force People to observe dayes came not this Power and Wisdom first from the Pope and not from the Apostles nor from Christ Jesus if you have it from Christ Jesus and the Apostles let us see where it is convince us with Scripture And where I say do you find in Scriptures that Christ or his Apostles did ordain the day you call Christ-Mass and the rest of the dayes attending it which you call Holy-dayes But to say the Truth you may rather term them Unholy by reason of the Ungodly and Debaucht Heathenish Practice So that whereas you pretend to Honour the Lord Jesus in and by them you do no other indeed but dishonour him and do Persecute others that will not do as you do and so break the Command of God who saith Six dayes shalt thou labour c. and here your Command is that they must play more then Six Dayes Now tell me if you can how many hundred of years after Christ and the Apostles were these days first observed as Holy-dayes and set apart to be kept as you do now keep them O! the Whoredoms and Debauchery and Drunkenness the Excess Sensual Pleasures Carnal Delights Carding Diceing Dancing that these dayes are filled up with so that the Devil hath more Work done him in these dayes then in many other dayes before or after So let the Witness of God in your Consciences answer Yea or Nay and let all Sober People judge whether or no I speak not Truth when I say God is more dishonoured and his Name prophanened and taken in vain and blasphemed more in the twelve Holy Dayes so called then in three times the number of them let I say your Consciences and all sober people judge So here you may see how the Apostle judged them that did observe days But consider whether or no doth the Kingdom of God stand in Meats and Drinks and Washings and in Days Nay nay it stands only in Righteousness and in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost which Kingdom all people are in the first place to seek after And then concerning your Fasts in Lent c. the Lord will say Who required these things at your Hands as it is in Isa 58.3 4. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest or regardest not c. Behold saith the Lord in the day of your Fasts you find Pleasures and exact all your Labours ye fast for Strife and Debate and to smite with the Fist of Wickedness Ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your Voices to be heard on high Is it such a Fast as I have chosen a Day for a man to Afflict his Soul Is it to bow down his Head like a Bull-Rush And wilt thou call this a Fast see the Contents of the Chapter above where it is reproved for Hypocrisie But is not this the Fast that I have chosen saith the Lord To loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burdens to let the Oppressed go free and that they break every Yoak Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry c. Now whether your Fast be such yea or nay let your own Consciences judge And the Apostle commands us to pray every-where lifting up holy hands without Wrath or Doubting 1. Tim. 2.8 Now consider this are not your hands like those fists of Wickedness and are you not full of Wrath and Doubting or are your Hands Clean and Holy Let the Witness in your Consciences judge and see if those Actions and Practices be not found among you as was amongst them whom the Prophet speaks of here which is called Hypocrisie as was said before And did not Judas carry the bag who was a Thief who betray'd his Master And are not they for his Bag and Money to hold it by intayle even all who are the Betrayers of Christ now in this day where he is made manifest in his People I say do they not betray him now and seek to crucifie him in his members or his members for his sake And is it not the Son of Perdition spoken of 2 Thess 23. who exalts himself above all that is called God whom Christ will destroy with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming Look into your selves and read this if you can But are not such now worse then Judas who carried the Bag for we never read that Judas persecuted any for not putting into his bag as too too many now a dayes do and have done who will not go without the bag And are not all such Transgressors of Christ's Command who bids them go without a bag or Scrip and Freely you have received Freely give How will such answer Christ think you at the day of Judgment when they are brought before his Throne and before him at his Judgment Seat who then will say unto them Depart you Cursed c. but to his Sheep on his right hand Come ye Blessed of my Father c. and so enter thou into the Joy of the Lord and the other into everlasting Punishment who have been persecuting others for Worshipping the living God in Spirit and in Truth which Worship Christ Jesus set up above 1600. years since as you may read in John 4.23 24. Now Friends to look into your Families and into your own Practices are not we to see that first you are to be approved before you do minister both you and your Families For are we not to try all things and to follow you no farther then you follow Christ And were not thâ—â—ereans accounted Noble in that they searcht the Scriptures to see whether or no that which the Apostle had delivered them were according to the Law and the Prophets And must we be more ignoble then they think you and now to try whether you are in the steps of the true Prophets and of Christ and of the Apostles or in the steps of those False Prophets they cryed out against must we not try here by the Scripture viz. by the Prophets words and by Christ's and his Apostles Words Then for the Trying you the Apostle saith in 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 c. A Bishop must be Blameless the Husband of One Wife Vigilant Sober of Good behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Striker not Greedy of filthy Lucre but Patient not a Brawler nor Covetous one that ruleth well his own House having his Children in subjection with all Cravity Now are you Blameless are you Sober of Good behaviour and are you given to Hospitality are you apt to teach 'T is Storied of one Parson Gray of this Island being at a Feast the custom was for the Cups to be often handed about one of Brandy the other of Sack but as for the Sack the Parson cared not much for it having had enough of that Liquor whereupon said the pretended Reverend Parson when he saw the Cup of Sack come about again which he cared not for Lord saith he If thou wilt let this Cup
