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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52677	An account from the children of light (to them that askes) in several particulars why we have been kept from joyning to, or worshipping in those formes at law, and formes of worships, that have been imposed upon us against our consciences, in these late years, for denying whereof, we have so deeply suffered, with our lives, liberties, and estates. : Also what we owne as to those things, and can be obedient to for conscience sake, according to truth, and the practise of the church of Christ, and the Scriptures.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.; Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing N256; ESTC R27517	31,099	57

Commands That so under you we might be godly and quietly governed within and without But if yet it must be so that your distance be so great that with one heart we cannot obey you both then whether it is better to obey God or men with the light of God in your own consciences judge you therefore if we can but keepe peace with the one of you we chuse to keepe our everlasting peace with God and that saving saith that 's held in a pure Conscience And our prayers to the father of lights is for our whole body of Christs Church and every member thereof that our hearts may be kept single to him alone what ever we suffer from men for so doing Now to those things which some call religious THough in our selves we make no such distinction it being that our Consciences are to be exercised in the light and Spirit of Christ in all we doe towards God and towards man and every particular action towards men God requires that it be done as to him and to his glory and not in our own wills nor in mens wills nor after their wills manners and customes and commands but in the will of God alone revealed in Christ Jesus in Spirit and in his motion and leadings which if we misse in and serve eyther men or our selves therein and not God we are accountable to him as though we had erred in that which the world calls Religion therefore what ever we do to God in Christ to us is his service and pure religion and undefiled before God if we keepe but our conscience unspotted from the world though it be but in visiting a fatherless childe or a widdow in their affliction or any other thing which the Spirit of truth justice and mercy leads us to and requires of us But as the worship of God it selfe hath relation to him alone who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth betwixt him and every particular creature onely known in matter measure and manner time and place And knowing that the onely wise God who gives the kingdoms of the earth to whom he will yea and may set over them the basest of men as well as the most vertuous without controule if he please so to deale in judgement towards any Nation yet this hath he reserved as an eternall Scepter in the hand of Jesus our Lord and by an everlasting Covenant hath he sworne once for all concerning him Thou art a King for ever over the holy people and his throne is established in their consciences by a perpetuall decree to all generations therefore was it never known that ever he trusted or titled any earthly Prince with Lord over the faith and consciences of his owne people This was ever the S●ns prerogative above the Kings of the earth and he alone is to be Judge and Law-giver and correcter and leader in that invisible spirituall work of worship towards God for he onely knowes the way and none comes to the Father but by him It s true the Pope hath taken upon himselfe such authority under pretence of the Apostles even over the faith and consciences of people and with it hath shed much innocent bloud which lyes upon his seat and his line till God come to enquire for it and for that end hath set up inquisitions c. And others after and from that have erected Courts and Synods with their fines and prisons and tortures to force the faith and Consciences of people and they pretend the Apostles also for this worke But this we know that the Apostles was no such men nor used any such weapons but deny them therein both the Pope and they that are risen since And expressely deny to be Lords over Gods heritage or over their faith neither did they preach themselves Lords and Masters but Christ Jesus alone the Lord and themselves servants for Iesus sake as both their owne words practise doth testifie for saith Paul Not for that we have dominion over your faith And saith Peter Not for filthy lucre neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but as examples to the flock So we know that from Peter they had it not nor from Paul nor from any of the true Ministers of Christ for their weapons was not carnall but spirituall nor did they wrestle with flesh but with spirit so all they can get from the Apostles either in word or practise is this That if they be troubled with errors or profanenesse in their Churches Then if they have the Spirit and power of the Lord Iesus then to deliver such a one up to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the soule may be saved and body also in the day of the Lord And this is not to goales or gallowes or inquisitions or tortures or fires now had they this spirit and power they would know that which would convert in deed and truth and not make hypocrites or else kill them but the false Church having not these weapons nor this spirit and power is builded with oppression and upholden with bloud And in her are found the bloud of all the holy Martyrs of Jesus as saith the Scriptures yea even now is she drunke with bloud Revel. 