Equity in is heart without putting off a Hat to a Magistrate and he that so doth Whether is he fit to be called a Magistrate that calleth such a one A Contemner of Authority and commits him to Prison for Mis-behaviour And whether this be Justice or Equity yea or nay 20. And you that plead this Scripture Be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Whether is it for the Lord's sake that a Man would have his Fellow-Creature to stand with his Hat off before him or for his Selfs sake and whether then it is to be obeyed yea or nay 21. And he that for the Lord's sake aud for Conscience sake cannot so rob God of his Glory and Honour as to bow to or worship any Creature but God alone who is the Creator Whether ought he to be imprisoned for Mis-behaviour or a Contemner of Authority yea or nay according to the Law of Equity And whether this is to be called Liberty of Conscience according to the Law of England yea or nay Now all you that profess your selves Christians and the Scripture to be your Rule take the Scripture and prove your Practice by the Scripture amongst all the Christians or else let the Life and Practice of the True Christians judge you and condemn you and own your selves to be in Proud Haman's Nature and so liable to Haman's Judgment And hence forward look to your Office to Rule for God and not for your selves and then you will not stand upon such frivolous things for it is a frivolous thing to look for the putting off the Hat and is no Part of True Nobility or Christianity Given forth for the Clearing of the Truth to which the Nations must bow James Parnel Here followeth a Copy of a Note that was written against the Idol's Temple which was judged a Contempt of the Ministry THis is the Idols-Temple where the Worship of the Beast is upheld down with it down with it 1 Cor. 8. 10. Rev. 13. 7 8. Deut. 12. God that made the World and all Things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands Acts 7. 47 48 49. Acts 17. 11. Neither is he worshipped in Idols Temples made with Mens Hands Acts 17. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father is seeking such to worship him John 23. 24. All the World wonders after and worships the Beast but those who have their Names written in the Book of Life Rev. 13. 3 4 8. And they that worship the Beast receive his Mark in their Foreheads Rev. 13. 16. As sprinkling Infants and worshipping the Works of their own Hands Isa. 2. 8. And following the Imaginations of their own Hearts such must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without Mixture Rev. 14. 9 10 11 12. This Idols Temple that is made with Hands is a Place for Night-Birds and Scrich-Owls to meet each one with his Mate Jer. 34. 13 14 15. To the Dishonour of the only true God that dwelleth in Temples made without Hands at New Jerusalem where the Tabernacle of God is with Men Rev. 21. 3. Drunkards and Swearers Revilers and Scoffers and Scorners Proud and Wanton Ones Hypocrites and Dissemblers Envious Haters Backbiters Persecutors Lustful Covetous Ones and Earth-worms meet here the Fearful and Unbelieving Peevish Perverse Contentious Ones meet in these Idols Temples to satisfie their Lusts And saith the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouthes and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me but in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men Mat. 15. 7 8 9. But know you not that no Unrighteous Person shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. But must be cut down and cast into the Lake that burneth Rev. 21. 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such must you reap Gal. 6. 7. And to whom you yield your Members Servants to obey his Servants you are Rom. 6. 16. For he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin and so is of the Devil Joh. 8. 34. 1. Joh. 3. This is a Deceiver that stands up here every first Day of the Week to deceive the People he is Proud and Covetous and speaketh a Divination of his own Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so makes the People light and vain Jer. 14. 14. But the Lord is against him hold him not up for he ran and the Lord never sent him therefore he profits not the People at all Jer. 3. 1 2 3. But hath stollen the Letter which is Carnal with it to feed the Carnal for Carnal Ends and Lucre and so hath a Form but denyes the Life and Power and therefore from him turn away 2 Tim. 3. 5. Therefore spend not your Money for that which is not Bread nor your Labour for that which profiteth not Isa. 55. 1 2. For all the Children of the Lord are and shall be taught of the Lord and in Righteousness shall they be established and they shall be far from Oppression Jer. 31. 34. Isa. 54. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 27. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith and be deceiv'd no longer J. P. Here follow several Queries that were sent to four of the chief Priests in Essex with some more added which may be serviceable for them or any other to answer whom they do concern SEveral Queries unto Priest Sammes Priest Sparrow Priest Willi and Priest Stellum and your gathered Churches by you to be answered according to Scripture which you profess to be your Rule Query 1. How and by what were you called to the Ministry which you profess 2. What is the Gospel which you pretend to preach and how did you receive it and whether your Gospel be free and without Charge as the Apostles was yea or nay 3. What do you minister from and what do you minister to in the Natural Man and what is the End of your Ministry 4. What Rule have you in the Scripture to take a Text of the Apostles Words and speak from it what you have studyed with your Uses Points Tryals and Motives and Applications 5. Whether do you speak by the same infallible Spirit as they did that spoak forth the Scripture yea or nay 6. And whether he that hath the same infallible Spirit need study how or what to preach 7. And whether it is not as lawful now for Fishermen Plowmen or Herdsmen to preach if they be called to it and fitted for it by the same Power and Spirit as they were in the dayes of old and whether Christ is not the same Yesterday to Day and orever according to Scripture 8. And whether any now ought to teach and preach in the Name of Jesus but who are called to it and fitted for it the same Way as the holy Men of God were spoken of in Scripture 9. Whether
Ground of the Religion made manifest to us is God himself for God is the Fountain of all Truth and Truth is Religion and Religion is Truth and this Truth we witness made manifest by God the Life of Truth and here is the Religion which we witness forth and here is the Ground witnessed forth from the Ground and this Religion is pure unspotted and springs from the Light which is pure wherein there is no Deceit neither can be for it discovers all Deceit and leads out of it both within and without but Deceit discovers not Deceit for Satan divided against himself cannot stand bâ—t all Sects and Opinions arise out of Darkness and the End is Confusion and so as Darkness is opposite to Light and Death to Life so are all Sects and Opinions against the true Religion and all will side together against the Truth though they be opposite one to another in Judgment as Pilate and Herod did against Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and Saducees and rude Multitude So it is now both Papist and Protestant as they call them and all other Sects and Opinions which arise out of the Fall for though they differ in Judgment yet they spring from one Root and no Difference in Life but the Light strikes at the Root which is Darkness and layes open the hidden things done in Darkness so Darkness cannot endure the Light and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil And this is the Cause why our Religion is spoaken against more then any Profession besides all Drunkards Swearers Lyars Whoremongers Adulterers Thieves Murtherers Proud Covetous Lustful ones and all Unrighteous Persons will speak against it and call it Delusion and Heresie and Witchery and all manner of Evil which the Devil can invent and those stand up for the Priests and persecute the Truth as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles times and this will all Pharisees and Professors do as they ever did for they can wink at one another and bear with one another in Deceit but Truth cannot at all bear with Deceit because there is perfect Enmity as there was ever in all Ages and it is no new thing And here all your Sects and Opinions are shut out of the Light and are in Darkness and so is Confusion both Popery and all other But the Truth is but one and who dwels in the Truth dwels in the Light and are the Children of the Light and there is no Confusion but all of one Heart and one Mind Epistles written in one anothers Hearts and there is that in every Conscience which shall witness it be the everlasting Truth which ever was is and is to be for ever both in them that believe and in them that perish though to the Condemnation of them that hate it And this I witness by the infallible Spirit of the Lord which cannot lie And now I have discharged my Conscience before all People in the behalf of the Truth of God not that I would have any to speak well of it but from the Ground of it for the Love and the Hatred of the Unrighteous is all one to me but for some Simple ones sake I have laid open my self and freely discharged my Conscience and I doubt not that my Labour is in vain but whosoever owns the Truth of God must own it through good Report and evil Report and must be content to loose their good Name in the World as both Christ and his Servants did and the Servant must not be greater then his Lord. And now a few words to all you Heads and Rulers and Magistrates in what Degree soever who have the Power in your own Hands who by your Power persecute and imprison the Servants and Messengers of Jesus Christ as Deluders and Deceivers Witches and Vagabonds and have no Ground for it but only by Hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts and because they cannot please nor satisfie your corrupt proud Wills which is your Law by which you persecute them not weighing nor searching the Ground of things You are they in whom the Beast reigns and his Image you bear which upholds the false Prophet and Tyrannize over the Nations by his corupt Will and cause them to bow to and worship his Image and you oppress and persecute those who cannot You must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without mixture for in the bloody Generation you are found filling up the measure of your Fathers Wrath upon whom must come all the righteous Blood shed from righteous Abel until now and this I say in the Presence of the living God by the Spirit of the living God that all you who have had a hand in persecuting of them Guilt shall follow you in the Conscience until you come to Judgment And therefore I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion or to lay your Law upon any tender Conscience but see that your Law be according to that in the Conscience which is pure and perfect and medle with such Affairs as you are set about and rather give Liberty to Religion then take it away as you own the Grace of God you will and see that you discharge your Consciences there lest that while you are persecuting the Truth you neglect that which you are set about for you will both persecute them your selves and suffer the Bruits to stone strike buffet them which is all contrary to your own Law Neither when they are brought before you can they have the Liberty of the Law to clear such Accusations as are laid against them but you will hear the Accusers but not the Accused and this is contrary to the Heathenish Law and are more unjust then the very Heathen who said Doth our Law judge any one before it hear him And so for Shame profess no more Love to Christ in this Nature who execute your Law upon his Servants upon such a fallible Ground which no Judge ought to do by the Law of God especially about Religion but to search out the Ground of the Matter on both side before he judge but this he cannot do about Religion except he have the Spirit of the Lord therefore take heed of medling about spiritual Matters lest through Ignorance you call Christ Beelzebub and persecute him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver as many of you have done which is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it to your Sorrow And all you blind People who persecute rail and revile and reproach the Truth of God and have no Ground for it but by hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts one imagining one Thing and another another Thing as the Multitude which gathered together against Paul one crying one Thing and another
one of them in the open Court for so doing and yet these things were suffered And also the Judge gave Charge unto the Goaler To let no Giddy-headed People come to me as he called them which I never desired that any such should come but thereby they take Occasion to keep my Friends from me accounting them Giddy-headed People But they are not Giddy-headed People that own sound Doctrine but they are Giddy-headed People that cannot endure sound Doctrine but have itching Ears carried about with Reports and Hear-says to speak Evil of the things they know not But thus without all Honesty they acted in the Enmity of their Minds against me yet in all I was made to rejoyce for I see their Deceit was manifest to the People and the Truth owned in many Hearts so that my Sufferings were not grievous unto me but joyous But as the Judge's Dealings were Rigorous and Unjust towards me it was so much the more on the contrary to Barrabas for there were three or four arraigned for Suspicion of Murder and others for Fellony yet he did deliver them and there was not one that Dyed or was Branded neither which I did desire but only this I do declare to shew how the World loves its own and how the same Spirit now rules in both Priest People and Rulers that ruled amongst the Jews who esteemed Barrabas above Christ and numbred him amongst Transgressors And so in all this the Scripture is fulfilled and the Day further appears to the Glory of God the Father of Truth who will exalt his Truth by his own Power over the Heads of all its Enemies So then they brought me back to Prison again where I still remain in the Peace and Freedom of my Spirit which none can take away though in the Hands of mine Enemies Yet this I know That the Invisible God in working in Secret by his Power and with a Strong Arm carrying on this great Work which he hath begun in the Earth yea and he will bring down and overturn all until it come into his Hand whose own it is and he will exalt his Kingdom in the Hearts of his People and his Son shal rule over the Earth yea and all his Enemies shall be his Foot-stool and shall bow unto him and be glad to lay down their Crowns before him and acknowledge his Power yea and he will dash all the Forms and false Likenesses and Images which are set up by Man in his Imaginations calling them Churches and he will dâ—â—h them and the Powers of the Earth in pieces one against another like a Potter's Vessel though now they set at nought the Corner-Stone yet then by it shall they be grownd to Powder For our God is a Consuming Fire and who is able to stand in the Day of his Wâ—ath Therefore it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Then Wo to all his Enemies or be that lifts up his Hand against his Maker to Contrary what he hath decreed Here followeth a REPLY to my MITTIMUS which was adjudged a Contempt of the Magistracy WHereas I who am of the World called James Parnel am committed as Prisoner to be kept in the Common Goal by a Mittimus sealed and signed by you four Men who are called Justieâ—s of the Peace who write your selves Herbert Pellham Thomas Cook Dyonisius Wakering William Harlackinden wherein I find several Lyes Slanders and False Accusations cast upon me therefore for the Truth 's sake and for the Satisfaction of the Simple I shall Reply to the same and clear the Truth and return the Venom upon your Venomous Spirits from whence it comes that you may be convinced of your Evil and cease Fighting against Christ and his Kingdom First Your Own as followeth WHerereas it duely appears unto Us by Our own View and also by the Examination of James Parnel who saith He was born at Retford in the County of Nottingham Labourer That He the said James Parnel with very many other Persons of his gathering together did this Day in a Riotous Manner enter into the Parish Church at Great Coggashall aforesaid and there being a great Number of Christians met in the said Church to hold and keep a Day of publick Humiliation and Seeking of God and being in order thereunto then exercised in the Divine Worship and Service of God Almighty He the said James did then and there stand up and told the Minister He Blasphemed and spoak Falsly and used many other reproachful Words against the said Minister And afterwards he departed the said Church and went into the common High-Way in the said Town of Great Coggashall with a great Number of Persons his Followers who kept there Unlawfully together and some of them gave out Menacing Threatning Speeches tending to the Breach of the Peace and against the Law And also the said James cannot give us a very good Account where he was last setled or of his Life and Conversation but doth further appear to us to be an Idle Disorderly Person These are therefore in the Name of his Highness the Lord Protector to will and require you To convey forthwith the said Iames Parnel unto the Common Goal for this County there to remain until the next General Goal-Delivery to be holden for this County and until thence delivered by due Course of Law unless he the said Iames shall come before us or any two of us or two some other Justices of the Peace for this County and shall find very Able and Sufficient Sureties to be bound with him by Recognizance for his personal Appearance at the said next Goal-Delivery there to Answer what shall be then objected against him and not to depart thence without License of the Court and in the mean time to be of good Behaviour and thereof fail not at your Peril Dated at Coggashall aforesaid the Twelfth Day of Iuly 1655. The Keeper of the said Common Goal is hereby requir'd to receive and keep the said Iames if he shall be brought unto him Herbert Pellham Thomas Cook Dyonysius Wakering William Harlackinden A Reply to the aforesaid Mittimus 1. Accusation WHereas I am hereby accused That I who am of the World called JAMES PARNEL with very many other Persons of my gathering together did this day in a Riotous Manner enter the Parish Church of Great Coggashall aforesaid Reply Are you not ashamed who profess your selves Ministers of Law Justice and Peace to begin with Lyes and make them your Refuge against the Innocent tending to the Disturbance of the Peace of the Faithful whom you both ought and would Encourage and Countenance if you were faithful Ministers of Peace and Justice standing in the pure Counsel of God Ruling for God and not for your selves in all things discharging your Consciences unto God without Partiality or Respect of Persons as faithful Ministers of Law and Justice But contrary unto this you have acted in your corrupt Wills turning your Swords against the
And thirdly thou say'st Thou doubtest whether any of those that are called Quakers are alwayes guided by that Spirit Rep. Here all that are guided by any Measure of that Spirit may easily see the Lyes and Confusion for thy first is a Lye That any of us do teach that all Men are taught and guided by that Spirit at Times for I deny that thou art who art now taken with a Lye in thy Mouth which all that understand our Doctrine will witness against And 2dly That thou art guided hy an Infallible Spirit is a Lye against the Holy Ghost for no Lye comes from that Spirit And again thou belyest the Spirit of Truth to say Thou art guided by it and yet canst not give an Infallible Testimony whether those thou call'st Quakers are guided by an Infallible Spirit Yea or Nay but art in thy Doubts but that Spirit is without Doubts which now judgeth thee to be a Lyar and thy God thou praisest to be the Devil the Father of Lyes who must both be tormented together Qu. 4. Whether they that are guided by that Spirit need study how or what to say Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou sayst Timothy had that Spirit in a greater Measure then James Parnel yet Paul saith thus unto him as in 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 15 16. And thou saist If the Apostles had been put to preach upon a short Text or Theam methodically as by long Practice in the Church is expected from you they must oft times have studyed for it as thou conceivest though if you were left at large to speak as the Spirit of God moves you and gives Matter in thou hopest some of you by God's Assistance should speak as to good or better Purpose then any who now pretend to the Spirit 's Actings Rep. Here thou hast sufficiently manifested thy Spirit and thy Ignorance of the Spirit of God to any who understand the Things of the Spirit of God and all these Scriptures which thou hast brought concerning Timothy doth not at all prove that he that is guided by the Spirit of God need study how or what to preach But Paul exhorted Timothy to the Gift that was in him which was given him by or for Prophesie for in so doing he should save himself and those that heard him which you never do by the Fruit of your Study but rather destroy them witness the Fruits of your Ministry these many Years in this Nation who have wrought no better Reformation among your Hearers and also this Scripture doth not at all prove that Paul bad Timothy study old Authors and Heathenish Commentators as you do neither to Study Arts and Sciences as you do who with your Philosophy and vain Deceit do spoil the People for thou hast manifested thy self to be altogether ignorant of the Spirit of God who by thy own Conceivings judgest the Spirit of God to be insufficient to instruct and teach the Apostles what to speak at all Times without Study when as Christ himself exhorteth them to take no Thought what to speak for it should be given them in the very same Hour for saith he It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you which Spirit speaketh not without Method which Spirit you Teachers of the Church of England are great Strangers to who think that the Spirit of God can be limited to a Text or a Theam as thou confessest you are but thou Lyar where is now thy infallible Spirit who thus speakest thy own Conceivings And therefore be ashamed hence-forward to pretend to an Infallible Spirit who hast here so openly manifested thy Ignorance of it and its Movings so that if thou wast left at large to speak from that Spirit in thee and wast shut out of thy Library and from any Text or Writing thou wouldst plainly manifest thy self to be one of the dumb Dogs that could not bark which Isaiah from the Spirit of the Lord declared against without Study For I do believe that if thou and the rest of the National Teachers whom thou confessest are tyed to a Text or Theam could tell how to please the People and get Gain without studying or speaking from a Text you would for the Credit of your Cause as thou saist for I know nothing that tyes you to it but your own Covetous Ends to make a Gain of these Scriptures and to deceive the Ignorant with feigned Words whom Peter without Study foretold of and therefore thou Hypocrite pretend no more to an infallible Spirit but with the rest of thy Brethren confess thou art void of it as many of them have done for in such Pretences thou art but the greater Deceiver and thy Folly doth the more appear Qu. 5. Whether is it as lawful now for Tradesmen Shepherds or Plowmen to preach if they be led by the Spirit of God as those that spake forth the Scripture Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou saist If this was wholly granted James Parnel cannot claim any Interest therein as thou conceivest for thou saist he is neither Tradesman Plowman nor Shepherd nor will take any Course to maintain himself by this Labour for he hath been tryed But herein James Parnel can plainly tell thee thou art a Lyer for he followed a Trade with his Father until the Lord by his Spirit called him from it into his own Word and so I obeyed the Word of the Lord and left my Father with his Trade as James and John did their Father in the Ship For he that will not forsake Father and Mother Lands and Livings Wife and Children and all for Christ's sake is not worthy of him in which Work neither thou nor any other can tax me for Idleness but I believe my Labour and Diligence in the same is more offensive to you Deceivers then if I had been Idle But he that would call me from this Work that I am set about into the Work of Man I should answer him God must be served before Man for if it had not been the Will of God to call me forth into his Work I should still have served my Earthly Father sooner then any other Man notwithstanding the Evil Thoughts and Conceivings of such like as thee who art given up to believe Lyes and tell Lyes but where is now thy infallible Spirit who speakest by thy own Conceivings and thus the Thoughts of thy Heart deceive thee And as for my Maintenance I need not a Law to compel it as thou dost neither am chargeable to the World as thou art who by a Law of Man takest nigh three hundred Pound by the Year of them therefore in this thou mightst have laid thy Hand upon the Mouth for thou and hundreds more of thy Brethren never followed any honest Calling whereby to get an honest Livelyhood without being chargeable to the World but were from your Youths brought up at Babylon's Schools learning her Witchcraft and Sorcery thereby to deceive the
