mystery and according to the spirituall sence in my apprehension faith is there meant Christ but before Christ came we were kept under the law shut up unto the fiath which should afterwards be revealed This word but hath reference to the former verses therefore read from the 21. verse to the end of the chap. and you may find this if God says Amen to it to be a glorious truth But if so be you have but a notionall knowledge of Christ or a bare historical faith as Mr. Cox by his expressions in answer to my question did import no other saying that he did hope he had faith which is but historical by hearsay and mearly the teachings of men and no otherwise then you cannot say of a truth that Christ is in you the hope of glory These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you But if you have received the anointing it abideth in you and the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no ly c. 1 Job 2.26 27. And if Christ be in you the hope of glory then you shall finde that spirituall and individual substance or rather subsistance in respect of operations manifested within you that is infeperable For we are his anointing and that spiritual unction within us makes us to be one with him We are Kings and Priests and by vertue of his spiritual anointing we are one with him by faith which is Christ in us we apprend all the benefits and spirituall enjoyments and rejoycings made out unto us and by his spiritual descension so low into us and drawing us up into himself we are come to be one with him and in him and he in us Joh. 17. being iustified by faith in his blood And as there is such a sweet union and onenesse between Christ and the soul Christ being the manifestation of his fathers love the soul comes to have free accesse by one spirit unto the Father Ephe. 2.18 in and through the Son whereby the soul comes to see God purely as he is so that there is a continual feast of fat things their Table being richly deckt and covered over with all sorts of varieties of dainties supping and dining together And there is a continual presence or habit of union between God and the soul that the soul is as it were richly clothed with God and God with the soul do live mutually in themselves for he that dwels in love dwels in God God in him that nothing is in God that is not God therefore whatsoever is in God is God And thus the soul comes to see God to be his all and in all and sees him in all things in every thing and sees his own nothingnesse and emptynesse of himself without him But now I shall shew you that there are many who look upon Christ after the flesh and not after the spirit or a spiritual Christ within us not apprehending him as he is purely in himself so they look upon the act of faith to be that which God accepts to justification But truly for my part I am not of that judgement for I conceive there is a mistake in it looking upon him after the flesh and not after the spirit or in the spirit and so they asseribe that honour to faith which is due unto Christ and dishonour him in so doing for although they do not exclude Christ wholly and totally yet in the act of justification which is a work it gives all unto faith we are justified before God in his sight only by Christ Rom. 3.20.24 and for a farther confirmation of this truth see Isa 53.11 12. Where it is said my righteous servant shall justifie many which must be understood of Christ we are not justified before God by faith which is in us but by Christ by his blood We are justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 by faith which is Christ in us we know our selves to be justified verse first and although faith is one of the chiefest graces yet as it is an act it is a work and to be justified by it is to be justified by a work of our own for with the heart man beleeveth Rom. 10.9 10. so that t is clear that which justifie us must needs be perfect and so it can be no act of ours for all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges c Isa 64.6 not of works least any should boast Ephe. 2.9 Me thinks the consideration of this point should cause us to admire at the wonderful riches of the free grace of God in Christ Jesus who out of his infinite love being an infinite glorious Majesty that he should descend so low as to take upon himselfe our nature being poor finite creatures to shed his blood to die for us and to rise again for our justification But that his essential will is himself his power is himself his wisdome is himself and every thing that is in him is himself if we can but see it But to proceed a little farther in the prosecution of this point of faith I shall speak something concerning Enochs walking with God by faith and so conclude the point It is said Gen. 5.24 That Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him By faith he was Translated that he should not see death c. And the text saith that he was one that is not this may seem to be a paradox a strange expression if we but barely look upon the letter of the Scripture yet it is a glorious truth for it is said he is one that is not Enoch walked with God and was not So that he walked not after the flesh but after the spirit for he was translated by faith that he should not see death and was not found he was not for God took him He in himself was not for his glory and excellency past away all his earthly