of the Law or that ye are Infidels or Heathens no longer profes your selves christians for shame or take the name of Christ into your mouthes for a cloak of malitiousness but as flatly deny him to be come in the flesh with your mouth tongues as ye do with your works Tit. 1.16 And that such or anylother of his commands are of no effect or force to you so deny him to be Lord who is the Head over all to his Church to whom every tongue shall confess to the glory of God the Father For if ye do still profess him or his Name in words and that ye are his servants and call your selves christians or the like and yet not obey his commands nor do the things which he hath said nor abide in his doctrine but persecute them that do we must and shall judge you in righteous judgement to be abominable hypocrites and rebellious and disobedient both to the Father and the Son for God hath said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him and the Son said Swear not at all and John said Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God And this is Christs doctrine before mentioned which he taught In which who so abideth hath both the Father and the Son Therefore take heed to your selves what ye do or what ye intend to do against such for the Lord God of Heaven is pleading their cause and will plead with you all who break his commands and teach men so or compel men so to do for ye are all out of the doctrine of Christ in the transgression though ye can talk of him and profess him with your mouth and lips and hath not God but are without God in the world which lies in wickedness where ye are contending and pleading for swearing and oathes in the old time which ends not your strife which the one oath the new living way ends who saith Swear not all Mat. 5. So ye being without God in the world breaking his commands ye are not under Christs government and so being out of his government ye are without his protection for he praies not for the world but for them whom he hath chosen out of it for the whole world lies in wickedness So ye being in the wickedness in the Transgression out of Christs protection who hath all power in Heaven and earth ye are in darkness and under the shadow of death and in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity captivated in the snares and chains of the Old fool at his pleasure whom ye obey and so ye are in such apremunire body soul and spirit that ye will never more get out except ye repent with speed and turn your minds to the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences and obey his commands and abide in his doctrine who saith Swear not at all And this is the word of the Lord God of Heaven unto all you Rulers Priests and people whatsoever who swear and plead for swearing and oathes and persecute the harmeless about it ye are none of Christs sheep servants friends or children but of the linage of Cain and the old hipocrites in their way to whom the woe belongs who denied Christ and chused a murtherer and so ye are no christians But Christ Jesus is come and is setting up his government Kingdome and dominion over all your kingdomes and establishing his Throne upon top of all your Thrones whose Secpter is a Scepter of righteousness which must rule over all unrighteous Secpters And to his name which is above every name shall all your knees bow If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour and thy self ye do well c. For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point be is guilty of all Iam. 2.8 c. A few words more to the Rulars Priests Teachers and People of what sort soever in this Nation of England from the highest to the lowest who have any hand in persecuting the Innocent c. HEar and understand all ye Rulers Priests and Teachers of England with all your Officers and servants or whomsoever else Superior or Inferior from the Iudge to the Goaler or from the highest to the lowest who have any hand or are in any measure pertakers against the innocent people and servants of the Lord Iesus Christ who cannot break his commands by swearing This we would give you to understand that as for us who fear and obey the Lord your Prisons and cruel unjust dealings and your long furrowes ye plough upon our backs therein is very little to us except to the more raising and strengthning of that life in us which will never bow to your wills or any will of man by transgressing the commands of Christ Iesus for our eyes are not at what ye can or will or have power permitted you to do or at the length of time in which we suffer bonds under your ambitious wills or at any other temporal thing whatsoever but to the Lord our God alone who is pleading and will plead our innocent cause for us in all your consciences Ye if ye should shut us up in Dungeons never so close from you out of your sight or hearing yet Gods witness as a drawn sword in your bowels which seeth in secret shall pierce through your heart and life and smite you in your very vital parts for all your wickedness against him his way of truth and harmeless people and set in order before you all you ungodly deeds and blasphemous hard speeches which ye have committed and spoken for the eye of the pure God beholds and his ear of jealousy hears you in