are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
or to the left cryes This is the Way walk in it Isa. 30. 21. Of which the Scripture is a true Declaration spoken from this Word of Truth of which Light every one hath a measure which unto them is the free Gift of God to profit withall which Light in the Conscience reproves for sin and iniquity and manifests the deceit of the heart and checks the Creature when it swears or lyes or doth amiss telling it that it should not do so and calls for Repentance and Amendment of Life and leads unto the same as it is owned and followed and as many as receive it receive power to become the Sons of God Joh. 8. 12. and 1. 12. Rom. 2. 4. But he that doth evil hates the Light and will not bring his deeds to it by it to be proved and to him it is condemnation but he that loves the Light brings his deeds to the Light that it may manifest them whether they be wrought in God John 3. 20 21. But of this Light you People and Teachers of the World are ignorant and so are doting upon the Scripture without with your dark minds there with the blind Pharisees seeking for Life where it is not to be found but will not come to Christ the Light that you might have Life but would cast him out of his Throne and exalt Scriptures above him calling them the Judge and the Light and the Word and the Life and the Rule and the Guide and thus with your dark minds you would take the Authority from Christ and would give it unto the dead Letter which is but a Declaration of these things And thus your Leaders cause you to err Isa. 3. 12. for their own ends and of the Scripture they make an Idol to get money by adding their own Meanings Interpretations and Constructions upon them which are all the Conceivings and Imaginations of their own hearts by which they lead you in Blindness ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth in your hearts but are looking without doting without in the Letter acting and imitating out of the Light for Life and so in darkness doing your own works which are not required at your hands but are for Condemnation by the Light And so in vain are you worshipping a God whom ye know not crying up his Ordinances and crying up his Commands and crying up the Scripture exalting it in the Place of Christ and thus coming neer him with your lips and your hearts far from him still living in the corrupt sinful nature ignorant of the free Grace of God which should lead you to repentance and amendment of life Ephes. 2. 5. 8. And because we do witness this Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and Generations now made manifest in us which is Christ within the Hope of Glory Col. 1. 26 27. who is the Light of the World who doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World who is the true Shepherd John 10. and the true Teacher no more to be removed into a Corner Isa. 30. 20. who is the Anointing who teacheth all things and is the End of mans teaching therefore your Ministry of the Letter who make a Trade and a Gaine of the Letter by idolizing it and setting it up in the room of Christ by taking the Authority from Christ and applying it to the Letter that your minds who are taught by them may the more be drawn without to look at it and Idolize it expecting Life and Salvation by it and no hope without it that they may the longer make Merchandize of you and still uphold their Trade and Gain by it do now see that this our doctrine of Christ to be all in all and that without him we can do nothing John 15. 5. but that by him we can do all things without the help of Scripture or any thing else without Phil. 4. 13. and that there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved but that he is able to save to the utmost all that shall come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. and that he is the Word and the Scripture is not and that he is the Light and the Scripture is not and that he is the Rule and Guide and Teacheâ— and Judge and the Scripture is not but a Declaration of him to be so and that the Scripture all along witnesseth with our Doctrine to be one with it and theirs to be another Doctrine which the Scripture will not maintain but the Scripture is against and is onely brought in for Lucres sake to satisfie their own carnal ends that they may bear rule by their Means as the false Prophets did before them Jer. 5. 