people and by them being deceived in some particular things naming onely three things the first whereof is That godliness being a Mystery that it did consist of something within and not of something without and that the Saints were to expect life and salvation from a Christ within and not from a Christ without I answer Godliness is a mystery the Image of God which is Godliness is a mystery hidden from the eye of I. Turner and from all vulterous eyes and this mystery is within in life and power consisting of the new man Christ Jesus who is the Image of God made manifest within the Saints in whose Image man is like God godly and this mystery is not in outward things in word or declaration or outward practice though where this mystery is made manifest godly practises will flow from it to without but yet the power life and mystery of godliness is within and cannot be seen with the carnal eye not comprehended with the carnal mind And here I charge I. Turner in the presence of God that she knowes not the mystery of Godliness who blasphemously calls this a corrupt Principle and here it is made manifest that she is in Babylon yet and is deceived and bewitched by the Devill I bear witness to the truth and to this particular and against her who denyes it And the Saints have Life and Salvation from Christ made manifest within which is the same Christ which suffered without and this I affirm that till Christ be revealed within there is no Salvation nor Life partaked of The Scripture saith they were Reprobates in whom Christ was not And the Apostle said Christ in you the hope of glory and Christ lived in him which was his â—ife and Salvation Where Christ is not made manifest within the Serpent is Head and the Devil is King in the heart and this I witness and do declare it as in the presence of God that till Christ was made manifest within me I was not saved nor had no life as to God though I was high in Profession and Knowledge outwardly And here again I. Turner hath shewed forth her blindness and sottishness to all and may stop her mouth for shame and confess that she is a bondslave in Babylon who calls this a corrupt Principle which is the Way Power and Life of Religion and Salvation which is Christ Jesus within made manifest in the Saints which takes away Sin and destroys the Works of the Devil and she and all others who walks and lives in the flesh following the lusts and desires of it living to their own wills in the broad-way and talks of Salvation by any thing without will be deceived for nothing will present to God but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ revealed which takes away sin and sets free from it And now for the second Principle That Saints were not to do duties by or from a commmand without but from a command within and that the Word command in Scripture was not a command to them till they had a Word within them I answer That is no command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the command which was to another not having the command to themselves I challenge to find an example for it they obeyed every one their own command one was sent to Baptism and to Preach the Gospel another was sent not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel And thou I. Turner or any other who goes to duty as you call it by imitation from the Letter without which was commands to others in your own wills and time your sacrifice is not accepted but is abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own wills and strength which God hates and which his wrath is upon And I charge her here as in the presence of the Lord that she knows not what a command from God in Spirit is but is ignorant and not a daughter of Sion and let her mouth be stopped and let shame strike her in the Face who professes her self to know the Lord and let all be ashamed of her who professes themselves members joyned with her in Church she hath made manifest the ignorance of them all Now for the third particular That as to the time of doing duties they were to wait for the moving of the spirit to carry them forth to it and this they called Wayting for a power and till they had such a power they were to do nothing but sit still and wait and this not onely in private duties but in Church also not owning any Ministery by way of gifts of Office but to come together and there sit still and wait till they had a power and then to speak whether man or woman I answer who dare call this a Principle of deceit none but who are led by deceit and such is I. Turner who puts light for darkeness and darkeness for light all duties as she calls them whatsoever if the moving of the Spirit do not carry forth to act them then the movings of the corrupt will and vain mind carries forth and who act from such Principles are accursed from God And I. Turner and all who denies to wait for the movings of the power of the Spirit to carry forth but goes before the moving of it all their Prayers Preachings Ordinances and Churches I do deny and declare against by the Eternal Spirit of God that they are odious and abomination in the eye of the Lord and is no duty which he accepts whether they be done in private or in the Church And that Ministery which is not carried forth by the moving of the Spirit of God but of man and in the will of man which Ministry is hated of God and she which denies waiting upon God till power be given in from God to act and speak for God hath denied the way of God and the practice of the Saints in former Generations and wo is unto her who makes the simple believe this to be deceit Whereas she saith in these particulars which carried such a face or shew of spirituality she was corruped but did never fully own them in judgement nor practice I answer O blind deceived spirit which calls these but a shew or face of spirituality she calls the substance a shew and the shew or likeness a substance And wo unto her which calls good evil and evil good these particulars by the eternal spirit I own and walk in but that spirit of deceit and Antichrist in her hath denied them and calls them deceiveable and saith by them she was corrupted let her be ashamed and all of her Faction it was the Principle which led her from these things by which she was corrupted and which hindered her to own them and practice them and which now makes her declare against them which Principle is the spirit of the false Prophet which now rules
spirits the same and your works the same in nature though not in measure and in particular this work of yours to imprison people and whip them and put them in the Stocks and beat them and abuse their Persons and Bodies who do but speak against you and your Religion is not this work of the very same nature as the work of the Romish Church she to defend her Church hath Inquisitions and Banishment and many cruel Tortures and with these things her Church she defends killing and afflicting of Peoples Bodies that do oppose her Church and deny their Religion and you have Stocks and Whips and Houses of Correction and putting great Fines and Taskes upon People and Banishing People out of Townes and spoiling their Goods and casting men into Prison who do oppose your Church and deny your Religion and is not this equal and justly according in Nature to the Persecution that is in the Romish Church and what difference between the defence of the Church of Rome and your Church of Protestants they have their Inquisitions and you have your Houses of Correction they have their Slavery in the Gallies and you have Whips and Stocks they have their divers Torments and cruel Dealings towards Persons that oppose them and upon their Bodies in one manner and you have your Torments and cruel Dealing towards us in another manner though not in the same measure yet in the same nature and what difference between you and them And herein doth the Hypocrisie of the Protestant Church and their Ministers appear in that they cry against and deny the Church of Rome and their Persecution and Cruelty acted against others and yet in nature and manner do Practice the very same upon us as in England this day is witnessed And not onely in this particular may the Church and Ministers of the Protestants be condemned for Hypocrisie but also in many other things even the most of their Practices in their Worship is of the same nature and by the same spirit which the Practices of the Church of Rome is practised by and in and not onely so but it may be truely proved and made manifest that the original and institution of many of your Church-Practices proceeded from the Church of Rome and the Church and Pope of Rome did ordain and institute many of your Practices and a great part of your worship which is performed in the Church and by the Ministry of the Protestants so called and this in its time and season I may make fully appear and discover to the Nations and I may shew in the particulars what particulars of the worship and practice in the Protestants Church had their first rice and beginning and original in the Church of Rome though they are minced and degressed with diminishings and addings according as their imaginations have guided them yet still they retain the strongest taste and Savour of the Church of Rome and had their rice and original there though in the performing thereof they may be altered and changed in appearance and from but are perfectly the same in Ground and Nature as springing from the Church of Rome and she the Mother of the Protestant Church and of the Practices of the most of her performances in worship and this may be proved as God willing upon oecasion as the Lord moves I may let sorth my mind and what I know in these things and may shew though that the Church of the Protestants have disserted the Church of Rome yet their Ministry its Call and Ordination and its Practice and Maintenance hath a dependancy upon the Church of Rome as being the Original of that which is by them therein practised though in some things deviated from the perfect Form and Practice thereof and also the whole Worship of all the Particulars in relation to the Protestant Church and Ministry and Worship hath a dependance upon the Church of Rome as being the first Original thereof and though they cry against her and her Ministers and have denied her yet is she the Mother and Womb in which was bred and out of whom proceeded the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship and Practices and this may be manifest at full that the Protestant Church Ministry and Worship chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the Church and Worship of Rome and had their original out of her And also further may be shewed that the Protestant Church and Worships and Ministry are not another in nature and being then the Romish Church Ministry Worship but is sprung out thereof as a Branch out of the same Root the Ground being one and the same though differing in appearance for in her beginning and first dissenting from the Romish Church she did not deny her in ground and being as not being at all the Church of Christ but only in some particulars dissented alwayes then and to this day retaining divers of their practices in Worship and Church-Government which doth shew that the Protestant Church is not perfectly another nor her Ministry and Government and Worship another then is the Romish Church but is the same in ground and being onely digressed and deviated in particulars and this may be fully manifest in season that the Protestant Church and Worship and Ministry is of the Romish Church sprung as a branch out of her not contrary to her and against her and all these things is the Lord discovering and laying open that Nations and Peoples may come to behold the Mother of Harlots that Mystery of Iniquity and all her Children and may see the state and turning of times and things ever since the days of the Apostles and true Churches and how that all these divers Sects and all these Churches falsely so called are risen up and sprung out one of another and coming from one Seed and Womb and though divers in Appearances and sundry in Practices and Professions yet are they all one in the Ground and Nature sprung from the Mother of Harlots all of them and being her Children and she hath corrupted the Earth with her Fornications and Whoredoms and made Nations and Kingdoms drunk with her Cup of Idolatry but the Lord God is risen and will plead with her and give her double and the holy Prophets and Apostles shall rejoyce over her and this is coming to pass and this have I seen from the Lord and received it from him and thus it come upon me to write THE Waters I have seen dry'd up the Seat of the great Where Who with the Fornication Cup of her enticing power Hath made all Nations drunk thereby and the whole Earth defil'd With her gilt Cup of Sorcery whom she hath long beguil'd But Peoples many are and shall and Multitudes all may And Nations be Converted all unto another Way And Tongues they now confounded bee and Kindreds they must mourn And when thou this shalt finish'd see then say her Seat is torn For these are all the Waters great on whom her Seat hath been And over
free from sin and were the Servants of Righteousness They say Christ hath not enlightened every 〈◊〉 the Scripture saith He is the Light of the World and hath enlightened every one c. can they now who live in the same persecuting nature and walk in the 〈◊〉 steps as they did which persecuted them who spoke forth the Scripture as the Teâ—chers and People do own the Scripture in Truth Their professing of the Scripture is as theirs was which made a great profession of it in the outward appearance but put him to death who had the Life and was the Substance of it They then as the Teachers of the World do now denyed the Spirit and Life whicâ— gave sorth the Scriptures And the Ordinances of Jesus Christ we own and witness Preaching Praying Baptism Communion Singing and whatsoever was ordained for his Saints to practise in Life and Power we witness these things in the eternal Substance having passed through the earthly figures which was but to stand for its time by the Eternal have we been led by the Command of it within us and got by tradition from the Scripture without us And we deny all such who have taken up these things in their own wills by conforming the outward man to the outward Letter and have not entred in at the Door True Preaching we own and do witness in which is the Cross of Christ and the Power God unto Salvation or Condemnation it is foolishness to the World and its wisdom now as ever it was and we deny all speaking of imaginations from the Scripture which is in the wisdom of the World and which stands in the will of man limitted to a set time day or place Prayer by Spirit and in the Spirit we own and witness which is not limitted to a time and place And we deny all the Worlds formal customary Preaching and Praying for a pretence Baptism we own and witness which is With one Spirit into one Body into the Death of Christ And we deny all Baptisms which are imagined and imitated by conforming the outward man to the outward Letter which is but a likeness of the the true Baptism Communion we live in which is In the Light by the Spirit which will endure eternally and we deny the Worlds imitation which is in word and declaration and visible carnal things which will pass away Singing which is with the Spirit and with Understanding of the redeemed of the Lord we own and witness but the Worlds singing in Rime and Meeter proud men singing That they are not puft in mind and prophane men singing That the Law of God is dear to them this singing we deny for it must be turned into howling the Lord hath said it And here again I charge it upon the Teachers of the World That they deny the Substance and Power of what Christ commands his Saints to practice by upholding their own imitations and so deceiving the People but where the Substance is witnessed the figure is denyed and the false imitations are discovered and denied And mans free-will we do deny for the will of man shall never enter to God but leads out from God into the lust and into the flesh and keeps in the power of the Devil and man hath free-will unto that which is evil but not to that which is good and all who follow Christ the Light of the World must deny their own wills and take up the Cross of Christ which is to the will and walk in the Light contrary to the will in the strait Way which leads unto Life which is out of the will of man in the Will of God which the will of man doth resist and oppose And I charge it upon the Teachers and Professors who do not witness the daily Cross of Christ that they live in their own free-will and holds it up and are led by it into pride and coveteousness and lusts of the flesh which stand in the will and here they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us living in their own free-will and walk not in the daily Cross of Christ. And Self-righteousness we have denied and have seen it in the same Light which Isaiah did to be as filthy Rags and we declare against it and against them which live in it for self must not be saved it is accursed from God it is wholly unrighteous and makes the best of actions so and is and must be cast out from God Christ Jesus made manifest and revealed in us is our Righteousness and self is judged and condemned by him who is made unto us Righteousness neither do we teach People to labour in their own strength to obtain Life but do direct People to the Light of Christ within them which walking in will be strength to them to lead them to Life the Light which is of Christ to which we direct all to wait in to be taught by it will lead out of self-righteousness and from under the power of self to witness the power of God to lead and to act and to witness Christ Jesus revealed the Righteousness of God And the Church which is in God which is the Body of Christ whereof Christ is Head we witness and are members of it gathered and joyned by the eternal Spirit and not by tradition in the wisdom of man And we deny all the Worlds Churches whereof they were made members by visible things without and gathered by traditions and not by the Spirit whereof the Serpent is head and not Christ and which is the body of antichrist some of which commits Idolatry iâ— an Idols-temple and the ministry of this church we deny for it stands in 〈◊〉 will of man and the Ministers of it are such as all the Servants of the Lord witnessed against the Churches the Ministry and the Ministers are contrary to God but the Ministry which is to the Seed which is out of the will of man we own and witness which ministers Life unto life and Death unto death and divides the Word aright judgment to the fat and to the strong and feeds the â—…gry and looseth the Bars of wickedness and breaks not the bruised Reed 〈◊〉 quencheth not the smoaking Flax this Ministry we deny not but are Friends unto it and who are Ministers here we have union withal but proud men and such as are called of men Masters are cast out of this Ministry and are Miniâ—… to the body of antichrist and know not the Mystery of the Ministry of Jesus Christ which is to the Spirit in Prison Magistrates and Magistracy we deny not but do give respect unto for Conscience sake for who bears the Sword of Justice who use their power to be a terror to the wicked and for the praise of them that do well are Ministers of God and we desire that there were more Magistracy here and that the Magistrate would more use his power to be a terror to Lyars to Swearers to Drunkards to Railers to
are not of the true Christian Religion according to the Scriptures it remains to be proved if there be any who they be that are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and who they be that are to be protected in their Practice and Exercise of Religion And as concerning the dispised and rejected People called Quakers herein I shall speak for them as a Friend to them and a Lover of their Wayes who is nor ashamed of their Practices in Religion and shall measure and try their Practices in Religion whether they be according to Scripture and if it prove so to be that what they practice for Religion and hold forth for Doctrine be according to the Scriptures then why should not they own their Right and Priviledge to be upholden and maintained by the Protector 's Oath who hath sworn to uphold and maintain them and their Religion whose Exercise in Religion is according to Scriptures being that same People are and have been faithful Subjects of this Common-Wealth And first of all They dare not own themselves to be Christians nor to be Members of Christ nor to have any Right or Title to the Kingdom of God but as they witness converting by the Spirit of the Lord and are changed from Death to Life and from Darkness to Light and from Satan's power unto the Power of God through the Operation of the same Spirit and as in all their Works and Wayes and Exercises in Religion they are guided by the same Spirit who leadeth them out of the World and out of the Vanities and Evil-Works thereof and this is according to the Scriptures And their Religion herein is justify'd by the Scriptures who witness That Christ is in them and that they have receiv'd him through Faith and thereby are cleansed from all Unrighteousness and have put off and are putting off the Body of sin and death and walk with God in Purity and Holiness being led by the Spirit of God therein and with God they have Peace being reconciled by Jesus Christ who is their Salvation and they have no other And this is according to the Scriptures And again As concerning their Meetings and the manner thereof They are not contrary but according to the Scriptures for though they meet in many Parts of these Nations by great Numbers some in the open Fields and some on the Mountains in some Places and sometimes without Doors and sometimes in Houses all this Practice is according to Scriptures For we read Mat. 5. 1. in the dayes of Christ That there were great Multitudes of People that follow'd him and he went up into a Mountain and preached and taught them upon the Mountain And in Mat. 14. 14. we read That there were great Multitudes that came out of the Cities unto Iesus into the Deserts and he had compassion towards them and did good unto them And at that time there were many Thousands met together as you may read and it seems stay'd many whole dayes together for they sate down on the Grass and eat together and then Iesus sent the Multitudes away And in Mark 6. you may read how that Multitudes came to Iesus out of the Cities into a desert Place and Iesus began to teach them many things in that desert Place for he had compassion on the Multitude And in Luke 9. how the people again follow'd Jesus into a desert Place and he preached unto them the Kingdom of God Such Meetings then were counted strange as such Meetings are now when the People of God meet together by great Numbers to preach and to hear the Kingdom of God preached But their Meetings are according to the Scriptures for the People of God in Generations past met in the same manner as the People of God called Quakers meet now For sometimes Christ preached out of a Ship unto the People that stood on the Sea Shore And Paul kneeled down and prayed among the Saints near the Sea Shore at his passing into the Ship And we read Acts 2. that there was Three Thousand converted at one Sermon then there must needs be a great Meeting and a great deal of People met together Such Meetings now are wondred at but such Meetings are but according to Scripture so that this part of their Practice in Religion is agreeable to the Scriptures and the same as the Saints Practice was in Ages past And as for the People of God meeting together sometimes in the Night-season to wait upon the Lord and sometimes sitting in Silence and waiting upon the Lord and no words utter'd amongst them but every one sitting silent before the Lord having receiv'd nothing from the Lord to speak one to another at which the people of the World do wonder and falsly judge it not to be a Christian Exercise But we read in the Scripture Iob 2. that Iob who was a Christian for he was a just and perfect man he and his Friends sate upon the Ground seven dayes and seven nights and spake not a word one to another this would be a strange thing at this day to see practised And in Ier. 8. 14. you may read where the Prophet Ieremiah exhorted the people to assemble themselves and said Let us enter into defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to Silence But such a Practice now is thought strange by the people of the World who are not acquainted with the Wayes of God who are wise in their own Eyes and know not what it is to wait upon the Lord in silence who never yet were put to silence in themselves by the Lord. And you may read Ezek. 3. where the Prophet sate down among the People of the Captivity and they were astonish'd seven dayes and at the end of seven dayes and not before the Word of the Lord came to the Prophet So that you see it was the Practice of the Servants of the Lord oft-times to sit and wait upon the Lord in Silence though people wonder at such Meetings now And we do not read That there was alwayes speaking among the Saints in the Churches when they were met together But Acts 2. we read That the Church was met together in a Place and the Holy Ghost fell upon them and then they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance then it seems they had not spoken before though they had met together in a House and then they spoke the wonderful things of God and some that heard mocked and others said they were full of New Wine even as the people of the World do at this day when any of the People of the Lord are moved to speak as the Spirit gives utterance So that sometimes to sit in Silence being met together to wait upon the Lord as many of the Servants of the Lord do in this Nation is a Practice of Religion and not contrary but according to the Scriptures for many of the Servants
it in our Prayers and Desires yea and otherwise even that which hath the Image of our God upon it whenever it shall appear we shall rejoyce therein and be glad to see it prosper For for the establishing of Righteousness in the Earth have we laboured and it cannot be charged upon us That we have sided with one or another for we have beheld all hitherto out of the Right Way as we have said but we truly seek the general Good of our Nation and though we are accounted so and so yet we have not lost true Reason nor Understanding but we well know what is wrong and what would be right even in way of Government but the time appears not to be yet when Innocency and Simplicity of Heart can be embraced for men are yet too wise in their own wisdom and cannot receive the Counsel of the Lord that they may prosper and therefore are they and must they be confounded amongst themselves and dashed one against another till they learn the Way of Righteousness and Truth The substance of this was given forth the Twentieth Day of the Tenth Moneth 1659. being moved of the Lord by his Spirit thereunto through Edward Burroughs A PRESENTATION TO LONDON Being an Answer to the Young-Men and Apprentices returned to some part of their Petition and Address directed by them to the Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council Assembled And this is directed to them for their better Information and to the Citizens of London for their better Satisfaction if the Lord shall so work upon their Hearts as to bring them to Moderation and the Spirit of Meekness fit for his INSTRUCTIONS WHereas you say It hath pleased the God and only Wise God for yours and the Nation 's Crying-Sins to manifest his Displeasure for many years together against these Nations and yet you say this Honourable City hath been no great Sharers in the Calamity which your Brethren in other parts have suffered c. Answer Friends it s very true because of yours and the Nations Crying-Sins the Lord's Displeasure is against you and the Nation and his Judgments bang over your City and the Nation even because of your Crying-Sins O! the Pride the Hypocrisie and Double-dealing and Wantonness and all other the abominable Wickedness which abounds among you which are your Sins which indeed is the Cause of God's Displeasure against you and the Nation which he will shew one way or other upon you for Iniquity is full But seeing that your Sins have provoked the Lord is it not now time to come to Humility and Repentance and to forsake your Sins that the Displeasure of the Lord may be turned from you or Is it a time for you to be envious and to seek Revenge upon Men and to make Insurrections and Tuâ—â—lts and Bloodsheds and so to add Sin unto your Sins It s not a time for you to proceed thus for hereby you will gain God's Displeasure more unto you and not turn his Wrath away And its true this City hath been wonderfully preserved from the Miseries and Calamities which have come upon some in this Nation and therefore its time for you to answer the Lord's Love unto you by Meekness and Fear and Righteousness and not to abuse his Mercies by opposing the Work of the Lord and setting your selves to fight as against him in his Proceedings though the time is at hand even because of your own multiplyed Iniquities when you may bring Calamity and Misery upon this City and it may partake of the Nation 's Tribulations and Sorrows And then you complain of the general decay of Trading But what can you attribute that unto but to your Sins also For there hath been so much Double dealing Deceit and Wickedness in the way of your Trading that it is just with the Lord to turn your former Mercies into a present Judgment in that respect but in this case you ought to be contented and to be still and not to murmur against God nor against any others in the Nation but the rather to Repent that the Wrath may be turned from you And whereas you seem to make an Appeal to your Lord Mayor Aldermen Common-Council-Men of this City as if they should be Instruments for the settling of the Three Nations and for the removing of the Troubles and for the Peace of the Church c. Answ. Alas my Friends These Troubles Distractions and Miseries that are approached and which further may ensue is the Fruit and Effect of yours and the Nations Sins and cannot be removed nor remitted but as you and the Nation repenteth and turneth from your Sins so that you take a wrong course to remove the Judgments of the Lord from you and this Nation for its certain That Repentance from sin that removes the Judgment for sin and it s not adding one sin to another neither is it in the hand of those to whom you do appeal to remove the Judgments of the Lord for what are they but Mortal Men like your selves and Transgressors with your selves and have a part in the Sins acted by you and must have a part in the same Judgments though you stir them up to improve themselves and their Tallent for the Peace of the Church as you say whenas alas its Jesus Christ only that must keep his Church in Peace by his good Spirit and not Mortal Men with Mortal Weapons Though you say The Discharge of their Trust may make these Nations Happy or leave them Miserable To which I say If they be faithful to their Trust then they will keep your City in Peace and doubtless they would be blessed therein but yet the Happiness of these Nations dependeth not upon them nor upon what they can do for while many are supposing that they improve their Trust its possible they may be persecuting Righteousness under the Name of Heresie and persecuting Christ in his People under the Name of a Deceiver false Prophet this hath often come to pass in this City and Nation men have improved their Power and Places to the Dishonour of God and the persecuting Christ in his Members while as they have been thinking they have been punishing Sin Heresie and Error and in such cases some have improved their Tallents not truly for God but rather against him But whereas you say You humbly present That the Priviledges of the Gospel the Faithful Preaching and Dispencing of God's Holy Word and Sacraments with the Labour of so many of his Faithful Servants in the Ministry and you humbly desire the Ministry may be Countenanced and Encouraged the Universities upheld and maintained c. Answ. Alas my Friends What do you think concerning the Lord God Surely you have low Thoughts of him and little Belief in him Do not you think he will maintain the Priviledges of the Gospel and the faithful Preaching and Dispensing of his Word and his faithful Ministry without you Do you think that he hath forgotten to be Gratious or that his Power
Form and in Forms of Righteousness without the Power and in Immitations without Life and perfect Knowledge so that all the Practices of Religion we beheld without Power and Life though some had a sincerity in them and a zeal and a desire towards the Lord yet all people erred in Judgment and none were guided in Judgment by the Eternal Spirit and because of the error in Judgment that made their zeal blind and their performances of Righteousness not accepted though acted in some sincerity and zeal because they were not guided in Practice and led in Judgment by the Spirit of the Lord which only leads into all Truth and none are in the Truth but who are led thereby so that we behold all Profession but as Coverings with Figg-leaves while the nature of Transgression stood uncondemned and not crucified and then we saw not only the Performance and Practice in Church state and in religious Orders were corrupted but also Government and Magistracy and all things in civil state were not aright in the sight of the Lord nor as the Lord required neither as he had ordained in the beginning for Government we know as ordained of God is to punish and limit and terrifie all Evil-Doers and to preserve and defend all that do well and that mens Consciences are to be left free and to be ruled by the Lord alone and guided by his Spirit and that outward Power and civil Magistrates and Laws so called ought not to be Lord or Ruler in mens Consciences nor over them but we beheld how Unrighteousness and Iniquity and Sin and Wickedness was strengthened and encouraged in the Government and by such as were in Authority and how the Fear of God and the exercise of a good Conscience was abused so that it was turned backward from what it ought to be them that did well were punished and limitted as Trausgressors and the Evil-Doers were set free and not made afraid so that we could truly cry Truth was faln in the Street and Justice and true Judgment turned backward and Equity had no place to enter and the Innocent were devoured through want of true and just Judgment and the Needy were spoiled and made a prey and thus it was framed for no sooner had we opened our Mouthes but the Magistrates began to put us in Prison and execute great injustice upon us and became Oppressors of the Innocent and laid grievous unjust burdens upon us grievous to be born and true justice and judgment was neglected and wrong judgement brought forth and good Government abused and men in Authority not ruled by the Lord neither ruling for the Lord among men and thus it came to pass upon us through the corruption and Degeneration in Goverment and Magistrates which we saw to be as it was fulfilled by them to wit not as the Lord required nor as he in the beginning ordained it but quite the contrary and this we saw in the beginning when the Spirit of the Lord was poured down upon us and power from on high was revealed to declare against all the Abominations of the Earth and to make War against all Corruption in all Orders and Places and Men. Then being prepared of the Lord and having received Power from on high we went forth as commanded of the Lord leaving all Relations and all things of the World behind us that we might fufill the work of the Lord into which he called us and with Flesh and Blood nor any Creature we consulted not nor took counsel of men but of the Lord alone who lifted up our heads above the World and all fears and doubtings and was with us in Power and Domininion over all that which opposed us which was great and mighty and gave us power over it all and to bind Kings in Chains and Nobles in Fetters of Iron and this is the Saints honour and the Word of the Lord we sounded and did not spare and caused the Deaf to hear the Blind to see and the heart that was hardned to be awakened and the Dread of the Lord went before us and behind us and teror took hold upon our Enemies And first of all our Mouthes were opened and our spirit filled with indignation against the Priests and Teachers and with them and against them first we began to war as being the Causers of the people to err and the Blind-leaders that carried the Blind into the Ditch and against them as the Fountain of all wickedness abounding in the Nations and as being the issue of Prophaness for from them hath Prophaness gone forth in all Nations and against them we cryed aloud as being redeemed from their Mouthes who had made a prey upon us as they do upon all that follow their ways and in Steeple-houses we did visit them often and in Markets and other Places as the Lord moved and made way for us shewing unto all them and all their people that they were not Lawful Ministers of Christ sent of him but were Deceivers and Antichrists and such whom the Lord never sent and we spared not publikely and at all seasons to utter forth the Judgments of the Lord against them and their wayes and against their Churches and Worships and Practices as not being of God nor commanded by him by which they deceived the World and this was our first work which we entred upon to thresh down the Deceivers and lay them open that all people might see their shame and come to turn from them and receive the Knowledg of the Truth that they might be saved and this we did with no small Opposition nor danger yea oftentimes we were in danger of our lives through bearing abusing Punishing Haling casting over Walls striking with Staves and Cudgels and Knocking down to the Ground besides Reproaching Scorning Revilings and Houtings at and Scoffings and Slanderings and all abuses that could be thought or acted by evil hands and Tongues and often carried before Magistrates with grievous Threats and sometimes put in the Stocks and Whipped and often Imprisoned and many hard Dealings against us the worst of Tongues or hands could execute sparing Life of this all the North-countries may witness and all these things are sustained and suffered from people and Rulers because of our faithfulness to the Lord and for declaring against the false Deceivers for nothing save onely the Hand of the Lord and his Power could have preserved us and carryed us through all this neither for any reward outward whatsoever or advantage to our selves would we have exposed our selves to that sufferings and violence and dangers which befell us daily but the Lord was our exceeding great reward through all these things and kept us in the Hollow of his Hand and under the Shadow of his Wings and gave us Dominion in Spirit over all our Enemies and subdued them before us and though Rulers and People were combined against us and executed their injustice and violence upon us yet the Lord made us to Prosper and
