is much greater in the latter forasmuch as you exclude from that which you cause to be presented as an offence for not going to and then if People were willing to go they are excluded and being excluded they may not be received until they have purchased your Absolution and this maketh an offence on your parts and that according to your own conclusion For if not going be an offence then exclusion must needs be greater and that falleth upon you as the Actors and here you draw a guilt upon your selves in your own work And what neccessity is there for you to cast out and exclude People for that which they are not in is not this a high degree of confusion in your proceedings For if you would have People go to your Steeple-house and Service then overcome with Love and convince them by sound Doctrine and if you judge them unworthy then let them alone where they are and do not run your selves into such confusion as to cast such out as are without before and then judge them unworthy of coming in without your Absolution But if you should do so then you would lose your gain after which you seek and your Diana would fall and your Craft be spoiled and indeed to speak plainly that is the main thing you strive to uphold for your Courts draw sees from such as cannot withstand you and your Absolutions bring money from such as fall under you and so your proceedings end in money by which it is manifest that you are not so much for the honour of Almighty God as the love of Lucre and if that was not to be obtained there is good cause to believe that your Courts would soon dissolve of themselves but whilest there is any hope of gain or profit you will keep them up if the Magistrate will but help you and you have found out so many devices to compass your gain besides that device for not coming to your Steeple-houses and Service as it is a hard matter to escape your Snares especially such as be of a tender Conscience and for the sake of such here are some of your devices opened and with the Scriptures of Truth compared by which trial you are found much wanting 1. You have devised to bring people into your Courts for not Baptizing their Children as you call it and where doth the Scripture command Baptizing of Children after your manner as to sprinkle water in their Faces and to sign them with the sign of the Cross and to have Godfathers and Godmothers to undertake for them For though Christ in his love and tenderness towards little Children would have them suffered to come unto him and not forbidden and that he took them in his arms yet we do not â—â—ad that he sprinkled water in their faces and signed them with the sign of the Cross or that they had Godfathers or Godmothers to undertake for them but he said Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 19.14 by which he shewed their Innocency and his love to them in that state And now you have gotten a Law to compel people to Baptize their Children as you commonly use it though Christ used it not and if People refuse to use it then you have a snare for them And was it not above four hundred years after Christ before sprinkling Infants came in Read Eusebius And Christ did not mention water when he sent forth his Disciples to Teach and Baptize all Nations but commanded them To Baptize in the Name or into the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 And the Apostle said That by one Spirit they were all Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12.13 and this is beyond your outward sign which you are commonly using and it standeth by the Authority of the Spirit and of the Scriptures without the help of any Temporal Law And do you not say the Scriptures are your Rule and yet you are using such things as are not to be found in them and have a Law to compel or punish those that cannot use the same things with you 2. You have devised to bring People into your Courts concerning your Communion as you commonly use it and call it holy and it is believed that the Communion of the Saints and Apostles was as hoâ—y as yours and yet we do not read that they Excommunicated and cast such into Prison as would not be partakers with them And was not the Communion which they used the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ See 1 Cor. 10.6 And did not the Apostle put people upon the Examination of themselves before they ate of that Bread and drunk of that Cup which was their Communion 1 Cor. 11.28 So mark He did not say If there be any that will not receive this Bread and this Cup as we commonly use it that then we will Excommunicate them and cast them into Prison They did not proceed in such a manner who had the true Communion amongst them but said Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. So see what your Communion is who proceed to punish people that cannot receive it as you commonly use it for the Apostle bids People Examine themselves and so let them eat and you bid People either come and eat or you will proceed to punish them and here is a great difference between your minds and the mind of the Apostle 3. You have devised to bring people into your Courts for Error in matters of Religion and Doctrine by you allowed and do you not believe your selves