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
for the Quakers you have never yet shewed any such cause upon your proceedings and therefore as to them your Excommunications are void and such falsly Imprisoned who suffer upon that account forasmuch as you have not at any time proved them offenders against God and his Truth which is the cause of Excommunication and they that tryed judged such cases in the true Spirit they proceeded to Excommunication upon such cases as were proved to be an offence against God and his Truth but they did not proceed to imprison any by the power of temporal Laws nor by their own power though such offences were proved against them as might bring them under Excommunication neither did they proceed against those that were without but if any that was called a Brother was a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner they were to put away from among them such wicked persons so mark they were amongst them against whom they proceeded to Excommunication and those that were without they left to be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 5. For a man is first to be within before he be cast out and when he is within as to profession and then walketh not according to the Rule of Truth and will not receive Admonition to be reformed from his abuses then he is to be cast out as a wicked person So the Apostle did not say If any will not come to our Worship and hear our Service or will not have their Children Baptized or will not receive the holy Communion as now commonly used or be in Error in matters of Religion or Doctrine allowed in the Church or pay not their Tythes or Tenths that then they shall proceed to cast out such as wicked persons He did not lay these things down as a ground for such proceedings but he took notice of the wickedness which was an offence against God and his Truth and so laid down the most principal matters upon which they were to proceed for the casting out such offenders from amongst them and this was their Practice who judged in the true Spirit and cast out offenders by the power of the true Spirit But you cast out such as are not offenders in any such matters and count them unworthy of common dealing and society among men and cause them to be cast into prison by the Temporal Power and so you cast out sober and righteous and godly people whereas they cast out drunkards and fornicators and such as were in transgression but they did not Imprison them and you are doing both and that to a people who are neither drunkards nor fornicators noâ— any way offenders against God and his Truth but live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world and you have not any thing further against them but as to things pertaining to their Consciences of which you are not able to judge so that if you did not first make causes you could find none in the Quakers to give you any occasion to proceed in such a manner against them and besides they are not of you but are separated from you and those causes you make are in themselves so slender and weak as that they cannot any way bear the weight of such proceedings neither ought you to be judgâ— in the case forasmuch as the cause is your own and the Law of the Nation excludeth men from being Judges in their own Cause as supposing that men in their own Cause will eye their own Interest more than the common good and therefore it excludes them from trying or judging in that case and yet you go much further by taking upon your selves the whole matter as in these particulars 1. There is no Cause but what you make 2. There is no Evidence but your own Conclusions 3. There is not any to give Judgment or Sentence besides your selves Now every Cause is to be of that nature as the Law properly in it self will take hold upon by which it cometh under the power of the Law to be determined and every such Cause is to be proved by such Evidence as are not related to it and also to be determined by such Judge or Judges as are no way concerned in the matter and so all parties which may stand any way related unto the Cause either in Evidence or Judgment are excluded But your Proceedings are wholly left unto your selves and your own Interest is involved which makes you parties and what plea can be held against you in such a case to obtain right from you For it is to be understood that you have not made such Causes and gotten power to act in such proceedings as to give judgment against that which you have made or to determine the matter against your own Interest and so it may well and safely be concluded that you are resolved in the beginning how the matter shall end and not any plea though never so good and sound that will help the Defenddant in his Case And here you are beside the Law of the Nation again for every good and sound plea is to be admitted on the Defendants behalf in all Courts of trial and the Defendant is to have the benefit of his Plea so far as it will hold good against the Plantiff and hereby many Plantiffs are overturned in their Cause and all Judges standing equal in Judgement as to the Cause of both parties do suffer the matter so to be tried and proved before them as that they may from a good understanding do right unto the party grieved But you will not admit of any Plea though never so good and sound according to Scripture which is the chief plea on the Defendants part against you yet you will not admit of it to the Defendants benefit by doing him right accordingly but with confidence proceed to Excommunication if there be not Conformity given and so your proceedings are found to be against the Law of the Nation in these particulars 1. In destroying common Dealings and Society among men 2. In Excommunicating and Imprisoning without shewing sufficient cause 3. In being Judges in your own Cause 4. In not admitting the Defendants Plea And as these things are the very foundation or ground of your proceedings and being found to be against the Law it self so the Law doth not properly stand by you neither can you properly stand by the Law for the Law doth not properly stand by any thing that is against it but rather takes hold upon it to suppress it and if this were well minded you would not be admitted to sit in the highest seat of Judgment concerning Spiritual things Now you first cause People to be presented for not going to their Parish Church and then you proceed to Excommunicate and Exclude them and no Plea will be admitted by you in the Case And is the first an offence in your account and is not the latter of as high a nature Surely if there be an offence in the first it
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