his being removed was in Judgment from the Lord against his Persecutors who desired and sought his Destruction and what they have done against him hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their Iniquities That the Blood of the Righteous which cries for Vengeance may be avenged to the utmost upon them who would not suffer the Righteous to have a Beeing amongst men nor lay to heart their being taken away from the Evil to come And they who in a byast or prejudiced spirit of Enmity are listed up because of his Decease they were not worthy of him nor of his Testimony and they have cause to Mourn and Lament amongst those that have pierced the Just and slighted and despised the Messengers of Truth and Righteousneds whom God hath therein Honoured and God will debase such and their vainglory unto the Dust and exalt the Testimony and Life of his faithful Witnesses over all their Heads But we who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the Righteous Seed and with the worth of true Unity in the weighty Body and Spirit of Christ and therein do behold the Glory and Compleatness of the City of our God which is at Peace within it self cannot but prize the Ministers of Righteousness and every Member of the same Body and oh how blessed and precious is the Memorial of the Righteous in our eyes and how deeply is my Soul affected with that comfortable Communion and those many and living Refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another even with him and others who have finished their Course Well however in this I am satisfied That though we be left in Travel and our Dayes have been Dayes of Affliction and Suffering for Christ and the Gospel's sake as in the World yet in him whom the Prince of this World hath nothing in we have Peace being come into Communion with the Spirits of Just Men who are the Family of God written in Heaven and called by one Name both in Heaven and Earth and the God of Life is their Portion and his Glory is the Rereward of his Called and Chosen and Faithful Ones who have dealt their Bread to the Hungry and brought the Poor to their House even to the Habitation of the Righteous where the Living Bread is received and the Heavenly Mansions lived in and enjoyed by all who abide in the Truth and retain their first Love and Habitation therein in which True Fellowship is enjoyed and the Prosperity of the Elect Seed known Blessed be the Name of our God forever and ever London the 12th day of the 1st Moneth 1663. George Whitehead JOSIAH COALE HIS TESTIMONY Concerning The Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ Edward Burroughs FRiends a necessity is upon me and I am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my Testimony concerning my beloved Brother before mentioned that it may remain and stand upon record for Ages and Generations to come And this first I say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come That he was a man endued with the Almighty Power of God which lived and reigned in him and the Treasury of pure divine heavenly Wisdom was opened in him c. and understanding in the things that relate unto God's Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness and in the things that concern the Everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind was plentifully manifested unto him by the good Spirit of God which I may say he had received in a plentifull Measure And this many can testifie unto and his own Writings which remain upon record will in a large Measure manifest the truth thereof And this Spirit dwelt plentifully in him so that thereby he was able to instruct many in the Way of Life Peace and true Holiness and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind by reason of the Wiles of the Enemy of their Souls or if they met with any difficulty in their journey as they passed from Death to Life he was a man able through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the Lord and also of the Wiles of Satan having followed the Lamb in the Regeneration to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort and for their establishment in the most precious holy Faith and this I know the Witness of God in thousands must and shall testifie unto who are the Seal of his Ministry And moreover he was a man that was able through the Wisdom and blessed Gift of God that was in him to convince and stop the mouths of all Gain-sayers of the Truth which he with us professed and lived in And it is well known to many that he was never backward but alwayes ready and willing to appear in a way of publick conference as in vindication of and against any that should oppose the blessed Truth of God which he held and professed and also to manifest the Grounds and Reasons wherefore we deny and dissent from the National Priests of the World and their traditional Ways of Worship and the hypocritical Professors thereof who have not the Life and Substance of what they profess in words And these things it is well known unto many he was oft exercised in and he did not go about in Corners nor creep into dark Places hiddenly nor secretly but preached the Truth of God and Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ boldly and openly even upon the House-top and his valour for God's Truth on Earth was well known unto many and his voice was as the found or ratling of the Charriots of God's Host upon the tops of the Mountains and was oft uttered sorth in the Name of the Lord even like Thunder and the Voice of the Son of God was uttered forth through him by which the Dead was raised the Witnesses are now alive let them bring in their Testimony that the truth hereof may be confirmed His Doctrine dropped as the Oyl of joy upon the spirits of the Mourners in Sion His life extended it self as a sweet Stream into the hearts of the Children of Light that thirsted after Righteousness He was one of the Cloud of Witnesses that dropped down the Dew upon the tender Plants of God He pleaded the Cause of the innocent suffering Seed and earnestly contended with the Powers of the Earth of all sorts in the behalf and for the freedom of the suffering people of God He fore-prophesied unto them that were in Authority in the dayes past of their destruction and of their overthrow because of their deceitfulness to God and their false and cruel treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people who had made many fair Promises both to God and Man in the time of their adversity That they would grant free Liberty of Conscience in things relating to the Worship of God and that Oppression should be removed and the like but in the time of their prosperity when they were waxen fat and grown great and lived at ease and in Pleasures
deny both the written Word which is your Rule and Reason too for we appeal from both Answ. Art thou not ashamed to say The Scripture is thy Rule who art found a Lyar and a false Accuser thy Rule shall try thee and shall bear witness against thee when God judgeth thee by Jesus Christ for neither by the Scripture nor thy corrupt reason canst thou know the things of God who art a natural man in the fall in the World without God But again I say let any try us in our lives and in our practices and if we speak or act contrary to the Scripture judge us by it but thy eye is blinded and when thou feest the Scripture fulfilled even crying out as a Woman in travel thou calls it uncouth howling and a spirit contrary to the Scripture and how art thou able to try who art blind and deaf in the mystery of the Kingdom of God for thy reason must never enter unto God but is shut out and in seeing thou seest not and in hearing thou dost not understanst and upon thee herein is the Scripture fulfilled And whereas thou sayest We will not have Christ to rule over us for we deny both his Person and Word which is the Rule of Life and Love I answer O thou Lyar God shall judge thee let shame cover thee and let thy own Conscience convince thee of thy Lyes and Slanders against the Innocent Christ Jesus is our Head and we are of his Body and his Word is sweet unto us even our life and rule of life and by him we see thee to be an Enemy to him and from him I judge thee not his Word but the spirit of the Devil is thy rule for he is the Ruler and Father of Lyes and Lyars and thy Portion thou must have with him in the Lake and what thou sayest of us it shall stand for thy own Condition thou wilt not have Christ to rule over thee who lives in thy lust and carnal mind without the fear of God which Christ comes to destroy in all that witness him And whereas thou sayest In the Name of God thou proclaimest That those men that disown the written Word are not Spiritual men they may have the Spirit of Antichrist Answ. Thou hast nothing to proclaim from God but as the false Prophets had other mens words and also I say if thou find any that disown the Scripture we also disown such and do say they are not spiritual men but have the spirit of Antichrist and of this number thou art guided by the spirit of Antichrist who art a Lyar and a false Accuser which is contrary to the Spirit of Christ and art without Faith and so art unreasonable in the corrupt reason without pure and undefiled Reason And whereas thou sayest Who but the spirit of Antichrist durst countermand the Commands of our Law-giver the Lord Iesus Christ I answ The Commands of Christ are Spiritual and in and by the Spirit and not traditional from the Letter without and Antichrist may conform to the Command without as the Pharisees did and yet be an Enemy to the Life and Substance of his Commands and this is thy own condition as it was the Pharisees who said He destroyed the Law who came to fulfil it as thou sayest We make void and deny the Commands of Christ when as we are Witnesses of them and directs all unto the fulfilling of them and thy spirit here is tryed to be the spirit of Antichrist the same which was in them which persecuted Christ and thou raylst and slanderest his Members And whereas thou sayest There were never any men appeared in the World so like those that Peter speaketh of in his second Epistle and these desire to overthrow the Writings of the Spirit of God I answ Peter spoke of such as thou art for as a Cloud carryed about with a Tempest thou art and a Well without water and defilest the flesh and dispisest the Saints dignity and speakest great swelling words of Vanity whilst thou thy self art a Servant of corruption serving the Devil by lying and falsly accusing and that we desire to overthrow the Writings of the Spirit of God thou art a Lyar for we go about to establish them and declares of him who is the Substance of them and God will reward thee according to thy deeds Who also accuseth us of unseemly Kissing in Glasiers-hall thou sayest if Mr Pope do not belye us I answer This is another Lye which proceeds from thee let all the honest hearted which ever have frequented our Assembly at that Place testifie against thee and Pope and your father the Devill whom by lying you serve and that no unseemly Actions have proceeded from us but Sobriety and Civility and unseemly Actions shall stand for thy own condition they are such as thy self who commits unseemly brawling and folly and vain contending against the Truth in Glasiers-hall as many Honest-hearted will witness against you and for us who have seen your base actions as Scorning and Flouting in that Place and so here you your selves are guilty of the Wontonness which Peter speaks of and of aluring through the lust of the flesh which thou slanderously wouldst cast it upon us And thou further sayest None ever promised to themselves so much liberty as these and the Ranters in being freed from the power and tryal of the Word I answer Both the Ranters and thee we do absolutely deny and testifie against you both to be in the enmity against God and against us who are his Servants Thou before didst rank us with the Papists and now among the Ranters but herein the Scripture is fulfilled upon us as they have done unto Christ so they do unto us he was numbred among Transgressors by the Generation of painted Sepulchers and whited Walls as we are by thee and all liberty which is of the flesh and to the flesh we do deny as many can witness who are Witnesses of our Ministery and again I say he that is able let him try us by the Scripture but thou art blind and hath hardened thy heart against God and hath neither salt nor savory and so are good for nothing but to be trodden under foot And whereas thou sayest The Lord bless every one of his from the condition of Chandler who formerly was the head of a Company of Shakers I answer The day is coming when thou canst not flee the wrath of God though thou pray God will not hear thee and if ever thou hast seen Chandler in this condition thou mightst have read thy figure in him weeping and howling and gnashing of teeth will be thy portion for ever and I say unto thee this condition of Chandlers is not come upon him because he was once a Shaker by the dread of the Lord upon him but because he went out from that condition out of the fear of God into the liberty of the flesh out of his shaking and fearing state which once he
was a Spirit and here art thou a Witness against thy self that thou speakest not by the inspiration and moving of the holy Spirit but speakest thy imaginations and lyes in the Name of the Lord And whereas thou sayest In this confused Age there hath appeared variety of spirits pretending to be sent by the everlasting God yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another that their own Opinions may bear rule I Answer Among the Many Pretenders thou speakest of thou art one and it is true you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another that your own Opinions may bear rule and though there be among you variety of Opinions yet by one spirit you act for the Kingdom of the Devil is but one and yet divided and it is at war with it self and therefore it cannot stand and you cannot overthrow one another but one is appearing to overthrow you all and all your Opinions for all you Pretenders are made manifest by your fruits and thereby men may try you for nothing is to be gathered from you but Opinions and airy Imaginations some of you speaking of a God and Christ a far off to believe in others of you speaking of a God and of a Christ within and a far off to believe in thus you feed people by your own imaginations and some of you pretend Revelation others of you denying Revelation and thus you strive to set up your own Opinions but you live all in one nature and are of one Generation and he that walks in the Light seeth you all and comprehendeth you all and judgeth all your Opinions and are redeemed out of all your vain imaginations into the Life of God acting and speaking as the Spirit acteth and speaketh and seeketh to exalt Christ and him to bear rule that all Opinions may be by him thrown down and that by him people may be brought out of a confused Age into the Land of Rest and Peace and Righteousness to serve the true Spiritual God in the Spirit and by the Spirit of his own Son And further thou sayest Some there are that take upon them to speak of a God and of a Christ in the invisible Heavens above the Stars but are uncapable to demonstrate how Christ by his spiritual Word liveth in mens hearts and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his Elect Angels I Answer there are not some but many which lives in and speaks forth their own imaginations upon God and Christ and one of them thou art thy spirit is tryed God who is a Spirit dwells in the Spirit of his Son even in the high and holy Place and with him also who is of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his Word but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen neither can any demonstrate how Christ dwells in the heart but he who witnesseth it through death and where he reigns his Glory is with him and his Elect Angels this I witness but to thy carnal eye it is invisible and by thy carnal wisdom he can never be known Christ and his spiritual Word is not to be divided though thy sensual spirit would divide them but by the Flaming Sword thou that speakest art divided from both and shalt know neither but to thy condemnation And further thou sayest Others there are which speak of an eternal Spirit or Christ only in the Consciences of men as if there were no Creator or Christ at all visibly reigning upon his Throne of immortal Glory I answer they who talk of an eternal Spirit or Christ in the Conscience by hearsay or of other mens words without as thou dost and doth not in Life and Power witness it from the Father within made manifest such are denyed by them who witness the eternal Spirit dwelling with the contrite heart which Spirit is the Creator which dwells also in the high and holy Place and reigns upon his Throne for ever and who do in Power witness this sees and judges all your carnal imaginations and conceptions of the living God in your carnal minds where he dwells shall no unclean thing enter but is without to be troden in the Wine-Press of his Wrath for ever and ever and by him shall thy carnal conceptions be consumed even by the Breath of his Mouth for he is Eternal and his Throne is Eternal and by the carnal eye shall never be seen And further thou sayst There are some who through unbelief that ever any living Creature had a beginning do affirm there is no God or Christ at all but perishing nature this sort are innumerable witness the lives and conversations of people every where I answer All who do witness the Eternal Spirit made manifest to rule and guide all such do deny and declare against such Opinions for nothing was without beginning but the Eternal Word which was the beginning of all things and will be the end of all things even the destruction of the wicked and the Salvation of them that believe who are born of the immortall Seed and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of God and such do set to their seal there is a God who will reward every one according to their works and bears witness against them who in their lives and conversations denies God as all do who do not witness the eternall Spirit of Christ ruling in the Conscience but talkes of a God in imagination at a distance and such are innumerable and sayes in their hearts there is no God and such are the fools the Scripture speaks of and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars I answer They are considered and by them thy ignorance is made manifest and thy folly disclosed and thy blasphemy who calls thy self the last Witness 1 Quer. In thy first particular thou queriest Whether these men were sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true God is in himself and how he is a distinct Beeing from all living Creatures and how he reigns in the Elect by a created Word Voice or spirituall Motion onely Answ. Those men were not sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach who have not received it and such know not God what he is nor where he is but in their imaginations imagine him to be like a creature by being in a creaturely Place or Habitation God is a Spirit and he is not distinct from living creatures for in him living creatures lives moves and have their beings and he is not far from them nor distinct from them as he spake who was sent by the eternall Spirit to preach he reigns in the Elect not by a created word voice or a created spirituall motion for the Word which lives in the Elect from which voice and motion proceeds is not created but is uncreated even as God is uncreated for God is that Word and here thy ignorance appears by calling the Word which lives
which I know will never own nor practice these things She also saith She did oppose those Principles which led to looseness either in conversation or in slighting the Churches or Ordinances of Christ though she believes such Principles naturally follow the others I answer She did and doth oppose the Principle of God which would have led her out of pride and lust into an holy conversation and out of false Churches into the Church which is in God And I charge her here that she believes Lyes and utters what she believes which is Blasphemy who saith she believes that wicked Principles naturally follow the three named by her And whereas she saith As to that Principle of waiting she could yet never come up to it in practice in private duties she could not stay so long from duty till she had such a power but did frequently go to duty when she had it not I answer Here I do believe her she speaks truth with her lying spirit she never yet could wait upon God to act for him but hath run in her own will which is abomination to him which is no acting for God but for self and for the Devil and here hath she shut her self out from the holy men of Gods practice who waited upon him to be led by him by the power of his Spirit and she shews her self openly to all that she went to that which she calls duty in her own power and time and knew not the power of God nor his time to be acted in and all her Duties as she calls them is no more but imagined and imitated from the letter without acted by the Serpents strength and wisedom in her and she hath here plainly discovered that she knows not what waiting upon God is in truth and sincerity She saith She thought sometime she had had it and saith she thought she had had communion with God I answer Her thoughts I do deny who call truth deceit and she did as now she doth live in thoughts and conceivings by which she is beguiled that spirit which rules and speaks in her never had communion with God but is contrary to him nor never was acted in the truth of God but against him She saith She knew no Scripture-ground for the practice of waiting to be acted by the power of the Spirit and led to duty I answer The Saints ground of acting is not the outward letter but the Spirit which gave forth the letter but the Scripture doth declare of such as waited to be acted by the Spirit and Power of the Lord Dare any say the Saints Prayed or Propresied without the movings of the Spirit and Power of the Lord here she hath shut her self among the Heathens who knows not God nor what it is to be acted by his Spirit and Power She speaks of losing her peace and having little or no communion with God nor scarce any thing to speak to or for God I answer True peace in Christ she never knew for there is no peace to the wicked neither have any who denies waiting upon God as she hath done any communion with God nor nothing to say to or for God but through deceit and in deceit is I. Turner That which brought her into trouble and let her see the confusion Which she speaks of which she had lived in before but saw it not till then that Witness I own and it shall witness for the Lord and the Truth of what I say eternally though she have slain the Witness yet it shall arise to her condemnation and her everlasting misery And whereas she saith Some laboured to perswade her it was a dispensation of God and that the Saints after brought out of Egypt must be in the Wilderness before they come to Canaan I answer I bear witness by the eternal Spirit the truth of this particular as having witnessed the same condition and she which hath denied this to be of God hath openly shewed her self to be of the Devil denying the truth of Scriptures She saith this did not at all satisfie her but she continued in a sad condition I answer She here hath shewed what spirit she is of of the viperous Generation which fled the wrath which came upon her and could not abide the judgement and of the spirit of them which would have been back in Aegypt which murmured and therefore with them she entered not but i◠perished with them in the Wilderness Whereas she saith She was never so troubled with temptations as at that time I answer Here she hath shewed her self to be the stony ground which when temptation came withered away She speaks of a particular temptation which was Questioning the Being of God I answer That which was troubled wrought the temptations and not that which troubled and here she shews her ignorance which cannot discern the ground of temptation but layes it upon God which is basphemy for he tempts none to evil Whereas she saith this was the 〈◊〉 fruit of her straying from the pure wayes of Truth I answer Here again she shews her blindness who knows not that temptations are for good That which she calls straying from the pure wayes of truth is otherwise for the stronger man came to dispossess the strong man and then began the war and happy had she been if she had patiently endured to the end but not abiding under the judgement but starting aside she is cast out and must not enter for the second Beast whose deadly wound is healed is alive which makes war with the Lamb which exerciseth all the power of the first Beast and here I. Turner is under the dominion of the second Beast She speaks of blessing God that she strayed no further I answer She who hath denied to wait unto Prayer and Praises but prayeth in her own strength and time her Praise is abomination to the Lord and she calls that straying from God which was leading unto God and so hath forsaken the right way and hath cast the way of God behind her back and resisted him who would have led her out of darkness and out of confusion Whereas she speaks of God remembring her To which I answer he will remember her to plague her who hath brought dishonour to his great Name and hath called his way the way of error and of deceit and his real Truth a shew or notion she hath chosen her own way the way of destruction Whereas she speaks being turned from owning these particulars she was restored to those joyes that once she had I answer She is returned with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire and there 's her joy and she now joys in the earthly dust in Forms and Traditions and likenesses of things and knows not what it is to joy in God the Substance as by her writings it is made manifest who hath denied Salvation by Christ within and hath denied to wait upon God for the Power of his Spirit and
calls them deceitfull Principles she hath chosen the way of Death rather then the way of Life and hath taken her self to follow shaddows and likenesses and neglected the Substance which is Christ within the hope of glory her latter end is worse then her beginning and the Parable is fulfilled upon her And she speaks in the 126. pag. of Satan being discovered under his vail and in particular as to that of being saved by a Christ within and not by a Christ without and the Lord was pleased to shew her it was quite another thing differing from the Gospel and that it was attended with this evil consequence to overthrow the whole Gospel and to deny the Lord that bought them I answer I charge her here as in the presence of God with belying the Lord and with horrible Basphemy who saith That that which the Saints and servants of God witnessed who Preached the Gospel and established it Christ within manifested is quite another thing differing from the Gospel and that it is attended to overthrow the whole Gospel O horrible Blasphemy and belying the Lord who saith that the Lord was pleased to shew her it did ever he shew any Lyes all take notice of this wicked and horrible Blasphemer the Lord rebuke that unclean spirit of Antichrist in her She goes on and saith then secondly as to that of waiting for a power to Pray and that here was no command but from within concerning both these the Lord was pleased to shew that it was not according to his minde but a meer invention of Satan and that it was attended with this evill consequence to slight Scriptures and Commands of God and to expose the soul to Satans deceivings to walk by the imaginations of their own heart instead of the motions of the Spirit I answer The Saints waited for the moving of the Spirit which was power in them to help them to pray they knew not to Pray as they ought without it and this command and help they had not without them but within them And I again here charge her with belying the Lord and with notorious Blasphemy who saith that that which the Saints witnessed waiting for the power of the Spirit to Pray is not according to the minde of the Lord but an invention of Satan and she is not ashamed to say the Lord shewed her and the same which they witnessed who spoke forth the Scripture and which walked in the Commands of God tends to slight Scriptures and commands of God and to expose the soul to Satans deceivings this is Blasphemy and Error and corrupt Principles and she which hath denyed waiting to be led by the motions of the Spirit is led by the imaginations of her own heart is under the power of Satans deceiving and speaks contrary to what the Scripture speaks and so slights it and the Commands of God she hath Blasphemed the God of Heaven and accordingly will the Lord requite her And thus have I for the simple ones sake declared the truth and every single eye may see who it is is led by corrupt principles and what I have written shall she eternally witness to be true and all her co-partners And I pass by the rest of her Book as not worth answering for it is nothing but airy imagination and confusion and death yet raigns in her and in her Book is spoken out by her and she knowes not the Baptism of Saints nor Communion nor the true Church of Christ to that witness in her conscience do I declare and when it shall arise it will eternally witness me Whose Name in the Flesh is EDWARD BURROUGH The Copy of a Letter c. FRiends for so I call you I was moved of the Lord to come into your Assembly to declare the truth from him concerning you as by the eternal Spirit was revealed to me and I do acknowledge it it was a mercy from the Lord that I had that small liberty which I had to clear my Conscience amongst you and to discharge my duty in obedience to the Lord and to every ones Conscience am I made manifest whether you will hear or you will forbear truely Friends there is somthing among you which I own and which is owned of my Father but yet many things hath he against you and as I said I now again say from the mouth of the Lord that your Covering is too narrow to hide your shame and your bed too short to stretch your selves upon Now friends the Ordinances of Iesus Christ which you act in you say in obedience to him I do not speak against but do witness them in life and power neither do I judge such amongst you who have entered in at the door by the Principle of God to the Ordinances if any such but you I do declare against and do judge by the infallible Spirit who have in your own wills thrust in your selves and acted by imagination and immitation from the Letter without and not having received the Command from Christ into your selves such I judge to be in deceit deceived by the Serpent which deceives the simple by the likeness of a thing and you that limit the Lord to any outward visible thing that without such can be no Salvation you I judge again to be in deceit and my judgement shall stand for nothing is available that which God once commanded nor that which was not commanded but the new Creature which is born of the immortall Seed contrary to the will of man Truely Friends you are acting in darkness and there is no seperation in you betwixt the precious and the vile betwixt the clean and the unclean for that which did convince you of false Hirelings and of their deceitful worship which is owned of my Father in you hath not been obeyed by you but your minds have been drawn forth from within to obey a thing without and herein have you been bewitched from the obedience of the truth within to obey the letter without as they were which the Scripture speaks of and you are acted in another form and likeness then you were before and which some are acted in yet but by the same spirit and you have a zeale I beare you record but it is not according to knowledge I declare against that spirit by which you are now acted as knowing it to be the spirit of Antichrist and that which is owned by my Father in you is oppressed by you by your wisdom and reason which stands above and is head and rules amongst you which is for destruction and for the Lord to accomplish his wrath upon and happy were you if you knew the day of vengeance which is the acceptable year of the Lord but you are yet full and rich and think you have need of nothing and have a name that you live but you are dead and empty and miserable your form is corrupted and you seek the living among the dead and you act in the form but walks at liberty
Darkness rules in you all and the Law of sin and death and transgression are you all subject to and led captive in your minds affections and desires at the will of the power that leads into transgression called the Devil and in that state you are all strangers to God and are without him in the World and ignorant of the knowledge of his Wayes and are in the perishing state for want of Knowledge and subject to the curse of the power which you transgress and are Heirs of his Wrath having no part of the Inheritance of Blessing for a vail of Darkness through sin hath overspread you all and covered you all from the sight and hearing and feeling of the Creator and of the mystery of his Glory and Wisdom and every one in particular and none excepted of all the Children of Adam upon the face of the whole Earth but all have sinned and transgressed and death reigns over all and blindness of heart hath possessed all and all have fallen short of the glory of the Creator and all men are concluded by his Spirit to be under sin and Children of Wrath and Heirs of Corruption and in disobedience and rebellion to the Life that gives all men a Being The whole World and all People in it without exception of Tribes Generations or Nations this is the state and condition of all the Sons of men all flesh hath corrupted his way upon the Earth in his sight that made it and the wickedness of man is great in the Earth and the imaginations and thoughts of every mans heart are evil continually and grieve the Creator for the whole Earth is filled with violence through mans transgression And now not any Stock or People have priviledge one above another to Redemption and Salvation and to the Kingdom of Peace and Glory but Iew and Gentile Wise and Foolish Noble and Ignoble Male and Female all People without exception are in transgression and by the line and measure of true Judgment are shut out from the Knowledge of Life and Salvation and of the Inheritance of the Father in that state of enmity wherein every man in the World is fallen into and by one the Offence came and so death upon all men which reigneth in the hearts of all and opposeth the Life of the Creator and everyone is imperfect in the sight of the Lord blind deaf dumb lame and without the sence of the Power of him that made him and brought him forth his Eye sees not for it is covered with a vail of darkness neither doth the Ear hear for it is stopped nor the Tongue speak nor the Understanding perceive any thing of the Secrets of the Lord but all are separated and divided from the Tree of Life and are cast out from his Presence by whom the World was made into blindness of heart and to the loathing of your selves and are more ignorant of your Maker then the Ox is of his Owner or the Asse of his Masters Crib for you know not him that gives you life and all good things and that upholds you by the Word of his Power And this is his Word unto you all You are all under the power of Satan and subject to his will acting in iniquity and in evil bringing forth the fruits of death from that ground in which you now stand which is cursed and your Maker hath no pleasure in it for your fruits grieve his Spirit that made you and vex his Soul that brought you forth for man is degenerated into the plant of a strange Vine and brings forth wild Grapes and cursed Fruit which are of a bitter taste unto the Lord's Soul who planted all things for himself who is the good Husbandman but the whole Earth is corrupted and all Mankind in it and man is not now acted nor led nor ruled in his heart by the Power that made him which gives him all good things but the power of Satan the Serpent the old Dragon which deceived from the beginning who is in the enmity against the Life of the Creator he acts man and rules man to the abuse of all Creatures and to his own destruction and every particular man is liable to the wrath and to the curse and to everlasting wo and misery and torment from his Maker in that state of disobedience whereinto all mankind is fallen not one upon the face of the Earth excepted from transgression and so from misery nor none priviledged one above another unto happiness but as I have said Male and Female who were made in the Image of their Maker in the first Creation but now every man in the whole World is in the enmity against the Life of the Power that made him and is a Child of wrath and shut up in blindness and unbelief under the Devils power which power abode not in the Truth but is out of the Truth and all mankind is left in this condition without Help or Helper or Deliverance or Means or Way of Salvation from himself or any other Creature upon the face of the whole Earth but is a Sheep without a Shepherd straying and wandring in the thoughts of his own heart after vanity and that wherein there is no profit to the Lord nor to his own Soul but death and sorrow in all his wayes having forsaken the Fountain of living Waters and gone a whoring after other Lovers and defiled himself and so brought destruction upon himself by his own doings who abounds in all Evil Lying Theft Murder Envy Strife stealing and Whoredom and such like which are the fruits of the Ground that is cursed for mans sake But now unto all People the Sons and Daughters of Adam the first man that ever was made Though you be thus fallen into misery by transgression and helpless from your selves or from any other Creature yet hath the living God the Power which made you and which you have transgressed against ordained and prepared a Way to be restored and healed and to be brought to the injoyment and feeling of the Creator from the disobedience and from the curse and misery unto the blessing and happiness and unto all mankind in particular is prepared a Way out of Death unto Life out of the loss which every man hath received in Transgression to Salvation and Redemption and Deliverance out of the captivity and bondage which all are fallen into into liberty and freedom to serve his Maker and to glorifie him for he hath not been served nor glorified but grieved and vexed by all men on the Earth and so he hath brought misery and the curse upon all by forsaking them and leaving them under the Power which made them not to be led and guided by it in rebellion unto destruction And now this same Power by which man was made is mans Restorer and Deliverer and Redeemer and Saviour though he hath transgressed against it for when there was none to help noâ— to save of any creature upon the face of the
