or Are your Customs the Arm of GOD yea I say if that Conscience in whom GOD liveth and reigneth should ask of them all Are your Words or Customs or Forms of Worship the immediate Commandment of the LORD GOD from Heaven which shall endure for ever not one of a thousand either could or would give a ready Answer thereunto which if they would honestly answer negatively concluding their words not to be GOD nor their Customs the Arm of GOD why then do they set their Words above GOD as a limit and bound to the Spirit of GOD And why set they their Customs and Forms of Worship in the Seat of GOD to judge in more Power than the Arm of GOD To the sons of men it may be fully said To whom is the Living GOD known and the Arm of the LORD revealed For if GOD be a Spirit and is only known in Spirit to live in Spirit and to dwell with men in the Spirit How remaineth the knowledge of this true GOD among the sons of men who by the limitations of their Customs and Forms of Worship and Words in the Will out of the unlimited Spirit do thrust him the unlimited Spirit out of his true habitation To all the sons of men upon the face of the Earth who have reached as far as the Tradition but want the Life even unto all Sects and among you all I might largely and plentifully declare your Judgments of others and not with that of GOD in the Conscience answers not that of GOD in the Conscience of any man and GOD hath no Unity with your Judgment but his hand he turneth against it even as in all Generations past The Customs of your Worships and not in the Spirit the Spirit turneth against you and the Spirit will have glory over you for be you not ignorant how that the Spirit created the Times and in time Tradition and Custom came forth And the Spirit which changeth the Times will change the Customs and Forms and when GOD hath put all these things under foot he will be known to be All in All in the Conscience his own proper Seat and Dominion What art thou O corruptible man in whom God created a Conscience that sits above GOD in thy Will making a Law against GOD in the Conscience of another Knowst thou not that GOD hath the whole Dominion there Knowest thou not that GOD hath granted a Law against all Sin and written it in the Conscience his own seat where he cometh to Judgment of the whole World of Mankind as well in it the Heathen who have not the Letter of the Law by the same which he will judge both Jew and Gentile who have the Law and in the Life are found transgressors of the Law And makest thou a Law against the Light of the Throne of GOD against that which thou makest and settest a bound-mark limitation and Law which is in another in and by the self same thing in thy self shalt thou be judged of GOD because of thy Law and the LORD GOD will be known to be the Lord of Spirits and Father of Lights whose Spirit and Light by all the Customs Traditions Laws and Forms of Worship in the World is not in any measure comprehended to be equally judged or made in Righteousness subordinate unto in the Conscience of another and that of GOD in you all shall witness this for ever and bear its everlasting Testimony against your comprehensible corrupt wills which make Laws and constrain Customs and Traditions by Laws against the incomprehensible measure of GOD in another Wherefore a Warning from the LORD GOD the Father of Spirits and Lights to you all is come to give you to take heed in due season lest you be found fighters against GOD your Creator in the day that he calleth to Account and draweth near unto Judgment in the Land And lay it to heart with understanding that for this cause only that he was fought against in the Conscience by Customs by Laws by Judgment by Life by Traditions by Forms of Worship by Sinners by Rebellion against the Power in the Conscience by Jews and by Gentiles all the Overtures Desolations Confusions Destructions Captivities and Revelation of the Wrath Indignation and Vengeance of GOD from Age to Age reaching unto this present Age came to passe in the Earth Witness the Flood witness Sodom and Gomorrah witness the Red Sea witness the Walls of Iericho witness the Mulberry-trees witness the Battels of Israel and the Captivity of his Children witness the Worms that ate Herod witness the Destruction of Ierusalem and the scattering of the Iews in the Earth witness Greece Germany Scotland England and Ireland and yet the LORD will call the whole Earth to witness and bring heap upon heap and destruction upon destruction and desolation upon desolation by Fire and Sword in every Land that standeth against the Word of the LORD GOD. But blessed is he that cometh to know the ground and root of a matter in him to know the end of the Desolations determined to be in the Earth I might say unto you how that in the dayes of Luther GOD moved in the Darkness upon the face of the deeps thereof but they which made him their Rest are confounded and their head is broken as Clay He appeared brighter by Behman and Brown but they which built their Travels as Towers the LORD confounded with many Languages and even running up to the height Baptists Seekers and Ranters some made bounds for the pure and others in their lusts revolted wherefore GOD hath laid them one upon the other as a heap of confusion together And thus he hath begun the work of his hand decreed to perfect his purpose And the LORD GOD will make the Nations to know That he hath not sent down his Word in the Earth to be likened unto a breath of Vanity in the Air and that he caused not his Prophets to run in vain as him which comes short of the mark but that his Law which he wrote upon