A DECLARATION Against all Poperie and popish points and is renounced from them and by them whom the Scorners in scorn call Quakers And likewise some Queries to the Pope and his Priests that are guarded with his law to be answered in writing or print and to be sent them called Quakers at London in England FOrasmuch as a Proclamation is set forth by O.P. and his Council in which is an oath to be profered to be taken of Abjuration against all Popish supremacie and authority over the Catholique Church in generall and we who are by the World scornfully called Quakers who own the Doctrine of Christ Jesus who saith Swear not at all neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5.12 In Christs Doctrine and the Apostles Doctrine we do abide and oaths is denied and forbidden and so those who were called Christians which was in Christ Jesus who abode in his Doctrine and the Apostles Doctrine suffered as they do now that doth the same as in particular John Morland who had been a Captain was fined and imprisoned because he could not swear but kept to yea and nay in his communications and many others fined that cannot swear but with the light which comes from Christ Jesus from him by whom the World was made we do deny and condemn with the light all Popish wayes and their Supremacy and authority over the Catholique Church in General root and branch and therefore many of us which are called Quakers have suffered and suffereth and layen long imprisoned by the Popish law which guarded the Jesuits and Crucifixes and Imagess which now guards many of the Priests in England and their Church which law did guard the Jesuits and their Church therefore the authority of the Catholique Church in Generall and the supremacy of the Popes power we do utterly deny and renounce as knowing their works of darkness and condemn them all with the light and the branch which comes from the root by which branch many suffers now in England for declaring against all Popish wayes and the authority derived from him by which the Church was guarded freely without an oath for God doth us command for we see the sword of the Lord is drawn against it And so over our selves in particular we cannot suffer any of his preheminency to bear rule for it is an usurped authority So with the light of the Lord Jesus Christ we are brought to declare against it for with the light it is condemned and here the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is reteined And we do know with the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ That bread and wine is carnall which our Lord Jesus Christs body and blood is not but is pretious He saw no corruption and is a mystery which is not bread and wine let them consecrate it never so And so to declare to you plainly we do denie the Sacrament for we know there is no Scripture for it And the Lords Supper is not carnall where it is said he will make his abode with you and sup with you the Lord is not carnall but is the mysterie and his body is glorious and not beggerly Elements as outward bread or wine for this is the blood of Jesus which washeth away our sin and this is the body of Jesus which makes us free from the law which stands not in meats and in drinks and carnall Ordinances for the body is Christ and so we do denie and condemn all that worship that sacrament of Elements of bread and wine and that supper which stands in those things and we witnes Christ is come who is the summe and the substance and so need not have a remembrance of any Element but we which be dead with Christ and live in his life from the beggarly Elements them that lives in them goes about to slay us so as it is written they that are born after the flesh persecutes them that are born after the spirit And again we do deny that there is any purgatory and declare against it as knowing the blood of Jesus which cleanseth us from sin which is an holy thing and know him who takes away our sin and destroyes the works of the Devil which many hath the bread and wine which know nothing of the body and blood of Christ no more then the Jews which turned from Christ when he told them that except they did eat his Flesh and drink his Blood they had no life in them and they looked upon him carnally as the Papists do now which are deluded deceived And again with the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ him who was not born by the will of man him by whom the world was made with his light do we deny and condemn all their consecrated Hoast Crucifixes and Images and they are not to be worshipped but to be condemned with the light which will let them see they are enemies of the Cross of Christ which be in things before mentioned and all them that worship them And to you this is the word of the Lord God the light of your consciences shall witnes it God is a Spirit and is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and all that make Crucifixes or Images or worship them they are the South sayers and familiar spirits the Founder of the Images and the worshipper of the Image from the living God is confounded accursed and with the light condemned and God worshipped in the spirit which spirit judges all Images and Image-makers sees there is no due worship to them or them that makes them but condemnation and judgment the light in the conscience shall it witnes And again we declare against the Papists and them which say Salvation is to be merited by works for then it is not of faith in him who was not born by the will of man which light condemns mans runnings and willings and that which he call merits there is no such Scripture and therefore we denie the word merit know that man doth not attain any thing by his wil of him who was not born by the wil of man for he knows him not for he is a mysterie which light condemns all works of darknes and all evill sinne and unrighteousness and all them which acts it and who are in Christ are new Creatures and to them there is no condemnation who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit so every one shall have a reward according to his works whether they be good or evill And with the light which comes from Christ Jesus which never changes all points and Doctrines of Papists and the World is condemned and them who do affirm them And the same light is the condemnation of them that takes oaths out of Christs Doctrine and from Christ Jesus and so knows not his will who abides not in his Doctrine So as Gods