30 31. And this Light all along makes them manifort in all their Colours and false Covers so that they cannot hide themselves from being Deceivers and also this they do know that if every one come to know and find a Teacher within them which doth teach them the will of God and doth enable them for to obey it so that they need no man to teach them then indeed they will no longer spend their Money upon them for that which is not Bread nor their Labour for that which profitteth not and will be a Prey unto them no longer So not only their Craft and Trade and Idol will fail them but also their great Gain and Riches will be taken from them and all their Honour and Fame and Dignity will come to nought Therefore they in their hot Rage and Fierceness and Enmity of their Spirits do set themselves to oppose this Light wheresoever it is made manifest and persecuting the Publishers of this Doctrine railing against them as Deceivers Seducers Bringers in of false Lights and such as deny the Scripture and would rob it of its Authority and give it to a Light within them which the Priests call natural Light and insufficient to lead to Salvation without the help of Scripture and other outward Helps and so would set the Scripture above the Light of Christ saying among themselves If we let go the Authority of Scripture then all is gone that is to say Take away our Idol then take away our Maintenance then down with our Ministry So here is clear the Foundation they stand upon and this is the cause why they call the Scripture their Foundation and so all this Authority which they put upon the Scripture they take from Christ who alone is the Foundation of the Faithful of whom the Scripture is a Declaration and so we do own it by the same which gave it forth which unto us doth open it and reveal it and manifesteth them to be out of the Life of it and so by the Life thereof are judged and condemned as before is proved And though they call it the Word yet in the same it doth witness against them and witness Christ to be the Word before the Scripture was written John 1. And though they call
Generation yet nevertheless I continued in constant Preaching of the Word to the Consciences of the People freely and publickly in several Plains of the Country notwithstanding much Opposition both of Priests People and Professors and much did the Truth prevail in the Hearts of the People to the Glory of God the Father of Truth which did make glad the Hearts of many who have long expected this Day to appear but the false Prophet began to utter forth his Lyes Blasphemies against the Truth the Beast by whose Power the false Prophet stands began to rage and persecute and the Ministers of Anti-christ stood up for their Kingdom crying against Truth striving to present it odiouâ— in the Ears of the People but when I came to their Faces they fled like Hirelings and left their Flock behind so that the Truth much prevailed notwithstanding their railing and raging so that they begun to appoint Meetings purposely to set themselves against the Truth to presenâ— it to the People as Error and Heresie so that if by any Means they could by their evil incensing and leavening of the Minds of the People turn away their Minds from hearkning to the Truth and on the other Side they had the Earthly Powers to uphold them and strengthen them against whomsoever should come to gainsay them and to lay their Law upon them so I hearing of a publick Meeting that was appointed by the Priests and Professors of these Times to be at a Town call'd Great Coggashall upon the 12th Day of the 5th Moneth called July as was declared in publick by the Priest of the said Town to Fast and Pray against the Errors as they said of the People called Quakers and also their Intent was to ensuare me and to bring my Body into Bonds if that I came amongst them for to defend the Truth which afterwards appeared and although I did see their Intent towards me I was made willing not only to be bound but also to suffer for the Pâ—re Eternal Truth which I am made a Witness of so I being pressed in my Spirit for to go amongst them and in Obedience to the same I went and there was one Priest Willis an Independent Teacher who was set up in the Seat of the Pharisee the chiefest Place of the Assembly there speaking a Divination of his own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord and therefore knew not how to divide the Word aright but cryed against false Prophets and Deceivers and he himself one of them and when the Priâ—st had done I spoak unto the People in Vindication of the Truth of God which the Priest had before reproached reviled and blasphemed but the Priests and the Rulers interrupted me and 〈◊〉 into many Words which bred much Disorder and Confusion and then another of the Priests got up into the Pulpit and they bid me put of my Hat and stand with my Hat off the Time the Priest was praying which Worship I denyed and therefore could not be conformable to it and so I said Before I should be subject to their Wills I would pass out of the Meeting Place and so I did and many People came out after me for I intended to declare the Truth in the Town being I could not have Liberty in the publick Place And as I was passing on the Way quietly towards my Friends House he that is called Justice Wakering came rushing behind me amongst the People and