God did then for God and his Spirit is the same as ever was and what he once â—aâ—ed he hates forever and no other Christ do we â—â—clare forth which we witness to be made manifest within but that Christ which dyed at Ierusalem which suffered by the chief Priests and Elders of the People he was and is the true Christ which said He was the Light of the World And was the Light which had enlightened every man that comes into the World and which said Except a man would deny the World and take up his daily cross and follow him he could not he his Disciple And which cryed wo against them which were called of men Masters and that had the chief Places in the Assemblies and that stood praying in the Synagogues c. and they who denyed him to be the Light of the World and which tooâ— not up the Cross and which were called of men Masters and had the chiefest Places in the Assemblies and stood praying in the Synagogues and went in long Robes these were Antichrists and â—ere acted by a contrary spirit then the true Christ. And here again I charge all the Teachers and People in the presence of the Lord God who deny Christ to be the Light in every one which reproves for sin and who are called of men Masters and stand praying in the 〈◊〉 and go in long â—obes and who uphold such things and who take not up the daily Cross of Christ but live at liberty in their wills and desires that they are Antichrists and that their spirit is not the Spirit of the true Christ which dyed at Ierusalem but the spirit of a false christ and so they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us and the same Christ do we witness which the Saints of old witnessed whose blood cleansed them from all sin and in whose Power they had power over sin death and hell And here again I charge the Teachers and People who say That the Saints must not be cleansed from sin nor cease to commit sin while they are on the Earth That the Christ which they profess is not the Christ which dyed at Jerusalem but a spirit contrary and not the Christ which the Saints witnessed and all the People are blind which cannot see these things Did the true Christ once say He was the Light of the World of every man that comes into the World And is that his Spirit in the Teachers and Prâ—…ssors now which say Every man hath not the Light of Christ in him Was that the true Christ which said Except you take up my Cross daily you cannot be my Disciples And is that his Spirit in the Teachers and People that hath its liberty and live in Pride in Lust and Vanity and their own Wills was that the true Christ which cryed wo against them that were called of men Masters and that had the chief Places in the Assemblies and stood praying in the Synagogues c And is that his Spirit in the Teachers and People which act and uphold those things Was 〈◊〉 the true Christ which the Saints witnessed by whose Blood they 〈◊〉 cleâ—sed from sin and had power over sin and is that his Spirit in the Teachers and People which saith The Saints must not be cleâ—sed from si◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to câ—…t sin while they are 〈◊〉 Earth Oh blind and ignorant People who cannot discern between the 〈◊〉 Christ and Antichrist which is contrary to Christ and which leads now to act and speak contrary to what the true Christ once acted and spoke and no other Gospeâ— do we preach but that which the Apostles preached which they received not froâ— nor by man but by the revelation of Iesus Christ which was contrary to man and which suffered by man for the preaching of it who preached to the Spiâ—… in Prison to redeem the captives and by which the fleshly man was judged in the 〈◊〉 that man might live according to God in Spirit and this Gospl we witness to have received not from man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ which is contrary to man for which we are persecuted and suffer by man neither do wâ— speak to the wisdom and reason but we preach to the Spirits in Prison that the fleshly man may be judged in the flesh that man may live according to God 〈◊〉 the Spirit this will many witness with us that by the preaching of our Gospeâ— liberty is brought to the captives and the fleshly man is judgest and the Spirit which was in Prison is set free And here again I charge the Teachers of this Generation That their gospel which they preach is not the Gospel which the Saints preached but another gospel and they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us for they have received their gospel from man and by man from the Printers aâ—â— Stationers and are made Minister of it by the will of man at Schools and â—niversities and their preaching is in the will of man a limited time and place neither do they suffer by man but are set up with man and feed the wisdom 〈◊〉 reason of man and the fleshly man is not judged nor the captives redeemed 〈◊〉 their gospel which they preach here they are accursed which preach anotâ—… gospel as saith the Scripture And ye are a blind and ignorant People which cannot see these things Did they that preached the true Gospel receive it contrary to the will of man and can it now be received by the will of man Did they which preached it suffer for it by man and can they now who preach it beâ—… up by man who live in the same persecuting nature Did the true Gospel oâ—… judge the fleshly man and lead to live according to God in the Spirit and doâ—… it now give liberty to the fleshly man to live after the flesh in the lust of it 〈◊〉 the Teachers and Professor of this Generation do who profess the Gospel 〈◊〉 are discovered not to be come to the Law And the Scripture we own to be 〈◊〉 true Declaration of the Life which they lived in which spoke them â—orth and 〈◊〉 the same Spirit from which they were spoken which we have received do we 〈◊〉 to our seals that they are â—rue and the Scripture is ours who walk in the Life 〈◊〉 it proud men spoke it not forth nor they that sought for their gain from theâ—â— quarter nor they that preached for hire nor they that were called 〈◊〉 men master but persecuted them that spoke it forth and denyed it when it was spoken And here again I charge it upon the Teachers and Professors of this Generation that they deny the Scripture and are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsly accuse us for they say None must be perfect upon the Earth when as 〈◊〉 Scripture declares of such as were perfect upon Earth And they say None 〈◊〉 be free from sin when as the Scripture declares of such as were
from the committing of sin And the sum of thy doctrine is no more then that which thou wouldst make error in us though sometimes thou art railing against Perfection and sometimes owning it under some particular accounts not under all and so one while builds up and another while throwest down and so art in Babylon Thou sayest There are thousands of perfect men in England c. yet thy false conclusion is because we hold Perfection Therefore is our Light the light of Satan c. I leave it to the simple minde to read thy confusion and shall rake no longer in it Thy Tenth Argument is Such is the Quakers Light viz. Which teacheth men to revile and throw filth upon the true Ministers and true Churches of Christ therefore it is the light of Satan c. Answ. This Foundation is another Lye and thy Arguments are to no purpose We revile not neither do throw filth upon the true Ministers and Churches of Christ Thy proof of thy minor position gives not evidence of thy assertion let the wise in Heart judge So much need not be said because both thy proposition and thy proof is false Doth I. Parnel telling Of the Churches being in God c. prove that we revile throw filth upon Ministers c. What blindness is this but yet this will be the Question Who the true Ministers and Churches of Christ are for we judge it not neither doth the Lord to be reviling and throwing filth upon the true Ministers and Churches to call you greedy dumb Dogs that seek for your Gain from your Quarter and can never have enough and Hirelings that preach for Hire and divine for Money and Devourers of the Flock who feed your selves with the Fat and make a Prey through Covetousness upon the People acting the horrible filthy thing which Ieremiah cried against and to call you evil Beasts and Slow-bellies which teach for filthy Lucre as â—â—â—l did And much more such like may truly be spoken of you by the Spirit of the Lord and no railing against the Ministers of Christ no more then the true Prophets which spoke the same Language for who act those things which the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles declared against are no Ministers of Christ and here we find you in the steps of the false Prophets and Scribes and Pharisees and false Apostles if any ask the particulars I can give testimony hereof so that we make a great difference between reproving and condemning false Teachers and Hirelings and reviling the true Ministers of Christ prove your selves to be true Ministers of Christ and we shall joyn with you otherwise we must set to our seal against you for your abominations and shall as justly deny your Idol Temples and Worship therein to be the true Churches of Christ as we deny you to be Ministers for your works do make you manifest even your wickedness is discovered what rudeness and wildness and pride and vain glory is among you and Christ never had such a Body who were made up of such Members but I do the rather pitty your blind People than you for you are the blind Leaders of the Blind and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men and enter not your selves nor will suffer others This is true upon you and so are proved to be the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and Hipocrites This is no reviling but the Language of the Spirir of God which Christ once spoke to such as you I speak of thee and thy Generation and we own and honour the true Ministers and Churches of Christ and revile them not but deny you and bear our witness against you Then thou sayest See what is required by the Apostles Example to bring you into the Ministry and prove you have it not To which I answer You have not the call of the Apostles who were called by the imediate Spirit none of you dare own this that I have yet heard of neither have you received your Gospel as they did by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and thou hast confessed it In Page fifty one thou sayst plainly You own no such Revelation and so hast manifested thy selfe to be without the abillities of the true Ministers in these two particulars and many more which might be mentioned and also in that which the Apostle saith He that preaches the Gospel shall live of the Gospel Now by an outward Law you are maintained through oppression of the Innocent as before I have proved for if you had not a Law to defend you in your Maintenance you might starve or beg So your gospel doth not maintain you but the Law of the Nation through oppression of the People And the Apostle preached Christ Jesus to be the Light which hath Lightened every man that cometh into the World and this you deny And much more migh be testified against you wherein you are not only short but contrary to the true Ministers of Christ. Thâ—â— thou shamelesly pleadst for the ordination by the Bishops which I shall pass by as not worth minding to set pen to paper about it and in conclusion thou sayest Thâ—… pleadst not for every particular Minister c. neither do I plead against any one Minister of Christ but against hirelings for which thou pleadst and so thy darkness is of Satan and not the Light of Christ take thy Conclusion to thy self for unto thee it belongs Thy eleventh Argument is Such is the Quakers light viz. which brags of the infallible Spirit and yet cannot speak good sence or reason therefore is the light of Satan c. Answ. This is also false and a Lye whom hast thou heard brag by word or writing of an infallible Spirit but the Spirit of God we say is infallible and that Spirit we have received in its measure but thy Lye I bear witness against and thee the father of it And thou sayst the Spirit of God speaks rationally and sence and thou sayst Satan also can speak likewise then that can be no clear discovery or difference betwixt them if they speak alike And thou sayst further Seeing the witty Jesuits cannot do the business now try if foolish Quakers can do it c. Thou art herein divided from some of thy Brethren who hath as unjustly as thoâ— accused us to be Jesuits but any thing you will say which may make for your turn to uphold the Kingdom of Satan but your Lyes and Reproaches are unto us great riches and our innocency will the Lord bring forth in his time and your wickedness shall fall upon your own heads in a moment but thy proof of thy minor position testifies no such thing against us as speaking rational or non-sence so thy position is false that we brag c. And thy proof is not for thy purpose thâ—â— we cannot speak good sence or reason so in thy whole business thou art found a Lyar and the Lyars Portion is the Lake this is truth and no reviling only
you filled with confusions and thus it is justly come to pass upon you because of your transgressions Again you say In the sâ—â— neglect and wâ—â—t of Activity Resolution and Integrity in Magistrates and others impowered therein for the punishment and suppression of Vice and crying Enormities I answer True it is a sad neglect and want of Activity and Integrity in the Magistrates hath been and is to punish and suppress vice and therefore it abounds in all fulness in the very Streets and it hath been wholly contrary for Vice hath gone at liberty while the Magistrates and such who have been impowered have been active and full of rigour and no neglect found in them to punish or rather to oppress and suppress the Innocent and Meek of the Earth and even they have done violence to the Harmless witness most parts of Prisons this day in England how many have been beat and abused and haled and knocked down with Staves in the sight of some of the Magistrates and how many have been imprisoned for passing on the High-wayes and through their Towns and some for declaring against Vice and crying Enormities which one day must be laid to yours and their charge for a sad neglect hath been for want of Justice and true Judgment and they that have been impowered have turned their power against the Lord and have been active to lay their Sword upon the guiltless while the guilty have gone free witness many who have been beat in your Steeple-houses by violent men and afterwards committed to Prison while the Peace-breakers and Violent have gone free and indeed it is time to lay these things to heart for till you purge your selves from these iniquities you shall never be established nor your Dominions in peace for these things and such like abominations are you filled with distractions and fears compass you about and that justly from the hand of the Lord as the Light in your Consciences shall answer in the dreadfull day of account which cometh suddenly upon you Again you say In the abominable blasphemies vented and spread of late through the Apostacy of and the abuse of liberty by many professing Religion Answ. No doubt but Blasphemy is a crying sin whereof the Land is guilty if you were able to judge thereof but rather indeed this cause is not rightly stated for you call that Blasphemy which is Truth such is the grievous ignorance of some of you And this I am sure is your greater sin condemning the guiltless rather then suffering the guilty in this particular Friends beware lest your judgment be so corrupted that you call evil good and good evil and thereupon approve the evil and reprove the good being given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind and such were the sins of the Rulers in Israel who persecuted the true Prophets under the account of Blasphemy and such like and approved of the Prophets that prophesied falsly and of the Priests that bore rule by their means for the People loved to have it so Ier. 5. My soul wisheth that you Rulers may be wise and ye Judges may be learned in this particular lest you go in the way of your fore-fathers to destruction persecuting the Innocent without cause through false judgment of the way of Truth which may be called by you Heresie and Blasphemy who in the blindness of your minds cannot discern of the things of God for in that way which the wisdom of the World calls Heresie do we worship the God of our Fathers and verily so much the more I may warn you herein to take heed for the time to come because you have some of you been highly guilty of this transgression of late even in condemning the guiltless concerning this offence so that thus for you I may more truly state the particular In the abominable violence and oppressions acted of late upon the Innocent and them who have worshipped God in the Spirit through the wickedness of some Rulers and the abuse of liberty by them which have professed love to God and his Way through the false judgments and unsavoury opinions of many who have called Truth Error and the Way of God Blasphemy And this is your sin of which if you that are guilty repent not and turn from it and beware of it for time to come your honour shall fall into the dust and your fall shall be more deeper into confusion and destruction then any that have yet gone before you for of late the Lord powerfully hath begun to work and to vent his Truths through the Mouthes of his Servants and to bring out of the Apostacy and Blasphemies which hath reigned since the dayes of the Apostles the true and pure Religion which stands in the exercise of a pure Conscience Again you say In the little love and tenderness which is even amongst Professors themselves towards one another who whilest they contend for things disputeable lose thâ— which is certain even charity without which they become as sounding Brass or tinkling Cymbals Answ. This is also your sin and the sin of the Nation want of love and tenderness in Professors towards God and one towards another and that love which appears is but the shew and in the form and likeness of things and not from the true ground of love and peace and these are they that hate the Light and walk not in the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath lighted every man that comes into the World in which the unity of the Saints doth stand and in which their love is one to another and they that are out of the Light are without charity which is the bond of perfection and these that know not the Light of Christ to guide them in the Wayes of God are in all their profession and words and actions as sounding Brass and as a tinkling Cymbal and these are they that are in the Disputes and Contentions and Strife about the Letter drawing their own Consequences and Deductions from it in their own wisdom and knowledge and sensual understanding and those lose the Substance and know not that which is certain Christ Jesus in them to be Ruler over them but are as dry Trees to be plucked up and all their Profession will wither and all their pretended love will perish and their shew of things in the outward appearance will be confounded who know not the Light of Christ to guide them which Light is the ground of true love and tenderness and brings to the knowledge of things certain out of the contention of things disputable But further you say In allowing difference in Forms more power to divide Christians then Agreements in fundamentals has to unite them one of the dangerousest and fruitfulest seeds that hath been sown by the envious One Answ. Christians are they that follow Christ Jesus who are not so only in name but in practice and they are one and cannot be divided as they walk in the Light which comes from Christ who is
Leaf and as an ungirded Vessel full of strife and distraction fears and jealousies eveâ— among your own selves unsetled in your Wayes and Thoughts in Truth Mercy and Peace but in Gainsayings and Oppositions and Confusions stand tottering like a rotten Hedge and the Proud are exalted and the poor are despised and they that love Sion are set at nought and verily you go not the way to settle the Nations upon the true Foundation but backslides from the Way of Truth Which is the Foundation upholding of iniquity and establishing the false Prophets and Diviners by a Law and such whom the Lords wrath is against who upholds the horrible filthy thing and abominations of the Earth and confusion is upon them till they be overthrown never to deceive the Nations more Therefore hear ye Deaf and look ye Blind and understand ye Hard-hearted love Truth and Mercy and Peace in your own hearts and and depart from Iniquity and cast away your Idols and cease from evil and learn to do well and put away the evil of own doings and turn to the Lord in this the day of your Visitation and to the Light of Christ Jesus wherewith he hath lightened you take heed thereby to be guided every one in particular in fear and tenderness towards God and towards man not ruling in Tyranny and Oppression nor making Laws in your own wills according to your own thoughts as some that went before you have done till they were cut off as you are Witnesses who were made in the Hand of the Lord their Executioners and if you follow in any measure their Example of Wickedness take them for an Example in a cursed end in love to all your Souls this I write and not to shame you in your wickedness but rather that you may repent and that you may know how to exercise your selves in the Law of God towards the Nations and that every Burden may be removed and the Oppressed may go free and the Bands of Iniquity may be broken and this is the Fast accepted of the Lord required of him from you which if you observe with your whole hearts a Blessing will the Lord made you unto the Nations in this present Age and unto your selves for evermore but if you hearden your hearts against the Lord and tread in the steps of your fore-fathers and seek to limit the Holy One or to bind the tender Consciences of the People of God then shall you fall into their perdition and be swallowed up in everlasting confusion and your Memorial shall stink in Generations to come and shall be a hissing among the Heathen Kingdoms and deliverance will God bring another way unto his People to your overthrow if you walk not in the Counsel of the Lord. And whereas upon the considerations and purposes aforesaid you have ordered that a Day be observed and kept for solemn Humiliation and seeking the Face of God through the mediation of Christ in England Scotland and Ireland To which in much tenderness of spirit I desire to say That if you seek his Face in the hardness of your hearts and in the way of your own precepts while the yoke of the great Oppressions in the Nations are not broken from off the neck of the Poor his Face you shall not behold though you seek it but in vain shall you weary your selves and shall travel without issue as to that which you desire and his Countenance shall be hid from you till he shew his Face for evil against you and not for good and to you it shall be said To what purpose are your Oblations and your solemn Meeting Who hath required it at your hands even your own doings and appointed Altars of Inventions which the Lord cannot accept from you Therefore give ear ye Mountains and listen ye tall Cedars if you establish the false Prophets which makes a prey upon the people through covetousness and which acteth the abominations of Israel in preaching for Hire and divining for Money and in crying peace to the wicked by a Law and maintain them through the oppression of the Poor in the crying Oppression of Tythes or otherwise imposing such things upon the tender Consciences by any Act or Statute made or allowed by you God shall not hear your cry nor answer your request nor ever establish you in peace nor the Nations over which you are set likewise if you make a Law or allow such a one to be acted which any way may tye or limit the Spirit of the Lord in any of his Servants from reproving the abominations of the Times in Rulers Teachers or People in your Streets or Temples or places otherwise at any time whatsoever the Lord will not hold you guiltless nay assuredly if you do but hide your face from the Suffering of such who through the wickedness of some under you may be afflicted upon such an account you shall not be altogether Innocent but Gods hand shall be upon you likewise If any for Conscience sake deny to Swear upon any account according to the former vain Customs of the Nations trained up thereto in ignorance and blindness in humane traditions and thereupon suffer Imprisonment or Fining or otherwise howsoever by any Order from you or any subordinate Powers you shall be guilty in the sight of God of that suffering the Innocent in such a cause much more shall you be guilty if by any means in any cause upon any condition men be compelled by any Authority of this Nation to swear likewise if any suffer for not bowing the Hat or Knee to any of you or any of your Judges or under Officers and thereupon be accounted Transgressors the Lord shall account such things Oppression from your hands and Tyranny and Cruelty and you shall not escape unpunished as the Lord lives these and many more Abominations cries for Vengeance against some of you who have had your hands deeply dipped in such Oppression and therefore to you this is a Warning to break off these sins by righteousness and these evils by true repentance lest your Fasts prove only for Strife and to smite with the fist of Wickedness Clear your selves and wash you hands from these Abominations lest the fruit of them be given you to eat for Food and let this oh ye Rulers be acceptable councel unto you that the dayes of Happiness may appear and the long expected and waited for day of Liberty may yet dawn through this dark night of Bondage which overshadows your heads that you cannot behold the glory of the Son and herein shall you be established and we shall have cause to bless the Lord for you and with you otherwise you shall never be renowned but all your counsels and purposes shall fail and be cursed of the Lord and evil shall be upon you and upon the Nation for your sakes And all you that fear God listen and give audience and let the fear of the Lord be before your eyes and keep your selves pure from
Teâ—chers of this Age they have Hire for preaching and great sums of Money 〈◊〉 they say they lean upon the Lord of these things there needs no proof they are so plain in every Town and Country where the Priests preach for Hire and the Prophets divine for Money And herein they fitly agree and concur with the Deceivers of old and follow them as an example shewing that they walk by the very same spirit 4. Again the false Shepherds of Israel were like Foxes in the desarts for they followed their own spirits and had seen nothing but lying Divinations saying the Lord said when the Lord had not sent them and they seduced the People saying Peace and there was no peace to them from God and one builded a Wall and another daubed it with untempered Morter and with Lyes the Heart of the Righteous they made sad whom the Lord had not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life And this is a fit parallel to the Teachers of this Age for they follow their own spirits because they do things contrary to the spirit of Jesus and they have seen nothing but lying vanities and divinations whereby they do seduce the People by telling them they are Christians and that they are Baptized into the FAITH of Christ and that they have the Seal of the remission of sins by being sprinkled with water when they were Infants and these are lying Divinations by which they seduce people and say they shall have peace while they still continue in sin and thus they build a Wall and daub it with untempered Morter and make a Christian of their own and 〈◊〉 him with false hopes and with such Lyes as these and many other which they declare for doctrine the heart of the Righteous is made sad at this day and the hands of the wicked is strengthned that he cannot turn from his wicked way for life is promised to him though he be wicked and ungodly living in all unrighteousness for they tell him Christ is his righteousness to justifie him and then he thinks he need not to turn from his sins and so their hands are strengthned that they cannot turn from their sins And herein the Teachers of this Age and false Prophets do fully agree and are so like one to the other as Children of one Father and their works are so alike as crafts-men of one Science and thus they are one in union and follows the same spirit 5. Again the Shepherds of Israel and idle Pastors and Deceivers they eat the fat and they clothed themselves with the wool and they killed them that were fed but thy feed not the Flock the diseased they did not strengthen neither healed they the SICI neither bound they up the broken neither brought they again that which was driven 〈◊〉 neither did they seek again that which was lost but with Force and Cruelty they ruled 〈◊〉 Flock and it was scattered and become meat to all the Beasts of the Field and the 〈◊〉 wandred throughout all the Mountains and the flock was scattered and none of the 〈◊〉 herds did search or seek after them and they eat and drank up the good of the Pâ—… and trod down the residue with their feet and they thrust with side and with shâ—… and they pushed all the Diseased with their horn till they scattered them abroad Nâ—â— this is a fit comparison with the practise of the Teachers of this Age for 〈◊〉 eat the fat and lives in pleasures and fulness most of any and they clothe with the Wool for they claim the tenth part of every mans Wool And if any be fed by the true Shepherd they seek to kill them and to devour their Life 〈◊〉 causing them to be imprisoned and cruelty done unto them and they feed 〈◊〉 the Flock neither do they strengthen the diseased nor heale the sick neither 〈◊〉 they up the broken for if any be wounded and cries out because of the bâ—â— den of sin and be sick and broken and trembles at the WORD of the Lord such they cry out are deceived and mock at them and the Image of God which hath been driven away lost they have not sought in People but with cruelty 〈◊〉 they ruled among People by running to Magistrates and causing such to be put 〈◊〉 prison that would not help to maintain them and thus with cruelty do 〈◊〉 rule among People as it is witnessed by many Testimonies in England and the people are scattered and wandred into many Sects and false Judgments and 〈◊〉 Opinions and they are not sought after by the Teachers of this Age to reâ—… them to the Truth by sound Doctrine but they persecute them and the Shephâ—… feed themselves and not the Flock and even eat up the good pasture and trâ—… down the residue and drink of the deep Waters and fouls the residue with tâ—… feet so that none that follow them can drink of the pure Waters nor eat of the Bread of Life and they thrust with side and with shoulder and push all the diseased which are wounded because of their sin who is ready to die for want of the Bread of life which denies and are weary of their abominations these they push at with their horns and causeth to be persecuted and thus they fitly agree with the false Shepherds of Israel and is no whit wanting in any thing wherein they were guilty but rather abounding which sheweth that they follow the same spirit and are of the same stock and seed and the Lord is against these as he was against them in old time and no more are these Ministers of Christ that acts these things then they were which acted the same things by the same spirit and this is plain to all that shuts not their eye and stops not their ear 6. Again the false Prophets and Deceivers they made the people err and did bite with their Teeth and cried peace but they that put not into their Mouths they prepare War against them as you may read Micah 3. now the Teachers of this Age brings forth the very same for they cry peace unto all that puts into their mouths though people be never so ungodly if they will maintain them they cry peace to them but if people put not into their mouths they prepare war against them by suing them at the Law and casting them into Prison if any deny to pay them Tythes or Money though they have no due to it by the Law of Christ such do prepare open war against them by distraining their Goods and taking treble damages and casting their bodies into bonds and herein the Teachers of this Age agrees with the false Prophets of Israel can any man be so blind that doth not see it doth any man stop their ear so as that they cannot hear this to be true they shew themselves in all things to be one with the false
