Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	seek_v	spirit_n	worship_v	7,034	5	9.8542	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89853	Several petitions answered, that were put up by the priests of Westmorland, against James Nayler and Geo. Fox, servants of the most high God, persecuted by the priests of the world, as Jesus Christ and the apostles were persecuted by the Jewish high priests for the witnessing of the truth, and testifying against the deceits of the world. With the answer to an order given forth by the justices at Appleby sessions, contrary to the law of God, and the laws of the land. Also, an exhortation to the people, to mind the light of God in them, the teachings and leadings of the spirit of truth; the which if it be obeyed, will lead and guide them into all truth.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.; R. F. (Richard Farnworth), d. 1666.; Fox, George, 1624-1691.	1653 (1653)	Wing N316A; Thomason E703_4; ESTC R3636	42,778	72

that which we preach is not after man neither according to mans will but by the will of God For we are not made Ministers by Oxford and Cambridge for that we deny Gal. 1. 21 12. Gal. 1. 1. We stand condemned by you who are Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit who are Ministers by the will of man and your Call and Authority is by the will of man Obj. Hvae filled it in some parts with very sad divisions Answ Truth did make division when Deceit was at peace For Christ said I come not to send peace on the Mat. 10. 34 35 earth but a sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the daughter against her mother the daughter in law against the mother in law and here is the Scripture fulfilled Pr. Obj. Stirred up much wrath and strife even between the neerest relation Answ It seems hatred wrath and strife were within now truth hath stirred it up When the strong man armed keeps the house all the goods are at peace till a Mat 3. 27. Luke 17. 20 21. stronger come and dispossesses him and spoyls his goods and here is the Scripture fulfilled where the 1 Cor. 6. 19. 1 John 3. 8. power of truth dwels and the Kingdom of God is come who are indeed the Temples of God the works of the Divell destroyed hatred malice wrath strife heresie and blasphemy pride hypocrisie and dissembling where the truth rules these are destroyed and where these rule truth rules not and consider all you pretended Ministers what you have been doing all this while that there is so much wrath and strife to be stirred up when the truth comes for that is it that sets at variance O all people consider what blind guides you have been led withall why spend you your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Ho every one that thirsteth Isai 55. 1 2 3. come freely without mony and without price hearken diligently unto me saith the Lord that your souls may live Pr. Obj. And powerfully seduced multitudes of people from the truth Answ Whereas we are accused as seducing people from the truth it is false for how can they be in the truth who live in malice cnvy strife and wrath for they that live in that nature are turned from the truth which according to your own words much of that is Mat. 15. 9. Col. 2. 22. 1 John 2. 26 27. stirred up The Lord hath sent us and made us to come into this County to draw up people unto himselfe from the Doctrines and Worships of the world John 11 7. All people are seduced by you whom God hath never sent for I will prove by the Scriptures that you are seducers and draw people from the teaching within them to follow your imaginations what you can study out of the letter which the holy men of God spoke forth freely the which now you make a Trade of And Iohn 1 Joh. 2. 26 27. said These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you you need not that any man teach you but as the anointing teaches you all things Now if an hundred or a thousand people should come and deny all you Priests and witness they had this anointing within them then this Scripture being fulfilled John 15. 25. and you denied such you go about to persecute which witness this anointing within them and need no man teach them Herein you shew that you have not the same spirit that was in them that wrot that Epistle but the spirit of the world the world did not know them then which were taught by that anointing but hated them as you do now them that witness the same annointing ye hate ye are the Antichrists of this world and hate them who are not of this world and seek to bring them from their teacher within to follow you who go in the way of Cain to envy and after the error Jude 11. of Balaam Here you shew your selves to be seducers and such we do deny but to every mans conscience do we look to be made manifest and we do not seek to draw any one from the anointing within them but do exhort all there to wait and abide for the promise which is eternall life to them that abide in the anointing 2 Cor. 4. 2. 1 John 2. 25. 2 Tim. 3. 