and did and do freely give and they were and are Ministers of the manifold Grace of God But these Hirelings or Preachers for Money have not received freely neither from God nor Man but have purchased their Ministry with Money and are made by Men at Schools and Colledges and are sent and ordained by Men and not by the Lord therefore they did not profit us when we were their Hearers and Disciples neither do they profit the people at all but rather cause them to err as the False Prophets and Teachers did in the Prophet Jeremiah's time recorded in the 23d chapter of his Prophecy read from the 11th verse to the 32d verse and what thou findest testified against the False Prophets in that day is true against all that are found in the same spirit and practices at this day the Priesthood of England now as the Prophets then speak a Vision of their own Heart and not out of the Mouth of the Lord they fill peoples Ears with a Noise of Words and with fair Speeches or eloquent Discourses deceive the Hearts of the Simple talking much of the Righteous Holy Men's Words but not living their Life speaking and smiting against Sin with that Weapon which can never destroy it in themselves nor others their Preaching is like that of the Scribes and Pharisees and not as one having Authority they say Hear the Word of the Lord but speak their own words conceivings and Inventions they are of those that steal the Word from their Neighbour and boast in other mens Lines c. In Christendom so called what a great Trade do these Schoolmen Rabbies Doctors Bishops and Hireling Priests make of the poor honest plain Tradesmen's Words who were some Plough-men Herds-men Shepherds and Fisher-men ome of whom it 's said knew not a Letter And how is this part of the World called Europ filled with Books and Commentaries of Papists Prelates Presbyters and other Sects under Pretence of opening and giving the right Meaning of their Words whereby indeed people are divided and confused and various in their Understandings and know not well what to do nor whom to believe nor which to follow so instead of gathering people into Unity they divide and scatter them and lead them into Sects and Opinions instead of Repairing the Breaches of the Walls of Jerusalem they Build up the Tower of Babylon instead of communicating to people the Key of Knowledge they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men and neither enter themselves nor suffer those that would These things we have by sad and woful Experience known while we were seeking the Living among the Dead and wandring from Mountain to Hill from one Priest and Profession to another changing from one sort and fashion of Worship unto another from one Sect and Opinion to another but not from Sin to Righteousness not from Evil to Good nor from Death to Life neither through them all did we witness a Translation from the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Christ as the Primitive Christians did but remained in Sin and Corruption in Death and Darkness talking of the Fame of Wisdom and professing the holy Scriptures the Words of holy righteous wise Men the Words of sanctified justified and redeemed Men but not living the Life of Righteousness Wisdom Sanctification Justification and Redemption nay we were so far from it that we did not believe it was possible so to do while on this side the Grave our Teachers caused us to err teaching for Doctrine the Precepts of Men and the Thoughts and Conceivings of their own corrupt Hearts instead of the Word of the Lord so we were as Blind led by the Blind and walked in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death and knew not whither we went we stumbled and knew not at what and grouped like blind men for the Wall following the divers uncertain fallible Voices that are in the World which say Lo here is Christ Lo there is Christ others Behold he is in the secret Chamber and we were going forth and wandring after them and wearying our selves for a very Vanity spending our Money for that which was not Bread and our Labour for that which did not satisfie This was our state and condition in the day of our Ignorance in the day of our Captivity and Bondage to the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of life But now we can say as the primitive Christians did 1 Joh. 5.19 20. We know that the Son of God is come not only that he Did come above Sixteen Hundred Years ago but Is come and hath given us a good Vnderstanding whereby we may know him that is true and we are in him that 's true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal Life And God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts whereby we can call God Father and whereby we are led and guided out of all false wayes and false worships out of the crooked wayes and by-pathes of our own finding out into the one true and living Way and everlasting Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth which was before all the false Wayes and invented Worships upon the Face of the Earth and will remain when they all vanish away So it is no new Sect or Opinion that we are now come unto but the ancient Way wherein the holy Fathers Prophets Apostles and all the Righteous walked in all Ages and Generations past from Abel and Enoch unto this day which is Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin which is Christ the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the World who is indeed the Way the Truth and the Life the Saviour of his People not in their Sins but from their Sins And the true Light now shines out of Darkness in thousands in this our Native Country and makes manifest reproves and condemns every appearance of evil and leads the Children of it out of the same this is the Vniversal Way of God wherein he is known worshipped and served acceptably this is his Son in whom he is well pleased and with all that are in him Therefore in this Light must all the Nations that are saved walk and all that walk in it witness Safety from and Power and Victory over the Evil One and Blessings Peace and Consolation abound in their inward man But all that Reject and Despise Sleight and Contemn the Light and Grace of God teaching and shining within and the leading guiding and moving of the Spirit of God within they reject and despise the Way and Means of Salvation and have no Strength against Sin nor Victory over their Enemy the Prince of Darkness which rules within in their Hearts but remain Slaves and Captives to him under the Chains of darkness let their Talk and Profession of Christ and Christianity be what it will this is the Word of Truth to all our Neighbours and Country-men whether they