18.24 17.6 So now this is the thing we say as to the worship of our God and to the order of it In all things it belongs to Christ Iesus our Lord and to him as sole King Lord thereof we cōmit our selves even the whole man soule and body as to all things of that nature And though there may ari●e power after power and seeke t● stop us of this liberty and freedome by acting force and violence upon our outward man yet are we free by birth in Christ Iesus and our inw●rd man they cannot bind nor can we ever while we abide in that see●e give up the right of Christ unto any of them but this we testifie in all we doe or suffer that the right is Christs over our Consciences and over our worships and to him alone we confesse before men and he hath the name in us And though for a time or times we yet suffer yet we know the end must come And the Lambe must take the kingdome and we know him that is true and faithfull whom the Father hath sealed and anoynted to be head of the ●hurch which is his body and to him must the Nations account And therefore we say to all the severall powers that comes upon us we may not deny the Lord in our Consciences to bow to or worship in what men shall set up or command but he that saves us dayly from our sins he shall leade us in our worship and to him we must give the obedience of faith who gives us faith and power by his Spirit to obey and who hath wrought all our workes in us and for us and by whose vertue

Conscience from dead works And will you not suffer him to reigne and governe therein hath not he quickned every living soule and created anew every free Spirit and would you take and keepe the kingdome therein out of his hand and rule there for another or your selves with force and cruelty Is not this he for whom the Sabbath was made and all the ordinances under heaven speakes his dominion And will you now read this and professe and withstand him in the Consciences of his tender people and deny him to rule in his Church alone have you not read what God hath said of him and his enemies in the second Psalme nay are not all the Scriptures his and testifie to him alone as head over all and ruler in all his Saints And as you have heard read and professed his dominion more then heathens and yet goe on to keepe it from him so to you is his first appear●nce to seeke his owne of you And if you persist to deny him it s you must drinke the Cup first that the heathens may heare and feare his name fr●m farre and his rising appeare to all the ends of the world that its he alone who is from everlasting at whose name every knee must bow and tongue confesse to the right of his inheritance And this further I lay before you people of this Nation who have long been crying for peace and settlement in the Nations and in your Religion and you cry out of so many divisions and so many religions I say to you all how should you be otherwise when you will not come to the one religion that is of God and was in the beginning with God and brought forth in time by Iesus Christ for the bringing all into God againe and reconciling all sorts of scattered people who are scattered in the imaginations and customes of carnall spirited men from God the one good thing into many things rudiments and traditions wherein you can neither be reconciled to God nor one to another for how is it like that ever that religion can reconcile to God which sets you a killing one another to uphold it are you like to obtaine peace in that Spirit which in your hearts is the cause of enmity and warre or obtaine unitie from that roote which hath thus scattered you in its fruits and off spring This is like the false Prophets of old who would bite with their teeth and cry peace Nay this is not the way of settlement or lasting peace THAT you must have in returning and making peace with the Spirit of Jesus you must kisse the Son and so make peace for this hath been seene concerning you of these Nations that if you owne not the light of Christ in spirit and truth that he may lead you out of these many things which are not of ●od and reconcile you to God in spirit and truth there to worship him alone who is a Spirit you will ere long be in bloud eyther amongst your selves one against another or else i● the bloud of the innocent Lambs of Chri●t which will not be for your peace with God for he that hath letted your peace and settlement is not yet taken away nor his power who is that old bloud-sucker and divider of Nations people and tongues abou● faith and religions and with which a fire hath often been kindled nor can his power be stopped but by the Spirit of the Lambe of God which takes away sin and breakes downe the wall of separation which is made about ordinances litterall ceremoniall and traditionall which can never cease but as men turne to the Spirit of the Lord Iesus That with the light of peace and truth you may be led into peace truth and unity that wrath may be done away and the ground thereof and you and your religion may be setled on the foundation of truth Christ Jesus the chiefe corner stone and not upon dayes times meats drinks and apparell and other things which will perish with the using and so will they that worship and not in the leadings of Christ alone and God will shake the Idolls of peoples minds and all the glory of flesh that he alone may be exalted in the earth as he is in heaven So if you will have peace you must come to the Son of peace and if you will have establishment you must come to the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles of God for I say many have been about to build a house for God to dwell in with carnall things and rudiments and this they would bind him to his people who is a Spirit and his house must be built of spirituall men and women who like living stones must grow up in his owne light and vertue into a holy temple in the Lord In which you must be builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.20 21 22. And this is Gods house built by Christ alone with that which is elect and precious not with gold and garments or observations of perishing things but with redeemed soules by the bloud of Iesus out of their vaine conversation and gathered into the Spirit of truth and life and power to worship God who is a Spirit in spirit truth and this is Gods house at this day which was his house in the Apostles dayes who dwells not in Temples