3. but you false accusers are without which the Scripture speaks of Pr. Ob. And from the worship of God Answ That is false to say we draw any from the truth for we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth as the Apostle saith but all corrupt wayes we deny and abhorre and the worship of the wicked we deny who have not their names written in the Lambs Book of life and God is not worshipped with mens hands neither dwels he in Temples made with hands and for witnessing this Steven was stoned to death when the high Priests examined him which generation you shew your selves to be in the same nature holding up outward Temples and Synagogues which we deny and seek to draw people from these things God is a Spirit and he that worships him must worship him in spirit and in truth and this worship we own Rev. 13. 8. Ioh. 4. 22 25. Acts 19. 27 24 and draw people to it up to God from all beastly worships outward Customes imitated of man which is an abomination unto the Lord. Pr. Ob. To imbrace their corrupt and dangerous doctrines and pernitions ways which things are so notoriously known to all men that live in these parts that we need not here say any thing to acquaint your selves with it Ans Corrupt Doctrines pernicious ways we deny which are all your ways you proud Baals Priests for 2 Pet. 2. 2. 15. 2 John 1. 9. Luke 7. 9. he that doth abide in the Doctrine of Christ hath God and he that doth not abide in the Doctrine of Christ is of the Divell Iesus Christ is made manifest who witnesses forth the eternall truth to poor souls who have lived in darkness and blindness these many hundred years have the dark ministery reigned but now the God of power is uttering his thunders and Rev. 10. 34. making his power known and the eternal word of God is made manifest in us this we witness which we preach forth to the glory of our Father Praises praises be unto thee alone Lord God Almighty who art now setting up thy own Kingdom And the same judgement do ye give upon us as the Jews did upon Christ and the Apostles for the Apostle while he was in the Jewish Religion in their outward worship as you are now they looking for a Christ coming without them as you do now at which time Paul was at peace with them but when he did preach Iesus Christ that was revealed Acts 21. 27 28 30. in

in the flesh and your Ministry is carnall Cain is alive in you and the soul ye know not for it is in the death therefore dissemble not thou deceiver telling people of a soul for thou art him that keepes in the death and shuts the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 23. 13. Jam. 5 6. Acts 7. 52. from against men and knowes not the soul for that is shut up from thy understanding that minde shall never know it thou art a murderer of the just and watchest for thy means and if meu will not give it thee thou fues them at the law therefore dost thou use carnall weapons to maintain thee in thy carnall Ministry it shewes thy weapons to be carnall and not spirituall shewing thy Kingdom to be of this world And here doth not thou shew forth damnable doctrines for shame blush Impious principles and practises we deny they are your own which keepes poor souls in death your preaching the carnall Letter to the carnall minde and your carnall weapons will not maintain you but you seek to a Magistrate here you shame your profession for where the truth is springing the pure seed arising you cannot suppress it with your carnall weapon the Letter then you run to a Magistrate without to suppress it while we all lived under your Ministry and what you spoke we took it for truth as being naturally blind hearing you blind then you owned us but God now Mat. 15. 14. of his infinite love and mercy according to his promise hath gathered us who have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day following such shepherds as you which fed your selves and cloathed your selves with the wooll made a prey upon us and sought for the Fleece Ezek. 24 12. 13. 14. 8. 10. but God as he hath said he hath fulfilled I will gather my sheep from their mouthes and my sheep shall be a prey no longer unto them and will feed them in a good pasture and we witness the Scripture fulfilled therefore do you hate us and seek to persecute them in whom Jesus Christ is made manifest but it is that the Gal. 4. 29. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Scripture might be fulfilled he that is born after the flesh persecutes him that is born after the spirit and if any man live godly in Christ Jesus he must suffer persecution here the Scripture is fulfilled you shew your selves to be carnall indeed you must have an outward Authoritie to rule your Religion for shame give over your profession for pure Religion he that lives in it and walkes in it hath power over his own tongue and is kept unspotted from the world and doth visit the fatherless Jam. 1. 26. 