then come and so they did deceive many as these do deceive many in the same way as them that went before them And so let it not be a thing incredible to the people of these Nations that many of these Teachers which are called Ministers are Deceivers generally bâ—â— if there be any one that â—ears God among them or loves Truth and Sincerity it will be made manifest and such I spare and they shall be spared in the day 〈◊〉 the Lord but yet I say generally and the main part of them even they 〈◊〉 bring forth these fruits before mentioned which the false Prophets brought forth are not the Ministers of Christ but Deceivers the Scripture their own professed Rule doth prove them so for it must needs be that they must be the same men that they were whose spirit they walk by and whose fruits they bring forth and this cannot be avoided they are the same trees that brings forth the same fruits and let no man blame me for saying such are Deceivers that preach for hire and divine for money and goes for giâ—ts and rewards and that are called oâ— men Master and have the chief place in the Assemblies and are covetous and high-minded and seeks for their gain from their Quarter with those things which I have mentioned which are the same things which the false Prophets acted in Ages past I am not now to be blamed for saying These are Deceivers who are acting such things now in this Age as they acted then that were Deceivers but if you blame any begin with Isaiah and Micah and Ezekiel and Christ and his Apostles and the rest of the holy men of God for they are my examples in this who did declare against them that brought forth such works as these do that I have declared against and I have done the Teachers of this Age no wrong for judging them by their own Line and laying them to their own professed Rule therefore do not rage at me nor do not be offended aâ— this for I have but compared them with the Ministers of Christ and with the Ministers of Antichrist and shewed wherein they do agree to the one and disagree to the other and all People may see and the Light in all Consciences may judge of what I have said so that as I said at the first I may again say What think you Was there ever such a Generation of Teachers I now answer Yea There was in the dayes of the true Prophets and in the dayes of the Apostles there were such as these are which were Deceivers and in the times of Christ there were such a Generation as these are who acted the same things by the same spirit as these do at this day Let them reply to this that will my Question is sober and my Answer is just and right and I have dealt faithfully and you may read the Scriptures that I have quoted for your own satisfaction for though they falsly say the Scripture is their Rule and accuse us falsly that we deny the Scripture yet the Scripture shall be Judge between us in this matter and what I have done is not in envy to any mans person neither in upbraiding them in their wickedness but I do it rather to shew them all their iniquities that they may repent and this I have done in perfect love to all people for the Day is come that hath brought hidden things to Light and Deceit and Hypocrisie which hath lain hid is now fully made manifest as at Noon-day But again secondly I answer In some respects I do believe there was never such a Generation of Teachers as these are for we do not read in all the Scriptures concerning the false Prophets that they were so extreamly covetous and greedy of gain as these are or that ever they took such desperate wicked unlawful courses to get their maintenance and compel people to pay them as these Teachers do a very shame to rehearse it and to their shame I do rehearse it many a poor man in this Nation hath been sued by them at the LAW and put in PRISON by their means and had their Goods spoiled in a woful manner for to maintain them and to uphold them yea some hundreds of poor people in this Nation have been dealt cruelly by and unjustly with because for Conscience sake they have denied to maintain them to pay them Tythes and such like this may be proved that for five Shillings unjustly claimed by them they have taken Goods by Distraint to the value of five times so much as Cumberland and Westmerland can witness and many at this very day lie in Holes and Prisons by the means of the Priests who tear the People as Wolves do the Sheep it s even woful to be considered what havock is made of some mens persons and some mens GOODS and all to maintain the Teachers The like never was in any Generation as it is brought forth in this Generation in this particular And again their exceeding covetousness and greediness of Lucre doth appear in that they claim Wages of People and do compel People to pay them Wages after this manner as I have said for which people they do no work neither do these people receive any work done by them with whom they thus deal What thing can be more unjust under Heaven that they should compel people by a Law to pay them and thus punish them if they will not who set them not on work and for whom they do no work neither do the people like their work or love it but know it to be deceitful and yet are compelled by a Law to pay them they have such a way to get money that no Trades-man hath the like of it besides themselves for they cause People and compel people to buy their Wares and they compel people to pay for their Commodity which have none of it nor love it and this is more unjust then may be spoken Are they like Ministers of Christ Or do they follow their example in these practises What do you judge All people bring in your Verdict or are they not like Deceivers herein even exceeding all that ever went before It is true They which preach the Gospel should live on the Gospel this Argument we do own but let these men be tryed and see if by their preaching their Gospel they have gained so much love in people as to maintain them without the Law and without compelling of Maintenance Lively-hood from them by a Law let but the Law cease to compel Tythes and other things from people to maintain them see whether their Gospel will maintain them or not let but the Magistrates hold up their hands from causing people to pay them Tythes by their orders writs and I 'le undertake as I do believe they must either beg or work or a worse thing for a lively-hood or else perish so little love is there in their own People towards them nor have
Treasure and we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels even the knowledge of those things which are Eternal which is not our own but the Lords to give forth according to his movings and of those things have we Handled Tasted and Felt. CHAP. XVIII Concerning what VVorks are accepted of God and what VVorks are not accepted brought forth by the Creature WHatsoever work man is moved and led unto by the Spirit of God and guided and ruled in the practice of to speak or act whatsoever by the same Spirit which moveth and leadeth into all the works of righteousness and not into any evil this is acceptable in the sight of the Lord and these works are well pleasing to him where the Lord goes before and is the leader in all things and this man and his works who is led with the Spirit of the Father is justified and accepted of God and not for the Creatures sake who respects not the person of any but for his own Name sake because they are wrought in him through faith and is moved unto and guided in by his own Spirit and they arise from Gods Righteousness revealed in the Creature and not from the righteousness of the Creature for man being changed and replanted into the Living Vine and the Root being good every work which springeth forth from it is good also and accepted of God because the Root is so But whatsoever works are brought forth by any Creature though the same in appearance which are accepted of God from another yet not being moved unto nor guided in by the Spirit of the Father but brought forth in the will and wisdom of the Creature which is from below and acted in imitation from the Saints words these works are not accepted and well pleasing unto God but is offence unto him and sin against him even the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto him and if a man come before the Lord with thousands of Rams and ten thousand of Rivers of Oyl and if he give the fruit of his Body for the sin of the Soul and cover the Alter with tears and is not led with a measure of Gods Spirit none of all these works are accepted nor his Preaching Praying Baptism nor Breaking of Bread nor any other Observances towards God whatsoever are not good in his sight but evil and to be contemned and the Root from whence they spring because man is in the Enmity against him and not changed out of the old Root nor in that state is not led with the holy Spirit of the Father and the Root being Bad the Branches are evil and none are accepted of God in any thing which they perform towards him but such as are in Christ Jesus the second Adam and such are new Creatures so that it is not for the Creatures sake that any work is accepted of or offence against God but only for his Name sake and because of being guided or not of being guided with the Measure of Gods Pure Spirit Therefore is man and his works good and accepted or evil and not regarded but condemned of God CHAP. XIX Concerning mans state in the first Adam before Conversion and his state after Conversion and what Conversion is MAns state in the first Adam in transgression is a state of perfect enmity against God and Death rigns in every man and he is possessed with Blindness and Ignorance and unbelief and is wholly imperfect to receive the things of Gods Kingdom or to act any thing for God acceptable to him man in that state is wholly Dead to God and insensible of the Presence and Power and Life of his Creator for he is drove from God and is not led by him he hath no power to perform any good in the sight of God but is possessed with evil and led into all evil continually he is free from righteousness and free to all evil being the servant of the Devil and subject to him and overcome of him every moment and is led by him to transgress against the Lord his heart is unclean and out of it proceeds continually uncleanness in all manner of words thoughts and actions which flow out of the corrupt Fountain which grieve and vex the Lord and his Spirit who is dishonoured daily by man through his abuse of Gods Creatures who is a Devourer and Destroyer of them and not a Preserver as he ought to be who abuseth them upon his Lust and not to the Glory of the Lord he loves the Creature and worships the Creature and is gone a whoring after the Creature and hath forgotten God that made him and all things and hath lost his own dominion wherein he was set in his Creation and his state in his Transgression is cursed of God and without the Peace of God it being in the enmity against him and in all things he is wholly unprofitable to his Maker and onely profitable to himself and to the Devil and this in short is the state of every man in Transgression before Conversion but his state after Conversion is a State more blessed for man is changed and renewed and translated by the Power of the Lord through the working of the eternal Spirit Through Conversion his Mind is changed and his heart is renewed the old is done away and a new Heart is given and all things are become new even every Word and Works and every Intent and Purpose of his Mind is converted into another end and guided by another Spirit than before his Conversion and man is again returned to God into the Sense and Feeling of his Maker and into Covenant with him where he is blessed and all things to him for the Reconciliation is made with God and the evil is judged and condemened and Sin is taken away and blotted out and not remembred For man is become Servant unto God and onely serves him in all things and not himself or any other Creature in any thing for he hath received Power to become Son to God and hath received Power over the Devil and his Temptations and Death is destroyed and the effects of it are ceased and the Sting of it is taken away and Life and Immortallity is brought to Light and man is made capable to act in all things for the Glory of his Maker and God hath made Christ Wisdom to him to rule him and guide him in all things and Righteousness to cover him Justification to him to clear him in his Sight and the new Man is brought forth and the creating in Christ Jesus unto good Works is known and the Birth which is Heir of Gods Kingdom is witnessed and unto this man is the Lord become an everlasting Light and a sure hiding Place for he is not the Servant of Sin but of Righteousness nor an offence to God in any of his Works but for his Names sake is well pleased with him he is his Teacher in all the ways of Peace he is his Helmet and his Shield and his
coming to take an account Your sins cry for vengeance against you and though your hands and tongues have been strengthened to speak and act ungodliness by the evil example of your Rulers yet your own iniquity shall you bear in the day of the Lord and though your Rulers and Judges have been strengthened in their unjustness and mercilesness by the false lying Teachers and Diviners of false visions which have seen vanity yet their own iniquity shall they bear and every man shall die for his own sin Wo unto your Teachers they have eaten up the sin of Rulers and people and covered iniquity and transgression by flattering and lying words they have daubed with untempered morter and healed up the wound deceitfully and cryed peace peace to the wicked that have walked in the imaginations of their own hearts when unto such the Lord never spake peace And now whereas the Rulers and people have stretched forth their hands to vex the Lords people have through unjust judgment and grievous oppressions and unmercifull dealings troden the Innocent under foot and made them a prey to their mouth and divers ways have persecuted in cruel manner the Followers of the Lamb yet also have the wise men of this World even the Priests and Teachers who have led the people and have caused them to err and have set themselves as in battel array against the Lord and his way and people How have you hardened your hearts and made your fore-head as brass against the Word of the Lord and you have been as the fountain of all this wickedness acted against the Just and strengtheners of the hands of ungodly men the Heads and Rulers you have strengthened in their cruelty of false judgments by your arguments of strife in subtilty you have been as nursers of all this Persecution and Wickedness and have interceded for oppression to cause the Just to groan whom the Lord hath raised to testifie against you the Judges they have given regard unto you and the people they have taken you for examples who have been cursed presidents to the Rulers and people who have followed your cruel steps of malice and envy and from the head to the tail they have drunk in your poysonous Doctrines and made themselves drunk therewith and out of reason in their furious zeal of madness and all have taken council together to slay the harmless from off the face of the Earth some by false judgment and oppression and others by cruel abusings as beatings and stonings unheard of or unequalized in Generations of late O ye Priests and Teachers and Wise-men and Scribes how many of you in this Nation joyned hand in hand to betray the Innocent by your false Doctrines and lying Divinations and have filled and sought to do so the mind of the people with slanders and false reproaches lying imaginations and many conceptions and jealousies against the people of God many of you have made it your study-work to bring forth evil by cunning Arguments to suggest into the hearts of people that they might not enter the Kingdom and even so have you been shutters of the Kingdom of Heaven against men and would not enter your selves nor suffer others that would Wo unto you you have taken away the Key of Knowledge and lost it and multitudes of false Aspersions and lying Assertions have you brought forth without fear by wicked consequence and lying productions that you might take away the key of knowledge thereby and hide it from men and lay stumbling-blocks of Iniquity before the people to stop the way of the Upright and you have travelled to seek occasions of evil against the Just and watched for the halting of the Innocent that you might glory and rejoyce in their fall and without any occasion by words or actious you have taken offence and made offences by evil surmisings to blind the eyes of people that your Idolatry might not be discovered nor the Way of Righteousness shine forth O be ashamed and repent for to account must you Come and the sin of Rulers and people whom you have blindy led will be charged against you who have given them wicked examples of cruelty in your Pulpits you have spent time in Railing and Slandering and Lying to infuse evil into the minds of men against the Truth and many books have you given forth and sent abroad from your lying Pens outof your vain studies of false prophesie and mens hearts have been filled with your damnable Doctrines of Devils wherewith the Simple have been poysoned and the Innocent betrayed even great numbers of Books and lying Scroules have gone through the Nation from some of you filled with false Divination and intents of evil against the Way of the Lord and his people and worse than Balaam and far exceeding him have you been you have sought eâ—chantments to curse the people whom God hath blessed altogether and some of you have done it to your evil reward of your evil work and you have not known that there is no divination against the holy Seed Oâ— what will become of you when the Lord is arisen to plead with you 〈◊〉 these things the cruelty and oppression of the Rulers shall be added 〈◊〉 your account and the sin of the people which you have swallowed down it shall be laid to your charge for you have strengthened the hands of Evil-doers so that none could turn from his evil way but have by yâ—… been hardened therein and from you prophaness have gone forth to the ends of the Earth Woe woe is approaching what account will yoâ— render in the day of the Lord you will all be speechless in that day whâ—… the swift Witness doth arise therefore to all you I am moved to write who have set your selves to gain-say the Truth and to write against the people of the Lord whom you call Quakers who walk in the Truth and have received the Truth from the Lord whom you have reproached and slandered in secret and also in open print in the face of the World and have laid many cruel and false Charges and Accusations against them and to all that hath or ever shall hereafter bend your tongues and pens to utter wickedness and falshood by writing or otherwise Repent and cease your wickedness for the wrath of the Lord is kindled against you and take this for an answer in full to all your Books and false reproaches we are of God and he that is of God heareth us and the whole World lies in wickedness and we have the Testimony that we please God and he is our God and we are his People and he hath Chosen us and we have Chosen him and the Name of the Lord is our strength and his Covenant of Life is with us and among us hath he fullfilled his promise and his Spirit is poured forth and sons and daughters do Prophesie and one King reigns upon mount Sion and the night to us is far spent and the day is
confuted thine c. Do not boast but hear what I say thou sayst in that answer that Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father in your Nature Mark now thy Nature and your Nature who are one with thee is sinfull and wicked and of the Devil for so all Lyars are and it is Blasphemy to say sinfull wicked divillish Nature such as Iohn Bunions is and his Fellows is at the right hand of God in Heaven O horrible consider of this and see what thy begging an answer hath brought upon thee I deny though thou affirm it that thy and your Nature which is wicked or a man in that Nature is ascended into Heaven and therefore boast not thy self another time This nakedness of thine might have been covered but for thy own boasting and thou sayst Asts 1. proves it let the Reader search If he can find that Christ ascended in sinful wicked Nature such as theirs is who are one with Iohn Bunion and this is another Lye of the Scripture and though thou with much impudent confidence affirm the Quakers to be Deluders c. I say from that we rather love dispraise then praise and are as our fore-Fathers were counted Deceivers and yet are true and thou art deceived in thy own heart in that thou understandst my words that I should say as though there were no false Prophets now because I said they were in the Apostles dayes which is true and yet are they now too even it s witnessed by thee and thy Fellows who are in their steps who through coveteousness making merchandize of Souls and your people are ever learning and not able to come to the knowledge of the truth and goes for gifts and rewards and are false Accusers and such like Nay but understand me better for I say thou art a false Prophet and thou art now though thy root sprang forth in the time of the Apostles of which thou are a Beanch and thy Fellows And though I said that Antichrist was in the dayes of Iohn and this was before a Quakers was heard of my words I own pâ—…rs that that the Christians were called Quakers at that day if thou canst 〈◊〉 I allow not thee to be my Interperter except I found thee more honest 〈◊〉 doth condemn thy meaning upon my words and though thou sayst instead of moving our selves no false Prophets we prove our selves no Christians because I said that word Quaker was not heard of in those dayes Now consider are they no Christians now whose title or name without was not gives or heard of in the Apostles dayes then Protestants are no Christians nor Independants are no Christians nor Anabaptists are no Christians because they were not called so in the Apostles dayes and whilest thou hast thought to prove us no Christians hast cast out thy self also then thou art no better then we and what poor Arguments and vain consequence these are 〈◊〉 the wise consider I did not say there were no Quakers then but not a Quakers heard of viz. by that name for there were thousands of Quakers who trembled and quaked at the Word of the Lord Moses and David Iereâ—… Isaack Paul with many more Quakers and Tremblers though not then 〈◊〉 called but as I said such as thou hast such thou bringst and thy Master will accept thee Then thou sayst I fling durt in thy face because I said if we should diligently search thee we should find thee in their steps through feigned words through coveteousness making merchandize of Souls loving the wages of unrighteousness And further I said among them thou art found who art preaching 〈◊〉 hire and loves the error of Balaam who went after Gifts and Rewards oâ— Now thou seemest to be grieved and calls this a false Accusation But le ts try the cause admits dispute Art not thou in their steps and among them that do 〈◊〉 things ask Iohn Burion with whom thou art joyned close to vindicate 〈◊〉 and call him Brother hath he not so much yearly 150. l. or more except tâ—… hast some of it which is unrighteous Wages and Hire and Gifts and Rewards What sayst thou Art thou not in his steps and among and with him and then that do these things if he be thy Brother and thou so own him what is 〈◊〉 in him whom thou vindicates I lay upon thee but tell me who have 〈◊〉 thee deny him and the rest of the Independants in these things which 〈◊〉 knowst he doth act and in thy answer I cannot find thee fully clearing thy 〈◊〉 by denyal but sayst That spirit that lead me out of this Way is a lying spirit 〈◊〉 or what Way I say out of the way of preaching for Hire dost thou mean â—y it s a lying spirit in thee that goes in their steps and among them that goes in 〈◊〉 way and though thou bid me have a care of receiving by hear say what I bâ—… said and received in this is truth though thou evade it never so much As to that of some bidding thee throw away the Scriptures c Indeed upon such terms it might be spoken so as to be owned a Lyar and a Slandereâ— is an unfit Fellow to meddle with the Scriptures or to take the Name of the Lord or of the man Christ Jesus in his mouth and I may say truly what hast 〈◊〉 unrighteous person to do to take his Name and truth in thy mouth hateâ—… to be reformed And in that I say of thy crying against Christ within this is true who said there was nothing in thee nor any man without exception to be taken not in of as we may prove by witness though thou deny it then was not Chrâ—… within and what less is this then to cry against him when as thou deayd him within or else concludes he is not worth taking notice of And thoâ—… thou say I falsely speak of thee in saying thou callst the Doctrine of Christ waâ— in false opinions and take in hand to discover it but the falseness is in the who hath uttered that which is untruth and contrary to the Gospel and 〈◊〉 denyes it or would hide thy wickedness for thou having framed an objectiâ—… and speaks of some that are for a Christ within c. and then thou sayst the wilt discover the falsity of such opinions Now thou dost here reckon the Doctrine of Christ within a false opinion or among them at lest let the Reaâ—… judge and be thou silent for shame but all thou sayst clears thee not froâ— what I said of thee God shall judge thee thou lying tongue and deceâ—… heart Then thou chargest me with folly and to eat my first words and to be 〈◊〉 ble in judgement and to fight against the Truth c. From my question aâ—…e doth not the Scripture say Christ is within except you be Reprobates aâ—… not this thus much all are Reprobates but they in whom Christ is within a yet because I said the measure or manifestation of the
and Assemblies of the Lord's People practiz'd the same thing in Ages past as the Servants of the Lord do at this day so this Practice is to be upholden and maintained because it is proved to be according to the Scriptures for the same thing was practiz'd heretofore And we read Acts 20. 7. That the Church met in the Night for Paul continued his Sermon till Midnight And as for their Practice in Speaking either man or Woman as the Spirit gives utterance this is according to the Scriptures though it be much wondred at and cry'd against by the Wise-men and People of this Age for we read Acts 2. that they spoke in their Meeting as the Spirit gave them utterance without studying before-hand what to say And the Lord promised That Sons and Daughters should Prophesie And in Acts 21. 9. we read of one that had four Daughters that did Prophesie And divers other places in Scripture do shew That Women labour'd in the Gospel which doth prove that a Woman speaking and declaring the things of God is not contrary but according to the Scriptures and that any who are moved of the Lord may declare the things of God Man or Woman And the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another So that this Practise in Religion is proved to be according to the Scriptures And as concerning their call to the Ministry some are called from their ordinary callings as from the Plough or from handicraft work or tradings or such like this is according to the Scriptures also for we read Matt. 4. 18 19. where the Disciples were called from their Nets and some were called from the receipt of Custom and we read Amos 7. that he was a Herdsman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit and Elisha was called from the Plough and some others were called from keeping of Sheep So that their call to the Ministry and Practice in the Ministry is according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord in former Ages were called to the Ministry after the same manner so in that they do agree to the Scripture both in Ministry and ministring and so may own protection herein by the Protectors Oath And as concerning their going up and down through the Countries and from City to City and from one Town to another and from one Nation to another this is according to the Scriptures though some seek occasion thereby against them and unjustly take them as for Vagabonds and executes their envy upon them yet it was the Apostles Practice as you may read in the Book of Acts where the Apostles travelled from Country to Country and from one City to another And though some of the Servants of the Lord are moved now to speak and dispute in the Markets and reprove Sin in the Gates and in the Streets and in the High-wayes and threatning God's Judgments against the Wicked all these things are according to Scripture and their Practice herein is justified by the Scriptures for we read Acts 17. 17. That Paul disputed in the Synagogues with the Jews and with the devout Persons and in the Market daily with them that met with him And we read Ier. 7. That he was commanded to stand in the Gate of the Lord's House and to speak to all that passed into it And Ier. 26. we read That he was commanded to stand in the Court of the Lord's House without doors and to speak to all the Cities of Judah And we read in the Book of Ionas How he was commanded to go through the Streets and to reprove Sin and to threaten God's Iudgments against the Wicked and these Practices were strange in that Generation as they are at this day unto the World who are not acquainted with the Wayes of God But all people may see though the Servants of the Lord do practice these things now as they are moved their Practice herein is according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord in former Ages acted the same things so that in this Practice the Servants of the Lord ought not to be persecuted but protected and maintained in it and that by the Protector 's Oath because it is proved to be according to the Scriptures which he is sworn to maintain And as concerning their crying against such and declaring against them by word and writing That Preach for Hire and Divine for Money and seek for their Gain from their Quarter and such who go for Gifts and Rewards and have Sums of Money by the Year for Preaching and though they deny such that act those things to be Ministers of Christ this Practice also is according to the Scriptures for we read in Mic. 3. that he declar'd against such as Preached for Hire and Divined for Money and such were no Ministers of Christ And we read Isa. â—6 that he declared against them that sought for their Gain from their Quarter which were Greedy Covetous men such as are many of the Teachers of England Again we read Mat. 23. where Christ declar'd against such and did not own such to be any of his Ministers Who were called of men Master who stood praying in the Synagogues and had the chief Places in the Assemblies And we read in 2 Pet. 2. and in many other places where the Apostles declared against such and deny'd such to be Ministers of Christ that preached for filthy Lucre and took Gifts and Rewards for Preaching and by feigned words made Merchandize of Souls who were Heady and High-minded-men as you may read 2 Tim. 3. chap. and such men were deny'd to be Ministers of Christ by the Prophets Christ and his Apostles so that all people may see this Practice of the Servants of the Lord at this day who are moved to declare against such men that act these things mentioned is perfectly according to the Scriptures for the Servants of the Lord spoken of in Scripture did the very same things in this particular as are done at this day Therefore for this Practice they ought not to be persecuted as they have been but ought to be protected and maintained in it and that by the Protector 's Oath who hath sworn to maintain that practice which is according to the Scripture and to declare against them that preach for Hire and have great sums of Money for Preaching and that are called of men Master and that take Gifts and Rewards of people for Preaching I say to do thus is a practice which the Scripture gives a large Example for and so it must needs be according to Scripture and ought to be protected in this Government Again as concerning their denying to respect Persons or to bâ—… with the Hat or Knee in respect of worshipping any Creature this also is according to the Scriptures though the people of the World who live in pride and vain customs are offended with them in this Practice for we read that God commanded
and not reconciled to God upon whose shoulders the Government lies and the execution of the Law in their power who cannot minister true Judgment nor discern of different Causes amongst Men. And therefore all Magistrates are to weigh and be considerate in all these things and so to act and judge among men as they may give a good Account unto God and all men and when a Cause is brought before them to give Judgment of or any accus'd unto them that they should execute the Law upon they should by the Spirit of the Lord first try into the Ground and Nature of such matters to know whether it be a wilful and supposed Wrong or Injury done between man and man or it be of Ignorance or want of better Knowledge or such like or whether it be a Matter of Conscience or about Religion or the Worship of God whereupon the Controversie dependeth and if it be a matter of wilful and purposed Wrong or of Ignorance then good Reason and Iustice will teach a Magistrate to defend the Innocent from Wrong or to restore his Wrong by true Judgment that his Person and Estate be freed and preserv'd from all Wrong and that the Wrong-dealer be restrain'd and punish'd and judg'd justly according to his Offences but if it be a matter of Conscience about Religion or the Worship of God then the Magistrates with their Law ought not to meddle therein or to judge of such Matters for these things concerning the things that are Spiritual are out of their Jurisdiction and not in their power to judge of And if the Controversie between man and man depend about such Causes not having reflection upon Persons or Estates but only about Spiritual Matters then Magistrates with their Laws ought not to judge in these Causes but Spiritual Men ought only to give their Judgments hereof as they have receiv'd from God And though men be in controversie about Religion and the Worship of God yet if they be men of Peace not wronging one another in their Persons and Estates they ought to be both protected in a good Government by the just and righteous Laws And here the Sword of Justice is laid only upon the Evil-doer to be a Terror and a Punishment to him and to limit and restrain him from Wrong-dealing and this is the End wherefore it was ordain'd of God to be among men and not to be laid upon the Conscience to oppress and afflict the tender Consciences of the Upright whose Minds are exercis'd in the Law of God for such should have Praise that do well by the Sword of Justice while it is a Terror to all Evil-doers whatsoever and this is the perfect End wherefore the Law was added and the practice of it herein by faithful and just Executors is Well-pleasing and Acceptable to the Lord. And now as concerning this one thing which is Oppression in the Nation brought forth through the unjust and false Execution of the Laws whereby many tender Consciences are afflicted and not for any Wrong or Evil-doing but for the Exercise of a pure Conscience Whereas many for a pure Conscience sake do deny and cannot pay any thing to maintain a Steeple-House or Place of Worship which the people of the World do worship in and where they commit Idolatry neither can they for Conscience sake pay any thing to uphold such Worship and such a Ministry and Ministers which are not of Christ nor ever were sent of him but of Antichrist and such by which the people are led in Blindness and Error as manifestly doth appear through the whole Land And yet the Magistrates some of them being as blind and ignorant as the people do compel many people by their Writs and Orders and Judgments to maintain a Priest and Steeple-house which for Conscience sake they deny to maintain and yet by Authority from the Magistrates are the innocent Men's Goods spoyl'd by Distress and great Oppression Exercis'd upon many poor People to maintain and uphold the Ministry and Worship of this Generation which is not of God but against him and many hereupon are cast into Prison and others have their Goods taken from them by Violence and great Havock is made in the Countries about this matter Now first it may be consider'd That to deny to uphold and maintain a Steeple-house and Place where ignorant people in Tradition do meet to Worship is not a matter of wilful and purpos'd Wrong-dealing or the breach of any Bargan or Contract between man and man but it is a matter of Conscience to the People of God and for a good Conscience sake they cannot do such a thing as to maintain a place of Worship which Abomination is committed in by ignorant and rude people who are without the Fear of God as daily is manifest and it is not manifest that by denying of this they injure any man's Person or Estate in any thing which belongs unto him by lawful Bargan and Contract or otherwise Neither is there any Reason or Equity in this matter That any should be forc'd and compell'd by Injustice and Oppression to uphold a house of worship which others worship in and not they and they knowing that worship to be Abomination to the Lord also and not the True Worship of the True God and there is no Justice nor Religion in it that any should be caused by force to uphold a House for other people to commit and practice Idolatry in if the house were for any good purpose or honest practice as for poor or impotent people to dwell in or such like who had not Houses of their own because of their poverty then that were a deed of charity to uphold it and the people of God would not deny it but could freely give their money to such a use or end but because it is not to such a use but only a place to commit Idolatry in and to worship God ignorantly in superstitions therefore it is a matter of Conscience unto many and for a good Conscience sake they rather suffer the spoiling of their Goods and affliction upon their Bodies then to pay their Money for such a use or end and herein the Magistrates do great injustice in the sight of God and his Saints and contrary to Reason and a good Conscience in causing innocent mens Goods to be spoiled by cruelty to uphold a place of idolatrous worship contrary to mens tender Consciences for as I have said they do no wrong to any man but only peoples wills are offended and their blind zeal turned into rage and fury against the Just who worship God in Spirit and in the Truth and cannot uphold the Houses of false worship and it is a shame unto the people and Ministers themselves who cannot uphold their own worshipping Houses and it is a reproach upon their God and their Religion who cause others to maintain their worshipping Houses by injustice and great oppression and will not themselves maintain their Houses where they