11. 1 2 3. 2 Cor. 8. 23. and many other which do not at all concern the Matter of my Query yea thou sayâ—st Men may respect Persons and be in the Faith which to prove thou quotest Acts 26. 25. 2 Kings 3. 14. Psal. 15. 4. But thou confessest It is a great Hindrance to the Faith and believing in the true Word for Men to seek the Honour of Men more then the Honour that comes from God John 5. 44. Aâ—d thou say'st â—t is also a Blos Blemish to the true Believers to respâ—â—â— the Ungodly that are great and rich in this World â—efore the true Saints that are poor yea thou say'st It is a plain Denyal of the Faith and a good Conscienâ—e also to respect Persons in doing of Justice whether for Favour or Reward Exod. 23. 2 3 4 5 6 7 â— Rep. All these Scriptures which â—hou hast here quoted do not at all justifie the Earthly Honour which you Earthly Ones give and receive one of another neither were these Things written to the World as thou makest Use of them neither did those whom the Apostle speaks of seek after or receive Earthly Honour as you do who are called of Men Master who are set up in the chief Seats of the Synagogues and love Greetings in the Markets and uppermost Rooms at Feasts and all the Earthly Honour as may be all which Christ declared against to the Pharisees and judged them to be in the Unbelief in whose Steps ye are found and therefore in the Unbelief also neither doth any such Earthly Honour belong to any Vertue or Grace for Christ hath declared against it but they that honour God them will God honour neither do any of these Scriptures which thou hast quoted justifie the Respect of Persons which the Apostle declared against in James 2. neither did Paul respect the Person of Festus when he called him Noble Festus for in that he did not adore his Person nor bow to nor worship it but Festus did that which was Noble towards Paul and judged him not worthy to suffer Bonds according to their Law which few of the Rule 's of these Dayes will do but rather will wrest and pervert their Law to their own Wills to persecute those that not are in Paul's Condition and guided by Paul's Spirit and such they now call Pestilent Fellows and Raisers of Sedition and adjudge them not worthy to live amongst Men though they have nothing more against them then the Heathen had against Paul And notwithstanding all this doth not justifie your Adoring Worshipping and Respecting Mens Persons having them in Admiration for Advantage sake yea though Wicked Corrupt Men though you do not see it because the Gift blinds your Eye for they that are Proud and Persecutors are Wicked and Corrupt and by such you are set up upheld and maintained and therefore adore and worship their Persons having them in Admiration because of this Advantage but the poor Saints are both by you and them persecuted and despised and you joyn together against them because they cannot worship the Beast and his Image as you do and thus out of thy own Mouth art thou judged and that Scripture which thou quotest in James 2. will witness against thee and that also in Exod. 23. For it is well-known that you professed Ministers have been the greatest Actors ever in stirring up the Rulers to persecute the Innocent yea any in whom the Appearance of God was manifested in Testimony against your deceitful Wayes and the Rulers through Favour and Respect to you have and do act in their corrupt Wills contrary to all Law or Equity against such and have oppressed the Strangers as Vagabonâ—s and Idle Fellows though the Law of the Nation allows them Liberty being free-born in it which to this Day is witnessed in divers Places of the Nation which that of God in your Consciences will also witness and such as those deserve neither Honour nor Respect but must perish in their Iniquity but in that thou accusedst us to deny deserved Honour and Respect to be lawful is a very Falshood for we honour and respect Justice Grace Vertue and all Goodness in our Hearts but you that are blind put Injustice for Justice and Evil for Good and turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousnes Jude 4. Qu. 33. Wilt thou own Trembling and Quaking now yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou seemest to own it in Words also stealing others Expressions out of the Scripture to answer my Query but thy Life doth not steal it neither dost thou own it where it is witnessed but makest a Scoff at it as before is proved and thy Ignorance of the same may easily be discerned in thiâ— thy Answer by any who have tasted of the Power of God who are come to the Earth's Trembling and Quaking and whereas thou denyest to tremble and shake as John Gilpin and others did comparing them with the Man possessed with the Unclean Spirit in Mark 9. 20. and to be a Quaker alwayes thou denyest Rep. Thou never wast a true Quaker yet as may easily be discerned by this thy Discourse of it who judgest by Reports and comparest the Power of God unto as Unclean Spirit which Power made the Devils to tremble in John Gilpin unto which thou art not yet come though John Gilpin from that departed and followed the Deceit and so was led into deep Deceit and Imitation and so gave Occasion to such as thee who wait for Occasion to blaspheme the Truth and speak Evil of the Things thou knowest nothing of but by Reports which if the true Fear of God was in thy Heart placed thou durst not do therefore thou and John Gilpin shall receive your Reward where thou shalt quake forever if thou dost not speedily repent and own the Truth which in thy Conscience is witnessed But those other of ours whom thou accusest thou dost not nominate and therefore accusest thou knowest not who but any such Foaming at the Mouth and the like which thou here speakest of we do deny and return it into thy own Bosom who art foaming out thy own Shame Qu. 34. What is the pure Religion and whether in it thou dwellest Priest Answ. And in thy Answer thou hast nothing to say but what thou stealest out of the Scripture from their Experience who spoak it forth and thou quotest that in Jam. 1. 27. which saith The Pure Religion and Undefiled before God is this to visit the Widdows and Fatherless in their Affliction and to keep themselves unspotted of the World and thou also quotest that in Mat. 23. 33 38 39 40. and saist It is to love the Lord our God with all our Hearts Mind and Might and our Neighbour as our selves and in this Religion thou say'st thou desirest to dwell and walk and remain forever without being shaken Rep. But thou must be much shaken before thou comest into this Religion for thou hast not yet proved
by the Precious Blood of the Lamb with whom You are crucified who are in him who have put on the Wedding Garment and are admitted to the Table of the Lord and are Partakers of the Holy Union Oh ye Blessed of the Lord ye Bâ—bes and Children of the Most High who dweâ—â—eth in Purity and reigneth in Majesty who â—ath established and set up his Throne in Your Hearts in You is my Joy and great Delight yâ—a I remember You when ye were tender and springing up but by Waiting upon the Lord You â—ave renewed Your Strength and the more is my Joy made full in You and Ye are made Precious in my Sight Ye that are inward Jews of the Heart-Circumcision redeemed frâ—m Kindreds Tongues Languages and People who are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem there to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth whom he hath chosen to bear his Holy Image which hath been so much defaced in the World and In You to exalt and glorifie his Name of Holiness amongst the Heathen and them that know him not now in this Day wherein he is visiting the Earth with Judgment and with Mercy and with a Mighty Power to call to an Account the Inhabitants of the Earth And blessed are You that have hearkened unto his Voice Ye shall sing and rejoyce when others shall weep and mourn and howl Though amongst them your Portions are Scoffings Scornings Mocking Deridings Back-bitings Revilings Persecutions Stripes Imprisonments yet have You learned to account these as Riches who know the Comforter within You and Your Redeemer to live with You I do rejoyce in all these things being now made Partaker of them I am not unknown unto You my Voice Ye know of Old O how do I long to see Your Faces but in that I am straitned for a time My Life is bound up in many of Your Hearts which makes me I cannot forget You my Spirit cannot be separated from You though my Body is kept in Strait Bonds but the Straitness will be broaken when he hath perfected his Praise in them who is my only Keeper and Supporter O ye Simple Doves who sit without Guile in Your Mouthes O how I am ravished with the Love of You when I behold You in Spirit You that have given up unto the Death to the Famine to the Sword and to the Fire and have patiently submitted unto the Father's Will and willingly sacrificed up your Darling Your Faith is unto You imputed for Righteousness and the God whom You have trusted and believed in will make You rich in him and give You Substance incorruptible and an Inheritance that never fades in measure You can set to Your Seals of what is written unto You. But some have hearkened unto the Evil Spirit which hath brought Evil-Tidings of the Good Land and such have turned Back into Egypt and joyned with the Magicians thereof to harden Pharaoh's Heart against the Innocent and filled the Mouthes of the Heathen with Blasphemous Speeches But let them go on He that is filthy let him be filthy still for he cometh quickly whose Reward is with him to give unto them according to their Doings But all things work together for the Good of You who stand in the Faith who are not moved with the Winds that blow nor the Storms that come against You who eye the Hand of Providence in all these things which bringeth Good out of Evil to You wards who abide in the Truth and stray not So as You have tasted felt known and experienced of Him so trust Ye in Him and remain in Your sure Confidence which is begotten in You by his Word and be Ye as Lights in the dark World both by Word and by Conversation that in all things Ye may be approved by the Father 's in Your Consciences as Faithful and Obedient Children every one in Your Calling wherein you are called that the Price thereof You may obtain in the End of Your Race O lift up your Heads and look up to the Father and see how he hath tendered You and how his Love hath been tendered towards You all along who hath not left You without Instructors and Nursing-Fathers who have watched over You with tender Care In much Love Tenderness am I drawn forth towards You little ones which springs from the Root of the Vine because you bear my Father's Image Long have I waited to write to You and lately I had an Opening of You which caused me to visit You with this Epistle for Ye have been oftentimes in my Remembrances though I could not write and now You must read me in that Love which Tongue cannot express and in that Epistle which is written in Your Hearts without either Paper or Ink by the Immortal Word of Life and there my Name You will know So the Lord God Almighty the Keeper of Israel over shadow you and in his Holy Presence keep You Pure and Innocent that You may pour forth his Praise in the Earth and shine as the Sons and Daughters of Sion into whose blessed Protection I You commit and do lye down with You who am a Sufferer in Outward Bonds by the Will of Man for the Innocent Seed's sake but at Liberty with the Faithful who am called Written from Colchester-Castle the 12th of the 11th Moneth JAMES PARNEL TO FRIENDS IN Essex FRIENDS TO that of God in all your Consciences I do speak which there doth witness for God which is according to the Mind of God bearing Witness against what is contrary to the Mind of God and approving of what is according to the Mind of God which in your Hearts is placed to be your Teacher to teach you to do the Will of God and how to walk up to the Mind of God and to distinguish betwixt Truth and Error and betwixt the Precious and the Vile and betwixt him that serves the Lord and him that serves him not which Light enlightens your Undestandings and lets you see the Land of Darkness where the House of Bondage is where the Righteous Seed lyeth oppressed and where the Man of Sin doth rule and Death hath Dominion which Light is your Guide out of the House of Bondage and out of the Land of Darkness and out of Death's Dominion and slayes the Man of Sin and separates you from the Children of Darkness and out from among them leads you to seek after another Kingdom where all Things are added wherein is witnessed the perfect Day where Sorrow and Sighing flees away but then out of your selves you must come your own Wisdom and Reason for to deny and whatsoever springs from self which is at Enmity with the Light and opposeth argues and contends against the Light which by the Light is condemned but if you hearken unto self then you stumble in the Way and many stumbling-Blocks lye before you Thoâ—nâ— and Bryars catch hold of you and in the Mire your Feet do stick and there you toyl and moyl in Thraldom and many
A Collection Of the Several WRITINGS Given forth from the Spirit of the Lord through that Meek Patient and Suffering SERVANT of GOD James Parnel Who though a Young Man bore a Faithful Testimony for God and Dyed a Prisoner under the Hands of a Persecuting Generation in Colchester Castle in the Year 1656. In the sight of the Vnwise they seemed to Dye and their Departure is taken for Misery and their going from us to be utter Destruction but they are in Peace For though they be Punished in the Sight of Men yet is their Hope full of Immortality and having been a little Chastized they shall be greatly Rewarded for God proved them and found them worthy for himself Wisd. 3. 2 3 4 5. 5. 4. Being Dead yet speaketh Hebr. 11. 4. Published in the Year 1675. Stephen Crisp HIS TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel IT was the Care of the Holy Men of Old To keep in Remembrance the Words Works which sprang from the blessed Power of God and therefore did record the Words of many Prophecies and the Histories of many Battels and Wars in which the Arm of God was manifest and whenever God Crown'd any with Worthiness and Honour as his Witnesses of his Word and Power this was commonly added unto the Renown of their Noble Acts and Faithful Testimonies That their Name and Manner of Life was committed unto the Generations that followed after insomuch as one said The Righteous should be had in Everlasting Remembrance and another said The Name of the Righteous was Precious and many other suâ—h like Sayings are there in the Holy Scripture Christ said to her that anointed him with the Box of Oyntment Where-ever the Gospel should be preached this Charity and Love of hers bestowed on him should be spoaken of And if ever any Age had Cause to prize and keep in Remembrance the Words and Sayings Great Deliverances and Spiritual Battels and Mighty and Noble Acts of God wrought by the Finger of his Power sure this Age hath Câ—use to be diligent in gathering up and keeping in Remembrance the Migâ—ty Works of Wonder which our God hath wrought in our Day in which he hath brought forth Life Peace Rest and Joy to a â—emnant by a Way which the Wise and Prudent of this World were not nor are not yet aware of but Babes have been his Messengers and Children have been his Ministers who in Innocency have received the Revelation of his holy Spirit by which the Deep Things both of his Law and of his Glorious Gospel of Life and Salvation were revealed And among these Babes who thus came to receive the Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God by the Working of his divine Power was this Noble Child JAMES PARNEL who was a Vessel of Honour indeed and Mighty in the Power and Spirit of Immanuel breaking down and laying desolate many mighty and strong Holds and Towers of Defence in the which the old Deceiver had fortified himself and his Children Much might be spoaken of this Man and a large Testimony doth live in my Heart to his blessed Life and to the Power and Wisdom that abounded in him but I do not intend at this time to write much about him but to give the Reader a brief Account of my Certain Knowledge which I had of Him and his Life and Labours and End As to his Country Manner of Life and how he was about the Age of Fifteen or Sixteen Years brought to the Knowledge of God and to the Working of his Power in him and how he obeyed the same in many Travails and Tryals until he came to be about Eighteen Years of Age all this I say it being spoaken to in another place and before my particular Acquaintance with him I shall pass over and only speak of things within the Compass of my own Knowledge When he was about Eighteen Years of Age the Lord who had heard the Cry of his own Seed put it into the Heart of this Young Man to come inâ—o Essex and to preach the Word of Life and to proclaim the Acceptable Year of the Lord there where it might indeed well have been said Behold the Fields are White unto Harvest For very many were there in that County who were both weary and heavy laden with their Sins and were as weary with running to and fâ—o to seek a Way out of them and having travailed all Mountains and all Hills and High Things that could be travailed and tryed and found no Deliverance and some sate down concluding If there was a Way God would manifest it others concluded There was no Way but we must dye in this Wilderness and never see the Bread of Life some othes set their Wits on work to find out and invent New VVayes and Manners of VVorshipping but all was in vain and great was the Darkness and Sorrow of those dayes which some can yet well remember and when all Hearts were ready to faint and all Hope was almost at an end with some when others had built their Tower of Profession so high that they conceâ—ted it did touch the Heavens it self then I say then did the Lord send this his Fâ—ithful Messenger endued with Power from on High to preach the Acceptable Year of God and the Day of Vengeance to comfort them that mourned His Coming was in the fore-end of the Year 1655. VVhere He preached the Gospel in many parts of that County as Felsted Stebben Witham Coxal Halsted and many other places where many hungry Souls had gladly received the VVord of God and it being mixed with Faith in the Hearts of them who heard it it became Effectual to the saving the Souls of many And after he had passed up down many Parts of that County and planted diâ—ers good Meetings and confirmed them that had believed he at length about the middle of the Summer the same Year came to Colchester upon the seventh day of the week on the day following preached the Gospel unto many Thousands of people first in his Lodging then in a Steeple-house there after the Sermon then in a Great Meeting appointed on purpose and after that disputed with the Town-Lecturer and another Priest in the French-School all in One Day in all which the Wisdom Power and Patience of Christ appeared very Gloriously to the Convincing of my self and many more who were Witnesses of that day's Work So he spent that week in Preaching Prayâ—ng Exhorting and Admonishing turning the Minds of all sorts of Professors to the Light of Jesus which did search their Hearts and shew their Thoughts that they might believe therein and sâ— mâ—ght become Children of the Light and many did Believe and found it so and others were Hardned and Rebell'd against the Appearance of Truth and became Enemies with whom he Disputed daily in great Soundness and in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit by which also many were reached and convinced of the Truth and the Mouthes of
the Ladder catching at the Rope with his other Hand missed the Rope and fell from a very great Height down upon Stones by which Fall he was exceedingly Wounded in the Head and Arms and his Body much Bruised and taken up for Dead Then they put him in a little low Hole call'd the Oven which place was so Little that some Bakers Ovens have been seen Bigger then it though not so high without the least Air Hole or Window for Smoak neither would they suffer him to have a little Charcole brought in to prevent the Smoak And after he was a little Recovered they would not suffer him to take a little Air which was but once desired by him feeling himself spent much for want of Breath And although some did offer their Bond of Forty Pounds to a Justice so called and another to lie Body for Body that James might have but Liberty to come to their House while he was well and to be returned again when he should be Recovered and that if he Dyed they should have his Body but they would not their Wills being unalterably set in Cruelty against him And it was desired That he might but walk in the Yard but it was said He should not have so much Liberty as to walk to the Castle Door which was strictly executed for the Door being open he did but walk forth into a Close Stinking Yard before the Door and the Goaler came in great Rage and lock't up the Hole where he lay and shut him out in the Yard all Night being in the Coldest Time of all Winter And seeing that their Rage did more and more encrease and there was an Addition to his Sufferings daily and seeing there was no way to satisfie their Malice but his Blood and seeing his Life could not in all likelihood be continu'd long in that Place and Condition he was in there was no little Labour and Means used to lay it before the Highest in Authority yea more concerning that Man that his Life might have been saved and they kept from Innocent Blood then ever was concerning any if not all that ever were Imprisoned of our Friends for some Years before but no Mercy could be found amongst them and though they were told of his Wounds Weakness and Ill Usage yet would not believe it till he was Dead and then some who were his Persecutors used their Wits to cover his Sufferings from being known and would cast it upon himself At his Departure there were present with him Ann Langley and Thomas Shortland who related his last words as followeth viz. HERE I DYE INNOCENTLY and further said NOW I MUST GO and turned his Head to Thomas and said THIS DEATH I MUST DYE and further said THOMAS I HAVE SEEN GREAT THINGS and bad him That he should not hold him but let him go and said it over again WILL YOU HOLD ME then said Ann Dear Heart we will not hold thee and then he said NOW I GO and stretched out himself and fell into a sweet Sleep and slept about an Hour as he often had said that ONE HOUR's SLEEP WOULD CURE HIM OF ALL and so drew Breath no more This is the Substance of a Relation given of his Sufferings and Death heretofore printed in a Book entituled The Lamb's Defence against Lyes published soon after James Parnel departed Thus did this Valiant Souldier in the Lamb's War Conquer through Sufferings and hath laid down his Head in Peace forever London the 29th Day of the 6th Moneth 1675. Written by a Lover of the Faithful Followers of CHRIST JESVS ELLIS HOOKES A TABLE OF THE Principal Heads Contained in this Book I. A Tryal of Faith wherein is discovered the Ground of the Faith of the Hypocrites which perisheth and the Faith of the Saints which is founded upon the Everlasting Rock page 1. II. Christ Exalted into his Throne and the Scripture owned in its Place 11. III. The Trumpet of the Lord Blown or a Blast against Pride and Oppression and the Defiled Liberty which stands in the Flesh 28. To the Libertine whose Liberty stands in the Flesh 41. To all Scoffers Scorners Reproachers and Revilers of the Children Servants and Messengers of God 49. IV. A Shield of the Truth or the Truth of God cleared from Scandals and Reproaches cast upon it by Scandalous and Reproachful Tongues which the Devil in all Ages did make use of whereby he Blasphemed the Truth of God striving to present it Odious to the Eyes and Ears for all People that so he might uphold his own Kingdom pag. 55. Concerning the Name Quakers 58. We are Accused to be False Prophets False Teachers and Deceivers c. ibid. We are Accused to deny the Scriptures 68. We are Accused to deny the Baptism 67. We are Accused to deny the Supper of the Lord 68. We are Accused to deny all Prayer 70. We are Accused to be destructive to the Ministry 72. We are Accused to deny all Magistracy and Government 81. We are Accused to be destructive to all Superiority and Honour Breeding and Manners c. 85. We are Accused to say That we are Perfect without Sin 97. We are Accused to deny Christ come in the Flesh 104. We are Accused that we Judge People 105. We are Accused to deny the Church 107. We are Accused to deny the Sabbath 108. We are Accused That we Justifie our selves and Condemn all others 109. We are Accused to be one with the Ranters 111. We are Accused That the Ground of our Religion is Popery pag. 113. A few words to all you Heads Rulers and Magistrates of what Degree soever 115. To all who are convinced by the Light of God in your Consciences 118. V. The Watcher or The Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands striking at the Feet of the Image whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay 121. A Relation of several Passages that James Parnel had with the People called Baptists in several Meetings with the Occasion of the First Meeting 180. A Copy of some Queries which were sent to the Baptized People in Fenstanton 188. The Occasion of another Meeting between the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers 196. Another Meeting between the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers 208. The Excommunication of Ezekiel Cater and Samuel Cater out of the Baptists Society with their Answer thereunto 225. A Word to all who are still in their own Formings Self actings and Imitatings 230. VI. The Fruits of a Fast appointed by the Churches gather'd against Christ and his Kingdom who go about to mock God with their Out-side Worship and Appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary Humiliation or a Declaration of the Persecution of a Messenger of the Lord by a People who go under the Name of Independents in Essex who have set themselves in the Enmity of their Spirits to oppose the Truth of God calling it a Lye and
the Scripture the Light yet in the same it doth witness against them and witness Christ to be the Light before the Scripture was written and is able to save to the utmost all that shall come unto God by him and they that climb up any other Way the same are Thieves and Robbers John 10. 1. And therefore is not a Natural Insufficient Light as they that know not him do report of him and therefore shew themselves to be as ignorant as the Pharisees who only supposed him to the Son of Joseph yet wondred at his Power and the Works that were done by him as these do now wonder at the Prosperity of this Ministration of Light and to see how it prevails upon the Hearts of the people so that they know not what to think of it they are not able to encounter with it but that they see it strikes so much at their Diana and lies so hard at their Foundation so that it makes their Building Totter therefore the Rulers Priests aud Pharisees take Counsel together saying one to another If we let this People alone all men will go after them and they will draw away whole Nations therefore they take the same course as ever the false Prophets did joyning together with the Earthly Powers to make War with the Lamb Persecuting Stocking Whipping Imprisoning and shamefully intreating his Messengers whom the Lamb sent forth to bear Testimony of this Light in peoples Consciences where we have a Witness both in them that believe and in them that perish and also striving all the wayes they can by their Evil Incensing Lying Railings and false Accusings and Reporting to defame this Light and leaven your minds against it that if it were possible to put it out that still they might uphold their Father's kingdom of darknes and bear rule by their Means over the Blind carrying captive the minds of people But who is able to make War with the Lamb or who shall withstand the Day of his Coming Saul Saul it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet in this it witnesseth against them to be in Cain's way and Balaam's way and in the GainSaying of Core and so have not God Jude 11. 2 John 9. but are found to be the Generation who are born after the Flesh persecuting them that are born after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. And though they call the Scripture their Rule and Guide yet they receive not Power from it to enable them to walk according to it but are altogether erring from it in any thing that crosseth Self but as many as receive the Light receive Power to follow it and come out of the corrupt sinful nature which they live in who know not the Light John 1. 12. and here the Light is above the Scripture And though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet in the same it witnesseth against them to be Lyars and bears witness of Christ to be the Judge and Tryer and Searcher of the Heart and Discerner of the Thoughts Heb. 4. 12. Rom. 1. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 5. and that whatsoever makes manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. therefore that which makes manifest false spirits is the Light and not the Letter which Light manifested and discovered false spirits before the Scripture was written And also though they say the Scripture is the Judge and Tryer of Spirits yet by the Scripture they cannot discern or judge of Spirits else what makes all this difference in Judgment amongst them who profess to try Spirits by the Scripture and profess it to be their Rule and ground their Judgments upon it yet are so confus'd in the same and never a one knows which is the Truth when as the Way is but One So that it follows that they have nothing but the Scripture without and are still without in Darkness and Confusion as all those appear to be who call the Scripture their Rule and Guide and Judge and Tryer of Spirits aud yet know not the Truth but are jangling and rangling and arguing and disputing and contending about the Scripture every one with a several Judgment upon it surely this Distraction is not in Scripture for it was spoken from One and all agrees in one therefore you that so profess the Scripture see if you can find it out by the Scripture and see where you are but they that are in the Light have fellowship one with another 1 John 1. 7. and are of one heart and one Soul Acts 4. 32. and all agree in one and are Epistles wrote in one anothers heart 2. Cor. 3. 2. and by the Light they try and discern false spirits and in it are able to judge them and open the Scriptures without wresting adding or diminishing and by it do know they are of God because they love one another with the same love with which Christ loved them 1 John 4. it is not such love which is to day and to morrow cross the will and it is turned into wrath and anger nay that love stands in the corrupt will but this love stands in the bond of peace which doth indure and here again the light is above the Scripture and though they say the light must be received from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture doth witness against them and bears witness of Christ to be the light of the World and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World And they that could never read letter of the book have this light which is sufficient to teach them and lead them into all Truth after they come to the knowledge of it from this light the Scripture was spoken 2 Pet. 1. 21. and without this light none can read the Scripture with understanding and here the light is before the Scripture and out of it all the Children of Darkness are shut with their busie minds and vain contending spirits and though they say they must receive life and salvation from the Scripture yet in this the Scripture witnesseth against them and testifies of Christ to be the alone Fountain of Life and Salvation and that there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved Psal. 30. 9. and 144. 10. And that the Pharisees had the Scripture yet had not the Light neither could see that he was the Christ though the Scripture bare testimony of him or either would come unto him for Life and Salvation but trusted in the Scripture thinking there to find eternal Life and therein found it not John 5. 39 40. As all you are now who are seeking the living among the dead and here again the light is above the Scripture which light is within us the hope of glory Col. 1. 26 27. and those that cannot witness this are in the reprobation though they have the Scripture without 1 Cor. 13. 5. and from it we receive life and salvation and from no other and this alone