made with hands as saith the Apostles nor with mens hands is worshipped but with him that 's poore in spirit and of a broken and contrite heart to him will I looke saith the Lord and there will I dwell And the bodyes of his holy people are the Temples of the living God as he hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.16 And untill you come to this building of God in your selves God will not dwell with you in peace but all your buildings will he cōfound and not accept your sacrifice and then the Devill will enrage you against Gods house and spirituall building even his poore despised people them to destroy like Cain when his sacrifice was not accepted in his owne will But if you turne to the Lord who is that Spirit then will he cause his light to shine in your hearts to give you an heavenly understanding and he will put his Spirit in your inward parts and fill you with heavenly power and will let you see the lively Image of truth and peace and he will take away the vaile of the Covering that is spead over all Nations from which arises all their carnall comprehensions and carnall worships of the invisible spirituall God and he will also swallow up death in victory which now worketh in the Nations to kill one another about religion and worship without spirit and life so will you come to be taught his true worship who is a Spirit and become true worshippers in Spirit and so grow up in his knowledge and he will owne your worship whom as yet you have neither heard hi● voyce at any time nor seene his shape And Christ saith of such worshippers You worship you know not what but the true worshippers worship in faith and know what they worship and such the Father ● now seeking to worship him saith Christ Iesus John 4.22 23 24. And this is the thing oh England tha● concernes thy peace with thy God in thi● thy day who art Combred with many things about Christ and worship but neglects the one thing needfull for thy everlasting peace and establishment and to bring thee into that worship of Spirit withou● which God cannot accept thee and that religion which is pure and undefiled in the sight of God which will keepe thee unspotted in the world which till thou turn● to thou wilt be working against the Spirit of God through the darknesse of enmity that is in thee and he will certainly worke against thee except thou repent THE END J. N. R. H. 1 John 3.27 Isa. 5.6 2 Chro. 19.6 Isa. 6.9 Mat. 12.8 Heb. 2.10 Dan. 4.25 Acts 2.36 1 Tim. 6.15 Isa. 11.4 Isa. 40.11 Psal. 45.7 Jer. 23.5 6. Luk. 1.24 Isa. 6.3 2 Sam. 23.4 Isa. 32.1 2. Eccles. 10.16 17. Psal. 69.9 Lam. 3.14 Rev. 21.24 Isa. 5.21 Jer. 17.5 John 5.44 Isa. 30.1 Rom. 8.14 Gal. 5.18 Mat. 17.5 2 Cor. 10.6 Isa. 28.7 Jere. 23. Amos 2.4 Amos 7.14 Jerem. 23. Isa. 1.9 Hester 3. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. Acts 5.28 29. John 16.2.3 2 Tim. 1.13 Job 32.21 22. James 2. Dan. 3.21 Lev. 18.30 Ier. 23.10 Mat. 5.34 Iames 5.12 Lev. 19.12 Mat. 5.34 Mat. 5. Isa. 59.4 Isa. 28.15 Jer. 9.3 4 5 Pro. 12.19.22 Pro. 29.12 Psal. 40.4 Deut. 19.16 17 18 19 20 1 Cor. 7.39 M●la 2.15 Ma●h. 19.6 M●th. 19.8 Mah. 19.4 5. Rom. 8.2 Nom. 13. Acts 4.19 2 C●r 1.12 1 Tim. 3.9 James 1.27 John 4.23 24. Dan. 4.17 Heb. 1.8 9. Isa. 11.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.5 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 2 Cor. 10.4 Eph. 6.12 1 Cor. 4.5 Mic. 3.10 Col. 1.18 Phil. 2.10 Rev. 17.14 John 6.27 Col. 1.18 Mat. 1.21 Phil. 2.13 1 Cor. 6.10 Rom. 14.23 Rom. 14.4 Mat. 7.12 1 Cor. 2.10 11. John 3.20 21. Rom. 7.6 1 Thes. 1.1 Gala. 1.16 Gal. 1.11.12 1 Cor. 9.14 1 Cor. ● 17 18. 2 Cor. 4.5 1 Cor. 14 29 30 31. 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 1 Cor. 8.5 6. 〈◊〉 4 5 6. Heb. 7. John 4.21 24. Acts 7.48 Acts 17.24 Jer. 10.2 3. Isa. 55.4 Luke 1.79 Heb. 1.6 Mica 3. Col. 2.14 15 16 17 20 21 22. Heb. 10.11 Isa. 66.2 Isa. 25.7 8. 2 Cor. 3.16 17 18. John 5 37. Luke 19 42· Luke 10.41 42. James 1.27

AN ACCOUNT From the Children of light to them that askes in several particulars why we have been kept from joyning to or worshipping in those formes at Law and formes of worships that have been imposed upon us against our consciences in these late years for denying whereof we have so deeply suffered with our lives Liberties and Estates Also what we owne as to those things and can be obedient to for Conscience sake according to truth and the practise of the Church of Christ and the Scriptures For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience That in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neare Aldersgate 1660. For as much as many have desired to know the ground in particulars of our differences in faith and worship towards God And in some things as to the outward formes at Law which men have sought to impose upon us in these late yeares and also what we would desire therein therefore is this written following towards the satisfying of every honest desire who loves the kingdome of Christ THere is no kingdome nor people can truely be said to be the Lords and his Christs but as they come to be guided and governed by the Law of his Spirit in their Consciences which Spirit and anoynting all must wait for even from the King that sits on high to the least place of government in any people That with it all may know Judgement and to doe Justice which is of God and not of men That he may be known to be the anoynting of Kings and to Judge among the Judges whose right it is of old and God hath given it to him by an everlasting generation even after the power and order of an endlesse life That in him and in his seed may nations and kingdoms be blessed with peace even through and in his Righteous government for God the Father accepts neither persons lawes nor governments how prudently soever they be made if they be not in him and from him and for him because for him was made all soules that move not onely in earth but in heaven also All signes and seasons types and shadows worship and sabbath was made for him the son of man And no flesh