A BRIEF NARRATIVE Of the Proceedings of Doctor Parr And some of the Parishioners of Mary Magdalen-Bermonsey in the County of SURREY Against certain People called Quakers Inhabitants of the said Parish for not Paying and Complying with an Illegal Tax laid under pretence of Repairing their Church Shewing how some of the said people did endeavour as of right belongeth to every English man to defend themselves from the Rigor and Cruelty of the Ecclesiastical Courts about the same by seeking to gain a Prohibition to stop the Proceedings in the Bishop's Court and to bring their Unreasonble Illegal Imposition of 1800 l. upon the said Parish to tryal at Common Law and by what Means they have been prevented therein Also an EXHORTORY REPREHENSION upon the whole Published to prevent a Misunderstanding concerning the said people who are and may be more presented as that they in Enmity Stubbornness and Self-willedness have refused to pay towards the said Rate and occasioned a Charge to the said Parish Whereas in Truth the Cause of their endeavour to defend themselves was to keep their Consciences void of Offence to God and Men To God in not yielding to Repair an Idols Temple for so they believe it to be To Men in that their Proceeds therein were contrary to all the known Law in being And having done their endeavour in trying the Courts of Judicature and finding Iniquity in the place of Judgment and the Cause of the Poor sleighted they are clear in their Consciences and can leave their Cause to God and lie down in Peace and Good Will to all men But the gnawing Worm that never dyes will fasten upon the Wicked in the Day of Account Eccles 5.15 And moreover I saw under the Sun the Place of Judgment and Iniquity was there and the Place of Righteousness and Wickedness was there Printed in the Year 1677. To the Reader Friend THou mayst understand we live in a Nation whose Laws and constituted Government excels most Nations in the World being very tender and careful in defence of its Inhabitants Liberties Persons Estates and Lives from the Wills and Arbitrary Power of lawless unreasonable Men and every English man hath a Birth right and Inheritance in this Law and it is the Just Interest of every honest man to endeavour to keep up this Standard and Bulwork of Property Lives and Liberties against all that would invade them or attempt to rob and spoil them of either 'T is true there is much Failure and Corruption in the Executive Part of this well framed law and government there is so much Partiality Self-interest and Iniquity got into the Place and Seat of Judgment that many times the clear Stream and Current of Justice and Equity is stopped defiled and corrupted and it 's a very hard thing for a poor man who is oppressed and abused by his Neighbour to get Relief but this is not to be attributed to the Law but to the Abusers and Corrupters of it whose Work is to pervert the End of all good Law and Government which is to be a Terror to the Evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well where-ever this just End is not answered such do not rule nor judge for God let them pretend what they will but are Contemners Despisers and Perverters of the Law of God and all good men In this Case of ours we apprehend our selves Arbitrarily contrary to Law imposed upon by a sort of rash inconsiderate men who have run themselves upon a Work more proper for a Parliament then a Parish and if they had a Reward accordingly they would receive but their desert and it being to do a Work illegal and so ‖ For the Truth of this we may appeal to the Consciences of many of the Inhabitants of Magdalen Parish whether they their Neighbours were not more sober temperate grave and wise and guilty of less sin and Transgression against God and man twenty or thirty years ago then at this time if so then wherein are people profited by the studied Sermons of Hirelings needless and unprofitable to our selves and Neighbours we were willing to stop their Ecclesiastical Proceeds otherwise we should have been passive and silently suffered the weight of the leaden Hands of unholy Church whose Mercies are very Cruelties witness the Popish Inquisitions and cruel Torture and Burnings of conscientious men and the Protestants Goals Whips Stocks Cutting off Ears and Stigmatizing and Hanging also as in New-England upon the account of Church Religion and Worship all which we testifie against as directly contrary to and inconsistent with the Pure Christian Religion and Church of Christ as is signified in short in what follows but is according to the Whore or false Church whose Weapons are carnal and not spiritual who is and hath been since the Apostacy very busie in Christendom in spoiling peoples Goods imprisoning and torturing their Bodies and sometimes killing them also and making her self drunk with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Now it 's so far from the Nature and Life of the true Church