and bring thy deeds unto it to be tryed by it it will witness for God and his Children against thee to be a Child of the Devil and his works thou dost and thy Faith to be feigned like the Hypocrite and doth not purifie thy hearts and so is no more then the wickedest that is for all say that Christ dyed for them but all cannot witness it For he that believes is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit sin And this Light loving it will let thee see how thy Heart is turned from God and that thou hast more delight in the things that perish than in the Fear of the living God which keeps the heart clean and is the beginning of the pure Wisdom and Righteousness and if thou honestly communest with it it will let thee see thy secret Actions and all thy hidden deeds done in darkness that thou mayst come to Judgment and Condemnation for all these things and except thou be born again and become as a little Child thou art no Child of God neither canst enter the Kingdom of God but art without in the world's nature in the state of Condemnation in whom the Son of Perdition rules above all that is called God sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God and here he opposeth God in his Kingdom and saith that is lawful and for it pleadeth that which God saith is unlawful and forbids And he tells the Creature and maketh it believe it cannot keep God's Commandments and that it hath not power to do that which God commands it or to depart from Evil and that none live but they sin and Christ hath satisfied for all sin though they sin daily that man may use the Creatures as he pleaseth seeing they were made for Man's Use and the Spirit of God saith He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him And as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God And the Law of the Spirit of Life makes them free from the Law of Sin and Death He that commits Sin is of the Devil and never knew God and by this are the Children of God and the Children of the Devil made manifest And he that abideth in him sinneth not And he that lives after the Flesh cannot please God for without Holiness none shall see the Lord. And thus the Devil the old Serpent who was a Lyar from the beginning opposeth God in his Kingdom daubing the Creature up in that which is Evil making it a Habitation in his kingdom while it live upon the Earth and then must take part with him in the Lake that is prepared for the Devil and his Servants who doth not dare to call God a Hard Master as if he would lay a Tax upon the Creature which it is not able to perform and thus he deceives the Creature and draws out of the Commands of God and out of the Fear of God which preserves from Evil and so he draws into Carelesness and Slothfulness and begets a liberty therein and because of those things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience as it was in the beginning when God said That in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye the Death and the Serpent said You shall not surely dye for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof you shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. And thus he deceived them and drew them out of the Commands of God and out of the Fear of God into the Disobedience and so came the Curse of God upon them by hearkening to him and entring into his Temptations and then they found God Just and True and the Devil a Lyar whom they had believed now read thy self To the Light of Christ in thy Conscience I speak which searcheth the Heart and knows the secret Thoughts and Intents of the Heart which will witness me and condemn thee who walkest contrary unto it Be not Deceived God is not Mocked such as thou sowest such must thou reap for God is a Just God and will nto acquit the Wicked For thou art found a Slothful Servant who hast hid thy Talent in the Earth and think not that thou shalt receive the Reward of the Righteous and Faithful for if the Righteous scarcely be saved what will become of the Wicked and Ungodly Therefore Repent while it s called to day harden not thy heart lest the Judgments of God come upon thee at unawares and sweep thee away and give thee thy Portion among the Slothful Hypocrites and Unbelievers For by the Light of God thou arr seen and found in the Sins of Sodom and the Plagues of Sodom are coming upon thee therefore be afflicted mourn and let thy Laughter be turned into Mourning and thy Joy into Heaviness for to Judgment thou must come and thy Liberty To the Light of Christ in thy Conscience I am made manifest which if thou lovest it will let thee see thy self and tender thy Conscience and will lead thee into the Fear of God following of it and will humble thee and bring down thy high and lofty Looks and bring thee under Judgment and Condemnation for thy Stiff neckedness Disobedience and Rebellion against the Son of Righteousness here will be thy Condemnation out of thy own mouth will the Lord judge thee in Righteousness by the Light in thy Conscience which he hath enlightened thee withal which now thou kickest against which will thy Torment be This is a Warning from the Lord unto thee and now thou art left without Excuse in the Presence of the living God by the Light of God this is the day of thy Visitation and the day of thy Judgment draws nigh now thou hast time prize it For the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night to all the Children of Darkness as it was to the Sodomites and verily I say unto thee it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment then for thee if thou dost not Repent who hast tasted of the Love and Mercy of God and hast trampled it under foot and hast rebelled against the Spirit of Grace Written from the Spirit of the Lord as a Warning to all who are in the Fleshly Liberty by a Witness of the True Liberty of the Children of God through Death which Liberty stands not in Time nor in any thing in Time for all things in Time perish with Time but this remains when Time shall be no more and his is Pure Vnspotted of the World J. P. ALL you that Scoff and Scorn and Reproach and Revile at the Children Servants and Messengers of the Most High God whom you nick-name QUAKERS and under the same Name Persecute them as a People not worthy to live and have no Ground for it neither know any Evil
Vindication of the Power of God which is now manifesting in his Sons and Daughters lest the Simple who are not yet acquainted with it should stumble at the Name By a Friend of the Truth and a Lover of these People which you who are out of the Truth scornfully call Quakers but the Scorners God will judge and the Righteous God will bless who work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling for saith the Lord To such a one will I look that is of a Humble and Contrite Spirit and Trembleth at my Word Prov. 16. 29. Phil. 2. 12. Isa. 66. 1 2. JAMES PARNELL A SHIELD OF THE TRUTH Or the Truth of God cleared from Scandals and Reproaches Cast upon it by Scandalous and Reproachful Tongues which the Devil in all Ages did make use of whereby he Blasphem'd the Truth of God striving to present it Odious in the Eyes the Ears of all People that so he might uphold his own kingdom But the Day hath made him manifest and the Lord is come and is coming to make War with him and bind him and cast him into the Bottomless Pit and all who bears his Image and under his Dominion is To the READER REader to thee whosoever thou art I shall clear my Conscience and to all people To the Light of God in all your Consciences I speak which is one in all in the behalf of a despised People with men yet not with God who are scatâ—red abroad in several Countries yet one in the Lord whom the Lord hath chosen out of the Generation of the Children of this World out of all Sects Forms and Opinions into the Light of Life to bear his Image and so to bear his Cross and because they have not the same Image with the Children of this World but are chosen out from amongst them their Fellowship their Kindred and Acquaintance and Breeding Manners Customs Fashions Words Wayes and Worships for Light can have no Fellowship with Darkness and so the Devil who goeth about like a Roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure who is the Godd of the World who ruleth in the Children of Disobedience hath stirred up all who bear his Image who under his Dominion are to persecute slander revile and reproach all who bear the Image of God who testifies against him and all who bear his Image so as he hath done in all Ages from the beginning so it is now that he may uphold his Image and his Kingdom so the Beast is making war with the Lamb and now is the war begun but the Lamb shall get the victory praises praises to our God forever And so for the Turths sake and the good of all tender Consciences I shall clear my conscience in the clearing of the Truth from the Scandalls false Accusations and Reports which are cast upon it by the Priests and people who bear the Image of the Beast left any who are unsettled and ungrounded in the Truth should by giving ear to those false Reports and Scandals and Accusations turne from the Light and so lose their Convincement and get up into hardness of heart and lose their part in the promised Land for there are a company of Priests in all parts of the Nation where the Truth comes who are the Devils greatest Agents who are daily plotting and inventing and seeking every way to blot the Image of God of the Nation by Writings by Printings by Petitioning to Rulers and Magistrates with all the false aspersions and scandals they can get together to present the Truth of God odious to all people and likewise in their Pulpits doe the same as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles but we have but one Ruler and Governour to Petition to and relye upon from whom we have our Image even God over all who knoweth the hearts of all who is our Witness and our Justification then who art thou that condemnest or layest any thing to the charge of Gods Elect but he hath promised No weapon formed against him shall prosper for his work he will carry on by his own unlimitted power in despite of the Beast and his Image And so Reader I charge thee and all people in the presence of the Lord before whom you must come to Judgment to take heed of speaking evil of that you know not lest you speak evil of Gods Elect for it is a fearful thing to enter into the hands of the Living God for if those be cursed that doe not receive the Messengers of Jesus Christ how much more them that revile them and persecute them He that hath an ear to heare let him heare for in as much as thou dost it to one of his thou doest to him J. P. A Shield of the Truth c. 1. COncerning the Name QUAKERS by which the World scornfully calls us As for the Quaking and Trembling caused by the unresistable power of the Lord Iown which the holy men of God witnessed before us in all Ages Isaac the seed of the Promise trembled Moses the Servant of God Quaked and Trembled Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord his Bones shook Habakkuk his Belly Trembled and Lips Quivered when Daniel heard the voyce he fell down and Trembled and David the King was as if his Bones were out of Joynt and the Rest of the holy Men of God Quaked and Trembled and so it was no new thing but that which was from the beginning which all the holy Men of God witnessed though new to the World who live in Darkness And for this cause are we scornfully called Quakers but the Scorners God will judge and the Righteous God Will Bless who work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling 2. We are accused to be the false Prophets and false Teachers and Deceivers that are foretold of in the Scriptures to come in the last times But saith Jesus Christ You may Know them by their Fruits and so we desire to be Judged according to our Fruits Jesus Christ said Beware of false Prophets that appear to you in Sheeps Clothing but inwardly are Ravening Wolves you shall know them by their Fruits Do men gather Grapes of Thornes and Figs of Thistles A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit nor a Corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Pride is a Fruit of the corrupt Tree now see whether we or your Teachers be guilty of this who go in double Cuffs and Bott-hose-tops with great store of Points and Ribbands which are of no use but for the satisfying of the Proud minde and also following the new Fashions and Inventions of the World they and their Wives and Children decking and adorning themselves according to their Proud minds to make the Creature seem something in its own eyes and in the eyes of others and those are the outward signes of Pride which lodgeth in their hearts And they are called of men Masters and have the chiefest places in the Assemblies
condemn Sin in the Flesh which is the Word which became Flesh and dwelt amongst the Apostles This Christ we witness no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and before We knew him after the Spirit we had no Profit by him but were in the State of Reprobation and so are all now who profess him in Words and know nothing of him but by the Letter without them And such deny Christ come in the Flesh who plead for Sin who live in Sin and do not witness him come but those who are crucified with him do live with him and he in them and none are Christians of the Flock of Christ but who are baptized into his Death by one Spirit into one Body and he that can witness this is crucified to the World and the World to him But who talk of Christ to be their Saviour and are still alive in the World's Nature must first witness him a Condemner for his first Appearance is with Sword and breaks the Peace and maketh the War and ends the War and makes the Peace and this Peace endures for ever and so he is a Condemner before he is a Saviour and he is a Peace-braker before he is a Peace-maker But who are at Peace in their Sin the Serpent is Head and the strong man keeps the House and Christ they do not witness come in the Flesh but who endure the War shall enjoy this Peace and he that can witness Christ his Saviour can witness this but Silence all Flesh before the Lord and let him that nameth the Name of God depart from Iniquity for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a Lyar For saith Christ why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I say And none can call Jesus Lord but by the holy Ghost so it is plain you know not God who cannot keep his Commands then how can you believe in him whom you do not know We are accused that we judge People It is written The Saints shall judge the World and for Judgment I am come into the World saith Christ that those which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind and where Christ rules in his Saints he judges the World as Paul witnessed It is no more I but Christ in me and he is come to reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Judgment because the Prince of the Air is judged who rules in the Children of this World and they cannot bear the righteous Judgment of Christ but kick against it and call him Devil and so they kick against the Prick which will the more torment them And this is the Spirit of Truth which came into the World which the World cannot receive because he testifies of it that the Deeds thereof are evil and this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil and every one that doth Evil hateth the Light and will not come into the Light least it should reprove them yet they will say Christ is meek Love and lowly It is so but not to Ungodliness but he is meek to the meek and lowly to the lowly and Love to the Seed of God and his Saints are meek and lowly and bear all both Scandals Reproaches Persecutions and Imprisonments but to the Seed of the Serpent Christ is Judgment and Wo and a Sword to that which is for the Sword and a Condemner to the Wicked and our God is a consuming Fire and terrible to the Wicked to consume the Proud and Haughty in their Imaginations and here Christ is a Lyon and he is a Lamb he is a Condemner and he is a Saviour he that can receive him let him the Hungry Thirsty he feeds with living Food but the Fat he feeds with Judgment and that which would not bear his Judgment must never know his Peace but is for Judgment and cryes out as the Devil did who said he was come to torment them before the time but the Teachers of the World have deceived the People long crying Peace to them because they put into their Mouths and healing them up in their Sin with a feigned formed Faith which works no Reformation so sewing Pillows under their Arme-holes and here the Devil hath reigned in Peace and now Christ is come with the Sword to break his Peace with Plague and Judgment and now he rages and stands up for his Life in all both Priest and People and now the Beast makes War with the Lamb but it is hard for him to kick against the Prick for he must be bound and cast into the Pit and there be tormented quick and the false Prophet and all who bear his Image We are accused to deny the Church I answer The true Church which is in God we own and witness through Death but the Worlds Church we deny for the true Church is the Body of Christ made of tryed Stones elect and precious washed and cleansed by his Blood and Spirit that he might present it a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle but this is not a House of Lime and dead Stones nor the People that meet in it for all manner of Unrighteous Persons meet there which is the Synagogue of Satan and a Cage of unclean Birds and like People like Priest but who comes to be elected into the Church of Christ which is spiritual denies the World's Church which is carnal and the World's Teacher who is carnal selling the carnal for carnal Money and Earth for Christ himself is the Teacher of his Church who feeds it with living eternal Food freely and it needs no other Teacher and this Church we own and witness but all other Churches we deny for the Church is but one and the Temple of God we own which is at new Jerusalem the City of the living God but all other Idols Temples we deny which is the Invention and Imaginations of Man and though God commanded Solomon to build him a Temple nevertheless God that made the World dwels not in Temples made with Hands and when Christ the Substance came he prophesied against it and also Stephen was stoned to Death when he prophesied against it and this we witness whose Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who are now stoned and persecuted by such as know not the living God but worship Idols because we speak against their Idols Temple which God never commanded to be built but was set up by the imagining Idolizing Papists and upheld by the blind Protestant so called and so they cast out the Papists and uphold their Idols and so the Inchanters Diviners and Sorcerers of England lead silly People in Blindness to worship Idols telling them they are the Houses and Temples of
God which is a meeer Delusion We are accused to deny the Sabbath The Sabbath of the Saints we own which is not for a Day but Everlasting and who dwells in Christ witnesseth this Sabbath which is the Substance and the Shadow without is vanished for saith Paul let no man condemn you in respect of Meats and Drinks or of an Holy Day or of new Moons or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are but Shadows of things to come And so the World hath the Shadow and the Saints the Substance and you who have the Shadow persecute them who have the Substance as the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests did who had and upheld the Types and Figures of Christ and persecuted him who was the Substance so they that are alter the Flesh persecuted them that are aftor the Spirit But your Sabbath is a Shadow of Nothing for the Jews Sabbath in the time of the Law was upon the seventh Day which was the last Day of the Week but yours is the first Day of the Week for which you have no Scripture and they were not to do their own Wayes nor their own Pleasure nor speak their own Words upon the Sabbath Day and here you transgress in the Figure and walk in your own Wayes and speak your own Words and do your own Pleasures both of that Day and every Day We are accused that we justifie our selves and condemn all others I answer When we were our selves without the Spirit of God and had a Form and Profession of the Saints Condition which we did not possess we sought to justifie our selves in our Profession and earthly Wisdom and to exalt our selves and be something in the Eyes of others and here we were Pharisee and yet feigned Publicans saying we were sinfull but thought higher of our selves then others though we were in the same Nature and here our Justification was of our selves and not of Christ and here all you Pharisees and feigned Publicans both Priests and Professors who are in your earthly Wisdom feeding upon the Letter but as the Light of Christ arose in us all our earthly Wisdom wherein we were exalted became Foolishness and Self was judged and denyed and all that which was of Self both Wisdom and Righteousness wherewith we covered over our filthy lustful unclean Hearts and so were as painted Sepulchres and here are all Professors at this Day who are feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and are from under the Cross of Christ but all would not hide from the Light of God but as it arose it searched through all and lay'd open all and all our Covers became rotten and fell from us and so it will be with all Professors as the Light of Christ doth arise and the Book of Conscience is layd open for no Flesh must glory in his Presence But now we have nothing but what we have received of the Father through Death and Christ is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and though we glory we glory in the Lord for we have nothing in our selves to glory of and the Saints thought it no Presumption to call themselves the Sons of God and said they were of God and all the whole World lie in Wickedness and here the same Spirit would have accused them yet they were no Pharisees and Christ thought it no Robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees he was judged a Blasphemer and as he is so are we say the Saints yet they were no Pharisees and so who are made the Sons of God it is no Self-justification to witness it forth neither those who are made free from Sin to witness it forth as the Apostles did and to witness forth the Life and Power of Truth and deny them that have gotten the Form Notion or Profession And here Christ is the Witness and the Justification for the Way is but one and the Truth is but one and they who dwell in the Truth witness one with another for the Light of God owns its own wheresoever it is for God cannot deny himself but they that are not with us are against us and out of the Truth in the State of Condemnation for all who are out of the Truth are under the Curse in the Fall and this Truth we witness by the Spirit of the living God through Death the same Truth as ever was and there is that in every Conscience shall bear us Witness yea in the Heathen and condemn them that hate it Jer. 3. 19 20. We are accused to be one with the Ranters I answer it is false for we abhor their Principles in our Hearts and deny any Liberty to the Flesh or any light or loose or vain Conversation which they live in or any thing which is impure or unclean for our Principles are pure and clean and are at Enmity with any thing that is impure or unclean for Purity and Impurity cannot agree together and it is our desire to keep our selâ—es unspotted of the World for that which is unclean defiles and from that we are seperated who are the Sons and Daughters of the living God But some of them have tasted of the Love of God and Grace of God and have had Appearances of God but by hearkning to the Voyce of the Serpent and giving way to the Lust have turned with the Dog to the Vomit and the Grace of God into Wantenness casting his pure Law behind their Backs and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace and have crucified afresh the Lord of Life and put him to open Shame therefore hath the Lord given them up to their own Hearts-Lusts and vile Affections and their Consciences are seared as with an hot Iron for it is written It is impossible that those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance but they have deceived many with their alluring Speeches and have caused the Truth of God to be evil spoaken of by their pernicious lascivious wayes but Wo Wo be to them for double shall be their Reward But God is our Witness we deny and abhor all things which are filthy or unclean and though all the World condemn it is without For there is no Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not aefter the Flesh but after the Spirit And it is my tender desire towards all tender Consciences that they may take heed of giving any Liberty to the Flesh lest they loose the Tenderness of Conscience and harden it by Lust and Uncleanness for nothing but Purity will the Lord receive for he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity We are accused that the Ground of our Religion is Popery The