you And did not the Apostle speak of a company that were Heady High-minded and Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God Self-willed and Covetous that had got a Form of Godliness but denyed the Power thereof from whom he commandeth to turn away read your selves in 2 Tim. 3.3 4 5. And truly Friends I must needs say to you I never heard so much debauch'd Language and Hellish Lyes as has been cast unjustly and wickedly upon me since I came into this Island which grieves my Soul that ever such should be in Peoples Mouthes and that you Ministers should gladly be Entertainers if not the Fomenters and Preachers of them where-with you have filled and poysoned Peoples minds with wicked Lyes I say and false and filthy Slanders and so corrupted them O! how can ye be otherwise called then Teachers of Lyes and Lyars even such as love and make a Lye Rev. 22.15 and such as are given up to believe Lyes see their sad End in Rev. 21.27 And when you cannot with all your Lyes provoke and stir up the Magistrate to Persecution then you persecute us with your Tongues But I hope that many of the Magistrates will come to see you so as that you shall not get to ride on them and spur them on for if you should you would make them your Drudges just as the Priests of old spurred up Pilate when they got over him to Persecute and Crucifie our Lord and Saviour But consider it well the same spirit and nature is in you that would Crucifie Christ who is revealed now in his People For have there not been Sauls among you with their Packet of Letters to Persecute the People of God in this Island of late read but Priest Lessley's and some other Priests Petition which they sent or delivered to the Governour and Council here a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed And what hath he and others done this last Assembly convened 't is well known Were not the Chief Priests the Authors of Saul's Packet for had he not a Packet from them But now it seems you Chief Priests are grown more bold for you can go your selves with your Packets to this last Assembly I say O! is it not a Shame that you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospel should go to the Magistrate to perswade them to persecute Christians And do you think that the Magistrates have no other Work to do in this Island even to do Justly and to love Mercy and walk Humbly with God and to take Care of the Preservation and Right Governing of the people in Righteousness and in Holiness and that every man may be preserved in their respective Estates and to see that all do to others as they would have others do unto them and to see that the Island may be preserved in Peace and to take Care of that which is for the Good of this Island and Property of its Inhabitants As for Religion that belongeth to God for it came from God and Christ Jesus who is the Author of every mans Faith and sets up his Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth and is to rule in the Hearts of his People who receive that Religion from above that is pure and undefiled in God's Sight and so God and Christ must have a place in man to dwell in to wit the Heart that so he may have his Due his Worship and Honour from and by them But to return to your Slandâ—â—â— namely that I should hang ribbons upon peoples arms and that I brought a young Women from England to be nought with her And that I should lie with my Sister and such-like stinking and filthy Lyes have you and your Auditors reported of me which no sober man I am sure will give Credit to being full well known that I was never tainted or blamisht with any such Uncleanness So that with David I may say False Witnesses did rise up they laid to my Charge things that I knew not Psal 35.11 Certainly many of you are and have been naught your selves this way else you would have vertue in your mouthes rather then have such things as a modest Ear abhors yea such filthy stuff and wicked Lyes as these which came from the Devil who is the Father of them are your Parishes fill'd with For I would have you know that I abhor detest and scorn such things it being well known in England I say that I was never tainted with the least Unclean action nor thus taxed till I came here amongst you but what is in your own Hearts that you cast upon me so that ye fulfil Christs Words who foretold They should speak all manner of Evil against you falsly for my Name 's sake And indeed it is for Christ's sake that you do it So that we can be exceeding glad and rejoyce in Christ Jesus in that it is for his sake that we are thus evil spoken of But know this and be assured of it the time will come that he will appear for our glory and to your shame and confusion For We would have you to understand that we have an esteem of our Bodies for our Bodies the Lord hath honoured with his mercies and they are Vessels of his honour and Temples of Christ and of God and of the Holy Ghost and not for Adultery and Fornication Truly I could not but wonder and stand amazed to hear of such soul beastly and unmannerly and uncivil Language as I have heard since I came here What is this Gospel Teaching O but consider what the Scriptures speak concerning slanderous Tongues and of lying Lips and of such as have Venom under their Tongues and the Poyson of Asps What do you not believe that God will judge for these things and sweep away the Refuge of Lyes and take the Reproach from off his People Would you have the same Measure measured to you as you have done to me and the rest of us Surely you have not had so much as Common Civility or Humanity much less Christianity for if you had had either you would have come and spoken to me when I was in the Island and not have railed against me behind my back and incensed others against me Was this Humane or Christianly or Neighbourly done Judge ye But alas what shall I say I do very much fear that the Hand of the Lord God will suddenly come upon many of you with his swift Destruction The Lord did visit and that not very long since this Island with two sore Judgments the one of Fire the other of the Plague but alas what Repentance what Change have they wrought in you and upon you What saith the Prophet of the Lord in Isa 26.9 When thy Judgments are on the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness But alas are you not rather worse then you were before and hardened more then you were before Pharoah-like as it is in the 10th verse Let Favour be shewn to the Wicked yet