to inflict Corporal Punishments for Spiritual Offences or to hurt any man's Liberty Person and Estate in this World about the things of the World to come as Faith Conscience and Manner of Worship that it is both unnatural and unreasonable for if People do err in their minds and understand things relating to their future Estate amiss and are of an unsound Judgment in the things of God and in matters relating to his Kingdom c. Spiritual-weaponed Men and not Goalers and Executioners of corporal Punishments are to deal with such People and inform and restore them with the Spirit of Love and Meekness if they can according to the Example and Doctrine of Christ Jesus his Apostles and primitive Christians who never used outward Force and Violence or corporal Punishments to compel People to be of their Religion Christianity came not this way into the World neither is it or ever was it upheld or propagated by such means it 's a Gospel of Life and Salvation and brings Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men and the true Ministers of it being endued with Power from on High in the universal Love of God perswaded men to be reconciled to him by turning them from the Darkness within to the Light and Grace of God Within from the Power of Satan within by which their minds were captivated to the Spirit and Power of God within that they might receive Remission of their Sins and Inheritance among them that are sanctified And if people would not receive them into their Houses or build them some Houses to preach this Gospel to them in they were not to call for Fire from Heaven upon them nor send their Bodies to Goal or take away or spoil them of their Earthly Treasures because they would not receive their heavenly Treasures nor own and believe them to be Dispensers and ministers of it let all that pretend themselves
the Evil of your proceeds against us seeing it is matter of Conscience unto us and Repent thereof and decline the prosecuting that which the spirit of Enmity and Violence and not the spirit of Christ would lead you to so would you bring forth Fruits more becoming the Christian Religion which is the Desire of your Friends and Neighbours whose daily endeavour and practice is to shun the way of the wicked and to avoid the Path of evil men and to live in that Love which teacheth to desire the good of all and the fall and hurt of none and herein our sleep is sweet and our rest is pleasant even as we hate the bread of wickedness and the wine of violence and this is the Path of the Just which is as a shining Light shining more and more unto the perfect day but the way of the wicked is Darkness they know not at what they stumble And Dr. Parr know this If thou madest choice of those words in the 4th chapter of the Proverbs vers 14 15 16. for thy Text the Day thy Excommunication was read against us as is at least supposed as if they did concern us or were applicable upon us thou art greatly mistaken for we have not only talked of and professed the Light Law Grace and Spirit of Truth but received the same learn't of walked in the same and are guided thereby out of the Path and Way of the Wicked and out of the spirit of envy evil-wil mischief and violence against any man's Person Life Liberty or Estate it would be well for you if thee nor none of thy Flock were found in those steps not farther to enlarge only remember and consider this one saying written in the 5th of the Proverbs The Wayes of a Man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his Goings if this Sctipture with that which saith Men shall give an Account of their Deeds done in the Body whether Good or Evil were truly weighed and believed by all that read them it would put a stop to the Worker of Iniquity and quench the Spirit of Violence and Cruelty Prejudice and Evil and Meekness Love and Righteousness would grow and encrease amongst our Neighbours and Country-men and Peace Quietness and good Neighbourhood would abound which is indeed the Desire of our Hearts and our daily Practice to promote according to our state and capacity and can in Truth subscribe our selves Lovers of our Neighbours and Haters of no man Signed on the behalf of the rest of our Friends by us John Otter Griffith Jones John Torletonr John Potter A BRIEF NARRATIVE Of the Proceedings of Doctor Parr c. VVE the said people being presented and cited to the Bishop's Court made our Appearance and according to the Priviledge and Right of every English man demanded a Copy of the Lybel formed against us which was granted and finding their proceeds were contrary to the known Law and that the design of the Bishop's Court was forth-with to curse or excommunicate us out of their Church and to cast our Bodies into Jayle did account it our Duty both as Men and Christians to endeavour to prevent the same and accordingly made motion by Council at the King's Bench Bar for a prohibition which was not there positively denyed but deferred and we were advised by one of the Judges To apply our selves further to the Bishop's Court presuming they would do as Right as the Case did require if not then to ‖ This commonly proveth according to the English Proverb Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire appeal to the Arches or Delegates So upon this his Presumption that the Bishop's Court would do us Right or because he was willing to please the Priests refused to grant a Prohibition Then being left to the Mercy of the Bishop's Court we again received Citations to appear and did appear accordingly divers times but finding our lawful Exceptions against the Lybel and all we could offer and plead though never so just and according to their own Law sleighted and over-ruled and our selves pronounced excommunicate by a Person who declared himself Ignorant in the Matter but