pomps vanish'd he of himself was nothing for he saw his own emptinesse and nothingnesse and all-sufficiency in Christ what he was he was in Christ Christ was his life and his all Christ was all and in all unto him Col. 3.11 So that God translated Enoch in the spirit he was translated into Jesus Christ and so every true believer is one in Jesus Christ and nothing in himself there is a glorious change there is a new birth there is a new self he is born of God God is his selfe Christ is his self So that Enoch was out of the flesh into the spirit out of himself and his own righteousnesse into God and so is every saint every true believer is translated out of himself into a being which is in God He is dead unto all self-righteousnesse he is dead unto the law he is dead unto the World but he is alive unto God Here you see that by faith Enoch was Translated from death to life Therefore you may see that faith is an excellent gift est donum Dei it is the gift of God Ephe.
2.8 And so all things else that are given proceed from him but this gift of faith in a more special manner because Christ is given in it by believing but I shall shew you that there are degrees of faiths manifestation in believing according to the apprehension some degrees more weake some more strong Yet if thou hast but faith as a grain of mustard-seed thou shalt be able to remove Mountains which is the next particular to be handled But a word or two more touching the highest degree of faith which is faiths assurance assurance being the proper act of faith proceeding from the reflect act of faith which causeth a man to know and see that he beleeves and this assurance is from the immediate testimony of the spirit of God in the conscience of him who is already a believer and causeth the soul to know that it believes The spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits c. Rom. 8.16 But so much shall suffice for this point the next in order is that mountain to be removed according to the main drift and scope of my argument First a mountain in Scripture is taken divers waies as you may find in Isa 2. Mark 11. c. But I shall shew you first Negatively What a mountain is not Secondly affirmatively What it is And according to the reall drift and scope of my meaning at the discourse and it so be the Magistrates with patience could have heard me make it forth I should have cleared it but that they would scarce suffer me to speak for my self but searcht the statute-book to see what punishment was fit for blasphemers in that case provided taking his accusation for truth not knowing how or in what manner I had declared my self neither could they understand my meaning touching this mountain here spoken of Therefore I shew you 1. Negatively that I did not mean such a Mountain as that great hill neer Taunton called by the name of black-down according to the question propounded unto me Neither did I mean that great round Cob-hill call'd by the name of Glastonburytor Nor that great mountain of Saint Taffies in Welchland Nor had I any thoughts of removing that great hill of Taunton out of his place who was then Major pro tempore and committed me to prison when as neither of them knew a mountain from a mole-hill But I speake this but by the way and therefore desire to be excused 2. Affirmatively There are mountaines within us as well as mountains without us there are mountains of sin and there are mountains of opposition there are mountains of power and there are mountains of pride and self-loftinesse there are mountains of oppression and Tyranny c. An indeed every thing is a mountain that exalts it self or is exalted high in opposition to truth As you may see in the aforecited chapter from verse 10. and so forwards but yet all these mountains shall be lay'd low when the lofty looks of men shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Which is the day of Gods power But what flesh shall abide his coming When he shall come as a refiners fire and like fullers sope when all corruption shall be burnt up and be destroyed or at least be cleansed and purified from the drosse Mal. 3. These things are and shall be trans-acted in us but the end is not yet And now friends although I have not handled every particular circumstance of this matter in hand yet every material point of any moment is cleared Therefore I shall now give a word or two in general to the Nations and chiefly to Magistrates and Governors and such as are placed in authority over us which shall be by way of good cuncel if you can take it But if so be you do not take it it will be because you cannot Yet neverthelesse I have thought good to give you a cautional hint of some special observations which I have taken touching the several greevances of the people who ly under many greevous pressures and burdens and expect relief and comfort from you which will be by prescribing wholesome laws according to the present constitution of this Nation and a due execution thereof as it was before the Norman Conquest For you know that the people have lived under a Kingly power many hundred years and have been held in bondage and slavery ever since the conquest under those lawes which were prescribed by an Usurper And have been still kept under the Normand yoak by reason of an absolute arbitrary power domineering over them raised up by William the Conquetor when