children have found his power and strength which hath carried them on when he hath commanded them to declare against all false wayes false Teachers and Popish wayes and Popish lawes and often have been almost murthered but the Lord hath been their present help in time of need and trouble And so Popish wayes are renounced without any equivocation mentall reservation or secret evasion whatsoever So we cannot go out of Christs Doctrine and swear by any oath for if we do we break the command of Christ and go out of his Doctrine and the Apostles which said Swear not at all They that say so help me God and act contrary to the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ are with the light condemned from God and are in another Doctrine but who be in the light of Christ Jesus have Gods help And so all such as use their tongues and make a trade of the Scriptures which were spoken forth from the Spirit of the Lord they are judged and denyed and turned away from though they have the form of Godlines and not the power but denies it And such by such are the dear children of God cast in prison who are the cause of it And again in the presence of the Lord God we declare against all Popish wayes and the Priests and their church and their autority and all that belong to it the root and ground and branches and with the light do see them and all who have any of their power to be condemned with the light And to you this is the word of the Lord God and all who wait in the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ receives power from him which is the Head and governs his Church which is the Head of it which Light is the condemnation of the changeable Priesthood And with the light we see all Papists and who be in the Popery to be enemies of the Crosse of Christ and so imitate a cross some this way some that way who are all with the light to be condemned And to you this is the word of the Lord God I am the light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World saith Christ And if you do love the light which comes from Christ and receive Christ ye shall receive the light of life and as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the sons of God which are the children of light and do beleeve in the light But ye that do hate the light and will not bring your deeds to the light because your deeds be evill and the light will reprove you this is your condemnation the light saith Christ so here is your Teacher if you love the light and here is your condemnation that hate the light the Light And remember that you are warned in your life time And if you do love the light which comes from Christ it will lead you to the Church which is in God 1 Theff 1.1 And bring you to testifie against the World that the works thereof are evill and will let you see that the whole world lyes in wickednes And it will let you see that the Scriptures which were declared from the light and life they that was in it was in unity and all the sects are mong them that have the good words and lives in their meanings and thinkings and strife contention and persecution and be such that hate the light whose deeds be evil which Christ testified against which be strangers from the life of God and Christ Jesus the Covenant of promise and so all such are with the light comprehended seen fathomed judged and condemned The light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World is my witnes Forasmuch as the enemies of God in all ages have gone about to slander the Truth of God and to cast reproaches upon righteous servants whom he sent forth to bear witnesse for the Truth against all the unrighteousnes of men without respect of persons So now also the enemies of Christ Jesus and of his righteous seed shewing themselves to be of the same generation of their fore-fathers which ever persecuted the righteous seed which shewed before of the coming of the just one Act. 7.52 labour by all means to render the truth odious and to slander and reproach the people of God by them scornfully called Quakers fulfilling the word of Christ Matth. 5.11 which saith They shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake and crying out to the Magistrates as the multitude of the Jews did against Paul that they ought not to live any longer Act. 25.25 Act. 22.22 And as the chief Priests and Elders and all the Councel sought false witnesses against Jesus to put him to death but found none Matth. 26.59 60. even so do they now The high Priests of this age with the multitude of the ungodly who go about to accuse the people of God called Quakers to be Jesuits Fryars Popish-Priests Romish Frogs Morrisdancers and persons Popishly affected to the Magistrates as appears by an Information given to the Magistrates at Bristol and by Books or Pamphlets put sorth in Print by William Prinn and others and one Thomas Andrews Priest at Welling burrough in Northamptonshire who accused one John Whitehead who by him and the World is called a Quaker to one Thomas Pentloe called Justice and caused nim to be carried before the said Thomas Pentloe the 15 day of the first moneth called March now last past who after he had examined him said if he would go home to his wife and abide with her and go towards her the next morning he should have his liberty To whom the said John Whitehead answered he stood not in his own will but in the will of God and could make no such promise not knowing what the morning would bring forth Whereupon the said Thomus Pentloe gave the Constables charge over him till further Order who kept him in their custody two nights and a day which was and is contrary to the Laws of the Nation And then when he was carried again before the said Pentloe and one John Brown called a Justice with whom was the said Andrews and another Priest who asked John Whitehead many questions laboring to ensnare him but they not finding him to have broken or transgressed any known Law of the Nation then they consulted together as the Presidents and Princes did against Daniel to finde an occasion against him concerning the Law of God Daniel 6. and one Marmaduke Storre another of the People by them called Quakers who came to visite his brother who was formerly by the said Pentloe sent to prison at Northampton And thereupon the said Pentloe and Brown tendered to them the oath of Abjuration appointed for such as are suspected to be Popishly affected but their souls being subject to the Commands of Christ Jesus not only because of wrath but also for conscience sake who saith Matth. 5.34 Swear not at