That the Religion and Doctrine which Christ and the Apostles allowed was as sound and true as yours And we do not read that they Excommunicated and cast such into Prison who differed from that Religion and Doctrine by them allowed for the Apostle bid people examine themselves whether they were in the Faith He did not say You are in Error as to the Religion and Doctrine which we allow and we must Excommunicate you and cast you into Prison and we have a Temporal Law to do it but he saith Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 And by that Examination and proof he would bring people to know Christ Jesus in them and so bring them out of the Reprobate State in which is the Error And this was sound Doctrine by which he laboured to bring people to the knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved and that was to Christ Jesus in them who is the Salvation of God And so the Apostle would not that people should be Reprobate concerning the Faith and live in Error and therefore he preached sound Doctrine to them that he might open their Understandingâ— to know the Truth And the Doctrine that he preached was Christ Jesus in them And this was the Religion and
Doctrine which the Saints allowed and approved and they warned such as did receive it That they should not receive another Doctrine though they or an Angel from Heaven should bring it And though they certainly knew that their Religion and Doctrine was Truth it self yet we do not read that they Excommunicated and cast such into Prison as differed from them in Religion and Doctrine for they were of a better spirit than to deal with people in such cases after such a manner Therefore see what spirit you are of and first Examine and prove your selves whether you be in that Religion and Doctrine which they allowed who had the Spirit of Faith in Christ Jesus For though you may have a Law in such cases and by that Law may proceed to Excommunicate and Imprison yet if such against whom you proceed be in that Religion and Doctrine which they allowed who had the true Spirit they are in the Truth and not in Error and by such proceedings you make your selves no less than fighters against God and his Truth by which it is manifest that your power is not of God and so the Error is your own And the 5th of Eliz. 23. is your great authority in these cases 4. You have devised to bring People into your Courts for not paying your Tythes and in that case Hen. 8. and Edw. 6. provided something for you but how that now standeth in force as to your proceedings the matter is something questionable And if Tythes be not yeilded and paid then according to that Statute made in 2. Edw. 6.13 you are to have a Writ Excommunicato capiendo out of the Chancery against the party or parties so refusing and if they can be found then to cast them into Prison and if they cannot be found then the Statute of the 5th of Eliz. 23. giveth power to leavy Fines of 10. l. the first Capias 20. l. the second and twenty pounds the third and if the party or parties do not yield their Bodies to the Sheriff upon Proclamation then twenty pounds upon every Capias ad infinitum according to that Statute And so you are furnished with Statutes for your purpose in the case of Tythes But are these things according to the Rule and Command which Christ gave to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preach the Gospel Surely you have looked more into the Statutes than you have done into the Scriptures for did not Christ say to his Disciples when he sent them forth Freely ye have received freely give Mat. 10.8 And do not you say Give us Tythes or we will give you Punishment according to the Statutes And is not here a great difference between your voices and the voice of Christ And is not the true Sheepherd known by his voice and are not Theeves and Robbers known by their voices And which of you will go forth and freely give what ye have as the Disciples did Or must you not first know what the Tythes of such a place will afford you before you go unto it And will not more Tythes and Profits call you from that place again unto another And do you not hereby manifest that you do not freely receive the Ministry as the Disciples did and so are in the disobedience unto the Rule and Command of Christ and are minding earthly things for your Belly which is your God Oh the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which corrupteth the Earth The Power of the Lord is manifest to cleanse the Land and the Earth from such defilements yea he will sweep it as with a Beesom and will drive the Locusts before him until the Land be cleansed And when Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice unto God then did he end the Law with Tythes and Offerings For it is granted that there was a Commandment under the Law by which Tythes were payd and they that were of the sons of Levi had a Commandment to take Tythes of their brethren according to the Law Heb. 7.5 But you are compelling Tythes from such as you cast out and do not count them brethren and so you erre from that Commandment under the Law But it cannot be granted that Tythes are now to be paid by the Power of that Commandment forasmuch as Christ hath