name of him and onely him that made heaven and earth may it please youâ— worship may it please your Lordship may it please your honour c. Now if all honour mind the word all which will not admit of the word some to be joyned with it in that place doth belong to God alone as I am sure it doth there is not the least of Room for your fond appellations which ye give and receive one of another How can ye believe that receives honour one of another Oh! Let Moab come down before she be compelled to serve and the Lord stain all your honours in one day for I am sure some of ye he will overtake with speed and their memories shall rot but the name of the just shall live for ever therefore let every soul of ye be subject to the higher powers which is higher and above the transgressor and see if yet there be any remorse in ye towards your poor brethren who as I said before are languishing in nasty holes and several dead most of them dead and alive being such who have freely offered up their lives with ye in the actual service for the Common-wealth in the heat of It is the same man that was called Round head that is called Quaker therefore let all that are in authority be ashamed to see us thus dealt with the day and I am sure we have not forfeited our right in the least or purchased your indignation by either plots or rebellion against ye although ye have sufficiently provoked us by suffering far more to be laid upon us then as we are men could be borne and me thinks our peaceable patient and innocent carriage cannot but smite ye to the very heart I am sure it hath reached Heaven and if ye were not in the deepest slumber even the sleep of death ye would not lame your selves to uphold the interest of a company of gormandizing Priests who creep into the Mass-house and there speak a devination of their own brain or make a plot in the week days and there discover it and bid others keep holy upon that day upon which they keep market and tell the people if they do not pay their Tythes they rob God and it may be threateneth those that are behind to sue them or send them to prison forth-with so that upon that day which he exhorts others to keep holy he doth all manner of work that tends to his quarterly gain Can that be the Ministry of Christ that murthers men for their bellies Nay it is impossible for the Ministers of Christ laboured with their own hands and took by violence from no man neither were they so much as burthensome to any much lesse stocked caused to be whipped imprisoned or smote with their hands but with them laboured and knocked down no man nor imprisoned any man to death for their bellyes but in this some of these at this day do glory And yet if any be moved of the Lord to tell any one of these cruel men that their glory is their shame or their belly is their God it s much if some Priest-ridden Justice or another do not send him to the Goal for it I shall also shew ye the rope of sand wherein many of these Priests have been wrapt Henry the 8. was a Papist the same Henry the 8 was a Protestant and called himself Defender of the Faith Edward the 6 a Protestant Queen Mary a Papist Queen Elizabeth a Protestant again King James was both for and against Bishops King Charles he was called a Church-Papist yet loved Bishops and Book of Common Prayer so well that an open war was declared against him which hath cost an innumerable quantity of blood and treasure he and his Bishops extirpated swore vowed and declared against and others have taken possession yet I shall seal it with my blood That there is 1200 Priests in England that are as bad as those 12 Bishops were so that at the best we are but where we were after all this fighting killing and being killed pulling down and setting up and all men may plainly see that have not done away reason and sold themselves to the spirit of prejudce that the best of their religion is but till further order and the change of a King or the change of a Queen or the alteration of a goverment puts them out of order and to seek for their religion tell they have received further order from man or at least till they have studied what religion the King or Chief Ruler adheres to and there they will seemingly imitate There they were and there they are tell further order and the best of their Religion will reach no further but tell further order See what the Ploughman in his complaint saith of these wicked men in the Reign of K. Edward the third here followeth somewhat subtracted forth of his complaint the thing being too large to insert verbatim AH Lord though that the Plowman may not have so much silver for their prayers as other men for See the plowmans complaint in K. Ed. thirds time Foxes Acts and Monuments Vol. 1. p. 524. they know not so well to prize their prayers as these other chapmen But Lord our hope is our prayers be never the worse though they be not so well sold as other mens prayers They turn thy words into songs and tales and so men do now they sing thy words merrily and that singing they call thy service but Lord I trow the best singers thou hearest not most but he that fulfilleth thy words he thou heareth full well though he weep more then sing and I trow that weeping for breaking of thy commandements be more pleasing to thee then singing of thy words and forsaking of travel which God commands and give their selves to idleness that is the mother of all naughtinesse Lord Mary thy blessed Mother and Joseph touched often times thy body and yet wrought with their hands and lived in as much cleannesse of soul as our Priests do now But Lord men make now great stonen houses full of glassen windows and calleth them thine houses and Churches but thou saist those that did worship in such had been worthy of death Lord in thy Gospel thou sayest that true worshipers of God worship him not in the Hill beside Samaria nor in Jerusalem neither but true worshippers of God worship him in spirit and in truth And Lord God what a worship is this to build thee a Church of dead stones and rob thy quick Churches of their bodily livelyhood to cloath stocks and stone with See pulpit cloaths and many guilded coats painted windows with pictures of many a monstrous beast silver and gold and other good colours and I see thine own images go in cold and in heat in cloathing all to broken without shoon hosen and hungred and athirst feeding themselves and not thy flock hiding Thee that art our light and those that were fed they slew and
is not all this and very many other things which ye use Popish Jewish and heathenish and yet ye would force the innocent whom ye know for conscience cannot swear at all to take an oath to abjure the Pope which would be to swear against your selves but because of oathes the Land mourns And if I hear a wicked wretch swear and many times blaspheam the name of the dreadful and living God with bloody oathes and if I complain of that wicked man to a Magistrate that he hath in my hearing sworn many oathes to the grief of my very soul and dishonour of my maker but except I will also swear and enter into the same sin the guiltless make himself guilty he which did in the first place offend the pure God shall not be punished but on the contrary if the true man do but speak to this man called Justice in plainnes of speech such as the servants used to the Lord of liâ—e and the same Lord to his servants or do not put of my hat to him and bow which I dare not do leâ—st my Maker should take me away I say its much if I go not to prison my self or at least exceedingly rebuked which I my self am a witnest off and this is turning of Justice backward so that except a man will break a positive command of the Lord Jesus the sword will not be laid upon the evil doer but is born in vain and not for the praise of them which do well the wicked Magistrate bids me â—wear and sayes I may swear or take a judicial oath the Papists he sayes bow down to an image and wear a crucifix or an agnus dei about thy neck it s but to put thee in mind and for a remembrance but Christ the oath and hope in me who was before judicial oathes or images were says swear not at all and above all things my brethren sayes James swear not and I had rather be accounted as one of his brethren by keeping the commands of the Lord Jesus by not swearing then by swearing to be made a friend to Caesar or a companion to the Prince the command of the most high God is thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor bow down to them and so let the Papists and yee part this matter between yee for yee are a like guilty the one breaks the command of God the other of Christ and he that breaks one is guilty of all The King bid or commanded that all should bow to his image which he had set up the three children refused and obeyed God rather then the accursed Edicts of a King the King gave command that they should be thrown into the fire and into the fire they were cast with their hats on were they Rebels yea or nay and whether is it better to obey God or men judge ye But except I will rebell against the Lord and make my self a transgressor of the royal Law I shall not have the benefit of your Law and except I will swear I cannot desend or come by my own nor hardly keep my self out of a Goal So vile are your Lawes and many the Ministers of them and the guilty do go free and the heart of the righteous is grieved and the righteous man doth perish and few or none layes it to heart but the Lord our God treasureth up all these things with many