upon whom the Wrath of God abideth and are subject to the Curse every moment and this is the state of all Mankind And the Light in every one shall answer this Measure and witness you and your Word to be the Word of the Lord which Light if they love it will bring every one to know the Power of the Creator to reconcile them and to bring them into Fellowship with him and to receive his Blessings and his Inheritance being changed by the Power of God into his Image But if they hate the Light and deny the Power of God and his Covenant and will not have Christ who hath lighted them to teach them and to rule them but do continue Enemies in their Minds to the Lord and will not receive your Message then they perish forever and you are clear seal your Testimony against them and the Lord shall be justified when he arises to Condemnation against them all who cannot own this Message and receive you in the Name of the Lord. Be bold and valiant and spare not to shew all people this Message and to Declare unto them in the Name of the Lord by whom you are sent And I warn you all Let the Fear and the Judgments of the Lord be in your Hearts and stand wholly in his Will and be obedient to the moving of his Power in all things that you may be armed against all the Swelling and Roaring of the Proud Waves of the Sea which will beat against you put on the whole Armour of God that you may withstand all the powers of Darkness and may overcome all the Temptations of the Devil Look beyond your life and your liberty and beyond all things of this World and the Life of God know and feel in you to give you Dominion over all and with his Word and Power to reach to his Witness in all that you may leave a Testimony behind you for him Thick Darkness you will find covering all people their Ears deaf and their Eyes blind and the Ground wholly barren and untilled you will find overgrown with Cursed Fruit and wild Branches which must be cut up and cast into the Fire and aboundance of Idolatry and vain Superstitions and great Hardness of Heart you will meet with and find all People in the Degeneration ignorant of God and without him in the World and abounding in all Unrighteousness and Unbelief worshipping their Idol godds which will grieve your spirits but be you Patient and Long-suffering and be not offended at any of these things but Plow in Hope and Sow in Hope and Thresh upon the Mountains and beat them to dust ye Children of Sion and bring all people to know the Fear and Judgments of the Lord in them You are sent forth to beget People unto him and to turn them to his Knowledge to till the Ground to pluck up the wild Branches which cumber the Ground and the tender Grape must be spared Therefore let the Word of the Lord dwell in you and divide the Word aright and cry not Peace to the Wicked neither cry Judgment to such as are of a Broken Heart feed the Hungry with Bread and feed the Fat with Judgment Be ye good Stewards of the Lord's Treasure cover the Naked but make bare the Harlot and discover her Abominable Whoredoms let all the World know how they have committed Whoredom with the great Whore who hath sate upon Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples And proclaim unto all Nations That the Lord God is risen for the Deliverance of his Chosen and he will make War in Righteousness against all his Enemies and they must lick the Dust of his Feet and bow under his Scepter And openly declare unto all the World That God is setting up an Everlasting Kingdom and the Dominion thereof shall reach over all the Earth and the Kings of the Earth must bring in their Glory to it In the Name and Power of the Lord God go ye into all the World with this Message and Testimony which shall be answer'd to be the Message of the Everlasting God with the Light which he lightened every man withal that you may bring Glory and Honour and Dominion unto him who hath called you to bear witness of his Name in all the World This I was moved of the Lord to give forth unto all that are moved to go into other Nations by a Companion unto all that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes E. B. A General Epistle to the SAINTS To the Seed of God Elected and Chosen of him before the World began and now called by his Word and Power into the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness to be Heirs of the Inheritance of Eternal Life that never fades away DEarly beloved Friends who are called and sanctified through the Grace of God that hath appeared unto you and in you be mindful of your Calling and make your Election sure that you may feel it the Seed of God and the Heir of Life born and brought forth in every one of you that the Promise may be fulfilled in you and you may sit down in the Kingdom feeling the immortal Crown of Life as the Reward of all your Sufferings and Tryals and Patience for the Inheritance of an endless Life is the Portion of the Righteous who have followed the Lamb through his Sufferings and laid down their Crowns at his Feet and now his Feet are treading down and will tread down all mortal Crowns and stain the glory of all Flesh and bring it into contempt and set up his Kingdom to have Dominion over all And so Friends you in whose hearts the Day-Star hath appeared of Light and Life feel the growth of the good Seed in your selves which must rise in you all over the contrary part and over that nature which is related to the Kingdoms of this World that must be kept down in you all and all must be subject to the Lambs Power and to his Dominion every Work Word and Motion must be brought in subjection unto him that he who is Light and Life and Righteousness and Truth and all Vertue and Goodness may alone reign in you and over yâ—â—avâ— and the contrary may be kept in the subjection and the Body of Siâ—â—â— and Death may be wholly put off and Immortallity brought forth in you all by the Gospel which hath been sounded forth amongst you in Power and Life and not in the words of man's wisdom and this Gospel which we have received and you have heard hath wrought its effect wherefore the Lord sent it and many are turned from darkness to Light and from Satan's power to God and the Lord hath gathered his Jewels and is gathering of them and he hath planted his Inheritance with a pleasant Plant of Righteousness and Renown and his Arm hath wrought great deliverances in the Earth and hath raised up the Poor and exalted the Meek and Lowly and he hath brought down the Mighty from his Seat and these things hath
he done in us who hath wrought all our Works and he hath broken the Chain of Antichrist and will tread down that spirit more and more till whole Babylon be sunk as a Stone into the midst of the Sea and till Righteousness alone sit upon the Throne that his People may rejoyce in him for evermore when they see their Inheritance in him and their Souls rest in him where he is become the everlasting Light and the days of Mourning ended Now Friends all of you keep in the Life and Power and Wisdom of God dwell and walk therein in all things and feel the Head Christ and have no Master but him and in all things seek the Glory of the Lord for they that turn to seek themselves become as the Dross and as withered Branches whom the Lord will take away and such shall not cumber his Ground They that go from the Life and Light and Word within them they go into Error and turn aside after Vanity and these shall never see the Countenance of the Lord who continue not unto the end in the Faith but make shipwrack of it and of a good Conscience and these become Antichrist and Servants of Sin and deny the Lord that bought them having lost Sincerity they run into a feignedness and having lost the true Hope they become unstaid and such will be tossed and change their way and so become hardned And therefore Friends I say unto you all live in the Power of God and feel the enjoyment of his good Presence in you Hearts in your Families and in your Meetings and live in the Power of Godliness and not in the Form without Power for that is but Idolatry where people are zealous in the performance and practice of Righteousness and wants the sence of the Lord's Presence but keep out of this and look at the Lord in all things stand in his Counsel and fulfil his Will and walk in his Spirit that leads into all Truth and feel that Kingdom that Power and Government which is not of this World but over and above the kingdoms that are earthly and in this will be your Peace and your Comfort and your Assurance for evermore And Friends the Lord hath not onely stretched forth his Arm to bring Redemption and Salvation unto you and his deliverance out of spiritual Sodom but his Arm hath also wrought great deliverance for us without and he hath appeared for us in much Loving kindness in that he hath stopped the way of his Adversaries whose moutâ—… were opened to devour us and doubtless it was in their wicked Heâ—…s to have cut us off that themselves might be exalted but the Lord eminently broke their Counsel when they were in confederacy together how to overcome us by Craft and Guile and the Lord scattered them by a secret Hand and this was one great Deliverance And again when they were risen in Numbers with their Hearts full of devouring Envy they were suddenly confounded and brought to nought and certain it is that both these Deliverances were chiefly to us though others have good thereby and I cannot but mind you of them that you may prize them and receive them as from the Hand of the Lord and may walk worthy of all his Mercies that are reached forth unto you from time to time and for his Name sake and for his Seed sake are these things done and he will gather his Seed yet more and more and make up the numberless number of his Chosen that his Heritage may be pleasing unto him and therein he will delight that Righteousness may sit upon the Throne and Truth and Justice and Mercy flow down that his Soul may be delighted And now as concerning Places among men for the service of your Nation as men this I have to say mind Gods Wisdom to guide you and if such things be put upon you do as you have freedom in the Lord though these things be less then the eternal Election which gives to see over and feel over mens kingdoms and in the Election doth your eternal Peace and Inheritance stand in God yet in man's kingdom Truth and Righteousness must rule Justice and just Judgment must have place on the Throne and this we wait for that Righteousness within and without may be exalted for the Gospel of Light which we preach destroys not but brings the Nation into equal and just Government among men and Truth brings the Nations into good order and ye must salt the Earth So keep over these things in the Life that gives you Dominion to act only for God even as men that may glorifie him in your Bodies and in your spirits even in your daily Practises amongst men and keep in the Power of the Lord which keeps the heart pure and feel the Word in your hearts and then you will not be corrupted but will be kept in singleness and uprightness to God and man and in that will be your Crown as men in seeking the Glory of the Lord and not your own And so Friends have respect unto the Lord God in all things that his Truth may guide you in all things even as men and therein stands true honour in this World and in the World to come And so keep your Meetings and live in good order let no strife be amongst you for that will eat out the good and quench your love and deadness and barrenness will cover you and you will become unfruitfull to the Lord. And all you that are moved of the Lord to go abroad to whom the Message of the Gospel is committed I charge you all to live in the Life of God it self and then Life will speak through you and keep in the Dominion over the earthly part in your selves and over all false spirits in the World that you may feel through the corruptible in all people and may answer the Witness which will slay the Evil and wound the Wicked and convert the Soul to God and let your Conversation be holy and just that you may answer the Witness in all And though we have seen the fruit of our Labour and hath our Reward with the Lord hitherto yet it is the beginning of the Harvest for there are Mountains to thresh and Darkness to beat under for the World hath been as a Wilderness and now it must be planted with the good Seed of the Kingdom of God Wherefore be valiant for the Lord God and for his Truth and sound forth the dread of the Lord among all People the false Church the Whore must have the Cup of God's Wrath given unto her through your hands and as she hath done unto us so we must give unto her double So go on in the Name and Power of God and the Lord God Almighty be with you all Let this be read in all your Meetings and copied over and sent abroad among all Friends E. B. Two Epistles to Friends in London being a Testimony against deceitfull Spirits and such as profest the
Truth and turned from it and were unfaithfull to the Lord. FOrasmuch as in these our dayes the God of Truth hath made manifest his Name and Truth in the hearts of his people and hath gathered the minds of thousands into it to worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth in which he is accepted and of this Truth which is but one and there is not another are we made Witnesses and Ministers of and hath the Testimony in our selves that we are of God and are a good savour unto him in them that believe and in them that perish and we have the Testimony that he that is of God heareth us and we know the whole World lies in wickedness and who are in the Truth in the Light and in the Life have followship one with another in Holiness and Righteousness in that which comprehends the World and condemns all the works thereof which are evil and this Truth and Worship and Fellowship stands in Christ Jesus the second Adam whose Kingdom and Rule is not of this World but from Heaven who according to his Promise in his Counsel hath made known his Power to the raising up a righteous Branch a royal Priesthood a peculiar People zealous of his Name to shew forth his Praise and Glory in Justness and Righteousness in Love Mercy and Peace and works of Purity having our Conversation in Heaven and since that Day of the Manifestation of this Truth of the Gospel of Peace and Salvation which is the same now as was in the beginning which is in Christ Jesus the Light of the World who is the same to day yesterday and forever and changeth not I say since that very day hath the Lord prospered his Truth to the renewing of many into his Image and Likeness and to the turning of many from Darkness to Light and from Satans power to God by the Mouthes of his Ministers and through great Sufferings and Tribulations and Afflictions and Labours hath the Lord honoured his Name and his Truth in Nations and given it a praise among all that fear him and hath honoured it and exalted it in the sight of the Heathen to the confounding of the Wise and Mighty and to the bringing out of the Captivity of Darkness Sin and Death wherein in times past all have walked while Strangers from the Life of God so that thousands who have received the Truth are established in it and cannot be moved nor shaken but are built upon the sure Foundation their Faith standing in the Power of God with whom the Arm and Presence of the Lord God is defending and preserving continually and unto such the Truth is precious and the Way of the Lord and his Name and Honour is dear yea more then life or liberty or any other thing which passeth away who for the Truth 's sake as is it in Christ Jesus do daily give up themselves to suffering and to reproach for well-doing and not for evil and loves not life unto death that the Lord God and his Name and Truth may be honoured so that in the Truth which is received and learned of the Father daily do we walk in all Purity and Holiness of Life answering the Mercy and Love of the Lord in the exercise of a good Conscience both towards God and man in Patience and Long suffering and Wisdom towards all to the putting to silence of Gainsayers rendring love and mercy toward our Persecutors and are set in our hearts to fulfil the will of God in all things And now whereas that the Scriptures may be fulfilled some may and have denied the Truth which once was received and loved to the making shipwrack of Faith and of a good Conscience abusing the Mercy and Grace of God which to them appeared and follow the counsel of their own hearts and not the Lord having lost the feeling of the Spirit of the Father and are and may be separated from us in the self-separation through an evil heart of unbelief that it may be made manifest they are not of us though they arise from among us and may by disorderly walking contrary to the Truth cause the Truth to be evil spoken of giving occasion thereby to the Enemies of God to blaspheme his Name and Truth in the Earth and may be a stumbling to the weak and an offence to the Way of the Lord before the Simple through their Disorders and Confusions raising the rage of the wicked against the Lambs of Christ being not led in the Wisdom of God but in the Confusions taking liberty to their own hearts desire ful filling the will thereof without the Fear of God above the Cross of Christ in the nature uncrucified and speaking high Words in the presumption and not in the Light and Power of God and acting in the vanity of the Mind in the pretence of Truth and moving of the Spirit such things as Truth and the Children of it who are guided with the Spirit cannot justifie but is judged and denied and cast out from among the Children of Light who walk in the Truth and do try the Spirits whether they be of God Therefore in the Fear of the Lord God this is written to go abroad among Friends and others to inform and shew unto all that the Truth and we that are in it and Ministers of it do stand clear from all such who act and speak out of the Truth and contrary to it in the Disorder and Confusion and not in the Fear and Counsel of God and with the Truth such are judged and denied and fellowship with them we have not nor of their works do approve though such once owned us and were convinced of the Truth and received the Seed of the Kingdom into the unprofitable Ground yet being separated from us and gone out from the Truth and are not subject to it and its Government but are unruly and disorderly we and the Truth do such deny and the spirit that rules them being not the Spirit of Christ Jesus and such have done evil against their own Souls and against God and are Troublers of the Righteous Seed and have and do dishonour the Lord and his Truth in the sight of the Heathen causing the right way to be reviled and reproached and evil spoken of through the offence by them to the making sad the hearts of some whom God hath not made sad and even more especially in that they pretend to the Truth in their words but in works deny it and profess to be in it yet secretly condemning and openly reviling the Ministers of Righteousness which God hath blessed and doth daily bless with his eternal Power to the turning many unto God and to the strengthning of the weak and feeble which we with many others do witness to be the Ministers of Life and Reconciliation and there is no other and are established in it and cannot be moved by the temptations of the Devil though the wicked one may revile for a moment to
bare confession and profession of the Name of Christ in words and professing of a bare belief in the Scriptures by this way and means were you made and received you the name of Christians without any real change from darkness to Light and from Satan to God as I have said Now here appears to be a woful degeneration in the very entrance of the thing and this is not agreeable but rather contrary unto that way of Christianity wherein the Christians in their beginning were so made and called for then none were Christians or so called but who through the preaching of the Gospel were first converted changed and renewed as I have said but now in these Nations all are called Christians that are spinkled upon their faces with Water by a Teacher when they are Infants or that do but profess Christ in words though they are not guided particularly by his Spirit neither have received Christ to dwell in them and to be King over them and here again appears a wofull Apostacy for none in the beginning of Christianity in the World were made Christians or so called but who received Christ and in whom he dwelt and was in them as you may read 2 Corinth 13. 5. and who were Followers of him and had his Spirit in them the Comforter to teach them and to lead them into all Truth but now thousands upon thousands who have the name of Christians have not received Christ to dwell in them nor to rule them neither is he manifest in them by his Spirit to teach them and they are not led into all truth but live in deceit and unrighteousness and are not Followers of Christ but follows their own hearts desirâ— and their own hearts Lusts and are condemned in their own Consciences and have not received the Comforter the Holy Spirit to be their Guide and Leader out of all Unrighteousness and here appears a woful Degeneration And that you Christians through all the World are revolted and gone backward from Christianity as it was in its Original a Lamentation may be taken up because of this woful Fall into which you Christians are fallen Consider of your own state and return and repent Again The Christians were begotten of God and born of him 1 Joh. 5. 18. And they were born of the Word of God and of the incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. And they were created in Christ Iesus unto good Works Eph. 2. 10. And they were New Creatures and old things were done away 2 Cor. 5. 17. They had put off the Body of Sin and Death Col. 1. 18. And were the Servants of Righteousness and free from Sin Rom. 6. 22. as you may read But now also Woful are you Christians degenerated from this for Thousands upon Thousands of you are not born nor begotten of God though you have the Name of Christians neither are you born of the Word of God which lives forever nor of the incorruptible Seed neither are created again nor become new Creatures nor have put off the Body of Sin and Death neither are the Servants of Righteousness nor free from sin But on the contrary Are the Servants of Sin and free from Righteousness and are in the corruptible state and are old Creatures and are not washed nor purified as the Saints were as you may read 1 Cor. 6. 11. and here is a woful Degeneration of the Christians now from what the Christians were in the beginning The Christians then were New Creature and put off the Body of sin and were washed and sanctified But the Christians now are not so but the contrary to wit Unwashed and Unsanctified remaining in the Pollutions of the World and are of the birth which is born of the Flesh and are in the old nature serving sin and the lusts of their own Hearts and thus are you fallen from that which the true Christians possessed for being compar'd to them you are not agreeable but rather contrary to them in all these things and the Lord is now come to search you and to try you and to all People shall you be discover'd for the Lord is now risen to bring all to Tryal and to Judgment And again Herein will the Apostacy of the Christians appear in respect of Unity and Fellowship for the Christians in their Beginning while yet the Life of God was not darkened amongst them They were of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul as you may read Acts 4. 32. And the Lord promised That he would give unto his People one Heart and one Way And Ezek. 11. 19. the Lord promised To give his People one Heart and a new Spirit Which Promise the Christians received and they that believed were of one Heart and there was no lack amongst them but some sold their Possessions and distributed to them that had need and they were Members of Christ and he was Head amongst them and over them And they were Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bones Eph. 5. 23 30. And all the Christians were of one Faith Eph. 4. 5. and had Unity and Fellowship in the Life which was made manifest in them for they had tasted and handled and seen and heard the Word of Life and they had Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ. But all ye Chirstians upon Earth how are you degenerated and how great is your Fall in this For you are not of one Heart and Mind nor in Unity and Fellowship one with another but are of divers Sorts and Sects and are run into many Opinions and Divisions and are of many Wayes and Minds and Hearts Divers sorts there are of Papists and divers sorts of Protestants so called which are all divided in Opinions and striving and contending about Faith and Religion and the Worship of God and are opposing one another and putting one another to Death because of a difference in those things How great is the difference through many Nations amongst Christians about those things which sheweth that the Christians are wofully fallen in respect of Unity and it is manifest such Christians have not received the Promise of God as the Apostles had for now the Christians can suffer one another to lack and to perish and die and starve for hunger and want Behold in all this all ye Christians generally how you are fallen then in the beginning of Christianity no lack nor want was amongst them they that had much sold it and gave to them that had none but now thousands are oppressed through Want while others have too much some are feeding and clothing excessively with their multitude of Dishes and changes of Raiment while others have scarce whereon to seed or to cover their Nakedness and this manifesteth that you are not Members of the Body of Christ neither is he Head in you nor amongst you but you are Members of an Harlot and joyn'd to a Harlot and one with a Harlot for you profess many Faiths some say They believe Christ is
his sight And 1 Pet. 1. 25. The Apostle exhorted the Christians to be holy in all manner of Conversation And Phil. 3. 20. the Christians witnessed That their conversations were in Heaven Now herein doth the fall of Christians appear in respect of their Life and Conversation and walking for the Christians in the Apostles dayes were of a holy Life and exhorted all thereunto but the Christians now both Teachers and People are degenerate in their conversation and live in all Unrighteousness as I have said And the Conversation of Christians now being compared with what the Christians Conversation was then it is altogether contrary and sheweth That though you have the Name of Chrisâ—… ye are not Followers of Christ nor led by his Spirit but by the spirit of Antichrist Oh how wofully are you fallen you Christians from the Life of Christ having a Name to live but are dead The Lord God is coming against you to break you to pieces for you have poluted his Name in that you profess to be his People in words but in works do deny him Oh! Remember remember from whence you are fallen and return lest the Anger of God consume you from off the Earth for your conversations greatly dishonour the true God Oh what Gluttonny and Drunkenness is amongst Christians What Pride and Vain-glory What Cruelty Envy and Murdeâ— one against another what Whoredoms and Fornication what Cozening what Cheating How doth all Wickedness abound amongst you in your lives and conversations Let the Lord be Witness and your own consciences be Witnesses against you for your Abominations they that were true Christians who followed Christ lived not in but were redeem'd from such Transgressions but you live in them and act in them wherefore be ye Witnesses against your selves that ye are fallen and digressed from the true Christian Estate Again Herein will you Christians appear to be degenerated from 〈◊〉 Christianity in respect of your Ministry for the Ministers of Christ in the beginning of Christianity they were made Ministers by the Gift of thâ— Holy Spirit which was given to them for they were commanded to wait at Ierusalem for the Promise of the Father and they were not to go forth till they had received Power from God by the Gift of his holy Spirit and when that was come they should be Witnesses and Ministers of Christ Acts 1. 4 8. And as they were waiting with one accord in one place the Holy Ghost fell amongst them an filled them and then they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance and they went up and down and testified to the World of what they had heard and seen Acts 2. 4. Now this was the Call of Christian Ministers and this 〈◊〉 the Authority by which they went forth into the World to wit The Spirit of God poured upon them and by Authority of this only they went up and doâ—… the World and declared what they had handled seen and tasted of the Word of Life 1 Iohn 1. And as every man had received the Gift so they might minister the same one to another 1 Pet. 4. 10. And this was the Practice of the Christian Ministers in the beginning of Christianity concerning their Câ—â— to the Ministry But how are the Christians here degenerated from what the Apostles were in for by another way then this are your Ministers made not by the Gift of the Holy Ghost received from God neither do the Christians now wait for such a thing to go forth by Authority and Power thereof but they are made Ministers by Natural Learning and Education at Schools having Authority by man and are approved of man and not of God And a man knoweth which of his children he will make a Minister when they are Infants and thereupon puts him to Schools to learn Arts and Knowledge of Earthly things for so long time till he hath gain'd so much Knowledge and Craft to be approved of such and such men and as is his Knowledge and Oportunity serves withal having a great Place provided where there is great store of Maintenance such a man becomes a Minister and a Preacher to others having never received nor thought to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost neither having heard seen tasted nor handled any thing of the Word of Life from God in his own particular neither hath he received the Gift of Christ to be made a Minister by This sheweth greatly your Degeneration from the true Christian Spirit none then Ministers among Christians but them who had received the gift by the Holy Ghost and power from on high but now Ministers are made and approved and sent forth amongst Christians because of natural learning and education without receiving the Gift of the holy Spirit And the Ministers of Christ then spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance but now Ministers study for what they speak and read old Authors to gather forth Matter to preach to the people Then the Christian Ministers heard and tasted and handled of the Word of Life in themselves but now the Ministers have their Knowledge from Books and what they have heard and read without them Oh! How great is your Apostacy ye Christians and in respect of your Ministry how greatly are you degenerated from the Ministry which the Christians once had Behold and consider this all ye Christians upon Earth Your Ministry is proved not to agree but rather to be contrary to that Ministry which was amongst Christians in the purity of Christianity as here by is manifest and you are fallen from the Ministry made by the Gift of the holy Ghost to a Ministry made by natural Learning Consider all ye Christians how great is this Fall Again In respect of the Maintenance of your Ministry your Degeneration doth appear for the Ministers of Christ amongst Christians as they were called by the Spirit so they were maintained in the Work of their Ministry by the 〈◊〉 Gift of the people who received their Ministry and they were to give freely and minister freely as they had received freely Mat. 10. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 7. The Apostle preached the Gospel of God freely and would not make it chargeable to any 1 Cor. 9. 18. And the Ministers of Christ among Christians at that day went through the World and preached freely the things that they had received from God and they sought no mans Money nor Gold nor Appâ—â—el Acts 20. 33. And saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 14. I seek not yours but 〈◊〉 and that was their end altogether to bring people to God by their Ministry only Christ did allow Luke 6. 4. Into whatsoever House they entred that was worthy 〈◊〉 might there abide eating and drinking such things as were set before them And it â—…s the Apostles practice sometimes to reap carnal things where they had sown Spiritual things and it was a small matter that they did so Yet by a free Gift they desir'd to reap it and not by Force and Violence did they
ever obtain any thing â—…t concerning this Great is the Degeneration of Christians in this Geneâ—…n for now the Ministers amongst you Christians are maintain'd by an â—…rd power through compelling Maintenance of Tythes and other Set-Wâ—… from the people even from them that do not receive their Ministry and they do not preach freely but makes their preaching chargeable to whole Nations and the maintaining of Christian Ministers is become a burâ—…n to whole Nations and great Oppressions upon the poor and now the â—…ers seek mens money and gold and it doth not appear that they only seek a people to God but on the contrary they seek peoples mony to themselves and it doth not satisfie the Ministers now to eat and driâ—…k such things that are set before them in a House that is worthy but they must have so much a year and so much a Sermon and so much for every particular man of his Parish be they worthy or unworthy to the value of a hundred or two hundred pounds by the year whereby poor people are greatly oppressed and they will reap carnal things by force and violence from them to whom they sow no spiritual things for they are suing at Law and putting in Prison and distraining peoples Goods by Force and Cruelty to maintain them and their Families in Pride and idleness which things the Christian Ministers formerly in the dayes of the Apostles never did but were often under great Sufferings in Fasting often and in Cold and Nakedness often Lâ—…ring with their hands 2 Cor. 11. 27. Wherefore ye Christians behold how you are fallen and how your Ministry 〈◊〉 generated both in its Call and in its Maintenance being diverted quite contrary to what the Christian-Ministry was once Behold I say how you are fallen and your Ministry quite subverted from what the Ministry 〈◊〉 in the dayes of the Apostles Then the Maintenance of Ministers was by a free Gift from them that received their Ministry and they would not make their Ministry chargeable to any But now the Maintenance of Ministers is by Force and Cruelty and great Oppression of many people and their Preaching is chargeable to many Nations Then they sought no man's Gold nor Money nor fought Riches from the people but only sought the people to God But now men's Money and Riches are sought and taken from them by Violence without regard of seeking people or bringing people to God Then to eat and drink in a house that was worthy such things as were set before them and to reap carnal things as Meat and drink and Necessâ—â—â—es by a free Gift from them that received their Ministry this was a sufficient Maintenance for the Christian Ministers But now so many Hundred Pounds by the Year to maintain themselves and their Families in Pride and Idleness and to reap it by Compulsion and Injustice from poor people In this manner are the Christiâ—â— Ministers now maintain'd which is manifest to be quite contrary to the Practice of Christian Ministers in the Apostles dayes Behold your Fall ye Christians and how you are degenerated The Lord is come to try you and to search you you are weighed and are found too light you are measured and are found wanting what the Christians once were in their Purity you are not in many things but the contrary which sheweth that you have the Name of Christians only by Tradition but are withoâ—â— the Life and being paralell'd with the Christians who truly follow'd Christ you are no whit equal to them in any thing but wholy contrary in all things shewing you follow another spirit then they who were Followers of the Spirit of Christ so witnessing to the whole World that you are degenerated out of Christ the true Vine and are Branches in a degenerate stock which brings Fruit forth through you which hononreth not God but grieveth his pure Spirit And be Witnesses against your selves that you are fallen and degenerated from that Life and Practice which was amongst the Apostles and Christians Again As concerning your Worship which is now practiced amongst you Christians through the World herein also will your Apostacy greatly appear for the Worship of the Christians was one and guided by one Spirit and was in the Spirit and in the Truth saith Christ Iohn 4. concerning the Worship of Christians God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spâ—… 〈◊〉 in Truth And saith the Apostle We are the Circumcision that worship God in Sâ—… rit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no Confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3◠〈◊〉 these were Christians And also Rom. 6. 7. They worshipped God not in the Oâ—…ness of the Letter but in the Newness of the Spirit and the Spirit guided them iâ— all things and was their Teacher in all their Worship for the Spirit 〈◊〉 them to pray and they pray'd in the Spirit and they knew not what they should â—ray for as they ought but the Spirit made intercession for them Rom. 8. 26. And the Christians were exhorted to pray in the Holy Ghâ—st Jude 20. And the Preaching of Christians it was in the Spirit and by the Teachings of the Spirit For they preached as the Spirit gave them utterance Acts 2. And Philip was led by the Spirit and the Spirit of the Lord moved Philip to go and preâ—h to the Eunuch Acts 8. And the Apostles went up and down as they were moved and led by the Spirit and preached and prayed in what place and at what time and season as the Spirit moved them and gave them utterance sometimes in the Fields and sometimes in Houses This was the Practice of the Christians in their Preaching and Praying And also the Apostle said I will pray with the Spirit and with Understanding I will sing with the Spirit and with Understanding And he exhorted the Christâ—… To speak in Psalms and spiritual Songs singing to the Lord and making Melody in their Hearts to him Eph. 5. 19. Now this is the Testimony concerning what the Worship of Christians was its manifest that it was in the Spirit and by the Teaching of the Spirit their preaching praying and singing were in the Spirit taught and exercised therein by the Spirit which they had received from God But now the Worship of Christians at this day is not agreeable to this but being said to the line of Judgment is proved contrary for first the Christians nâ—w are diviâ—ed in their Worship and have many Forms of Worship some worshipping after one manner and others after another so that amongst the Christians therâ—… divers Forms of worshipping and they are striving and conâ—â—ding about thâ— Worship every one praising their own Form and striving one against anothers Form of Worship and this sheweth that the Christians now are not guided nor exercised by the one Spirit of God in their worship and this shews that the Christians now are degenerated from the true Worship of God in Spirit which once the Christians Worship stood