disannulled it Heb. 7.18 and being disannulled the force and power of it is taken away and he never gave commandment afterwards for Tythes to be paid nor his Apostles neither And you may see how Paul laboured with his own hand that he might not be chargable 1 Cor. 4.12 1 Thes. 2.9 He had not his Parritors about him to send unto such as would not pay him Tythes and this makes a great difference between you and Paul for he laboured with his own hands that he might not be chargable to any and you sit at ease and are chargable to many for you will have your Tythes and your pay from such as do not set you on work neither have need of your work and as Christ hath disanulled the Commandment going before concerning Tythes and that he did not revive it again by his own commandment so it must needs stand disannulled to all intents and purposes whatsoever For among Temporal Powers there is that regard to the disanulling of any Law as that it shall no more be put in Execution without it be again revived but standeth wholly and fully disannulled and repealed And will people have less regard to the power of Christ Jesus than unto Temporal Powers For as Christ disanulled that commandment by which Tythes were pay'd under the Law and did not again revive it by his own command under the Gospel so it standeth wholly and fully repealed unto this day and no man hath power to revive it or cause it to be put in execution for Christians are to keep the commands of Christ and not to keep up commands which he hath disannull'd for that is to keep up the Jews practice among Christians and so deny Christ Jesus who is the End of the Law not only for Tythes and Offerings and Oblations but also for Righteousness to them that believe And have Kings and Princes of the Earth such Power and Authority as to revive that by their Law and commandment which Christ hath disanulled and left disanulled Will you set Kings and Princes of the Earth above Christ Jesus the King of Glory and Prince of Life And will you proceed against people to Excommunicate and Imprison them from such a ground and Foundation Surely it is not altogether your Ignorance but your Interest that puts you forward in this work And if you say that the Church is to be preserved in Discipline and Order by the Magistrates Power and as they have provided Laws in such cases so you must put them in execution according to their own intention and that you are blameless as doing nothing but what the Law enjoynes you which in your places you cannot avoid and so according to your
A General Summons FROM THE AUTHORITY of TRUTH UNTO ALL Ecclesiastical Courts AND OFFICERS Wherein they may see what Truth objecteth against their Practice and Proceedings in Cases of Conscience By WILLIAM SMITH And I will punish the World for their Evil and the Wicked for their Iniquity and I will cause the Arrogancy of the Proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible Isa. 13.11 London Printed in the Year 1668. The Epistle to the READER Reader WHere Knowledge is heaped up concerning Truth and the Truth not obeyed and practised it makes the World like a Wilderness or the height of Babel for all People are out of order that do not obey and practise Truth And by how much their Knowledge is large even so much the more Confusion aboundeth because that Knowledge pusseth up the fleshly mind with false notions and conclusions and whatsoever Worship is set up from such a knowledge it only receiveth Life from the Power of Temporal Laws and all such Worships either live or dye as the Law favours them or is against them and such things are gotten up among the apostatized Christians who are gone from the Spirit and Power of God And so Bishops Pastors Vicars Curates and People do erre and go astray from his wayes like lost Sheep as they confess And what is to be expected in such a Worship where the Spirit and Power of God is wanting And what is to be expected from such Bishops Pastors Vicars and Curats as erre and go astray from his wayes like lost sheep Do not such erre and go astray as walk in their wayes who walk not in the way of God And notwithstanding there is a confession of erring and going astray yet People are driven forward in such wayes by the force of Temporal Laws and so People must either erre and go astray or come under the punishment of such Laws Now let the wise and moderate Reader consider whither such are going as erre and go astray from the way of God are they not going to the Chambers of Death and Destruction And is there any cause why People should be forced by Temporal Laws to walk in that way Oh that it might be seriously layd to heart for such as erre and go astray like lost sheep have more need to forsake their wayes that to compel others to walk with them for Christ hath sheep that hear his voice and follow him and those sheep do not erre and go astray from his wayes but feed in his Pasture and rest under his Shadow and he saves them from the Wolf and Beasts of Prey And all such as confess they erre and go astray from his wayes they must turn unto him and follow him who is the Light of the World and Way to the Father and then they will not erre and go astray like loss Sheep but be gathered into the