more of your iniquities and if yee think he will not visit for these things yee deceive your selves and are deceived because the truth doth not guide yeâ— The good Magistrate is worthy of double honour but it consisteth not in my hat for that waxeth old as doth my oâ—her garments and may be burnt and turned to ashes and become dong or I may throw my hat upon the ground and set my feet upon iâ— is then the Magistrats honor in the dust do I tread upon his honor when I tread upon mine own hat Nay the good Magistrate is still worthy of double honour and for a good man some will dare to die and so I dare for the good Magistracy â—ut to sawn câ—ing to any mans person I may not It is the good Magistrate that 's worthy of double honour the office good Magistratâ— in the man not the bad man because he is in the office and to every ordinance of man I submit am no rebell therefore let me and all Gods people have the benefit of your best Laws And your worst doth not require me to put of my hat swear or appear by an Attourny my self being in the Nation and willing to appear but admit ye had a corrupt Law or an act for every violence which is acted I believe some of ye heretofore when ye lived under the oppression of wicked Magistrates and unrightâ—ous Lawes which are yet standing would have said that the welfare of the people was above the Salus populi suprema lex Law Paul says that an oath is for the end of strife among men mark but the same Paul says walk not as men but as Saints and although they of old time sware to the Lord and performed their oathes to the Lord and the Lord performed THE substance to them which oathes was a type of and the oath and vow is come in the flesh who sayes swear not at all but if Paul or John who was the greatest born among women should should affirm or had affirmed it to be lawful to swear I le not believe John but rather chuse to hear believe and obey the great mighty Prophet in all things but the persecutor and he that will not hear this Prophet and bring all his deeds to the light and to the witness of God in him and there try if they be wrought in God shall be cut off Notwithstanding he may pretend to have an Edict or a law from man for what he doth And if he commit murther and all manner of wickednes most greedily man can pardon one another by an Act or call it chance-medly man slaughter petti-laseny c. and Hang another man for the fame fault because he cannot read and this amongst the rest is persecution and is not equal nor doing as a man would be done unto And like a naked and simple hearted man I shall hear declare unto all the world the words of the living God to me when I was but onely able to die for the truth and not able to write dispute or controvert for it when as heretofore I have met with an able skilful cunning deceiver This was the word of the Lord and thus said the Lord unto me If an Angel should pretend to come from heaven and should affirm unto thee that that Ministry is of God or Christ which in the least persecutes stocks whips imprisons strikes or causeth to be strucken sweares or causeth others to swear for his dishonest gain believe him not For they obey not the great Prophet and they shall be cut
A VVord of Reproof And Advice to my late Fellow-Souldiers and Officers of the English Irish and Scotish Army With some Inrhoad made upon the Hireling and his Mass-house University Orders Degrees Vestments Poperies Heathenism c. With a short Catologue of some of the fighting Priests And for just cause given have given them a blow in one of their eyes pickt out of the whores head which they call A Fountain of Religion but is a sink of iniquity Also a word to those old Creatures who are old in iniquity and in the fallen estate yet deny falling away Likewise a word to those Magistrates and Rulers who whip or suffer to be whipt or imprisoned the Saints of the most High as Vagabonds amongst whom there is no Begger As also a word to that bad Generation of people who in their reprobate minds and with their unwholsome tongues blaspheme and belye the dreadful and just God in saying that he hath created some men intentionally to be damned and a particular number to be saved and damn'd Wherefore then doth the Hireling preach and for what hath he his hire Mark the decrees of God are yea Amen and unalterable A word to these who are called Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscounts Lords Barrons Bannerets Baronets Knights of all sorts Esquires and Gentlemen so called Also let that Generation that desire a signe read some of the Examples that have befallen the Persecutors of the Innocent By a lover of good Men good Laws good Governments and Governours good Judges and Ministers as at the beginning Who hates nor fears no man and is a lover and honourer of all men in the Lord but cannot give flattering Titles or respect the person of any man E. B. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. And I said hear I pray you O heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the house of Israel Is it not for you to know judgement Who hate the good and love the evil who pluck off their skin from off them and their flesh from off their bones Who also eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them and they break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron Micah 3. 1 2 3. FRIENDS I Do believe that very many among you are not unsensible of your own unfruitfulnesse and unfaithful dealing to God-ward and I know that ye may not deny but if ye had stood in your former integrity that is to say when ye were little in your own eyes when compassion was no stranger and tendernesse was well known amongst ye then was the hireling and all his Jewish and Popish trumpery sentenced and liberty of conscience vowed I say if ye had stood in that integrity ye might have been instrumental to have saved much of the innocent blood that hath been shed for which I know the Lords hand will be speedily and eminently revealed upon some amongst ye who have connived at cruel murthers when as the blood of the innocent hath been laid before ye as James Parnels in the first place was but since him many others have drank of the same cup even to death And I am sure the Lord will rebuke princes for our sakes and let the most sturdiest oak amongst ye know that the indignation and fierce wrath of the dreadful God is kindled and his righteous judgement is nigh even at the door and a sudain and terrible breach will he make amongst ye at unawares when ye look not for his coming for verily his righteous spirit is grieved at the cruelties that are done although ye hedge your selves up with many spears and think to surround your selves with battleaxes yet the same spirit which ye have many of ye like fools gone about to limit will suddainly break through all your contrivances and a day of mourning will overtake ye although for the present ye are not troubled like other men but suffer the Prophets and messengers of the living God to be slain before your faces yea I know the righteous have perished and none of ye have laid it to heart so as to remedy it and if any of them be moved of the Lord to come among you some of ye have even shamefully and cruelly entreated them madly resisting the holy One in his way but let the most surliest among ye know that the blood of the innocent hath reached heaven and he will not spare ye And now that none of ye from the General to the meanest sentinel may be ignorant what innocent blood I mean It is the blood of such who did believe and declare that Christ is come in the flesh and so durst not uphold a Jewish or Popish priest-hood by paying of them tythes and some for going into a Mass-house and desiring the hireling to fear the Lord and turn from the evil of his wayes or asking a sober question and for not swearing which is the breach of an especial command of Christ who sayes swear not at all many others dragged out of their peaceable meetings without the breach of the least Popish law whatsoever and thrown into dungeons and nasty holes amongst theeves and murtherers other being upon their knees at prayer have been taken up by the hair of the head some thrown into prison without so much as a Mittimus there kept for many moneths others have been stoned knockt down with clubs and stones mangled with swords and run into the body and abundance of such cruelties I might name besides the exceeding great number of our friends that have been whipt as vagabonds and committed to prison for vagabonds and yet be it known to the whole World we have not a begger amongst us One and the same woman hath been committed for not coming and coming to the Steeple-house although she spake not a word to either Priest or people others have been invited by the Magistrates in my hearing to the Steeple-house to have a dispute and yet afterwards was committed to prison but the cause of the innocont which of ye have pleaded or what Justice hath there been done to the poor Nazarenes when any of us have been falsly and contrary to all manner of Law imprisoned for the space of a year more or lesse there is some would have us call it a favour when as for shame they are forced to deliver us When some of the Lambs of God have been brought to the bar the Judge hath asked the plaintiff what he had against the Prisoner he answered he abused me he abused me wherein why said the plaintiff he bid me fear the Lord and this he called an abuse and many such rediculous absurdities I might name that hath been committed by the Anti-christian Romish Clergy and those upon whom that beast rides in these our yet bad-reformed times but I shall wade further into that Sea anon Friends It is not unknown to me the exceeding largeness of your borders in