suddenly smote me with his Hand upon my Back and said He arested me in the Name of the Lord Protector and so I turned me about and looked upon him but knew not that he was a Magistrate so I asked him Where was his Writ and he said He had one but none he shewed me then they hurried me into an House and there some Friends engaged that I should be forth-coming when their Worship was done and so I went unto my Friends House and there spoak the Word of the Lord unto the People that there came together and was also ready when their Worship was done according to my Friends Engagement And when I came before them there were four Men called Justices and six or seven Priests yea there were nigh nine or ten Priests that Day that were gathered together against the Truth and when I was come before them he that is called Justice Wâ—â—ering came and plucked my Hat off my Head and threw it away then they fell to question me of many Things to which I made answer and many frivolous Questions they asked me whereby to ensnare me which was neither just nor honest for Men of their Profession to do so when they had satisfied their Wills in examining of me they caused a Mittimus to be made and committed me to the Common Goal at Colchester And there were several of the chief Priests in Essex that were Actors in this Persecution Priest Willis who is a Teacher of an Independent Company at Brantry and Priest Sammes a Teacher of an Indepâ—ndent Company at â—reat Coggashal and Priest Spaâ—row a Teacher of an Independent Company ar Halstead and Priest Stellum a Teacher of an Independent Company at Tarling yet are all Parish Priests and are maintained by those that â—re not of their Church and those were the Head-Actors in this Persecution yea and Priest Stellum speak to the Rulers in the publick Place thereby to stir up their Spirits to persecute and this was plotted amongst the Priests and their gathered Churches to appoint Meetings thereby to ensnare the Innocent and raise Persecution against the Truth yea and two of the Men called Justices who were my chief Persecutors are Members of the Independent Church and thus the Churches gather themselves against Christ and his Kingdom and now the Ravening Wolves in Sheeps Cloathing do appear yea their Fruits make them manifest and those are they who call themselves Jews and are not but the Synagogue of Satan and those are the Builders who have do reject the Corner Stone which is now become the Head of the Corner and over their Heads is set and Wo unto them on whom it lights And after I was sent to Prison there I was kept close and could not have my Friends and Acquaintance to come to see me with Peace and Freedom and so when I was there I wrote an Answer to the Mittimus whereby I was falsly accused and imprisoned and sent to the Men that committed me for to clear my Conscience unto them and lay the Injustice and Cruelty before them and leave them without Excuse in the Presence of the Almighty And so when the Time came that I was to go to the Assize they put me on a Chain amongst Felons and Murderers and joyned me to one suspected for Murder and thus I was numbred amongst Transgressors that the Scripture might be fulfilled and thus six of us were hooked together upon a Chain so that we could not go into a Bed for four of us remained upon the Chain
Equity in is heart without putting off a Hat to a Magistrate and he that so doth Whether is he fit to be called a Magistrate that calleth such a one A Contemner of Authority and commits him to Prison for Mis-behaviour And whether this be Justice or Equity yea or nay 20. And you that plead this Scripture Be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Whether is it for the Lord's sake that a Man would have his Fellow-Creature to stand with his Hat off before him or for his Selfs sake and whether then it is to be obeyed yea or nay 21. And he that for the Lord's sake aud for Conscience sake cannot so rob God of his Glory and Honour as to bow to or worship any Creature but God alone who is the Creator Whether ought he to be imprisoned for Mis-behaviour or a Contemner of Authority yea or nay according to the Law of Equity And whether this is to be called Liberty of Conscience according to the Law of England yea or nay Now all you that profess your selves Christians and the Scripture to be your Rule take the Scripture and prove your Practice by the Scripture amongst all the Christians or else let the Life and Practice of the True Christians judge you and condemn you and own your selves to be in Proud Haman's Nature and so liable to Haman's Judgment And hence forward look to your Office to Rule for God and not for your selves and then you will not stand upon such frivolous things for it is a frivolous thing to look for the putting off the Hat and is no Part of True Nobility or Christianity Given forth for the Clearing of the Truth to which the Nations must bow James Parnel Here followeth a Copy of a Note that was written against the Idol's Temple which was judged a Contempt of the Ministry THis is the Idols-Temple where the Worship of the Beast is upheld down with it down with it 1 Cor. 8. 