another Thing and the most Part knew not wherefore they came together and so it is the same amongst you but it is good for you to know certainly what you speak against before you speak lest you speak Evil of that you know not calling Good Evil Evil Good putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness against whom the Wo from the Lord is pronounced and it is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it with weeping Tears therefore take heed of treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath and remember you are warned And now something to all you tender-hearted Ones who are convinced by the Light of God in your Consciences which tenders your Consciences for whose sakes I have laid open my self freely so I desire that you may mind that Light of God to which I speak which is my Witness which hath convinced you that it may be your Guide which will lead you to Conversion into the Life to witness with me against the World that my Labour may not be in vain look not out at Scandals false Accusations or Reports for this is the Reward that the Righteous have received of the World and Christ our Lord and Captain shewed the Example as it is written They who will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and they that depart from Iniquity make themselves a Prey but that which can't bear those things is not of God but turn your Ear inward to that Measure of Light in you which is without Guile that is gentle that can bear all as it did both in the Prophets and Apostles and all the holy Men of God This led them through good Report and evil Report through Persecution and through Death and this is the Way to Life and who enters must enter this Way and here is the Tryal of Faith and the Tryal of Faith is more precious then Gold So fear not but be willing to give up and to part with all though it be never so near and dear yea though it be thy Bosom-Friend and Darling For he that loveth any Thing better then me is not worthy of me saith the precious Pearl And he that will not forsake all and follow me is not worthy of me Moses thought it greater Riches to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Pharoah's Court for a Season For the Pleasures of this World and the Afflictions of this World endure but a Time and pass away For all things visible pass away but the Joy of the Righteous endures for ever but if our Hopes were only in this World we were of all Men most miserable but he that endures to the End shall have a Crown of Glory as Paul witnessed So Fear not little Flock but be faithful valiant and bold for it is your Father's Will to give you the Kingdom a hundred fold shall you receive of what you loose whether Lands or Livings Wife or Children or whatsoever it is the Promise is to the Faithful and your Joy and Advancement shall be in the Destruction of your Enemies when the Lord doth make your Enemies your Footstool but this is witnessed through the War and he that endures to the End of the War shall witness this And this in my Measure I witness and out of tender Love from my Soul to your Souls do I declare it and desire that you may all endure to witness with me for Love is Charity and the Light leads through all And so I rest in my Habitation known to all who can read me in Spirit J. P. Farewell THE WATCHER OR THE Stone cut out of the Mountain Without Hands Striking at the Feet of the IMAGE Whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay Dan. 2. 31 32 33 34 35. Written by a Friend to all tender-hearted Ones who hunger and thirst after God who are groping and seeking in Forms for Life to the directing of their Minds where and how to find the true Light which leads into the true Life and Power of Godliness the End of all Forms where I rest with all who in Spirit read me who am known to them wâ—â— are without by the Name James Parnell Reprinted for the Service of Truth This is a Discovery of the Ground End of all Forms Professions Sects and Opinions and also how they now are made as Friends and joyn Hand in Hand against the Substance the Life and Power of God which is now made manifest in his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise as hath been plainly manifest in several Meetings betwixt the People called Quakers and the People called Baptists which is here described And also a Description of the true Church and the Gathering thereof by the Power and Spirit of our God which is now made manifest in these latter dayes which so gloriously doth shine forth in the Earth so that all who have Desires to find the Way of Truth need no longer walk in Darkness and seek the Living amongst the Dead where it is not to be found for now Light is come into the World they that love and follow the Light shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life but such as do Evil hate the Light and will not come unto the Light that the Light may reprove them and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 8. 12. Joh. 3. 19 20 21. TO THE READER THOU that happens to be the Reader of this Book know this that my Mind and Intent in the publishing thereof was in Relation to the Simple-hearted who hunger and thirst after Grace and Godliness to the directing and turning their Minds from the Darkness to the true Light of the Lord Jesus which is not of the World but comprehends the World and makes manifest the many Wayes of the World and the Snares Baits Traps and Nets that therein are laid by him who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience now whatsoever makes manifest is Light the which Light will discover unto them whose Minds are turned to it the Wiles and Subtilties of Satan and so the Simple will come to learn Wisdom and thereby be preserved from the subtile devouring Serpent and therein the Creature will come to see wherein consists its Safety and Preservation and so Israel's Tent comes to be found For I in the Light standing above the World comprehending the many Wayes that are in the World and the Destructions therein with the many Forms Judgments and Opinions one clashing against another with their Janglings and Disputes with their Earthly Wisdom which is at Enmity with God and about those things which they are Strangers to the Life and Power thereof contending for that which fades and
make you clean ecase to do Evil learn to do Well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widdow Isa. â—â— and saith the Lord Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a man to afflict his Soul to hang down the Hâ—ad like a Bâ—lrâ—sh and to spread Sackcloth and â—shes under him wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the Lord is not this the Fast which I have chosen to break the Bands of Wickedâ—ess to 〈◊〉 the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppresse◠〈…〉 that you break every Yoak Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House when thou seest the Naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own Flesh Isa. 8. 5 6 7. but this they did not do therefore said the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouths and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me and thus the Devil deceived them and blinded their Eyes in that Age with a Profession and Form of Worship but their Hearts he kept to himself and this the Prophets saw in the â—ight and testified and declared against it and left it behind them upon record and when the time came that Christ was born the Pharisees and Scribes and chief Priests had the Letter the Writings of Moses and the Prophets and they could tell by them where Christ should be born and when Herod had assembled them together he demanded of them where Christ should be born they said in Bethlehem of Judah for thus it is written by the Prophets c. so the Priests and Pharisees then were the Keepers of the Letter and they had the Types and the Shadows and Figures of Christ the Substance and there they had a Life and thought in them to find Eternal Life but would not come unto Christ that they might have Life but despised him and would not believe on him because he came not in the Wisdom nor in the Pomp nor Glory of the World but testified against it and they were gotten up into Moses's Chair but not into Moses's Life for they tythed Mâ—nt and Anis and Cumin but omitted the weightier things of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith which they ought to have done and not to have left the other undone for that was a time when Tythes were due for the Aaronical and Levitical Priesthood to which Tythes did belong was not yet changed until Christ was offered up and they were fair-sayers who said and did not and the Hypocrites who were hopt above the Light and so were the Blind Leaders of the blind with their fair sayings and therefore said Christ beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and they turned People from the Light and denyed the Light and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men and would neither enter in themselves nor suffer others that would but had gotten a Wisdom and Righteousness of their own which blinded their Eyes and covered their Sins so that they could not see their Sins nor him that was the Way the Truth and the Life therefore did he pronounce so many Woes against them and called them whited Walls and painted Sephulchres who washed the outside but were the Generation of Vipers and Serpents within and thus Christ who was the Light searched them and judged them who appeared fair on the Outside but within full of Uncleanness but they could not hide themselves from the Light therefore they joyned against it the Saducees the Pharisees chief Priests and Scribes and the Herodians and Pilate and Herod and the rude Multitude all joyned together against the Life and they consulted against him and took Counsel against him how they might destroy him and the Pharisees came to tempt him and in snare him with Questions that they might get some what against him to bring him under their Law but he fore-saw their deceitful Hearts their Plots and confounded their Intentions and brought to nought their Counsel then they said If we let this man alone all men will go after him and so they sought false Witnesses and took Counsel against him and crucified him and let Barrabas go free and thus the Devil blinded their Eyes in that Age with a strickt Profession and their own Righteousness and Wisdom so that they could not see the Light and the Life but persecuted it and sought the Living in the dead Letter but if they had known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory yet they were wise in their own Eyes and despised those that followed him and said none of the Rulers believed on him but an ignorant People that knew not the Law that were accursed because they were the Publicans and Sinners and they themselves were the greatest Sinners but they healed themselves up with their own Wisdom and Righteousness and therefore said Christ they that are whole need no Physician but they that are sick therefore he said Publicans and Harlots should enter the Kingdom before them but the Blind the Deaf the Lame the Dumb and the Leopardies came unto him and believed on him and were healed and the poor received the Gospel but the Priests and Professors or the Pharisees and Scribes and Elders and Rulers could not believe on him that he was the Messias but looked for another and these were the most zealous in their Profession and builded the Tombs of the Prophets and garnished the Sepulchres of thâ— Righteous and said If they had been in the Day â— their Fathers they would not have been Partakers wiâ— them in the Blood of the Prophets and yet those were the chief Persecutors of Christ the Substance of those things which they upheld in the Law and the Prophets therefore they were Witnesses against themselves and filled up the Measure of their Fathers Wrath and those professed Abraham and said Abraham was their Father and yet denyed Christ whom Abraham foretold of but Christ told them they were of their Father the Devil and his Works they did and would do and thus he judged them for all their Zeal and Profession and said how could they escape the Damnation of Hell Then after he was sacrificed up he appeared unto his Apostles and sent them to preach the Gospel to every Creature and here they did not run because the Prophets run nor take up a Command without them in the Prophets Writings to do a thing because the Prophets were commanded to do it but they were also acted and guided by the same Spirit and Word of Truth which dwelt in them which Christ before he was offered up had promised that he would send the Comforter even the Spirit of Truth which the World could not receive which should lead them into all Truth and should reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and then after they had
received the Holy Ghost they went abroad preaching Christ and shewing thereby the fulfilling the Law and the Prophets which figured sorth and prophesied of Christ and this they declared in their Temples and in their Synagogues and they haled them out of the Temple and out of their Synagogues and brought them before Governors Rulers and Magistrates and the chief Priests and their Kindred and the chiefest Professors which were the Pharisees were the head-Actors therein but never the less they went on boldly being filled with the Power of the Holy Ghost without the Fear of Man obeying God rather then Man so they were not subject to the Authority of Man in that respect but they were subject unto the Law of Man so far as it was subject to the Law of God and so they went on preaching Christ and many believed and were baptized and received the Holy Ghost and were converted and it was so that the multitude that believed was of one Heart and of one Mind and they were so far of one being exalted over another or seeking themselves that not any of them said that ought of the things which he possessed was his Own and the Works of God went on in much Power the Ministers being acted guided by the Holy Ghost And also Stephen a man full of Faith and the Holy Ghost he declared against the Temple which God had once commanded to be built and said Solomon built him an House yet nevertheless God that made the World and all things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my Foot stool and where is the House that ye will build me and where is the Place of my Rest hath not mine Hand made all things and he judged them and said Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Hearts and Ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye and they gnashed upon him with their Teeth and fell upon him and stoned him And when Saul was converted and became Paul his Message was for to turn Peoples minds from the Darkness to the Light and then saith Paul when it pleased God to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him amongst the Heathen immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood and here was Paul's call to the Ministry and they were made manifest to every Man's Conscience and were a sweet Savour unto God both in them that believed and them that perished And Paul declared against the Temple and told them that worshipped there they were too superstitious and he went into their Synagogues on Sabbath-Days and reasoned with them and they persecuted him and haled him before Rulers and there complained of him to be one that prophaned the Temple and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareans and a pestilent Fellow and a Raiser of Sedition and many cry'd out away with such a Fellow he is not worthy to live and thus they suffered by the zealous Professors in those Daies but they whose minds were turned to the Light they were translated out of Darkness into the Light and became the Children of Light and were baptized by one Spirit into one Body and had passed from Death unto Life and had put off the Old Man and put on the New the old Man being crucified with Christ though some of them were Drunkards some Swearers some Proud some Covetous Idolaters Adulterers yet then they were cleansed and washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God and here was the Church which witnessed the Spiritual Baptism into the Spiritual Body of which Christ is Head and they being thereby set free from Sin their Union and Communion was here and the Bread which the Saints brake was the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ and they were in Christ new Creatures all Members of one Body and needed not that any man should teach them because the Anointing was in them and to them the Cross was the Power of God unto Salvation though to the Greeks Foolishness and to the Jews a Stumbling-block and in this Cross Paul rejoyced by which he was Crucified to to the World and the World to him and they were not conformed unto the World but transformed by the Renewing of their Minds and had one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Way one Teacher one Life and one Shepherd and one Priest over the Houshould of God and one God and Father of all being united by one Spirit into the bond of Peace and their Conversation was in Heaven and there were the Christians And though there was a time that when Christ was preached after the Flesh some preached Christ through Envy and Strife and Contention to add Affliction to Paul's Bonds yet in all this he rejoyced that the Name of Christ was spread abroad for there were many that believed not that that was the Christ that suffered at Jerusalem and was crucified as Paul himself had not and as there are many such to this Day and so it rejoyced him that the Name of Christ was spread abroad but after his Name was spread abroad and many believed that that was the Christ then the Apostle declared against such who had the Form but denyed the Life and Power and said from such turn away for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth being men of corrupt minds and reprobates concerning the Faith and said the Apostle we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling block and the Greeks Foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and said the Apostle hence know me no man after the Flesh and though we have known Christ after the Flesh hence know we him no more but he that is in Christ is a 〈◊〉 Creature old things are passed away and all things become new and they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and the Apostl◠preached Christ within the Hope of Glory the Mystery which had been hid from Ages and Generations they that could not witness Christ in them were Reprobates And here it was not sufficient for them to say they believed Christ dyed for them but he that believeth hath the Witness within himself and he that believeth is passed from Death unto Life and he that believeth is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit Sin and those were they who were made Partakers of Christ's divine Nature therefore saith John As he is so are we in this Present World and we are of God and the whole World lyeth in Wickedness and they that are of God hear us and they that are not with us are against us And then the Apostle Paul he
the Flesh in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ for in the Spirit Paul discerned it for saith he Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit I have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this Deed and so those Formalists and Imitators if any differ from them in Judgment they will also deliver him up to Satan as they imagine taking the Apostles Words though they cannot tax him for any Thing but his Judgment differing from them but they want the Power and here they are the Magicians like Jannes and Jambres opposing the Truth and those are they that are called Baptists and another Form they are more spiritual in their Judgment and they hold a spiritual Baptism and not a Water-Baptism and as many as hold with them are of their Church and Faith and thus they are divided into several Forms and Churches and so have several Names and there are several Judgments of one Thing under one Name and here is the Confusion of Babylon with their several Sects Judgments and Opinions and every one are professing the Name of the Lord and stealing the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and saying The Lord saith when he never spoak to them and here is the Difference from another only in Profession Judgment or Opinion but still in Babylon and Babylon's Fashions Customs and Traditions and Fellowship Manners and Breeding which is all Heathenish and at Enmity with God being in the Fall and thus they stand in the first Nature in Pride in Covetousness Anger Wrath Malice Fleshliness and Lustfulness and Idle Words Vain Talking Foolish Jesting and Evil Communication and to be short still alive in the World's Nature Strangers to the Holy God and so under Death's Dominion and here I comprehend all Forms Sects Judgments and Opinions by the Light which slayes Death and takes away its Dominion unto its self to whom it belongs and doth see them and judge them to be out of the Light in Darkness and so in Confusion one clashing against another with their Judgments and Opinions and here are the Disputes of this World and the one cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and another cryes Lo here is Christ in this Form and none else whenas Christ is within his Saints and there is a false Christ which they have set up in their Imaginations and here are the False Prophets and False Christs that are gone out into the World who have deceived many And here is the Ground of Forms a setting up a Likeness of a Thing a Figure or Image of a Thing but not the Thing it self and here is the Beast and the Image of the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after even Satan as an Angel of Light in his several Shapes Forms and Likenesses to deceive the Simple and here is the Form without the Life and Power and here is the Building upon a sandy Foundation which all must come down who hear the Words and talk of the Word are Sayers of the Words here is him that saith he hath kept the Commandments and Ordinances and yet his Heart from God after other Lovers who is searched and found out by Christ the Light and here is the Spiritual Babel with its Foundation and Babel's Building and Babel's Builders and here is the Image whose Head is Gold whose Breast is Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron and part Clay but now is he come and made manifest who strikes at Feet of Image who is called the Stone cut out of Mountain without Hands even Jesus Christ the Son of God now after all this Profession of his Name and of Faith in him but now he finds none in the Earth who hath revealed himself in the poor despised ones of the World and those who have been counted the blind and igrant and as you have read the Poor receive the Gospel the World was made by him but the World knew him not he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as receive him to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God to whom that Promise is fulfilled which was promised in the Dayes of old by the Father That in the last Dayes he would pour forth his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie and the Young Men see Visions and if you will receive it this is the Elias which was for to come in the Spirit as he came in the Flesh even the Life and Power of what hath been so long professed which the Lord hath now manifested in his Servants and Hand-maids whom he hath now sent forth abroad freely to call into the Supper of the Lord even the Marriage of the Lamb and to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and to preach him within the Hope of Glory the Ministry that hath been hid from Ages and Generations and they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves and take up his Cross follow him through evil Report and good Report through Persecution and through Death and who are faithful until Death must receive a Crown of Life and reign with him for evermore in his Kingdom of which there is no End neither Beginning over which he is made Heir and King blessed be Jehovah sing Halelujah to his Name all ye that know him And now that his Name is spreading abroad and his Message declaring by the Mouth of his faithful Messengers those who have long talked of his Name and so long professed his Name know him not neither believe on him but are found Hypocrites and Dissemblers and blind Leaders of the blind whited Walls and painted Sepulchres but within full of Uncleanness Hypocrisie and Deceit even the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and those will not receive the Message but make light of it and say they believe on a Christ at Jerusalem and now in the Heavens far off they know not where and they cry he hath done all for us and hath satisfied for our Sins and they shall not be imputed to us say they and they cry out this is a new Light and a strange Light and we know not whence it is but they say they will keep to the Old Rule the Scriptures which they call the Word of God and the Old Way though they be meer Strangers to the Life of the Scriptures but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them as Christ saith For Judgment am I come into the World that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind as their Fore-fathers professed Abraham and Moses and said We know that God spake unto Moses but as for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and they said God was their Father but Jesus Christ answered them and said If ye were Abraham ' s Children ye
would do the Works of Abraham and he also said If God were your Father then would you love me for I proceeded forth and came from him but saith he ye are of your Father the Devil and his Works you do and will do And thus are the Pharisaical Professors of these Times marked out to be in the Steps of their Fore-fathers for this is the same Christ that suffered at Jerusalem but they are blind and cannot see neither indeed do believe the Scripture nor walk according to it but are in the old and broad Way of the World wherein their Fore-fathers walked and led many to Destruction but if these did believe the Scripture they would believe on this Light which is come into the World which the Scripture bears Testimony of even the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive and some of them scoff and scorn and revile reproach and slander and rail at the Messengers of Truth and some strike them and stone them and buffet them and stock them and whip them and imprison them and despightfully use them yet they are made able through the Power of him that hath sent them for to go on in Boldness but those Persecutors are not found worthy Therefore the Lord will send forth his Armies and destroy these Murderers and burn up their City and these are they that have professed to be his near Kindred Friends and Acquaintance but now are found Strangers who prophesied in his Name and in his Name done many woundrous Works and yet they must depart for Workers of Iniquity he knows them not Now read your selves you Wicked Ones you Murderers you Rude Multitude you Priests you Pharisees and Professors you Formalists Self-Actors and Imitators for now all joyn Hand in Hand and Gog and Magog joyn in Battel against the Lamb and Pilate and Herod are made Friends and you chief Priests and Pharisees who are the Professors of these Times and you Rulers and you rude and brutish ones and you Formalists and Sectaries now at the coming of Christ in the Spirit even the Substance of what you have long talked of all joyned together in one who formerly have been at great Division Wars among your selves but now you are made Friends and muster up all your Strength against the Substance even Jesus Christ whom you as your Fore-fathers did call a Blasphemer a Seducer a Deceiver and a Devil and now the rude Multitude they stand up for their Priests and they fall upon the Messengers of Christ when they come into their Synagogues and they hale them out of their Synagogues and strike them and buffeâ— them and despightfully use them and stone them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Priests they seek to Rulers and Magistrates and hale them before them and they persecute them and imprison them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Pharisees and ancient hypocritical rotten Professors they side with the Priests and go about railing and evil speaking of the Truth learning and incensing Peoples Minds against it with their Lyes and Slanders and Reproaches to present it odious to all People and also fawning and crouching and seeking to Magistrates to act in their Wills and persecute as their Fore-Fathers alwayes did against the same Seed and likewise the Formalists and Sectaries do the same and thus they that were after the Flesh alwayes persecuted them that were after the Spirit and yet these are ready to cry out What Hard-hearted Jews wâ—re those that crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles and if they had been in those dayes they would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of Christ and his Apostles Whenas they are now found the same Generation of Persecutors persecuting the Righteous Seed and so they fill up the Measure of their Fathers Wrath that upon them might come all the Righteous Blood-shed from Righteous Abel until now And now the Priests and the Baptists can agree and they joyn together and the Priests call them Honest Men and the Baptists call them Gentlemen of Divinity And the Baptists and Independents they joyn together and the Independents and the Presbyterians they joyn together all against the Life and Power which the Lord hath now manifested in his Sons and Daughters and hath sent them to declare and lay open their Hypocrisie and Deceit which they have long covered with a Gospel-like Profession but now all their Coverings are found too Narrow before the Light which is come now into the World to convince and reprove them of their Sin of their Righteousness and of their Judgment and therefore now they have enough to do to joyn together with all their Strength and Wisdom to put out this Light and so they endeavour to sow their Tares in Peoples Hearts and all the Wayes they can invent to destroy the Work which now is begun and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth according to the Prophesie of the Apostle Being men of Corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith which I have much experienced in several Meetings which I have had with the Teachers of the Baptized People which shall follow in order afterward But the more they strive in their Wills and Wisdoms the more doth the Work of the Lord Prosper and go on and flourish by his Mighty Power and Out-stretched Arm and their Shame and Folly and Down-fal the more appears and when they have done all they can they shall be glad to lay down their Cronws and bow unto this Truth which they now so oppose and every Tongue shall confess it though to their Condemnation who do now oppose and gain-say it Wo unto such they shall perish in the Gain-saying of Core And the Time shall come that when the Master of the House shall have shut the Door they shall knock and shall strive to enter and shall not be able all who now oppose and reject the Counsel of the Lord and will not hearken now they are called And thus the LORD will exalt his SON in his Saints when his ENEMIES shall be his Foot-stool and be made to bow before him And thus do all Sects Judgments and Opinions joyn in one against the Life and Substance they being all sprung from one Root so make up all one Image whose Head is Gold Breast of Silver whose Thighs are Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet Part of Iron and Part of Clay and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which strikes at the Feet of the Image Now the Head of the Image which is of Gold and those that have had a Light shining into them and have had a Sight of many things and have seen the Emptiness of many Forms and have gotten the Thing in their Comprehension and have a Notion above others of much of that which is now witnessed and possest in Life by the Faithful and there have been exalted and gotten up a Life therein and a False Rest but have lost