27. widowes and strangers and this hath not an outward power to order it but is guided and ordered by the spirit of the Lord to the Lord himself to whom be praises for ever and such we own in our souls and such ye seek to persecute and instead of relieving and Rev. 8. 14. receiving strangers you give them a report or scandall as wanderers that the Scripture might be fulfilled who preached the everlasting Gospel the world knew not and who forsook their own country and sought for another whom the world was not worthy of and you Heb. 11. 38. Heb. 13. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 10. shew your selves to be of that generation he that was a minister of God did exhort to receive strangers by that means some received Angels and the same eternal word hath God made manifest and sent his servants to witness it forth and to warn you all of wo and misery that will come upon all uncleanness and ungodliness and some of them you prison some of them you beat Mat. 10. 17. Mat. 27. 1. 20. Mat. 26. 3. 4. and mock and scourge in your Synagogues and some of them you hale before Magistrates And the chief Priests were ever the ringleaders to slay the righteous seed where it was born wherein the Scriptures come to be fulfilled and you shew the fulfilling of them upon the children of the Lord and the words of Jesus Christ true but he is coming who bears the government upon Isa 9. 6. Psal 23. 1. Col. 1. ●8 1 Thes 1. 1. his shoulders he alone will rule them who rules all nations with a rod of iron he alone will be their teacher and their Shepherd he alone rules his Church who is the head but this Church is not of this world nor maintained by any weapon of this world the true Church is in God yours vvithout vvho maintain it with a carnall vveapon you vvould have a speedy suppressing of the truth vvhere it is risen here you shevv your selves to be of that number vvho call evil good Isa 5. 20. Acts 13. 50. Acts 22. 22. and good evil and even the generation of them that vvould ever have had truth suppressed when it was risen Amos 7. 12. as they said to Christ depart out of our coasts as they said to Paul 't is not fit such a fellow should live upon the earth as to Amos go thy way into Judah prophecie there thatvvas the Kings chappell and he told them the songs of the Temple should be turned into Amos 8. 3. pla 119. 120. howling so shall that nature which hath turned Davids quakings and trembling into meeter when ye read them hats ye keep on and vvhen ye sing them hats ye put off and worship the vvorks of your own hands shewing the spirit of error Pr. Obj. By the checking the vvicked endeavours and proceediugs of these men Answ That is the blasphemer indeed vvhich vvould have the truth chect and be limitted It is vvritten the beast shall blaspheme God and his Temple And Rev. 13. 6. God hath raised up a light in many that are Justices to reprove that nature in you vvhich is fawning and flattering and you will fawn upon them vvhile they vvill Mica 3. 5. give you means but if they give you no means then you prepare vvar against them Pr. Obj. Which vve humbly conceive may be at least by ordering James Nayler and Geo. Fox being strangers to depart out of this County and to return unto their own homes Ans You pretended Ministers of Christ which do but conceive with an earthly power to hinder the proceedings of that which you conceive to be error which is the eternall truth and which conceivings arise out of pride Here it shews that you have not an infallible judgement and as it is written God will scatter the Luke 1. 15. proud in their imaginations and there is your portion All people though you now despise us and cast reproches slanders upon us ye shal eternally witness us but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled There shall be false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of them that are good having a form of godliness and 2 Tim. 3. 3 4 5 and so on denying the power thereof vvhich the

concernment we shall ever pray Answ You are blinde without the truth and Prov. 28. 9. your prayers are an abomination unto the Lord and they who have the gracious guidance of the Tit. 2. 11 12. Lord will witness us for the free grace of God that brings salvation you have turned into wantonness it teacheth them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts them we own where this grace doth guide we have unity with them but where this free grace hath appeared and is turned into wantonness them we deny and there is your conditions the grace of God hath appeared in many of the Justices which hath brought them from under your bondage which will not be your Executioners to execute your wrath and malice upon the harmless innocent people It hath been of late that they who lived under your Ministry the Lord alone was pleased to manifest himself in them so that they are brought to deny you and declare what was freely revealed in them presently you cryed out against them and had them before Magistrates to suppress the truth praised be the Lord who hath enlightened many by and with his own light and is setting up his own Kingdom to his own glory praises praisesbe unto the Lord God Rev. 11. 