the Tables of Stone he writeth upon the Table of he Heart and both the Law and the Prohets no more as in the dayes of continual ransgression shall be told as a tale of tatlers and as a history of vain bablers pointed upon the tongue of a deceitful mouth but that they shal be fulfilled and witnessed yea and perfected in the Spirit in Life and in Power as by the Spirit in Life and in Power they were revealed and given forth to this only end of GOD in his Creature For which cause lastly JESUS the Saviour was revealed to perfect that which was lacking and to compleat the Redemption in fulness Therefore all you dwellers in the Monuments of the Earth Awake from the deadness of your Forms and Worships and draw near unto the quickning Power of the Righteousness of GOD which leads to Life in the Truth and Salvation from all Sin To which end GOD sent the Immanuel a LIGHT unto
may ye also say we have sought in the way of Light but our Creator cannot be found there But truly this is my Testimony of my heavenly Father unto whom there is none like in Goodness Mercy and Deliverance That if any one seeketh Him in his Way of Holiness in which sin cannot be committed he will satisfie the desires of that soul in due time and overspread it with his abundant Fulness And therefore to that of GOD in your selves I cannot but commend you which is more safe for you to mind obey and follow than the invented customs wayes and statutes ordained of men which never came to live in that Grace of GOD which was the Light in all their Consciences which could have led them out of all their sins into the true knowledge of the washing by the Blood of CHRIST which cleanseth from all sin which being taken away puts an end to the supposed Purgatory for if any thing purgeth from sin it is the Everlasting Blood of the Lamb of GOD which was slain since the foundations of the World was which washeth away all sin And this also puts an end to the vain thoughts of the Popes remission of sins which stands in opposition to his professed Purgatory after this life for if he forgives all sins excepting one sin how is it that after his forgiveness generally all souls of his Sect must enter into Purgatory to be cleansed from that which he hath formerly forgiven them so that you may see either his profession of forgiveness is deceit and vanity or else that his professed Purgatory is a deceit and vanity because to the one work of forgiveness and cleansing from sin there is not a need of any but one thing to effect it and because I know that the Blood of CHRIST and only the Blood of CHRIST which is his powerful Life doth it I am assured in the Spirit of the holy GOD and therefore do assert it That both the Pope and his Purgatory which stand crossing one the others virtue and authority are both but a deceit and witchery This therefore may awaken you from all slumber of supposed security concerning your way and induce to take heed unto the LIGHT of GOD in your selves that it may lead you out of your own thoughts words and wayes to walk with God in Righteousness all your dayes that of Him you may be made Partakers of his Endlesse Everlasting Kingdom of Life Peace and Joy which will swallow you up in his high Praises who is worthy of the Glory of his Works in the whole Earth even for ever and ever Amen A Concluding Word to those that falsly accuse me and my Brethren of being Papists FInally Whereas there are divers that have accused me and my Brethren as being persons which in the bottom of our hearts are Papists This may plainly serve as a Testimony very substantial that we are so judged upon none other than a wrong and false account as hath been demonstrated by Doctrine Life Example and large Suffering among such persons and in such places as are counted the most reputed Papists upon the face of the Earth Which is more than ever Luther Calvin or any Protestant or other Sect testified or witnessed viz. against the persons in the same place yea than any would be willing to do amongst all the Sects in England that cry against Pope and Popery here at home in their own Liberties or upon soft Cushions on Pulpits yea I can say that I have found many that have falsly accused me of Popery that would not for a King's Ransom go to Rome and cry against it as I have done and therefore their own Consciences may rather accuse themselves of Deceipt or at least-wise as Backbiters whilst they speak that against the Pope in England which they would not speak to the Pope himself at Rome as I sought to clear my Conscience to the Pope's face and therefore are but like the Papists that backbite and speak evil of English Sects in the Countries where their own is tolerated and approved of which is but of one unrighteous nature in them all of all Parties From all which the Accusations of my Accusers do turn upon their own heads as an undeniable Covering of shame who henceforth in prudence may rather choose the keeping of silence than utterance of slanders c. Yet after all the precited Passages I do hereby intimate a few of the Papists Principles which I together with the rest of the People of God called Quakers do utterly deny as not being of GOD'S holy Spirit of Truth but consequently of the spirit which produced all their other invented Traditions which suite not with the holy Nature of the holy Eternal GOD. 1. We deny the Pope and his Cardinals to be of the Election of GOD Angels or Saints and therefore in their Places and Offices not of GOD nor the Truth but contrary to God and the Truth 2. We deny the supposed place of Purgatory which the Papists professe to be after death we owning no Purgatory for the Soul after the Body is departed this life 3. We utterly deny all Images which the Papists worship and bow down before 4. We deny the Masse both matter and manner thereof 5. We deny Prayers to be made unto Saints or Angels which the Papists use seeing Christ saith Ye shall henceforth ask nothing of me but of the Father in my Name Many other things I could insert but at present forbear But whereas lastly that I have denyed the abovesaid five Particulars to be any thing of Truth it lyes upon the Papists to prove them according to the Spirit of Truth if they are able and not according to their own nor their father's inventions else all men may see that they live in Deceit Errour and Falshood of which let all men take heed lest they should be wilfully destroyed John Perrot THE END