pass from me But shortly after when a Cup of Brandy was coming towards him said he Lord if thou wilt let as many as thou pleasest of those little ones come unto me And after a while the Cup came about again and first the Sack coming towards him it being his turn to drink said he Be not drunk with Wine wherein is Exceses and so put it by in regard he cared not for it but the Brandy coming next saith he but be filled with the Spirit and drunk up the Brandy O! abominable that ever Men should be given up to such vile Affections and to such Atheistical Practices But to return Are you no Strikers no Persecutors What did not Briest Lessley beat and strike George Foster very sorely the Truth of which is made evident to me under the hand of the said G. Foster before his Death the Copy whereof is inferted in the End of this Book Also one John Hopwood Priest in this Island of Barbadoes struck one Charles Bream on the Head as they rod together on the high-Way by which stroke the said Charles received much harm and prejudice and not long after dyed And that you are Persecutors of God's Heritage is evidently manifest by the Humble Petition of William Lessley John Barnard William Johnson John Hopwood Mathew Cray and John Page to the Governor and Council of this Island of Barbadoes the Copy whereof is likewise afflixed to the latter End of this Book But once more to return Are you not Greedy of filthy Lucre are you not Brawlers are you not Covetous Let the People of this Island and your own Consciences judge The Apostle saith in 1 Tim. 6.10 The Love of Money is the Root of all Evil. Now see if all this Evil hath not proceeded from your Root which is the Love of Money And therefore saith Paul Ephes 5.3 but Covetousness let it not once be named amongst you as becometh Saints And yet what is more named and practised among you then Covetousness and covetous Practices and this I say springs from your Root which is the Root of all of you as was said before And this is the Cause that you Priests and others in Christendom so called do endeavour to incense the Civil Magistrate against the Saints and People of God to hold up the Root of all the Evil in you which is the Love of Money Let the People and the Witness in your own Consciences judge Now next as concerning your Families and Children Are they ruled well Do you rule your own House well are your Children in Subjection mark with all Gravity in that 1 Tim. 3.4 Is this so Let the People and your own Consciences judge If that you cannot rule your own Houses well how are you like to take care of the Church of God And are you not lifted up into Pride in your Families Let but the People and your own Consciences judge How can you but fall into the Condemnation of the Devil And moreover have you a good Report of them that are without who are not of your Church What good Report can those that are without give of you Are you Grave are you not double-Tongued c. Let your Consciences and the People judge For you must be approved and then you may minister being found Blameless of those Evils Now concerning your Wives are they Grave not Slanderous are they Sober and do you rule your Own House well Let your own Consciences and the People judge Have you refused Prophane and Old Wives Fables And do your Women adorn themselves in modest Apparrel with Shamefac'dness and Sobriety and not with broidred Hair or Cold or Pearls or Costly Array but which becommeth Women professing Godliness with Good Works 1 Tim. 9.10 Are you not them that suppose Gain to be Godliness from such the Apostle bids to turn away 1 Tim. 6.5 Are you not of them that preach for the Love of Money and would you preach without it and is it not the Root of all Evil which while some coveted after they have err'd from the Faith which gives Victory And are you not of those which preach no Victory here over Sin But was not the man of God to flee such and follow after Godliness and Righteousness Faith Love Patience Meekness Read Timothy for further Tryal and approving you and your Families and also Titus 1.6 7 8 c. Are you Blameless having Faithful Children not accused of Rioting and Unruliness Let your own Consciences and the People judge whether these things be so or no. You profess your selves Stewards of God but are you Blameless Are you not Self-will'd and soon angry Let your Consciences and the People judge Are you Lovers of Good Men If so why do you raise or broach Slanders of them and Lyes of Good Men Are you Just Holy Sober Temperate Let the People and your own Consciences judge Are you not those that preach for Filthy Lucre sake And where are your Epistles written in one anothers Hearts that you are all void of those foregoing Evils mentioned before But rather are you not like them that were always Lyars Evil Beasts and Slow-Bellies which were to be rebuk'd sharply Read the first Chapter of Titus throughout and Rom. 16.18 Doth not the Apostle command us to mark such and avoid such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple And were they not such as made Divisions among the People and Offences Would you preach but for your Bellies For if you serve the Lord Jesus Christ you would keep his Commands who saith Freely you have received freely give Tit. 3.19 and Phil. 3.19 Read that and consider whether you are not such as the Apostle and People of God have often wept about For do not you mind Earthly things and do not you preach for Filthy Lucre So is not your Godd your Bellies and what is like to be your End you may read there For would you preach without these things And if you be otherwayes minded why do not you follow the Apostle's Example For the Apostle when he had spoken in the 1 Cor. 9. concerning his Powers he told them that he used none of those things nor did he write that it should be so done unto him For he would rather dye then any man should make his glorying void for he had kept the Gospel of Christ without Charge and would not abuse his Power in the Gospel Now have you kept the Gospel without Charge Look over whole Christendom both among Papists and Protestants Independants Presbyterians and Baptists And did not the Apostle say He wrought with his hands to supply his own Necessities and the Necessities of others And in Jerem. 5.29 c. You dare not say but that he was a True Prophet nor dare you say he preach't and prophesied to People for Maintenance or can you make good he had any thing given him for Publishing his Book