the Light which once shined into them by catching the Thing in their Comprehension and so got it in the Notion but did not obey nor suffer the Death of the Cross. And the Breast of the Image which is of Silver and the Thighs of Brass are the rest of the Sects and Opinions and Forms and Likenesses which are more Glorious one then another for as I said before Satan can imitate every Appearance of the true Light in his Forms Shapes and Likenesses and the more Glorious the Light appears in any Creature so doth he refine himself and appear more Glorious to deceive the Simple so that many by the Light of God stâ—rring in them have come to see the Deceit and Emptiness in one Form and how they have been deceived therein then presently the Deceit appears in another more Glorious Shape or Form and calls that the Truth and the Creature still looking without from the Light within it is insnared there again still painted with the Scripture-words and then the Creature thinks its a Saint in that Form whenas it s but a Painted Sepulchre still in the Old Nature and under the Power of the same Deceit but the Cross tryes all for there all Forms and Professions miss and come short so that many a Creature hath passed through many Forms hath thought it self a Saint in every Form but coming yea but to see the Cross which they are to take up before they can be the Disciples of Christ and there have stumbled and cryed out It is Hard and Straight and go away sorrowful I know this is witnessed and answered in many Consciences for here every Man's Faith and Works come to the Tryal and so to some the Preaching of the Cross is Foolishness and to some a Stumbling-block but unto them that believe and take it up it is witnessed the Power of God unto Salvation and such rejoyce in it with Paul who are crucified to the World and the World to them upon whom the Ends of World are come But it would be an easie thing to the Flesh if that was all to turn out of one Profession into another and out of one Form and Judgment into another but the Way to Life is through Death And the Legs of the Image which are of Iron is the Beast or the Power of the Beast upon which these stand where lies their Strength And the Feet of the Image which is part of Iron and part of Clay are the Priests and Pharisees joyn'd to the Powers of the Earth which upholds them for but for that as I said before they are the weakest of all Forms and so they are the Part of Clay and the Power that upholds them is that part of Iron which is the strongest of the Metals And the Watcher or the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which striketh at the Feet of the Image is the King of Righteousness even he that rides upon the White Horse out of whose Mouth goes a sharp Sword whose Name is called the Word of God who comes to strike at the Powers of the Earth even the Kings of the Earth who have given their Power unto the Beast and joyn in War against the Lamb but the Lamb shall Overcome and he will overturn all until it come into his Hand whose own it is And the Beast and the False Prophet that hath thus deceiv'd the Nations and all that receive the Mark of the Beast and worship his Image shall be taken and cast into the Lake that burneth forever which was of Old prepared for them and he will create new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness where there shall not be War any more but he shall reign in Peace with his Saints for evermore Oh! blessed are all they that fight in this Banner and here lay down their Lives they shall take them up again with an Everlasting Crown and reign for evermore singing Hallelujah to their King to whom be all Praise Honour Power Dominion and Thanks for evermore Amen And thus shall this Great Image be broaken to pieces by the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which will become a heavy Mountain even a burden some Stone to all Nations but upon this Mountain shall the True Church stand as a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid And thus I have laid down the Ground and End of all Sects Forms and Professions with a Blow to this Great Image with a Weapon which is not Carnal but Spiritual he that can receive it let him And now concerning the CHURCH which is now gathering and redeeming not by the Will of man nor by the Wisdom of many but by the Will and Power and Spirit of God which according unto his Promise he hath poured down upon his Sons and Daughters now in these latter dayes by which we are carried abroad in the Power of the Almighty now to declare abroad his Powerful Truth which the Lord has decreed shall prevail upon the hearts of the People which is Glad-tidings of great Joy unto them that receive it but unto the Stubborn and Stiff-necked and Rebellious Tidings of Wo and Misery And though the Messengers of the Gospel are by some rejected reviled reproached scoffed and scorned stocked stoned and imprisoned and despightfully used slandered and abused yet nevertheless blessed be the Name of the Lord there are some found worthy do receive with much Joy the Messengers of the Gospel so that they know how Beautiful are the Feet of those that bring Glad-tidings to the reviving the just Witness for God and raising up to Life the Dead and so the Living comes to Know and Praise the Lord and so the Just comes to reign and the Wicked comes to be judged and the Mind comes to be turned from the Darkness to the Light to which we do preach in every Creature and to the same are made manifest and known to them who do like to retain it in their Minds and from whence we come and the Testimony which we do declare but they that do not receive it to them we are not known and therefore are by them esteemed as Deceivers and Deluders Vagabonds and Wanderers and the like yet at all this we do not Wonder for we read The Servant is not greater then his Lord for if they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more those of his Houshold and if they had known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory Yet nevertheless we have a Witness in every Conscience both in them that believe and in them that perish unto which we do clear our Consciences and leave all without Excuse by the same which will answer for us in the Mighty Day though to the Condemnation of those that hate it wherein we have our great Joy above all our Sufferings but as many as receive this to them he gives Power to become the Sons of God and those
are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
all made perfect in One And here is the True Church where there is but One Teacher One Lord One Faith One Baptism One Light One Life and One Way One Shepherd and One Sheepfold and One Priest over the Houshold of God and One Hope and One Language One Family and One God and Father of all And they that cannot witness this are Strangers to Christ and Strangers to his Cross and Strangers to the Common-Wealth of Israel And this is the Work which the Lord has now begun and is carrying on by a Strong Arm and Mighty Power to redeem unto himself a pure Church and Blessed are they that hearken unto his Voice Here all you Formalists Imitators and Self-actors are shut out here all you Proud Ones are shut out here all you Lustful Ones Fleshly Ones and Carnal Ones are shut out and all you that are conformed like unto the World in their Fashions in their Customs in their Words in their Ways in their Worships and Traditions in their Love and in their Fellowship who are seeking the Glory and Honour and Riches of this World you are the Children of this World under the Dominion of the God of the World whose Kingdom is of this World Here all you are shut out who live at Ease in your Pleasures and live wantonly upon the Earth in the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life you are the Children of Babylon you kill the Just and he lies slain in the Streets but here you all are shut out of the New Covenant of Life in the Dark World under Death's Dominion of what Profession and Judgment soever Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise for they that are not with us are against us and our Union and Society is in the Light of Life But you must all suffer the Death of the Cross to the Life which you now live in before you can witness this Redemption for those that live with Christ are crucified with him therefore so it is they that will take up Life must first lay down Life for the Way to Life is through Death Therefore you must be stripped of all your Old Covers naked and bare that your Deceit and Shame may appear which you have so long covered with your own Righteousness but now you must suffer the Shame of the Cross if you would have part in Christ and all your old Wisdom Knowledge and Notions which you have gotten into your Comprehensions by your Conceivings of the Scripture-Letter wherein hath been your Life and Pride and Exaltation must all come to the Death of the Cross that no Flesh should Glory in his Presence but I say unto all you Professors Formalists Notionists and Disputers and Wise Ones of this World If you will not take up and imbrace this Cross Publicans and Harlots shall enter the Kingdom before you Therefore not many Mighty nor many Noble nor many Wise after the Flesh are called but he hath chosen the Foolish Things of this World to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no FLESH should Glory in his PRESENCE but CHRIST is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that they which Glory might Glory in the Lord. And this I witness in my Measure the things which I have seen and heard and felt and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the Beginning the same do I declare and am known and read by the Children of Light And now I shall proceed to several Passages that I have had with the People called Baptists in several Meetings that their Deceit and Delusion may be laid open to the Simple-hearted Upon the Thirtieth of the First Moneth called March in the Year 1655. I was at one Ashen's House in Fenstanton in Huntingtonshire where I was freely declaring the Truth of God to the People that came there together that Day as I was taught moved by the Spirit of Truth by which the Holy Men of God spoak forth the Scripture as they were moved and there came several of the People called Baptists into the Room amongst us amongst whom was one of their Teachers called Richard Elligood who after a while stood up in his Will and Wisdom to accuse me and said That I had said That God did not respect any Forms and yet saith he you use the Form and so use that which God hath no Respect to But his first words were Sir if you please I will speak something to what you have said To which I made Answer Here needs no Complements And then he runs on as aforeâ— said to which Accusation I reply'd was False and bad him prove what Form I used And he said The Letter And I replyed He that takes the Letter to talk of without the Life and Power such sets up a Form and makes a Form But this would not satisfie his filthy Wisdom which darkened his Understanding but because I spoak words which are mentioned in the Scripture by the same Spirit that spoak forth the Scripture by which I challenge the Scripture from him and all such who have gotten it to talk of but denies the Life and are Strangers to the Life and Power therefore with his contrary Spirit tasked me with a Form which by his Logick and deceitful Art would have proved but could not but his Deceit was laid open to the People and many declared against him for a Form is this as I said before the Likeness of a Thing but not the Thing it self as they have the Likeness of a Church which they have imagined from the Letter with their Elders Pastors and Teachers but not the Church it self and so they imitate the Scriptures but live not in the Life of them that spoak forth the Scriptures neither are acted and guided by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and so want the Life and Power and those are the Formalists that make Forms and Likenesses to deceive the simple as the Devil hath the Form of an Angel of Light but not the Life and Power who appears to rule in those Formalists and Self-Actors but the Day doth make him manifest and therefore he rages and then this Elligood denyed that I had the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture and he said The Spirit might be tryed by the Letter for he said Many false Spirits are entered into the World and I asked him By what did the Apostle know that false Spirits were gone out into the World and he replyed and said By the Spirit of God then I replyed and said If by the Spirit of God the Apostle knew that there were many false Spirits gone out into the World then by the Spirit of God be tryed FALSE SPIRITS and knew False Spirits from the TRUE and here his Deceit was laid open to the People and he judged out of his own Mouth to be a Lyar and to be guided by a false Spirit
who would try the Living by the Dead and again he said that one Spirit could not try another for by that Judgment the Evil Spirit might try the Good Spirits to which I replyed By the Spirit of God all other Spirits are tryed and also that by the Light Darkness is discovered but Darkness cannot comprehend the Light neither discover the Light and here again his Blindness and Ignorance and Deceit was much discovered to the People although he fed himself and would have shuffled it off by his Consequences and filthy Logick but it the more laid open his Deceit and presently the said Elligood was found with another Lye in his Mouth for he said that I said the Thing should be proved by every Man's Spirit which was a very Lye for I said that the Baptism of the Spirit was the Substance of the outward Baptism the which he denyed and bid me prove it and I said I spoak to the Witness in every Man's Conscience which his dark Mind could not comprehend but with his dark Mind wrested my Words and therefore said that I said it was witnessed by every Man's Spirit but his Spirit was a lying Spirit there tryed and made manifest to the People and his Blasphemy against the Spirit of God in calling Truth Error and Error Truth and putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness because the God of the World hath blinded his Eye and many witnessed against him for his filthy Spirit was odious to many of the Hearers then afterward he again said that I was a Deceiver and his Proof was that I was not obedient to the Command of Christ to be baptized and I told him I was baptized but he said with Water and he said that was a Command of Christ to be baptized with Water and I bid him shew me that Scripture but he could not but brought a Scripture in the Acts where the Apostle commanded some to be baptized and this by his filthy Logick and Consequences he would have made a Command of Christ but he could not deceive the Light which did him try and make him manifest to the Shame of his Prosession but he could not bring one Scripture to prove it to be a Command of Christ to baptize with Water and then he shuffled to that Scripture where the Apostle said Be ye Followers of us even as we are Followers of Christ and then he said Christ was baptized but he confessed it was to fulfil all Righteousness and I said he was also circumcised and he said that was not for Example then not the Baptism for both were to fulfil all Righteousness to which End he the Substance came but Christ himself baptized not with Water neither do they read that the Apostles were baptized with Water then who is their Example and how do they follow the Apostles in that seeing they are baptized and the Apostles were not then he fled from that being there routed and said They might be Disciples before they could take up the CROSS of Christ and I replyed with Christ's Words That they might take up his Cross before they could be his Disciples which he denyed and said That Wicked Men upon that Account might take up the Cross of Christ and that Christ required Wicked Men to take up his Cross and I said it was so he did require them so to do for by taking up his Cross they come to deny their Wickedness for they that bear his CROSS live not in Wickedness but this Elligood said That Wicked Men could not take up his CROSS for he said Reproaches and outward Sufferings were the CROSS of Christ for his Name 's sake but this was not the Cross by which Paul was crucified to the World and the World to him and saith Paul where he was speaking concerning Wickedness and Unrighteous Ones to the Corinthians Such were some of you but you are now cleansed c. And here Wicked Ones and Unrighteous Ones took up his CROSS which to them was the Power of GOD unto Salvation though to the GREEKS Foolishness and to the JEWS a stumblingâ— Block amongst whom this ELLIGOOD is found who is a Stranger to the CROSS OF CHRIST who saith REPROACHES and Outward SUFFERINGS are the CROSS OF CHRIST whenas the CROSS OF CHRIST makes DISCIPLES and they must be DISCIPLES before they can suffer REPROACHES or PERSECUTION for the NAME OF CHRIST and must depart from Iniquity before they be a Prey to the World for CHRIST's sake for the VVorld loves its own and they that take up the CROSS do depart from Iniquity which is before Reproaches or Persecution is suffered for the Name of CHRIST And here ELLIGOOD is found the Lyar who said Wicked Men were not called to take up the Cross of CHRIST whenas all are wicked before they take up this Cross and here ELLIGOOD is found to be no Disciple of Christ who is such a Stranger to the Cross of Christ who is a Lyar and so are not the Disciples of Christ for the Lyar is of the Devil and therefore is ELLIGOOD Then I knowing him to be one of the Baptists Teachers I took out some Queries which not long before I had sent them but no Answer to them had I received and I would have read them openly that the People might have heard and also he that was one of their Teachers but as I was reading he not having Power over his own VVill could not bridle his Tongue but disorderly run into many VVords so that the People could not understand and I spoak to him for it and he said He had not Time to stay and further said That he was not of the Society of these Baptists at Fnestanton and yet he came with them and from them and then I replyed That be owned them to be the Church of God and this he did and then if he was not of their Society he was shut out of the Church and then he would have shuffled off with his Consequences and said he dwelt for off and then I replyed with the Apostles Words Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit and the Multitude that believed were of one Heart and Mind and here was the Society of the Saints and he being out of this Society is shut out of the Church and then he would have made it stood by his Logick which only is to make a false Thing seem true but it the more laid open his deceitful Heart and Shame to the Hearers who severally witnessed against him to speak nothing but Deceit and then saith he you call the Apostles Words Deceit because he had often stoln the Apostles Words to make his DECEIT seem TRUTH by covering it with the APOSTLES Words and this is a more subtil Deceit and then in his Will he called me Deceiver the which he was to prove and all the People was silent and there he uttered several Lyes and laid open himself to be the Deceiver as I had told him in
disappointed Then we were in this Hind's House and the Woman of the House much Fumed and Raged at us all the while we were in the House which manifested what Spirit she was of and that Water had availed her nothing for she was nothing departed from the Old Nature So then they would have had us to have met in the Yard but there could be no Order for Multitude of Rude People and Brutish Schollars which were as untamed brute Beasts like the Beasts of Ephesus which Paul fought with after the manner of Men so I passed to a Friend's House hard by and there continued declaring the Truth as I was moved to the People and there the idle Drones followed even Babylon's Children with their Turbulent Vain Contending Spirits Opposing and Gain-saying the Truth like Jannes and Jambres their Fore-Fathers who must perish in the Gain-saying of Core So then word came That the Baptists were in the Shire-House in the Castle-Yard and had sent for me and so I went up thither and when I came there the Goaler discharged me for staying there and said I caused Tumults though I had not spoaken any thing to the People whereby to cause a Tumult but the Generation of this World was alwayes Tumultuous both about Christ and his Apostles though they were known to be innocent and harmless offering Violence to none yet it was so with them then and it is so now with the same Seed where it is born up to Rule because it is not of the World but hated of the World for the Enmity lodges in the World The World is the Sea with its tumultuous gathering together of the Raging Roaring Waves casting up Mire and Dirt foaming out its own Shame and though an innocent Person travail here he must such Distractions expect and tumults of Raging Waves about him casting up such as they have but he that made the Bounds of the Sea can and doth deliver his out of the Compass of its Bounds and then it cannot pass its Bounds for its Bounds it keeps here is a Parable hid from the Wisdom of the World but the same which gave it forth the same will open it to the Unlearned Then after the Goaler had spoak to me they made some way for me to come up to the Baptists who were there sitting upon the Bench like Judges this Doughty and one Rix a Brewer an old Pharisee in Cambridge the one a Baptist and the other of the Independent Sect so called but two great Enemies one against another in Opposition against each Sect yet these two were joyned together as Friends against me and thus sate Pilate and Herod together like Judges against the Innocent So when I was gotten amongst the People I would not meddle until the Goaler had given Freedom for me to stay there as he had before discharged me so after a while he gave leave so that we would be short Then this Doughty the Baptist so called stood up and put off his Hat to the People after the Manner of the Heathen with a Complement pleading of the Shortness of the Time and so begun with a Question so I said His Question might stand and as he had Liberty to speak to the People so would I and then he would have hindred me contrary to what was before agreed upon betwixt us by the Passages afore-said so I got Liberty to speak something to the People and declared what I was made a Minister of according to the Will of God and then I took out a Paper and read unto the People the Occasion of my coming thither to meet the Baptists that day and by the Conclusions therein I was to have Liberty to speak my Mind as well as he and he was to accuse me before the People or the Truth which I bore Testimony unto but he broak his first Agreement and flew to Question so then to satisfie the Simple-Hearted I gave this Answer to the Unâ—erstanding of the Simple First the Baptist's Question Qu. The Writings of the Prophets and Apostles which are called Scripture whether are they the Words and Sayings of the Most High God yea or nay Answ. The Word of God which is God which dwelt in the Prophets and Apostles from it they spoak forth the things which are recorded in Scripture But this would not satisfie the Baptists but cryed out No Answer and Doughty stood up and put off his Hat and beckened to the Young Priests and Schollars and said Judge ye Gentlemen of Divinity And there was one Anger a Drunken Priest sided with the Baptists Now let all see how contrary to their own Principles they acted but some of the Schollars had so much Understanding as to receive it for an Answer but the Drunkards sided with the Baptists and the Ruder Sort who could not understand though there were many simple Hearts that with this Answer were satisfied but the Wise must be catched in their own Craftiness And several times I repeated this Answer over to the People but the Baptist and his Party could not receive it because it was in the Cross to their Wisdom But there was that which I spoak to which could and did receive it Then Jos. Doughty the Baptist and Henry Rix the old Pharisee joyned together and with one Consent said I durst not Answer it and thus the Unclean Spirits joyned together and made Lyes their Refuge And after that I was repeating my Answer over to the People Doughty stood up and said I spoak I knew not what and then I taxed him with a Lye and then he said It was not to his Question but I bad him prove that I spoak I knew not what but he could not but shuffled off and said I would flee from his Question and there he stood Then the Goaler called to depart and Doughty stood up and spoak to the Goaler Not to suffer Me to stay after Him lest I should seduce the People there I stood up and challenged him to prove me a Seducer to the People but he had nothing to say for that but manifested himself to be a Seducer and a Slanderer and a Reproacher of the Truth of God and so must take part with his Forefathers of the Wrath of God Then I openly spoak to the People That if any there could tax me or lay any thing to my Charge I was there to Answer but none did or could there accuse me So then I passed into the Castle-yard then the wild brutish Schollars who had plotted together as I was after informed to abuse me and they flocked together about me like the Wild Beasts of the Forrest and there I was tossed as amongst the Raging Waves of the Sea to fro and at last was hurried into a House where I got shut of those Caterpillars which the Nation swarms with But the Baptized Party passed away without Disturbance so it appears The World loves its own Oh Cambridge Is this the Fruit of thy Ministry which thou