Battering Rams AGAINST ROME OR The BATTEL of JOHN the Follower of the LAMB Fought with the POPE and his Priests whilst he was a Prisoner in the Inquisition-Prison of ROME ALSO A Certain REMONSTRANCE of Righteous Reason written in Rome-Prison of Mad-men unto all Rome's Rulers Together with a POST-SCRIPT to all tender-hearted Roman Catholicks London Printed for Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-Spread-Eagle and Wind-mil in Martins Le Grand 1661. To the tender moderate Roman-Catholick Reader Friend THe following Writings being such as have been dispensed in the City of Rome unto which Answers were expected by me from them whom it chiefly concerned but not receiving any unto any of my Queries propounded to Pope Priests c. in Rome even unto this day and being now returned unto this Land of England may expect something of Answer from thee unto the said Interrogations which are of general concernment unto all Roman Catholicks or else I may conclude that Truth is in no wise on your side but absolutely and undeniably against you which I therefore leave unto thy consideration and if from that which followeth thou shalt be perswaded of the Truth which is held forth therein confessing it in singlenesse and simplicity of heart and mind if afterwards thou desirest to be further satisfied touching any thing of our Doctrine or Practices ask it in the Spirit of Moderation either by Word or Writing of me and according to the Light of the Knowledge of GOD given unto me I may meekly answer thee in the tendernesse of my Soul Who am a real faithful and true lover of all Souls Called John Perrott To the READER Reader I Have found it expedient for the satisfaction of many tender Desirers to intimate these few preceding Words to the following Tract shewing the certainty of the thing which many have enquired after yet not as if the relation thereof were able to enduce any Souls to believe in the True GOD forasmuch as Christ said If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets neither would they believe if one should come from the dead Yet every Work of the Lord God to me is of exceeding weight especially such wherein the life and safety of my outward man was very much concerned in the time of my Pilgrimage in Forreign Parts and Countries In brief I give this Relation to wit When I was in Legorn in my Travel onwards to Turky on a certain night an Angel of the LORD awakened me out of my sleep saying Arise and go to the Window the which I did in very much dread and trembling where standing I suddenly heard certain English-men in another Room at a Neighbour's house wickedly conspiring my hurt but blessed be God who sent his Messenger to warn me by the Power of his own Life delivered and saved me from the Evil of the said Conspiracy Moreover In Greece I met with divers difficulties being in my Pilgrimage led through many Tryals and Tentations by being brought before Rulers and Magistrates and sometimes destitute of any thing to purchase natural food yet still the presence of the Lord was with me both by Sea and Land and in the greatest straits he alwayes appeared in the greatest power of Love caring and providing for me even beyond all that my heart could ever think which things to mention at large would fill up much Paper And therefore in this compendious Preface may only hint one passage more of the powerful Arm of God battelling for mine Innocent Soul in a Righteous Cause which the Romans were well informed of before I arrived at Rome and that by divers hands from Venice by which they might at least-wise understand That God was my God and that I was his faithfull Servant in the Work that he had called me unto It came to pass in proceed of my Pilgrimage as I was returning by Sea from Smyrna to Venice that upon the way near unto Corfu the Sea-men and Captain of the Ship took a wrongful occasion of Anger and Wrath against me at which time I offered my self in much meeknesse and moderation to reason the matter with the said Commander of the Ship but in brief he threatned to cast me on shore on a certain barren Island on which there was no Inhabitant who when he saw that I was in that contented being wholly offered unto God in all place and time desisted that Attempt but forthwith bound himself under an Oath and Curse that when I came to Venice he would have me burnt to death by fire To whom I replyed saying I fear not man whose breath is in his nostrils but the God of life who was my Leader in all that he had called me unto This being at evening suddenly after these passages there was a cessation of many of his words of bitterness though some there were that grinned their teeth upon me and could even have found in their hearts to have bitten off my flesh from my bones which kindled the Anger of the LORD