Corner-Stone the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles and us as is said in John and we are those who have obeythe Commands of Christ who enlightens every Man that cometh into the World that all through it might believe who said Believe in the Light this is his Command that they may become Children of the Light John 12.36 So we know That as many as receives him to wit Christ the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to them gives he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 And this we Witness and can say Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and Heirs of Christ who makes us sit together in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who formerly were dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. And we have received the Unction from the Holy One through which we come to know all things The Anointing which we have received of him abides in us and we need not any ones Teaching us but as the same Anointing does teach us all thengs and is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 It taught the Saints in the Apostles dayes and us in ours therefore we must abide in him as they did to wit in Jesus And the Light of Christ which shines in our Hearts which God hath commanded to shine out of Darkness doth give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is the Heavenly Treasure we have in our Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. So as we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ the Son of God which sprinkles our Hearts and Consciences cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 And whereas many Lyes and Scandals you have cast upon us to wit our Denying of God Christ and the Scriptures c. They are all False For Christ we know own and believe his Incarnation Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorification And the Scriptures we own to be the Scriptures of Truth And Scriptures signifie Writings and we own the Scriptures to contain the Words of God which we learn of God and given forth by the Holy Men of God and are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And whereas we have been accused for Denying Original Sin and Owning Perfection here in this Life To which we answer That there is an Original of Sin we deny not but your Doctrine of Original Sin we do deny as you state it For doth not Original signifie the Beginning and the beginning of Sin was it not the Devil For we do affirm it was neither God nor Christ And did not Christ come to destroy the Devil and his Works and so destroy the Original So we must tell you we hold Christ and not the Devil who was and is the Original of Sin and Imperfection I say again Christ who was before the Devil was who was glorified with the Father before the World began who bruises the Serpents Head and the Heads of all Deceivers Lyars and Slanderers and False Prophets and Anti-Christs And in him we are to wit Christ Jesus who is our Salvation Mediator and Redeemer And as for your Accusing us for holding Perfection Answ What must we not hold God who is Perfect and must we not hold Christ who is Perfect and his Work and Worship which is Perfect and his Religion which is Perfect that comes from himself and the Gifts of his Spirit and Grace and Faith which are Perfect Are not all his Gifts Perfect and must we not receive them in this Life yea must not our Bodies be the Temple of God and of Christ and of his Holy Ghost And then must we not hold them who are Perfect and own Perfection And is not the Command of Christ to us to be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect And was it ever the work of the Prophets and Apostles to preach up Imperfection for Term of Life but always both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles pressed and presseth us to Perfection and what do they press us to that which is Impossible to be attain'd unto What will you say that their Words were of no Value What will you liken Christ and his Apostles words unto For were there any that ever denied the Doctrine of Perfection saving only Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and you who have got the Forme of Godliness but deny the Power thereof which brings out of Imperfection to the perfect Head Christ Jesus who is the way to God And therefore you do not only deny the perfect Power but also are short of having the Form of Godliness And will not Christ present his Church Perfect that is without Spot or Wrinkle unto God the Father who is the pure Head of it And how will you present your Church to God What will you present it to God with a Body of Death and a Body of Sin Do not you deny Circumcision in this namely the Circumcision of the Spirit that is made without Hands by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ And do not you deny Christ's Baptism who came with his Fan in his Hand to purge his Floor thoroughly whom We see is come and doth increase and do see the decrease of John I say He is come with his Fan in his Hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and gather his Wheat into his Garner a safe place And this We witness and so must all People before they go to their Graves For this is the Baptism that the Devil would fain have People to deny and his Ministers and Messengers and then he fils them with Chaff For as the Apostle saith to the Church By one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free He doth not say that by Water we were all baptised into one Body For we see many Bodies baptised with Elementary Water and yet do destroy one another Now mark the Words We are all baptised into one Body that is the Church of the First-born and Christ is the Head of this Body 1 Cor. 12.13 So this is the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark that Through all and in you all Unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ praised be his Name forever Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ yea that Grace which brings Salvation which hath appeared