15. Almighty never did the Apostles go to any Magistrate to suppress people strangers who witnesse forth the power of truth in any where it appears that you have not the same Spirit that was in them It is the evil in you which would have the truth it self suppressed It is of great concernment for you to stand up to maintain your Kingdom for if truth rise ye shall lose your Kingdom eternally shall you witness us to be no Seducers be ye witnesses against your selves Mat. 23. 31. that ye are witnesses against the power of truth Another Petition put up by the Priests in Westmerland Priests Petition TO the Right Honorable the Justices of peace for this County of Westmerland Answ That which is Right Honorable is that which is pure which is of God which worships the Father of heaven and earth now all people fear John 5. 41 44. the Lord Jesus Christ and see if there be not corruption within that would be honored and worshipped as ye read in all the Scriptures they who honored the Lord Iesus Christ cryed against deceits and Iesus Christ testified against the works of the world and the Apostles testified against the same but that which was pure they John 7. 7. set up in their souls and so do we and honor in our souls Priests Petition The humble Petition of several Gentlemen Ministers of the Gospel and others friends and servants to Iesus Christ his Gospel truths and Ordinances and the general wealth of this Commonwealth and Nation Answ Never did the Gospel Ministers put up a Petition to a Magistrate to maintain the Gospel nor the servants of Iesus Christ wherein it appears Mat. 10. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 1 John 3. 12. John 4. 21 22 23 24. that you are Ministers of the Letter which is carnal and death and you must have a carnal weapon to hold you up for shame give over your Profession and you profess humbleness your humbleness is to persecute here you shew forth the nature of Cain and void of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the Ordinances of Iesus Christ was never set up by man but man who lived in his own will was ever against them and you know not his Ordinances for they that knew his Ordinances were not persecutors but Paul before he was a Minister of Iesus Christ and knew his Ordinances he came with Letters from the Priests to persecute the Saints who believed in Iesus Christ and were of one soul and Acts 9. 2. Acts 22. 4. Acts 20. 7. Acts 4 32. met together yea in the night time all night where it shews you have but the form not the power which must be turned away from according to Scripture Priests Petition Sheweth that in the late wars we or the most of us did expose lives liberties estates and relations with all other personal advantages in the just defence of Religion and Liberty in concurrence with and maintenance of the just proceedings of our Parliament after the prosperous effects whereof we expected the settlement of the grand ends of our Engagement and so much the more as being the promise of the Parliament the vows of their affections the price of our prayers purses hazards losses banishments and the blood of many thousands our fellow servants in the work of God freely sacrificed in the quarrel of this Nation what hath been done in the settlement of our Civil Rights Peace and wholsom Law we bless God for and the Parliament as his Instruments nor can we but acknowledge what hath been done by them in the cause of God as their Acts against Adulteries Fornication Swearing Drunkenness Sabboth-breaking Ordinances against Promoters of Heretical Doctrines Acts against Ranters or Blasphemers may the Lord increase the number of these things Answ If ye will own the wholsom Law ye will own us but this is but a pretence for who owns the wholsom Law denies all corruption this is but a pretence whereby ye make a colour to make them that live in the truth to appear odious unto the world setting forth your selves unto the world Pharisee like and there to make the pure truth odious through your envious mindes but the day doth declare all things your end will 1 Cor. 3. 13. make it manifest though you pretend your selves to be Ministers of the Gospel yet your ends will 1 Cor. 3. 13. shew you to be bloody Cains and it doth now begin to appear the second birth is brought forth which doth not own your sacrifices this birth you 1 Cor. 15. 47 48 49. seek to slay Pr. Obj. Yet so it is that in this County severall persons proselytes of one Geo. Fox and James Nayler do in the time of our Assemblies ordinarily in a way of contempt and scorn come in anong us with their hats on at time of our prayer or singing used in our Gongregations some of them shew violent actions in time of Sermon or prayer or singing and cry out aloud with horrible clamors slanders abuses reproaches against our Ministers Answ That is false for our friends shew no violent actions but are against them but come peaceably in and if they be moved by the Lord to cry aloud who art thou that wilt withstand the Lord Do not you read in the Scripture that the Lord sent his Prophets and bad them cry aloud and spare not And as for clamors Isa 58. 1. we utterly deny it is your own and as for slanders abuses reproaches we utterly deny it is your own we are against all filthy minds that give forth reproaches but we speak the same language the Scripture doth from the same Word that gave it forth and your