Fold and into the Pasture and there is neither Bishop Pastor Vicar or Curate that can come into this state but as they come to the Light with which Christ Jesus enlightens them for who be from the Light are in Darkness and that is the cause why they erre and go astray like lost Sheep And can any be true Worshippers of God whilest they erre and go astray from his wayes And is not God worshiped in his own way And yet such as confess they erre from his wayes would force others so worship with them but such are seen in the Light and their end is manifest and many are delivered out of such wayes and gathered into the way of God and so he is known to be a Spirit and worshipped in the Spirit and in the Truth which is his own way for his Spirit doth not lead astray from his wayes and they that have received his Spirit and live in it they live in the Truth and they that be in the Spirit Life and Power the outward Law can neither give Life nor bring Death upon their Worship because it standeth in the Substance which endures for ever So Reader be thou mindful to obey the Light with which Christ Jesus enlightens thee and that will keep thee from going astray like a lost sheep for that which goeth astray is a wanderer from the Light which is the Guide in the way of God and they that erre and go astray are following and worshipping the Beast and false Prophet whose habitation is full of Persecution by which the Saints and houshold of Faith are afflicted But now the Lamb sits in Judgment and the Beast and the â—hore and the False Prophet are judged and their House will fall over their heads and those that sit with them and they will feel the â—urden of their house upon them and there will be none to take the burden of Therefore whoever thou art that readest mind that which giveth Understanding that thou mayest be a follower and worshipper of the Lamb and not of the Beast and the Whore and False Prophet for of 〈◊〉 Truth the Lamb and the Saints must have the Victory W.S. A General Summons from the Authority of TRUTH unto all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers c. Friends YOU have taken upon you a Work of great concernment but how you are qualified and fitted for it is the thing to be considered for there are several Objections may arise against you and this is not the least Whether you be in such a Spiritual capacity as to judge of Spiritual matters or fully to determine cases of Conscience from a spiritual discerning and understanding for many are unsatisfied concerning the proceedings in such cases and it is not without some ground when your practice and proceedings in such cases are truly examin'd and rightly compared with the practice and proceedings of Christ and his Apostles who had power and authority in the true Spirit to try and judge of all things pertaining to the Conscience and though you pretend the same thing and have given your selves the title of Spiritual Men and your Courts Spiritual Courts and so sit to try and judge of things pertaining to the Conscience yet you are not found upon the true Judgment Seat neither do your proceedings in such cases run in a true Line of Spiritual Men before you So that the precept of the Spirit nor the president of Christ and his Apostles are not your Rule for where did they set up Courts to try and judge in such cases And who did they summon to appear before them and who did they Excommunicate for not Hearing their Service or for not appearing to their Summons or for not Baptizing their Children or for not Receiving the holy Communion or for not Repairing Steeple-houses which you call Churches or for not paying Tythes and who did they Imprison or cause to be cast into Prison when they had Excommunicated them Compare your practice and proceedings with theirs and then see if there be not good cause to Object against your practice and proceedings in such cases For
own perswasion concerning your proceedings you would seemingly clear your selves from persecution But this Covering will not hide you though it be the largest that can be spread over you and if you would clear your selves by it as not being the constitutoâ—s of such Laws then you must needs make the Magistrates guilty and you have no cause at all to do so seeing you reap the Profit and if you would lay it upon them to excuse your selves you requite their pains for you after the worst manner for they are your principal Upholders and Supporters and that breath you live by as to such things you draw it from them and that strength you stand by you receive it from them And have not you or some before you propounded and prescribed such wayes unto them before they have enacted Laws for such purposes And doth not that make you stand originally guilty of the matter And doth not your prosecuting such Laws draw the guilt more upon you though as to what the Magistrates do for you in such cases they are not clear and in time they may come to see it and be weary of it And would you wholly lay your proceedings upon the Magistrates Power and so make them bear the burden of all your work And will that power stand by you in all things you practice or do you not act in many things without their power and do you not thereby