unto all men without Exception Teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godlily in this present Evil World Tit. 2.11 12. And this Grace seasons our Words and establishes our Hearts So we have a Teacher which brings us Salvation Glory be to God forever and forever And this Teacher is with us where-ever we are to wit the Grace of God by which we are saved and not of our selves And we can say this Grace is Sufficient which brings Salvation though you look not upon it to be Sufficient who keep People alwayes under your Teachings that they may be alwayes Learning of you and alwayes paying of you and yet never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in themselves nor their Talent in themselves to improve For have you not been like the Pharisees who stopt their Ears and closed their Eyes and like Saul who kickt against that that pricks him and then kickt against others and persecuted others And were they not them who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who would not enter themselves nor suffer others to enter See that Blessed Doctrine of Christ in Luk. 17. who said to them The Kingdom of Heaven when they demanded when it should come Christ's Answer to them was comes not with Observation Lo Here Lo there But saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is within you And we have found his blessed Words to be true Blessed be his Name forever who hath stood at our Door and knocks as He doth at yours Yea I say at the Door of our Minds and at the Door of our Hearts and Souls and we have let Him in who now Sups with us and we with Him the Heavenly Supper with the Heavenly Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and our Alone Saviour O! Glory be to Him forever and for evermore Rev. 3. And you say There is no Overcoming of Sin and Death on this side the Grave but must have alwayes a Warfare Ans But did not Paul say that He had fought c. then surely he was not then fighting he was not then warring though 't is true Time was that He had been in the War and led Captive to do those things he would not have done But if there be no Overcoming on this side the Grave then there is no Eating of the hidden Manna on this side the Grave nor no Getting of the White Stone on this side the Grave nor of that New Name written in the Stone which no man knoweth saving He that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 The Reason there rendred because it is a Gift only to Him that Overcometh that is on this side the Grave And Rev. 3.12 13. Him that Overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and He shall go no more out and I will write upon Him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God So that mark this Promise will not be made good unless we Overcome on this side the Grave But it may be you have not the Ears to Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in the 21. Vers To Him that Overcometh will I grant to Sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am Set down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let Him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches But I fear you have none of these Ears open that the Spirit speaks to here namely The Church of the Living God whereof Christ is the Head Again Rev. 3 5. He that Overcometh the same shall be Clothed in White Rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life But I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an Ear let him hear c. But as I said before I question your Ears of hearing what the Spirit saith that there must first be an Overcoming Now this was the Spirit 's speaking to the Church that did Overcome But it may be you will say That the Spirit doth not speak to you in your Church and therefore you may question your Church and your selves too And Rev. 2.26 He that Overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the End to him will I give Power and I will give him the Morning Star He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now we can and do witness that Spiritual Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Glory to God forever and we do heartily desire that you had the same And as for the LIGHT which you call Natural and Created and a Made Light that really and truly is the Light of Christ Jesus the Heavenly and Spiritual Man and it is a Heavenly Light and a Spiritual Light wherewithal He Enlightens every one that comes into the World which he commands us to believe in through which we become Children of Light as was said before For in Him was Life to wit Christ by whom the World was made and this Life that is in Christ is the Light of Men. And so as men are turned to the Light and believe in the Light they are ingrafted into Christ who is the Root or Stock and they the Branches So that this Light is neither Natural nor Created nor Made for it is the Heavenly Light which is the Life in Christ by which we coming into Christ the Light we receive Life And as Peter speaks of the Light which was a more Sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts signifying that this Light was sufficient to bring them unto the Day-dawning and unto the Day-Star arising in their Hearts yea this Light that shines in a dark Place And what dark Place was this and where was it was it not in their Hearts which they did well to take heed unto signifying thereby that they do not well that do not take heed unto it and so they do well that do take heed unto it in the Light they see more Light and it shines more and more to the perfect Day So this Light that comes from Christ Christians waiting in it they receive Christ the Bright Morning-Star which Thousands do witness and have received Him Glory to God for evermore and with their Hearts they do believe and with their Mouthes Confession is made unto Salvation and that their Salvation is their Wall and Bulwork against all Persecutors And so we follow Him to wit Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation and the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World against whom the Dragon Beast and Whore and their Followers are Fighting but the Lamb will have the Victory For He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the First and Last