fulfilled Priests Petition And scarce passing by any not of their judgement without abusing words that it cannot but shew us as no small Symptomes of bad designs so no small reason to provide for our security Answ As for abusive words it is false it is the abusive minde that speaks which now appears to scandal the truth Several of us who be of one heart meet together sometimes in the Market and sometimes in other places and if we see pride and drunkenness and be moved to reprove and exhort see and hear cursed speakers swearers moved to reprove and exhort them or men fighting and brawling cozening cheating deceitful marehandizing lying and disembling which we say wo is upon do you call this abusive and we bid them repent and turn unto the Lord while they have time and now to prize it for the great day of the Lord is coming wherein every one Rom. 14. 12. shall give an account And the Apostle warned all small and great to turn unto the Lord and repent which we cannot but do the same who have found mercy of the Lord who brought us to repentance and changed our lives and this is it which you call abusive And poor creatures ye need not seek for security for there is none of them who are friends of the truth and in the truth that will hurt you Now do you shew your selves to walk in the Apostles practise or quite against it here you openly shew your selves to be men who would uphold iniquity and vice and would not have it reproved but persecute such who reprove the wicked whose righteous souls are vexed as 2 Pet. 2. 8. Prov. 10. 24. Jer. 17 5. just Lots was with your filthy Conversation who uphold iniquity and live in it T is written The wicked shall fear where there is not fear and did not the true Prophet say Cursed is he that makes flesh his arm and outs his strength in man Priests Petition That it is their great design to stir up the spirits of people against the Ministers of England in general without distinction setting forth and sending abroad daily almost Libels and slanders against the Office as needless Answ The Spirit of God if it be raised up Rom. 8. 10. we do witness it will testifie against you and all your practises and whereas we are moved to write abroad shewing forth the errors and deceits of you which as a scandal you call to be Libels but if ever you own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles ye will own them which are given forth by the same power and Spirit and all your Offices which are made by man and are of man we deny and slanders we deny they are your own and now you vent them forth Priests Petition Terming them as or under the names of Antichrists Antichrists Merchants Tythe Mongers Robbers Deceivers Ministers of the world Priests Murtherers Conjurers Devils and attempting to make Proclamations in the open markets to the said effect Ans Are you not Antichrists do not you act those things Christ forbids and upholds that which Christ doth forbid shewing your selves to be Antichrists do not you mount up into the highest places in Assemblies are called of men-Masters Mat. 23. 2 Pet. 2. 3. which Christ forbids and said to his be ye not called so And do not you buy and sell the Letter make merchandize of it when as the Minister of God said that the gift of God could not be Acts 8. 18. 23. 19 20. bought and sold for money and said he was in the gall of bitterness who thought to buy it and here you shew your selves to be in the gall of bitterness repent repent that the thoughts of your hearts may be changed and Job said that Job 28. 15 16. the wisdom of God cannot be bought and sold for money nor gold nor pearls nothing is to be compared unto it and do not you shew your selves to be merchants of the Letter for the gift of God cannot be bought and sold And do not you openly shew your selves to take Tythe of people and do not walk according to the Law Levi who received Tythes the strangers fatherless Deu. 26. 12 13 Deut. 14. 29. and widows were to come within his gate and be filled which ye do not so shewing the spirit of error and yet would be maintained in your deceit but God in his infinite love hath raised up Luke 1. 79. a light gathering his people from you discovering your deceit Are ye not Robbers do not you steal the words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and sell them for money and so are Theives and Robbers which Iesus Christ spoke of which goes not in at Jer. 23. 30. Iohn 10. 