10. Rev. 13. 7 8. Deut. 12. God that made the World and all Things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands Acts 7. 47 48 49. Acts 17. 11. Neither is he worshipped in Idols Temples made with Mens Hands Acts 17. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father is seeking such to worship him John 23. 24. All the World wonders after and worships the Beast but those who have their Names written in the Book of Life Rev. 13. 3 4 8. And they that worship the Beast receive his Mark in their Foreheads Rev. 13. 16. As sprinkling Infants and worshipping the Works of their own Hands Isa. 2. 8. And following the Imaginations of their own Hearts such must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without Mixture Rev. 14. 9 10 11 12. This Idols Temple that is made with Hands is a Place for Night-Birds and Scrich-Owls to meet each one with his Mate Jer. 34. 13 14 15. To the Dishonour of the only true God that dwelleth in Temples made without Hands at New Jerusalem where the Tabernacle of God is with Men Rev. 21. 3. Drunkards and Swearers Revilers and Scoffers and Scorners Proud and Wanton Ones Hypocrites and Dissemblers Envious Haters Backbiters Persecutors Lustful Covetous Ones and Earth-worms meet here the Fearful and Unbelieving Peevish Perverse Contentious Ones meet in these Idols Temples to satisfie their Lusts And saith the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouthes and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me but in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men Mat. 15. 7 8 9. But know you not that no Unrighteous Person shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. But must be cut down and cast into the Lake that burneth Rev. 21. 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such must you reap Gal. 6. 7. And to whom you yield your Members Servants to obey his Servants you are Rom. 6. 16. For he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin and so is of the Devil Joh. 8. 34. 1. Joh. 3. This is a Deceiver that stands up here every first Day of the Week to deceive the People he is Proud and Covetous and speaketh a Divination of his own Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so makes the People light and vain Jer. 14. 14. But the Lord is against him hold him not up for he ran and the Lord never sent him therefore he profits not the People at all Jer. 3. 1 2 3. But hath stollen the Letter which is Carnal with it to feed the Carnal for Carnal Ends and Lucre and so hath a Form but denyes the Life and Power and therefore from him turn away 2 Tim. 3. 5. Therefore spend not your Money for that which is not Bread nor your Labour for that which profiteth not Isa. 55. 1 2. For all the Children of the Lord are and shall be taught of the Lord and in Righteousness shall they be established and they shall be far from Oppression Jer. 31. 34. Isa. 54. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 27. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith and be deceiv'd no longer J. P. Here follow several Queries that were sent to four of the chief Priests in Essex with some more added which may be serviceable for them or any other to answer whom they do concern SEveral Queries unto Priest Sammes Priest Sparrow Priest Willi and Priest Stellum and your gathered Churches by you to be answered according to Scripture which you profess to be your Rule Query 1. How and by what were you called to the Ministry which you profess 2. What is the Gospel which you pretend to preach and how did you receive it and whether your Gospel be free and without Charge as the Apostles was yea or nay 3. What do you minister from and what do you minister to in the Natural Man and what is the End of your Ministry 4. What Rule have you in the Scripture to take a Text of the Apostles Words and speak from it what you have studyed with your Uses Points Tryals and Motives and Applications 5. Whether do you speak by the same infallible Spirit as they did that spoak forth the Scripture yea or nay 6. And whether he that hath the same infallible Spirit need study how or what to preach 7. And whether it is not as lawful now for Fishermen Plowmen or Herdsmen to preach if they be called to it and fitted for it by the same Power and Spirit as they were in the dayes of old and whether Christ is not the same Yesterday to Day and orever according to Scripture 8. And whether any now ought to teach and preach in the Name of Jesus but who are called to it and fitted for it the same Way as the holy Men of God were spoken of in Scripture 9. Whether