the earth and your being at much ease in the flesh having more then heart can wish many of ye not having the least sympathy with Jacobs troubles being as ye think safely wrapt up in fig-leaves having on a phylactary of the best make yet the dreadful God of hosts will fall in among ye at unawares on every hand if ye speedily repent not and lay to heart the sufferings of the innocent and forthwith relieve the oppressed your latter end will be worse then your beginning where is that spirit of tendernesse that was once among ye that dearly loved mercy and justice have ye turned the love of God backwards Oh! ye have given him just cause utterly to forsake ye have ye sold your selves to do wickedly and instead of growing from strength to strength and from grace to grace ye have turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and oppression swearing and for swearing vowing and not performing all which the Lord our God hates and let not the most lofty Ceader of ye all be deceived the Lords arm is not shortned and asuredly he will visit for these things What hath victories treasures and spoyls so puffed ye up that ye quite forget your selves your poor brethren and because ye have overcome the oppressors do ye therefore oppresse but the same Lord lives as ever and that 's our assurance that he will make all his enemies his foot-stool appease that in your selves which would be angry and honestly consider if ye do not uphold the enemies of God and Gods people at this day yea I know there was a spirit amongst ye once that would have grieved in your very hearts and have thought it your very shame that the people of God should have lain rotting in Goals even to death for not swearing or putting off a hat and for not putting into the hirelings mouth which ye all may and I do believe for the most part do know that he is even your own implacable enemy do not all go along with them like fools to the stocks till a dart strikes sheer through your livers I say there was a time when the hireling and his Jewish and Popish trumpery was all sentenced and the brand of the conquerer and other Tyranies vowed to be taken off but ye are for-sworn and the Lord will not hold them guiltlesse that have so often called God to witnesse and not performed as some of ye have done although you may say in your hearts he defers his coming because judgement is not speedily executed therefore the wicked are set in their heart to do evil and my friends I am sure the blood of the innocent shall never cease to cry till such time that the seed of God be delivered and fully discharged from their deadly prisons and nasty holes where many of the most pretious Saints of the Lord are thronged where some already have sealed their Testimony with their blood and several others are languishing even at the brink of death and all this and much more is suffered to gratifie the hireling that irreclameable relique of popery May not all that are wise in heart plainly see that the Priests of this Land war with flesh and blood and for principalities and powers and their weapons are indeed carnal and not spiritual who no longer then their mouths are cramed and filled they prepare war and murders men for their bellies and have had the blood of several already Oh cruel gluttony and most accursed appetite that nothing can stanch or satisfie but blood Oh let them have blood to drink and let the whores cup be filled brim full with the indignation and dregs of the wrath of the Almighty God If we were the wolves as the hirelings sayes we are and they the sheep or Lambs I am sure all people will confesse with me that it is not the nature of sheep and Lambs to devour and kill the wolves but the wolves did of old as these do now kill the sheep and devour the innocent Lambs I have read and doe believe that the good Shepherd laid down his own life for the Sheep but I do not read that he ever took away the life of any So my dear Friends honestly consider who ye are for and who ye uphold for verily if ye lay down your lives and perish for and with their deceipt I am bold in the Lord God to declare it unto you all from the highest to the lowest that they are falling and mine eye sees it and it is impossible for ye to defend or secure them from the just name of Antichrists false prophets deceivers greedy dumb dogs who can never have enough but still seeks for his gain from his quarter mark that he seeks it as the false Prophets did of old for there is few or none that are not forced yea very few that brings his gain to him but himself or some one for him seeks all the quarters of the field till he finds the poor brow-sweating husband-man who eats the bread of carefulnesse all the year long no sooner he finds him or his corn or hay but he presently tels out the tenth sheaf or tenth Cock and so sets his thiefs mark upon it and calls it his own Compare him to the false prophet which is spoken of in Mich. 3. read the whole Chapter and see if there be any more difference then there is betwixt a thief and a ravenous Lawyer or a Judge whose hands and affections may be full of bribery and yet hangs a thief Friends lay aside prejudice and honestly Judge Ye may remember that Moses said a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up like unto me him shall ye hear in all things mark and truly consider the word all he doth not say him shall ye hear in some things onely but him shall ye hear in all things and it comes to pass that he that will not hear this Prophet shall be cut off Now that Prophet who was the Promise the Vow and Oath of God commands in express words saying Swear not at all though it was said by them of old thou shalt perform thy Oaths to the Lord but I say swear not at all and I am sure he that goes about to inforce any one to swear by any Oath obeys not that Prophet and is to be cut off and that Prophet strictly and positively commands his Ministers saying Be ye not of men called Masters without the breach of which command and title of Master the hireling is not compleat For when a youngling goes first to Oxford to learn the trade of Devination they call him a fresh-man and continues for three years or thereabouts by the name of an undergraduate and then he takes the degree of Batchelour but yet he may not preach except it be by that which they call Ex Gratia and in other four years time he commonly takes the degree of Master and then he hath authority to say what he pleaseth for an hour together and
those that were broken they knit not together but rattled them with sternship and with power And Lord these hired men they nefeeden thy sheep in thy plenteous Leasow but feeden thy sheep with sweines and false miracles and tales but at thy truth they ne come not For Lord I trow thou sendest them never And of these hired men speaks Jeremiah and thou saiest in that word by him I ne send them not and they run quickly but I ne spake unto them For if they had stood in my councel The Spiritual man is locked in Prison by those that have the Key of Cunning. they would have turned people from the evil of their wayes and their evil thoughts For Lord thou saiest thy Word is as a fire a hammer breaking stones but from the least to the most they study covetousness and from the Priest to the Prophet all they have done guile And Lord this is much mischief and matter of sorrow and yet there is more For if a lewd man that is a lea-man teach thy people truth of thy Words as he is upholden by thy Commandment of Charity he shall be forbidden and put in prison if he do it And so those that have the key of cunning have Tho. Cromwell Earl of Essex and Sr. John Old-castle testified against Tithes and it is verily believed that both were put to death for their Testimony locked the truth of thy teaching under many Wards and hid it from the children But Lord sith thy teaching is come from Heaven above our hope is that with thy Grace it shall break these Wards and shew him to thy people to keel both the hunger and thirst of the soul And then shall no shepheard nor no false hired man beguile thy people no more Lord thou givest us a Commandment of truth in bidding us say yea yea nay nay and swear for nothing and truly Lord I trow that if thou were now in the World and taughtest as thou didst sometime thou shouldest be done to death for thy Teachings is damned for Heresie of the Wise men of the World So that by this ye may plainly see that the hireling in former ages was testified against and the Lord was not without a witness though oppressed then as at this day And as for the Tithes which Antichrist the Pope vomited forth of his mouth and was first introduced by Augustine one of his Fryers here in England I might say something in particular of it but being a Christian and believing and knowing that all shadows and types whatsoever must give leave to the substance and also knowing that the good thing is come and the great Prophet heard And others who believe in Christ having more then sufficiently refell'd what is possible to be said in honour of that Idol Therefore I set my feet upon that dunghill being with my self by all the reasonable and unconcerned men in the Natons troden upon in their hearts And for such as are yet unsatisfied I refer