God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of him who is now appeared in Power and great Glory to gather his People to Himself This is to go abâ—… among all people wâ—o arâ— worshipping in Tempâ—… made with hands â—nd who are under this Ministry and are of 〈◊〉 Church aforementioned that they may come to consider and see the Erâ—… of their Way of thâ—… Worship and of their Miâ—… And this is a Visitation from the Lord unto them all by a Friend 〈◊〉 all your Souls E. B. Some False Principles And ERRORS DISCOVERED And REFUTED 〈…〉 Answer to a Catechism-Book which is said to contain The Principles of Religion put forth by a nameless Author But is supposed to be the work of one Samuel Eaton a professed Minister of the Gospel among the Sect of the Independants in Châ—shire But upon true Examination he is found to be teaching the Traditions of Men for the Commandments of Christ and his Principles are proved to be not according but contrary to the SPIRIT of GOD and the Scriptures To the READER THE Reason and Cause of this being sent abroad is for the better Information of all but more particularly for the good of that Assembly to whom Samuel Eaton is Minister and Pastor that they may know the Truth from Error and the Way of Righteousness from all false Wayes and may turn frâ—â— Idol-Shepherds that destroy the Vine-yard and tread it down and may 〈◊〉 to Christ and receive him who is the chief Shepherd to feed his Flock with the Bread of Eternal Life And the Reason why these False Principles are charged upon Samuel Eaton is this It being doubtful to some who was the Author of that Catechism wherein these Principles and Doctrines were held forth John Gredley and Anne Sheeld by name were with the said Samuel Eaton and asked him If he owned that Book the Catechism and he said He would maintain all in it That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer THE Wayes of the Lord are Equal and Just but the wayes of the Sons of Adam are altogether corrupted and different and contrary to the Wayes of Salvation And the Wisdom that is of this World is Foolishness with God and its End is Destruction to its self and to all that walk therein And what is Man that he shall prescribe a Way to his Makerâ— and who is it that will be more wise then God to â—et him a Way how he must â—…ch his People Therefore in-vain have men laboured and have reaped to â—…selves nothing but Wind and Confusion And in vaâ—â— have they sown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reap after them whose Fruit hath been Emptiness and not filled the Hand of the Gatherer And in particular this Book with which I am now â—…ing is the Fruit of an empty Tree which cannot satisfie the hungry 〈◊〉 nor comfort the weary Seeker for the Satisfaction and Comfort of the â—…ing hungry Soul dependeth only upon the Lord and upon the Bread of â—â—fe that commeth down from God and the soul that eaâ—â— thereof is â—…ed and comforted forever and hungereth no more nor thirsteth any slâ—… but the Fountain is in him and the Well springeth up unto Eternal Life 〈◊〉 goes no more forth And if so be that all herein were true and souâ—… Doâ—… and were learned so as to express it over again in words this might be 〈…〉 the soul still remaining in Anguish and under Sin and Death though 〈◊〉 in the Knowledge that is from below and yet in a farther Ignorance of God for the wisdom of this World knows not God neither can it teach not receive the knowledge of the things that pertain unto Life Eternal but to the Sâ—…e and to Fools doth the Lord teach and reveal the Knowledge of his Kingdom and it is not received from Books nor the Teachings and Tradition of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 by the Manifestation of the eternal Spirit which doth lead into all Truth â—…eveals the Mysteries of Salvation The first thing that I take notice of is this thou sayst God is a Spirit 〈◊〉 he is one in Beeing and is to be distinguished into three Persons and the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost are Personal Relations and if one be a Person such are the other c. Answ. The Father Son and Spirit is one this we believe and know according to the Scriptures but as for thy word Person that is carâ—… 〈◊〉 â—oo low a word to denominate God by who is Infinite for God and the Spirit hath no Person nor cannot truly be distinguished into Persons for a person has relation to Place Time and Change and is not in all places at all tiâ—es at â—…e and the Scriptures know no such distinction for God is a Spirit and hath no relation to one Time Place or Alteration more then another but filleth Heaven and Earth and his Presence is in all and over all who is bleâ—… forever and is infinite and without Person or confined Beeing and the Sâ—…pture no where in true Translation doth denominate God Christ and the Spirit by Persons and Personal Beeings nor doth distinguish them into â—…ee Persons for Persons are related to carnal as I have said and Persons is â—oo low to denominate God and Christ and the Spirit by So thy Principles are unsound and not agreeing to the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and therefore not to be believed nor received Whereas thou sayst That the one standing Rule according to which God is to bâ—â—…ht worshipped and served is the holy Scriptures in which God hath revealed himself in all things which he would have believed and doâ—e c. Answ. It is the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit was and is within the Saints that leadeth into all Truth and teacheth to kâ—… all things and that Spirit of God only is the standing Rule to walk in and to walk by it was the Rule to Abel Enoch Abraham and the rest of the â—…ly Fathers that lived before any Scripture was written and it was the Ruâ—… to the Prophets to Christ and to the holy Apostles they all followed the Spirit and walked in it and spake and wrought and acted as the Spirit of God within them moved them and led them it was not the Scriptures but the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures that was the standing unchangâ—…le un-erring Rule of worshipping serving and obeying the Lord God and that same Spirit is the standing Rule to us also For the Apostle commandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Spirit and that which we are to walk in is our Rule And as many 〈◊〉 the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and then the Spirit is their 〈◊〉 and that guides the Feet in the Way of Peace And in the Spirit is God â—…pped For they that worship him must worship him in the Spirit and in the â—… and such he seeketh to worship him For it is in the Hearts of his People 〈◊〉 within them that God revealeth himself by his Spirit For it is the Spirit 〈…〉 the thing â—f
is God and Man in one Person Answ. As for the word Trinity it is invented and he hath learnt it out of the Mass-Book or Common-Prayer-Book but we own the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ that Christ is God and the Spirit is God and there are three that bear record the Father Son and Spirit and these are one but God and the Spirit are not Persons but Infinite Beeings and the Scripture no where in true Translations expresseth God under the Name Person for Person is too Carnal to express God and Christ and the Spirit by but God was in Christ reconciling the World and this we believe and acknowledge according to the Scriptures but for this word Doctrine of the Trinity the Scriptures know no such word but the Truth we own and the Gospel and the Scriptures too They hold that Iesus Christ died onely signally or examplarily and that we are justified by the Suffering of Christ in us and to be healed by his Stripes is to be stripped off or from Sin Answ. Jesus Christ died and rose again and ascended according to the Scriptures this we do believe And Christ was and is the Substance the end of all Signs and Examples yet was he an Example to the Saints and the Apostle exhorted to walk as they had Christ for an example and while he was in the World he did and spoke and acted many things as Parables Signs and Examples the substance of which is to be received in the Saints and known by them through the Spirit and we believe Saints are justified by Christ and through Faith in him which was and is and is to come who is blessed for ever and none are justified by his Death and Suffering and Blood without them but who witness Christ within them for all are Reprobates and to be condemned and cannot be justified that have not Christ in them as thou mayest read Except Christ be in you you are Reprobates and all that believe in Christ and receive him they are healed through his Sufferings and Stripes for he sanctifies them and gives them Remission of Sin and justifies them and in him the Saints are compleat and the New-man the Regenerate is justified and the old-man is in the Degeneration and knows not Christ in him and hath not received him but onely heard of him without him and believes the Relation but this faith doth not justifie for all the false Christians upon Earth have this faith but that Faith alone justifies which gives to receive Christ and him to live in us and to dwell in us by that Faith They utterly renounce the Doctrine of Iustification by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ or by the obedience he performed or Sufferings he sustained or underwent in his own Person without us Answ. This is partly true and partly a Lye we do indeed renounce the profession of Justification by the Imputation of Christ or his Righteousness performed without men by men while they are in the degenerated estate and unconverted and unreconciled and unborn again for by such profession of Justification many deceive their Souls but yet we say that Righteousness is imputed to us and reckoned unto us who believe in Christ and have received him even the Obedience and Sufferings that he performed without us is ours who have received him within us and witnesseth Christ in us and therefore we are not Reprobates yet we do acknowledge he wrought perfect Righteousness by Obedience and Sufferings without us and that Righteousness is ours by Faith which Faith hath received Christ to dwell in us and he and his Righteousness his Obedience and Sufferings we enjoy in us in Spirit if any can receive it let them for that he wrought Righteousness this is acknowledged but who have a part in this Righteousness that is disputable They wholly renounce the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation and it is one of the great Reasons for which they decry the Ministers because they assert it they say Jacob and Esau are in a man and the good Seed is Jacob which God electeth and the bad Seed is Esau which he reprobates Answ. The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation we do own according to the Scriptures and therefore hast thou belied us and slandered us and art found reproveable and would incense mens minds against us for advantage to thy self but to some in that House we are better known then thou canst report of us and yet thou sayest we say that Iacob and Esau are in a man and the good Seed God electetâ— and the bad he reprobates and thou mayest here see thy confusion and thy ignorance uttered in the self same Lines for thou sayest we renounce the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation and yet sayest we say the good Seed God electetâ— and the bad Seed he reprobateth and this shews what spirit thou art of and how that the spirit of unrighteousness doth possess thee and leads thee to speak without understanding and we further say man being degenerated became reprobated and cast out and all by nature are Children of Wrath and the Children of Wrath are all in the reprobate State and none are elected but who are elected in Christ the Seed of David and so in the first Adam all are reprobated and all that are in the second Adam are elected and the Election and Reprobation stands not in the Persons but in the Seeds and yet the Persons are blessed or cursed in the love or in the displeasure of God according as the Seed of God or the seed of the Serpent lives and dwells and bears rule in the Persons and we do indeed decry and deny you the professed Ministers upon many accounts more then one and we have already and may in time to come shew sufficient Reasons against you both in Doctrine and Practise and other wayes that you are not the Ministers of Christ but the Ministers of Satan generally That Iesus Christ as he is the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of Abraham is in every one and that a measure or part of the Substance that was conceived in the Womb of the Virgin Mary is in every one Answ. Jesus Christ he is the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of Abrahâ—… according to the Flesh and after the Spirit the Son of the Living God and this Christ that was and is and is to come who was dead but is alive and lives for evermore the alone Saviour of the World he hath given a measure of Light and Life unto every man and there is a Light from him that shines in the heart of all men shining in Darkness the Light shines but the Darkness comprehends it not and this was Iohn's Testimony and is our Testimony That Christ enlightneth every man or all Man-kind that cometh into the World for in him was Life and the Life was the Light of men as the Scripture saith and the Apostle preached the Light that shined in peoples
and sober Dealing may be amongst us and the Fear of God And to this we expect thy speedy Answer concerning Time and Place Edward Burroughs Samuel Fisher. The Propositions were writ as short as could be for to stop all Advantages against us that right be taken by our Adversary in case he had met us and agreed to dispute but upon enlargement in Discourse we might have laid open the truth of every on of these Particulars at large to the satisfaction of sober Minds that might have been doubtful hereof and sâ—ewed by the Scriptures the truth of all of them AN Epistle to Friends IN LONDON Dearly beloved Friends and Brethren WHom the Lord hath called with his Heavenly Call and made you Eye-Witnesses and Feeling-Witnesses of his Power and of his Truth my dear Love in the Lord falutes you all for the Lord's sake without respect of Persons and I Greet you with a holy Kiss Dearly Beloved I bare you witness That some of you have loved the Lord above all things and for his Truth the Glory of this World with its Vanities have been denyed by you and now I wish in the Lord the abounding and enlarging of the Love and Life of God in you and amongst you all And my Dear Friends In that the Lord hath blessed you in the Knowledge of the Truth and of his Wayes and called you to serve him and to live unto him and not unto your selves now this remains unto you all to be done by you even that you be Faithful and Careful in the Great Work of the Lord which he is doing amongst you and in the World at this day And first of all See that every one of you stand in God's Counsel and that ye do his Will in all things as the Lord maketh it manifest to you and watch over your own Hearts and keep your selves clear from the Evil of this World I am moved of the Lord to write to you in particular and to warn you in his Name who hath begotten you to himself That you be mighty careful and circumspect in all your wayes and that you walk as Patterns and Examples to all the tender Babes of God in the Flock and that by your wise Conversation and Faithfulness in the Truth the Weak may be strengthened and the Hungry may be filled and they that are of the World who thirst for the Lord may be won into the Truth My God knoweth and ye know also the Care and Burdens which I have had in that Place and seeing I am thus ordered of the Lord at this present I do beseech you all for the Truth 's sake That you unto whom God hath given Grace and Strength and Wisdom and Knowledge that you take the Care upon you to watch with the Flock and over them that are Weak And I say again You must be mighty careful in the Lord that you may walk in all things to his Glory so as there be no turnings back from the Truth by any nor no occasion given to the Heathen to Reproach Truth therefore not any Service of your own must you equal with the Lord's Service But at all times be armed with the Lords Armour to do and to suffer for the Truth And this seems Good unto me in the Fear of the Lord That you in particular do keep a Meeting among your selves once in Three Weeks or a Moneths time as ye see meet that in the Counsel of God you may consider of all things in relation to the Truth and that you may advise one with another in the Fear of the Lord of things amongst you that in good Order all things may be kept And if any Disorderly Persons who profess the Truth be known to any of you let it be presented to all and Two or Three of you as you are moved may in the Fear of the Lord and in his Wisdom reprove such Persons and Things by which in the least Truth is Dishonoured and if such resist Reproof then account them as out of the Body and the Life can have no Fellowship with such but first reprove Offences and Failings in Secret and in much Wisdom also lest you destroy the Righteous with the Wicked And I lay it upon you that you judge nothing but what is for Judgment and when any thing comes before you to be tryed or judged of be tender of the Simplicity and take heed of Rash Judgment and Forward Words be mighty considerate in the Fear of God that nothing be judged wholly in which there is any thing of God but dwell in that which doth discern and distinguish and separate the Precious from the Vile that you may divide Judgment a right in all Causes and the Pure may be Strengthened and the Deceit Confounded For such a thing may be and come to pass which cannot wholly be Justified nor altogether Condemned and in such things in Friends you had need be mighty careful that the Right Way may be spared and the Wicked cut off And if any of you be moved to Minister among the Flock let it be done in the Fear of God and in his Wisdom to the refreshing of the Weak and to the building up the Body and if you do it in the Power of God then you will be answered by the Witness of his Spirit in every one and you and they will feel an Increase from God And if any Minister amongst you with which the Spirit of the Lord hath not Fellowship but is an Offence to the Just bare such in Patience for a season and shew them in Meekness and Love their Fault that they may be restoed rather then cast out And if any amongst you be over-taken with a Fault and found faulty in the sight of the Lord in any Particular reprove and convert and instruct such privately in Meekness and if they rebel and resist then reprove them and let them be judged openly And charge all that in all things they keep to their own Measures of Christ and that they act nothing nor speak nothing without the Leading of his Spirit and that will bind under deceitful spirits And as for those Rebellious and Treacherous and Deceitful Lying spirits amongst you which may trouble you as they have formerly done to the great Dishonour of the Lord I wish they were cut off as for the Truth 's sake yet I exhort you to bear them with Patience and not to heed them nor be troubled at them but account of them as Disorderly and out of the Body and freâ— not in your selves because of the Wicked such things be but for a time but Truth is forever and they that walk therein their Fruits shall never wither And let Friends keep their private Meetings on the First-days with Diligence and none to run abroad without Foar but as they are moved of the Lord and then there will be a Service in it for the Lord and as any of you are moved be faithful to exhort Friends hereunto and with a
single Eye be watchful that all things in good Order may be kept amongst you that the Name of the Lord may be a Renown and his Truth kept without Blemish and your Authority in the Truth may be known a Terror upon the Wicked My dear Friends whom I judge to be Honest and Faithful this was I moved to write to you as the dear Remembrance of my dear Love and I do from the Lord commit it to you to fulfil the will of God in these things and the Lord bless you all with Wisdom and Counsel and with Power and Strength and the Lord give you Authority that you may reign with all them that come amongst you in the Name of the Lord and over all them that come in their own name The Lord bless you with a perfect Understanding in these things and my Spirit even the Spirit of the Father be upon you all to teach you perfectly in all things My Love and Life is amongst you who desires nothing more then the Prosperity of the Lord's Truth amongst you The Grace of God be with you all Amen This is to be read amongst you when you are met together whom the Lord hath set to order things in his Wisdom and this is to all the Faithful amongst you Kingstone 1659. E. B. To the Churches in New-England Barbadoes and other Islands TO the Seed of God and to all that are called of him and unto all you that are hungering and thirsting after the Lord in Truth and Righteousness in New-England Barbadoes Mevis and the rest of the Islands where the Lord hath a People to gather the Father's Love through me doth slaute you all whose Faces are set towards Sion abundantly desiring for you in the Spirit of the Father that Grace Mercy and Truth from God may richly abound amongst you and in all your Hearts that at his coming who hath given to every one of you a Measure of his Treasure he may receive his own from you with encrease that you also may enter into the Reward which is Eternal Life unto all that are called and are found faithful Wherefore arise and awake all ye that have been scattered and strayed from the Lord and come forth thou oppressed Seed of Israel out of the Darkness and Bondage and Oppression with which thou hast been loaded for many Ages whilst a long Night of Darkness and Blindness hath been over thee I say Awake and come forth for now thy Light is risen and the Glory of the Father shall rest upon thee and thy Bonds shall be broken and thy Oppression shall cease for thy King shall Reign in Righteousness over all his Enemies and they shall become his Foot-stool and his Dominion shall be enlarged to the utmost parts of the Earth Dearly Beloved be assured of this That the Lord God of Heaven and Earth is doing great things his Day-spring from on High hath visited us and his Light hath shined into our Tabernacle and his Arm hath taken hold of Strength to Redeem the Oppressed People and he hath reached forth to us from his holy Habitation out of his Everlasting Loving-kindness and hath caused us to reach forth to others from his own Life revealed in us that they may know what God hath done for his People and may also receive of the same Salvation and may taste handle and feel of the Life which is manifest of which we are Witnesses and the Lord hath spoken who can but declare and he hath lifted up his Standard to gather the Nations that he may search and seek out his Sheep and this I declare unto you and withal am willing to discover and make manifest the Way and Means whereby the Lord doth bring â—â—â—vation to his People and love constrains me knowing the Lord hath a Seed amongst you unto which my Testimony will be acceptable wherefore all people turn ye turn ye for the Lord calleth unto you harken unto his Testimony which speaketh in you even the Light of Chriâ—â— Jesus with which every one of 〈◊〉 are enlightened and search your Hearts and feel what the Lord witnesseth unto you and what his Testimony in you giveth evidence of for who walks in Pride in Wickedness in Vanity and in the Pleasures of the World and acteth against God's Witness in their Consciences such are in a State to be condemned of the Lord because they act that and speak that which is reproved with the Light shewing that they are in a State unreconciled to God their Works shewing them to be evil Trees that cumber the Ground who are to be hewen down and cast into the Fire and therefore be not deceived in your selves neither let any man deceive you with a Profession or Conceit of a Justification by Christ while yet Iniquity and Transgression and the Evil of the World are lived in and not wholly denyed for to the Wicked there is no Peace from God but the Wicked are condemned by him and the Light in their own Consciences is witness against them Therefore all come to the Light which Christ hath lightened you withal which will manifest unto you your own Condition and whether it be justified or condemned of God and believe not against the Light nor hope not against God's Witness for they that do so their Faith and Hope is vain but what the Light testifies in you that believe And all you that may find your selves sinners loaden with Iniquity and that are the Servants of Sin and have no power over Temptations believe in that Light which gives you to see this and wait till the Power of God be made manifest in you to cleanse your Hearts and to judge out all Unrighteousness for Christ hath not taken away your Sins while you daily bring them forth into the World by Action but whose sins he hath taken away them he hath washed and cleansed from their sins and given them power to resist and overcome all Temptations wherefore wait upon the Lord all ye that are afflicted because of your sins the Day of a great Deliverance is approaching and mind the Light which lets you see Sin that is the Gift of God's Love unto you which will draw you from the love of the World and crucifie your Affections and Desires which go after it and if you mind the Light of Christ in you it will judge and condemn every Motion that ariseth in the Heart towards Evil and the Temptation being judged you will not fall into Sin but will be preserved from Sin and that which doth preserve you from the committing of that Sin unto which you are tempted doth blot out and forgive all the Sins that ever you have acted and that will witnes Reconciliation and Peace with God unto you as you come to be changed and renewed in your Hearts and Minds to be created in the second Adam his Image to bear and to follow his Spirit And Friends search your Hearts and let the Lord search you and judge you for him must
Innocent make no Laws to limit the Lord nor his Spirit nor his People but make such of no effect lest ye be confounded like as with a Whirle-wind by the Breath of the Almighty I am the Lord and my Name is dreadful to all Flesh mine Arm is stretched forth over the Nations and I will scatter them at my Pleasure I kill and I make alive I break down and I build up fear ye me and tremble at my Presence bow before me and have my Name in Reverence and my People in Safety and let them be free from all Oppressions and Tyranny lest I correct you with the Rod of my Judgments saith the Lord For I will rule Nations with an Iron Rod and the Governments shall be mine through the Kingdoms of the World and my People shall inheriâ— the Possessions I will beat the Mountains to Powder and strike Terror in the Hearts of the Mighty and I will Judge among the Judges and Rule amongst the Rulers of the Earth who are but Dust and Ashes before me therefore do ye the thing that pleaseth me and have my Cause and my People's Cause in respect amongst you and be ye low and humble in my Sight lest I wound you and you never be healed lest I scatter you and you never be gathered I am the Lord that doth whatsoever he will Dreadful and Mighty is my Name in the Earth and my People are my Inheritance wherein I delight spare them and afflict them not that I may spare you and not destroy you and take you Counsel at my Spirit and at my Servants that you may prosper and hurt not the Innocent nor touch my Anointed Ones lest I come suddenly upon you saith the Lord and break you to pieces for I will make you know that my People are mine and beloved of me and that I care for them and will Fight for them and revenge their Cause and deliver them from the hands of their Enemies speedily this ye shall know when my Vengeance is extended forth to all my Enemies and upon all such as do oppress my People and are Spoilers of my pleasant Heritage and now am I arisen saith the Lord. Edw. Burroughs This was written to the Parliament which began to sit in the Eleaventh Moneth 1658. which Richard Cromwell Dissolved in the Second Moneth 1659. To Richard Cromwel and to Henry Cromwel FRIENDS YET once more hath the Lord given me somewhat to say unto you in Love to your immortal Souls You had a glorious Day of Visitation and many precious Warnings from the Mouth of the Lord by his Servants but you rejected the Counsel of the Lord against your own Souls and made no account of the Servants of the Lord which were sent unto you but caused them and suffered them to be persecuted by your Power and they were made a Spoil and a Prey to their Enemies all your dayes and you sought your selves and your own Honour and you were exalted in Pride and Vain-glory and forgot God who raised you up from a low Estate and you had no respect to the Cause of his People and therefore is this justly come to pass upon you from the Hand of the Lord not that I rejoyce in it and glory over you because of it only I tell you what is justly happened unto you that ye may learn the Lora's just Iudgments in these things like as formerly I warned you of it for it could not otherwise be but that the Lord would avenge the Cause of his People upon their Persecutors and the Injustice done unto them upon you in whose Name and Power it was acted for in every Generation he hath had respect unto his People's Cause and did avenge their Cause in his season And this I well remember I was once moved to speak in the Name of the Lord unto your Father That these things that came to pass in his days that Cruelty and Oppression of the Lord's People would be recompenced and repented of in his Children's dayes For I saw that the Cruelty and Injustice that was done in his Name upon the People of God could not escape un punished in a Generation and it is now come to pass in a measure and will be more and more even for his Transgressions and your own for all of you had a Day and a Time wherein you might have done something for the Lord and for his People and you had a Price put into your hands that you might have improved to the Lord's Glory and to your own Renown to have been a Blessing unto your selves and to the People of God in these Nations but your Day is over and Night is come upon it and your Price is taken from you and given to others and you cannot now work nor act on the Lords behalf as once you might have done and you have sought honour to your selves and you reap Reproach and because you have despised the Counsel of the Lord therefore the snare hath caught you which was laid for others These things I say unto you in pitty for you rather then in boasting over you neither do I commend that spirit which acteth in too much severity towards you which upraids you rather then seeks to amend you that is not my way For your Father served the Lord in his Generation and was once the Instrument in his Hand to the accomplishing of good things till that an ambitious spirit got power over him and betrayed him and the Work was lost which God called him unto And as for these that are now in Power if they shall tread in your steps and shall not relieve the Oppressed much more then any before them shall they be overthrown and brought into Contempt And as for you Come into the Fear of the Lord God that your Iniquities may be pardoned and seek Peace with God and Reconciliation and seek after the Kingdom that eâ—dures forever and while ye have time seek after a Crown Immortal and wait to know that which will make you Heirs of that Inheritance which never fades away the Light in your own Consciences which Christ hath enlightened you with which lets you see Sin and convinceth you of your Evil Deeds that Light in you must you own to be your Teacher and must become subject unto it in all things or else you have no part in the Kingdom of God and cease from your lying Prophets who have flattered you in your Iniquities and deceived your Souls and cryed Peace unto you and Safety and said You should Prosper and they have hardened your Hearts and been a Snare to you till the Lord's Anger is broken forth against you and they found Lyars So now consider and do not alwayes reject Love but and if you do I am clear and your Iniquities will be upon your own Heads and though rejected by you yet a Friend to your Souls whom the Lord hath made often to warn you and happy had you been if you had or can now prize
but they also neglected to serve God and the Nations to serve themselves and because of the Ambition and Pride of some of them the Lord suffered them to make this last Interruption upon you which was great Treachery in mans account that thereby their measure might be filled up and that he might give you occasion against them and suffer you to be filled with Indignation towards them to break them to pieces And what you do to some of them in casting them out and afflicting them you are but God's Executioners therein you are the Executioners of his Anger in what you do to them and who shall prevent you or forbid you to go on for they have long enough dissembled with the Nation in professing more then others and doing less and their Downfall is now come And God hath looked upon you to be hard-hearted and cruel enough and very fit Executioners of Vengeance upon such men as I have mentioned But now concerning you and your present state as you are in present Place and Power I have something to say to you Though they are fallen and you yet stand and you have a little time after them but this I say do not glory over their Fall neither glory as though you should stand forever for they were not greater Sinners then you are neither are you one whit more Righteous then some of them but you are as sure to fall as they are fallen with no less measure of Dishonour and Affliction then is come upon them and you are in your last Hour and I dare not say that God expects much more from you then for the End aforesaid viz. To be the Executioners of Iustice upon men as sinful as your selves So do not glory over them that are fallen but know that your time also is but short and your Fall may prove to your Destruction and theirs may prove to make them better and refine them And if God hath chosen you to execute some part of his Wrath upon them for their Wickedness he will doubtless find Instruments to execute his Wrath upon you else he will do it with his own Hand for he purposeth not to spare you for your Sins cry as loud as any other People and the Oppressions are as great under you as under them whom you condemn And I desire if there be any good men amongst you that such who are wise may consider and mind the Hand of the Lord in and through all these things that are come to pass for God is working as well as you he is seeking to set up a Kingdom as well as you and his Government and yours cannot stand together and he will make you know that he is stronger and his Government of more force and your kingdom cannot stand in place with his Therefore oh that you would take heed oh that you would be wise if so be some of you may be spared and be not too zealous in your way nor too furious in your proceedings do but to others as you intend to receive from others and from the Lord and go not beyond your Commision for a Permission at least you have from God even to scourge Hypocrites and to be a Judgment upon that Hypocritical seeming Religious Generation of men aforesaid which have many a time as it were mocked God pretended love to him with their Lips when their Hearts have yearned after Self-honour and Treasures of this world I say your present hour and permission is for this end but not to persecute the people of the Lord nor to destroy God's Heritage but if you shall extend your Power unto such a work and if you do persecute the Innocent without cause and make war against the Lamb his Followers and make Laws and execute them to the oppression of the Saints of the Most High then you go beyond your Commission for God hath not called you unto this but to be Instrument in another Cause And the Children of Zion they trust in the Living God fear not the terror of mighty men neither can they be afraid at the roaring of the Sea nor at the present threatning of the Heathen for God is with them And I say to you The Servant of the Lord hath pondered and considered all these proceedings and viewed the present state of things at this day and there is no Vision from God unto you of Peace and Comfort nor of a happy and lasting Government as you now stand If any Prophet shall divine this unto you he speaks what he hath not from the Lord but the Vision of his own Heart and he deceives you and himself for you are not established upon a right Foundation neither are you acted by a right Spirit which can truly Govern for God but the Spirit of Wrath and Fury is put into you for the work which you are called And I know not how to warn you that you do not persecute the People of God For why It may be you must fill up your measure of Wickedness thereby that God may break you perpetually yet the less will be your Judgment if you do it not but and if you do it the Lord will take occasion against you to wound you and you shall never be healed and as you do afflict others so and much more shall it be done unto you from the Lord. Wherefore consider what I have said for this is the Vision of the Almighty unto you that shall not go unfulfilled And what you do you must do it quickly for your time is short and your Power will God subdue and his Kingdom and Power will he speedily exalt over your heads and make you and the Nations know that he is God and that all Power is with him and that he can do whatsoever he will and it is his Right alone to reign and his Childrens Portion to possess the Kingdom with him Let the whole Earth and all the Powers thereof Bow and Tremble before him let not your Hearts be stout and rebellious against him for he can grind you to Powder and sink you into Confusion and Misery as a Stone into the Sea This was directed for the hands of the Speaker in Parliament and accordingly was given to William Lenthel being inclosed to him with these Line following Friend THE inclosed I do commend unto thee for to present unto the House and to endeavour sincerely the reading of it in your Assembly for it is of special Concernment to you all and in the Name of the Lord and by his Spirit I do charge thee not to be negligent in this matter as though it were not of worth to you and I do lay it upon thee as a Work of Righteousness and Truth to be done by thee as thou wilt answer the contrary in the dreadful Day of God when the King of Righteousness shall judge thee and all Mankind Edw. Buroughs The 24th of the 11th Moneth 1659. AN ANSWER TO A DECLARATION Of the People called Anabaptists In