he had subdued this Nation by the sword Then those who were his Creatures his favourits he created them to be Lords of Mannors and so divided and distributed the Land amongst themselves and the poor people to become tenants unto them and to pay a small rent at first to bring them under the yoak and so to acknowledge them to be their Lords and masters and hence came in that which we call propriety as derived from the Norman Conquest Now after this these great Lords of Mannors by marriages matching their Sonnes and daughters together joyn'd house to house and land to land and so became greater Lords then ever and exhausted greater rents from their poor tenants by degrees and all to uphold them in their pride and so to maintain them in their pomp and vanities and Lordly dignities And so the poor people comes to be meer slaves to their Lords and Masters their rents being continually raised and set upon the rack and tenterhoocks of their wicked consciences and are not able to maintain themselves and families though at a pittyful poor low rate both in food and rayment notwithstanding all their labour and pains-taking both early and late But I must tell you that the maintainance of propriety in this way and by such lawes will be the destruction of it and me thinks I see it already destroyed and you know that the stander-by sometimes sees more then the gamester And truly for my part I see an exceeding unequal distribution of things some all and some nothing at all and the poor daily crying out for bread bread bread for the Lords sake and few or none laying it to heart when many of your great Lords have ten fifteen twenty thousand pounds per annum which is more then two hundred thousand families have and yet they can spend all in rioteousnesse and wantonnesse and in superfluity of dainties and in the delights and pleasures of this world and truly I do beleeve I speak with the least though I speak it with much grief that for every one that hath but ten thousand pounds per annum there are two hundred thousand families and more that have not so much and so proportionable of all the rest I speak from experience of my late travels in the North where I have seen multitudes of
blasphemie and if so be I had been a Captain in his Regiment he would have done no lesse then my Col. did and that there would suddainly be a charge drawn up against me but I knowing my own innocency told him that I did not value a chip any charge that could be brought in against me and truly for my part I conceived his very countenance did import much wrath and bitternesse of spirit against me although he scarce ever knew me or ever exchanged three words with me before But what he had it seemed he received it from Col. Okey or from some scandalous papers which were spread abroad by him which was ground enough for his anger towards me for here you shall see hand over head without due examination they will judge and condemn and speak purely one anothers language and all to advance their own interests But what they account blasphemie I know not but I am sure I have cashier'd many of my Souldiers for swearing and drunkennesse and have sharply reproved others for any kind of vice whatsoever that hath come within the compasse of my cognisance and that I shall appeal to these several places where we have bin quartered any time this fifteen moneths and upwards We were quartred eighteen weeks at Buckinghame and Brackly three and twenty weeks at Saint Neots and Kimbolton five weeks at Ketering and Rowel fourteen weeks at Colebrooke and Vxbridge and eight weeks more at S. Neots Kimbelion before our march into Scotland All which time the people in these severall places have had sufficient experience of us and are able and willing if occasion should serve to give a very good testimony of our civil behaviour and carriage towards them and I dare be bold to speak it that they are as willing and ready to give us entertainment as any troope in the Army and no disparigement to any And now you shall see more of my Col. dealings towards me my Cornet and three and twenty of my men being gone for the service of Ireland under Capt. Barrington how he took advantage thereby notwitstanding he had given a verball order not only to me but to the rest of the Officers in his regiment that in case any of Capt. Barringtons men were not free to go for that service that we should entertaine and lift them in the roome of our men that were free Whereupon eighteen of his men came to me well mounted and well armed and I had no sooner entertain'd them but the Col. sent me an expresse order not to recrute whereupon I discharged them and they all marcht up to London and were in a sad condition for when they came thither they went to the Col. but could not prevaile with him to be entertained under my command and so were frustrate of all imployment and continued so long notwithstanding they had oftentimes petitioned the Col. and divers friends had solicited in their behalfe till they had spent their horses and all that they could make shift for yet afterwards upon my Engagement of laying down my Commission as you shall see by and by he sent them down to me afoot to be listed again as may appear by divers letters under his own hand which was a pure peece of service which I shall refer to the Reader to judge But of this by the way Now it came to