And all you that still pay the Priests Tythes and Offerings and are convinced of the Deceit of the Priests you do deny Jesus Christ the Son of God come in the Flesh who is the Everlasting High Priest the End of Tythes and Offerings according to the Law and do uphold Babel and the Merchants of Babylon and are throwing down with the one Hand and building up with another who cry against the Priests in words as to be proud and covetous and yet put into their Mouthes for a Peace sake with them and so while you put into their Mouthes you Uphold them for their Maintenance Upholds their Ministry And here you flee the Cross and are Men pleasers because you would not suffer for the Truth you profess and therefore are denyed by them that dwell in the Truth But you that for Conscience cannot pay the Priests Tythes keep to that of God which convinces you in your Consciences and it will carry you out to suffer for Conscience sake and so you will have your Peace with God in your Consciences though by Men persecuted Or if you be called to Answer at their high Courts or Benches keeping to the Principle of God in your Consciences you may appear before their Highest Judges and cast Slavish Fear aside and stand in the Fear and Counsel of God and to their Faces Answer for the Truth in Boldness against their Deceit and let the Truth confound them And give up your Bodies freely to suffer for the Truth of Jesus that the Heathen may know That the Truth is in You. And deny all those that receive Fees or Gifts in their Heads and keep to the Counsellor within If any Man wants Wisdom let him ask it of God where you need not go out to Man And all you that give Money to Repair the Idols Temples and are convinced in your Consciences of the Idolatrous Worship that is therein upheld you are guilty with the Idolatrous Worshippers who do uphold their Idolatrous Places and so uphold their Idolatrous Worship and here you cannot wash your Hands of their Idolatry but are defiled with them so long as you Uphold their Idolatrous Places Therefore to the Light bring all your Deeds that by it all such Actions and Practices may be condemned and you separated from the Idolatrous Generation and keep clean from its Polutions and suffer willingly the Spoiling of your Goods for the Name of Jesus And if you be called before Magistrates to take an Oath keep to that which condemns all Oaths which saith Swear not at all but testifie the Truth from your Consciences in the face of all men and so you abide in the Doctrine of Christ and out of the Condemnation for They that Swear fall into Condemnation saith the Apostle James Chap. 5. 11. And though in the Time of the Law and the Prophets on Oath for Confirmation among men then was the End of all Strife but Christ Jesus the Oath of God the Fulfilling and End of the Law and the Prophets saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and Nay Nay for what is more is Evil And such as stumbles at this Language accounts the Cross Foolishness and is for Death by the Cross And if you be crucified with Christ you shall reign with him And so to the Light in you all I leave you by it to be directed how to walk up to the Mind of God and own the Truth before all men every one of you faithful in your Measures there to grow out of the World and the Deceit of the World to be kept clean from the World in the Fear of the Lord using the World as if you used it not and then are you my Friends and of my Kindred And this I was moved to give forth for the Directing of your Minds lest any of you should be choaked with the World's Spirit which I see working amongst you which would keep Peace and Friendship with the World that by the Light of Christ Jesus where with you are all enlightened you may search out this Worldly Spirit which is in you working against the Light that by the Light it may be rooted out for of a Truth you cannot serve them both but while you are seeking to please the one you displease the other Therefore keep to that which separates from the World for if God be on your side who can be against you In which Confidence I rest in Unity with the Faithful in whom is my Joy and Comfort in the midst of Bonds Written from Colchester Castle in the 9th Moneth 1655. JAMES PARNEL AN EPISTLE TO FRIENDS ALL ye Friends of the Light though we who are your Ministers and Messengers oâ— Light are in Prisons Holes and Dungeons cast and kept by the devilish corrupted will of man suffered by God the Father of Light for the Fulfilling of the Scriptures upon that Gâ—neration which was prophesied of by the Ministers and Messengers or Light in the dayes of old who suffered in the like nature by the same Generation for the same Testimony and though yet the Lord suffers the same Generation to act in their Nature against us and fill up their Measure of Wrath it is for the Manifestation of his Truth and