1. the door but climb another way and that Generation persecuted Christ and here you shew your selves to be persecuting them in whom he is risen Are ye not deceivers when as you draw people to those things God never commanded and tell people they are Ordinances of God As sprinkling of infants and saying the Steeple-house Col. 2. 22. 20. 21. is the Chruch and the house of God and tells people ye are the Ministers of God when he never sent you but studies a Devination of your own brain and not from the mouth of the Lord here you shew your selves to be Conjurers and hold up outward Temples Traditions and Customs Tythes Formal Singing Praying do you not here shew your selves to be Ministers of the world for what is acted outwardly is worldly your original is worldly your Hebrew Latine and Greek is worldly your Church is worldly but the Saints Church is in God as Paul Silvanus 1 Thess 1. 1. 1 John 3. 15. and Timotheus to the Church of the Thessalonians which was in God Do not you shew your selves to be murtherers in the generation of the Priests Cain like do you not shew it openly do not ye seek to persecute and put in prison some you have imprisoned some you have haled out of your Assemblies some ye have stoned and buffeted do not you shew your selves to be of the generation with the Priests whose Ministry was worldly and so ever the Ministry of the Letter persecuted the Ministers of the Spirit so it is now here the Scripture is fulfilled And are not you of the Devil they that abide not in the truth are of the Devil and do not 2 John 1. 9. you shew your selves to be Devils of the Devil Murtherers he was a murtherer from the beginning and which of you can say you come to the beginning but are seeking now to destroy the innocent a peaceable harmless people to bring them into prison and into bondage do not you shew your selves to be murtherers seeking to devour as the Iews who said God was their Father when they went about to kill Christ and were of their father the Devil doing the lusts of their father which generation you shew your John 8.

against harmless innocent people Are not you laying here a foundation for a new war and so digging a pit for your selves to fall into you need never fear them who live in the power of truth to raise up an outward war but it is your false suggestion to incense people to make them believe lies but God hath raised up alight in people and in Magistrates which discerns all your intents An Order that was ordered at the Sessions at Appleby in Westmerlrnd ORdered That whosoever shall hereafter disturb any Minister in the Publike Exercise of his Ministry within this County or give any scandalous opprobious terms against any of them shall be apprehended by the Constables or Church wirdens of the place where the offence shall be committed and brought before the next Justice of the peace to finde Sureties for his or her good behaviour and upon refusing to finde such Sureties to be committed to the common Goal till willingly they shall do the same or be from thence delivered by due course of Law And likewise all such persons as me t in great numbers and Assemblies in the night time within this County shall be apprehended and bound to good behaviour as aforesaid Priests Order ORdered That whosoever shall hereafter disturb any Minister in the Publike Exercise of his Ministry within this County Answ The Law of the Land doth give freedom to speak after the man hath done and here you seem to make a new Parliament and new Laws contrary to the Law of the Land and here you shew your selves not to do Justice not acting according to the Law of the Land and the 1 Cor. 14. 30 31. Num. 11. 28 29 Num. 12. 7. Heb. 3 2. 1 Law of God Moses said who witnessed forth the Law and was Ruler in the Law he wished that all Gods people were Prophets now he was faithful in the Law of God which God had commanded him and here thou shewst to act contrary to the Law of the Land and turn'st thy self out of thy justice And the Minister of God said that all might speak in the true Church and if any thing were revealed to him that fate by let the first hold his peace for you may all prophesie one by one that all may be edified and God may be glorified for the spirits of the Prophets are subject 1 Cor. 14. 30 31. 32. to the Prophets and here you do shew your selves to be no Prophets nor no Ministers and your Church no Church if any should come into your Assemblies and sit by and something be revealed to him and he say Let the other hold his peace and you say he disturbs the Minister 1 Thess 5. 19. Mat. 10. 17. 23 Heb. 11. 36 37. Acts 7 58. 59. here you would quench the Spirit and limit the holy one And here is the Scripture fulfilled upon you If they should speak you would scourge them in your Synagogues nay stone them beat them and imprison them and mock them and is not Jesus Christs words fulfilled here And they shall persecute you and now you shew it forth blush for shame and never take him for a cloak Gen. 48. Mat. 23. 33 34 35. Acts 21. 30. 2 Pet. 2. 