them to Anthony Persons Book and The book is sold by Giles Calvert at the sign of the black spread Eagle at the west end of Pauls the price about six pence I do not question but it may satisfie settle and establish all men against the very foundation birth and bringing in of that bad thing except I say the greedy receiver who is so greedy of filthy lucre that he can never have enough and is unsatisfied unsetled and unstable in all his wayes For when a Priest dyes and the Parsonage be great Oh! how the rest will swarm about the Donator and hunt like dogs that runs for the carcase of a dead horse and it may be ten of them at least shall pretend a call and if by whining flattery symony or subtility any one of them can procure it it s much if in his very first Sermon he be not so prophane as to begin with a lye in his mouth and tell the people being called amongst ye by the Lord and brought into this place by his Providence Whereas indeed it is the gain of that quarter which its like may be much bigger then that from whence he came and it is theirs and not them for which he really came or hunts and that 's his call Yea I know some of them may fitly be compared to Crows Dogs and Rooks that when the Beast is sick the Ravens will pick his eyes out before the dogs shall get him so some of them in my knowledge have been trying for the Parsonage before the incumbent hath been quite dead Now from the bottom of my heart I do believe that the Cut-purses and Goal-birds are not more disingenious towards one another as men then some of these men are in case a fat Parsonage be to be parted by the teeth amongst them so that their godliness is not great gain but their great Parsonage is their great gain and their quarterly gain is their God And that they are very disingenious hear what I have farther to say of them I have many times asked several of these hired men why they did pillage and take away from those that did not hire them set them a-work nor come to hear them Their common answer was and is Their Church was open So doth â—â—e gates of Hell who as will may enter and who as will may come and it is not our faults say they if they come not I answer so is every trades-mans shop in the Nation or very same Parish and he may as well say to those which are not his but another mans customers My shop stands open and I have as good ware as another thou mayest have it if thou wilt it s my trade and my goods are to be sold Answer I like them not I will not have them Now I appeal to any reasonable man upon earth if he the said trades-man should lay hold on me and take away my cloak coat bed-cloaths brass pewter cattel corn c. for his goods which I like not and by me refused and by him undelivered to me Admit him to be a seller of good books as the Bible and other Just mens works and writings I say I appeal to the whole World whether this man that so takes away my goods be not as real a thief in the sight of God and good man as him that robs upon the high way And by this all true men may plainly see the unjust afflictions persecutions bondage and oppression the seed of God lyeth under at this day by the seed of the evil doers and cruel men who lye in wait to devour widows houses and destroy the innocent Even as a troop of Robbers lie in wait for a man to murther in the way by consent they hunt every man his neighbour with a net And that they may do evil with both hands earnestly some of us they did distrain and sue in the Exchequer for one and the same matter Where the greedy Lawyer asketh for
respect unto your fasts saith the Lord Mark if ye regard iniquity in your hearts or feed oppression or suffer the witch or prisoner in your own particulars in and amongst you to live I will not hear your prayers saith the Lord nay the Lord loves and hears the prayers of such as pay their vowes and keep their integrity and tremble at his word â—nd the broken and the contrite spirit and the upright hearted the Lord delights in and those that walk humbly with their God and are not exalted above what is called God because of this worlds preferment I say with the single-hearted and such who dispise not the day of small things who speaks the truth to and of their neighbour and do to all men as they would they should do to them Such he delights to dwell with but the lying lips and the deceitful tongue God hates the prayers fasting fond humility and hanging down the head for a day like a bul-rush are all abomination before the just and holy God and whilest ye regard iniquity and have respect to the workers thereof the Lord hath no regard to your set dayes services and preteâ—ded humiliations I say whilst ye regard iniquity and live in uncleannesse and pride of life ye are but mockers of the righteous God who will not be mocked by ye for his eyes are pure and cannot behold the beholders and upholders of oppression Oh my friends how can ye pray talk of God conscience and liberty of conscience whilest ye suffer your poor brethren to be tormented and afflicted with cursed laws made in the reprobate will of a dark Pope and do ye not augment fuel to his fire and call it liberty of conscience Is not his 3 months imprisonment made six I believe that if it should have been said to many of ye within this ten years that these cruelties should have been acted inflicted and tollerated to be acted and inflicted upon the innocent by a law and true liberty of conscience infringed and wholly struck at whilest some of ye had breath I do believe that ye would have answered as one man as the King did the Prophet Dost thou think thy servants are dogs that these things shall come to passe in our dayes But many were deceived in ye and so was I and in the end ye will deceive your own precious and immortal souls And the Priests for whom ye have thus haâ—arded and made your selves enemies to God and good men are most exquisite and absolute enemies to your selves Magistrates Government and Governours longer then they please them and boast of their Diana and for plotters and plot-contrivers disturbers of governments sowers of seditions and causing other men to be seditious they are at this time and have been of old the very pests of this Nation and he that is or shall be acquainted with the History of England cannot but witness with me against them But that they are so fresh in most mens memories I could name some of their late Tragedies for which some few of them have felt the hand of Justice but thus much I know is well known to most men that those whom they blesse the people bless and whom they curse the people curse also this may be taken notice of that they never did nor do adhere to the Rulers but when they would have their own turnes served or are necessitated or their false wayes and worship in Jeopardy by the people of the Lord making some in-rode or other upon their deceit at other times it 's I and my King and I l'e be rul'd if hee 'l be rul'd by me and if the Rulers should but deny them their end for which they onely flatter them and others I say it 's well if they do not teach the people to rebel and say to kill them is no murther and themselves have a hand in it and if the Rulers should but demand one or two years revenue of these men throughout the Nation of that which indeed is none of their's and they say themselves tythes is the chief Magistrates and he may do what he will with them or sell but their Mass-houses with the jangling Bells although it were to carry on a war with Rome against the very Pope himself I say it is well if they did not thereby take occasion to prepare and hatch a War at home and curse the Magistrates bitterly and do what in them lyeth to poyson the people and disaffect them to the present Goverment notwithstanding at present they cry a loud for and to it but it is for their augmentations and blesse it but it is with the same mouths they 'l curse it if crost and do it as much harm as now they do it good in praying for it which is none at all Oh Friends Why will ye joyn your selves to that unprofitable harlot who ye long since know was deviated and utterly whored from all that is truth and I do believe it is fully known to many among ye they that are gone out of the way altogether become unprofitable I know none of them that doth good no not one for the most part their throats are an open Sepulchre and the poyson of Asps is under their lips and Gods fear is not before their eyes the best of them is but as a bryar and the most upright is sharper then a thorn hedge Micah 7. 4. For out of the evil thoughts of their â—ee Tiâ—us I. â—hap 7. to â—he end hearts proceeds persecution murtherers and blasphemies and unto them in their unbelieving state and damnable doctrine of imperfection nothing is nor indeed can be pure but even their mindes and consciences is wholly defiled and although they may professe to know God in their practises they absolutely deny him for in preaching up sin tearm of life which is the Devils kingdom they are abominable â—auâ—s Ep. â—o the Laoâ—iceans v. â— 9. and unto every good work reprobate they are hurters and doers of violence to good sober and temperate men iâ— they put not into their mouths self-willed soon angry strikers and given to filthy lucre they are they are high-minded and John 5. 19. Read Rev. 20. Rev. 13. 15. unruly vain talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped and turned away from although they have subverted whole houses and Nations teaching things that are utterly false for filthy lucres sake and such are lyars evil beasts and slow-bellies and this witness is true wherefore let them be rebuked and their moâ—ths stopped For with the whole World they do lie in wickedness and the number that Satan hath deceived by them is as the sand of the Sea and they have had power to kill the Saints that would not worship the image of the beast and hath caused all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a mark in their right hand or in their fore-heads And none could buy or sell save he that had the mark or the