GOD Almighty against them for all that Night his sore Indignation and Vengeance did burn as a flame in his bosom so that it came to pass at the dawning of the next day that he cast down a ball of Fire betwixt the Decks amongst divers Passengers which brake as into the roaring of a Cannon amongst them and slew two persons and wounded one more and besides that the Lord caused Fire to Rain down from Heaven in coals upon them which burned some in their bodies others it smote and wounded and others it slew in the Ship And this is the Account of the slain viz. An English-man the Gunner a Dutch-man the Carpenter and an Italian a Marriner an Armenian Merchant and a Turk a Servant which were five of five several Nations and five others wounded which the Lord God Almighty gave as Examples of his Wrath that the rest that lived might fear his dreadful and terrible Name Moreover the said coals of Fire burned many holes through their Sails and split their Main-Top-Mast in the Puttox and then grievous was the cry of all Flesh amongst them And from thence their perverse Spirits were much more moderated to hear me in causes of Equity and Truth Many things more I might mention of the wonderful Works of my God whom my simple soul serves even in the integrity and uprightness of my whole Heart But in these things I cease at this instant having hinted some things of other Passages in other Writings and therefore at the present do draw to the putting in order the following Writings which were dispensed by me in the Inquisition-Prison at Rome J. P. An Epistle general to the Romans GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners in the dayes of old spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets hath now in these latter dayes spoken unto us by the Revelation of his Son the LORD from Heaven who in the fulness of the dispensation of time came a Light into the world to be
the manifest Salvation of GOD unto the ends of the Earth as was spoken by the Word unto Isaiah his Prophet in whose face expresly we have the Revelation of the Father in whom we behold the Glory of the Son as the Glory of the only begotton of GOD full of Power and Wisdom hereby knowing what we Worship whom the whole world alienated from the Power Life Wisdom and Holiness of GOD do ignorantly Worship in the imaginations of their own hearts which before the Lord are only evil continually Him therefore declare I unto you GOD the Eternal and unto every mortal Invisible and Incomprehensible Spirit who is not likened unto the Creation which by the Power of his Eternal Word was made to glorifie hiâ—… Name by the Spirit sheweth That he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped by the Works of mens hands as if he needed any thing who from the beginning determined the times appointed and made all mankind of one mould and gave unto them Life and Breath and added thereunto of the Grace of his Mercy a measure of the Divine Nature if haply that thereby they might seek and feel after him the LORD their Creator But Man whom the LORD made little lower than the Angels and gave him the fulness of the Earth to possess rebelled at all times against his GOD he departed from the beginning from the living Way and made Invention the joy of his Heart and made his Inventions a fence against God and his Imaginations a Bullwark of defence and in all Ages and Generations though the LORD visited with Judgements Destruction Mercies and wonderful Deliverances and sent his Servants the Prophets arising up early and lying down late with Precept upon Precept and Line upon Line speaking as afar off by Signes and Figures and Parables and as at hand by Iudgement and Mercy And always shewed how that he is GOD and altogether unlimited neither bound unto Words nor Wonders nor limited in Sea or in Land but still Man made marks for GOD and set bounds for the Arm of his Power who in no wise is measured as the waters in the Wells nor contained as the Rivers with the banks who was not conceived as the Seed of Man nor born as the Babe of the Womb who is not comprehended as the grass with the ground nor as the wide swelling Seas with the sands of the shores who is not known as he knoweth all fowls and calleth the Stars by name who is not measured as the Earth with the Moon nor as the Heavens with the course of the Sun and therefore Man alwayes lost the knowledge of the eternal Power of the God-head and still settled in his own will which at first rebelled against GOD and in the same Will made Laws and Statutes and Ordinances for Government for Worship and for punishment though even from the dayes of the first man Adam unto this day the hand of the LORD GOD was turned against that work as witness the preaching of the Spirit of Abel Enoch and Noah he who hath an ear let him hear witness also Abraham Isaac and Jacob among the Heathen and Moses among the Egyptians yea witness the Spirit of Moses among Israel by Preaching by Power by Judgement and Deliverance What may I more say They would build a Tower to reach unto Heaven and Arks and Cities and Tabernacles and Temple And all for GOD to be constrained in their Works and when they had Commandments and Sacrifices as appointed by the Word of the LORD the Spirit sheweth when in all these things they would have forced the Rest of GOD the LORD arose alwayes against them and sent his Servants the Prophets to cry against those things with the same Word which commanded them whom they did beat imprison wound and torture yea and put to death And thus it alwayes was He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even as it is now