breathing nor Spirits neither men or Angels hath any true power or right but as they receive it in him and so use it to him and for him over any of these things visible or invisible to rule force or order no not over his own body but by usurpation and for the time that he or they shall hold that power and not in him as aforesaid they shall be under the curse of God not established in peace and righteousnesse but in tyranny and oppression with force or with flattery must such rule in their day untill their measure of time and sin be fulfilled In which the vengeance of the Almighty shall remove them far away onely their names shall remain as a curse to those that come after Thus God will plead the Cause of his own seed and overturne and shake nations and kingdoms untill the earth know that the heavens must Reigne and the stout of heart confess that the head of every man is Christ And that God hath made this same Jesus which men hath rejected both Lord Christ which in his time he shall shew to be the onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords who onely hath immortality dwelling in the light where he sits at the right hand of power till God shall make all his foes his footstoole Now this is that we wait for in every appearance and face of authoritie that comes up to wit the face of Jesus our righteous King and Saviour in whom is no violence nor oppression who when he comes to rule we know will be tender of the tender in Conscience and meeke towards the poore in Spirit and with righteousnesse will he judge and rule on the earth to deliver the helplesse from him that is too hard for him who will drive wickednesse from his throne and the workers thereof into a Corner but will gently deale towards all that travails with righteousnesse and put the Lambs of truth in his bosome for he loves righteousnesse and hates iniquity therefore hath God called him his anoynted and will give him the heathen for his possession and a Priest to God he is to all generations in his dayes shall the upright rejoyce for he shall walke safely in his uprightnesse no nett shall then be spread on the mountaines neither shall he that turnes from iniquitie be made a prey for under him shall every one serve his God without feare in holinesse of life and godlinesse of conversation Now this is he we wait for even the beloved of our soules and we know his birth is come to the nations and his morning towards the people yea to the wise in heart who are yet afar off hath his starre appeared And we know his breaking forth to these Ilands as the bright Sun after the stormy raine even so shall he be after the shakeings he shall be a Covert from the tempest as rivers of waters in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land even so shall he be who shall raigne in righteousnesse and by whom Princes shall rule in Judgement This is the Royall seed and he that is of him is the son of Nobles his Princes eate in due season for strength and not for drunkennesse thus shall the Land be blessed who is found worthy to receive the anoynted of God to rule in its borders And this is he whom we have preached to all the severall governments that hath risen ever since God revealed him in us and the glory and peace of his kingdome and we have patiently waited and in great sufferings hath our soules travelled to see if by any meanes we might see any worthy to receive his anoynting and to be borne of his Spirit to governe by his power and with his Counsell to order and be ordered that through him they might be established of God and we have looked through the vail of flesh in all sorts of people and could not bow thereto and by many contrary Spirits have we been evill entreated because we could not owne ●hem for him whose kingdome we seeke in rulers teachers and people And thus have we gone seeking the righteous one through Parliaments and Protectors so called Priests and Rulers of all sorts but his government we have not found nor with his righteous Judgements have we been judged among them but we have been shamefully entreated for his sake and have borne his reproach because of his Spirit in us and his kingdome in our Consciences And many times have been tryed to the losse of

estates and lives to see if they could provoke or drive us from his faith in our Consciences or tempt us any way to deny him and owne them in their wills And though we have dayly suffered thus under every severall power and people yet have we not ceased to warne them in love with much feare and plainnesse that if by any meanes they might have received his testimony and not have perished in their gain saying for our God in whom we trusted shewed it to us that they should not prosper nor be established without him his Spirit and anoynting to whom he hath given the government of all people that shall be blessed by him yea all the nations of them that are saved must walke in his light and receive his counsel for their stability and his resurrection for their glory and his anoynting for the strength of their kingdomes And this is the Cause why we have chused rather to suffer under every power that yet hath risen then to joyne in with them because we have not heard the voyce of the holy one in the midst of them neither hath his Spirit in them been the strength of their Counsells but they have sought to make flesh their arme and to strengthen their kingdome with flattery and deceit and not with truth and they have sought to make themselves dreadfull by violence and to rule with cruelty and not with the sword of God which is Judgement and Justice and have sought honour from men and not from the Lord and their Covering hath been vaine glory and not the Spirit of God So with the light of Christ we saw their foundation and their building and that they could not stand long in Gods sight and that all that joyned to them must fall with them and that the woes that are written of such must certainly overtake them And this is the Cause and no other thing why we have hitherto