the Alpha and the Omega the Bening and the Ending Hallelujah A Copy of the Priests Petition To the Honourable President and Council of his Majesty's Island of Barbadoes the Humble Petition and Address of the Clergy of the said Island Sheweth THat whereas many of us in the Publick Discharge of our Ministerial Function upon the Lord's Day in the Time of Divine Prayer and Sermon have been Frequently and Irreverently Interrupted and Holy Mother the Church of England Scandalously Vilified as if she were both in Doctrine and in Discipline False and Erroneous and Antichristian the Honest and Learned Clergy thereof even in the Face of their own Congregations not only taxed as Seducers Hirelings Teachers of Lyes and such like but Uncharitably Pursued and Anathematized with Words and Execrations and Bitter Invectives by a Base Sort of Phanatick People commonly termed Quakers Men whose Practices and Opinions seem not less repugnant to Civil and Ecclesiastical Government which tends to the Disparagement of us and Prostration of our Order to Contempt but also and chiefly which is the saddest Evil of all to the Poysoning if not the utter Ruin of many Well-meaning Souls in our Flock who being infatuated and inveighed with their Pernicious Tenents do desert the Publick and Consecrated Places of God's Worship to with-draw into Private and Unlawful Conventicles which we are credibly informed they do repair to Duty Four Times in the Week contrary both to Common and Ecclesiastical Laws and to Acts of Parliament in the Raign of Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth and King James and King Charles the first and of our now Gratious Soveraign Charles the second in such Cases Wholsomely Provided May it therefore please your Honour either to Revive and Inforce the Statute against them or that some other Speedy Expedient against those Growing Distempers may be considered of whereby our People may be less exposed to the Danger of the Wicked Insinuations and our selves by your Pious Care succoured from such Rude Affronts and Scurrillities for the future may be Enconraged with more Alacrity to proceed in the Faithful Discharge of that High Calling wherein God hath placed us and we shall continue your Daily Chaplins and Orators William Lessley John Bernad William Johnson John Hopwood Mathew Grey John Page The Priests of this Island about the beginning of the 10th Moneth 71. did Petition the Assembly to make Laws against the People called Quakers and to suppress them amongst which Will. Lessley and Will. Johnson and Priest VValker were very active But after their Paper was read in the House it s credibly affirmed they were advis'd to put it into their Pockets lest the Quakers by some means or other might procure the Copy of it and so they did their Deeds of Darkness being ashamed of the Light lest it should Reprove them Here follows George Foster's Testimony concerning Priest Lessey's Striking and Kicking of him INasmuch as William Lessley Priest of the Parish called St. John's doth revive his Rage and Malice against the People of God called Quakers and against the Precious Truth of God which they hold forth to all even That Christ Jesus is the True Light of the VVorld and that he hath Enlightened all Mankind with a measure of his True Light I say Inasmuch as he revives his Rage I think it not amiss to revive my Testimony which once I bore against him in his publick House of Speaking so far as I was permitted to speak which is That he is no True Minister of Christ Jesus the Lord of Life and Glory for his Fruits make him so manifest Once I went to his House Civilly to ask for some Goods that were due to me and he did fall upon me with several hard Blows and with Violence Thrust me out of his Porch and gave me one bad Kick in the Small of my Back as I went or was down the steps of the Porch Now let all Sober People judge and to God's Pure Witness in all Consciences I leave it to be judged Whether Priest Lessley's Dealings with me do not manifest him to be one of those whom Christ Jesus speaks of saying Many shall come in Sheep's Cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves by their Fruits ye shall know them George Foster This Paper was sent us about the 26th of the 8th Moneth 1671 somewhat before his Death To VVilliam Lessley VValker VVilliam Johnson VVilliam Frith Dyke and the rest of the Priests and Ministers in Barbadoes Friends IN much Terderness of Love and Yearning Bowels of Compassion some of us called Quakers but indeed True Christians came here to this Island through the Tender Mercy and Good Providence of our Heavenly Father to visit our Brethren in Spirit being thereunto moved by him as was the Practice of the Servants of the Most High in the Primitive Times before the Grand Apostacy so to do as you may read in Acts 15.36 37 c. and verse 40. Paul took Silas being recommended by the Brethren unto the Grace of God Now since I have been fully informed that you as your Fore-Fathers ever did in Ages past are the Main and Principal if not the only Instruments in the Hands of Antichrist to provoke and incite the Civil and Military Powers here in this Island to draw out their Swords against us to exercise I mean their Power to disturb our Peace and Quiet and to Persecute us as we read how Saul persecuted the Christians in Acts 9.1 2 c. which great Wickedness he acknowledgeth with much Ingenuity after he became Paul a Convert Gal. 1.13 1 Cor. 15.9 yea persecuted unto Death and into Prisons Acts 22.4 and 1 Tim. 1.13 I was saith he a Persecutor and a Blasphemer and Injurious but I obtained Mercy because I did it Ignorantly in Unbelief And even Paul himself after he I say became a Convert and a Preacher of Righteousness was sorely Persecuted but by whom Mark by the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews who by one Tertullus their Orator informed the Governor against him saying We have found this man a Pestilent Fellow Mark and a Mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the World and a Ring-Leader of the Sect of the Nazarens who also hath gone about to Prophane the Temple c. Acts 24.1 2 3 c. and in the 14th verse they call that Way of Worship Heresie mark that For do not you so if not worse of us Christians in terming our Ministry Heresie and Blasphemy and what not as they did his then And you may read how Christ himself the Beloved Son of the Father the Saviour and Redeemer of the World who did no Sin who knew no Sin then whom no man spake like did not escape their Persecution viz. of the Priests So then this is plain that this has ever bin the usual and constant Practice of the Priests in all Ages and of the false Prophets false Apostles and Clergy and Ministers of Antichrist who falsly term themselves the True