we are to expect from such men A faithful and short Relation of some few of the Statutes Stat. Aâ—ad Oxon. yet in force and other customs and affairs of the Vniversity of Oxford the Colledges and Governours of them THE form of creating Sophisters is thus A Master Tit. 6. sect 1 par 4. makes a speech in a high desk in the praise of Aristotles * Logick and then after comes See the Judgement of Melanâ—hthoâ— in his Apology for Luther in his 2 Tom. pag 193. What is that to us what Aristotle an unholy man said but this belongs to Christians to learn first how not to sin but now as of old Christs Doctrine is vitiated with humane disputations which is mixed with their Philosophy but he that is born again knoweth that which they called Theology to be prophane 2. Also read Hieron first book contra Pelag. What is Aristotle to Paul or Plato to Peter and in his Epistle 22 ad Estoch p. 62. What communion hath lighâ— with darkness or consent gives Christ to Belial the Psalms with Horas or the Evangelists with Maro or the Apostles with Cicero we must not drink of the Cup of Christ and the cup of Devils and he that learns these things and sayes he is a Christian the Spirit of God the true Judge sayes he lies thou mayest be a Ciceronian but no Christian See Tertullian in his book to preserve from Hersiees Chapt. 7. forewarnes them that all Heresies take their rise from Philosophy out of which ariseth all fables genealogies unfruitful and endless questions and serpentine words that eat as a canker from which saith he the Apostle Paul naming Philosophy that ingenders strife they must needs shun but tells them that they are to preach the Lord in simplicity of their hearts who is to be sâ—ught after in simplicity and not in curiosity by Stoick and Platoniqâ—e Dialects these things being short of Christ and shut out of the Gospel 4 And Libinus laments in his book Tom. 2. pag. 51. The great contempt that was come upon the Greek tongue by reason of the Christians and sayes that he is afraid that all learning not only Rhetorick but also the Gr. tongue should be suppressed by a Law And did not the Christians burn their books of curious Learning and Arts to the value of fifty thousand pieces of silver so mightily grew the Word of God Mark the Word of God grew when the books of Arts were burnt and prevailed see Acts chap. 19. v 19 20. 5. Machiv in Lev. disput de Repub. lib. 2. cap. 5. So far I commend the diligency of the first Christians the Institutors and Moderators in their Religion in that they did extirpate all Ethnicks superstitions with all Poets and Histories all Idols and suppressing all that might bring those doleful superstitions again to their memory 6. And Celsus objected it to Orig. in his third book Adversus Celsum That the Christian Teachers such as propagated the Gospel were Weavers or Combers of wool Fullers and illiterate and exceeding rustick down one or two stairs and gives him that is created the book of Aristotles logick into his hand then a plain hood wch he puts about his neck and without this ceremony none may take his next Degree After Disputations are ended Tit. 6. sect 2 par 6 on Ash-wednesday in every School the Senior of each company of determining Batchelours in the name of the rest standing about him must kneel down on his knees before all the company in every School and give thanks to the Dean him that presented him and all the Senior Batchelors in these words I give thanks to the Chancellor and Proctors of this famous University and to the Master that disputed and the Batchellour that answered by whose means I have undertaken this worke and intend God willing to perfect it this Lent This Ceremony is so farre from being neglected that they rather take a pride to do it every year The Inceptors in Divinity Tit. 7. sect 1. par 2. Physick and Law must at the Act solemnly begge of each of their Professors their fatherly blessing and each Professor must give his fatherly blessing to the Inceptors of each Faculty but the Prefessor of Divinity must bless all of each Faculty Oh unblest flat dark black Popery The formalities of determining Batchellours are A square cap a black stuff hood tipt or edg'd with cats-skin and over that a hood of lambskin But are in the nature of that that will kill a Lamb. The habits of Masters at the Act are a four-corner-cap a large taffata hood of any light colour to cast over their shoulders Goloshoes in stead of slippers by which slippers or goloshoes is signified that they are to stay at home and study longer and that they are not yet fit to go into the Country to preach Doctors of Divinity wear a scarlet gown a black saten hood par 5â— over that a square cap boots But in all these abominations they are out yea quite out from all that is called God and for all their pretended preparations they 'l not stir from their monastry or present quarter except for a great personage or a better quarterly gain pulld up with spurs by which is signified as themselves confesse that they are then fit to go out into the Ministery but rather this Popish Ceremony is deduced from Christs saying Be ye shod with the preparation of the Gospel As that of a Lambs-skin hood to intimate The Prophets and Apostles who wandered about in sheeps skins and goats skins When any man is made a Batchellour of Divinity it is done Tit. 9. sect 3. par 4. sect 4. par 18. with these words I admit you to read any of Saint Pauls Epistles c After the Act there is a dispensation proposed that the Doctors may have leave to put off their boots and the Masters their slippers till which time they may not do it by the Statutes and at other times it may be are drunk and cannot do it When any Master is to take his degree he is bound a day sect 5 par 1. before rain or shine to go bare headed from the Schools to the Vice-chancellor from him to the Senior Proctor from thence to the Junior Proctor however so far distant by reason of their several Colledges with a Beadle and a Master going before him in their formalities and the Master must speak for him to the aforesaid Chancellor and Professors in these words Supplicamus Dominationi vestrae c. That is Wee supplicate or beg your Lordships or at least your Worships to be pleased to be at congregation on the morrow If a Doctor takes his degree he is likewise to go bare headed after his Professor to both the Proctors and the Proctors accompanying him to the Vice-chancellor must speak for him in these words Supplicamus Reverentiis vestris c. That is We Holy and Reverend is the Name of
or Rector when he or they begin dinner and when the Senior Doctor will have him leave off he sayes to the boy Tu autem and the boy must answer Domine miserere nostrum that is Thou Lord have pitty on us This last was practised very lately in the University but whether they are shamed out of it I cannot certainly affirm But at this day in Queens Colledge the Junior Schollers whom they call Tabitors repeat a piece of Aristotles Logick Is this Popery yea or nay and do ye think that there is so much done to the Pope himself and do not these wretches at this day set themselves in Gods room and are worshiped as Gods but indeed they are nought but belly-gods and if these Poperies and whoredoms do not stink and are rotten ripe for destruction let the simple-hearted of the whole Nation judge without book kneeling upon their bare knees to the Fellowes at dinner holding their hands a-cross which signifies in the name of the holy crosse to defend them from all danger Where is the Jesuite and Popery these brawlers talke of is he amongst the Quakers so called or amongst the Colledges and Priests in Oxford In some Colledges after dinner they drink one to another or one table to another bowing and putting off their Hats and doing their honours to each other as they call it and this they call a grace cup or cup of charity and say it was first instituted and is a good custome to maintain charity amongst them This drink is allowed to each meal gratis After Disputations are ended on Ash-wednesday the determining Batchelours make a But the supper of the Lord and the bread which came down from Heaven they know not but except ye eat his flesh and drink his blood ye have no part in him and he that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood shall hunger no more Feast in every Colledge at night which they call Aristotles supper In some Colledges in Oxford as New-Colledge All-Souls Colledge c. the Schollars and Junior fellows must go bare-headed in the Court or Quadrangle and that if no body be there or in fight and though it rain never so much under pain of not being fellow and yet it may be this fellow will bable to others tell them that the Hat is an indifferent thing and may be put off or kept on and is but a civility but himself is so uncivil that he puts it off to stocks and stones and in obedience to a Popish Law At the place called Christs-Church Colledge the Schollars and