passe that I finding the Collonels designe against me partly through his malice towards me and partly setting up his own interest knew that offence may be taken though not given but wo to him by whome offences come and I know that wrath is cruel anger is outrageous and that it is a hard matter to stand before envie Therefore I took my journy to London to see how the case stood betwixt my Col. and I but before I spake with him I met with our Major who told me that the Colonel did prosecute his former designe against me with all the force and strength he had and no perswading him to the contrary and that he told him that he had an order from the Generall to disband my whole troope to disband me Whereupon having some farther discourse with the Major and Capt. Neale touching this matter we all three concluded together to meet at the Col. house the next morning to know what his resolution was concerning me but when we came the Col. was upon exceeding high tearmes in a rayling condition against me and ripping up the old sores of his own making by those poysonous arrowes shot against me but I earnestly desired him that I might have the benefit and priviledge of a Counsel at warre knowing that it would have bin the onely way if I might obtain it to beget a right understanding betwixt us and the onely way to free me from such aspersions which will not be removed till truth be manifested but if so be I have either said or done any thing worthy of punishment as I told him I would aske no favour at any mans hands but willingly submit to the censure of the Court either to stand or fall by it and in case I were found guilty I should willingly suffer according to my demerits Then the Major and Capt. Neale both did earnestly desire in my behalfe that a counsel of warre might be had whereupon the Col. in a surious rage burst forth against Capt. Neale in bitter language and told him that he was as bad as I his turne was next and that he might trust to it for he had a charge against him as well as against me and put his hand in his pocket pretending to produce both our charges but did not and truly for my part I do beleeve that if he had drawn any charge against either of us he was ashamed to shew it knowing that his own conscience would accuse him that he had nothing against either of us that would hold water at a Counsel at warre unlesse he could get some knights of the post to swear for him and that I shall appeale to the reader to judge in that he would not admit of a Counsel at warre And you may easily render a reason for it was because he had lay'd such ignominious and scandalous reproaches upon us that he was never able to prove one title of it Yet notwithstanding he did continually spread abroad our names in all places where ere he came both in City and Country and especially my name he made ring throughout the whole Army both to the Generall and Officers as if I had bin the vilest Creature under the Sun insomuch as I conceived and was partly confident that he had so far prevailed with the Generall to disband the whole troope to disband me according to what he had affirmed to us and truly for my part I tooke it to be truth what he had said and whether the Generall were abused in it I know not but for my own particular I did not care what could be proved against me for I had neither
Therefore I could not but do it and the rather to vindicate my selfe in such a kind of dialect for peradventure it may the better work upon his spirits knowing that my own conscience will not suffer me to write any untruths although we know that such as will prosecute their designes by false and scandalous accusations are very apt to deny truths But suppose that Colonel Okey should question any of these truths herein contained so farre as it concerns himself then I know his own conscience will accuse him and bear witnesse against him and be ready to fly in the very face of him for it and this very book of mine will prove to be a devil to torment him as bad as seven devils But suppose he should think to carry it off with a high hand as he knows how to do it pretty well and call me knave for my labour as once he call'd Captain Mercer and told him he was troubled with a company of knaves to his Officers nay suppose he should all to be spatter me with such uncivil language behind my back according to his wonted practise before my face and say that these are not truths which I have written and that I have done him wrong then I shall appeal to those six Troops of his own Regiment which are with him in Scotland both Officers and Souldiers who for the generality of them know them to be truths And this will prove to be a tormenter indeed when there shall be so many witnesses against him besides his own conscience is as a thousand witnesses more But me thinks I hear him raile at me exceedingly and at my book and lay this poor book to my charge for a base scurrelous and scandalous book as he did my letter which I sent to him at Lancaster Then I shall appeal to the letter it selfe whereof I shall give you a true Coppy which is as followeth and leave it to you to judge Sir I Am at present under a cloud of aspersions though undeservedly by reason of some misapprehensions or misunderstandings one of another which occasions some distemper and trouble of mind to some Yet I praise my God there is no man can