your most secret chambers from whose presence ye cannot alwaies fly nor hide your counsels though you should dig as deep as Hell or fly to the uttermost parts of the earth And though you should keep us till death in your prisons we cannot break the commands of our Lord and Saviour which hath saved us and will yet save and deliver us But as for you who profess your selves christians consider these things Whether he whom you professe in words will not call you to an account for breaking his commands and for casting his servants and children into prisons and keep them there for no other cause but for keeping the commands abideing in the doctrine of Christ whom your selves profess in words and shew as the Phraisees did Moses and the Prophets but opposed their life Crucified Christ Iesus the end and substance of Moses and the Prophets words Ye hypocrites what covering or excuse can ye have to hide or shelter your selves under in the day of the Lord which hastens upon you It s not your Acts and decrees made in the will of man that shall stand you in steed or save you when the sentence is given against you Go ye workers of Iniquity into everlasting torment Nay they shall not be able to save themselves from the just judgement of our God but shall receive a just recompence for all their doings And as for us we choose rather to die then transgress against the Lord Iesus Christ or wrong our conscience in any measure by bowing to the corrupt wills of proud ambitious men who are alienated from God and would alienate us from him also Did we obey your requirings or impositions in these unjust unrighteous things but we desire to live alway in obedience and humility before him though our outward man perish through your unjust and cruel dealings our souls you cannot touch to defile them neither can ye break our peace with our God by all ye can do For we know the uttmost of your power and Ability the last enemy is death and through the tender meacies of our God we do enjoy that life and peace in which we dayly triumph over death and Hell and the gates of it Praises and thanks to his holy Name for ever and ever being founded on the unmoveable Rock of our salvation Christ Jesus in whose will life and strength we are resolved in patience for his truth and Namesake to undergoe the greatest punishments afflictions or death that you from the highest to the lowest can or shall be able or suffered to inflict upon us So we have fully weighed and considered the cost to the utmost Mite But as for you this I tell you all from the highest to the lowest who have the least hand in our sufferings either in perticular or in general who in scorn are called Quakers you are splitting and dashing breaking and scattering confounding and destroying your own selves in these things and if no other hand be lifted up against you by this shall ye fall And this is Gods word of truth unto you which shall stand and be fulfilled So his blessed will be done and in it we are well satisfied knowing and beleiving that the Lord whom we serve and obey knoweth how to deliver them that trust only in him and to reserve the ungodly to the day of judgement to be punished From my Prison at Harford the 10th month 1663. where I remain a close prisoner because I cannot swear and break the command of Christ Jesus Thus saith the Lord I will make Jerusalem a burthensom stone to all people and they that burthen themselves with her shall be dashed in pieces The END Printed for W. M.
A VINDICATION Of the Commands and Doctrine of Christ Jesus And of his People in their faithful Obedience to him against all Swearers and swearing whatsoever according to the Scriptures of TRVTH With a few words unto all such Rulars Teachers and People of what degree or sort soever that have a hand in Afflicting Persecuting and casting such into Prisons who for Conscience-sake dare not break the Commands of Christ nor go out of his DOCTRINE And it is one Visitation and Warning more from the Lord unto them before he sweep the Land of Evil Doers with the Beasome of their final destruction And this is in love to their Souls by a Lover of Righteousness and Truth and a witness against all Unrighteousness Injustice and Oppression W. B. For the Land is full of Adulterers for because of swearing the land mourneth c. For both Prophet and Priest are prophane Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery waies in darkness They shall be driven on and fall therein for I will bring evil upon them even the year of their visitation saith the Lord Ier. 23.10.11.12 NOw seeing the great controversie at this day between the false Christians and the true namely the persecuting Powers of this Generation and the Royal Seed and people of God called Quakers is about Swearing and Oathes and the like matters appertaining to Religion and Worship of God which are matters of Conscience the answer of which before God in the day of death is a mans eternal condemnation or Justification and salvation It therefore lies upon me at this time to vindicate the only right and propriety of Christ Jesus in the Consciences of his people and also of his people in their faithfulness and obedience unto him who is the head of his Church and whose right alone it is to reign against that doctrine and soul destroying principle of imposing Oathes or any other thing whatsoever which concerns the exercise of the soul and conscience which is immortal towards God or any part of his worship c. 1. It is written in the second Epistle of Iohn at the nine ten and eleven verses on this wise viz. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son and if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is pertaker of his evil deeds 2. Now if any to whom this may come should be ignorant of what this meaneth or what this doctrine of Christ is or what the word doctrine do signifie let them take notice of what followeth As for the word doctrine it signifies teaching or that which is taught so that the doctrine of Christ is that which he taught or doth teach and it may be truly read thus Whosoever abideth not in the teaching of Christ or in what he taught or teacheth hath not God c. now mark such an one that abideth not in that which Christ taught hath not God but he that doth abide in what Christ hath taught and teacheth hath both the Father and the Son 3. Now the controversie being very great at this day between two sorts of people in this Nation of England about religious matters for which the one do persecute abuse imprison rob spoile greatly oppress afflict the other namely for conscience sake for abiding in the doctrine obeying the commands of Christ Let us therefore mark and try the difference of these people according to the Scriptures of truth which those persecutors themselves profess is their rule so by their own rule let them be tryed 4. Now the people who are thus persecuted and abused c. are such as abide in the doctrine of Christ in that which he taught and teacheth for which they are persecuted and hath both the Father and the Son 2 Iohn 9. And their persecutors and oppessors are such as break the commands and abide not in the doctrine of Christ and so hath not God as will be proved and made manifest neither are they to be bid God speed for such as bid them God speed or side with them are pertakers of their evil deeds so they that hath not God but are without God are the persecuters and afflicters of them that hath both the Father and the Son let all people take notice of this and now is the Scripture fulfilled These things will they do unto you for my names sake because they know not him that sent me John 15.21 c. 5. Now what the doctrine of Christ is or what he hath taught or doth teach his Friends and Disciples to do and to leave undone may be mentioned in many perticulars but at present I may omit but what is in my aim as to the thing in hand which is about Swearing and Oathes 6. And now that Christ Jesus did forbid his Disciples to swear and that it was his doctrine which he taught them not to swear at all may be easily proved yea though they were such oathes and swearing as were lawful and commanded in Old time and to be performed to the Lord as may be read in the record of Matth. 5 Ch. 33 34. c. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them in Old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oathes But I say unto you swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his Footstool neither by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil And said Iames a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to his Brethren who wrote to the Twelve Tribes scattered abroad Above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation Ch. 5. 12. v. bringing with him the very same doctrine which Christ taught them in which whosoever abideth not hath not God let him profess what he will for saith Iohn in his first Epistle We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error clearly manifesting that such as bring not the same doctrine with them are in the spirit of error and that abide not therein are not of God but of the world 1 Iohn 4.5 6. And the whole world lyeth in wickedness Ch. 5.19 So he that saith I know him or profess him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and out of the truth and so a deceiver and an Antichrist dedying both the
David or Solomon c. hath not God But whosoever abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God and he that doth abide in it hath both the Father and the Son for he that obeyeth the Son obeyeth the Father also for the Father hath committed all things unto the son whom he hath given for a Leader and Commander to the people and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth and there is no other name given under heaven whereby men shall be saved Neither of Men or Angels for he was before Abraham was and is greater then Solomon and Davids Lord and higher then the Angels who commands Not to swear at all Mat. 5. 