not by it you are left without Excuse and it will judge you at the last Day For he that loves the Light shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life but he that doth Evil hates the Light which is his Condemnation Now the VVay is plain to all simple Ones who have a Desire to find it declared by a Friend and VVitness to the Eternal Truth who am called J. P. THE Fruits of a Fast Appointed by The Churches gathered against Christ and his Kingdom who go about to mock God with their Outside Worship and Appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary HUMILIATION Or A Declaration of the Persecution of a Messenger of the Lord by a People who go under the Name of Independents in Essex who have set themselves in the Enmity of their Spirits to oppose the Truth of God calling it a Lye and persecuting his Messengers as Deceivers and Wanderers wherein their Persecuting Spirits are made manifest and them to be in Cain's Generation Strangers to the Spirit of Christ which never presecuted and so are none of his Rom. 8. 9. And also Of the Unjust Dealings of Judge Hills who sate upon Life and Death at the last Assizes at Chansford which began upon the Eleventh Day of the Sixth Moneth And also Several Queries that were sent to the Priests and Magistrates which may be serviceable for them or any other to Answer whom they do concern By a Witness and Sufferer in Outward Bonds for the Vnchangeable Truth of God by Cain's Generation who am known to them in Colchester Castle by the Name JAMES PARNEL Printed in the Year 1675. THE Fruits of a Fast Appointed by the Churches gathered against Christ and his Kingdom c. FIrst I shall give unto the Reader a Declaration of the Work of God in my Soul and the Conversion of my Heart from Darkness unto his marvellous Light and from the Power of Satan unto God and out of the Path of Death into the Path of Life where I now walk in the Light of my God with the Ransomed of the Lord who are availing towards the Holy City and also the Cause of my coming forth into the World to declare the Truth for which I now suffer Bonds by the Persecuting Generation wherein I once lived a Child of Wrath as all are by Nature and then I was loved of the World while I followed the Vain Courses and Wayes of the World where by Nature I was led in Imitation of others being in that Nature which is prone unto the same the time I was sent unto the Schools of Humane Learning for to learn the Humane Wisdom for which End the Schools are profitable but for the attaining of Heavenly Wisdom and Knowledge they are as far unprofitable and many Books that are there read are much for the Corrupting of Youth and nourishing of the Wild Prophane Nature which then ruled in me and I was as Wild as others during the time I followed the School and after I was taken from the School I still continued in the same Nature growing and encreasing in Sin and Iniquity following the vain Courses of the Wicked World and also was trained up in the Customary Way of the Worship of the World which is held in the Idols Temple every First Day of the Week but no Conversion there was wrought but all still continued in the old Nature both Priest and People Young and Old and as was the People so was the Priest all walking in Darkness and Blindness by Form Custom and Tradition but ignorant of the pure Light which is the Guide and Teacher of the Faithful which oftentimes did reprove in Secret when I was alone but then I knew not what it was but oftentimes it did strike me into a Consideration of my Ways and Doings and set Life and Death before me so that I have sometimes promised within my self never to do the like again but the Promise being in the Will made it did not stand but when the Temptations came the Careless Mind got out again and led me still to delight my Heart in the Vanity which my Eye did see and my Ear did hear which all passed away with the using thereof and left me to the Judgment which was due unto me for my Iniquity which did follow me time after time calling me to Repentance and the more I did incline my Mind and draw nigh to it it also did draw nigh to me and so the Goodness of God led me to Repentance and the Grace of God wrought in my Heart a Reformation and so I was found of him when I sought not and thus he both wrought the Will and the Deed of his own good Pleasure and plucked me as a Brand out of the Fire to make me a Vessel of Honour to his Name all Living Eternal Praises be to his Name forever my Soul shall Praise and Magnifie his Name forever For I may well say with Paul of Sinners I was chief for according to my Years I was as perfect in Sin and Iniquity as any in the Town where I lived yea and exceeded many in the same so that there was as little Hopes of my Conversion as any in the Town and yet though it is a Place of many People I was the first in all that Town which the Lord was pleased to make known his Power in and turn my Heart towards him and truly to seek him so that I became a Wonder to the World and an Astonishment to the Heathen round about but they were such Enemies to Goodness and so given up to Idolatry that as much as before they had loved me in my Vain Conversation so much the more they hated me in my Conversion yea and they oâ— my Family came to ensnare me and lay wait for me to entrap me but when they could not prevail they stood afar off me and Reproached me with Lyes and proved my Greatest Enemies yea and my Relations became my Adversaries and laboured to destroy what God had begun in me because that thereby I came under the Reproach and Shame of the World because I could not conform to the World in their invented Fashions Customs and Traditions and their Words Wayes Fellowship and Worship but was made subject to the Law of God and could not Respect Persons neither in Word nor Deed then the Beast which rules in Proud Flesh was disturbed who before ruled in Peace while he was worshipped but when I came to see proud Lucifer the Lust in Man to be the Beast which all the World worships and wonders after but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life therefore I could no longer follow the World in Blindness for by the Power of God my Eye was opened so that I did behold their Idolatry and therefore I could no longer be conformable to them so that their Rage and Persecution arose against me and I became a Mock in the Streets yea and I was accounted
as one not worthy to live amongst them yea and they said He that killed me would do God Service But he that had called me out from amongst them unto himself that I might no longer follow the Vain Courses of the World nor set my Delight on things below but that I might serve him in Newness of â—ife that in me his Workmanship might appear to the Confounding â—â—f the Heathen who know him not He by his â—â—â—wer kept me and gave me Strength to bear his Cross and despise the Shame so that neither Foul Words nor Fair Words could cause me to Deny what God by his Grace had wrought in my Heart but by his Power he carried me above the Raging Waves of the tempestuous Sea so that I knew that he that was in me was greater then he that is in the World yea and out of my Kindred and Acquaintance I came and became a Stranger to them that lov'd not the Truth Yea and presently I came to see the Priests of the World by their Fruits and the Fruits of their Ministry which was cursed from God and therefore profited not the People at all But when the Lord by his Power had changed and converted my Heart unto himself the Priests became mine Enemies and said I was deluded whenas before when I lived in the vain Conversation of the World they took no Notice of me either to Reprove me or Instruct me but as they went on in a customary way for Gain and Lucre speaking against Sin in the general but not reproving it in particular but were as deep in it in their Lives as others and so what they preacht down with their Tongues they upheld in their Lives and countenanced in their Conversations and so from them I turned whom I saw had gotten a Form but deny'd the Life and Power and I sought for a People with whom I might have Union and there was a People with whom I found Union a few Miles from the Town where I lived whom the Lord was a gathering out of the dark VVorld to sit down together wait upon his Name but we were the Objects and Reproach of the Country and were accounted as the Off-scourings of the VVorld but in all this we saw the Scriptures fulfilled and that we might thus suffer if we would live Godly in Christ Jesus and here was our Confidence and Strength which carryed us above our Sufferings as knowing it was for the Name of Jesus And thus I continued a certain time counting it greater Riches to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season and about this time I was about Fifteen Years of Age. And afterwards I was called forth to visit some Friends in the North Part of England with whom I had Union in Spirit before I saw their Faces And afterwards I returned back to my outward Dwelling-Place and remained in my outward Calling And the Lord all this time still more more perfecting encreasing his Work in my Heart which by his Power he had begun in me and by his pure Power bringing forth his Truth in me and making known his Will unto me until by his Power He opened my Mouth to declare his Truth in the VVorld and still I continued in my outward Calling and also in the VVork of the Lord as not being called far from my Dwelling-Place And when I was betwixt Seventeen and Eighteen Years of Age I was moved in my Spirit to go to a Place about Fifteen Miles from my outward Dwelling-Place southward amongst a People to whom the Lord was making known his Truth not knowing when I went out of going farther then that Place but when I was there I was moved of the Lord to come on the Cambridge and in Obedience unto the Lord I came to see what he had to do for me not knowing one Foot of the Way but as I was directed neither knowing when I came there where to be receiv'd but had heard before of Two of my Friends that were there Whipped caused by the Mayor that then was only for declaring the Truth as they past through the Town against the Deceit thereof neither did I know but it might be my Portion also when I came there but without conferring with Flesh and Blood I passed on my Journey and he that called me forth went along with me and did direct me And when I came there I found those that were worthy that received me and also I found a Friend whom the Corrupt Rulers had put in Prison for the same Testimony which I also was sent to declare before I had continu'd there the space of Fourteen Nights William Pickering the Mayor of Cambridge committed me to Prison for publishing two Papers the one against the Corruption of the Magistrates and the other against the Corruption of the Priests at the time of their Commencement as they call it and there they kept me in Prison the space of two Sessions and tossed me from Prison to Dungeon and had nothing to lay against me whereby to prove the Breach of any Law but when I came to the last Sessions they called a Jury to prove the Papers to be Scandalous and Seditious Papers and they were nigh Two Hours about them but could not prove it but came and said That they found nothing but that the Papers were mine which I had before own'd in the open Court and there was my Name to them to testifie the same And so they were crossed in their Intentions and their Plots came to nought Then they committed me back to Prison again and after the space of Three Days they sent me away with a Pass under the Name of a Rogue yet durst not give me the Law which belongs to Rogues but had me away with Clubs and Staves and I could not see the Pass until I was Three Miles out of the Town where I lodged that Night and the next day there came a Justice of Peace from Cambridge who knowing me to be Innocent of what was laid to my Charge so he witnessed the Pass to be false and took it back to Cambridge and so I was set free And not long after I went of Cambridge again and went abroad preaching and declaring the Truth freely in the Countries about and many I found that received the Truth gladly but more Enemies yet nevertheless Truth spread conquer'd over its Enemies and there I continued labouring in the VVork of the Lord about the Space of half a Year in the Countries about Cambridge and from thence I was moved of the Lord to come into Essex where I heard of a People that was seâ—king the Lord and when I came there I found those that were worthy who received the Truth gladly and there I continued freely declaring and preaching the Truth from Place to Place sometimes in the Synagogues and was haled out by the Priests Party that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon that
Generation yet nevertheless I continued in constant Preaching of the Word to the Consciences of the People freely and publickly in several Plains of the Country notwithstanding much Opposition both of Priests People and Professors and much did the Truth prevail in the Hearts of the People to the Glory of God the Father of Truth which did make glad the Hearts of many who have long expected this Day to appear but the false Prophet began to utter forth his Lyes Blasphemies against the Truth the Beast by whose Power the false Prophet stands began to rage and persecute and the Ministers of Anti-christ stood up for their Kingdom crying against Truth striving to present it odiouâ— in the Ears of the People but when I came to their Faces they fled like Hirelings and left their Flock behind so that the Truth much prevailed notwithstanding their railing and raging so that they begun to appoint Meetings purposely to set themselves against the Truth to presenâ— it to the People as Error and Heresie so that if by any Means they could by their evil incensing and leavening of the Minds of the People turn away their Minds from hearkning to the Truth and on the other Side they had the Earthly Powers to uphold them and strengthen them against whomsoever should come to gainsay them and to lay their Law upon them so I hearing of a publick Meeting that was appointed by the Priests and Professors of these Times to be at a Town call'd Great Coggashall upon the 12th Day of the 5th Moneth called July as was declared in publick by the Priest of the said Town to Fast and Pray against the Errors as they said of the People called Quakers and also their Intent was to ensuare me and to bring my Body into Bonds if that I came amongst them for to defend the Truth which afterwards appeared and although I did see their Intent towards me I was made willing not only to be bound but also to suffer for the Pâ—re Eternal Truth which I am made a Witness of so I being pressed in my Spirit for to go amongst them and in Obedience to the same I went and there was one Priest Willis an Independent Teacher who was set up in the Seat of the Pharisee the chiefest Place of the Assembly there speaking a Divination of his own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord and therefore knew not how to divide the Word aright but cryed against false Prophets and Deceivers and he himself one of them and when the Priâ—st had done I spoak unto the People in Vindication of the Truth of God which the Priest had before reproached reviled and blasphemed but the Priests and the Rulers interrupted me and 〈◊〉 into many Words which bred much Disorder and Confusion and then another of the Priests got up into the Pulpit and they bid me put of my Hat and stand with my Hat off the Time the Priest was praying which Worship I denyed and therefore could not be conformable to it and so I said Before I should be subject to their Wills I would pass out of the Meeting Place and so I did and many People came out after me for I intended to declare the Truth in the Town being I could not have Liberty in the publick Place And as I was passing on the Way quietly towards my Friends House he that is called Justice Wakering came rushing behind me amongst the People and suddenly smote me with his Hand upon my Back and said He arested me in the Name of the Lord Protector and so I turned me about and looked upon him but knew not that he was a Magistrate so I asked him Where was his Writ and he said He had one but none he shewed me then they hurried me into an House and there some Friends engaged that I should be forth-coming when their Worship was done and so I went unto my Friends House and there spoak the Word of the Lord unto the People that there came together and was also ready when their Worship was done according to my Friends Engagement And when I came before them there were four Men called Justices and six or seven Priests yea there were nigh nine or ten Priests that Day that were gathered together against the Truth and when I was come before them he that is called Justice Wâ—â—ering came and plucked my Hat off my Head and threw it away then they fell to question me of many Things to which I made answer and many frivolous Questions they asked me whereby to ensnare me which was neither just nor honest for Men of their Profession to do so when they had satisfied their Wills in examining of me they caused a Mittimus to be made and committed me to the Common Goal at Colchester And there were several of the chief Priests in Essex that were Actors in this Persecution Priest Willis who is a Teacher of an Independent Company at Brantry and Priest Sammes a Teacher of an Indepâ—ndent Company at â—reat Coggashal and Priest Spaâ—row a Teacher of an Independent Company ar Halstead and Priest Stellum a Teacher of an Independent Company at Tarling yet are all Parish Priests and are maintained by those that â—re not of their Church and those were the Head-Actors in this Persecution yea and Priest Stellum speak to the Rulers in the publick Place thereby to stir up their Spirits to persecute and this was plotted amongst the Priests and their gathered Churches to appoint Meetings thereby to ensnare the Innocent and raise Persecution against the Truth yea and two of the Men called Justices who were my chief Persecutors are Members of the Independent Church and thus the Churches gather themselves against Christ and his Kingdom and now the Ravening Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing do appear yea their Fruits make them manifest and those are they who call themselves Jews and are not but the Synagogue of Satan and those are the Builders who have do reject the Corner Stone which is now become the Head of the Corner and over their Heads is set and Wo unto them on whom it lights And after I was sent to Prison there I was kept close and could not have my Friends and Acquaintance to come to see me with Peace and Freedom and so when I was there I wrote an Answer to the Mittimus whereby I was falsly accused and imprisoned and sent to the Men that committed me for to clear my Conscience unto them and lay the Injustice and Cruelty before them and leave them without Excuse in the Presence of the Almighty And so when the Time came that I was to go to the Assize they put me on a Chain amongst Felons and Murderers and joyned me to one suspected for Murder and thus I was numbred amongst Transgressors that the Scripture might be fulfilled and thus six of us were hooked together upon a Chain so that we could not go into a Bed for four of us remained upon the Chain
Messengers of the Most High and wilfully resisting the Truth of God making Lyes your Refuge as here doth plainly appear For upon the day aforesaid I was at a Friend's House in Great Coggashall where several Friends and Neighbours were come to see me and there sate peaceably together waiting upon the Lord and I having heard of a publick Meeting at the Steeple-House in the said Town of the Priests and Professors of these Times as it was openly published by Priest Sammes and the Priest of the said Town in the said Steeple-house upon the First Day last past to that End as I heard and since did understand for to Fast and Pray against and lay open the Errors as they said of the People called Quakers for the Returning of them who owned them and the Establishing and Strengthening those against them that did not own them to wit the People called Quakers so I being pressed in my Spirit for to go amongst them in the Behalf and Defence of the Truth of God brought forth in these People whom the World scornfully calls Quakers I also being made a Minister of the same Eternal Truth through the Power of God by which I am made able and carryed on to declare it openly and publickly to the Confounding of the Heathen and the reviving of the Witness for God in the Conscience and also to suffer for the same which I did believe the Priests did much Blaspheme and Reproach striving to present it Odious to the People so in Obedience to the Lord I went out from amongst my Friends not telling one of them whither I was a going as many can witness and one Friend followed me to the Door and perceiving something of my Going he asked me If he might go with me and I bad him Use his Freedom to come after but I desired to go alone and so I went on the Way single And when I came at the Steeple-house Door which you Persecutors call a Church also account your selves another Church and thus you set up Churches in your Imaginations yet are Strangers to the True Church which are no Persecutors but when I came there there were several Boys and Children that would have flocked in after me and I bad them go in before me rather then to go in Disorderly whereby to occasion any Disturbance and so I went in very Orderly and stood very Orderly not speaking one Word until their Priest had done and was coming out of his Seat as many can witness though the Priest had been openly Reviling and Reproaching the People of God in particular whom he scornfully called Quakers Therefore let all People whose Understandings are enlightened judge in what Riotous Manner I entred the place which you call a Church and bear witness against you who are not ashamed to make Lyes your Refuge against the Innocent and also what are the Weapons which you make use of who call your selves Christians but make Lyes your Refuge and cover your Actions with Deceit But was this the Practice and Nature of Christ For a Christian is Christ-like and let all that profess Christ walk as he walked But these are the Fruits of your publick Humiliation who go about to mock God but your End shall be according to your Works 2. Accusation And whereas you say Being in order thereunto then exercised in the Divine Worship of God Almighty He the said James did then and there stand up and told the Minister He Blasphemed and spoak Falsly and used many other Reproachful Words against the said Minister Reply Until him called Minister had done the Divinatlon of his own Brain from whence you derive your Divine Worship and was coming out of his Seat I did not speak one Word unto him as Hundreds can witness and the first words that I spoak were not as you accuse me but this I said This is the Order of the True Church that all may speak one by one and if any thing be revealed to him that stands by let the first hold his Peace Then I spoak on in the Behalf of those People called Quakers whom the Priest had before often and openly reviled but so soon as I had spoak a few words the Priest and several others disorderly ran into many words so interrupted me in speaking that it bred much Confusion Then the Priest asked me What I would Object against him I told him In that he Reviled the People called Quakers and said they were built upon a Sandy Foundation and so called them Shakers and the like But I told him I would prove their Foundation not to be Sandy and him to be the False Prophet And so I declared of the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which strikes at the Feet of the Image whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron part Clay and this Stone is become a great Mountain upon which the Church is built as a City set on a Hill cannot be hid And this is the Foundation of the People that are called Quakers not all that are called Quakers but the Real People whom the World scornfully calls Quakers And this is become a Stumbling-Stone and a Rock of Offence to the Nations and so it seems it is unto you because you are the Worshippers of the great Image which you call the Divine Worship of your God but God Almighty you know not for he abhors all the Sacrifices of Cain and his Generation which was ever the Persecuting Generation upon which must come all the Righteous Blood-shed from Righteous Abel until now Therefore Wo unto you ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers How can ye escape the Damnation of Hell And now you fill up the Measure of your Fathers Wrath. Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye But think not that you shall be heard for your much Babling who for a Pretence make long Prayers but ye shall receive the greater Damnation And the Lord will make your Diviners Mad who have spoak a Divination from their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord but cryed Peace Peace where there is no Peace because ye put into their Mouths and so heal you sleightly daubing you up with Untempered Morter but you shall all fall amongst them that fall in the Day that I visit you saith the Lord ye Murderers and Crucifiers of the Just. So when I had cleared the Foundation of the People called Quakers as aforesaid some of you accused me That I owned no Church And I said It was False Then some of you asked me What Church I owned And I answered The Church in God and more words I spoak about the Church Then Willis the Diviner stood up in his Will and said I spoak nothing but Nonsense And I bad him Name one Word that was Nonsense that I had spoaken And he said