God or any part of his Worship though you say it is yet we never had other proof of you then Tradition of time and long Custom and by this you would seem to plead the practice to be a Duty But this satisfies not us though we do not quarrel nor deride at your practice in this particular as thou groundst thy Argument but this we do we freely give our Testimony against your practice from time to time in the Fear and Power of the Lord yet not as quarrelling and deriding after the Flesh though we do say they were composed in Rhime and Meeter by Sternhold and Hopkins and others which were Musitioners to the Queen and in this we say true and are neither ignorant foolish nor prophane as thou sayst and we give witness against such your practice to be Antichristian and you Deceivers of the People thereby so hereby is thy Conclusion made void and a place is brought in for another They that act such things and observe such practices in pretence of Honour and Worship to God which is not commanded nor instituted of God nor which his Spirits leads unto They are Idolaters and their Worship and their Practice is Abomination unto the Lord But thus do the Ministers and People of the Church of England and therefore the Ministers and People of the Church of England are Idolaters and their Practices Abomination unto the Lord. Answer to the tenth Thy minor Proposition I do deny for we do not charge the Office and Call of the Ministers of the Church of England with Lies and Calumnies but this we say their Office and their Call is not from the Lord nor by the Authority of his Spirit neither is their Office and Call according to the Scriptures but it is different and contrary both to the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and is not from Heaven but rather from the Whore of Rome And though we do affirm these things concerning the Ministry of England yet we do not charge it with Lyes and Calumnies but we speak the Truth in righteousness And what would C. Fowler and his Brethren have said of the true Prophets that called the Priests and Watchmen of Israel that were made by Divine Institution which the Office and Call of England's Ministry never was that called them blind Watchmen and greedy dumb Dogs and devourers of Souls Might not they have said to the true Prophets you charge the Office and Call of the Priests of the Lord with Lyes and Slanders And this is like the case between us and the Priests of England And did not Christ call the chief Priests Serpents Vipers and Hypocrites and those Priests were in their Office and Call of Gods Institution but might not they have said that he charged the Office and Call of the Priesthood with Calumnies c. and the case is the same with us and it is accounted no sin by the Lord for us to give our witness against the Wayes and Practices of the Priests of England and utterly to deny both its Office and Call for they that do profess their Office and Call to be of God and from him and yet can give no true Testimony thereof by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures such are deceived and Deceivers of others but such are the Priests of England and therefore c. And thus I have returned Answer to his Ten Propositions and laid down some others in their place his being confounded and I must leave it to be judged of by the Witness in every mans Conscience whether he hath not shewed his madness and folly in his matter and in the way of his proceedings as for the matter he charges us withal it s wholy invalid as for the end propoâ—ed by hâ—â— and we account of his Work as but the malice of an Antichristian spirit And as for his proceedings they are inconsistent with a Minister of Christ for him and his Brethren to fly from me at his Dispute at East-Hamsted as before mentioned as being not able to defend their Cause this he and they did as many in that Country knows â—â—d then for him the next morning when I did invite him to meet again upon sober reasons which he also denied and refused to meet me any more and yet afterwards when I was gone out of the Country to go and hatch such mischief in his mind as to invent ten such rain Arguments and cause them to be set up on the Steeple-house-door oâ— purpose to villifie and reproach the Innocent People of God this was his Wickedness as all upright men may see And further for him to challenge to dispute these Particulars and leave time and place to our appointing which when time and place was appointed sutable and equitable on all parts and yet for him to refuse to meet at that time and place this was his fâ—dy and madness as understanding men may discern And further for him yet to rail behind our backs against us in his Pulpit and to charge us as if we refused to meet him this is his hypocrisie and the deceitfulness of his heart whereby he thinks to keep the People in blindness but the Light is now arising in the Hearts of People whereby such Deceits and Deceivers are fully discovered and they cannot now be hid And though for many Ages Deceivers and false Prophets have hid themselves under the Profession of Ministers and fine names yet the Day of the Lord is dawned which hath made them fully manifest and now their Sheeps cloathing will not hide them though they cover themselves therewith and have deceived the World thereby and these Babylons Merchants they have made great gain upon people and traded with the Souls of men and Souls have been murdered even for dishonest gain but the Plagues of God is coming upon the Earth which the Whore the false Church hath corrupted through her Sorceries and Witchcrafts and as she hath done unto others in causing them to drink her Cup of Abominations and false Principles Doctrines and Practices which the Beast and his Power hath imposed upon the Nations and Nations have been made drunk thereby and in particular this C. Fowler with whom I am now dealing is made manifest to be one of these Merchants of Babylon who hath made Merchandize of people for gain to himself and such are his covetous cursed Practices having a heart exercised with Covetousness and Oppression as is well known in the Town of Reading as for instance First It was charged upon him and confessed by him that he sued at Law twelve poor men of Reading for the Tythe of their Turnips and with much malice and greediness did prosecute the twelve poor men and put himself and them to great Charges and Trouble onely he confessed he took but twenty Nobles of them and thought he did favourably with them Now this was acknowledged by his own Mouth which is a clear demonstration of the Coveâ—ousness and Oppression of this man
especially in this day wherein there are so many Ways and Professions of Church-Ministry and Worship and yet all professing the Scriptures are their Rule of Faith Worship and Practice and seeing that all Sects do profess Proof from Scripture for what they hold forth what Ground have the people to believe you more than others or others more than you for where people receive Doctrine or Religion by Report from others without the Evidence of the Spirit of God in their own Hearts this is not receiving of the Truth unto Eternal Life wherefore I exhort your Congregations That every one amongst them may wait upon the Lord to have a feeling and discerning in their own hearts and that each one may be led and taught oâ— the Spirit of God which leads into all Truth that they may deny all false Ministers and false Worships and may worship God in Spirit and Truth though the ministration of his own Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences and thereby will they discern between Truth and Error and will love the one and hate the other Thirdly You exhort That they keep themselves unspotted from the prevailing Corruptions of these back-sliding Times c. Answ. Concerning the Times many are ignorant but this is certain at the present Time wherein we are is the Lord disquieting of men and its the latter dayes of Antichist's Raign and Government that hath been in full Power and Authority for many Generations and Babylon that great City her Ruin is threatned because of her Abominations that have been many and great for the whole Earth hath been corrupted as it s written and now the Call of the Lord is That every man come out of Babylon and deliver himself that he may not partake of their Plagues and happy are they that are made clean unspotted from their Sins that they may not be found covered with her Garments for the Day of the Lord is come and coming upon Babylon and all Back-sliders from God and his Wayes Now Babylon is that great City which hath ruled over the Kings of the Earth and in her hath the Blood of Souls and of all just Men been found Fourthly You exhort To endeavour a Healing of those sad Breaches and Divisions which have been amongst you c. Answ. Now the sad Breaches and Divisions which are indeed at present in this Nation cannot be healed but as the Cause and Ground thereof be removed which is the Sins of Rulers Teachers and People and this is the Cause wherefore the Lord hath brought Distraction amongst them Oh what Ambition and Self-seeking hath been among the Rulers What judging for Gifts and Rewards What neglect of Mercy and Judgment amongst them And oh how have they oppressed the Poor and trodden down the needy and because hereof is the Righteous God vexed And oh what Covetousness and Greediness of Gain â—re the Teachers guilty of How do they Preach for Hire and Divine for Money How have they unreasonably caused men to be imprisoned and their Goods to be spoiled for Wages and Tythes and Hire Oh how hath Covetousness and Idolatry and Superstition abounded amongst the Teachers in this Nation Oh abominable have been their Sins their Oppressions and Self-seekings and because of these things hath the Lord brought Distractions amongst People and the Sins of Rulers and People cry for Vengeance from the Lord and till these Iniquities be removed by Repentance and forsaken the Fruit and Effect thereof shall never cease but Breach upon Breach will the Lord make till the Rulers and Priests repent them of their Iniquities God's Hand will be upon them both in Judgment and for their sakes that divine for Money and preach for Hire and judge for Rewards will the Lord make the Nation as Heaps and as a Ploughed Field Therefore let all people Repent of their Iniquities and return to the Light of Christ in their own Consciences and become Followers of the Lamb and this is the perfect Way of healing of all Breaches inwardly and outwardly Fifthly You exhort To be diligent in the Spiritual and Conscientious Performances of Family-Duties c. Answ. Men must first be awakened and enlivened unto God before they can act for God in Holy Duties and as for Duties performed in pretence unto God traditionally and without the Teachings of the Spirit of God is but Idolatry and the Nation is weary of such a Religion which they have received and held traditionally for thereby the Soul Immortal cannot be nourished unto Eternal Life and while you teach Duties towards God by that Rule while you teach Praying Singing Repeating Catechizing by Tradition and Immitation without the Leadings of the Spirit of Christ in them you do but teach Idolatry as long hath been taught in the Christian Nations the doing and performing such and such things as Christian-Duties and Practices and the Forcing and Compelling of doing such things upon People in the unregenerate state and unconverted nature this Religion and such Performances of Duties have been of Babylon and of Antichrist and a Cheat upon Peoples Souls whereby many have been murdered and slain in that great City and the Form of Godliness without the Power hath been practiced while Duties have been performed unto God without the Teachings of the Spirit of God and such their Consciences are blinded and the Lord abhors their Sacrifices And people must first come to feel the Word of God in their Hearts to regenerate them before they can perform any acceptable thing to God and therefore do not teach People to be Hypocrites do not teach them such and such Performances in the corrupt Nature without the Teachings of the Spirit of God in their own particulars for if you do you make them but two fold more the Children of the Devil and such Duties performed in that nature shall not cover nor hide from the Wrath of the Lord which is coming upon all Hypocrites Sixthly You exhort That they would cause their Children and Servants to submit to Catechizings and train them up in the reverence of Godly Ministry c. Answ. It may be enquired into what you mean by cause them to submit how cause them by Force and Imposition upon their Consciences by outward external personal Punishments or Threats Is this your Meaning Will you set up Religion by Violence And must Children and Servants be compell'd by Restraint and Force This is not the right Way to promote Religion and the Worship of God nor to make Children and Servants truly Religious it was the Beast that received power from the Dragon that caused all to worship both Small and Great Children and Servants and this causing to worship was in the time of the Apostacy when the true Church was fled into the Wilderness and all the time ever since have Nations been caused and compelled to such and such performances and practices of Religion and Worship and such causing I am jealous your Meaning is whereby you would force and compel such manner
New Birth and â—ll such are out of the right way in the way of Error if they have the Form of Godliness but want the Power though they may have Mass or say Common-prayer once a week oâ— oftner yet all this is but Abomination and Deceit whilst they practise Iniquity Hatred Back-biting Lying Drunkenness and the like they that act these things the Plagues of God will be their portion and Misery their end and their Profession in Religion will not save them The Day of the Lord is at hand ye Hypocrites ye false Christians ye â—â—at profess God with your Lips and your Hearts are far away Therefore repent ye and treâ—ble before the Lord lest hâ— smite you with Vengeance and forsake your false Religions both your Mass and your Iâ—…s of Prayer and be not Idolaters in professing love in your mouthes and honour with your Lips wâ—ilst your hearts are departed from the living 〈◊〉 and now come to learn the true Religion Depart from all Iniquity and do not Lye nor Swear nor be Drunk nor Steal nor Murder nor Envy but love the Lord with all your hearts and your Neighbour as your selves And this is the true Religion in which man may be saved and live in Soberness Meekness and â—â—nesttâ—y and speak every man Truth to his Neighbour and live in love 〈◊〉 with another and be kind and gentle and bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit of God Cease to do evil and learn to do well and depart form all â—â—iquity and follow after Righteousness This is true Religion and in it â—ou may â—e saved this is the right way all that walk in it shall have Peace and Blessing from God and all that walk contrary Damnation is their portion Therefore you Papists and Protestants so called turn from your Hypocrisie and learn this way and cease from your false worships that are after the Forms and Traditions of men and not after the Spirit of God and learn to worship God in the Spirit that you may be saved You have a Light from Christ in your Consciences which lets you see what sins ye are guilty of and it reproves you for your sin If you believe in the Light and walk in it that is the right way then you will deny what is evil and follow what is good in your Conversations but if you follow what is evil and act contrary to the Light in your Consciences and repent not Vengeance in flames of fire will be youâ— portion This is the day of your Visitation the Army of the Lamb is gone forth and the Sword of the Spirit is drawn amongst them that will wound your Consciences and God will smite you with the words of his mouth ye Rocks and Hills and Bryars and Thorns and fruitless Trees the God of Heaven will hew you to pieces and pluck you up and cast you into the fire to be consumed Repent for the Day of the Lord is at hand By one that seeks the Good of all men E. B. A VINDICATION OF The People of God CALLED QUAKERS Directed Unto Roger Boyle Called Earl of Orrery Charles Coote Called Earl of Mountrath Theophilus Iones Called Sir Theophilus Iones Being an Answer to a Book dedicated to them by one George Pressick of Dublin In which Book many Lyes and Calumnies are presented against the Innocent People of God And this is for the clearing of the Truth that no Lye may rest upon it And for the Satisfaction of all Sober People in Ireland and elsewhere With a Word of Good Advice to the Chief Governours there THere is Irreconcileable Ennity between the two Seeds to wit the Seed of God and the Seed of the Serpent and these two are alwayes opposite and contrary one to the other in Nature Fruits and Effects and the seed of the Serpent is alwayes persecuting the Seed of God in every Age and Generation and they in whom the seed of the Serpent is living and ruling are alwayes projecting and contriving mischief and hatred against the People and â—â—â—vants of the Lord in whom the Seed of God liveth and reigneth as it is written He that is born of the Flesh persecutes him that is born after the Spirit Thus it hath been in all Generations and thus it is at this day Great is the â—â—â—â—sition that is made by many in Lyes and Slanders in Reviling and Reâ—…hing in Imprisoning and Persecuting and in all manner of evil works 〈◊〉 words against the innocent People of God called Quakers How have the hands of ungodly men been lifted up to smite that People by many kinds of abuses and how have their Tonges been set on fire to reproach and revile and slander in all kind of evil-speaking and all this for Righteousness-sake and not for any evil doing For who is the man and where is he that can justly charge Evil upon that People either in Doctrine Faith or Practice or in any â—â—ing relating to their Religion to God-wards or in relation to their Conversations and walking towards men It is true we have not wanted Accusers to every Authority but such and such things have been falsly charged against us and that to every Power that hath been since we were a People under whom we have been a suffering People even from all that ever have sitten in the Throne since the Lord raised us up to bear Witness of his glorious Name and Truth in the World Now the present occasion of this my present work is Forasmuch as we now stand accused of great and heinous Crimes in the view of this whole Kingdom of Ireland and more particularly before you three in a Book called A brief Relation of some remarkable Passages of the Anabaptists in Germany c. published by one George Pressick of Dublin and dedicated in a special manner to you that his Work may pass with the greater Credit and his Slanders and Calumnies be received for undoubted Truths Now that the Innocency of the Upright may be cleared and that no Lye may rest upon the Truth nor that you neither any others may receive Falshoods for Verities because of our silence therefore it is that the Lord hath put it into my Heart to defend the Cause of God and his People by returning plain and sober Answer to the principal part of his Book wherein we are concerned and falsly Charged and for the end that the false Accuser may be reproved and his Calumnies returned into his own evil and malicious Heart from whence they came and that you and all men may be truly informed and prevented if possible of being seduced into the belief of Falshoods lest that your Hearts and Hands should be stirred up to act or do in your Authority against the People whom God hath blessed and from the ground and cause of Mis-informations and false Accusations without better Testimony which would be a way to destroy your selves and to bring the unjust Sufferings of the Lord's People upon your own Heads which would draw
sprinkling of Infants and to deny it to be the true Baptism into the true Church 2. Concerning taking an Oath we say Christ Jesus commanded Mat. 5. Not to Swear to all and the Apostles Iames said Above all things my Brethren Swear not so that to deny to Swear and take Oathes is according to the Command of Christ and his Apostles and is no error though the Accuser hath here charged it on us as a heinous crime but we do deny all swearing in obedience to the Commands of Christ and our Yea is Yea and our Nay is Nay as Christ hath taught us without an Oath who hath commanded us not to take Oaths nor Swear at all 3. As for pulling down Magistrates and killing all Princes and that it is lawful to have many Wives These are Lyes and Slanders charged upon us by a false Accuser for our Principle is to obey all Magistrates and all Princes in every thing either by doing or suffering and we would have Princes and Magistrates to rule and reign in the Power of God justly righteously and according to the Law of God and would not have them killed and pulled down And we say it 's better to keep in the single chaste life than to have many Wives but any Accusation to make us appear vile this your Informer spareth not but according to his Work will be his Reward in the Day of the Lord. 4. Concerning all being holy in the Church we say That every Member in the true Church of Christ is holy for the Church of Christ is his Body and every Member of his Body which are Flesh of his Flesh and Bones of his Bones are holy as he is holy in kind and quality and it is his Exhortation to his Saints Be ye holy for I am holy saith Christ So that to hold that every member of the Body of Christ is holy is no error though it be so reputed by an ignorant man 5. Concerning all Learning being prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Scriptures I do say that Learning in it self is a gift of God and is not prophane though as to the knowledge of God and the things of his Kingdom learning in Tongues and Languages is little available for it 's the Spirit of God that teaches the things of God and reveals all the things of his Kingdom and none can know God but as the Spirit of God discovers him for the Disciples who were some of them unlearned men in Books and letters had the knowledge of the matters of God's Kingdom taught them by the holy Spirit and such as have the gift of the Spirit of God be they poor or rich are fitted to expound and understand Scriptures for none can understand the Scriptures nor the things therein declared but by the Spirit of God that gavâ— forth the Scriptures and it is not Latine Greek or Hebrew that teacheth to understand the Scriptures but it is the Spirit of God and to whomsoever that Spirit is given and God gives it to whom he pleaseth they only are fit to declare the things of God unto others and to expound Scriptures and none else but them who have experience of the operation of the Spirit in their own hearts and this we hold and believe 6. Concerning ordinary Calling and speaking as he is inspired I say the Scriptures no where speak of ordinary calling and if by ordinary calling it be meant calling to any Office in the Church without the Spirit of God I say there was no such Calling for the Ministry of Christ in the Apostles dayes was called by the holy Spirit and the Ministry of the true Church is made ordained and called according to the Gift of God's holy Spirit which he giveth And as every one saith Peter hath received the Gift of the Spirit so let him administer the same one to another So that it is manifest by the Scriptures that the Call to the Ministry in the Apostles dayes was not of man nor by man saith Paul but according to the gift of the holy Anointing the Spirit of God and also every one in the true Church might speak as it was revealed to them for saith Paul If any thing be revealed to another that stands by let the first hold his peace for â—e may all speak one by one that all may be edified So that it is no Error to hold that every one in the true Church may speak as the Spirit of God gives them utterance and to whom the things of God are revealed by the Spirit 7. That there are Popish Agents among us and that such are our Ring-leaders this is a false slander and you ought to put the Accuser to prove it it is your duty so to do and that such Popish Agents be named and where they are And I challenge the Accuser to name one among 〈◊〉 or else let him stop his Mouth for a Lyar who hath abused your Names with dedicating Untruths to you for your approof Again He accuseth us for saying The Spirit bloweth where it listeth and he saith we judge none have the Spirit but our selves Answ. 1 Christ himself said The Wind bloweth where it listeth and so iâ— every one that is born of the Spirit And we do judge God hath given of his Spirit to many that are yet Ungodly and many are convinced of sin by the Spirit of God in their Consciences that are wicked and ungodly who are not of Us but yet we say as the Saints in Ages past said We know that we are of God and that the whole World lies in Wickedness and they that are of God hear us and are one with us and we do inform all People to the measure of the Spirit of God in their Consciences that they may come to the Knowledge of God and to be one with us Again He accuseth us to be acted by the same deluding spirit as John of Leyden was acted by Answ. 1. What spirit Iohn of Leyden was acted by we now dispute not neither doth this Accuser well know but what he hath from the reports of others which may be false as like as true in fome particulars but the Spirit that we follow is the Spirit of God by which we are acted in the wayes of Truth and Righteousness and are not deluded nor Followers of a deluding spirit for we are willing to be tried in our Doctrines and Practices according to the Scriptures and though we stand accused of these and the like things yet we challenge him to prove it before you and that we may be admitted to make our defence and we shall the rather easily prove that our Accuser is acted by the spirit of the Devil who is an Accuser of the Brethren like the Devil and that is a deluding spirit that teacheth men to backbitâ— lyâ— and slander as this man hath done so he is proved fully guilty of that whereof he hath accused others and must own the shame and condemnation to himself
the Church of ROME who are in the said Book Villified and Reproached by the Name and Term of Antient Phanaticks And this is sent forth as an Answer thereunto to Pursue it Apprehend it and Condemn it as a Pamphlet of Calumnies and Slanders against the Protestants both of former and present Dayes who are all of them Scorned in the said Book the one as Ancient the other as Modern PHANATICKS Which is sent abroad as a Warning to ENGLAND to beware of the spirit of the Church of ROME lest it Exalt it self in Cruel Persecution against the PROTESTANTS and all that differ from it HOW Great and Miserable hath been that Darkness and Ignorance which hath over-spread the Nations and Kingdoms of the World since the Apostles dayes And how manifold is that Error into which many have been fallen even as into a Snare of Destruction And how woful is that Strife Division and Contention about Religion that hath highly abounded among the Christian People so called For the whole Christendom have been divided and in Opposition one part against another about the True God and his Worship and concerning the knowledge of Salvation by Jesus Christ And divers kinds of Religion Church-Government and Practices of Ordinances of Faith Worship have been extant in the World and Nations Countries have been all in Division Strife and Contention about these Matters and have been also persecuting one another violently unto Bonds and Death for and because difference in Judgment and Practices concerning Spiritual Things Papists against Protestants and Protestants against Papists and one sort of Christians so called against another and the men of such a Judgment and Faiâ—â— and Way of Religion have been persecuting and seeking to destroy all that have been contrary minded to them And thus have been the woful Divisions and evil Effects thereof in the World among Christians about Faith and Worship and Religious matters this has come to pass because of the spirit of Error Darkness that hath possessed the minds of men since the falling away from the Truth as it was once manifest among the Apostles And thus it s come to pass because of the erring from the Spirit of God and because that hath been wanting amongst men therefore have People been divers and divided about Matters of Religion each one sort following their own Invention and Traditions of men and also persecuting one another and killing and imprisoning one another because of the same and all this because the Spirit of Truth hath not dwelt in the Hearts of Christians as it did in the Apostles not led guided and taught them in true Unity and Fellowship as it did the true Christians in the dayes of old And while the Spirit of Christ hath been wanting and is not received into the Heart to mortifie guide rule and teach in all the Wayes of God and the whole exercise of Religion and Duty towards Him and while there is any kind of imposing and forceing of Religion by Laws of men upon Penalties and Forfeitures and setting up Worship and Church Government by that means and in that way without the immâ—… Teaching of the Spirit of Christ in the Conscience I say while this hath been and is continued nothing but Division Strife Contention Persecution and Nations and Peoples destroying one another about Religion hath been is or can be in the World amongst Christians And of this same to wit of Division and Contention about Religion with the Enmity of such as are so divided one against another to the persecuting and killing one of another that are contrary minded as it hath been brought forth in the World for Generations past we have here a sufficient large Testimony lately published in a Book called Semper Iidem or A Paralel of Phanaticks c. wherein is made mention of what Strife and Contention there hath been in former dayes among the false Christians and how they have cruelly Persecuted Burned and Destroyed one another in this Cause only for and because of the difference in Maters of Judgment and Religious Things and these Persecutions and Cruelties effected contrary to the Example of Christ and his Doctrine who hath exhorted to Love and Peace and not to Kill and Destroy and that a man should love his Enemies and not Kill and Destroy them contrary to which Doctrine the false Christians of all kinds have walked and acted since the dayes of the Apoâ—… who have been Apostatized and fallen from the very Life and Power of Godliness as held amongst the primitive Saints into Forms and empty Shadows being all in strife one with another about such things and have wanted the Spirit of Christ which should have led and guided into all Truth and exercised them in the true Worship of the true and living God who is a Spirit and is only truly worshipped in Spirit and in Truth but out of this Spirit and spiritual Worship the false Christians have been erred and so all divided and in Centention aâ— aforesaid and persecuting one another because thereof each one sort justifying their own Way 〈◊〉 Right and condemning that which hath differed as the Wrong and all as Hereticks that have been otherwise minded But as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book Semper Iidem c. I would gladly animadâ—… 〈◊〉 conâ—…ing it and do intend to write a few things by way of anâ—â—er thereunto and this is the present Occasion of my present work for having met with the said Pamphlet and perusing of it I found divers Considerations on my spirit to send forth in Answer to pursue the said Semper Iidem up and down the World till it returns again unto the place from whence it came to wit Unto the bottomless Pit out of which it lately arose and in reading the same Book I have principally observed the Mischievout End and secret Evil Intents of the Nameless Author more than the Matter it self contained and though the Author be Nameless yet is his nature and spirit known by his Book and for what end he hath concealed his Name I know not except he was ashamed of his Work and durst not Authorize his Matter by his Name but however the spirit end and intent of the said Nameless Person is perceived and known as much as any Tree can be distinguished by its Fruit and he is of an Envious Disposition of Heart and of Malicious Countenance and in nature and stock of the descent of Cain for his spirit is of an evil constitution hot and fiery and enclinable to destroy all that are not like-minded with himself in the Iudgment of Religious Matters and his proceedings and the end of his work is of an Intent and Purpose wicked enough if every Effect answers the Cause appearing and be not diverted from the End proposed by the Author and this I find by Calculation of his Birth and the Temper of his spirit and of the Time wherein his Book is published and by the Cause and End and Intent of the