the Scriptures of Truth c. This is to inform you That all our Books and Declarations that for these many years have been published to the World do clearly testifie to the contrary but yet for your sakes this is now given forth That God who is the Only Wise Omnipotent and Everlasting God we do Own and Believe in who is the Creator of all things both in Heaven and in Earth and the Preserver of all that he hath made who is God over all blessed forever to whom be all Honour and Glory and Dominion and Praise and Thanksgiving both now and for evermore And that Jesus Christ is his Beloved and Only Begotten Son in whom he is Well-pleased who was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and Born of the Virgin Mary in whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins who is the express Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature by whom were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in the Earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers And we do own and believe that he was made to be as Sin or an Offence and Curse for us who knew no Sin and was Crucified for us in the Flesh without the Gates of Jerusalem and that he was Buried and Rose again the Third Day by his own Power for our Justification and we do believe that he Ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-Hand of God And that this Jesus is the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and our Foundation so that there is no other Foundation to be laid but what is laid even Christ Jesus and that he tasted Death for every man and shed his Blood for all men that he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for our Sins only but for the Sins of the whole World For saith John the Baptist of him Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World John 1.29 And we do believe That he is our Alone Redeemer and Saviour even the Captain of our Salvation who saves us from Sin as well as from Hell and from the Wrath to come and destroyes the Devil and his Works who is the Seed of the Woman that bruises the Serpent's Head to wit Christ Jesus who is Alpha and Omega the First and Last That he is as Scriptures of Truth say our Wisdom Righteousness Justification and Redemption neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved it is he alone who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls he it is that is our Prophet whom Moses long since testified of in Acts 3.22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord our God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every one that will not hear that Prophet shall be Destroyed from among the People He it is that is now come and hath given us an Understanding that we may know him that is true and a Rule in our Hearts even his Law of Love and of Life in our Inward Parts which makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death And we have no Life but by him For he is the Quickening Spirit the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven by whose Blood we are cleansed and our Consciences sprinkled from Dead Works that we might serve the Living God by whose Blood we are purchased And so he is our Mediator that makes Peace and Reconciliation between God offended and Us offending being our Surety of the New Testament and the Oath of God the New Covenant of Light Life Grace and Peace the Author and Finisher of our Faith Now this Lord Jesus Christ the Heavenly Man Emanuel God with us we all own and believe in whom the High Priests raged against and said He had spoken Blasphemy and the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews took Counsel together and put him to Death the same whom Judas betray'd for Thirsy Pieces of Silver which he had from the Priests who gave a Large Sum of Money to the Souldiers to broach a Horrible Lye namely that they should say That his Disciples stole him away by Night whilst they Slept And after he was risen from the Dead you may see in the Acts of the Apostles how that the chief Priests and Elders Persecuted the Disciples of this Jesus for preaching Christ and his Resurrection this we say is that Lord Jesus Christ whom we own to be our Life and Salvation Now concerning the Holy Scriptures We do believe That they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God through Holy Men of God who spoke as Scriptures of Truth say As they were Moved by the Holy Ghost in 2 Pet. 1.1 and that they are to be Read and Believed and Fulfilled and he that fulfils them is Christ And are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 and are able as Divinely Inspir'd to make us Wise to Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus And we do believe That the Scriptures are the Wordâ— of God for it s said in Exod. 20.1 God spake all these Words saying c. meaning the Ten Commandments given forth upon Mount Sinai and in Rev. 18. saith John I testifie unto every man that heareth the WORDS of the Prophesie of this Book if any man addeth unto These and if any man shall take away from the WORDS not Word of the Book So in Luke 1.20 Because thou believest not my WORDS and John 5.47 15.7 14.23 12.47 So that we call the Scriptures as Christ and the Apostles call'd them and as the Holy Men of God call'd them namely The WORDS of God Another Slander and Lye they have cast upon us is namely That we should teach the Negars to Rebel A Thing we do utterly abhor and detest in and from our Hearts the Lord knows it who is the Searcher of all hearts and knows all things and so can witness and testifie for us that this is a most Egregious and Abominable Untruth For that which we have spoken and declared to them is to exhort and admonish them To be Sober and to Fear God and to love their Masters and Mistresses and to be Faithful and Diligent in their Masters Service and Business and that then their Masters and Overseers will Love them and deal Kindly and Gently with them And that they should not beat their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands nor multiply Wives nor put away their Wives nor the Wives their Husbands as they use frequently to do and that they do not Steal nor be Drunk nor commit Adultery nor Fornication nor Curse nor Swear nor Lye nor give Bad Words to one another or unto any