Batchelours are not suffered to go out at the great Gate or come in that way in Honour and Reverence to the Dean and Canons Lodgings though their Coaches * and Horses Quaery Whether Coaches were not one of the greatest crimes against the late Prelacy and did not the man called Dean Owen mouth and roar against them and it 2. Quaery Is not the man called Dean Owen far more fantastick and ridiculous in his habit then any of the the old Prelates were provided he have on his ranting Band-strings his velvet Gippo with silver or gold Buttons his treble Cuffs his Gloves with gold fringe and imbroidery his Breeches with two or three setts of poynts one above the other insomuch that they make him straddle and throw his legs like a Ranter his great lawn boot-tops I say cloath him with this Harness or with that which some in Oxford calls his thanksgiving sute and set him on a Stage and let his name be obscured let sober men judge whether he be most like a Mountebank a Stage-player or a Priest but to make him more uggly let him bring in his hand his fannatique Pamphlet which he hath lately put forth against the people of God called Quakers in which scornful railing piece he calls them fannatique and being it is in the Roman tongue it may be the Pope hath given him an allowance for it Quaery Whether he did not write his Pamphlet in Latine on purpose to strengthen the Pope and the rest of his fraternity beyond the Seas he being by his name of Dean the onely Elâ—e and Popeling left in this Nation and knowing if any maner of truth take place so as to go thorow with Reformation Deans must down in the particular as well as in the general and although he snort swagger and snuff and would be as big as Cardinal Woolsey his late Predecessor who built the Mass-house of which this man is Dean of I say quaery that in his heart However honest men bring him upon the Stage for his Deanery in the first place and let his fantastique habit serve afterwards for a player if he will not work though at the present he have the Popes allowance and is more then full of scorn and dirision against the innocent but the haâ—d of the Lord is against him and the hurter of Israel shall not want his reward Quaery If that Dean Owen and the rest of the fatlings with and about him be not idle droans Why do not he and they go among the Infidels and there preach the Gospel if that which they preach be Gospel I am sure it is not selfish chargeable nor tyed to a place and saith the Apostle so have I strived to preach the Gospel where Christ hath not been named but this man is so far from stirring out of his Popish den that he hath done what in him lyeth to hinder those that freely receive and freely declare the Word of the Lord and the Gospel of Jesus Christ where he is not known or at least forgotten since and in the dark night of Apostacy when Danes and all the Popish Priests who preach for hire were set up Oh! let their names be cast out as evil-doers even so be it Lord God most Holy Just and True pass through it and it is a common high way through it at this day for the Town and this is alwayes put in execution The Doctors besides the distinction of facing of their Gowns with velvet do constantly every first day and more especially when they preach wear many yards of black silk scarcenet about their necks over their Gowns which besides the great breadth of it reaches down to the very ground on both sides And some of them preach with great treble Cuffs French Band-strings of 6 or 7 s. a pair half Shirts ruffled out velvet Gippoes plain or with silver Buttons great sets of poynts round their knees diamond Rings Gloves with rich gold fringe and embroidery Canonical Coats and much more such trumpery which I believe few that lives in Oxford can be ignorant of As also their wife 's gorgious apparel the whole City takes notice of to be very excessive Concerning their Preaching and paying their first fruits c. WHen any Parsonage falls to the gift of the University it is conferred on him who hath or can get most votes amongst the Masters but if the Parsonage be not good there
which was and hath for a long time been slain is made alive and the mighty God of the oppressed is arisen in great strength so as he will slay all that live in pleasure fulness and wantonness and very many shall the slain of the Lord be and those who refuse to hear the Prophet in all things shall be cut off and terrible will our God be to all the workers of iniquity for assuredly the wicked and all those that forget God shall be turned into Hell And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion and with him â—n hundred forty and four thousand having his Fathers Name written in their fore-heads and they sung as it were a new song before the Throne and before the four beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty four thousand Which were Redeemed from the earth These are they which were not defiled with women for they are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb whethersoever he goeth These were Redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in them there was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God And I saw another Angel flie in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and people saying with a loud voice Fear God and give Glory to Him for the hour of his Judgment is come worship Him that made Heaven and Earth the Sea and the Fountains of waters And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her Fornication And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voice If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his fore-head or in his hand The same shall drink the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shaâ—l be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they shall have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name And I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art Righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast Judged thus For they have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy And I heard another out of the Altar say Even so Lord God Almighty true and Righteous are thy Judgements for they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole World to gather them to the battel of the great day of God Almighty And I saw as it were a Sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his mark and over the number of his names stand on the Sea of glass having the harps of God and they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and give glory to thy Name For thou only art Holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgements are made manifest Even so be it Amen Come Lord Rev. 14. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Rev. 16. 5 6 7. and 14. Rev 15. 2 3. Given forth in the 4th Month 16â—8 By E B. THE END A VVORD To those old Creatures who are old in iniquity and in the fallen state yet deny falling away who say once in Christ and ever in Christ when as it may be they are at the very same time in a very great rage disputing and pleading for sin Term-of-life I Say to such unprofitable talkers who are willing and by their own consent do contract with Hell and Death who stretch themselves forth in big swelling words and think themselves it may be much better because they are crowded into gathered Churches as they call them and it may be of a truth can say something of an antient and past experience moving or appearance of God to and in them whereupon their big word and wide-mouthed-boast is when the poor Souls or rather proud Pharisees are at the very top of their vaunting to wit once in Christ and ever in Christ such I many times am moved ask Whether they are obeying the Command doing the Work Will of Christ at this time now and ever Mark Once in Christ and ever in Christ and I am sure he that for ever abides in Christ must now and ever do the Will and Commands of Christ and they are not grievous nor unholy neither can that man which is impure imperfect or unholy observe obey or do them in the love and belief of them and He now and ever Redeems and saves his people from their sins note that for he which sinneth is of the â—evil Yea though he be but proud and covetous and as full of persecution as too too many professors are which is of the old creature and such are not new creatures nor in Christ Jesus now and ever neither are they purified as he is pure who is the substance the one onely one thing needful who is the beginning and end of all things himself without beginning or end who is not afar of but nigh at hand and a ready helper unto all them who fear him whâ— is the root oâ— â—esse the Promise come the Truth the Oath and admits not of any swearing whatsoever that 's his Command and it is not grievous for his yoke is easie and his burthen is light in and by whom I see light who sayes Swear not at all And he doth not reap where he hath not first sowen For he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World Male and Female Bond and Free Scythian and Barbarian and a measure of himself is given to every man continually to profit with all note to every man He was not so selfish as many of ye are who are in this and that and the other form I do not say all who do seclude alâ— that are not with ye in your set dayes bread wine and Baby Baptism out of the Everlasting Kingdom which was before your fables were But he that is in Christ iâ— a new creature Mark he is he doth not say he was or he shall be and so warm himself by his own coals by onely saying the Righâ—eousness of Chriâ—t the Righteousness of Christ is sufficient But I say he which confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Mark that