borne our testimony against them all even because they would not joyne to the Lord nor heare his voyce in their day but the more he called after them by the mouth of his servants the more they were ●ardned and the more provoked him to their own confusion so it hath not been prejudice to any mans person that hath kept us at a distance from them or their commands for we can truely say we have waited without prejudice if by any meanes we could but have seene any of them seeking the kingdome of God that therein they might have been established yea we have the witnesse of truth in us to this day how glad our soules have been before the Lord when we have but felt the least tendernesse in any of them arising ●rom the Spirit of Jesus or the least confession from his light in them And sometimes we have felt some tendernesse in some of them when they have been low little and in feare in which we have had some hope and gladnesse to heare the voyce of simplicity and truth though but brokenly so that we could then have said they was not f●r from the kingdome of God But turning away the eare from the Spirit of truth in them and consulting with fleshly wisdome and carnall reason likely to make wise and to accomplish their selfe ends how soone hath truth sallen in them and blindnesse and hardnesse of heart come over them againe worse then before which being shewed us of God we could not but deny them also to be of God Thus in generall an account is given to you that askes a reason why we have not yet owned any power that yet hath risen so as to joyne to them in all things Now to you who desire to know in what particulars we have differed from these governments that yet hath risen since we was a people we might say our lives practises and sufferings hath openly declared it through the most parts of these nations and in most and greatest of our differences Yet for the better satisfying of some that knows not so much as others and to take away all occasion of offence from all that would not oppose the way of truth if they knew it and to leave without excuse the wilfully ignorant and persecuters of the good old way of Christ I shall instance in some things and also shew our warrant for so doing both by Scripture and the practise of the holy men of God in their generation It being that so many are yet ignorant and unbeleeving concerning the present leadings of the Spirit of truth in them which is chiefe leader and corner stone in us by which we walke towards God and towards men in all these things And as to that first Though God hath laid it upon us as matter of Conscience to be subject to what outward government or governers soever he shall set up over us in outward things and also that with all willingnesse of mind a ready subjection be rendered at every just command not for fear onely but even for Conscience sake and that in all things we should seek the safety and honour and well-being of such governers to the utmost of our power even as we looke to account to God for it of whom the powers that be are ordained yet hath he begotten us unto himselfe alone and to the leadings of his own Spirit in all things concerning faith and worship as to matter manner time and place This is to be done and performed singly as to him in the leadings of Jesus and in the power of his Spirit alone else will he have no regard thereto And for this purpose hath he given the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to be our light and understanding and leader in all these things to which leadings and movings the father requires obedience in all things upon eternall condemnation in matters pertaining to our consciences That must be the throne of Christ alone and there will he sway the Scepter of eternall life and answer his people in all things and be their Saviour guide and lawgiver in all things that are just and holy So that is at any time their teachers have left the way of life and would l●ad people after them yet hath he through faith and a tender Conscience preserved a seed out of error to himselfe in such a day by which he hath reproved and made manifest the folly of such t●achers And to this the Scriptures doe fully testifie as in the dayes of the Prophets when they erred in vision and had not the word in them and so caused the people to erre through their lyes and through their lightnesse then had he men of enlightned Consciences to send to reprove their brutishnesse though otherwise they themselves was neither Prophets nor sons of Prophets but may be a heardman or a gatherer of siccomore fruite a plowman or a shepheard or some such which Englands pride would call mecannick fellows yet in these was the seed preserved else the

received it againe without offence and never since gave to man any other forme of speech as we may read in the Scriptures of truth And in this we differ from some sorts of people and for it have ●uffered as great offenders and have undergone very grievous censures and long imprisonments divers of us though it hath been layd on our Consciences from the Lord yea the Scriptures also commands the forme of sound words to be holden fast now why those who professe the Scriptures for their rule should persecute us for using the language of it may be thought strange to the hearers thereof yet for this we suffer for a testimony against them Also it hath been layd upon us by the Lord to call men and women by their own names which their fathers have given to them to be knowne by amongst men And though in this we differ from some sorts of people who can give flattering titles to some people in stead of their names and reproachfully miscall others in stead of their names yet herein we are owned by the Scriptures of truth and the practise of all the holy men therein who never refused their own names to take a proud title but owned their names that God had given them And saith the Scriptures let me not give flattering titles to man for in so doing my maker would soone take me away And if you respect persons you commit sin and are convinced of the law as evill doers yet for this we have suffered also by this generation as evill doers and contemners of authoritie though we know that to call a man by his name contemnes not his authoritie nor doe we it for that end but in obedience to truth and for Conscience towards God Also that about our hats putting off which hath been so great an offence to many This also hath been layd upon our Consciences by the Lord and we dare not disobey him therein to please men though sometimes it hath been said to us that if we would but put off our hats we should not goe to prison others have said when we came before them for Judgement and Justice you shall have no Justice unlesse you put off your hats yea some have hazarded their lives hereon yet durst not disobey God herein though they have suffered long therefore and lost their rights for want of justice yet we have not dared to disobey our God herein but have valued our peace with him and a pure Conscience above all sufferings and profits herein Now this is beyond all the persecuters of old that men should suffer for their hats yea even Nebuchadnezzar in his greatest heate of persecution he made not that an offence to keepe on their hats more then their other garments but with their hats on as well as hose and shooes they was bound and cast into the fire nor doe we finde in all the Scriptures precept or practise of that thing yet for this we have deeply suffered in divers parts of this nation Thus would people and powers drive us from the obedience of our God in a pure Conscience and instead thereof cause us to worship a vaine Custome for which we have no warrant neither in Scripture nor good example but saith the Lord Ye shall keepe mine ordinances but the Customes of the people are vaine and abominable you shall not defile your selves therewith So we obey God rather then men and by men who professes God suffer for so doing This also hath been commanded us of the Lord and layd upon our Consciences not to sweare at ●ll upon any occasion whatsoever and because of this we have forborne to sweare when men have called us thereto whether to sweare at any change of government or what ever it hath been we may not sweare at all And for this we have deeply suffered also as cōtemners of the law though we have not despised government but have consented to what just thing was required of us in truth of heart without swearing And for this we have the expresse command of Christ Jesus who hath said Sweare not at all And his Apostles said Above all things my brethren sweare not least you fall into condemnation And we have also the practise of all the followers of Christ who was never knowne to use an oath since for to such as receive Christ there is the end of swearing and divers other things which before Christ came to end them was ordinances of God but Christ the Covenant everlasting hath ended all swearings of men whatsoever and forbidden they are in his name upon paine of condemnation Further in the time of Moses when swearing was in the Iews Church it was not to be forced upon them by any penalty but they might sweare or not sweare without any carnall punishment nor was it required of witnesses to sweare at all betwixt a man and his neighbour two witnesses was to establish the matter before the Iudge but I never read of those two required to sweare that was as to a mans owne particular onely in this case when a man had taken a pledge and it was stolen from him then an oath was to be taken of that man in his owne behalfe that he put not his hand to the stealeing of it and then he was not to repay it againe but if he would repay it he needed not sweare so he was not forced And except in this case onely I finde not an oath required by any Iudge in Moses law So these who make us offenders ●or denying to sweare are out of all the way of God in Moses time And in Christs time swearing is expressly forbidden at all even this in Moses time for faith Christ It hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe unto the Lord thy oaths So here was Moses time and swearing to the Lord commanded in truth and this said Moses But saith Christ I say Sweare not at all and this is greater then Moses whose time is without end Further as to the administration of the Laws of these nations in these late yeares there we have seene many things which in our Conscience we cannot joyne to being shewed to us to be out of truth and equity and not helps but burthens to the nations Now as to our selves so many as walke in Christ Iesus we have one Judge and Law-giver appointed to us for that end by the father And we may not goe to Law one with another as men being come to Christ Iesus the end of lust pride and strife which we have found to be the Cause of fightings and sutes at Law and if any thing of that nature would arise in any of us by our Iudge and Law-giver it is judged and we are saved And it is layd upon us by the same Spirit of Christ not to sue any man at the Law nor to seeke to avenge our selves of such as seeke to wrong us

it is we live and bring forth to the praise of God and we are not our owne nor servants of men but we are bought with a price that we may serve him for ever by whom we are redeemed and by whom all men without respect of persons must eternally be judged or justified Therefore we say this is a priviledge that no man should be hindered of to wit the liberty of his Conscien●e towards his God but that an universall lib●●ty for all sorts of people to worship God according as Christ shall open mens eyes to see the truth and as he shall perswade their hearts by his Spirit seeing no man without Christ can doe any thing in this case acceptable to God neither can one man worship in the measure of another but in his owne measure as he receives of God in Christ Jesus faith and strength and Spirit for it must be in Spirit and of faith else it is sin in Gods sight what ever men thinke thereof And this is just and equall in the sight of