14. Object Now if any should yet Object and say Did not God himself swear by himself Heb. 6.13 And the Apostle Paul say An Oath for confirmation among men was the end of strife c. Do not this allow of swearing and make room for oathes now among men in these dayes c. 15. Answ That which God did in daies past concerning swearing mentioned Heb. chap. 6. It was to confirme his promise made to Abraham and to his Seed and they that are Christs are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise and such are Christs that abide in his doctrine and do his commands they only are his friends and by way of similitude did the Apostle Paul there speak of it not by command or doctrine he that reads let him understand That men by an oath did end the controversie or strife among them and confirme the thing about which they swore who did swear by the Greater as I have before mentioned by them in the old time Num. 30.2 Deu. 6.13 c. So that the Apostle said Because God could not find a Greater he did swear by himself to Abraham saying surely in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee c. This was a promise made to Abraham with an oath putting him out of all doubt that he would fulfil it and so he staggered not at it but patiently waited till it came to pass Hebrews 6.15 So that this is onely a Parable shewing that if among men an oath did confirme a thing and end the strife and that men did perform their oathes who did swear by the Greater which was once commanded by Him how much more would the Lord be faithful to perform His oath which he sware by Himself who is the Greatest to Abraham and to his seed seeing he cannot lye nor is he a man that he should repent but is the Righteous Judge of all the earth that doth right Gen. 18.25 17. So that this is neither precept example or command for the Christians the Disciples of Christ now in these last daies for swearing and oathes but a repetition of what was done in times past the old time to the Fathers as he speaks Heb. 1.1 Which was in divers manners and at sundry times but now he hath spoken unto us in his Son and Heir who is before Abraham and the end of the old time the Law and the Prophets who saith Swear not at all 18. Object But did not God swear by himself and will not Repent ch 7.21 But this seems as if God did repent seeing now by his son to whom he hath given all power in heaven and earth he commands not to swear at all in these last daies is not this repenting of what was done formerly in the old time c. Ans No It cannot be said truly here he did Repent seeing he hath willingly and faithfully performed and fulfilled that which he had then sworn and promised as in the Record of Luke 1.72.73 where it is mentioned not for a precept of swearing but in thanksgiving and praises to the Lord that he had performed the oath which he had sworn to Abraham by giving them light who sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and the knowledge of salvation by the remission of their sins c. But where he spake of swearing and will not repent it was conserning the disanulling of all those Priests which were made by a carnal commandement and of establishing Christ Jesus His Son with an oath to be a Priest for evermore after the order of Melchisedeck an unchangeable unalterable order and not after the order of Aaron which Priesthood was changed and so there was of necessity a change also of the Law by which swearing and oathes was commanded and tollerated for such an High-Priest saith the Scripture became us who is holy harmeless undesiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the Heavens c. For the Law maketh men High-Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore mark the word of the oath which was since the Law which God sware and will not repent maketh the Son an High-Priest for evermore at whose mouth the Law must now be sought as it was of the Priests in the Old time whose lips were to preserve the peoples knowledge Mal. 2.7 But now in the Son Christ dwelleth all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge by whom God speakes in these last daies saying This is my beloved son hear ye him c. 21. So that you who contend and plead for swearing and oathes and persecute about it are yet in the old time and under the Law and the old disanulled changeable Priesthood and fell into condemnation Iames 5.12 and not under grace no Disciples of Christ Jesus the everlasting unchangeable High-priest who saith Swear not at all And so no christians 22. And so now ye have no covering but what is too narrow for your swearing and oathes nor no shadow of death or dark place to hide yourselves under from the light of the Son who is now risen and coming up to the noon day whom God hath highly exalted and given him a Name above every Name that at his Name every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in the earth and things under the earth c. Phil. 2.9.10 23. And so if every knee must bow to him then must Abraham David and Solomon Ioseph Isaac and Iacob and all the Angels bow their knees understand what name and what knees of things in Heaven and Earth c. and all who did swear in the Old time to him who now saith Swear not at all Mat. 5. which is since the law 24. And if ye shall yet again say or do beleive that it was only prophane swearing and oathes that Christ there forbad his Disciples even such as drunkards and quarrellers use in their common talke or such as the Pharisees used as aforesaid and not lawful or religious oathes 25. To this I answer If such prophane oathes and swearing and such superstitious and Idolatrous swearing as the Pharisees and Hipocrites then used Mat. 23. were ever commanded of God and to be performed to him in the Old time then it