plainly do them wrong Now concerning your Steeple-house which you call a Church and bring People into your Courts that cannot pay money towards Repairing it What Law have you in that case And is your Church of that Nature as it must be Repaired with money Will it decay and fall and come to nothing if it be not repaired and upheld with money If that be the nature of your Church as by your proceedings seemeth then People have good cause to absent from it and you have no cause at all to compel any to come unto it for the Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth and it needeth not to be repaired with money because it standeth in the eternal Power and Life which decayeth not and Christ Jesus is the Head and Ruleth over it and is a Husband to it And this is not like an old House that will fall if it be not kept up with money And that is the Church and Church-Government which the Quakers own and submit unto and there needs no outward Law to compel them for the day of his Power hath made them willing and his Love constrains them and so you can neither compel nor restrain them by your Laws for they cannot be compelled to observe that which they know is not true nor restrained from that which they know to be true and whether you proceed against them according to your Law or without Law in such cases it is all one unto them For they do not so much take notice of the outward Law in cases of Conscience as they mind to keep their Consciences void of offence towards God and men So that your proceedings are little unto them whether you render them guilty by a Law or without Law For as their Consciences are void of offence towards God and men so no man can charge an offence to make them gâ—ilty And that wipeth off all your sentences and censures as fast as you give them forth And what Law have you to proceed against people â—or not repairing the fence about the Steeplehouse-Yard and for following honest labour upon those dayes you call Holy-dayes have you not heaped up devices like a Mountain and do not every device bring you some gain and profit and is not that the principâ—l ground why you proceed in them and might their not be a good and sound plea held and maintained against you according to the Scriptures of Truth and might not all your devices be overturned if such a plea could be admitted yea surely your mountain might sâ—on be thrown down if Justice and Equity could but enter therefore you have no cause so highly to lift up your horn seeing you stand upon a slippery place But some may say What is there in all these things which is of concernment as to Life and Salvation for Life and Salvation standeth not in such things but by believing in Christ Yeâ— There is great concernment in these things as to Life and Salvation and they that would come into the true Faith and be a believer in Christ they must deny these things and come out from among them For they that believe in Christ for Life and Salvation they do not yield their obedience to another Power because all Believers obey his commands and not another so here is something of concernment as to Life and Salvation for who are observing such things as Christ doth not command they have not Life and Salvation in him as Believers therefore people are to mind what they obey because they become servants unto that thing and who are obeying any of these things they are certainly in bondage by them and doth not that separate from Life and Salvation in Christ Jesus And unto what do you bring people by your compulsion do you bring them unto Christ or into your own observation And if they cannot bow to your observation then you excommâ—nicate them and cast them into Prison And what command have you for such things according to Scriptures Let us see your Scriptures if you be spiritual men and do not presumâ— above what is written but keep to that which you say is your Rule for the Quakers are noble and search the Scriptures and they find that those things you practice are not so according to Scripture And have not people good cause to be separated from you who erre from the Scriptures and the Power of God And how will you stand by these things in the day when you must give account of all your deeds Will not these deeds appear as evil deeds and will not you appear as evil-doers and what Law will then appear to justifie you before the Judge of Heaven and Earth for you will find him to be a Judge more righteous than your selves and you will not have a plea to hold against him but must bear his Judgement because you have sinned therefore repent whilst you have time and learn to do well And why do you act so furiously against others by the power of the Law and take no notice of your selves by the same Law Is there not a Law for you as well as others Is there not something which the Law taketh notice of as to your selves which properly falleth under the sentence of Excommunication Doth not the Law take notice of Incontenency Usury Simony and Perjury in the Ecclesiastical Courts or Idolatry And doth it not properly relate unto you and brings such things under Excommunication See 5 Eliz. 23. But you here stand silent or rather dead as to any motion and if you say that no such