willing to fulfil the Design of the Court for they refused to receive our Answers under our Hands and Seal by proxy rendered which according to Law and the Rules of their own Court they ought to have received but perceiving they had to do with a People that made Conscience of keeping that eminent Precept and Command of Christ SWEAR NOT AT ALL and seeing their other gins and traps were too weak to hold them and to stop their Passage towards Relief at Common Law seemed resolved to make this occasion of refusing to Swear the Colour and Ground to pronounce us excommunicate for contempt to their Court though we had shewed Diligence to appear time after time according to their citations and arbitrary summons in their own name and authority and had answered them in all their Proceeds so far as lawfully they might both as Men and Christians And the dishonour and contempt of their Court is on their own parts occasioned and contracted by their own evil doing in trampling upon the Law and the Legal Right of others yea and the Rules and Presidents of their own Court though called spiritual when they stand in the way of their own Interest and Design as in this particular Case is proved true by Experience So contrary to the Doctrine of Christ whose Ministers and Servants they pretend to be they would compel people to swear and so break his Command and if they refuse call it contempt to their Court pronounce them excommunicate and get their Bodies into Goal separate Husband and Wife Father and Children Master and Servants put all Relations out of a Capacity to serve one another according to the Law of Nature and Grace and all about a Matter of Conscience this is neither like Christ nor Christianity but unnatural and inhumane And you have not shewed forth the Qualifications of spiritual Men or good Christians but do clearly demonstrate your selves to be selfish carnal unjust and unreasonable and great Strangers to that Royal Law of Christ Jesus As you would have others do to you so do you unto them such Doings will never convince any that you are indeed what you have a Name to be but rather confirm them in their present Perswasions And if you by your Threats Cruelty and injustice fright any out of Tenderness of Conscience and bring them through fear of suffering into an outward conformity to your Church and Worship know this you make them two-fold more the Children of Hellthen before Outward force violence and compulsion may make hypocrites but no true Christians it may change the manners but not the mind c. It might be well if you spiritual men so called would seriously consider whether your Self-interest and not the Love and Care of Souls be not the ground of your Church and Court Proceedings seeing Money
will satisfie for all sins and trangressions against you and your Church as in your Mother Church of Rome Whenas indeed all the bodily Exercise together with all the Gold and Silver in the World is not able nor sufficient to expiate or satisfie for one sin committed against God Christ and the true Church neither did the true Church in any Age since Christianity was in the World ever absolve or acquit sins and transgression against her for Money It 's time to consider your way and amend and cease to exercise deceit and violence over the People for selfish ends and if you have no better Way Means and Arguments to inform perswade and convince people that you are of the True Church because you have Power and Compulsive Laws on your side and can destroy their Liberty Estate and Lives through streight Imprisonment in nasty Goals this being the Way and Means of the False Church whose Weapons are and were alwayes Carnal there are a People whom God hath raised up in this Age and instructed in the pure Christian Religion whose goods you may spoyl whose bodies you may torture and imprison and whose blood you may drink also sooner then force and compel them by your unchristian means to become conformable Members to your Church Now we seeing our selves thus abused and that they over-run the Rules of their own Court to hasten us into Goal we again moved for a Prohibition at the Exchequer-Bar and the chief Banon shewed himself just and moderate and was ready to grant the same their Council refusing to plead further in their behalf their own Lybel saying that the greater part or some part of the Parish made the Rate dissatisfied their Council and would then plead no further only prayed time till the first day of the next Term which was the second instant betwixt which time as the sequel plainly proves Doctor Parr with other had made way so far in the matter by devised untrue Allegations and other wayes that our Request of a Prohibition might not be answered for when our Council pleaded they were very much discountenanced by some of the Judges with Words Nods and Frowns and though they pleaded Law in the case it was not regarded only the chief Baron shewed himself very just and impartial and declared his Opinion That a Prohibition did property lie in the case but seeing his Brethren were of another Opinion he should leave it Now it is to be observed that the Court could not without man fest partiality deny a Prohibition until false Allegations were devised and pleaded in open Court to overturn our Suggestion therefore Doctor Parr with the rest had by Untrue Information and Large Fee or to use some of their own words Large Grezing fitted and prepared their Council to plead very grand Lyes or Untruths and produced an Oath in Court together with the Witness and Testimony of Doctor Parr to affirm to the same The particular Lyes were as followeth First That there was a Necessity to pull down the said Church the Pillars being Wood bowed and rotten the Roof and South Wall ready to fall many being hurt and wounded with the fall of