no Saints that are not cleansed purged washed and sanctified throughout ye are cleansed ye are washed ye are sanctified throughout and as he is so are we in this present World and he that fails to witness this condition on this side the grave though he may be covinced of the very truth it self he may be called but never chosen Friends it is a high state yea the very highest on this side the grave I do not say its impossible not to faile and alone to live move and do all to and for the praise and glory of God and to live and abide in the infallible and not to fail but as the Lords witnesse I declare it He who lives and dies in his sins imperfections and failings doth fail and falls short of that Kingdom where the imperfect or impure cannot enter for its the pure in heart that sees God but the wicked he beholds a far off and the sinner cannot stand before the righteous God in judgement wherefore as many as be perfectly minded work out your salvation with fear and trembling for the night cometh wherein no man can work And there is another sort of idle people who say Christ hath taken away the guilt of sin but not the presents of sin Oh! seared conscience that hath no guilt for sin I do not say he hath taken the Devil out of Hell or Jâ—das from his own place neither do I say or think the Devil doth at this day cease to seek whom he may devour Nay I know he is the Prince of the power of the air and the Kingdom of darkness is his Sodom is his throne and Egypt and the dwellers there are altogether within his Dominion Mystery-Babylon her Merchants are his own all the children of disobedience to all who live in the mistery of iniquity he is a Law-maker also I say he is a roaring Lion and continually seeketh whom he may devour and the most upright that is or ever was upon the earth he may tempt yea Christ himself as the words of the Divel recorded in Scripture do testifie but it s no sin to be tempted but the sin is to yeeld to and do the will of the temptor and commit the sin but blessed are they who stand in the power and fear of the Lord and endure the temptation Adam was never accursed until he had yeelded taken and eaten so its sin acted and the purpose of your corrupt hearts to sin if not grose yet little sins and at least to have your failings tearm of life and that 's it which hinders the union keeps ye in the unbelief and separates betwixt ye and your maker and the wages of sâ—n is death and such as ye sow such shall ye reap and if with the hands which are defiled and not in the pure hope which is perfect ye plow and sow corruption What can ye expect to reap or be in the harvest or day of the Lord when he makes up his jewels but tares corruption or reprobate silver and of failings and imperfection ye can reap no other thing for according to your faith so will it be unto ye and failings will fail to be saved or enter into the rest of him that is unfallible and without fail saves all those that come unto him by faith and a good conscience void of offence towards God and man mark a good conscience towards God and void of offence towards man not striking spilling of blood or reaping caâ—nals where they have sowâ— neither spiritual nor carnal And although imperfection is the practice and general preached and received doctrine of the Church of England so called I utterly deny it neither do I trust to be saved as they believe but I believe they will take it ill if I should say they who believe thâ—y may live and die in some failings should not go to Heaven or if I should say that is the Hypocrites hope and will fail But I do say if they say its the true hope or living faith which is of God in by which the Just lives or if that he which lives and intends to die in some failings sayes the Lord lives with Jeremiah I say he or they swear falsly But if we continue faithful or full of faith in our measures to the end we shall be saved without fail for he that is in us is greater then he that is in the World and he that abides in him is pure without failings and the wicked one cannot touch him though he may attempt it hourly for a stronger then he keeps the house and he cannot enter but by our consents otherwise the whole creation of mankind would be the Divels for he is the enemy of mankind and his nature is to devour but the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World and the lighâ— with which every man is enlightened comprehends the darknesse but the Divel and darknesse cannot comprehend the light for he that is in us is far greater then he and is quick and powerful and divides betwixt the pretious thoughts and the vile before they come to actions I say if the watch be kept and the light believed in which is in ye infallibly is the lâ—fe of men and shewes man all his sins and failings I say it will discern the thoughts and dash the brains of Babylons children against the wall Yea that brain which invents and deviseth evil and break the cockatrice egg before it is an egg and mischief shall not be hatched or prodâ—cted and the same is the sure word of prophesie which if ye take heed unto ye may infallibly do well though it be as a light shining in a dark place tell the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts for which wait that ye may be delivered from all your sins and failings and become the Sons of God For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin 1 Pet. 4. 1. Therefore let the time pâ—st be si ficient for the end of all things is at hand and to be carnally minded is death And if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his and if Christ be in ye the bodâ—â—s dead because of sin By a Friend to perfection and a believer in that unfallible Jesus who saves his pâ—ople from their sins failings and imperfections but a professed enemy to that Hellish doctrine of imperfection E. B. THE END A VVORD To such Rulers and Magistrates who Whip cause or suffer to be whipped the Saints of the most High for Vagabonds among whom there are no Beggers and sends them to Prison for not Swearing and not taking an Oath to abjure that which themselves may be found in and requires Bonds of the upright in heart for the good behaviour a thing which themselves are not truly in for that is no good
off But we as the holy men did gladly suffer all wrongs and our selves to be defrauded freely giving up our outward man and substance without resisting to death to the merciless persecutor but the mercenâ—ry hireling who is the only cause of our persecution is so far from being found in these the holy men and Ministers of Christs practices that they wrong all men and all men are defrauded by them most cruelly exacting where they never lent pulling where they never planted cloathing with the fleece they never wrought for feeding with the fat and sweet they never sweat for in short by force they exact and reap all manner of carnals where they have not sown spirituals nor carnals And them who are called teachers have and do exceedingly Erre and greater injustice and crueller rapeness were never commited by men then there hath been by this Legion of evil doers but for their labours if they repent not they shall be called the least in the Kingdom * Isaiah said they were all blind and ignorant and dumb dogs that never had enough and Jeyemiah said that the Prophets prophesied falsly and the Priests did bear rule by their means and Ezekiel said they fed themselves and not the flock Micha said they Preached for hire and Divined for money and Hosea said they were as a Troop of robbers that did waite for a man so the company of Priests did murther in the way by consent Reader I pray thee read Isai 56. 10. 11. Jer. 5. Ezek. 34. Mich. 2. 11. Hosea 6. 9. and compare the English Priest and see if there be any more difference then there is betwixt a Monk and a Monk and a Pope and a Pope And the Rulers that suffer these things are become blind and in a deep sleep yea a very deep sleep even the sleep of death but let all such know that their Rewarder slumbereth not neither can his vengeance tarry long and the despised light within if they repent not shall be their sure condemation for the righteous Spirit of the holy One is grieved and it shall not alwayes strive and wo be to them who set him at nought and persecute whips terrifies or suffers them to be persecuted whiped or terrified who speak in his Name thrusting causing or suffering to be thrust into dungeons Bridewells and bad places amongst bad people there to be kept in bonds under the hands of cruel men till death for the testimony of Jesus Oh! bloody and great yea very great cruelty was ever the like done by any who did but so much as profess liberty of conscience But let all such know from the highest to the lowest yea to him that sits upon the Throne to him that grinds at the Mill they do resist the mighty Prophet whom the Lord our God hath raised up and he is come and they shall be cut off and mine eye sees it and then the condition of poor Lazarus who is hardly thought worthy to live will far transcend Dives and all his fellow Gluttons and these that are at ease in the flâ—sh and are not troubled like other men and lie roleing upon their bâ—ds of pleasure spending that which was their day in madness mirth and folly and making merry over the humble