God and all reasonable men and that which I know no understanding man or woman would be limitted in seeing all have immortall soules from God and to him alone must account for them and not to men That so every soule may stand and fall to his owne Master in this case seeing none can save his brother when he hath misled him nor account to God for him therefore he is no wise man in our eyes who will leave the light of Christ that once knows it to follow another mans opinion And seeing every man would have this libertie for himselfe why should he goe about to deny it to his brother how is that just or equall amongst men And how doth it answer the Law of Christ as Christians who hath commanded That all things whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you doe ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now if you be not come so far in equitie as to answer the Law and the Prophets how will you answer Christ you that professe him in words And were it not that Nations and men were drunke and bewitched with the fornication of that Scarlet coloured whore they would foresee the danger of taking that upon them which belongs to Christ alone it being so many have been broken on the same Rock and reason it selfe might shew them how safe it is not to be too forward in things of that nature which God hath not called them to And also it being so much contrary to that just principle in man which would lead every man to do to another as he would be done unto And would teach every man that he ought to give up himselfe to his God in all spirituall matters And that so he should suffer every other creature also And seeing that there is no infallibilitie amongst ●en without the immediate manifestation of Christ Jesus his light and Spirit in them but that since men tooke that upon them even to sit as Lords and Judges over faith and conscience The Lord hath scattered them in this thing and confounded them into so many minds and judgements that he that is subject to follow every change in these latter dayes shall scarcely abide in one opinion a yeare to an end which things duely weighed might stay the hast of every reasonable man from forceing that upon the Conscience of another which himselfe is not infallible in and for which he must account to God for all soules that erre through him and so perish in gainsaying Gods witnesse And this would be wisdome with God first to search in themselves whether they have tha● Call from God himselfe to force any or they doe it to answer the desires of others or to hold up a tradition and so might they come to see what they serves and whether it will beare persecution or bloud-shedding at t●e day of Judgement And prove whether you have that which is infallible to force them to or it be but thought and opinion of your selves or others seeing its so common a thing for Rulers and Teachers to joyne in forceing people that are under them to erre and for which so many have been confounded and cast out and so that all might come to prove their worke and bring it to the light to see whether it be wrought in God and if he will owne it with his light which is pure in their Conscience which is an equall rule and try what power and Spirit it is that God hath made Lord King and Law-giver and Leader in all his worship and if they have not this then it is the old persecuter and murtherer which uses to set people on fire that know not God in Spirit And if you have that Spirit which God hath given the power to in his Church then its gentle drawing and powerfull without forceable imposing or killing nor doth he ever compell against faith and Conscience Now there be many particular things as to Gods worship and things thereto pertaining which the men of this age would impose upon us yea and force them upon great penalties which the Spirit of Christ doth not lay upon us as matters of faith or practise nor ever did o●daine them in any age nor command them to b● observed in his Church as men now impos●●hem but the contrary we find from the Spirit of Christ both in the oldness of letter and i● newness of life So these things we canno● bow ●o nor worship in for conscience sake ●onscience towards God conscience towards the holy men of God in the holy life and conscience towards the Scripture of truth for of all these we make conscience in their time and place in which God the Father of all hath brought them forth to serve him As men would impose upon our Consciences to come once a weeke to such a great house in their Parish which they call a parish Church and there we must observe what one man shall reade preach or pray for two or three houres that day by an usuall forme and this man will have a Clarke and he shall say Amen at the end of such a sentence or part of his prayer or speech and to this Church and to this worship must we be bound while we dwell in that parish And either the tythes of all we have or so much a yeare set maintenance must be payd to the man calling himselfe a Minister of Christ And so much a yeare to his Clarke for saying Amen after him in money and egges and the like And if this we doe constantly we may live peaceably by them and goe under the name of a good Christian and a religious man but if we faile in any of this but especially in that of tythes or wages then they call us heretickes and complaine of us to the Magistrate or sue us at Law till they have cast our bodyes into prisons and taken the