all but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil v. 37. And the Apostle James saith But above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation were made to deny to swear at all But did in the presence of the Lord renounce al things in the form of the said oath named before the said called Justices who notwithstanding did thereupon require them to find suerties to be of the good behaviour and to appear at the next Sessions then the said John and Marmaduke did desire them to read a law that they had transgressed or to shew them wherein they had broken the peace or good behaviour but the said called Justice did refuse and said they was Judges and did judge it to be so then the said John and Marmaduke told them they ought to Judge them according to the law and if they would not read them a law that they might be convinced by it to be of evil behaviour they would not find sureties wherupon thy sent them to prison at Northampton where they yet remain prisoners though the breach of no known law can be justly laid to their charge thus they and many others who in faithfulness served the late Parliament and hazarded their lives and suffered the plundering of their Goods in expectation to have had righteousness set up and all oppressers and oppressions removed and taken forth of the way as was then largely promised But behold nothing is brought forth but winde there is not any deliverance wrought in the earth neither have the inhabitants of the World faln for they that depart from evil are made a prey to this generation of Priests and Magistrates who persecute the innocent and imprison them that in obedience to the commands of Christ Jesus dare not swear at all do ye thus requite the Lord ch foolish people and unwise who seek after the life of the righteous and daily lay snares for the innocent and say in your hearts who who shall see you understand ye brutish among the people and ye fools when will ye be wise he that planted the ear shall he not hear he that formed the eye shal he not see he that chastiseth the Heathen shall he not correct he that teacheth man knowledge shall he not know yea the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vanity Psal 94.8 9 10 11. Therefore cease from your persecution of the children of God and from your wicked inventions and snares which you make to ensnare the simple by whom you in scorn and derision call Quakers and Jesuits and Fryers and Popish priests and many other such like names of reproach you cast upon them But they who you call Quakers in the presence of the living God of Heaven and Earth do you who are reproachers with all your reproachfull names deny and the Pope and his supremacy and authority over the Catholique Church in general and over every one of themselves in particuler And do beleeve and know that there is not any Transubstantiation in the called Sacrament of the Lords Supper or in the Elements of bread and wine after consecration thereof by any Person whatsoever And they and every of them the people of God called Quakers do believe and know that there is not any Purgatory And that the consecrated Hoast Crucifixes or Images ought not to be worshipped neither that any worships is due to any of them And they and every of them also beleeve and know that salvation cannot be merited by works and all Doctrines in affirmation of the said points they and every of them we do renounce and bear witnes against And do deny all equivocation mentall reservation and secret evasion whatsoever speaking the words of Truth in plainess by the help of God And for so doing they are persecuted stoned stocked mocked reproached and imprisoned by those who cannot endure plainess of speech who are equivocaters mentall reservers and secret evaders who cannot receive the words of Truth the yea and the nay in their communications but contrary to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ to whom every knee must bow labour to bring people out of his doctrine and so into the condemnation of the Devill but the Righteousnesse of the perfect shall direct his way when the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness Prov. 11.5 A word and a warning to all people whether Priests Magistrates or others who are plotting in secret against the innocent with the children of light you are seen and comprehended and with the light of Christ Jesus in every one of you I speak which is my witnes and your condemnation that acts contrary to it Take warning in time least you say you had time when it is past And remember you are once more warned in your life time From them whom you in scorn call Quakers Signed by George Fox Francis Howgill Edward Burroughs Alexander Parker Thomas Adam Anthony Pearson Gervase Benson Thomas Rawlinson Robert Rich Robert Dring Gerard Roberts Simon Dring Amos Stodart John Bolton West William Rayman Henry Clark In the name of themselves and the rest Some Queries to the Pope and to all his Adherents and Followers 1 VVHether is not the ground of your works from that which would murder yea or nay and whether is not the Ground of your works from that which knowes not the Life of God yea or nay 2 Whether doth not that Ground from which your works proceed prison the just Whether doth not the Life of God remove the ground of your works and so overthrow the life of your Kingdom yea or nay 3 Whether doth not he which Imitates a Cross follow the fancie of his own minde and so set up Images and whether God doth require this yea or nay 4 whether doth not God forbid and say thou shall not make to thy self any Graven Image of male or female or any creeping thing upon the earth or any fowl in the air or fish in the sea whether God doth not forbid the making of those Images and you that make those Images whether you be not out of Gods command and judged with the Life that gave forth the Scriptures yea or nay 5 Whether any Image should be bowed down unto of male female yea or nay 6 Whether you that say bread and wine is the body and blood of Christ be not they that minds earthly things and are carnall and naturall whose God is your belly whose end will be destruction who are enemies to the cross of Christ which Crosse denies self 7 Whether selfe will feeds not upon bread and wine and whether may not man feed upon that in his will and know not Christ nor his body who is not born by the will of man which will is condemned with the light 8 If that wine be the blood of Christ
