2 Iohn 9. But Jesuites all that wicked Popish Generation we do them deny for they are as great enimies to the truth as it is in Jesus as the Priests of England are who abide not in his Doctrine and will use and are using the Servants of the Lord whom he hath sent and is sending unto them them to forewarn of the plagues and righteous Judgements of God that are coming upon them as bad as your priests of England have done who have given and are giving them a wicked example and your reward will be a like And the Scriptures we do own and are ours and are for the perfecting of us being given by inspiration of God and to us they are profitable for Doctrine and reproof for correction instruction in righteousness that thereby we may be thoroughly furnished to every good work of the Lord. And therefore all ye who are plotting and persecuting of the Lords chosen ones whom he hath redeemed and is redeeming with his pretious blood and by judgement Eph. 17. Isa 52. Isa 1.27 out of the worlds customes fashions words c. fining of them and casting them into prison for not bowing or putting off the hatt c. to satisfie your wills and lusts and some of you are afflicting and whipping and putting of them into stocks other stoning dirting of them in streets high wayes they not giving you the least offence in word or action ye are those that rob the Lord of his honour haters of Sion the Lord will plead with you all poor and rich by fire and sword and will cut your cords of wickedness asunder and ye will be as grasse that groweth on the house top that withereth before it be grown up wherewith the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosome neither will they which pass by say we bless you in the name of the Lord or the blessing of the Lord be upon you neither receive you into their house or bid you God speed for he that so doeth will be partaker of your evil deeds Psal 129.4 to the end 2 Iohn 10.11 And then will the prayers and prophesies of David which ye have made the Songs of your Temples unto which ye have added and diminished both words and verses Witness Psal 2. Psal 4. Psal 14. and 15. with many others therefore denyed by the Children of light will come upon you who are Confederates persecuting the innocent for ye sing your hearts are foul and vain and death in hast will fall on you and send you quick to hell except ye repent Will it not be just with the Lord to answer your prayers who are doing so wickedly Read and understand what ye sing Psal 5.6 9. Psal 55.16 Are ye not lyars and Hypocrites when ye sing All the night I wash my bed with tears c. My joynts in sunder break My heart doth in my body melt like wax against the heat c. My tongue cleaves to my jawes Are not your tonges at liberty uttering forth deceit And are not your hearts as hard as the nether mill-stone And do ye not spend the night in sleep and ease O ye simple ones when will ye be wise Do ye not know the lyar is for the Lake ye sing and say ye do not haunt with men whose deeds are vain to come into the house ye do refuse with the deceitful train ye much abhor the wicked sort it were well if ye did But are ye not some of them that are taking Counsel against the Lords annointed ones If ye say nay Then are ye not some of them that resort into the Temples or Synagogues called Churches Into which come all manner of wicked lewd persons The light of Christ in all your consciences shall eternally witness this to be truth and answer your condemnation to be just except ye speedily repent come out from amongst them touch not the unclean thing understand what you sing and read Psal 26. for the Lord is discovering the secrets of al hearts ye read or sing My wounds stink and and are festred so as loathsome is to see c. That ye go wailing all the day in doleful heavyness c. And ye say or sing ye roare for grief of heart and are not puft in mind and have no scornful eye c. How dare ye to be so presumptious to breath forth such abominable untruths before the Lord when ye are at ease clothed in rich arayment perfumed with sweet smells and are haughty scorners puft up with pride of mind living in wantonness ease and pleasure singing vain songs and times having eyes full of adultery c. By this ye may as in a Looking-glasse see and read your figure and also what blindness and ignorance your Preists have lead you into that ye are not truly sensible when ye sing whether it be for a blessing or a curse and therefore I was moved out of tender love to your souls that ye might come to consider aright of your condition to forewarn you of those plagues that ye ignorantly pray for to come upon you which will assuredly come upon you speedily except ye repent The light of Christ in all your consciences shall eternally witness me to be true and answer your condemnation to be just if ye sleight the day of your visitation and salvation proffered unto you T. M. THE END POST-SCRIPT THis Book should have been Printed long ago but through neglect of some and mistake of others it hath been prevented a great while yet now it comes not out of good season but may do its service to awaken the Witness of God in the Persecutors of the Righteous Seed that they may see what they have done and repent now before the last plague be poured out for the Viols of Gods fury is full to be poured out upon the head of the Vngodly so the service of this book is now in season to answer the witness of God in all men to which it is Commended