12. for you are in the same Generation of them that persecuted them who lived in the truth be ye witnesses unto your selves that you are in the same nature that they were in that hailed Paul out of the Temple how darest thou then take his words into thy mouth O brazen face beast that doth not abide the truth Priests Order Or give any scandalous opprobious terms against any of them shall be apprehended by the Constables or Church Wardens of the place where the offence shall be committed Answ That which you call scandalous terms is the truth upon the deceit according to Scripture Gal. 3. 1. For Paul said they were bewitched them that were drawn from the Spirit of the Lord within them to carnal circumcision without them so do you bewitch the people now as sprinkling of infants and telling them of a Sacrament which there is no Scripture for and drawing them from Jer. 5. 30 31. their Teacher within them for Jeremiah said they bear rule by their means and held up the horrible filthy thing that was committed in the Land and Isa 56. 10 11. Isaiah said they were greedy dumb dogs which could not bark which never had enough seeking for their gain from their quarters And all people consider do not all the Priests of the world bear rule by their means and seek for their gain from their quarter we speak the truth we have a cloud of witnesses and Micah said the Priests Micah 3. 5. preached for hire and he that did not put into their mouthes they prepared war against him Do not you Priests sue men at the Law if they do not put into your mouthes nay of your own Church And yet professes your selves to be Teachers of Christ O for shame blush Paul 1 Cor. 6. 1 5. that was a Minister of Christ said to the Saints that went to Law there was not a wise man among them and here thou shewst thy self to be no Minister of Christ no not to walk according to the Letter no not a wise man Jesus Christ said Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites them that were called of men Masters and so are you them that had the chiefest places in the Assemblies and so have you stand praying in the Synagogues and so do you and vvith a Mat. 23. 6 7 8 10 23. pretence make long prayers devouring Widows houses and Iesus Christ cried vvo against such and you hold up those things which Christ doth forbid and you do make men believe you are Ministers of Christ and that Christ hath sent you and act those things vvhich Christ doth forbid and the same wo is upon you that was upon them that held up those practises and the Apostle said they had forsaken the right vvay vvo unto them for they have gone in the vvay of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam Are not 2 Pet. 2. 15. 3. Iude 11. you in envy like Cain do not you shew it forth and run after the vvages of Balaam for gifts rewards and covetousness vvho make merchandise upon the people and as Ezekiel said they seek after the Fleece and eat the Fat and cloath vvith the Wooll and kill them that were fed and made a prey upon them and devoured them But as the Ezek. 34. 23 10. 14. Lord said I vvill gather them from their mouths and feed them upon the mountains And this Scri ture we witnesse to be fulfilled praise and honor be to the Lord. And you Priests do not you seek after the wooll Will you make a lye of Scripture Friends do not say this is railing for I speak the truth and have a cloud of witnesses the prophets and Apostles which spoke from the same Word

which is made manifest and lets us see the deceits as they saw them and cry against them and Isai 62. 1. for Sions sake we cannot hold our peace Order And brought before the next Iustice of the peace Answ The Prophets and the Apostles that witnessed forth these things were haled to prison and before the Magistrates as you read in Acts 21. 34. Acts 12. 4 5. Acts 16. 22 23 24. the Scripture so here is the Scripture fulfilled by the same generation Paul was haled out of the Temple and was had to prison who witnessed forth the substance of all Types sigures and shadows And though you have gotten Pauls words you shew your selves to be of the same generation Act. 21. 30 31 haling them out of the Temple Be witnesses against your selves that you are persecuters of the power of truth Pr. Petition To find sureties for his or her good behaviour and upon refuse to find such sureties to be committed to the common Goal till willingly they shall do the same or be from thence delivered by due course of Law Answ Who are redeemed by the pretious blood of Jesus Christ from their vain conversations Mat. 23. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 Phil. 3. 20 Rom. 8. 14. who live up to God who are the Ministers of God guided by the Spirit of God need not not have a law laid upon them which is made for the lawless to bind them to good behaviour The end of our ministry is to bring all men from Rom. 7 6. Gal. 3. 19. Iam. 4. 