markets in the name of the Lord and by the Call of his holy Spirit How many hundreds have been imprisoned for preaching the everlasting Gospel of Jesus freely in Townes Temples streets and markets and from house to house which was the manner of Gods messengers in the name of his Son ever to doe and for which they suffered How many have had their cloaths rent off their backs and been shamefully beaten till they have been left for dead and afterward carried to prison for but asking a question or speaking a word in a Steplehouse while a man hath been speaking things doubtfull or not true though this was the way of old in which the servants of Christ walked and by which he gathered the Churches into God in Spirit and out of false worships And it was the manner of the Apostles to enter into Synagogues and places of worships both of Jewes and Gentiles on their Sabbath dayes and openly dispute there with them before their hearers and then whose hearts God touched lest their carnall worships and clave to Christ in spirit which is now become a greater offence to this generation then ever it was eyther to Jewes or Gentiles for I never read that simply for so disputing they either beat them or haled them to prison though they went sometimes three Sabbath dayes together into one Synagogue yea the fiery Jews who was set on mischiefe against that way yet this they could suffer in their Synagogue as is testified Acts 17.2 and saith the Scrip●ures this was his manner And in Acts●8 4 it is said he reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath day at Corinth where he continued a yeare and six months teaching the word of God among them vers. 11. Now hath not this been the great offence of these dayes yea I may say the chiefest crime which the servants of Jesus Christ hath suffered for in this age and none scarce eyther ruler or teacher is able to beare it once which they could beare a yeare and above among Iewes and heathens so that this way of Christ by which the Churches was gathered called in the Apostles time is become more abominable in the sight of those that cals themselves Christians then it was eyther to Iewes or heathens And when neither laws of Iewes Gentiles nor heathens that was made in times of popery would answer their wills against this then ha●e they made new Lawes of their owne against this practise which themselves read believe and preach and this we cannot owne that men should withstand that in workes which they professe in words and seeke to impose it upon others who serve God therein by the Spirit of Iesus and then call themselves Christians and say the Scriptures is their rule who cannot beare it in them that practise it in obedience to Christ Iesus And this is that we contend for in all our sufferings and actings in the simplicity of our hearts that our Lord and Master Iesus Christ may have his Prerogative Royall restored to him over his body the Church and every particular member thereof his Lordship and Mastership given to him alone of all his children from least to the greatest and that none else force it or require it from him but that his headship alone over his Church his leadings and the seate of his Iudgements in every redeemed soule and conscience ma● be restored to him and that he m●y have 〈◊〉 name and authority therein and that none may presume to take his authority to themselves while they give him faire words call him Lord Lord but neither doe his will in their own consciences nor suffer them that would This I say is that we seeke now at the hands of men that are called Christians which by his own bloud and by the precious suff●rings in many of his obedient servants of old he once purchased out of the hands of the old persecuters and gave it as inheritance to his seed after him to all generations to call him head and Lor● in the● and over them in all things pertaining to worship and conscience as the Scripture of truth is evident And this we say in his behalfe and in the power of his name where ever he sends us that though his adversary of old hath taken this his purchased possession from him and now sits where he ought not commandding in conscience over his subjects and creatures compelling and forceing to obey his traditions and law from a carnall precept or tradition of men yet we say the right is Christs alone and the whole kingdome of God in every conscience he hath purchased with his bloud and great sufferings of old therefore we say to all sorts of people looke to him and walke in his light all that looke to be saved for we say he is a great and mighty one who though he have been as one gone a far jorney for a time yet he is returned and hath seene how his deare servants have been entreated and his little children spoyled of their birth-right and cast out of their purchased possession and heavenly kingdome and now strangers rule over their tender consciences and s●●ke to defile them with adultery and Idolatry which is against their spirituall birth and breathing and himselfe robbed of his authoritie and Scepter of his everlasting Dominion for which he will tread nations in his wrath and people in his hot displeasure even for Z●on● sake the Citie of his glory and he will spoyle the spoyler and lead Captivity captive and so will he make way for his inheritance to come into their habitation of ●est And this we say to ●ll people GIVE VP feare God and gi●e glory to his Name for the houre of hi● Judgements is come and he will have dominion as of old and his purchased possession as in anc●ent dayes But especially to you who are called Christians and mention his name and call him Lord and profess the Scriptures in words which testifies of him his sufferings and his purchase through bloud and the eternall anoynting of the Father sworne unto him by an everlasting Covenant that he alone shall sit on the spirituall throne over the house of David for ever that he may with his spirituall leadings gather the out-casts of Israel and present to God all the precious among the people have you not read you professing Priests and Rulers that it is he alone that is the light of the world and that God hath given him for a witnesse to the people a leader and commander that its he that 's appointed for a light to them that sit in dakness and in the shadow of death to guide their feete in the way of peace did God ever set any at the right hand of power but he alone that he might make his foes his footstoole of whom he saith when he brings him into the world Let all the Angels of God worship him have you not read that it s he alone that purgeth the