Exalting of his Name of Power and through all this are we known and made manifest unto You who be in the Light and the Heathen do come to know and confess That he is Greater that is with us then all they that rise up against us and in all this do we Rejoyce and through our Sufferings are Crowned and do get Victory over the world without as within And though we are here kept the Lord's appointed Time yet Friends eye the Lord in all these things and look not out at Man or what Man can do either for or against but eye God in all his Works and in all his Instruments and there will be no Cause of Discouragement for the discouragements and fears doubts and questioning spring from the Carnal aâ—d know not the Eternal But an Eternal Witness we have in all your Consciences which by the Word of Power is awakened in you by which we are known by which we are owned by which we are witnessed and received into your Hearts wherein our Unity stands with you who are faithful unto it by which we are remembred unto you though far Absent in Body And this Witness we have in the World though they do not receive it nor like to retain it in their minds therefore they do not receive us but as the witness lies slain in them therefore do they strive to slay us and this is their Condemnation which will witness unto God against them out of their own Mouthes And thus we are a sweet Savour unto God both in you that Believe and in them that Perish Therefore you that do believe unto this Witness â—ake heed and mind its Answer in Your Câ—nsciences that it may Your Consciences exercise in Unity unto
Yea or Nay 54. VVhat is that which is lost which Christ comes to seek and what is that which was driven away which Christ comes to bring again and whether this is not to be witnessed and fulfilled in Man Yea or Nay 55. VVhat is the Paradice wherein Man was placed and what was the Image of God wherein Man was created 56. And how was Man a living Soul and whether all this is not to be restord unto Man and fulfilled and witnessed unto Man while he is upon the Earth Yea or Nay 57. What is the Tree of Life and what is the Tree of Knowledge and whether upon it you do not feed and what is the flaming Sword that is set to keep from the Tree of Life and whether it you ever passed 58. Whether the Natural Man can try and discern false Spirits by the Scripture and by what doth the spiritual Man try and judge all Things and whether by the same he did not try and discern Spirits 59. And by what did the Holy Men of God that gave forth the Scripture try and discern Spirits and whether yours be the same Tryer of Spirits as theirs was who say You must try the Spirit by the Letter 60. Whether you are not conform'd like unto the World so long as you follow their Fashions and Customs 61. VVhether you are not partial amongst your selves so long as you respect Persons These Things I do not ask as if I knew them not but for the Satisfaction of the Simple and the clearing of the Truth and Manifesting your Deceit to the World by which you have deceived the World who are the Deceivers of the World therefore answer by plain Scripture and your own Experience or else let all Flesh keep Silence before the Lord and let Guilt stop your Mouthes for Railing Reproaching and Blaspheming the Truth of God which is made manifest in these People whom you scornfully call Quakers who by you and your Agents are persecuted but where do you find that the Church of God was ever Persecutors or ever made Use of Carnal VVeapons to defend them J. P. Here followeth a Copy of a Letter that I was moved to write to Judge Hills after the Assize A Few VVords â—nto thee that art set in the Seat to do Justice and to bear the Sword of Justice in thy Hand and hast turned the Edge of it against the Righteous and laid it upon the Innocent and thy fair VVords will not shelter nor cover thy deceitful Actions but thy deceitful Heart is made manifest and thy Hypocrisie doth there appear for thou hast hearkned unto the false Prophet and by his enticing VVords thou art deceived and so puttest Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Evil for Good and Good for Evil and so art lyable to the VVo from the Lord and hast persecuted Christ and set at Liberty Barrabas yea and I was numbred amongst Transgressors yet could not have the Liberty of Transgressors as in many Things might be nominated but in short I shall declare it First That mine Accusers should stand in the Place as Judges over me and their Accusations and false Witnesses to be heard to the full and also to whisper and buz in thy Ears in secret what they would against me and also that thou that satest in the Seat as a Judge to repeat over unto the Jury all that thou couldst gather by wrong Interpretation and Construction against me but nothing of my Defence against my Accusations but rather to drive out of their Minds