1. under the occasions of all laws into good behaviour to serve God in newness of life For the law is made to bind them to good behaviour who walk in drunkenness swearing and fighting and this is at liberty where there is misbehaviour and you lay your law upon us which you cannot accuse so Barabbas is set at liberty and Matth 27. 26. Acts 13. 10 Christ is persecuted and prisoned and here you would lay your law upon them whom you cannot accuse therfore wo unto you liars who pervert the counsell of God Pr. Petition And likewise all such persons as meet in great numbers and assemblies in the night time within this County shall be apprehended and bound to good behaviour as aforesaid Answ This law it seems is made new while we met together to card to dance in Alehouses to vain pleasures we were not accused but now all these practises are denied who are gathered by the spirit of the Lord to exhort one another day Heb. 3. 13. Acts 20. 7 8 9 Iude 20. 1 Pet. 4 10. and night both which is according to the Saints practice and Rule Paul preached untill midnight and they met together and did exhort one another and preached one to another and builded up one another in the most holy faith and herein we witness the Scripture fulfilled amongst us praised be the Lord by this you would not have us to walk according to the Scripture wherein you bring us to misbehaviour and we see and witness you are the same generation as they were in that persecuted Paul and the Saints then which met together in the night time If Paul and the Saints were here now you which have got the form of words you would do it unto them as you do unto us for all is one Some Pleadings that passed between Justice Benson and some of the Bench concerning James Nayler AT the Sessions of the peace holden at Appleby the 11 day of Ianuary 1652. upon the commitment of James Nayler it being alledged that the words by him spoken were not within the Act against Blasphemy nor against any Law It was replied by two of the Iustices that rather then the said James Nayler should go at liberty and abroad in the County they would stand to the hazard of a fine to be imposed upon them by the Iudges of the Assizes or words to the same effect and another of the Iustices said openly That they rather committed him upon the Ministers petition though no oath of the truth of any particular therein contained was made then upon the Indictment and upon making the Order against the people of Gods meeting peaceably in the night season it being urged that the Parliament had given liberty of meeting it was replied that it was no matter they would in their discretions restrain their meetings on the night time or words the same in effect Another Iustice who gave the charge who was formerly in arms against the Parliament the most part of his charge was composed of nothing else but railing against the people of God whom by way of reproach he called Quakers the truth of these particulars will be attested upon oath Likewise Iustice Pearson when I parted with him told me that he must give an account at Newcastle to the Ministers and others of their proceedings Jervis Benson It was ordered by the Justices at Apoleby That Iames Nayler and Francis Howgill should stay in prison till the petitions be answered I was moved to answer them and we could not have a Copy of the petitions from Tho. Kilner the Clerk of the Peace but we must pay four shillings and six pence for them which we know was oppression Priests Cruelty THe chief Priests were ever the greatest persecuters of the truth and under the name of profession sought always to destroy the seed of God where ever it was made manifest and they are the same still vvhore ever the seed of God is raised up then they in whom the seed of the Serpent Rev. 12. 3 4 5 13. is head seek to devour it The Dragon not having power to devour the man child yet he wil stil pesecute the woman in vvhom he was brought forth When Iesus Christ vvas born all Ierusalem vvas moved and troubled and vvhen Herod demanded vvhere Christ should be born the chief Mat. 2. 3 4 5 16. Priests and Scribes of the people told him in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof Iesus Christ shewed to his Disciples that he was to suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Mat. 16. 21 Scribes and be killed of the chiefe Priests and Mat. 21. 15. Scribes vvhen they saw the vvonderfull things that Jesus Christ did and that little children did confess him they were sore displeased the chief Priests and Elders of the people came unto Christ and he was preaching and asked By what authority dost thou these things who gave thee that authority The chief Priests and Pharisees sought Vers 23. to lay hands on Jesus for speaking the truth Iesus told his Disciples that he should be betrayed into the hands of the chief Priests and Scribes and they would condemn him to death and deliver Mat. 22. 18 19. Mat. 26. 14 15 57 59 c. him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucifie The chief Priests Scribes and Elders assembled to the place of the highest