witness oâ— God saying to themselves tush no eye sees us but let all such know they are seen and he that beholds them is not afar off and a day cometh shortly if not suddenly when the very highest among them shall be disrobed and utterly made bare and the greatest that is born among women shall not hide himself from the vengeance of my God who is the avenger and revenger of the righteous and vengeance is mine saith the Lord and I will repay it * Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile ye and persecute yee and shall say all manner of evil against ye falsly rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven And the Devil shall cast some of ye into prison and ye shall have tribulation for ten dayes How long Lord how long holy just and true By an owner of the sword in its place true Majestracy true Ministry Justice and sound Judgement Oh! let it flow down like a mighty torrent but an enemy to Tyranny Truce-breakers Rapines Swearers Lyers and false prophets who preach for hire and Divine for money E. B. THE END A few VVORDS To that bad Generation of people who in their reprobate minds blaspheme and belye the dreadful and Just God In saying That he hath made and created some men to be damned or that a set number are ordained from all Eternity to be saved and a set number to be damned BUT let all such know that the lyar is for the lake for the Just God who is equal in all his wayes hath not made any man to be damned nor created any to that intent and the destruction of every man is of himself for God made man after his own image and likeness and those that are godly are like God but man hath sought out many inventions and the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked and that continually but God is now and alwayes upright in all his waâ—es and his Name is Love and his Nature is Love and he is a God of Love and all the works of his hands are good and he loves them and he is a loving Father and he who sayes the Father decrees a Soul to Hell from all Eternity before the creature hath transgressed or that he was created to do wickedly he accuses the Just God falsly but the same Soul that sins as Adam did shall dye for transgression brings death and then and not till then he becomes a vessel of dishonour But he was not intended so by the Holy God in his Creation ‖ And if from all Eternity a certain and set number be created predestinated and fore-ordained to be saved and damned for what doth the Hireling preach and for what hath he his hire I am sure the decrees of God are yea Amen and unalterable Mark that Judicious Reader and do not be so ignorant as to give thy money to that Priest who holds or preaches that doctrine for under one of the two decrees thou already art And I do believe there is hardly a Hireling in England that will deny it as his belief but that there is and was from all Eternity a certain and a set number predestinated to be damned and saved Oh! how hath and doth this deceiver stand and is upholden and maintained in idleness to make Merchandizes of pretious
beginning before the Scriptures began and Heaven and Earth may passe away with which the Scriptures must passe but the Word lives and abides for ever the Letter killeth but the Word gives Life and is quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged-sword and divides assunder betwixt the joynts and marrow and he that hath the word hath life and Simon Magus could not buy the Word for money but â— man may buy learn and have the Scriptures and be a Judas and quote them as the Devil did to Christ and yet be a devil and the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and His Name is the word of God and his vesture is dipped in blood and the Word is the Light the Hope the Way the Gospel the Door the Vine the Shepherd the fairest of Millions the Original the Kinâ— and Kingdom the way to the Kingdom and this Way this Word this Door this Hope this King and Kingdom this Christ this Original is above aâ— and all in all and in ye all except ye be reprobates for the Kingdom of Heaven is within ye and that which may be known of God is manifest in ye and these manifestations within doth the Scrâ—ptures of truth truly declare oâ— the same is the Original and not the Lat. Gr. and Heb. neither is it so much as a help to know the true and Living God for a man may have the tongues of men and Angels and yet be without God in the World and Pâ—â—ate may understand the Latin Greek and Hebrew full well and set it over the Originals head and go to hell with his understanding and those that have the tongues may be mad and at this day do wrest the Scriptures to their own destructions for want of learning as Peter said they did of old calling the book-learnt men an unlearned generation and himself had no letters and it is like Christ spake to none of the meanest letter-men when he said they had at no time seen the shape of God nor heard his voice and I am suâ—â—â—â— was because they were not good Schollars nâ—r willing to learn for I am the Lords witness that he is found of all that truly learn to seek him and learnt of all those that fear him for his very secrets are with them that fear him and to know and believe in him and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is absolute life eternal and he that believes not is condemned already and to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts for it is the same voice within that calls to ye for equity and truth in your inner parts as did to them of old it is not another then what the Scriptures truly declareth of and let him that preaches or brings a Gospel contrary to that which they delare of be an athema maranatha so it is not sufficient to have the Latin Greek and Hebrew and be accounted Orthodox and an able Diviner when the womb is barren and the eye not kept in the head and that which brought the wo-to-man or the wo-man prevail which is not permitted to speak in the Church but is to be silent and ask the husband at home whether they be married or unmarried according to the flesh and happy and onely happy are they who are espoused to the Lamb and can witnesse the eternal mariage the unseparable tye which neither heights nor breadths nor depths nor lengths nor tribulation persecution principalities or powers whatsoever can separate And he that hath the word of God abiding in him which was in the beginning before the Scriptures Prophets holy men and Apostles were by whom the World was made before it was made He deserneth all things judgeth all things Mark all things Orthodox and non Orthodox Pilate and his Original and himself is judged of no man And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men and that is the true light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World And this is the condemnation that light is come into the World and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil for every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds might be manifest that they are wrought in God John 3. And this is my testimony for the Original the Lord Jesus and is according to the word that Original which was in the beginning before the Scriptures began to and against all Babilonians from whence came and is derived all confusion and diversity of tongues but in the beginning it was not so for God was the Word and the Word is God E. B. THE END A VVORD To those who are called Dukes Marquesses Earles Viscounts Lords Barons Bannerets Baronets Knights of all sorts Esquires Gentlemen and to the women who are called these mens Ladies upon which rabble of appellations depends and hangs most of the bad people of this Nation And who is the deboicher and vitiator of women-kind I leave it to that of God in the Conscience of these who are called Lords and Ladies Gentlemen and Gentlewomen to judge AH Poor men and women repent repent repent for the Lords righteous Judgement is nigh even at the door to be poured forth against many of you who even hate to be reformed but like evil men and deceivers wax worse and worse being as it were rivetted to all manner of sin grown old in iniquity And although you are called Lords Ladies Gentlemen and Women yet for the most part ye are ungentle untame without the yoke your tongues at liberty to blaspheme the Name of the dreadful pure and living God and Ishmael-like scoff and speak evil of dignities and things ye know not cursers swearers fighters and killers one of another fierce despisers of them that are good many of you are and yet calls yourselves Gentlemen c. When as patience and long suffering is the thing ye truly know not and soberness with many of ye makes no long tarrying and with your lusts ye are led captive at the Devils will and amongst many yea very many of ye oppression is your constant in-mate envy cruelty lust exaltation and pride the very beloved of your bosoms and in your own particulars ye hurt the innocent ye grieve that which would be righteous ye slay and make merry over the witness swallowing down the cups of pleasure and iniquity as the Ox drinketh water ye oppress the seed ye put the Lord of Life to open shame ye crucifie him afresh and that continually In spiritual â—â—â—ne and Egypt all the day long ye are content to dwell and in the night season lye down in your beastialities and in the morning ye rise up early to drink wine take pleasure and commit sin with greediness boiling in your own lusts overwhelmed in gluttony wholly swallowed up in all manner of worldly delight being dead