I am freely made willing to give up rather then to deny the Truth of my God And if I should pay one Penny for the Liberty of my Body in this Cause would be as much as if I paid the whole Fine which thou hast unjustly laid upon me for therein I should own my self a Transgressor where I am not guilty and also a bought Liberty is Bondage to my Spirit but my Liberty under thy Bonds is Bondage to thee which Liberty thou canst not rob me of with all that thou canst do for it is the Free-Gift of God which none can take away though thou wilt not allow me in thy Bonds to have the outward Liberty that thou allowest to Thieves and Murderers and Fornicators that is to have my Friends and Acquaintance to come to see me wherein the very Heathen will condemn thee who when they had committed Paul to Prison said Forbid none of his Friends and Acquaintance to come to see him Acts 22. 24. Therefore now read how thou exceedest the Heathen in Persecution and Injustice though I am a free-born Subject in England therefore let the Life of all the Christians condemn thee who never were Persecutors And this of the Lord I was moved to write which is the Word of the Lord unto thee whether thou wilt hear or forbear in the Peace of my Conscience I do rest in the Will of God known to thee by the Name James Parnel And now a few Words unto you who call your selves Gathered Churches go under the Name of Independents in Essex YOU are gathered by the Will of Man and are joyned by the Will of Man and so stand in the Will of Man and are upheld by the Will of Man by which you are begotten but still alive in the World's Nature in the World's Customs Fashions and Traditions in the World's Fellowship Words and Wayes and Rudiments only differing from others in Judgment Opinion or Profession wherein is your Life in high Notions and feigned Apprehensions and false Applications and glorious Expressions and customary Duties and vain Traditions which all appertain to the great Image which all the world worships by which they are deceived whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron part Clay and in the same Nature ye are found with the world the Day doth declare it and you to be the Enemies and Stangers to the Light which is not of the world which is now come into the world testifying against the world and the Deceit of the world and the Deceivers in the World and the Profession of the world And this is the Condemnation of the world that Light is come into the world and men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil In which Evil you are found despising and setting at nought the Corner-Stone and standing in the Enmity of your Spirits and joyning with the Powers of the Earth to persecute the Life and Power which now is manifest in the Earth and is come to discover your Empty Shadows Forms and fair Shews of Godliness but without Life and Power which you have set up in your Imaginations and thereby are deceived and blinded and led in Blindness so that you cannot see the Light nor receive the Substance now it is come and made maniest but stand up in your Wills and wisdom to oppose the same and persecute it in the Enmity of your Spirits as if you hoped to kill the Heir that the Inheritance might be yours And therefore Because you do despise this Day of your Visitation and reject and sleight the Glad-tidings which now are come to them that dwell upon the Earth and revilâ— and reproach persecute and slander the faithful Messengers of the Gospel rejoycing your Hearts in their Sufferings by you and amongst you therefore the Lord will raise up a People out of the Dust and gather them from far to bear Testimony unto his Name and bear witness against you yea and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Son and you and such as you shall be cast out into Tophet prepared of old for Hypocrites and Unbelievers Therefore now read your Portion ye stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears who do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye but the greater will be your Condemnation who go about to mock God with your Will-worship with your Calling of Assemblies and Solemn Meetings with your appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary Humiliation with your Long Prayers and Feigned Duties all which are done out of the Light and so are your own Works acted by Self for Self But who has required these things at your Hands It is all Abomination to the Lord his Soul loaths it For your Sacrifices are are as Cain's for you are found in Cain's Nature Envying and Persecuting the Righteous yea the Witness lieth slain in your Streets Therefore VVo is unto you who go on in the Way of Cain for upon you shall come all the Righteous Bloodshed from Righteous Abel until now And your Profession stinks in the Nostrils of the Lord for you have lifted up your Hands against him and his Anointed and opened your Mouths in Blasphemy and False Reports against the Truth yea you are blind and stumble at the Noon-day you come near the Lord with your Lips but your hearts run a Whoring after other Lovers and you know not the Only True God that dwells in Temples made without hands whose VVorship is in Spirit and in Truth but would limit the Unlimited under your VVills as if he were not a God of Might but that you could controle him with the Arm of Flesh But Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such shall you reap and your End shall be according to your Works For our God is a God of Judgment and Justice and will avenge the Cause of the Innocent upon you his Adversaries Yea and though your Teachers do cry Peace Peace unto you because you put into their Mouthes and so daub you up with Untempered Morter that you cannot see your VVouud and so heal you sleightly Yet you shall know that our God is a God of Truth and his VVord shall stand forever and their Sorcery shall appear and their Witchcraft shall be laid open and the Cup of Fornication wherewith they have made drunk and deluded the Nations shall be taken from them the Cup of the Wrath of the Almighty given them to drink their Reward And then shall you behold the Harlot with whom you have committed Fornication who now lies in your Bosoms Bewitching you with a Golden Cup with whom you have defiled your Garments then to be cast into the Bottomless Pit where you shall all be tormented together who now partake of her Pleasures and thus shall you fall among them that fall in the Day that I visit you saith the Lord. J. Parnel A Few
Words to all my Dear Friends in and about the County of Essex AND all you my dear Friends you scattered and despised Ones in and about the County of Essex whom the Lord by his Powerful Word is now gathering out of Darkness into his Marvelous Light out of the Kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of his dear Son whom he is separating unto himself to walk before him in Holiness that you might know him and he might know you in the Light of his Countenance whose Faces he hath turned towards Sion to seek after a Land of Rest unto your wearied Souls which have been tossed to and fro from Mountain to Hill in this Cloudy and Dark Day seeking Rest but finding none But now is the Day of Beauty broaken forth nigh you even in you Yea and Glad-tidings is come unto your wearied Souls by which a pure Love is begotten in you to the Everlasting Truth which hath been freely declared amongst you by the Messengers of the Most High who have reached the Witness for God in your Consciences which doth seal the same upon your Hearts which your Teacher is and unto it you hearken and are obedient In which Light all stand still and behold the Work which the Lord hath begun amongst you and you shall have no Cause of Discouragement though the Sea doth rise and the Raging Waves do swell as if they would swallow all up yet it is limited by the Unlimited and it shall but foam out its own Shame And as I had a Time to preach the Truth amongst you to the Convincement of many so also now I have a Time to seal the same with Patient Suffering in the Bonds of the Gospel that you may see That it is no other but what we are made able and willing to seal with patient Suffering yea with our Blood if we be called to it as many of us have done in this Nation though it be called A Land of Liberty but it is for Iniquity but Truth and Equity are Strangers in it and therefore are persecuted But you that are found worthy to receive these Strangers happy are you And though the Raging Sodomites compass you about for to cause you to cast out these Strangers that they may work their Wills upon them yet be Faithful and fear them not but cast out your Darlings before them and stand in the Faith of the God of Truth and Equity and you shallâ— see the Sodomites struck with Blindness that they shall not be able to prevail against you but when they are weary with striving they shall be made to sit down in Sorrow and so shall it be fulfilled which of old was prophesied that No Weapon formed against the Faithful shall prosper but Wo unto them that lift up their Heel against them Therefore I charge you all in the Name of the God of Truth Be Faithful Valliant and Bold for the Truth received and as you have received it so walk in it that you may profess no more in Word but what in Life you seal that the Light may be preached forth in your Lives and shine forth in your Conversations to the Glory of the Father of Lights and the Confounding of the Heathen who profess God in VVords but in Life deny him And be willing that Self shall suffer for the Truth and not the Truth for Self for the Truth was ever sealed with Persecution since Gain's Generation had a Being upon the Earth and so own the Cross and despise the Shame and give up your selves to suffer for the Truth received all you that would follow the Lamb to the Land of Rest and through many Tryals you will wax strong and bold and confident in your God for God is not known what a God he is until the Time of Tryal And all keep your Meetings in the Name and Fear of the Lord God waiting for his Power in the Obedience to his Light which in your Consciences doth reprove you when you do amiss that in it you may wait and watch over the Foes that are of your own House that you may know the Warfare begun in your Hearts against your Spiritual Enemies and so the God of Power manifest himself amongst you by his Mighty Power bringing down all that in you which opposes him and would not that he should reign over it and exalt his own Seed in your Hearts and establish you in Righteousness that his Image you may bear and He shall be your God and Ye shall be his People And so in the Unchangeable Truth I rest in Unity with all the Faithful in the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God though in Outward Bonds for your sakes Known to all that can read me in Spirit JAMES PARNEL Goliah's Head Cut off with his OWN SVVORD In a Combat betwixt Little David the Young Stripling who stands in the Power and Strength of his GOD and great Goliah the Proud Boaster who stands in his Own Strength glorying in the Arm of Flesh and contemning and despising Little David because of his Youth In a REPLY to a Book set forth by an Unnamed Author under Pretence of an Answer to Thirty Six Queries propounded by Iames Parnel whom he in Scorn calls The Young QVAKER And also an Answer to several Counter-Queries propounded by the same Unnamed Author whom I understand to be one Thomas Draton a Teacher of the World at Abby Rippon in Huntingtonshire wherein his Folly and Ignorance is much laid open and the Pride and Deceit of his Spirit much manifested and also he that takes his Part who writes himself W. P. who knows not the Power of God and therefore glories in the Length of Time and the Multitude of Years But Solomon who was a Wiser Man then Great Goliah said That the Honourable Age is not that which is of Long Time neither that which is measured by the Number of Years but Wisdom is the Gray Hair and an Vndefiled Life is Old Age. And therefore let not the Wise Man glory in his Wisdom nor the Strong Man glory in his Strength for it is Vanity JAMES PARNEL Printed in the Year 1675. GOLIAH's HEAD Cut of with his Own Sword c. The Title of the aforesaid Book An Answer according to Truth that trembles not nor quakes nor quaileth given to thirty six Queries propounded by James Parnel commonly called the Young Quaker to an ancient Country Minister with some Counter-Queries by the said Minister unto the said Young Quack and his Fellows Reply HEre thou mayst be ashamed to stile thy self an ancient Minister who manifests such an Ishmael's Spirit who with reproachful Words makest a Scoff at the Power of Truth which the Ministers of God in all Ages witnessed which made them to quake and tremble And though the Truth neither quakes nor quaileth yet all that owned the Truth owned and witnessed quaking and trembling which Truth thou manifests thy self but a Professor of and a Stranger to the Power and
a Despiser thereof and therefore out from among the Ministers of Christ thou art raised and thy Answer is not according to Truth but a Lye as shall further be made to appear hereafter by him whom thou callest the Young Quack and it seems Fear surpriseth the Heart of the Hypocrite so that thou art ashamed to own thy Work with thy Name Priest And whereas thou saist Courteous Reader we are forced notwithstanding so many Pamphlets extant against the People called Quakers to give Answer to thirty six Queries of James Parnel's the Young Quaker Reply Although thou hast boasted thy self an ancient Minister and contemnest me as a young Boy yet here it appears that thou art glad of others to help thee to answer my Queries as these Words before mentioned do testifie and yet it is but a Pamphlet as thou and thy Helpers do confess that those many are that are extant against the People called Quakers And then thou runst on in Way of Reproach and Scorn against me because of my Youth but the Wisdom of Solomon answereth you That a poor and wise Child is better then an old foolish King who will no more be admonished and therefore when you think of your Age consider also your Folly and let that stop your Mouthes from professing your selves Ancients who manifest such a light scornful Spirit and hate to be reformed Priest And whereas thou saist Thou doubtest not but his Queries are the Dictates of others deceiving and being deceived which yet they put under the Boy 's Name for the Credit of their Cause Here also without Doubt thy unbelieving Heart is manifested who without Ground measurest others according to thine own Heart who because thou makest Use of the Dictates of others as here doth plainly appear therefore censurest others which doth not add Credit to thy Cause because thou boasts of thy Age. Priest But according as thou believest so be it to thee yet nevertheless thou shalt find that the Truth I shall maintain against thee who with thy Unbelieving Heart art deceiving and being deceived and then thou runnest on in the Pride of thy Spirit accusing of me to be Ignorant of the Truth of God because as thou sayst of the false wording of my Queries Reply But with Shame mightst thou speak it for openly hast thou manifested to the Understanding Reader thy self to be a meer Stranger both to God and his Truth also who wouldst limit the Truth of God to an human Art which many of the Children of God had not and therefore the Power of God was the more manifested And when Peter and John were brought before the learned Men to wit the chief Priests and the Rulers and they wondred at them because they perceived they were unlearned Men and thus with thy Wisdom and thy great Learning thou art shut out of the Truth in the natural but by this I do not own thy Accusation to be Truth against me for I have a Copy of the Queries of my own Hand-writing which was the Original of those that were sent to thee which will bear Testimony against thee to be a false Accuser and how thou thy self hast wronged them and misworded them because they were in the Cross unto thy Wisdom and to maintain this thou bringest a Story in Erasmus nevertheless the Story which thou bringest doth not at all touch me but may fitly be returned into thy own Bosom where it shall lâ—e Then thou and thy Agent do beseech the Reader to read without Partiality which if he do he will judge no otherwise of you then as I have declared but will see how you have uttered forth your Folly and foamed out your Shame in going about to contradict the truth And at the End of this your Epistle to the Reader I find W. P. which I judge to be one of thy Agents to this your shameful Work to which thou darest not own thy Name My first Query Where and how and by what wast thou called to the Ministry which thou professest Pr. Answ. And in thy Auswer thou goest about to plead many Excuses whereby to flee the Answering of my Queries saying It is easier for him that is yet in Darkness to propound Doubts and Queries then for some of the Children of Light to auswer them on a suddain Which to prove thou quotest Daniel and that our Saviour thou say'st himself refused to answer the Pharisees Interogatories till they had first answered his Mat. 21. 23 24. And albeit thou say'st Thou might'st put me off with Solomon's Words Prov. 26. 4. Answer not a Fool according to his Folly lest thou also be like unto him Reply I did not propound the Queries unto thee as any Doubts of mine but that thou in thy Answer thereunto mightst either prove thy Practice by the Scriptures unto them that are in Doubt thereof or unto them manifest thy self to be a Deceiver which last thou hast plainly done to the least Child of Light and therefore it doth not follow that I am in Darkness or that thou art a Child of Light Neither didst thou suddainly answer the Queries though they concerned thy own Condition and therefore this Place in Daniel doth not at all stand for thee for it was for Daniel to tell and interpret Nebuchadnezzer's Dream which was a hard thing for any to tell unless it was immediately revealed to them by God's Spirit as it was to Daniel but all the Magicians and Learned Men could not find it out by their Arts But most of these Queries unto thee were concerning thy present Condition and Practice and herein thou manifestest thy self to be in Darkness who thus wrests the Scripture out of its Place for thy own Ends. And also Daniel was a Man that Feared the Lord and Trembled at his Power which now thou denyest and scoffest at and yet art not ashamed to take Daniel's Words for a Refuge against the Light And as for that Scripture in Mat. 21. 23 24. it shall be returned into thine own Bosom for it is thee and such as thee who are set up by the Will of Man and Authorized by the Authority of Man who joyn with the Pharisees and Scribes of these Times and combine together with the Earthly Powers to call us to question By what Authority we go abroad preaching the Truth from Place to Place and Crying against Deceivers and where we had our Commission because we receive it not from Man as you do but do witness the same Power and Authority as the Ministers of God did in all Ages and the same Commission for they received not their Commission from Man but were immediately called and immediately fitted and sent forth into the Work of the Ministry freely to give as freely they had received and were persecuted by them that were set up by the Will of Man which also we do witness and therefore the Scripture afore-mentioned belongeth unto thy Generation who were ever Persecutors And if by propounding Queries thou judgest
me to be in Darkness then much more thou judgest and condemnest thy self for for my Thirty Six Queries thou hast propounded me an Hundred And here also thou accountest me a Fool as by the Scripture thou quotest in Prov. 26. 4. and therein manifests thy self so much the greater Fool in propounding so many Queries to me whom thou account'st a Fool And thus the Pride of thy Heart hath deceived thee Pr. Answ. And whereas thou sayest Thou wast Inwardly called to the Ministry by the Motion and Gifts of God's Spirit long before I was born which thou sayest hath been God's Ordinary Way which to prove thou quotest Job 32. 8. 2 Chron. 20. 14. Amos 5. 7. 15. Mich. 3. 8. Rep. Though it hath been and is God's Ordinary Way by his own Power and Spirit to call and fit his own Ministers for his own Work as those Scriptures afore-mentioned do prove which we also do witness and do come no other Way yet these Scriptures do not at all prove where and how and by what thou wast called and Jahaziel and Amos and Micha which those Scriptures aforesaid bear Testimony of to be thus called were men that spoak the Word of the Lord freely against Sin and Transgression and False Prophets and Hirelings and their Lives sealed their Testimony And these Scriptures also bear Testimony how and where they were called from their Outward Callings to speak the Word of the Lord and so from those Scriptures thou art shut and hast nought to do to take them into thy Mouth for they do not prove that thou wast thus called from thy Labour for thou wast brought up all thy Dayes in Idleness and at a University as you call it to learn Arts and Sciences without which Those were Called and Fitted And for any other Call then as the Common National Ministers are called who deny both Immediate Revelation and Inspiration thou hast brought no Proof that will stand for thee but only thy own bare Words wherein thy Life and Practice will condemn thee for it is one with the National Priests and thou art maintained and upheld by the same Power as the National Teachers are neither dost go from Place to Place reproving Sin in the Gate as Amos and Micha did who were thus called neither dost speak freely as they did therefore are a False Prophet who sayst The Lord saith when he never spoak to thee but runnest and the Lord never sent thee and therefore thou profittest not the People at all as is manifest by the Fruits of thy Ministry and thus thou wast a Deceiver before I was born and the Lord hath Raised me up to Tell thee of it Qu. 2. Whether is thy Call and Means which thou professest Mediate or Immediate Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st It was both For say'st thou Besides the Immediate aforesaid thou wast ordained a Minister by the Superiours and Governours of the Church as the Elders and Pastors of the Churches were formerly by Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. 23. But thou say'st Thou doubtest whether James Parnel well was called either way to be Teacher if so let him prove it by an Infallible Testimony Rep. Those that have an Inward Call to the Ministry do not stay for an Outward Call by Man but go forth in Obedience to the Word of the Lord Whosoever was called to the Ministry of the Gospel it was Immediately and not Mediately but thine Mediately by the Will of Man and not Immediately as before is proved and also out of thy own Mouth art made manifest For thou say'st Thou doubtest whether I was called either way But if thou wast Called and Guided by the Spirit of the Lord thou wouldst know without Doubts whether I was so called yea or nay for the True Ministers were Epistles writ in one anothers Hearts And they also know the False Prophets and the False Apostles and the False Ministers and declared against them as I do against thee and without doubt I do know thee to be a Deceiver by an Infallible Testimony and those that thou speakest of in Acts 14. 23. whom Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders they did not ordain them Ministers of the Gospel neither sent them abroad to preach the Gospel neither allowed them an Hundred or Two Hundred Pounds by the Year as thou hast but they chose out those that were strong in the Faith and set them to watch over the Weak But those Churches were gathered by the Power and Spirit of God and were turned from Darkness to Light and were washed clensed and sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God But out of your Church cast Drunkards and Swearers and Lyars and Proud and Covetous Ones and Adulterous and Idolaters and Quarrellers and Fighters and Scoffers and Scorners and Backbiters and Envious Ones and Prophane and Wanton Ones and the like who are neither Washed nor Sanctified and then see where will be the Church of England and the Pastors Teachers and Elders and all Then you that profess your selves to be the Church of Christ will be found the Synagogue of Statan whose Minister thou art And also Paul and Barnabas who ordained them Elders were Men endued with the holy Spirit of the Lord and were immediately called and chosen to the Ministry and had a Spirit of Discerning to know who were fitted for the Eldership and all this was done without an University or serving Seven years to learn Arts and Sciences or taking Degrees without which you can do nothing And also those Superiours and Governours have nothing but what they have gotten by Art and Study and reading of others Experiences but are ignorant of the Power of God neither know whether there be any Holy Ghost yea or nay but by the hearing of the Ear but scoff and scorn and persecute those that now do witness these things and they themselves were also first ordain'd by the Will of Man And thus thou hast but so much the more manifested thy self of the World in going about to prove thy self a called Minister by the Scripture which doth altogether witness against thee And whereas thou wouldst have me to prove my Call by an Infallible Testimony I tell thee Without an Infallable Testimony I do not go neither without an Infallible Testimony do I desire to be received or owned and to this the Infallible Spirit of Truth bears Testimony in all the Children of Truth And thou that hast not an Infallible Testimony either with me or against me are still in Darkness and knowest not the Truth then far unfit to be a Teacher to others Qu. 3. Whether thou art guided by the Same Infallible Spirit that gave forth the Scripture Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st That we our selves teach That all Men are taught and guided by that Spirit at times And secondly thou say'st Thou praisest God for it thou art guided and assisted by that Spirit which is alwayes Infallible
Nations and through Covetousness with feigned Words make Merchandize of them which you now spare not Pr. Ans. And secondly thou grantst That if Men be made of God spiritual whether Shepherds or Plowmen first they may teach But thirdly thou sayst every Man that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scriptures and therefore may not as lawfuly nor as infallibly teach as they did and thou sayst Nor canst thou discern clearly that the best amongst them called Quakers have yet reached that Degree or Dispensation of the Spirit And after much dissembling Speeches thou manifests thy light and frothy Spirit still despising me because of my Youth but thy Words are not worth mentioning And thus when thou openest thy Mouth concerning the Spirit thou manifests thy Folly and Ignorance of the Spirit so that a Babe may comprehend thee and tell thee of thy Folly And when thou thinkst of thy Beard or Age as thou sayst Confusion of Face may cover thee For though every one that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scripture yet it doth not follow that none do attain to that Height Growth Degree and they that have attained to the same Spirit in a Measure and by the same Spirit are moved and called forth may as lawfully and as infallibly teach as they did in their Measures for the same Spirit is infallible in the least Measure and its call is lawful and thus thou shewest thou wast never called norâ—led by it who art so ignorant of it and as here also doth further appear in that thou confessest Thou discernest not the People called Quakers and therefore are blind and from thee the Secrets of God are hid and it doth not follow that they are ever the less spiritual but rather more because thou canst not discern them who pretend'st thy self a spiritual Man And thus they are attained to that Degree they can discern thee to be a Blind Guide and Deceiver of the World and therefore is thy spirit the more against them for all thy Flattering and Dissembling Speeches from thy hypocritical Heart who bendest thy Tongue like a Bow against them uttering forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and with thy scornful spirit Reproachest me with Lyes but it was thy Generation that Quaked for Fear of the Downfal of their Kingdom and therefore persecuted me and imprisoned me yet their Fear did not overtake me for I was made as willing to Suffer as they were to Afflict as knowing it was for his Cause who will make you all to Quake and Tremble who lift up your Heels against him And as thou comparest Cambridge to Jericho so the Curse of Jericho shall come upon it for its Whoredom and Sorceries and Stiff-neckedness against the Lord and his Anointed And though thou thus Scornest me and Despisest me because of my Youth yet it is because thou knowest not the Scripture nor the Power of God Qu. 6. Whether any are the Ministers or Messengers of Christ but those that are guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine as the Holy Men of God were in Scripture and whether the Wind doth now blow where it listeth Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer to the first Part thou grantest That none are the True Ministers and Messengers of Christ but those that are in some measure guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine But secondly thou say'st Men may think that they have that Spirit and yet be led by the Lying Spirit as Zedekiah who smote Michaiah was 1 Kings 22. 24. Rep. Herein thou markest out thy self for a Deceiver who pretendest to the Spirit it is the Lying Spirit as is before proved and so art shut on t from the Ministers and Messengers of Christ who art not guided by his Spirit and therefore abidest not in his Doctrine as is before proved by thy Ignorance of the True Spirit And therefore thou and such False Prophets as thou thus smite at and persecute us that are called Quakers because the Lord is pleased to bestow his Spirit upon us whereby we are able to declare your Deceit and manifest your Lying Spirits who have professed your selves the Ministers of Christ yet Strangers to his Spirit and Opposers of his Truth like Jannes and Jambres who are Men of corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Pr. Answ. And to the second Part of the Query thou say'st That the Wiud blows where it listeth if it be not stopped yet are there many false Winds which blow likewise from a Deceitful Spirit which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine and sayest Mind this James Rep. This I do mind and still see how thou markest out thy self with thy Deceitful Spirit for if the Wind doth blow where it listeth which thou acknowledgest then what is that in you professed Ministers which goes about to stop it with Gain-saying and Persecution and would limit the Spirit of God unto a Text or Theam from which you with your deceitful spirits do raise Uses Points Tryals and Motives c. whereby many poor Creatures are tossed to and fro and carried about with your airy spirits with the Sleight and cunning Craftiness of your Brains whereby you study to deceive as thou mayest read in the latterâ—end of the Verse which thou hast quoted Ephes. 4. 14 which here shall stand against thee And so many are the Children which are tossed to and fro by you although they have both Beards and Age as thou sayest yea some are Thirty some Forty some Fifty some Sixty yea Eighty and never yet come to the Knowledge of the Truth and thus with Feigned Words through Covetousness you make merchandize of the People beguiling Unstable Souls But think not that all you False Prophets with the Beast that upholds you can stop or quench this Spirit which now bloweth where it listeth for with all the Sleight and Craftiness that you can use you shall be made to fall before it and the Fruits of your Labours shall be given you Qu. 7. Whether thou wilt own Immediate Revelation now yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest The Apostle teacheth you to pray for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Acknowledgment of God Which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 1. 17. but sayest There are many False Lights and Delusions of Satan who too often transforms himself as an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. which thou sayest are entertained by unwary men for the Illuminations and Revelations of God's Spirit as appears in Zedekiah aforesaid which to prove thou quotest Ezek. 13. 6. 2 Thess. 2. 11. Rep. Here again thou hast marked out thy self and also belyest the Apostle for that Scripture in Ephes. 1. 17. only makes mention how the