part of the same Secondly That Dr. Parr and some others did contract with the Workmen for 120 l. to build the Chancel South-Porch new Enlangments and he and others paid distinctly for those parts and that it was not included in the Parish-Rate himself giving Fifty pound part of the Hundred and Twenty pound agreed for the Building the same Thirdly That all the Parishioners yea every man were satisfied and had all paid their Money only Twenty Four Quakers and that the whole Assesment upon them was not above Forty pound the greatest amongst them being not above Fifty shillings These with other things to the same effect being affirmed as with a Face of Brass in open Court though great Untruths yet great Credit we judge by reason of the Presence and Testimony of Doctor Parr was by three of the four Judges given to them and all that could be urged to the contrary rejected and sleighted and though by our Council we much pressed to go to Tryal if we did not prove our Suggestion we would give them Cost yet nothing that could be said on our parts would prevail the burthen of the Plea against us being NONE BUT QVAKERS MY LORD NONE BUT TWENTY FOUR QVAKERS MY LORD As if when people have the Nick-Name of a Quaker put upon them they then lose all their Right and forfeit all their Priviledges as Men and the Benefit of the Law of their Native Country as if to have the Frowns of the Church were sufficient to turn them out of the Protection of the King Law and Government and to have their Liberties Estates and Lives exposed to Ruin and that Dr. Parr is of this Opinion appears by his own words speaking that day being the second of the third Moneth called May to one in this manner and words THAT THE QVAKERS WERE NONE OF THE KING's SUBJECTS This Saying doth not become a man of his Profession it shews plainly what spirit rules in his Heart under all his Talk of Religion and Christianity he is a great way off the Mind and Spirit of Christ Jesus whose Minister or Servant he pretends to be It may truly be said of him as Christ said to his Disciples Luke 9.54 who desired to have Liberty to command Fire to come down from Heaven to destroy those that would not receive him it 's said He turned and rebuked them and said they knew not what spirit they were of for the Son of Man came not to destroy men's Lives but to save them and his Disciples and Ministers indeed are of the same Mind and Spirit now But what would this Spirit and Opinion do with the Quakers and such as do not comply with his Mind and Understanding in and about Matters of Church and Worship Let him seriously consider the extent thereof this unnatural bloody Conceit of his viz. That if people please not the Priests or transgress against their Church then they cease to be the King's Subjects and lose their Birth-right as men and the Benefit of the Law of their Native Country Would not this Notion Judgment of his lead him into that Ravenous Appetite which some Priests had in the Prophets dayes which he compared to Dogs yea greedy dumb Dogs that could never have enough bear the Roughness of the Speech being they are the Prophet's words read vers 10 and 11. of the 56th chapter of Isaiah and see if England doth not abound with such blind ignorant ravenous Watchmen there spoken against who when people put not into their Mouthes they prepare War against them such there were in the Prophet Micah's time and such there are now in England that preach for Hire and divine for Money c. read the third chapter of Micah's Prophecy against the Cruelty of Princes and the Falshood of Prophets and Priests
to live in their native Country as their Brethren the ancient Christians were in Ages and Generations past I say as they suffer for Righteousness sake in Conscience to God not as Evil doers they shall have the Answer of a good Conscience and enjoy the Presence of the Lord which is better then Life and all those things you threaten to deprive them of and they shall live the Life and dye the Death of the Righteous and enter in and inherit the Crown of Life when you that are of a bitter spirit a persecuting envious spirit against your Neighbours who have done you no Wrong and yet profess Christ and Christianity shall see your selves shut out and when trouble anguish sorrow pain perplexity of spirit and horror of conscience shall attend you in your Houses and upon your Beds for the Hand of God will lie heavy upon the Evil-doer and Cruel Men and Vengeance is the Lord's and he will repay it and to him they can commit their Cause and appeal to for Justice seeing their Importunity though like the poor Widow's to the Unjust Judge cannot prevail with men They are known viz. the people called Quakers to be a quiet peaceable people among their Neighbours in all parishes Towns Cities and Countries where they dwell throughout England and great Observers and Honourers of the End of Magistracy and true Christian-Government which is a praise to them that do well and a terror to them that do evil and are true Subjects to the King and obedient to all the good and wholsom Laws of their native Country which tend to preserve men Liberties Properties Persons and Estates not for fear of Punishment but for Conscience sake and they are ready to obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake in all things relating to the Things of a Man giving Caesar his due and readily paying all Rates and Taxes that tend to the Good and Service and Preservation of their Neighbours and Country-men which is proper for any Christian men to do but in things relating to God and his Worship and Conscience they cannot endure to be imposed upon they rather chuse to obey God then Man in all such Matters and rather chuse to suffer the spoiling of their Goods imprisonment of their Bodies and give up their Lives also