and in like manner it hath been from the dayes of Abel until the Heir came and him they shamefully slew to possess the Vineyard Moreover of his dayes I may also speak even in the dayes of the LORD CHRIST when he was transfigured before his Disciples at the glorious appearance of Moses Eliah and the LORD the Disciples would build them Tabernacles but mercy appeared unto them in a Rebuke and they were instructed in the Way of GOD but yet and notwithstanding also that Paul the Apostle taught a pressing on from one degree of Faith unto another until all should be perfected unto the fulness of the measure of a compleat stature shewing also in the Resurrection who himself was risen with Christ the diversities of the measures of the Glories which were revealed and every measure as gathered into God in his fulness were respectively full shewing it by the figure of the Glories of the Lights of the Sun Moon and Stars and wrote to the Church how that he was caught up into the third Heaven and saw things which were unlawful to be uttered And John in the LORD'S Day in the Revelation of the Lord from Heaven saw the great things of GOD yet said the Angel unto him Come up hither I say notwithstanding all this the doctrine of GOD that he might be known to be GOD and not in any wise to be limited Man in his wilfulness and presumption unto this day hath set marks against him and made measures of words in their Wills as Cords of restraint to bind him yea the Heavens and the Earth and the depth of the Seas and all the increase of the Plant of the field and her seeding Seed the Sun Moon and Stars the Clouds the Winds the Hail and the Rain-bow of GOD shall witness against the Nations of the world in this matter They limit not God in their pleasure but do bow in subjection to his Will but the Nations of the Earth in the crookedness of their hearts have made walls against the passage of GOD. O Man lift up thine head and look and behold how the People and Inhabitants of the Earth do limit the LORD to their lusts O open thine Eye and see how they make GOD as a Transgressor in the Earth even as the Cattle of a Stranger which have fed in the fields of their Pasture and as the hand of a Thief and Robber which hath stolen the labour of another Look thorow the Earth among the Nations thereof and thou mayest read all their Professions as Prisons for the Reign of of GOD in the Conscience is limited by the forms of their Words and one cryeth Here and another saith There and another saith these are the Laws and the Precepts and he that will not Rest in this he is out of the Way of GOD and he that speaks against our Law and the Manners of our Worship he must bear the punishment thereof Concerning all which if the Conscience of GOD should demand Are your Words GOD
except the Works be perfect yea or nay Que. 13. Whether had not the Jews all the words of the Prophets and yet when Christ came slew Him who was the Virtue Sum Substance the Beginning and End of the life of the Prophets And whether you being out of the Spirit of Christ are not under the judgement of Jeremiah's words viz Though they say the LORD liveth surely they swear falsly Que. 14. Whether did Adam lose morâ—… in his life than CHRIST came to restorâ—… unto Man in this life Which is the greater the living soul or the quickning spirit And whether is any one or more of you Members restored unto either or not in the life of either of these two states yea or nay Que. 15. Whether is not all Sin of the Devil and he that commits Sin of the Devil yea or nay Concerning the true Church Query 16. Whether is not the Trutâ—… Church the Body of CHRIST which is in GOD And when Paul spake of Christ and the Church whether did he not speak of a Mystery yea or nay Que. 17. Whether are the Members of Christ's Body evil And if sinners be Members of Christs Body tell me if any other spirit be the sinnews of that body besides the spirit of the Devil which leads into sin and evil yea or nay Que. 18. Whether is not the perfection of the Glory of GOD in his Church And whether doth that remain among sinners yea or nay Que. 19. Whether hath not Christ said Without exception God heareth not sinners and therefore saith James You ask and have not And whether doth not God hear the Prayers of his Church yea or nay Que. 20. Whether doth not Paul say That Christ's Church is without spot or wrinkle to bring it into which state he purged every branch and the unfruitful he cut off And tell me since the last two hundred years whether your Members have encreased in more Sin or in more Holiness in outward shew and practice in their conversation Que. 21. Whether all that commit Sin are not in the Apostacy from the Spirit which is the life of the Church and leads out of all sin yea or nay Que. 22. Whether is not Christ the Promise of the Father The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's head And did he come to do lesse than was promised Now search you the Prophets and see what was promised and also answer me When the Serpents head is bruised is not Man as he was in the day that he was created yea or nay Que. 23. What is Salvation and Râ—…demption and Restauration and from whâ—… and unto what and when Que. 24. Whether the evil works all men is not Testimony of the false faâ—… of all such men And if Adam for one 〈◊〉 lost so glorious an Estate How think you wiâ—â— your so many sins shall you be made Inheritors of his first state Que. 25. Whether can any of you just say That Christ is the end of the Law fâ—â— Righteousness unto you who never came 〈◊〉 the beginning of the Righteousness thereof Did Christ come to destroy the Law or 〈◊〉 fulfil the Law Do you believe Paul's Testimony of Christ in whom he was revealeâ—… who therefore testified That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them that walk nor after the flesh but after the Spirit And whether is any one of you sâ—â— entred into the Spirit yea or nay Que. 26. Is any one or more of you truly in the Faith to witness unto John's Testimony who said As Christ is so are we in this present world and whether were they theâ—… in sin yea or nay Que. 27. Whether did not Christ rebuke Hypocrites when he said Why call you me Lord and do not the things which I say And Did not Christ say unto his Disbiples Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And Whether do you think that he was an unequal Lord and his Commandments grievous which could not be born yea or nay Que. 28. What are the Clouds and the time of the Night and the cause of the Darkness Blindness and Ignorance And what are the Vails which cover the Heart and the understanding part And how is the World set in man's heart whereby man cannot find out the Work which GOD maketh from the beginning to the end thereof Que. 29. What is that which removes the Darkness breaks thorow the Clouds rents the Vails and drives back the mist and thickness of the Night And whether is not that which is the Cause and that which removes the Cause these two still the same since the Fall unto this day of man's remaining under the Curse in the Fall And whether any thing redeems out of the Curse but that which redeems out of the Fall and is not every sinner in the Fall yea or nay Que. 30. What is that which takes away the Original of Sin and if the Original which is the root and off-spring be take away the root not left in ground how caâ—… a branch grow or fruit be brought forth GOD saith the soul that sinneth shall die And Whether do you otherwise believe Thaâ—… if you live in sin until death but you shaâ—… receive as Paul saith the wages of sin whicâ—… is death yea or nay These things are but that which maâ—… lead unto an entrance of somewhat morâ—… to follow which I offer as hereby directeâ—… in the Substance to all such as desire to know the new birth And when the Learneâ—… have answered them as the liberty of Pen Ink and Paper is afforded me I may explicate your Replications and shew the grounâ—… thereof and withall try if the key of the understanding all Mysteries is among you which is in the Church of Christ and any thing concerning the Kingdom of God Call your Councils together I am an alone Child propound your Queries and let me answer them for in GOD is my trust and not in self who am his Servant From the Inquisition-Prison in Rome J. P. THe Church of Christ this day stands in the Doctrine of Christ. They are in the Life which cannot recompence unto any man evil for evil but good for evil but you I find recompencing evil for good which is contrary to all good You are in the nature and practice of the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites which Christ cryed Wo against You call men Lords and Masters and are called of men Lords and Masters You love Greetings and Salutations in the Market-places and in these things love to be seen of men And you are in the delight of the uppermost Rooms and Places at Feasts and love the honour which comes from men All which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ But the Church of Christ speaks not more of Christ than as they live and walk in the Doctrine of Christ Number over your Traditions and compare them with what Christ and his holy Apostles delivered that you may see in how much you are short
it under the Judgment of Penalty To be brief I would draw to the understanding of the Root of a Matter which ought in Wisdom principally to be known in you all that you may know your Root of which I have seen much as ye daily bring forth the fruit thereof Que. 24. Whether the spirit of Oaths Envy Lust and Lyes is not of the ground and original root of Heresie yea or nay Que. 25. Whether that Spirit hath not an absolute and instant Ground and Root universally according to Confession in your Body yea or nay Que. 26. Whether is not all things which are contrary to the Doctrine and Life of CHRIST and his Apostles absolutely and undeniably Heresie and that assuredly Opinion which is the lesser as practice which makes it greater and they both but one in the Ground and Nature yea or nay Que. 27. What Rule of Truth or Precept in the Scriptures of Truth have you to condemn any man as an Heretick which denieth your evil spirit and in the Life utterly abhorreth all your beastly works and wicked words brought forth by the spirit of Heresie And to what purpose think you standeth the judgment of your spirit Do thou mind thy blind-hearted brother Thomas Courtney of these things who told me that Heresie speaking of some Opinion was a worser sin than Murder which weighed in the deeps le ts to see that it breaks a gap for more evil than a thousand of the like his lines is able to reconcile the which was his ignorance as if Murder were not the most abominable desperate act of wilfulness against GOD and a man's Neighbour brought forth by the spirit of Heresie which spirit abounds in all your Coasts which is the real cause of all the Oaths Curses Lyes Dissimulations Hypocrisies Drunkenness Gluttony Adulteries Pride Covetousness Envy all Uncleaness and Murders brought forth innumerably in your Land For which cause if you had all Words and understood all Mysteries yet the Saints interested in the simplicity of Truth dwelling in GOD cannot joyn hands with you