One to such and such kind of Persons whom they name Clergy-men as if they knew all Religion and might only Preach and all besides themselves might be in Ignorance and know nothing nor can be fit to speak of the Matters of God's Kingdom which is contrary to the Scriptures and Example of Saints in former Ages As for the 13th and 14th Doctrines about Baptism of Infants I have spoken somewhat to it in my Answer to the fourth Doctrine so here I pass them Then Semper Iidem goes on and saith Who sees not among these the principal Tenets of our Anabaptists Fifth-Monarchy-Men Levellers and Quakers c Answ. As for the Anabaptists Fifth-monarchy-men and Levellers so called I shall not now plead their Cause but shall leave it to themselves to do it against Semper Iidem neither shall I condemn them with him or justifie them against him But as for the Quakers so called I have a few word to plead for them against their Adversaries though I shall be brief at this time They are neither Rebellious Seditious Hereticks nor Phanaticks though accused at this time of these things and accounted by the Author of Semper Iidem as such though neither he nor any of their false and envious Accusers that have ever risen against them can prove any such matter nor ought against them saving That they are an Innocent and Harmless People towards all people and though Sufferers by Injustice and Cruel Imprisonments under all Authorities yet not Rebellious nor Seditions against any but Peaceable and Quiet under all this is their Practice since they were a People And as for their Principles of Faith and Worship and Doctrine and Religion they are according to the Scriptures and Example of the Saints in former Ages and not ever yet convicted by any either Protestants or Papists of Error False Iudgment or Heresie though all manner of Evil hath been spoken against them in that Case yet never to this day truly detected or reprehended concerning the same And they desire no better way to be made manifest in their Doctrines and to be approved or disproved therein through the World than to have free Egress and Regress among the Papists and Protestants and all others in the Way of sober Arguments and Disputations and Reasoning out the Truth of what they hold and profess and if they can possibly be convicted that their Way and Doctrines and Religion are not found Verities but Errors then it is time to forsake them But all the Persecution that is already or can be acted upon them will never make them change their Minds till Death nor renounce the things which the Spirit of God in their own Hearts doth bear witness to the truth of And therefore let the Church of Rome lay down her Cruel Weapons of Persecution by Burning and Destroying of such as differ from them in Religion and let her admit of Disputations and sound Arguments to uphold her self thereby if she be able and to Confute and Convince such as are contrary minded to her even the Quakers so called if she can and let her cease her Fire and Faggot and Inquisition-Disputation of Murders and Cruel Tortures against such whom she calls Hereticks and let her appear in the soundest Arguments of Reason and Scripture and Antiquity that she can adorn her self withal and the Quakers so called will not doubt nor fear to advance towards her and meet her and answer her in the same for the true and legal Tryal of both that all the World may see and understand the difference between these two and whether the Papists Religion or the Quakers Religion is of more Reason Verity and Antiquity and the Quakers are willing to try this Case with the Papists engaging upon the adventure of certain Proof or Disproof of their Religion in the view of the whole World And this is the most I shall say at present on their behalf and in the mean time till this be performed let the Church of Rome and all her Members cease to persecute and accuse such whom they know not but by the Evil Reports of others and the Tenets and Principles of the Quakers so called will be justified where the false Christians cannot stand nor appear in Judgment Then Page 7. The Author of Semper Iidem complains of some Phanaticks as he calls them that nick-name what they dislike saith he They call the Church a Steeple-House the Surplice a Rag of Popery the Organs Grumbling-Pipes c. Answ. As for the True Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. The People of God that are regenerated and sanctified wheresoever come together are the true Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as it is written So that it is the People that are the Members of Christ the true Church and not the House or Place wherein they assemble at any time And as for calling the publick Meeting Places which some call Churches Steeple-Houses this is no Error for the Form Fashion and Service of the Place prove it to be so A great House made of Wood and Stone and a Steeple with Bells in it erected at the End of the House may properly be called a Steeple-House without Error and cannot at all be called a Church but in Error And as for the Surplice which the Priests put on this is without Question an Invention of the Church of Rome because there is no such thing in the New Testament nor was there any Surplices worn by any of the Ministers of Christ in the Apostles dayes but is an Invention introduced into the World by the Church of Rome and so is and may be called A Piece or Rag if you will of Popery And as for Organs and the Practice of them as held forth for the Worship of God there was no such thing among the Apostles neither did the Saints of the Primitive Church hold forth the Worship of God by playing on the Organs but the true spiritual Gospel-Worship is more heavenly and spiritual even in the Spirit and in the Truth is God worshipped as Christ said and not by outward Musick on Organs and such like but this is also an Invention of the Church of Rome since the Apostles dayes And Organs having Pipes of different sounds may be called Grumbling-Pipes without Offence Again Page 11. It is charged as a great Error in some that held It was not lawful for a Christian to take an Oath Answ. To deny all Swearing and taking of Oaths is according to the Doctrine and Command of Christ Jesus who hath said Swear not at all so it s manifest that the false Christians accuse and condemn such for Hereticks as abide in the Doctrine of Christ and keep his Commands And thus both Papists and Protestants are found in Error and Heresie themselves and breaking the Command of Christ and walking contrary to his Doctrine in Swearing and taking Oaths and condemning such as Hereticks as cannot take an Oath for Conscience sake and so
and the Papists by the Example of others against them Now I say The Wickedness of one will not justifie the Wickedness and Cruelty of the other for neither Party of them are justifiable in the sight of God but condemnable in such Proceedings and it was doubtless of Antichrist and the Devil in both Papists and Protestants to Destroy and Burn one another only for and because of Difference in Religion and wherein the Protestants did put any of the Papists to Death only for and because of Difference in Profession and Practice in Religion and because they were Papists herein the Protestants were acted by the same persecuting spirit of the Devil as the Papists were acted by against them so that I am not an absolute party with the Protestants against the Papists for I know that there is Error of Judgment amongst them both in Faith Worship and their whole Religion only my End is at present in pursuing Semper Iidem to confound his Bloody spirit of Persecution and Cruelty which I find him possessed withal as by his Discourse is apparent and also to put the Protestants in mind how their cause begins to be Reproached Vilified and Despised even in their own Land publickly in the Streets of their chief City which hath not been the like for above an Hundred Years And this is the End of my pursuing Semper Iidem with this Answer and I shall not much enlarge further only in the 11th Page there is one Passage worth observing There is instanced one Richard Woodman of Sussex who affirmed That he had the Spirit of God and can prove said he by the Scriptures that Paul had the Spirit of God as I my self and all God's Elect have Now saith Semper Iidem No Arguments nor Reasons could reclaim him from his Errors and so he was Burnt at Lewis because he said He had the Spirit of God and could prove that Paul had it Answ. There its manifest that this Martyr suffered for Truth and Righteousness sake as a Saint and Servant of God and for witnessing the Truth according to the Scripture which saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his which is manifest in the Scriptures that all that are Christ's and Members of his Church have and it is also manifest That the Papists have not the Spirit of God because they Burn such as do witness and testifie that they have it as here Semper Iidem hath given us an Instance that they Burn and Destroy such for Hereticks as say they have the Spirit of God he not believing that Paul had it but saith It is an Error to affirm it and yet this work seems now to be justified up and down London streets which is the double Iniquity and that which once many looked not to have seen that any being condemned and burned as Hereticks for saying They had the Spirit of God that this should be justified now in these Glorious Dayes of Light this seems almost incredible but that our Eyes behold it and causeth wonder in many what will be the Effect of such a bad sign appearing as a Justification of putting to Death the Innocent for no other Cause but in that he affirmed He had the Spirit of God And by this we learn to know how great the Ignorance Darkness and Blindness of the Church of Rome is and deserveth not the name of a Church if they be all of this mind to condemn men and Burn them for Hereticks for saying They have the Spirit of God and then an Hundred Years after justifie the doing of it to their shame and confusion let this be rehearsed who have themselves denyed that they have the Spirit of God and Condemning and Destroying others for saying they have it And this I leave to the Consideration of all the Protestants who must either deny that they have the Spirit of God or be Condemned and may be Killed as Hereticks for affirming it if so be the Church of Rome recover her desired Power and Pupose in England It s worthy to be minded while it may be 〈◊〉 lest the time come when it cannot be prevented And thus I have run through the main part of Semper Iidem and chiefly hinted at the principal Matters worthy to be taken notice of though much more might be said but that it is my property in all Cases to be as brief as may be for that is the best for the Understanding to contain what is spoken or written only shall not forget William Pryn who is stated in pag. 18. as one of our Modern Phanaticks I would not forget to mind him I say to answer his part and to clear himself if he can of the Aspertion of a Phanatick by which term he stands reviled though Semper Iidem fawneth upon him and flattereth with him and telleth him He is the only Person in this unhappy Paralel who hath given Testimony of his Reconcilement But what better is William Pryn for this Flattery I hope he is not yet reconciled to the Papists and become one of them if he be I desire he would let us know it and if he be not then Semper Iidem accounts him a Phanatick I shall say no further but shall leave him to answer for himself And now last of all for Conclusion I have some CONSIDERATIONS to present to the People of ENGLAND and particularly to the People of LONDON occasioned by the Publication of Semper Iidem 1. COnsider how the Ancient Martyrs as Wickliff Hawkes and Cranmer Latimer Ridley with many more who have been accounted by the Protestants themselves Famous for Piety and Faithfulness and Honourably esteemed Innocent Martyrs for their Witness-bearing against the Romish Idolatries and this for many years in these Kingdoms how I say they are now rendred Odious and Contemptible and Scorned and Slandered as Hereticks seditious factious Blasphemers and Phanaticks by the Author of Semper Iidem and this published openly through the Nation and up and down the Streets of London and this without rebuke from any in Authority that we know of I say this deserves serious Consideration That the Faithful Martyrs in their Day according to their Knowledge who were as the first Fathers of the Protestants-Church so called and did lay down their Lives and seal their Testimony with their Blood against the Idolatry of the then present Times and the Lives and Blood of these Men now to be made void and they that Martyred them justified as doing of Justice and they now reputed Hereticks and Phanaticks publickly this ought to be considered both in the Cause why it is thus and in the Effect of it if it be not restrained 2. Consider How that the generality of the People of England and London are reputed and stand under the present Reproach of being Phanaticks even all the People of England I say except the Papists not only the Separatists from the Church of England as Quakers Anabaptists Independents so called and
which was and is and is to come without Beginning or End and this Mystery reacheth it self forth more or less in every Creature upon the Face of the whole Earth and is the Life and Beeing and Substance of all things and all Creatures upon the face of the earth whether movable or inmovable is a Partaker of this Mystery this Mystery is vailed and hidden secretly in under all things that have a Beeing and whatsoever the Creature brought forth even in the greatest appearance thereof and its goodness and vertue in what form or apparance foever is but the Production or the manifestation of the Mystery God for the life of every Creature and the vertue of every Creature is a Mystery and proceedeth out of the great Mystery of God who is Life it self Vertue it self Goodness it self and Being it self and is the Goodness and the Vertue and the Life and Being of all Things and Creatures upon the face of the Earth so that every thing that hath a being even the Wicked and Ungodly are not without this Mystery in some manner or other for by Him every Creature is and hath its first being But now more perfectly doth the Mystery of God appear in his Servants and in his Children who are born of Him and begotten by Him and they have the sence and feeling and understanding of this Mystery more than any other Creatures and this is their Glory and Crown above all other Creatures upon the face of the whole Earth for they only I say who are redeemed to God and born of the Spirit they are them that have the sence and feeling and understanding of this Mystery even of the Mystery of God infinite endless and eternal And though this Mystery he hid in all other Creatures and manifesting it self through them yet this Mystery is not known to them nor understood of them nor of any other Creature I say besides the Children of the Lord in whom this Mystery is only revealed for they are them through whom more manifestly and plainly this Mystery is made manifest and to them revealed and known and felt in their Understandings and they have the enjoyment thereof who know God and are known of him and are entered into Covenant with him into Everlasting Covenant of Ioy and Peace and through them doth this Mystery display it self even in the sight of all Creatures in works of Righteousness of Purity of Goodness of Mercy of Truth of Peace and of Wisdom in their exercise of all things and in this manner and by these fruits and effects doth the Mystery of God shew itself forth through his Children in whom the Mystery is opened that is hid in all other Creatures And this is the Crown of the Children of the Lord that are born from Heaven and from above that the Mystery of God is felt and enjoyed by them and more manifest to them than in any other Creatures And to know this Mystery of God is Life Eternal and to have the understanding of his Leadings of his Judgment of his Mercy and of his Counsel and of the operation of his Power to feel this in the Understanding this is Ioy and a Crown of Glory where the Mystery of God is revealed in Spirit And as for the Mystery of the Devil it is darkness and in darkness and it shews it self forth in the Ungodly and in the sons of Adam in transgression and in such only doth this Mystery of Iniquity and of Sin and of the Devil display it self forth in all unrighteousnesse and sin and that which is contrary to the Creator in works words and thoughts All these things are the manifestation of the Mystery of the Devil and its fruits and effects who is out of the Truth who is vailed and covered and hidden in the hearts of the Ungodly and in the hearts of the sons of Adam in the Fall This Mystery was not from the beginning as the other but when the Devil went out of the Truth and had led Man's mind out of the Truth and taken possession of the heart of Man and become Ruler and Lord there having gained Authority over Man through Man's obedience to him then began this Mystery to discover it self and act it self through the Creature and this was since the beginning And though no other Creature be an Agent to manifest forth this Mystery but Man yet Man in his exercise of all Creatures or all Creatures through the exercise of Man in transgression there is shewed forth this Mystery of Iniquity that secretly lurks in the spirits of ungodly men which spirit of unrighteousness the Mystery of the Devil leads Man into all sinfulness of drunkenness and uncleanness and such like and hath polluted the Earth and defiled all Creatures through Man's exercise in them and this is truly an appearance of the Mystery of the Devil yet he hath other Appearances and other makings-out of his Mystery to wit in a way of seeming Righteousness and seeming Holiness and seeming Purity and these shew the Mystery of Unrighteousness the Mystery of the Devil who deceives the Soul that is Immortal of the enjoyment of the Creator who is the desire of the Immortal Soul and so through a form and likeness and appearance of a thing is the Soul Immortal deceived and beguiled with that which hath appearances in it but no Life nor Substance And though the Mystery of Iniquity be but one in it self yet it manifests it self divers wayes sometimes in open Prophaneness and Wickedness and sometimes in seeming Righteousness and Holiness and in a form of Religion without power But the Lord is arisen to confound the Mystery of the Devil and Iniquity and will discover it and destroy it for it is the Mystery of Iniquity that worketh in the Children of Disobedience that are Strangers to God and through the operation of this Mystery are People kept at a distance from the Lord and out of Unity and Covenant with him and this Mystery of Iniquity worketh hiddenly not known but in the Eternal Eye which sees through the spirit of Creatures and comprehendeth and fathometh over the nature of things and can judge beyond the appearance even in the ground before the action appeareth for while people are professing and acting Holiness and Righteousness visibly and yet not changed by the Power of the Lord nor renewed in nature mind and spirit from the first Adam to the second the Righteousness and Holiness brought forth in that state is but the acting of the Mystery of Iniquity and the Woolf putting on the Sheep's-Clothing and this God will judge and all Appearances without Life and all Shews without Substance all this will the Lord judge and confound and bring to nought for it is but the working of the Mystery of the Devil who is out of the Truth And this Mystery hath more abounded since the dayes of the Apostles then in Ages since the Beginning inasmuch as this Mystery hath operated and displayed
Punishment pertaining to Hereticks as such for such Heresies held by them Being first convicted truly thereof as aforesaid by the true Church of Christ in whom there is infallibility of Judgment Knowledge and discerning in that case for in the true Church of Christ doth infallibility of true Judgment and Knowledge dwell and every true Member of the true Church hath its particular Measure of the infallible Spirit of Christ whereby he is certainly perswaded of the Way of Truth in which he walks and knows and believes the infallibility of the Truth he professeth and is certain and secure of the Way of his Peace and Assurance in God which he hath received and believed and also hath certainty and infallibility of Judgment and Discerning who are out of the Truth and in the Way of Error and are Hereticks such are infallibly known and discerned by the Spirit of God in the true Church of Christ and by every Member of the same according to his measure of the same Spirit and Gift of Knowledge and Discerning by it And to such as are so convicted by the infallible Spirit of Christ for such their Heresies there is a Punishment pertaining for Hereticks were to be punished in the Apostles dayes according to Paul's Instructions 1 Cor. 5. 5. which was That such a one as had erred from the Truth which once he knew should be delivered up unto Satan for the Destruction of his Flesh that the Spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord Here was a Punishment described by the Apostle for this Heretick that had erred and gone from the Truth and acted against it though once he believed in it and knew it And again Tit. 3. 10. he exhorts and advises That a man that is a Heretick after the first and second Admonition should be wholy rejected and turned away from and judged with the Holy Spirit of God And thus it is clear there is such a thing as dealing with men that are Hereticks and punishing them for such their Heresie according to the Apostle's Doctrines and Instructions And without all controversie such as do err from the Faith which once they have received and turn from the Truth in principle or practice must not escape unpunished but must receive the sentence of just Judgement from God and from his Saints that continue faithful 7. But what kind or nature this punishment is of in what way and manner such as are Hereticks may be and ought to be punished is doubtful to many and is a case at this time to be inquired into for that way and practice of punishing such as have been supposed to be Hereticks as among the Christians so called for many generations to wit the way and practice of burning banishing killing imprisoning and afflicting corporally the persons of them that have been called Hereticks for their heresies and laying forfeitures and penalties on their bodies and estates as hath been the practice of Papists and Protestants towards one another since the Apostles dayes this way and practice hath not been of God nor by any example or precept of the Apostles or first Christian Churches established in their dayes they did not practise or prescribe such dealing towards them that were truly Hereticks and were erred from the Faith and Truth of Jesus Christ not Killing Burning Banishing and Prosecuting the Persons of Hereticks this was not the way of the Spirit of God among the Primitive Christians they did it not nor gave institution for the doing of it at any time but this way of dealing towards Hereticks in such cruel proceedings as hath been in practice for many Ages is of Satan and Antichrist and is down-right Murder Robbery and Wickedness in the Eye of the just God while one Sect or Sort of Christians so called have punished and enviously persecuted another Sort different from them as Hereticks with grievous Afflictions in Body and Estate even unto Death and Banishment this hath not been of God nor true Christian-like but of the wicked one and Cruelties and Murders before the Lord neither are the same proceedings at this day in any part of the World where they are extant any just legal Righteous Christian-like way of proceeding according to Apostolical example but are of Antichrist and of the Wicked one as I have said And this Way and Practice of proceeding towards Hereticks hath been so far from effecting the return of any to the Way of the Lord that have been erred from it as the end of proceeding toward Hereticks should effect that the way and practice of Killing Banishment and Persecuting by violence Hereticks so called hath hardned men in their evil way and made such as have been Hereticks more bold confident and obstinate in their Way Heresie and Errors and many that have been more righteous and clearer from Heresie then such as have so judged them have been destroyed by cruel dealing and many others have been destroyed in their Iniquities and Errors by being so proceeded against And thus true Judgment and Justice in this case have been perverted and turned backwards and because of Ignorance and Cruelty the Righteous have suffered unjustly as the Wicked and the Wicked have suffered by unjust proceedings and thus the Way of Righteousness hath not been known in the Earth but Error upon Error one evil upon another hath come onesin added to another among the Sons of men in the Apostacy amongst the false Christians 8. But the perfect Way of the Lord in proceeding towards such as are truly Hereticks so discerned and infallibly judged to be by the true Church of Christ is this Let such first be admonished advised instructed and warned again and again to beware return from and renounce such false Principles Doctrines and practices held by them and this in the spirit of Christ Jesus in perfect love and in meekness and in the wisdom of the Lord God such I say as are erred from the way of the Lord and from the faith of Christ once received into error ought thus in the first place to be dealt withal by the Way of Admonishing Instructing Warning and Reproving that there may be a Returning and Repentance towards the Lord and his Truth again from whence they have erred and if such shall not receive the Instructions Reproofs and Admonitions of the true Church of Christ then such Hereticks shall be rejected and cast out according to Titus the 3. 10 11. saith the Apostle A man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself here is the Description of the punishing of an Heretick if he will not receive Admonition after being given him again and again but doth harden his heart against the Church and against the truth of Christ and will not repent but persicts in his errors and heresies and that after reproof and admonition then he is to be rejected rejected what is that but a casting out from
them and with a good Conscience they cannot swear but do deny it upon all Conditions because Christ hath commanded not to swear at all and the Apostle doth exhort above all things not to swear and therefore it is a matter of conscience unto many and not a matter of purposed wrong towards any man and though here it may be objected But for want of an Oath a just man may loose his just Cause because Judgment depends upon witness by oath to that I answer that is because the Law is not according to Christ by which the Judgment comes but is unjustly grounded upon the breach of Christs Command viz. swearing and whether ought the man to be blamed or condemned as a Transgressor who keeps Christ's Command and cannot swear at all upon any Tearms or whether that Law ought not to be corrected and regulated to be according to the Law of Christ and all that which is contrary in the execution thereof to be condemned and removed that a just man's witness may be given and taken upon occasion without an Oath and his just cause may go on against his Enemies by just judgment grounded upon the naked truth in plainness testified without swearing this is to be considered and though it be again obiected but many say some makes more Conscience and are more afraid to testify falsly upon Oath then upon bare words without an Oath so to have the truth known wholly that is the end of the Oath to this I answer a man that truly and uprightly fears God will be as much afraid and make as much Conscience of speaking falsly as of swearing falsly and out of a good Conscience will testifie as truly as if he swore and for others who fears to swear falsly and doth not so much fear to speak falsly without Oath this is because there is a greater punishment to such and it is accounted a greater offence among men to swear falsly then to speak falsly and for the correcting of that the punishment and offence should be changed and such as testify falsly without Oath may be accounted Offenders and punished as such who swears falsly and this will bind the wicked in a sufficient fear and cause them to be afraid of testifying falsly even as much as of swearing falsly if the testimony in causes among men of such evil persons who cannot make Conscience of lying nor speak the truth without swearing it ought the rather to be had and to be done by binding by a Law and punishing if he testifie a Lye then by causing him to continue in the breach of Christs command but however still I say such who out of a good and tender Conscience do deny to swear ought not to be persecuted and punished as great Offenders for while this is done the Law and good Government is perverted and authority is greatly abused to another end then wherefore it was ordained of God and that Law and authority must needs be unjust which oppresseth or punisheth the excercise of a good Conscience as for evill doing and this shews the blindness and ignorance of men in authority to whom the Law is committed who discerns not neither makes a difference betwixt things done in the Fear of God and in the excercise of a good Conscience towards him and things done out of an evil minde to evil inteâ—ts purposely and wilfully to do wrong and injury to mens persons and estates for all Magistrates ought to learn this and to distinguish that their power and authority may justifie the one and condemn the other that true justice and sound judgement may spring forth in the Earth and in the Nations that all the Upright and Well-doers may rejoyce and live in rest and peace and all the Workers of Iniquity and such as do Evil may be afraid and fear to offend just men and just Laws and thus would the Name of the Lord be great in the Earth among men and such a Government renowned for ever and such Magistrates would be a praise to Generations after them and a blessed example to Ages to come But now some may say and object how shall this be known and who can tell and discern of such Causes and who it is that do their Works out of the exercise of a good Conscience and who do their Deeds out of an evil Minde and to an evil intent and so is wrong dealing and worthy of punishment this is a doubtful Cause may some say and difficult to be known and understood But to this I answer and say To all such as have the Spirit of the Father and are led thereby and in their Judgement guided therewith this is an easie thing to discern and an easie matter to know and find out and such as cannot discern and distingush in such Matters have not the Spirit of God nor the spirit of true and sound Judgment neither is indeed ordained of God nor fit to judge the People nor the honour of a Ruler and Judge belongs not to such a one who cannot find out a matter nor know and judge between the precious and the vile how to justifie the one and how to condemn the other and indeed this is the reason and cause of so much Injustice and Oppression brought forth at this day because the spirit of sound Judgment is wanting and such as are set to judge hath it not to try and discern and give Judgment by it and therefore Light is put for Darkness and Darkness for Light and good is called Evil and Evil Good and true Justice and Judgment is perverted and turned backward and the guiltless is condemned guilty But I say if the work be done by a man out of a good Conscience and as a matter of Conscience then he doth it in the Fear of God and in the cross to his own will and in meekness and tenderness of heart not seeking himself in what he doth but is willing to suffer for the Truth sake and for what he doth and will not resist Evil or the false Judgments of men but patiently and quietly bears all things for the Lords sake and in all what he doth or suffers he gives the glory to the Lord who works his works in him and gives him strength and patience willing to suffer for them But again I do answer by men that have the spirit of sound Judgment to rule and guide them this cause is easie to be discerned and the difference may be known betwixt a thing done out of a good Conscience and for a good Conscience sake and a thing done out of an evil mind and purpose and to an evil end to the wrong and injury of another for the ground from whence the works do proceed are contrary and the spirit by which the works are wrought are contrary and the purpose and end to which they are wrought are contrary and the spirit of God and of sound Judgment may and doth put a difference betwixt the ground acting and end of
all works for it is the ground from whence all works do spring and the end unto which they are brought forth that makes all mens works good or evil to be justified or to be condemned and where the Measure of the Spirit and Power of God is the Ground of and Leader in a work that work as I have said is done in the Fear of the Lord and in uprightness of heart and in love and tenderness and meekness and patience without seeking or exalting self but the Glory of the Lord is only sought by that man in all such his works But on the contrary where an evil heart and mind brings forth works to an evil end and to the wrong of others such works are maliciously and wilfully and enviously and peevishly done in forwardness and headiness and not in the Fear of God nor in uprightness of heart but with a double mind and in secret or without the Counsel of God seeking himself in his works and not the Lord and such works are wicked and wrought by wicked men who transgresseth both the Law of God and of men and must receive according to their deeds and the Law that is equal must pass upon them which the Light of Christ in their own Consciences may answer to when they are condemned for their ungodly works against which Light they act and that is the reason and cause wherefore their works are evil and to be condemned by the Law for who acteth according to the Light of Christ and is led thereby fulfilleth the Law or it is fulfilled in him and his works are wrought in God and are the testimony unto men that he is of a good conscience and for a good Conscience sake his works are done and such men and works are not to be condemned but justified And this is for Instruction to all them that bear Rule who are Magistrates and Governours and Judges of the people that they may now be wife and learn wisdom how to judge righteously and justly among people that they may fulfil the Will of God in what he hath called them unto even that they may cherish and defend and strengthen such as do well and all whose pure Consciences are purely exercised may live in peace and rest under such a Government and all Evil-Doers may be bound limitted and judged and may stand in awe and be afraid and thus Justice and true Judgment would be advanced and Equity would run down as a mighty Stream and the Nation would be blessed and yeild content and satisfaction to her Inhabitants and hereby might the Rulers and Judges gain unto themselves a good report and an honour and renown would the Lord crown them withal in Generations to come Wherefore all ye Rulers and ye that are set to judge the people be now awakened to just Judgment and to a sound discerning and put on the spirit of true Judgment even the Spirit of the Lord that you may receive it to be taught in all things how to walk with God that you may answer his call and the End of your Authority in judging justly all sorts of men rendring to every man according to his Deeds even Condemnation and Judgment to Evil-Doers and a Praise and Defence to all that do well And this is written in love to you all shewing you how to put a difference betwixt the Precious and the Vile between the Just and Unjust that you may be the more happy if this you observe not leaving your names a Reproach and a Scorn to after Ages which is the effect which doth follow all such as pervert Justice and turns true Judgment backward with Misery and Destruction upon themselves and Posterity for evermore A True and Faithful Exposition of some part of the Laws of ENGLAND ALL ye Magistrates Justices of the Peace Mayors and all other Ministers of the Law and all ye to whomsoever the Law is committed I warn you all to take heed to your selves that ye fulfil the Will of the Lord in judging Righteously and executing true Justice and Judgment and let not Envy nor false Suspitions nor Jealousies have any place in you but with a single Eye try all things and with an upright Heart judge for God and not for man and beware of causing the Innocent to suffer whose Consciences are exercised towards God though they be contrary to the World in their Wayes and Judgments for if you cause such to suffer you do not execute true Judgment but subvert the Law and the Lord will require that Suffering of his People at your hands Now consider The Law was not made for a Righteous Man but for Transgressors such whose Consciences are not exercisd towards God and such your Sword is to be laid upon to be a Terror to them and not to the Innocent for they should have Praise that do well And you must take heed lest you abuse your Power to another End then wherefore God hath ordained it for the Law was added because of Transgression to slay the Transgressor and that is the End of the Law Now you must take heed of causing any to suffer upon bare Suspition or Evil Jealousies when as no Transgression is truly charged nor justly proved against them before you And you are not to be both Accusers and Judges of any one in any Cause You have a late Act for the taking up and punishing of idle lâ—â—se and dissolute Persons such as are Vagrants and wandering Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars Now this Law is good if it be duly and justly executed upon such as are truly guilty herein and it is right that sturdy Beggars and Rogues and idle and disorderly Persons should be taken up from wandering and set on work in some good Imployment in the Creation which may maintain themselves and prevent them from worse things But now you must take heed of judging any to be such who are not really so for many of the Servants of the Lord now as it was in Generations past are moved to leave their own Country and Dwellings and Relations and go abroad in the Nations to preach the Gospel of Christ and to bear witness of his Name in the World to the turning of People from the wayes of Sin and Death to the Way of Righteousness and Truth and it may be such cannot give you an Account or sufficient Cause of their travelling abroad so as to satisfie you For that is lawful in the sight of God which you may not judge to be so for God's Wayes are not man's wayes neither are his Thoughts as man's thoughts Therefore I say unto you If you cause any such of the Servants of the Lord to suffer by that Law you abuse your power and subvert the Law for such are not Vagabonds nor idle dissolute Persons nor Rogues nor sturdy Beggars no more than Christ was who had no where to lay his head and the Prophets and Apostles were some of which had no certain dwelling place but left