then submit to the Wills and Commands of men in Matters of Religion Church and Worship contrary to their Consciences and the perswasions of the Spirit of God in their own Hearts knowing it is a grievous thing to fall into the Hands of the living God and to sin against Light and Knowledge for fear of suffering therein they would not only be like the Common Sinners of the Times but worse who in their common Service daily confess They do that which they should not do and leave undone that which they should do who confess they have no Health in them but are full of putrified Sores from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot I say they would be worse then these if worse can be and would be Abomination in the sight of the Lord and a Stink in his Nostrils and his Righteous Soul would be vexed with them from day to day and they would not enjoy the Light of his Countenance which to them is better then the encrease of Corn Wine and Oyl They can say and that truly in the sight of God That they desire the good of all men and have Love and Good-wil to all their Neighbours and country-men and can truly pray for their enemies though they use them despightfully and do desire they may see the evil of their wayes and repent that they may enjoy Blessings and Peace temporal and eternal And if any thing to the contrary as Evil Thoughts Evil Will Prejudice or Enmity arise in them or among them against any they judge it with the Light and Spirit of God as an Evil inconsistent with their Profession of Christianity and directly contrary to the Life and Nature thereof for they have do declare own it their duty to live walk according to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and to know the same written in their Hearts and this Law was the Guide of Man-kind before Sin entred the World before outward Laws were written in Tables of Stone or in a Book And those that are led by this Law of the Spirit of Life are the righteous Men and righteous Women against whom there is no Law being living Witnesses of its power and vertue making them free from that and giving them Victory and Dominion over that because of which the outward Law was added viz. Sin And these own all good Laws outwardly and will not transgress against them And the Law as saith Paul Is not made for the Righteous but for the Wicked 1 Tim. 1.9 10. or Lawless and Disobedient for the Vngodly and for Sinners for Vnholy and prophane for murtherers of Fathers and murtherers of Mothers for man-slayers for Whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for Lyars for perjured Persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound Doctrine c. And whoever talks and professes the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and lives under the power of Sin and Death or continues in evil-doing they are no true Subjects to it nor lovers of it nor walkers in it but a shame and a Scandal to the Christian Religion and Strangers and Alians from the Common-Wealth of Israel and the Law of Sin and Death rules in their Minds and Members and leads them Captive into Evil and these are in great Bondage to the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life And these are the Children of disobedience in whose Hearts the Prince of the Air the Prince of Darkness Rules and leads them to Envy Hate and Persecute their Neighbours about Religion which was never the work of a true Christian For he that hateth his Brother is a man-slayer 1 John 3.15 He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.20 Be Serious consider your Work and Condition and see how you stand in the sight of God and mind God's witness in your own Consciences and hearken to the Voice thereof and it will Infallibly inform and shew you whether the Spirit of Christ and Christianity which is the Spirit of Meckness Gentleness Kindness and Brotherly love rules in your Hearts or the contrary and the Voice of this whether it be with you or against you is as a Thousand Witnesses and all that sleight and disregard its Voice and stop their Ears at the Reproof thereof while the day of their Visitation lasts Time will come upon them and the Night will overtake them wherein they shall hear its Voice whether they will or no and be judged according thereto Conscience is compared to a Book and the
will hear or forbear they shall find it Truein the Day of Account The 17th of the 3d Moneth 1677. Something after VVHereas the Cry against the Quakers is That they are Disobedient to the Law Enemies to Magistrates Haters of the Ministry of the Gospel and no Friends to the Lawyers and that they would overthrow good Government pull down Churches but build and repair none c. In Answer to which we in short say thus much That this Charge is utterly without just Cause and directly false For First We are obedient to the whole Law either actively or passively and our Principle and Profession leadeth us to obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake not for fear of Punishment but for Conscience sake and herein stood the Christian Obedience in the primitive times to every Law and Ordinance of Man that tended to the Encouragement and Praise of them that did well and to the Terror of those that did Evil to other Laws Ordinances and Commands of Men which did not carry this along with them they were never actively obedient but Witnessers against them and Sufferers by them as might be evidenced at large by a multitude of Examples throughout the whole Scriptures and every Conscientious Christian Man must needs acknowledge that God is to be obeyed rather then Men when they command things repugnant to his Law and impose upon the Mind Heart Conscience and Vnderstanding contrary to the Light and Law of God therein this is to usurp the Throne of God and to give Laws in his Kingdom which