to partake of your spirit and so of your evil deeds and lastly of the Wrath to be revealed which the Lord God in his Counsel hath determined shall sweep a secure Land When lastly thou wert with me I saw that thy visage was none of thine own as always unto thy own I desire not to judge thee rashly but let me exhort thee saying Carry not a Bears Paw under thy long Gown nor a Lion's Tooth within thy mincing Lips thy words many of them were as smooth as sweet Butter and fresh Oyl but see thou that under thy tongue there be not hid the poyson of Asps in such things as in the rest of the dead works signs shews and noises as the Magicians of Egypt about the Walls of the Prison and elswhere you may as they themselves did deceive your selves also but by all these things neither in my self nor in you am I at all deceived Settle your selves in Council I am bound within Walls yet blessed be the LORD GOD I savour the deeds of darkness and many of them would not be of good report to be told among your selves You know that I bear all the folly as being 〈◊〉 your Vâ—…ssal to that end but you know not how I trample upon the fruit and the spirit which yeelds it From the Inquisition-Prison in Rome J. P. To the Inhabitants of the bloody City the Mother of Cruelties and Murder REad the Declaration of the Righteousness of this Cause let it be spread in an open Parchment upon the Standard of your Host and let it be marked in your Ensign as a perpetual shame in the face of your Camp There was a certain Message sent by the hand of a Servant by the LORD of a strong Army who treated for the Surrender of the City He came not as a Coward to hide in a hole nor as treacherous to slay in secret but to deliver his service to the Chief to depart with the Answer of the Head of the Land He was foolishly entreated by the hands of the jealous and ilâ—… handled by the doubtful and timerous hearted they bound a Man of War in Chains and rejoyced often to smite him with rotten sticks they chused not to plead with him in open field nor to deal with him as do the Valiant and Honourable they bound him in their seat of contempt and sent Scorners to view him in secret he looked at the works of their hands and wrote them in the soals of his feet he setled his heart in the righteousness of the Message of his LORD and rather chose the Chain of his Enemies Yoak than to yeeld unto Cruelty and Flattery he was faithful to his Enemy in what he was sent as he was to his LORD that sent him he washed his hands of the Blood of the City and possessed the Peace of his LORD What will you say for your selves when this Servant's Cause shall be publickly pleaded to your faces I know your purpose concerning the Heir and the purpose also of the LORD of the Vineyard as the Reward of your wilful works You have been well warned but you have not well received but have ill rewarded and requited Yet in all I desire not that God may requite you as ye have requited me and therefore I have Consolation and you know not my Crown The putrified head of the corrupted body and rotten tayl yea the whole body even from head to tayl I tread upon for ever J. P. Rome from the Inquisition-Prison To the Priests appointed as Inquisitors and Keepers of the Inquisition-Prisons thereunto belonging A Visitation of the Lord God to you all is come ARise arise It is high time to Awake and Arise from the Seat of Blood For the LORD GOD is arisen to make Inquisition for the Blood of every Innocent Soul which hath been starved and slaughtered upon the face of the whole Earth Indignation flyeth with him as a pointed Arrow Vengeance is in his Right hand as a Spear for the Battel and Wrath as a Dart to pierce the Liver of the Wicked The LAMB is arisen for Slaughter as a Lion to devour the Prey a Burning fire proceedeth out of his mouth The Ungodly shall be consumed before him and because Iniquity is plentiful in the Land he hasteth the Iudgment of the Day neither Covering nor Cloud shall hide the Wicked nay nor the Clifts of the craggy Rocks from the fierceness of his provoked Fury He will smite suddenly even in a moment in the Land and bereave the habitation of the Dweller He will catch as a snare in the night and none shall deliver from his Wrath He will abide as burnings in the Earth Corruption shall not dwell in his Presence the Evil-doer is for the Wine-press of his Wrath but the Just shall dwell in his Pleasures It is at hand It is at hand the Day of Vengeance of the LORD according to the Prophecy The abundance of
may say that my Writings were against then as aforesaid could not I have written the things which I have written in your Inquisition-Prison Fifthly Because that all Righteous Laws of GOD in Nations touching Facts Criminal and Crimes Capital are no more to one person particular than unto all men in general And therefore my adhibition at last to write things of the same nature and purpose in Prison which at first I did in the fruition of Liberty demonstrates that your said self-nulled Law Under which contrary to the tenure of GOD's righteous Law I am yet irrationally and compulsively held in your house of Captivity was not at first so much a stable Law as an aiery variable nicity for that which in such cases adhibits to one and prohibits the same to another is rather like a wind of vanity than a body or pillar of solidity seeing that it will admit of the respect of persons in Judgement and consequently what equality there is in restraining of persons more than two years upon the account of a changeable curiosity and aiery nicity judge thee O thou righteous Iudge in the high seat of superiority