whether that be it which washes away sin yea or nay and if that bread be the body of Christ whether is it that body that makes free from the Law for the Apostle said they were made free from the Law by the body of Christ 9 If it be another body that you eat and another blood that you drink than that which makes free washes away sin then whether do you not deceive the world yea or nay 10 Whether every one may not purchase bread and wine for money and whether any can purchase the body and blood of Christ for money to cleanse them from sin withall though Judas may sell him whether is that which sells him for money and which buies him for money cleansed with him yea or nay 11 Whether Jesus Christ the Son of God be Glorified with the same Glory in the same body as he had with the Father before the World was yea or nay and whether he is not the same as he is last when the World is not as he was when he was first before the World was made yea or nay 12 Whether there be any worship of God but that which where is the Life out of all Images and Likeness yea or nay 13 Whether all you that observe Maries and the names of the Saints be not they that worship names and words yea or nay and so are turned from the Spirit which gave forth names with which spirit God should be worshipped withall 14 Whether all Charity and Works that do not proceed from the Spirit of the living of God is not all to be condemned for the fire which are not wrought in God yea or nay 15 Whether all mens merits be not in his will and that then free-will and whether the Cross be not mans will and to his Merits and so then to that out of which his Merit ariseth but saith the Spirit It is not him that wills but God that shewes mercy 16 What is the will of man and out of what had it its rise and what Glory must it be that must be stained and what is the seat of envie and whether any murderer hath eternall Life abiding in him yea or nay and whether he that envies is not a murderer yea or nay 17 Whether where there is works professed and merits pretended and envie lived in this sacrifice God doth accept where faith is strangled and shipwrack made of it read Cain and Abell who can 18 What is your Ground that you eat fish some set dayes and whether the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ be not inward to that mind that runs outward into visible things as set fish and set flesh and set dayes Whether such be not observers of dayes and whether the Cross be not to the seat of lust and envie and to that minde which makes outward Crosses Likenesses and Images which are to perish and turn to dust yea or nay whether outward crosses likenesses and Images and observing meats and dayes be not of the World yea or nay and whether that nature which holds them up be not of the world yea or nay 20 Whether the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is not that which crucifieth to the World and from all Wordly things in the ground yea or nay 21 Whether ever any of you received the Substance since that which you call the signe was practized by you and so bears witnes to the substance and denies the signe yea or nay 22 If that bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ then was there a body and blood of Christ before Christ was manifest in the flesh yea or nay for bread and wine was before Christ was manifest in the flesh and when he was Manifest in the flesh then was there another body and blood of Christ and all that have the bread and wine do they know the body and blood of Christ yea or nay 23 Whether do you hold a Purgatory for men to be clensed after they be dead and laid in their graves and what is it that clenseth in that purgatory seeing the Saints witnessed nothing clensed them but the blood of Christ which blood is incorruptible 24 Whether that your bread and your wine which you call the body and blood of Christ will not corrupt yea or nay and whether he that eats and drinks that shall not dye and see corruption and be never the clearer nor be made free from his sin but shall dye and see corruption and whether Christ doth not say who saw no corruption He that eats of his Flesh and drinks of his Blood shall never die 25 Whether you do beleeve in the New Covenant which God promised in giving his Son and whether there be any remission of sin but by him yea or nay and whether he forgives not sin upon the earth whether you can witnes this yea or nay 26 Whether you do beleeve that any shall come to that state to be taught of God that they need no man to teach them yea or nay and whether any are children of God but who are in this state and whether such have not their sins blotted out and forgiven on earth yea or nay 27 Whether do you wait for and beleeve in to be made heirs with Christ yea or nay and to have the same minde which was in Christ who thought it no Robbery to be equall with God whether you witnes this yea or nay 28 What is your ground of the knowledge of God and whether you had known there had been a God or Christ or Gospell or Cross if the Scripture had not declared of them and whether the Scripture is the foundation of the true knowledge of these things yea or nay if so whether is not this to lay another foundation then the holy men of God builded upon which knew these things before Scripture was written yea or nay 37 Whether do you beleeve that Christ hath Lightned every one that comes into the World and whether you beleeve any shall be made free from sin while upon the earth yea or nay 30 Whether is not that the Light of Christ which doth convince all men of sin and whether any be justified or have received the conforter while they are convinced and condemned for sin yea or nay and if that light be not the light of Christ shew the difference between the light of Christ and that light which convinces all men of sin in their Operation and Motion 31 Whether all that man sees visibly with a naturall eye is not naturall in the naturall knowledg and whether in this State the Religion which is not pure doth stand the wisdome and knowledge which differs not from the beasts of the field yea or nay 32 What is the eye in the unbeleever which the God of the World hath blinded that they cannot see the light of the glorious Gospel and what is the light of the glorious Gospel which is hid from them whose eye is blinded and what is the God of