is spiritual and not of this World and where God rules governs in the hearts of men which is and ought to be his Throne and they know his Law (a) This is the New Covenant that God promised and every Christian is to witness the law of God writ in his Heart and his Fear in his Inward Parts and none can be a Christian without it writ therein from whence all just reasonable good Laws outwardly did proceed such cannot transgress against them nor disobey them So it is a manifest spirit of Envy that saith We are disobedient to Law seeing our Conversation among our Neighbours throughout this Nation witnesseth the contrary and they find no just Cause or Occasion against us but in things appertaining to Worship Church Religion and Conscience which indeed are of a spiritual Concern and not belonging to Men of corrupt Minds though they give themselves the Name of spiritual men to make and impose Laws about And as concerning Magistracy and Magistrates whose Work is to judge between Man and Man when they trespass one against another according to Equity and Righteousness without Respect to Persons or any sinister Interest these we truly Love and Honour who bear not the Sword in vain but relieve the Oppressed and judge the Cause of the Innocent and help the Poor against the Mighty 2 Chron. 19.6 7 8. and are a Terror to the Evil-doers these judge for God and not for Men and the Lord is with them in Judgment and the Blessings and Presence of the Lord will be upon them Now it is the Evil-doers that are Enemies to Magistracy and that make and create Trouble to good Magistrates such as break and violate the Law of God and Man and kill and steal and commit Adultery and bear false witness against them and covet their Neighbours Wife Ox Ass nor any thing that is his c. these are they that are Haters of Law and Magistrates and disobedient to Authority Now we are kept by the Grace of God out of these things and do by vertue of the Nature and Power thereof the things contained in the Law which shews the Effect of the Law written in our Hearts and so because we love and obey the Law and Magistrates we fulfil the End of them both But they that say They love and honour the Law and Magistracy and yet are found in the Evil-doing they lye and do not the Truth and would subvert the Law and overthrow Magistracy and all Good Government among men and are direct Enemies to Magistrates Now to those that say we Hate those that are Ministers of the Gospel we say and that truly that it is a False Accusation for we love no men more they are indeed Embassadours of Peace and Reconcilation of Mankind to God and they have the Power of Perswasion and in the Spirit of Love and Meekness do prevail and turn many from the Evil of their Wayes and direct them into the Good Old Way and Ancient Path of Peace which the Righteous in all Ages walked in from Enoch unto this day in which Way the Wayfaring man though a Fool cannot err mark that and seek and enquire for this Way Now all such as pretend to be Ministers of the Gospel and do not do and Effect this Work in and among people it 's an evident sign the Lord never sent them and that they are not in Deed what they profess in Words yet let all know that we hate no men's Persons though we bear witness against Deceit and Hypocritical Pretences amongst men of all Degrees and Professions and would have men to be and to be known to be as they are in the sight of God where all Coverings avail not And to such as say we are no Friends to the Lawyers and that we would overthrow good Government c. We say we are Friends to all men and should rejoyce to see good Government set up among them and especially amongst the Lawyers that that common Honesty and Right might be fulfilled among them as is among other Trades-men who sell a Penny-worth for a Penny And we desire the Law might be declared in such plain terms that the Lawyer Knowledge and Counsel might be certain that he might undertake to do Peoples work and business to their Content if he expect to receive their Money as other Trades-men must And that they would be so honest that when People come to them with a bad Cause which the Law is against that they would Instruct and Advise them better and refuse to appear in it for love of Money Then would Equity enter and Justice run down as a mighty Stream But when Lawyers undertake bad Causes for bad People for love of Money Equity is obstructed and the currant of Justice stopped delayed deferred if not pervented and turned backward and by this means honest men are unjustly vexed troubled and abused trhough the Promisciousness of the Law and the crafty skill Rhetorick and Interest of a bad Lawyer and by these a poor man's Cause though never so good is overthrown all these things we would have amended and have every man honest in his Imployment and do as he would be done by and this only being observed will bring People to be good friends and love one another and live together in Peace as becometh Christians And then we believe the Lawyers would not have so great a trade and Imployment