by thy evil incensing what I had before declared in my own Defence but thou as it were passedst the Sentence upon me before the Jury went forth but thou thoughtst thou hadst pannelled a Jury wherewith thou wast pleased to try me according to thine own Mind and Will for the Fore-man was a Drunkard and the rest Swearers out of the Doctrine of Christ against all which I did object and denyed by them to be tryed but it was thy Will and Pleasure so to do and when they come to bring in their Evidence they had so much Understanding that they charg'd me with nothing but the Papers which I had before confessed to be mine and owned them but the Indictment they would not own to be Truth against me though dishonestly both thou and the Clerk did draw Words out of the Fore-man of the Jury which the rest did not consent to and then in thy Will with thy fair and deceitful Speeches thou imposedst a Fine upon me contrary to all Law and Equity but where Equity is not it cannot be expected for Oppression within Oppression without and he that cannot Witness the Sword of Justice set up in his Heart knows not how to handle it without for he that rules not by the Law of God in his Heart rules in his own VVill and is partial and understands not the Things of God but what pleaseth his VVill that he cherisheth and what crosseth his VVill that he would curb and the VVill of Man is opposite to the VVill of God therefore the Cross of Christ is of Use to them that know it but a stumbling Block to the VVorld but he that rules in his own VVill is no Minister of God he that respects Persons is not fit to bear Rule for God he that seeks himself is not fit to bear Rule for God all which appeared and was openly manifest in thee in the open Court as in those Things before mentioned and many other which are now out of Mind but for the clearing of my Conscience unto thee I was moved to write that thou mightst see what thou hast done and be left without Excuse of Ignorance in the Presence of the Almighty for contrary to the Light of God in thy Conscience thou hast acted by which thou standest Accuâ—ed in the Presence of the Almighty and if thy Conscience accuse thee God is greater But if thou hadst stood in the Place where thou art set to judge of legal Matters about natural temporal Things thou hadst had the less to account for but in medling to judge about Spiritual Matters is Authority which the Scripture which thou callest thy Rule doth not allow thee for the Natural Man perceives not the Things of God because they are spiritually discerâ—ed therefore in this the spiritual Man judgeth thee and thy Condemnation is great therefore lay these Things to Heart and put them not far from thee or to the Light of God in thy Conscience I do speak which eternally will witness me condemn thee in the Presence of the Almighty who hast taken upon thee to judge and condemn those whom God hath justified Thereâ—ore consider what advantageth it thee or what will it advantage thee when thou comest to give an Account before the Lord God of Heaven and Earth the Judge of all the Quick and the Dead if thou hast now Power to keep this Body in Prison until thou hast the Life of the Creature which
I am freely made willing to give up rather then to deny the Truth of my God And if I should pay one Penny for the Liberty of my Body in this Cause would be as much as if I paid the whole Fine which thou hast unjustly laid upon me for therein I should own my self a Transgressor where I am not guilty and also a bought Liberty is Bondage to my Spirit but my Liberty under thy Bonds is Bondage to thee which Liberty thou canst not rob me of with all that thou canst do for it is the Free-Gift of God which none can take away though thou wilt not allow me in thy Bonds to have the outward Liberty that thou allowest to Thieves and Murderers and Fornicators that is to have my Friends and Acquaintance to come to see me wherein the very Heathen will condemn thee who when they had committed Paul to Prison said Forbid none of his Friends and Acquaintance to come to see him Acts 22. 24. Therefore now read how thou exceedest the Heathen in Persecution and Injustice though I am a free-born Subject in England therefore let the Life of all the Christians condemn thee who never were Persecutors And this of the Lord I was moved to write which is the Word of the Lord unto thee whether thou wilt hear or forbear in the Peace of my Conscience I do rest in the Will of God known to thee by the Name James Parnel And now a few Words unto you who call your selves Gathered Churches go under the Name of Independents in Essex YOU are gathered by the Will of Man and are joyned by the Will of Man and so stand in the Will of Man and are upheld by the Will of Man by which you are begotten but still alive in the World's Nature in the World's Customs Fashions and Traditions in