take away my comforts from me for I behold the Lord indeed in this appearance and see him in all other his various workings what though I am defamed in my good name it is the Fathers pleasure it should be so What though I ly under a cloud for a time in regard of an outward appearance before men Yet when the day-starre shall arise in your bea rt and that truth may be manifested it will cause you to have some trouble of mind and auxiity of spirit for these my sufferings Your conscience will tell you whether you prosecute this designe against me for some by-sinister-ends as to advance selfe-interest or out of sure zeal truly for my parts in doth not appear to me that your do it our of pure zeale it savours to little of a spirit rightly qualified but if it be out of pure zeal truly such zeale must be burnt up or at least cleansed and purified from the drosse for there is abundance of mixture You say that I and such others are the occasion of these warres Truly for my Part it doth appear to me that it arises from pride and selfeloftynesse and not from an humble and contrite heart for ambition carries a great stroake and from whence come warres is it not from your lusts you lay that every honest man will be as good as his word and charge me for not making good my engagement which was to lay down my commission And truly for my part I really intended it and was against my Souldiers petitioning the Generall knowing of the suffering of Captain Barringtons men who lay in London till they had spent their horses and all that they could make shift for before they could have any imployment Besides you know that you would not affoard me a hearing at a Councel in Warre lesse then which could not be granted to the meanest Souldier in the Armie But since the case is altered as I told you for above two moneths afire my Souldiers much musing at your hard dealings towards me that you would not grant me a tryall unknown to me did petition the Generall to that purpose which petition was granted and I tooke is to be a great favour considering what informations you hed given in against me to render me as odious as might be possible Now I shall appeale to your own canscience whether or no you have made good all your former engagements notwithstanding they were of lesse concernment then this is to me then look upon the equitablenesse of the cause and see whether or no a deprivation of my liberty may not stand in competition according to your former engagement with my non prformance of my promise Besides if I should be put off upon these tearmes without a Councel at Warre it may breed some distractions amongst the Officers in the Army which is not my desire knowing that there is no president for any such thing nor was there ever such arbitrarinesse exercised amongst them And it will be abundance of dissatisfaction to my friends who are lovers of truth in regard I shall still ly under a cloud of aspersions and not capable of any future imployment New if so be there be that righteous law within you to do as you would be done by Then I conceive you cannot exercise any such power Besides we all engaged against all arbitrary-power and will you set it up in your selfe surely this must be destroyed in you or else you will be destroyed in it For what art thou O Man that findest fault with another man and thou thy selfe doest the same thing You say that I am a heathen Truly for my part I thinke it better to be amongst beath ens then amongst such professors such as have a form of godlinesse but deny the power thereof You pretend abundance of zeal of religion and to religious men but I see but little justice towards me The Lord speakes by the mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah chapter 5. verse 1. Runne ye to and fro into the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places therof if ye can sind a mar if there by any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and he will pardon the City And though they say the Lord liveth yet they swear falsly verse 2. now if so be justice be not to be found in such a great City then where shal we find it but at the fountain You yet charge me with error and heresie truly for my part I take heresie to be a work of the flesh and he that is without sin and free from the workes of the flesh let him cast the first stone but the fruit of the spirit it love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance c. And the Apostle laies down
this as a rule too that if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse and bear one another burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Suppose I had bin overtaken in a fault which my conscience can plead my innocency and integrity yet will you still persist and go on in violence against me without due examination I shall desire that you would with patience heare me what I can say for my self and not rashly judge and condemn me without a cause but I know you cannot help it you are so overswayed with passion You see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand but I am a fraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain I write in the Apostles own language Sir I beseech you be as I am for I am as you are you have not injured me at all And thus to a void prolixity I shall cease to trouble you any farther at this time and shall remain Your faithful