But if we are accounted no friends to the Lawyers because we desire them to be honest if that be a fault we must and shall be found guilty however we are ready to judge and conclude that the Deceit Corruption self-Interest and love of Money among the Lawyers and those divers Officers exercised about the Law is a sore Evil and a great burthen to this Nation And that when Judges are restored as at first and Councellors as at the beginning such Corruption will be swept away and such abuses will be reformed and good Government will be established first within in the Minds and Hearts of men and then without which is our hearty desire to see effected in this our Native Country And as for the cry against us that we would pull down Churches c. We are so far from it that we wish where there is one Church of Christ in a Nation that there were an hundred But as for old Mass-houses and such like which are now used as Shops for those that make a trade of Preaching to sell their Common-Prayer and Studied Sermons in which ignorant People call Churches those that believe them to be so and love and delight in them and those that drive a profitable Trade therein c. It is most right and proper forsuch to repair and build them and such have a Propriety therein So not lawful nor right that we or any should pull down impair or demollish any man's propriety being also directly contrary to the Fundamental Law of this the Land of our Nativity which all ought to observe and obey Now a Church of Christ according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures What a Church of Christ is is a Company of Believers in Christ who areledand guided by his Spirit learn of him keep his Sayings observe his Doctrine and walk according to his Precepts and Commandments and this Church may meet together in a House as they did in the primitive Times but a House cannot be a Church and though the Church of Christ be one yet there may be many of these Churches in divers Places Nations and Countries as there was in the primitive Times divers Churches in Asia Corinth Galatia 1 Cor. last Chap. Ephesus and Rome and Paul writes a Salutation to Pricilla and Aquilla and the Church in their House but never called a House a Church And the Church of Christ needs no man to build or repair it being all living Stones fitly joyned together by him Note that the Word Church throughout the New Testament ought to be rendred Congregation as in ancient Translations and primitive Times and hath no relation to a House as people falsly imagine and esteem who is the Master-builder Foundation and chief Corner-stone also and this Church edifies it self in Love and grows up an holy Habitation for God in the Spirit and this is the Substance and Anti-type of that Tabernacle and outward Temple which God once commanded to be built and was the Glory of Israel in its time and the only Place wherein God appeared and was worshipped but now he dwells not in Temples made with Hands neither is worshipped with men's Hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things c. Acts 17.25 Now it is a very foolish ridiculous and wicked thing for those called Christians to take their Neighbours and Country men by the Throat and say to them Give us Money to build and repair our Church or we will Excommunicate you and throw your Bodies into Goal where they shall rot and spoil and ruin your Trades and Families c. If you have any Precept President or Example for such kind of work in the holy Scriptures which you pretend to be your Rule for Faith and Practice let 's know the Chapter and Verse where it is written or else be ashamed and Repent of your Work and make not Christianity by your Wicked Practices a Stink in the Nostrils of Atheists and Unbelievers So whoever thou art that readst these things thou mayst in short understand that we are cryed out against in this Age and reported and presented to be such like Monsters as Paul that harmless man was said to be when he was called a Pestilent Fellow a Ring-Leader of Sects a Turner of the World up-side down not fit to live upon the Earth c. and this cry arose chiefly from the Priests Rabbies Doctors and great Professors of those times which soon influenced the common People and it ariseth from the same spirit and like persons now against us and for no other Cause then bearing witness to the Truth Therefore we would have all people take heed how they hear and receive Reports lest they judge and condemn the Innocent without fair Tryal and hedge up their own way and abide in the midst of Darkness but be ready to obey that good Advice and Exhortation Try all things and hold fast that which is good And as they come to find and hold fast that which is good it will quickly furnish them with Strength against that which is Evil and make them free from it also and deliver them from those Chains and Fetters of carnal private Opinions traditionally and superstitiously introduced into their Minds and Understandings through the Wiles of the Enemy Deceit and crafty Devices of Men of corrupt Minds who make a Trade of Religion and the Scriptures and serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies who though they may have a Zeal for their Opinions it 's not according to Knowledge as is demonstrated by their Fruits who like Paul when he was a Pharisee in his Blind Zeal thought he did well in Persecuting the Church of Christ and in haling the Saints to Prison by Vertue of his Orders and Packet of Letters from the Priests however he did it ignorantly therefore obtained Mercy If Dr. Parr and the rest of our Persecutors have thrown us into Goal in a Blind Zeal for their Religion and Excommunicated us out of their Church because they believe us to be more wicked prophane and ungodly then others that dwell within the Parish we say if it be so their Sin is the less but if it be upon the account of Self-Interest and Enmity as is most probable their Sin will be marked as with the Point of a Diamond and it will be much if they find a Place of Repentance let those concerned consider of it before it be too late for you must be accountable to God if not to Men also for your Actions and let it not seem a light thing in your Eyes to throw Persons into Goal from their Wives Families Trades and Imployments for a thing of nought only call it Contempt to your Ecclesiastical Authority when in time it may yet appear that we attending your Courts from time to time and offering our Answers under our Hands and Seals by Proxy was sufficient to prevent you of that fained pretence of