48th Query thou askest â—f Christ and his Apostles did not frequent the Synagogues Answ. Yea they did and so do we your Idol-Temples but therein the Jews will condemn you who suffered them to speak as in that Scripture which thou hast quoted in Acts 13. 14 15. which shall stand and witness against you who will not suffer us to speak in your Steeple houses but suffer your Flocks to hale us forth fall upon us like Wolves and your Magistrates to hale us to Prison therefore read your Condemnation you Persecutors And thy 49th Query is answered already with the other aforesaid Qu. 50. Here thou askest If the Prophet did not complain to God against the Prophaners and Destroyers of the Synagogues in Psal. 74 4 5 6 7. Answ. The Scripture which thou hast quoted doth answer thee but it doth not uphold your Idols Temples who worship you know not what wherein you teach for Doctrine the Traditions of Men and there are found in the Steps of the Pharisees offering up your Abominations as Christ marked you out in Mat. 6. 5. where he meant as he spoak and all you do there is for self and not for God for he saith In vain do you worship him Mat. 15. 7 8 9. And here thy 51st Query is answered but take Notice your Steeple-Houses are not the Houses of God as before is proved Qu. 52. Is it unlawful to call either Baptism or the Supper of the Lord a Sacrament or oblieging Mystery since that Name imports no more and you cannot deny but that both these are mystical Things and ablieging Mysteries to the washing away of Sin and the following of Christ into his Life and Death Answ. Is thy Baptism now become an oblieging Mystery to the washing away of Sin which in thy Answer to my 21st Query thou saidst was not absolutely necessary but lawful only can it wash away Sin and yet not be necessary but this is all thou knowest of that Mystery that washeth away Sin or Desire after it for where Sin is washed away this Confusion stayes not behind Yea I do deny that there is any Thing in your spriâ—kling Infants or your Bread and Wine which doth profit as is manifest by these that receive them of you who never yet were washed from their Sins and Pollutions or ever tasted of the Death of the Cross but the Baptism I own and the Supper of the Lord I own but the Word Sacrament I deny for the which you have no Scripture whatsoever thou say'st it doth import And thy 53d 5â—th and 55th Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my 21st Query and thy 56th and 57th Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my 25th Query Qu. 58. Who is there among you who are called Quakers or the other Sectarians your Fore-fathers that hath rightly declared the Mystery of Christ's Body and Blood in your Dissentings from us since none of you have declared this according to our Lord's Intent Joh. 6. 33. Answ. As for Sectarians as thou callest them they are in your Generation and art not thou ashamed to call them our Fore-fathers whenas they now joyn with you against us yea and in this very Thing wherein they are blind as you are but the Mystery we know and have declared to the Comfort of many a restless Soul who never could find true Comfort in your dark and dead Forms as Thousands in the Nation will witness and this we have declared according to our Lord's intent therefore thou Lyar and Slanderer stop thy Mouth and take not his Name in vain and that Scripture in John 6. 33. which hou hast quoted will witness against thee in that thou would'st uphold and thy 59th Query is answered with thy 6th and 57th And thy next is concerning the present Ministers and Teachers and their Maintenance Qu. 60. Were there no Ministers in this Nation that held forth the Truth amongst us till you and your Associates rose up since we have our Lord's Promise The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church and Behold I am with you to the End of the World Qu. 61. What is become then of all your Fore-fathers their and ours who dyed since the Apostles Dayes till your rising up with a pretended Spirit Answ. Thou Carnal One hast thou nothing to do but to raise the Dead to dispute about But to answer a Fool I say They are gone as the Just and Righteous Judge hath disposed but now he calls all every were to Repent his Trumpets are sounding a Warning and there were none that preached for Hire that held forth Truth in the Life and Power of it but made a Trade and a Gain of the Letter from it speaking a Divination of their own Brain as you do now and those were your Fore-Fathers But if you had the Lord's Promise That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against you for the Lord will be with you then what need you a Law of Man to set you up uphold you and maintain you Therefore it follows the Lord is against you and his Promises do not belong unto you who dare not trust him and therefore are but Pretenders and this the Spirit of Truth in us can tell you Qu. 62. If there were some taught of God before you were called why are they not owned by any of your Answ. Thou art not one that art so taught for thou art found out of his Doctrine therefore with that stop thy Mouth and do not belye us for who receive and obey the Truth we do own whatsoever they have been And here also thy Sixty Third and Sixty Fourth Query is answered And thy Sixty Fifth Sixty Sixth and Sixty Seventh Query is answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Nineth and Tenth Query Qu. 68. Is the Teaching-Priesthood to cease till the Spiritual Melchizedeck comes unto us to bless us after the Slaughter of all our Enemies with the Heavenly Bread and Wine Gen. 14. 18 19. Hebr. 2. 1 2 3. that you say the Priesthood of Aaron wiâ—h the Law annexed of Tythes is ceased under the Gospel Answ. Yea so it is ceased and those Scriptures do not prove to the contrary but that is Hebr. 7. doth affirm it as is before proved But in that you uphold it in taking Tythes you deny the Spiritual Melchizedeck and if that be the Teaching-Priesthood which thou meanest it is already ceased to many who are come to see the End of it but the Gift blinds your Eyes and therefore you still uphold it and lead the Blind into the Ditch and so the Wo is to you and not the Blessing and this Scripture in Ephes. 4. 11 12 c. doth not at all maintain you And here also thy Sixty Nineth Query is answered And thy Seventy Seventy One Seventy Two and Seventy Three Queries are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Fourteenth Query Qu. 74. Did ever the Church of Rome cast greater Reproaches upon the
Hardships and Impossibilities do appear before you and Doubts and Fears and Questionings and Murmurings Repinings and Unbelief rise in you and many Temptations bâ—take you soâ—etimes to return back and dye in Aegypt sometimes after the Delights and Flesh-pots of Aegypt sometimes that God hath utterly forsaken you sometimes to question the very Truth of God and ready to call it a Lye and here is the wavering and unstable Mind all which ariseth ouâ— of Darkness where self stands all which comes by hearkning unto self Therefore unto the Light the Messenger of God keep your Minds whâ—ch brings the Message of Peace and glad-Tidings of Salvation unto which keep close own it lone to be your Teacher Guide and Counsellor in all the Way you are to pass and in all Things that you are to do standing in the Denyal of self with all its Ends and own the Light which leads intâ— Singleness to God out of Ends and all stumbling-Blocks it will remove and through the Bryars and Thorns it will you lead and in the Mire you shall not stick but the crooked Way shall be made streight and the rough and hard Way plain and easie for in the Light is none Occasion of stumbling but keeps your Feet from erring and straying your Tongues from Evil speaking as you hearken unto this which when you are going to the right Hand or to the left cryes This is the Way walk in it This is the Word in you from whence comes Faith which makes all Things easie and possible but without Faith it is impossible to please God and Faith is the Gift of God and so is this Word of Truth from whence Faith springs which judgeth down all Murmurings Doubtings and Repinings and all Carelesness Lightness Lustings and Earthliness and condemns the Ground from whence all these Things do spring And here the Ministration of Condemnation is witnessed which in its Time is glorious through which comes the Ministration of Peace which doth the other exceed but take Heed of getting these Things in the Comprehension to talk of but let the Time of Silence and Patience have its Work in which wait for the fulfilling of these Things that within you may read them and the Life it self may shew forth it self which dothadorn and honour the Truth and so you become the Vessels of Honour but out of Faithfulness this is not witnessed For it is the Willing and Obedient that shall eat the Good of the Land Therefore Friends see how you stand in Faithfulness to what in your Measures is made known unto you for Faithfulness is of great value and Faithfulness is as well in secret as in publick knowing that all Things are publick unto God who will jâ—dge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ therefore he that is faithful over a little is approved of God and shall be made Ruler over much but he that is â—sloathful is cast out and from him taken that which he hath These Things you have read without but now learn within and read your selves and you need not be Deceived for by the Light your Hearts are searched by it all Things are made manifest by which you are either approved or disapproved unto God in all your Words and Actions therefore by this set a Watch over all your Thoughts Words and Actions that the Righteous judge may be set up in your Hearts which judgeth down Deceit and iniquity and establisheth Righteousness in the Earth and Truth and Equity in the inward Parts and cleanseth the Heart from Evil that this alone may guide you and act you forth in all yourâ— Wayes and Doings and then self hath no Part but all Things are done in the Cross unto selâ— in Singleness unto God and he alone is glorified and the Fear and Awe is placed and the Tongue is bridâ—â—d and the Will curbed and the Heart cleansed and kept clean for it is that which goeth out that dâ—fileth Therefore I say unto you all Watch that the Pure may exercise your Minds which is the Cross to the Carnal which crucifies the Carnal and mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh and establisheth Purity in the Heart and brings forth the Fruits of the Spirit which is Love in a pure Life that here you may come to live and walk and grow together in Unity in your Measures for that which separates from the Unity is self which causeth Love to wax cold but in the Love of God abiding self is denyed for where self is owned the Love of God is denyed So here is the Enemy of your own House that you are to war against and in the Light which discovers self is your Power and Strength and as you receive the Light you receive Power to deny self in its Appearances which Power reconciles your Hearts together and works you into perfect Friendship Unity which stands not in the Will but in the pure Nature which is the Cross to Will which Nature the World cannot bear which Nature breaks the World's Fellowship Love and Friendship all which stands in their corrupt Wills wherein stands all their Customs Fashions and Traditions and all their Worship and Profession out of which also ariseth Persecution against you who dwell in the pure Nature and the single pure Language which their corrupt Wills cannot bear nor savour but look not out at what they can do unto you knowing that the uttermost is but to take the Life of the Body but eye the Lord your God in it and count it your Riches that you are found worthy to suffer for Righteousness sake for through many Tryals and Tribulations you come forth pure unto the Lord and strong in the Faith So the Lord God of Power be with you and by his mighty Power keep you low and watchful in your Conditions that your Eternal Good you may mind above all Things under the Sun that every one in the Truth received you may walk and grow daily dying unto the Things that perish that in the Life of God you may come to dwell out of the Creatures and then the true Use of them will be given you and the pure Wisdom as it was in the Beginning when Man was in the Right to the Creatures and here Paradice will be found but he that believeth maketh not hast but by patient continuing in well-doing you will reap if you faint not wherein I bid you you Farewel Dear Friends It was the Love of God in me which run forth to the Seed in you which constrained me to write unto you and visit you with this Epistle now my bodily Presence is by the corrupt Will of Man barred from you yet my Spirit doth not cease in your Behalf that the Lord by his Power by which he hath awakened you out of Sleep and caused his Witness to answer to his Truth would bless and prosper this his happy Work in your Hearts to the bringing forth his precious Seed to rule and have Dominion that so his glorious
Light may shine forth in your Conversations and his Beauty appear in your Image that the Heathen may be ashamed and â—ear before the Lord your God And here my Friends is my Comfort in the midst of Bonds yea if this Body was to be sacrificed up it would not abate my Joy that I have in you in whom the Work of God prospers Therefore I do charge you all in the Presence of the living God whom ye do profess in his Fear to abide diligent and circumspect that you grieve not the Spirit of God nor cause his Holy Name to be blasphemed lest you add Affliction to the Bonds of the Gospel From Colchester Castle in the 9th Month 1655. This from a Friend who is known in Spirit who for the Innocent Seeds sake suffers the Bonds of the Gospel JAMES PARNEL Another Epistle to Friends FRIENDS TO the â—ight of Christ Jesus in You all bring Your Deeds by it to be tryed and proved which Light in You all is the Heartâ—Seacher and Tryer which as you take heed unto it will not let you be idle or sloathful or careless nor let You set lâ— in a Formal Way or Carnal Security but will let you see the Ground and End of all Your Actions and Actings and will prove and try Your Hearts and let You see how Your Hearts stand towards God and what therein is Head and Ruler so that none of You may be acted by a False Spirit which begets into a False Liberty out of the Cross but that your own Wisdom and Reason which argues against the Light for a Liberty out of the Cross may all come unto the Death of the Cross to be mortified for all that in You which would not be tryed by the Light springs from the Enmity against the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light to which Light in You all I speak which is the Cross to Your Wills that by it You may try all Your Wayes and Actions For all You that are Bowing and Crouching and Uncovering to the Creature You are still in the Old Nature where old things are not past away but are still following the Customs of the dark World worshipping the Beast which all the World wonders after and worships for that iâ— the Beast even proud Lucifer the Lust in Man which would be honoured and bowed to and exalted which so swells in Wrath and Rage and Persecution against those that cannot worship bow to nor honour it to which No Worship nor Honour is due for Dust is the Serpentâ—s Meat And from this Beast in Man did this Persecution ever arise against this Righteous Seed which could not honour nor worship him as you may read Rev 1â— All the World wonders after the Beast but those whose Names are written in the Book of Life and those were and are persecuted by the Beast and coâ—ld not nor cannot scarce buy or sell. And that in You which honours and worships the Beast or proud Nature in Man is that which would not bear or suffer the Rage or Persecution of the Beast but would serve two Masters and so while you are seeking to please the one you displease the other and so beguile your own Souls and are a Sâ—are to others and this Heart is not right unto God bring your Ends in so doing to the Light and you shall see it so which â—ight will not deceive you but undeceive you as you take heed unto it and are willing to be led by it which will lead you into the True Worship of the Only True God whose Worship is in Spirit and in Truth And by this Light you will see that to Him alone All Honour Glory Worship Dominion and Thanks belongs And Him that Honours God him will God Honour But this Honour is not of Man for saith he I receive not Honour of Man And here all Men are honoured in the Lord but out of the Lord none are honoured And they that are Proud and High and Lofty are out of the Lord for that is one of the seven Abominations And here by the Light all Respect of Persons is condemned and the Lord honoured in all and all in him which Light condemns the Language of Babylon and begets into the plain single Language which the Beast-like Nature cannot â—ear nor savour But if you seek to please Men you are not the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And all you that still follow the Fashions of the World wherein is Excess either in Meat Drink or Apparel you are still alive in the World's Nature being conformed like unto the World and are not obedient unto the Light which convinceth you of the Vanities of the World and the Fashions thereof therefore by the Light in your selves which condemns all that in you which would be exalted and esteemed in the World which would be like the World and have the Praise of the World which is to be condemned with the World by the Light which is not of the World And so Pride comes to be rooted out of the Heart and You crucified to the World by the Light which let you see the Vanity of the World and the Fashions thereof which â—ass away which are not to be Touched Tasted nor Haâ—dâ—ed And all the Customary Words of the World which are by the Light condemned which by the Light are seen to be invented from that Nature which knows not God whereby God is dishonoured who calls to all who will follow him To come out from amongst them and be you separate and touch no Unclean thing and I will receive you saith the Lord. Therefore touch not their Customs but keep out of their Fashions and Traditions for they are all Unclean and own thâ— Crâ—ss and despise the Shame and follow the Light out or Babylon and it will lead you into the pure Religion which is unspotted of the World and so will crucifie you to the World and the World to you But that in you that pleadeth that Scripture Custom to whom Custom that is it which is willing to remain blind in Custom to save its Life which by the Light is declared and condemned with the World which would keep in Friendship with the World and in the Love of the World all which is at Enmity with the Light and is for Condemnation by the Light Therefore to the Light turn your Minds that by it you may judge all such Carnal Ends and Reasonings which would uphold these Carnal Customs contrary to the Light which gave forth the Scripture by which you may see what Custom the Apostle there spake of in Rom. 13. 7. as you may read in Matth. 9. 9. how he sate at the Recâ—it of â—ustom but this doth not at all uphold the Customs of the Heathen that are Vain Therefore to the Light take heed that it may be your Teacher and Counsellor that from it alone you may Act and Speak and so will you find the Witness within your selves for what you Act and Do.
And all you that still pay the Priests Tythes and Offerings and are convinced of the Deceit of the Priests you do deny Jesus Christ the Son of God come in the Flesh who is the Everlasting High Priest the End of Tythes and Offerings according to the Law and do uphold Babel and the Merchants of Babylon and are throwing down with the one Hand and building up with another who cry against the Priests in words as to be proud and covetous and yet put into their Mouthes for a Peace sake with them and so while you put into their Mouthes you Uphold them for their Maintenance Upholds their Ministry And here you flee the Cross and are Men pleasers because you would not suffer for the Truth you profess and therefore are denyed by them that dwell in the Truth But you that for Conscience cannot pay the Priests Tythes keep to that of God which convinces you in your Consciences and it will carry you out to suffer for Conscience sake and so you will have your Peace with God in your Consciences though by Men persecuted Or if you be called to Answer at their high Courts or Benches keeping to the Principle of God in your Consciences you may appear before their Highest Judges and cast Slavish Fear aside and stand in the Fear and Counsel of God and to their Faces Answer for the Truth in Boldness against their Deceit and let the Truth confound them And give up your Bodies freely to suffer for the Truth of Jesus that the Heathen may know That the Truth is in You. And deny all those that receive Fees or Gifts in their Heads and keep to the Counsellor within If any Man wants Wisdom let him ask it of God where you need not go out to Man And all you that give Money to Repair the Idols Temples and are convinced in your Consciences of the Idolatrous Worship that is therein upheld you are guilty with the Idolatrous Worshippers who do uphold their Idolatrous Places and so uphold their Idolatrous Worship and here you cannot wash your Hands of their Idolatry but are defiled with them so long as you Uphold their Idolatrous Places Therefore to the Light bring all your Deeds that by it all such Actions and Practices may be condemned and you separated from the Idolatrous Generation and keep clean from its Polutions and suffer willingly the Spoiling of your Goods for the Name of Jesus And if you be called before Magistrates to take an Oath keep to that which condemns all Oaths which saith Swear not at all but testifie the Truth from your Consciences in the face of all men and so you abide in the Doctrine of Christ and out of the Condemnation for They that Swear fall into Condemnation saith the Apostle James Chap. 5. 11. And though in the Time of the Law and the Prophets on Oath for Confirmation among men then was the End of all Strife but Christ Jesus the Oath of God the Fulfilling and End of the Law and the Prophets saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and Nay Nay for what is more is Evil And such as stumbles at this Language accounts the Cross Foolishness and is for Death by the Cross And if you be crucified with Christ you shall reign with him And so to the Light in you all I leave you by it to be directed how to walk up to the Mind of God and own the Truth before all men every one of you faithful in your Measures there to grow out of the World and the Deceit of the World to be kept clean from the World in the Fear of the Lord using the World as if you used it not and then are you my Friends and of my Kindred And this I was moved to give forth for the Directing of your Minds lest any of you should be choaked with the World's Spirit which I see working amongst you which would keep Peace and Friendship with the World that by the Light of Christ Jesus where with you are all enlightened you may search out this Worldly Spirit which is in you working against the Light that by the Light it may be rooted out for of a Truth you cannot serve them both but while you are seeking to please the one you displease the other Therefore keep to that which separates from the World for if God be on your side who can be against you In which Confidence I rest in Unity with the Faithful in whom is my Joy and Comfort in the midst of Bonds Written from Colchester Castle in the 9th Moneth 1655. JAMES PARNEL AN EPISTLE TO FRIENDS ALL ye Friends of the Light though we who are your Ministers and Messengers oâ— Light are in Prisons Holes and Dungeons cast and kept by the devilish corrupted will of man suffered by God the Father of Light for the Fulfilling of the Scriptures upon that Gâ—neration which was prophesied of by the Ministers and Messengers or Light in the dayes of old who suffered in the like nature by the same Generation for the same Testimony and though yet the Lord suffers the same Generation to act in their Nature against us and fill up their Measure of Wrath it is for the Manifestation of his Truth and Exalting of his Name of Power and through all this are we known and made manifest unto You who be in the Light and the Heathen do come to know and confess That he is Greater that is with us then all they that rise up against us and in all this do we Rejoyce and through our Sufferings are Crowned and do get Victory over the world without as within And though we are here kept the Lord's appointed Time yet Friends eye the Lord in all these things and look not out at Man or what Man can do either for or against but eye God in all his Works and in all his Instruments and there will be no Cause of Discouragement for the discouragements and fears doubts and questioning spring from the Carnal aâ—d know not the Eternal But an Eternal Witness we have in all your Consciences which by the Word of Power is awakened in you by which we are known by which we are owned by which we are witnessed and received into your Hearts wherein our Unity stands with you who are faithful unto it by which we are remembred unto you though far Absent in Body And this Witness we have in the World though they do not receive it nor like to retain it in their minds therefore they do not receive us but as the witness lies slain in them therefore do they strive to slay us and this is their Condemnation which will witness unto God against them out of their own Mouthes And thus we are a sweet Savour unto God both in you that Believe and in them that Perish Therefore you that do believe unto this Witness â—ake heed and mind its Answer in Your Câ—nsciences that it may Your Consciences exercise in Unity unto