servant in all duties of Command FRANCIS FREEMAN And now friends you that have read this letter I shall desire that you would once more if you are not satisfied look it over with a more attentive eye and without any prejudicat thoughts on either side and so go give your judgement impartially and if so be you find any such base scurrelous and scandalous language in it according to the matter of charge laid against me then I shall desire you to cast a blur not only upon it but upon me and throw dirt in my face with as much disdain and disgrace as may be possible And truly for my part I presume if I might have had a Counsel at warre you would have found all the rest of his charge against me to be as frivelous as this but if so be I may have a Counsell at warre hereafter as I make no doubt but I shall when once this great businesse in Scotland is over then I beleeve I shall make him ashamed of what he hath done against me not that I can do any thing by way of revenge it is against my spirit so to do but by way of vindication for I know he could not help it he was acted by a greater power then his own neither can I blame him for it for he did as he should do but if so be I might have the greatrest Command as might be under Colonel Okey I professe ingeniously I could not take it if I might gain 1000 pound by it as to have my spirits bound up and tyed fast to the wils of men and to be in bondage and slavery through the beggerly rudiments of the world by the doctrines and tradition of men and all by an arbitrary power exercised over us but if so be I may be serviceable to this Common-wealth in any thing I can do I shall be as formerly I have bin ready willing to do it to the uttermost of my power either in England Scotland or Ireland But I shall rather chuse to traile a pike under the great Turke then to have any command under Colonel Okey And Now I shall shew you one notable cunning slight more that he used against me about this time twelvemoneth to set up his own interest he having received an order to send two troops of his Regiment for the service of Ireland did appoint my troop to be one supposing that I had not bin free for that service and so to disband me upon that account for he never intended that I should go Now for my part I was very free for that service and did expresse my willingnesse to go and my souldiers likewise did as it were unanimously with one consent expresse their willingnesse to go with me whereupon he was crost in his designe and then he told me that we should not go and ever since he hath bin plotting and contriving all the mischief that might be possible against me and truly for my part I conceived that we were at that time in a capacity fittest to go for that service of any troop in his Regiment and for these reasons following viz. that we owed nothing in our quarters when other troops owed considerable sums we were best mounted of any troop well clad in good apparel and all accoutraments belonging to souldiers stout gallant men and such as I dare be bold to say that the Colonel never had a gallanter troop in his Regiment since he was Colonel and for my own particular part it is well known I have faithfully served the State ever fince the beginning of these troubles and so I praise my God there is no man can challenge me for the worth of a peny that ever I plundered any man but alwaies laboured for the preservation of the Country where ever I came And as for my military imployment touching my charge before or since I came to this Regiment no man can any way disparrage me but that I have behaved my selfe in all services of command like a Souldier and my deportment and carriage hath bin such towards all men as might become an honest man and that no man I dare be bold to speak to the whole world can have any just cause against me And as it hath bin heretofore the sence of the whole Army that no man should suffer for his opinion so I conceive I have not in the least tittle made a breach of any law neither is there any article against me in the whole book of articles at warre and where there is no law there is no transgression But howsoever here you may see an obsolute discovery of my adversaries malice towards me and how they have made good the former part of this Epistle viz. that every form is a persecuter c. and how they have set up their interests by cloathing themselves with the fig-leaves of their own righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of the Law not knowing their freedom by Christ but are in bondage to the elements of the world Gal. 4.3 Ye observe daies and moneths and times and years verse 10. but I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are ye have not injured me at all Object But some will say that the Apostle Paul which you speak of had bin a persecuter himself and was he under forms I answer yea he was under severall formes or ministrations but was very zealous concerning the law and yet he thought he did God good service in persecuting the Church of Christ But this was before his conversion for afterwards we read that he was rapt up into the third heaven then doubtlesse he was above all formes types and shadowes and was svvallowed up in the very substance it self which formerly he had seen but darkly shadowed forth to him by the lavv It is even so vvith these men vvho are under formes and legal