Sixthly Because the Eternal Spirit of Righteousness my Maker which searcheth all hearts and tryeth all reins which is the greatest Witness of all Witnesses beareth testimony in my spirit that in all which I have written have stood and do stand in my Conscience clear naked and void of all and every part of a prejudicial mind or conception of Envy Wrath Malice Scorn or despightful Contempt of any man's person neither have I thereby wronged any man whatsoever for all that is therein inserted is none other but wholsom Admonitions exciting to a more peculiar holy and blessed life towards GOD and a man's Neighbour with certain solid sober Interrogations which tend not to the custom of heathenish strifes and contests in the envious and malicious spirit of bitterness but purely sincerely and reverently in the humble spirit of fear of the LORD GOD to the proper and sole end of the Glory of GOD through the Salvation of Souls by his heavenly enlightning of Understandings with the Glory of his holy Spirit And savoury reprehensions of that spirit which sinneth and testimony against the Evils of the Land and the insertion of sundry spiritual Mysteries of the heavenly Kingdom with the spiritual Witness of the Father Son and holy Ghost and nothing therein contrary to the New Testament of GOD the Blood of the Covenant and immaculate Life of the Lamb nor any thing in opposition to that chast Spirit of Sanctity which was in Mary or any which was or is as that blessed Virgin was which upon further and due tryal I am able in the grace and power of GOD and the Life of our Lord Jesus to make appear unto that of God in you and all men whatsoever which my Language can understand upon the face of the Earth In which thing being justified First by GOD which sent me Secondly By example of the holy Prophets of old Thirdly By the practice of CHRIST and his Apostles which at large through the Mercy of the Lord God Almighty I am also able to hold forth unto you in the day of due tryal according to the undeniable Record and Witness of the holy Scriptures of Truth And therfore Righteousness saith Because that the nature of the matter was of a pure purpose should rationally have been recompenced by you with none other than a pure and Christian-like practice Seventhly Because the sweet savour and good report of our Innocency came to your City before us which God made divers of your Ecclesiastical Members to confess in plainness of speech to my face Eighthly Because the Witness of GOD which is greater than the Witness of Man testified in my spirit That all my honest Queries sweet and holy Admonitions pure Advertisments godly Reprehensions proceeded from no other but as Crystal streams from the fountain of the Father's Love which he hath made as a Well of Waters in my bowels And principally because that Reprehension is an infallible token of the Father's Love to his Seed in all Nations and Lands testified by the Spirit to John the Apostle saying Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Ninthly Because it is the undeniable Duty of all men upon the face of the Earth to love the Rebukes of the LORD as it is purely the LORD's Mercy and of his infinite Love to send them as Visitations of his Love unto all Nations Tenthly Because the resisting of the Rebuke is the resisting of the token of the Favour and Love of GOD which renders men unworthy of the Love and Mercies of GOD their Maker And because it vails the heart from the life of the true Zeal in spirit and hardens the heart in the Wrath of Cain towards Abel of Esau to Jacob and of the Jews to Jesus 11. Because the Righteous Law of God is of the same nature full of Judgment and Reprehension of every Evil not respecting the Person of any man and is at unity with every such spirit of its own nature in so good a work for the which cause it was righteously added of GOD for if there were no bridle how should the Beast be tamed if no Helm how should the Ship be sailed And without Correction there is no perfect Instruction 12. Because the Rebuke of Life is as a Steel which smiteth at the Flint of man's heart and kindleth in his Internals the fire of the fear of his Creator which is the beginning of Wisdom which reveals the knowledge of the countenance of the Father whom to know is Life eternal and because of Solomon's proverbial commendation of the work of Reprehension saying The Reproof of the Righteous is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver 13. Because as the matter of my said Writings is manifestly composed of Righteousness and covered with the Countenance of the Word of GOD so the manner thereof stands in unity with the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles which were in the nature of Divinity which covereth not Iniquity with daubing Iniquity 14. Because Moses the Messenger of GOD justified him which prophesied in the Camp whom the People complained against thus answering and saying Would God all the Lords People were Prophets And because GOD Almighty is unchangeably the same as yesterday so this day and for ever of these stones able to raise a Seed unto Abraham 15. Because of the amiable Example of the gesture of David the King under the sharp Reprehension of Nathan the Prophet who persecuted not the Prophet but with a contrite spirit repented of his own sin And the like of the King and People of Niniveh who persecuted not Jonah though he cryed their Destruction in the Streets 16. Because the Prophet Isaiah prophesied it as the great Evil of such a People which would make a man an Offender for a Word 17. Because that for the same things like