with the Negars belonging to friends and did admonish them and Christianly perswade them that they should be content with having but one wife each man of them and that the Wives should love their Husbands and the Husbands their Wives and fear God and not abuse them either with blows or in Bitter Words and that they should not Steal nor commit fornication or Adultry nor do any wicked thing but that they should Serve and Worship the Lord God in Spirit and in Truth and yield subjection to their Masters and those over them and do what they did in Singleness of Heart c. Whereupon some of you Priests have raised as we understand a Slander upon Friends viz. that we have a Design to teach the Blacks to rebel which is a most false Lye whereas indeed it should have been their work who take upon them to be Ministers of Christ to admonish the Blacks and Taunies themselves and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them themselves But was not there a great Professor that said to a Black 's Child Lord bless thee and after did she not as re-calling her words say Lord forgive me as though the Blacks had no souls to save as well as Whites It s credibly reported that once when a Black came to a Steeple-House in time of worship That the Sexton came to him with his Whip and said unto him Get thee out thou Dog what do you here are these the words of Christ for sure the Lord Would have all to be saved And have you no Gospel for Blacks is not the Gospel to be preached to all Nations and peoples and are not the Blacks of some Nations and people did not Christ dye for the Blacks and the Taunies as well as for the Whites and was not his Blood shed for all men and are they not men And must Christ be preacht to some people and not to some others And as for designs we deny disown and abhor all such things We desire that all may live Peaceable under the Governors of their respective Families and under the Government of the Island and nations wherein and amongst whom they are for we are so taught of Christ namely to seek the good of all men and peace with all men And we would have all men to be saved as well as our selves And we Covet none of the People's Money neither Gold nor Silver as you Priests do but as freely we have received so freely we give For we do not come into a Parish to make the People and their goods our Free-Hold for term of life as yours do and pretend and make the people believe that we do watch for their souls as yo◠Priests do and yet never intend it but watch when the harvest comes that you may share in their goods and estates that God hath blest them with encrease And as you know they do in other places watch when the Sows pig that they may have the Tythe Pig and the Tythe Egs c. and watch when the Turkies and Hens hatch that they may have some of the encrease of the Chickins and Goglings c. this is that they watch for And watch when the Corn is ripe and the cocks of hay are made this is that they Gape for gain from their quarter as of old for their goods and not for the good of their souls which if a man give them not nor put into their Mouths then they prepare war against them This I suppose is well known here and these are the Souls they watch for and where they find a bigger Benefice thither do they go for such things it is they watch for and so as the old Proverb is No Penny no Pater Noster For what Pater Noster have any had of you Priests without a Penny in this Island Have you not thrown away that Command of Christ who said Freely you have received freely give And have you not come short of the Example of Paul who saith Acts 20.33 I have Coveted no man's Silver or Gold or Apparel Yea your selves know That these Hands have ministred to my Necessities and to them that were with me that so he might be an Example to all that followed him So that I say Such have not follow'd the Apostle in this particular But is not Demas your Example who forsook the Truth and embraced the things of this present World And the False Prophets and Shepherds are they not your Example who seek for their Gain from their Quarter and Horsleech like think they can never have enough read Isa 56. throughout And seek for the Wool and the Fleece and to make a Prey of the Sheep read Ezek. 34. cap. And preach for filthy Lucre for Hire for the Love of Money that mind Earthly things who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ 〈◊〉 these are the things that such watch for and 〈…〉 … ple's Souls and to get and present these outward things into their Barns and Houses and not to present their Souls to God as the True Ministers did and do and if any one would not give them their Hire though they never set them a work they would Persecute them and Cry Out for the Magistrate's Power to assist them So that are not such as these next a kin to the Order of Begging Friars for do they not Beg of the Magistrate for their Tythes or Maintenance to be paid them And was not the first rise of Tythes from the Pope who raised up and instituted that Order of Fryar Mendicants since Christ's and the Apostles dayes who said Freely you have received freely give So read Jer. 5. Tim. Titus Mich. 3. and see whose Steps such Ministers walk in and Mat. 23. throughout and see if you do not walk in the Steps of them against whom Christ pronounces such Heavy Dizmal and Dreadful Woes THE END