the World's Fellowship Words and Wayes and Rudiments only differing from others in Judgment Opinion or Profession wherein is your Life in high Notions and feigned Apprehensions and false Applications and glorious Expressions and customary Duties and vain Traditions which all appertain to the great Image which all the world worships by which they are deceived whose Head is Gold and Breast of Silver and Thighs of Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet part Iron part Clay and in the same Nature ye are found with the world the Day doth declare it and you to be the Enemies and Stangers to the Light which is not of the world which is now come into the world testifying against the world and the Deceit of the world and the Deceivers in the World and the Profession of the world And this is the Condemnation of the world that Light is come into the world and men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil In which Evil you are found despising and setting at nought the Corner-Stone and standing in the Enmity of your Spirits and joyning with the Powers of the Earth to persecute the Life and Power which now is manifest in the Earth and is come to discover your Empty Shadows Forms and fair Shews of Godliness but without Life and Power which you have set up in your Imaginations and thereby are deceived and blinded and led in Blindness so that you cannot see the Light nor receive the Substance now it is come and made maniest but stand up in your Wills and wisdom to oppose the same and persecute it in the Enmity of your Spirits as if you hoped to kill the Heir that the Inheritance might be yours And therefore Because you do despise this Day of your Visitation and reject and sleight the Glad-tidings which now are come to them that dwell upon the Earth and revilâ— and reproach persecute and slander the faithful Messengers of the Gospel rejoycing your Hearts in their Sufferings by you and amongst you therefore the Lord will raise up a People out of the Dust and gather them from far to bear Testimony unto his Name and bear witness against you yea and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Son and you and such as you shall be cast out into Tophet prepared of old for Hypocrites and Unbelievers Therefore now read your Portion ye stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears who do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye but the greater will be your Condemnation who go about to mock God with your Will-worship with your Calling of Assemblies and Solemn Meetings with your appointed Fasts and Dayes of Voluntary Humiliation with your Long Prayers and Feigned Duties all which are done out of the Light and so are your own Works acted by Self for Self But who has required these things at your Hands It is all Abomination to the Lord his Soul loaths it For your Sacrifices are are as Cain's for you are found in Cain's Nature Envying and Persecuting the Righteous yea the Witness lieth slain in your Streets Therefore VVo is unto you who go on in the Way of Cain for upon you shall come all the Righteous Bloodshed from Righteous Abel until now And your Profession stinks in the Nostrils of the Lord for you have lifted up your Hands against him and his Anointed and opened your Mouths in Blasphemy and False Reports against the Truth yea you are blind and stumble at the Noon-day you come near the Lord with your Lips but your hearts run a Whoring after other Lovers and you know not the Only True God that dwells in Temples made without hands whose VVorship is in Spirit and in Truth but would limit the Unlimited under your VVills as if he were not a God of Might but that you could controle him with the Arm of Flesh But Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such shall you reap and your End shall be according to your Works For our God is a God of Judgment and Justice and will avenge the Cause of the Innocent upon you his Adversaries Yea and though your Teachers do cry Peace Peace unto you because you put into their Mouthes and so daub you up with Untempered Morter that you cannot see your VVouud and so heal you sleightly Yet you shall know that our God is a God of Truth and his VVord shall stand forever and their Sorcery shall appear and their Witchcraft shall be laid open and the Cup of Fornication wherewith they have made drunk and deluded the Nations shall be taken from them the Cup of the Wrath of the Almighty given them to drink their Reward And then shall you behold the Harlot with whom you have committed Fornication who now lies in your Bosoms Bewitching you with a Golden Cup with whom you have defiled your Garments then to be cast into the Bottomless Pit where you shall all be tormented together who now partake of her Pleasures and thus shall you fall among them that fall in the Day that I visit you saith the Lord. J. Parnel A Few